A general multivariate latent growth model with applications in student careers Data warehouses

The evaluation of the formative process in the University system has been assuming an ever increasing importance in the European countries. Within this context the analysis of student performance and capabilities plays a fundamental role. In this work we propose a multivariate latent growth model for studying the performances of a cohort of students of the University of Bologna. The model proposed is innovative since it is composed by: (1) multivariate growth models that allow to capture the different dynamics of student performance indicators over time and (2) a factor model that allows to measure the general latent student capability. The flexibility of the model proposed allows its applications in several fields such as socio-economic settings in which personal behaviours are studied by using panel data.Comment: 20 page

Cartographic research in EREP program for small scale mapping

The author has identified the following significant results. Skylab photography is suitable for producing planimetric maps with graphical representation of landform at scales up to 1:100,000. It cannot supply all the detail necessary for maps at this scale, but it may be used to produce a sound framework which can be completed by detail from other sources. Its principal cartographic use is for original mapping of undeveloped areas of the world, but it would also be useful for the revision of existing maps and for monitoring extensive urban changes

Study of techniques and applications of satellite imagery to small scale mapping

There are no author-identified significant results in this report

Radial orbit instability: review and perspectives

This paper presents elements about the radial orbit instability, which occurs in spherical self-gravitating systems with a strong anisotropy in the radial velocity direction. It contains an overview on the history of radial orbit instability. We also present the symplectic method we use to explore stability of equilibrium states, directly related to the dissipation induced instability mechanism well known in theoretical mechanics and plasma physics.Comment: 10 pages, submitted to Transport Theory and Statistical Physics, proceedings of Vlasovia 2009 International Conference. Corrected for typos, redaction, and references adde

Photoactivation experiment on 197Au and its implications for the dipole strength in heavy nuclei

The 197Au(gamma,n) reaction is used as an activation standard for photodisintegration studies on astrophysically relevant nuclei. At the bremsstrahlung facility of the superconducting electron accelerator ELBE (Electron Linear accelerator of high Brilliance and low Emittance) of Forschungszentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, photoactivation measurements on 197Au have been performed with bremsstrahlung endpoint energies from 8.0 to 15.5 MeV. The measured activation yield is compared with previous experiments as well as with calculations using Hauser-Feshbach statistical models. It is shown that the experimental data are best described by a two-Lorentzian parametrization with taking the axial deformation of 197Au into account. The experimental 197Au(gamma,n) reaction yield measured at ELBE via the photoactivation method is found to be consistent with previous experimental data using photon scattering or neutron detection methods.Comment: 9 page

Fragmentation and systematics of the Pygmy Dipole Resonance in the stable N=82 isotones

The low-lying electric dipole (E1) strength in the semi-magic nucleus 136Xe has been measured which finalizes the systematic survey to investigate the so-called pygmy dipole resonance (PDR) in all stable even N=82 isotones with the method of nuclear resonance fluorescence using real photons in the entrance channel. In all cases, a fragmented resonance-like structure of E1 strength is observed in the energy region 5 MeV to 8 MeV. An analysis of the fragmentation of the strength reveals that the degree of fragmentation decreases towards the proton-deficient isotones while the total integrated strength increases indicating a dependence of the total strength on the neutron-to-proton ratio. The experimental results are compared to microscopic calculations within the quasi-particle phonon model (QPM). The calculation includes complex configurations of up to three phonons and is able to reproduce also the fragmentation of the E1 strength which allows to draw conclusions on the damping of the PDR. Calculations and experimental data are in good agreement in the degree of fragmentation and also in the integrated strength if the sensitivity limit of the experiments is taken into account

Isospin Character of the Pygmy Dipole Resonance in 124Sn

The pygmy dipole resonance has been studied in the proton-magic nucleus 124Sn with the (a,a'g) coincidence method at E=136 MeV. The comparison with results of photon-scattering experiments reveals a splitting into two components with different structure: one group of states which is excited in (a,a'g) as well as in (g,g') reactions and a group of states at higher energies which is only excited in (g,g') reactions. Calculations with the self-consistent relativistic quasiparticle time-blocking approximation and the quasiparticle phonon model are in qualitative agreement with the experimental results and predict a low-lying isoscalar component dominated by neutron-skin oscillations and a higher-lying more isovector component on the tail of the giant dipole resonance

Critical fluctuations in superconductors and the magnetic field penetration depth

The superconducting transition is studied within the one-loop renormalization group in fixed dimension $D=3$ and at the critical point. A tricritical behavior is found, and for $\kappa > \kappa_c$, an attractive charged fixed point, distinct from that of a neutral superfluid. The critical exponents of the continuous transition are evaluated, and it is shown that the anomalous dimension of the gauge field equals unity. This implies the proportionality of the magnetic field penetration depth and the superconducting correlation length below the transition. The penetration depth exponent is nonclassical. We argue that it can not be extracted from the dual theory in a straightforward manner since it is not renormalized by fluctuations of the dual field.Comment: 12 pages, LaTex, two figures available upon reques

Critical Behavior of the Meissner Transition in the Lattice London Superconductor

We carry out Monte Carlo simulations of the three dimensional (3D) lattice London superconductor in zero applied magnetic field, making a detailed finite size scaling analysis of the Meissner transition. We find that the magnetic penetration length \lambda, and the correlation length \xi, scale as \lambda ~ \xi ~ |t|^{-\nu}, with \nu = 0.66 \pm 0.03, consistent with ordinary 3D XY universality, \nu_XY ~ 2/3. Our results confirm the anomalous scaling dimension of magnetic field correlations at T_c.Comment: 4 pages, 5 ps figure

Chiral symmetry breaking in dimensionally regularized nonperturbative quenched QED

In this paper we study dynamical chiral symmetry breaking in dimensionally regularized quenched QED within the context of Dyson-Schwinger equations. In D < 4 dimensions the theory has solutions which exhibit chiral symmetry breaking for all values of the coupling. To begin with, we study this phenomenon both numerically and, with some approximations, analytically within the rainbow approximation in the Landau gauge. In particular, we discuss how to extract the critical coupling alpha_c = pi/3 relevant in four dimensions from the D dimensional theory. We further present analytic results for the chirally symmetric solution obtained with the Curtis-Pennington vertex as well as numerical results for solutions exhibiting chiral symmetry breaking. For these we demonstrate that, using dimensional regularization, the extraction of the critical coupling relevant for this vertex is feasible. Initial results for this critical coupling are in agreement with cut-off based work within the currently achievable numerical precision.Comment: 24 pages, including 5 figures; submitted to Phys. Rev.