Post-doctorate publishes paper on dark matter
Notre Dame post-doctoral fellow Joseph Bramante co-authored a paper entitled “Detecting Dark Matter with Imploding Pulsars in the Galactic Center” with University of Chicago astrophysicist Tim Lindon that explores how detecting imploding pulsars may lead provide insights about the properties of dark matter.Bramante said studies high-energy theory, a field which includes the study of particle physics, high energy processes and reactions of the universe at the smallest distances.“I do research in a few different areas, including cosmological inflation, dark matter and high energy phenomenology,” Bramante said. “I was looking at possible consequences of a specific kind of dark matter called asymmetric dark matter and what it could possibly do to pulsars at the galactic center.”Physical Review Letters, a website self-described as “the world’s premier physics letter journal,” published Bramante’s paper Nov. 3.“It’s really not so hard to understand,” Bramante said. “Most of what we’re made of is matter, and not anti-matter. One way to think about it is if our universe started off as just very very dense energy, which we think it did, there’s a symmetry between matter and anti-matter that seems to indicate that it should’ve produced equal parts matter and anti-matter, but we don’t see that, we see mostly just matter.There’s a completely separate question — which is, what makes up all this dark matter that we see in galaxies? We know there’s dark matter, and we know that there’s about five times more dark matter than there is normal matter. […] we don’t really know anything about it, how heavy it is, whether it is just a particle or an extended object, that’s the focus of the research. And so getting knowledge of any of its properties, since it’s never been detected directly, is one of the major questions right now in particle physics.”Bramante said the text explores the lack of pulsars in the galactic center and what that void is a result of and will cause in the future.“I was able to show in writing the paper that recently they haven’t been seeing pulsars in the galactic center, and if there’s asymmetric dark matter with a certain scattering off of normal matter and with certain self-interactions, then it could make pulsars in the galactic center collapse into black holes and essentially leave pulsars outside of the galactic center alone,” Bramante said.If the particular kind of dark matter Bramante discusses does indeed exist in a particular range of parameter space, then his paper has potentially huge implications, he said.“Dark matter is important because we’re at a juncture with particle physics and energy theory in general where the standard model is complete,” Bramante said, “But we know that there has to be something additional that accounts for dark matter. So in that sense finding dark matter isn’t just interesting because you find a new particle, but you gain some indication about what other symmetries govern nature, because in the end when people say the standard model of particle physics or what that is, it’s really a set of symmetries that govern how particles interact.“The reason we look for new particles is because we’re interested in what the underlying symmetries of nature are.”Tags: black holes, dark matter, pulsars
June 15, 2005 Regular News Bar Examiners’ staff recognized for safeguarding the profession Bar Examiners’ staff recognized for safeguarding the profession
“It blows my mind what we are letting into some of the law schools these days,” Florida Supreme Court Justice Fred Lewis said.“Excuse me, but I am not bashful commenting on something that troubles me. As more and more we go to a bottom line and big business for education, you’re going to see more and more your importance in this system. Without you, I don’t know where we would be.”His audience was the employees of the Florida Board of Bar Examiners and several members of the board, gathering May 19 at a Tallahassee restaurant for an awards luncheon.Justice Lewis seized the moment to express “great gratitude from the entire court. All of them would be here cheering and giving you a standing ovation for the job that you do.”If anyone in the room thought their job was thankless, Justice Lewis dispelled that notion when he said, “Virtually everyone who maintains this third branch of government and supports this democracy comes through your hands.”Justice Lewis relayed that he recently asked a law school dean: “‘What is your role in character and fitness?’ And the response, to my amazement, was: ‘We have no role in character and fitness. We’re just providing a legal education.’”When he travels the state and talks to representatives of major universities, Justice Lewis said, they “are not the ones that are absolutely concerned with the competency for the practicing law of our lawyers, nor are they concerned with the character and fitness issues that all of you take care of. Without you, my friends, and without a board that serves the people of Florida, I dare think where we might be.”Paul Schwiep, chair of the Board of Bar Examiners, told employees: “You provide an incredible public service and you treat people with class and dignity, and that’s important. It is with great pride that I introduce myself as a member of the Board of Bar Examiners, because of the dedication and professionalism and quality that I know is instilled in everyone that’s here today.” A record number of board members present stood to give the employees a standing ovation.