ATLAS results on top properties

Recent measurements of top quark properties using $t{\bar t}$ events produced in proton-proton collisions at the Large Hadron Collider with centre of mass energies of 7 and 8 TeV and detected by the ATLAS experiment are presented. These results include top quark mass, the top and anti-top mass difference, the electric charge, the top quark polarization and spin correlation, the $t{\bar t}$ charge asymmetry and the search for flavour changing neutral currents.Comment: 6 pages. Proceedings of presentation at the The Second Annual Conference on Large Hadron Collider Physics, Columbia University, New York, U.S.A, June 2-7, 2014, On behalf of the ATLAS Collaboratio

Observation of Microlensing towards the Galactic Spiral Arms. EROS II 2 year survey

We present the analysis of the light curves of 8.5 million stars observed during two seasons by EROS (Experience de Recherche d'Objets Sombres), in the galactic plane away from the bulge. Three stars have been found that exhibit luminosity variations compatible with gravitational microlensing effects due to unseen objects. The corresponding optical depth, averaged over four directions, is 0.38 (+0.53, -0.15) 10^{-6}. All three candidates have long Einstein radius crossing times ($\sim$ 70 to 100 days). For one of them, the lack of evidence for a parallax or a source size effect enabled us to constrain the lens-source % geometric configuration. Another candidate displays a modulation of the magnification, which is compatible with the lensing of a binary source. The interpretation of the optical depths inferred from these observations is hindered by the imperfect knowledge of the distance to the target stars. Our measurements are compatible with expectations from simple galactic models under reasonable assumptions on the target distances.Comment: 11 pages, 13 figures, accepted by A&A in Aug 9

Fostering Motivation with an Authentic Task Based Unit on Linear Modeling

This curriculum project was created to provide teachers with additional resources to use when teaching an 8th grade unit on linear modeling. The included activities put an emphasis on grappling with new ideas, communication, and developing understanding through a project using real world mathematics. An embedded goal in the curriculum is to foster student motivation in mathematics. The main topic involves constructing scatter plots, noticing trends in the data, and constructing lines of best fit based on these trends. Recommendations are included by the author for implementing the included activities, as well as a rubric for evaluating the student projects. Aligned Common Core standards are included in the unit plan

RETROCAM: A Versatile Optical Imager for Synoptic Studies

We present RETROCAM, an auxiliary CCD camera that can be rapidly inserted into the optical beam of the MDM 2.4m telescope. The speed and ease of reconfiguring the telescope to use the imager and a straightforward user interface permit the camera to be used during the course of other observing programs. This in turn encourages RETROCAM's use for a variety of monitoring projects.Comment: 6 pages, 6 figures, Accepted by A

Small molecule-based photocrosslinkable fluorescent materials toward multilayered and high-resolution emissive patterning

International audiencea Solution-processable green and red-emitting fluorophores possessing photopolymerizable acrylate units have been synthesized. Photocrosslinking was successfully performed in neat thin films at room temperature under low-dose UV irradiation at 365 nm. No further curing step was necessary to achieve insoluble emissive thin films displaying high optical quality. Up to 80% of the green emitting material processed as a non-doped thin film remained after photopolymerization. Despite competitive energy transfer occurring between the excited photoinitiator and the radiative excited state of red-emitting materials, up to 40% of the initial thickness could be achieved after development. The very low RMS roughness of the green and red photocrosslinked thin films after development (RMS o 0.7 nm) allowed us to fabricate multicolored stacks again with high optical quality (RMS roughness o 1.3 nm) after two cycles of irradiation and development involving successively red and green emitters. Resolved patterns as small as 600 nm in width could be obtained upon photolithography performed under an air atmosphere. High adhesion of the photocrosslinked materials on surfaces makes the resulting emissive thin films very promising for realizing complex emissive structures on flat or bend substrates as required in multiple applications such as optical data storage, organic lasers, organic light emitting diodes or counterfeiting

Learning Agility: In Search of Conceptual Clarity and Theoretical Grounding

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/92376/1/j.1754-9434.2012.01444.x.pd

Attributes of Embodied Leadership: A beginning in the next chapter of leadership development

Research and guidance on leadership behaviour has been documented throughout history, from the epics to more recent leadership theories, evolved over the last century. Why then, when there is so much research and advice available are leaders still making so many errors? A review of literature in leadership studies reveals that recommendations have often been descriptive, assumptive and prescriptive without considering various differences in individuals. Additionally, leadership development often utilises methodologies in which individuals are trained to ‘act’ as leaders rather than fully embody leadership behaviour. This paper explores the generic attributes that describe embodied leadership behaviour. Semistructured interviews were performed on a panel of individuals from different backgrounds and analysed using a grounded theory approach. Along with the interviews, the works of Scharmer (2008) and behavioural traits identified in leadership by Derue, Nahrgang, Wellman and Humphrey (2011) were also taken into consideration. A final consensus was reached using a set of ten attributes that potentially contribute to embodied leadership behaviour; being non-judgemental, embracing uncertainty, active listening, congruence (morals and ethics), intuition, reflective practice, sense of meaning/purpose, holistic decision making, authentic presence and intention

B-physics overview in ATLAS

An overview of the ATLAS B-physics trigger and offline performance studies are p resented. From the initial running at low luminosity at LHC, high-statistics B a nalyses will allow sensitive tests of possible new physics contributions by sear ching for additional CP violating effects and for anomalous rates of rare B-deca y channels. In the physics of the $B^{0}_{s}$ meson system the expected sensitiv ity to mass and width differences are compared to recent measurements done at th e Tevatron. There is also sensitivity to a weak mixing phase beyond the Standard Model expectation. ATLAS will also be able to access rare B decays using the high luminosity running