University of Lisbon

About: University of Lisbon is a education organization based out in Lisbon, Lisboa, Portugal. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Context (language use). The organization has 19122 authors who have published 48503 publications receiving 1102623 citations. The organization is also known as: Universidade de Lisboa & Lisbon University.

EMU: Evolutionary Map of the Universe

Abstract: EMU is a wide-field radio continuum survey planned for the new Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder (ASKAP) telescope. The primary goal of EMU is to make a deep (rms ~ 10 microJy/beam) radio continuum survey of the entire Southern Sky at 1.3 GHz, extending as far North as +30 degrees declination, with a resolution of 10 arcsec. EMU is expected to detect and catalogue about 70 million galaxies, including typical star-forming galaxies up to z~1, powerful starbursts to even greater redshifts, and AGNs to the edge of the visible Universe. It will undoubtedly discover new classes of object. This paper defines the science goals and parameters of the survey, and describes the development of techniques necessary to maximise the science return from EMU.

Search for dark matter candidates and large extra dimensions in events with a jet and missing transverse momentum with the ATLAS detector

Abstract: A search for new phenomena in events with a high-energy jet and large missing transverse momentum is performed using data from proton-proton collisions at root s = 7 TeV with the ATLAS experiment at the Large flatiron Collider. Four kinematic regions are explored using a dataset corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 4.7 fb(-1). No excess of events beyond expectations from Standard Model processes is observed, and limits are set on large extra dimensions and the pair production of dark matter particles.

Fast-Predictive Optimal Control of NPC Multilevel Converters

Abstract: The development of high-processing-capability microprocessors allows the implementation of new digital control methods for neutral-point-clamped (NPC) multilevel converter in power-electronic applications. This paper presents a new predictive digital control method for multilevel converters, called “fast predictive.” This method computes the optimal vector using the NPC three-phase multilevel dynamic model equations just once in each control cycle, while current predictive methods need 27 calculations. The closest vector to the optimal vector is found by minimizing the distance between each one of the 27 available vectors to the optimal vector. Space vector modulation could be also used. The obtained performance is similar to the predictive optimal control that uses the converter model to find all the 27 responses of the multilevel and then searches for the vector that minimizes control errors. Relative to predictive optimal control, the fast predictive improves digital processing speed by at least 150% in multilevel converters with 27 vectors. This speed improvement would allow multilevel converters with five or higher number of levels (125 instead of 27 vectors) to be controlled using the same sampling frequency of the three-level inverter. The fast-predictive controller is used in a multilevel rectifier with near-unity power factor to enforce the ac currents. Fast predictive control is also used in the rectifier dc voltage to reduce sensitivity of the dc voltage to dc load disturbances. The simulation and experimental results show that the fast-predictive controller is able to control the ac currents of a three-phase multilevel rectifier, achieving nearly 1.5% total harmonic distortion while balancing the capacitors' dc voltages. The use of predictive control to regulate the dc voltage shows an improvement of approximately 7% compared to a proportional-integral controller.

An Indication of Anisotropy in Arrival Directions of Ultra-high-energy Cosmic Rays through Comparison to the Flux Pattern of Extragalactic Gamma-Ray Sources

Abstract: A new analysis of the data set from the Pierre Auger Observatory provides evidence for anisotropy in the arrival directions of ultra-high-energy cosmic rays on an intermediate angular scale, which is indicative of excess arrivals from strong, nearby sources. The data consist of 5514 events above 20 EeV with zenith angles up to 80 recorded before 2017 April 30. Sky models have been created for two distinct populations of extragalactic gamma-ray emitters: active galactic nuclei from the second catalog of hard Fermi-LAT sources (2FHL) and starburst galaxies from a sample that was examined with Fermi-LAT. Flux-limited samples, which include all types of galaxies from the Swift-BAT and 2MASS surveys, have been investigated for comparison. The sky model of cosmic-ray density constructed using each catalog has two free parameters, the fraction of events correlating with astrophysical objects, and an angular scale characterizing the clustering of cosmic rays around extragalactic sources. A maximum-likelihood ratio test is used to evaluate the best values of these parameters and to quantify the strength of each model by contrast with isotropy. It is found that the starburst model fits the data better than the hypothesis of isotropy with a statistical significance of 4.0σ, the highest value of the test statistic being for energies above 39 EeV. The three alternative models are favored against isotropy with 2.7σ-3.2σ significance. The origin of the indicated deviation from isotropy is examined and prospects for more sensitive future studies are discussed.

Halogenated compounds from marine algae.

Abstract: Marine algae produce a cocktail of halogenated metabolites with potential commercial value. Structures exhibited by these compounds go from acyclic entities with a linear chain to complex polycyclic molecules. Their medical and pharmaceutical application has been investigated for a few decades, however other properties, such as antifouling, are not to be discarded. Many compounds were discovered in the last years, although the need for new drugs keeps this field open as many algal species are poorly screened. The ecological role of marine algal halogenated metabolites has somehow been overlooked. This new research field will provide valuable and novel insight into the marine ecosystem dynamics as well as a new approach to comprehending biodiversity. Furthermore, understanding interactions between halogenated compound production by algae and the environment, including anthropogenic or global climate changes, is a challenging target for the coming years. Research of halogenated metabolites has been more focused on macroalgae than on phytoplankton. However, phytoplankton could be a very promising material since it is the base of the marine food chain with quick adaptation to environmental changes, which undoubtedly has consequences on secondary metabolism. This paper reviews recent progress on this field and presents trends on the role of marine algae as producers of halogenated compounds.