“We enjoy what we do. We try to be thorough and we try to be efficient,” said Executive Director Eleanor Hunter. “For me personally, most of all, I enjoy the people I work with. So thank you very much for being a hardworking group and my friends.”Among the many awards presented, General Counsel Thomas Pobjecky was honored for 20 years of service.And Robert Blythe, deputy general counsel, was recognized for 10 years of service, as well as honored with the Brandi Cawthon Alvarado Award, presented annually to an employee who best exemplifies the ideals and high standards of the Board of Bar Examiners.The award was created in memory of Alvarado, a 24-year-old analyst IV who did background investigations of Bar applicants. She was murdered July 9, 1999, by her brother who also killed their mother, their 3-year-old step-brother and then himself. Promoted four times in little over two years, Alvarado was remembered at the luncheon as “a remarkable young woman who pushed herself for excellence in everything she did.”
Through its Twitter account, the New Zealand Health Ministry urged any passengers on Emirates flight EK450 on Feb. 26 from Dubai to Bali to Auckland to immediately contact authorities if they were concerned.“Anyone who was on the final leg of the flight, Emirates EK450 arriving Auckland on Wednesday 26 February and who is concerned should contact the COVID-19 Healthline number 0800 358 5453,” the ministry said.Work has begun to trace the patient’s other close contacts including those on the flight which originated in Tehran via Bali. The person arrived in Auckland on 26 Feb and traveled home in a private car. Their family became concerned about their condition and called Healthline.— Ministry of Health – Manatū Hauora (@minhealthnz) February 28, 2020These two cases in Malaysia and New Zealand added to a previous two reports of COVID-19 cases outside Indonesia in which the patients had visited Indonesia before being declared positive in other countries.Read also: Govt downplays reports of Chinese tourist who tested for coronavirus after Bali sojournEarlier, health authorities in Anhui province, China, reported that a Chinese national identified as Jin, who had visited Bali late last month, tested positive for the coronavirus disease.The patient flew on Lion Air from Wuhan, the epicenter of the COVID-19 outbreak, to Bali on Jan. 22 and stayed on the island for about a week before flying on Garuda Indonesia from Bali to Shanghai on Jan. 28.Meanwhile, Japanese public broadcaster NHK previously reported that a Tokyo resident in his 60s tested positive for COVID-19 shortly after returning from a visit to Indonesia.Read also: Japanese man’s COVID-19 case raisers concerns about Indonesia’s detection abilityThe man, a staff member of a senior care facility, reportedly traveled to Indonesia for a family vacation on Feb. 15 and was hospitalized upon his return to Japan on Feb. 19 for severe breathing difficulties.In a recent interview with The Jakarta Post, Samsuridjal Djauzi, an immunology expert at Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital, said that patients who tested positive for the coronavirus after visiting Indonesia did not necessarily get infected in Indonesia.He said, however, there was a possibility they had transmitted the virus to others while in Indonesia. “On the other hand, there is a possibility they would not, as well. Infection needs a certain situation. How many virus particles are there? How strong are they? How close is the contact?” he said. “You cannot say: Oh, they visited Indonesia and they will certainly spread the virus to other people. No, it’s not always the case,” he said. “The patient had fever symptoms and had received treatment on Feb. 17. She was admitted to a private hospital on Feb. 20 and confirmed positive on Feb. 27 after taking a COVID-19 detection test. She is currently being treated in an isolation ward at the Kuala Lumpur Hospital,” the report stated.However, the exact date she traveled to Indonesia and what city she went to remain unclear.Also on Friday, New Zealand confirmed its first coronavirus case of a female citizen in her 60s who traveled from Tehran in Iran to Auckland via Bali.Read also: New Zealand confirms first coronavirus case New Zealand and Malaysian authorities reported on Friday that their latest patients infected with the COVID-19 coronavirus had been to Indonesia before getting sick in their respective countries.Malaysia confirmed its 24th coronavirus case on Friday, declaring that a 41-year-old Japanese woman working in Malaysia who had traveled to Japan in January and to Indonesia in early February had tested positive.The ministry’s directorate-general of health said in a press release on its website that the woman was one of two new cases confirmed on Friday, resulting in a total of 25 COVID-19 cases in the country to date.
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“The increase in forex reserves in April was due to the government’s global bonds issuance,” the central bank said in a statement.The government sold dollar-denominated bonds worth $4.3 billion in early April to finance its widening budget deficit and fund its fight against COVID-19, which has impacted the economy.The bond includes the longest-dated dollar bond ever issued by an Asian nation of 50-year tenure.BI is of the view that the current reserve level is “strong enough” to support the country’s resilience to external factors, as well as to maintain macroeconomic and financial system stability.Forex reserves dropped by around $9 billion in March when BI stepped up rupiah intervention amid pandemic-related capital outflows, as foreign investors dumped Indonesian assets of around Rp 120 trillion ($8.03 billion) and flocked to safe-haven assets.The government expects a widening budget deficit of 5.07 percent as it struggles to finance the fight against the outbreak. It has announced Rp 436.1 trillion worth of stimulus packages to boost healthcare spending, social spending and tax incentives, among others.Topics : Foreign exchange (forex) reserves surged to US$127.9 billion in April on the back of the government’s issuance of US dollar-denominated bonds in the same month, Bank Indonesia announced Friday.The current reserves level, an increase from $121 billion in March, is estimated to be sufficient to support 7.5 months of imports and to bear the payment for the government’s short-term debts, according to the central bank.It is also deemed to be above the international adequacy standard of about three months’ worth of imports.
The sale of 66 Southwick St, Wynnum set a new street record.A HILLTOP home in Wynnum with ocean views has sold at its first open home, setting a new street record. Ray White Manly marketing agent Haydn Meyer said the property at 66 Southwick St went for a cool $1.27 million. “We got five offers at the first open home and the home was under contract within 48 hours,” he said. “A (comparable) four-bedroom home at 52 Southwick St sold in August last year for $990,000, so that’s almost a $300,000 jump in just four months.” Mr Meyer said the seven-figure sale was attributable to the quality of the home combined with high demand for the bayside suburb and low supply.“With the five offers we received, we had a mix of empty-nesters and families with children over 15 years (of age),” he said. More from newsCrowd expected as mega estate goes under the hammer7 Aug 2020Hard work, resourcefulness and $17k bring old Ipswich home back to life20 Apr 2020“And all of the offers were from people living outside the area. A lot of the interest was coming from people living south of the (Brisbane) river.”The Manly-based agent said the Wynnum market was heating up by the bay. “Confidence in the property market has come back in the new year,” he said. “The market was inconsistent at the end of last year, but now I’m seeing more people at open homes and more optimism. “Buyers are starting to see real value in the lifestyle the Wynnum-Manly area has to offer.“I still see a lot of buyers from within the suburbs, but I’m seeing more people from outside the area looking for a sea change. “People are finally appreciating the Brisbane seaside.”
31 Pacific Heights Court, Coolum Beach, is for sale.Towering above its neighbours on the highest point of Coolum Beach, there’s nothing humble about this home.Standing 12.5 metres from ground level, 31 Pacific Heights Court is big enough and bold enough to deserve its own postcode.“It stands out like a fly in milk, but in a good way,” admits Joseph Lordi of Sotheby’s Queensland, who is offering the property for sale via expressions of interest.“It is the biggest home in the suburb and, I’ll be honest, it’s the best home in the suburb.”And it’s hard to argue with him.This property takes luxury beachside living to another level by blurring the lines between inside and out.31 Pacific Heights Court, Coolum Beach, is for sale.Its minimalist design allows the living space and breathtaking natural landscape to merge seamlessly.The house has been a labour of love for Sunshine Coast businessman Phil King, who bought the 810 sq m block in 1997 after searching the length of the coast from Noosa to Caloundra for the perfect patch.GET THE LATEST REAL ESTATE NEWS STRAIGHT TO YOUR INBOXMr King designed it himself, confessing “I don’t like architects”, and managed to secure council approval for the four level structure before building restrictions were introduced.It means a house of its kind can never be replicated in Coolum Beach.If it achieves the asking price of $7.9 million, it will nearly quadruple the current sale record in Coolum Beach.31 Pacific Heights Court, Coolum Beach, is for sale.The house took five years to build, but it was worth the wait and the controversy.From the street, the home really is a sight to behold.As you approach, the imposing, crisp white structure — made from 700 cubic square metres of concrete — is almost blinding against a backdrop of blue sky.Step inside the front doors, over the European tiles and into the main living area on the third level and the view nearly knocks you over.More from newsMould, age, not enough to stop 17 bidders fighting for this homeless than 1 hour agoBuyers ‘crazy’ not to take govt freebies, says 28-yr-old investor6 hours ago31 Pacific Heights Court, Coolum Beach, is for sale.Open the bi-fold doors out onto the expansive terrace and breathe in the fresh, ocean air.Feel on top of the world as you take a dip in the infinity-edged pool, which appears to hang unsuspended above the spectacular view.31 Pacific Heights Court, Coolum Beach, is for sale.Then relax with a beverage in the formal lounge, complete with wet bar.On this level there is also an open-plan kitchen and dining area, including a retro-style breakfast booth, a freestanding quartz stone prep bench and a huge walk-in pantry.31 Pacific Heights Court, Coolum Beach, is for sale.There are two guest bedrooms, an office, bathroom and separate powder room, plus a home theatre.Scale the stairs or catch a ride to the top floor in the home’s internal lift.All four bedrooms on the fourth level open on to another, even bigger terrace, including the master which has a spa and dressing room.31 Pacific Heights Court, Coolum Beach, is for sale.Some two hundred panes of glass were used for the windows and balustrades, providing unobstructed views of the Pacific Ocean and the Glasshouse Mountains from every room — even the garage.That can be found on the second level.Made with the ultimate motoring enthusiast in mind, it was built for 12 cars, but could easily accommodate 20.31 Pacific Heights Court, Coolum Beach, is for sale.Head downstairs to ground level and have a play in the rumpus room and gymnasium.And once you tire of all this, why not retreat to the handsome, timber-finished wine cellar and cosy up with a glass of red.31 Pacific Heights Court, Coolum Beach, is for sale.
Weekend Shopper – Monopoly game – tokens, die, dice, houses, car, boot, boardTHE aim of the game Monopoly is to collect as many houses as you can, the more expensive the better, if you want to win.This game is being played out in real life by hundreds of thousands of Australians who are collecting properties in an effort to build wealth or prestige. However, how many houses do we really need to own to be financially comfortable later in life? Much depends on the value of the properties and debt levels, but here’s a quick look at the options. ONE HOUSE Owning your own home is one of the best investments you can make, for security, financial gain and tax benefits. Everybody needs a roof over their head and homeowners don’t worry about paying rent. Home values increase over time and unlike other investments, their capital gains are tax-free. TWO HOUSES An extra property can double the potential to increase real estate wealth, although if it’s a holiday home without rental income it also can be a financial drain. More from news01:21Buyer demand explodes in Townsville’s 2019 flood-affected suburbs12 Sep 202001:21‘Giant surge’ in new home sales lifts Townsville property market10 Sep 2020Australian Taxation Office data shows that 72 per cent of the nation’s 2.1 million property investors own one rental property. A couple of decades of capital growth can create a handy retirement bonus but not enough to be a self-funded retiree. THREE HOUSES A couple of good quality investment properties – in addition to your own home – that double in value over 15-20 years can build an impressive store of wealth. Two investment properties worth $450,000 each today could be worth at least $900,000 in a couple of decades, although at least one would have to be sold to release the wealth and repay any debts. The ATO says 19 per cent of property investors have two rental properties. FOUR OR MORE HOUSES Three properties plus your own home can be worth millions many years down the track. Six per cent of investors have three rental properties while less than 4 per cent have more. Metropole Property Strategists director Michael Yardney says if you want to earn $100,000 a year from real estate investments after tax and other costs, you’ll need at least $4 million of properties without mortgages. While that might sound out of reach, remember that Adelaide’s median house price in 2000 was $131,000 and today it’s about $450,000. Every other capital city has trebled too. You don’t need more than a handful of properties to be a successful real estate investor.
Look at the wardrobe space! Not that we’d have enough clothes to fill it.It is fully automated with a security system and an internal life which services three levels of the home.There are four bedrooms and the main bedroom has an ensuite with a spa bath and double shower. There’s not much 50 Hillside Cres, Hamilton, doesn’t have.It spans four levels and is on a 622 square metre block on Hamilton Hill.It has city and river views and multiple living and entertainment areas. In fact you can tick off just about every think you’d want in the home. Fancy bathrooms – tickThe home also has a swimming pool. City views – tickAsked what part of the home she loved the most Mrs Woodall, was quick to respond, “I love my walk-in robe’’.“And our favourite part that we really like is the formal lounge room overlooking the city with the fireplace in the winter.’Marketing agent Christine Rudolph of Ray White New Farm said interest in the property had come from three different groups.There had been some inquiries from an overseas buyer based in Asia, interstate and local buyers.“We have actually found at the moment there is still quite a number of people coming from interstate (to Brisbane),’’ she said. Video Player is loading.Play VideoPlayNext playlist itemMuteCurrent Time 0:00/Duration 1:47Loaded: 0%Stream Type LIVESeek to live, currently playing liveLIVERemaining Time -1:47 Playback Rate1xChaptersChaptersDescriptionsdescriptions off, selectedCaptionscaptions settings, opens captions settings dialogcaptions off, selectedQuality Levels720p720pHD540p540p360p360p270p270pAutoA, selectedAudio Trackdefault, selectedFullscreenThis is a modal window.Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window.TextColorWhiteBlackRedGreenBlueYellowMagentaCyanTransparencyOpaqueSemi-TransparentBackgroundColorBlackWhiteRedGreenBlueYellowMagentaCyanTransparencyOpaqueSemi-TransparentTransparentWindowColorBlackWhiteRedGreenBlueYellowMagentaCyanTransparencyTransparentSemi-TransparentOpaqueFont Size50%75%100%125%150%175%200%300%400%Text Edge StyleNoneRaisedDepressedUniformDropshadowFont FamilyProportional Sans-SerifMonospace Sans-SerifProportional SerifMonospace SerifCasualScriptSmall CapsReset restore all settings to the default valuesDoneClose Modal DialogEnd of dialog window.This is a modal window. This modal can be closed by pressing the Escape key or activating the close button.Close Modal DialogThis is a modal window. This modal can be closed by pressing the Escape key or activating the close button.PlayMuteCurrent Time 0:00/Duration 0:00Loaded: 0%Stream Type LIVESeek to live, currently playing liveLIVERemaining Time -0:00 Playback Rate1xFullscreenDream Home: Hamilton01:47AMAZING views, beautiful rooms and a walk-in wardrobe to die for, is this Brisbane’s most luxurious home?If it isn’t it comes pretty close.The owners of 50 Hillside Crescent, Hamilton have opened up the doors to their amazing home as they prepare to take it for auction on October 22.The home was designed by award-winning architect Bevan Lynch of ML Designs. Cosy lounge and fire place – tickThere is a gas fireplace in a formal seating area and parking for four cars. Standout light fittings – tick Swimming pool – tickMore from news02:37Purchasers snap up every residence in the $40 million Siarn Palm Beach North3 hours agoNew apartments released at idyllic retirement community Samford Grove Presented by For those wanting to work out there is room for a gym, or this area can be used as a fifth bedroom as it has an ensuite and balcony. The American Oak kitchen has ILVE appliances and there is a servery out to the external courtyard.Owners Janelle and Dale Woodhall built the home about ten years ago.“We bought the property about 21 years ago and totally knocked it down and built a brand new contemporary home,’’ Mrs Woodhall said.She said the architects had really designed something that suited the subtropical climate of Brisbane opening up to all the decks.It had been a great family home with plenty of separate entertainment areas. Water feature – tick
On 31 January, the Stockholm District Court threw out a criminal case heard last autumn, in which the Pensions Agency had assisted the prosecution of four people with connections to Allra – and made a single claim for damages of about SEK170m (€16m).The claim was based on the agency’s view that savers had lost money because the Allra funds paid for overpriced securities transactions back in 2012.In releasing all defendants at the end of last month, the district court also ordered the Pensions Agency to pay just over SEK28m in legal costs.But the agency announced last week it had decided to appeal against ruling.Lena Aronsson, chief legal officer at the agency, said: “Our focus is on pension savers getting back the money they lost.”She said the Pensions Agency believed the transactions tried in the case were done for the benefit of the Allra representatives and not in the interest of the pension savers.“We make a different assessment from the district court, including how the evidence should be valued and how the legal issues should be assessed,” she said, adding that these were some of the reasons why the agency wanted the High Court to try the case.The premium pension system forms part of Sweden’s first-pillar state pension, alongside the main component – the income pension.A system of mandatory individual accounts introduced 20 years ago to add an element of choice to the state pension, the premium pension is now being comprehensively reformed.The overhaul was triggered primarily by consumer protection concerns as scandals over mismanagement and mis-selling dogged the funds marketplace.In the last few years, 21 funds have been deregistered from the platform because of breaches of the agreement between fund managers and the Pensions Agency.Besides the Allra affair, another high-profile banishment case has involved Malta-registered Falcon Fonds. The firm’s three funds were taken off the platform in 2016 after the Pensions Agency noticed large-scale investments in unusual securities, which later turned out to incur huge losses.IPE was not able to contact Allra by deadline to get a response to the appeal decision. Sweden’s Pensions Agency (Pensionsmyndigheten) is fighting back in its long-running legal case against the former premium pension provider Allra after a judge ruled against the authority at the end of January.Allra was delisted from the Pensions Agency’s funds marketplace platform (fondtorget) in March 2017 for having breached its obligations under the cooperation agreement.The platform lists privately-run funds Swedes can choose from within the defined contribution (DC) premium pension system.Allra’s funds were subsequently taken over by the Bank of Åland.
Israel’s government has given the final green light for the privatization of the country’s biggest port, the Port of Haifa, Reuters reports.The Ministerial Committee on Privatization gave the approval on Tuesday, January 21, concluding a two-year process of developing the sale plan.Under the plan, the state wants to sell all of its shares in the port to an investor with proven experience in the container sector. The decision has been ascribed to the country’s desire to boost the port’s competitiveness.The new investor will be required to invest around NIS 1 billion (USD 289 million) in the port’s infrastructure.It is estimated that around 200 workers would be laid off as part of the process, local media informed.The announcement comes after several failed attempts at privatizing the country’s ports.The sale is expected to be completed in two years.World Maritime News Staff