Littérature scientifique sur le sujet « MAGIC Analysis »

Abstract The modeling of binary microlensing light curves via the standard sampling-based method can be challenging, because of the time-consuming light-curve computation and the pathological likelihood landscape in the high-dimensional parameter space. In this work, we present MAGIC, which is a machine-learning framework to efficiently and accurately infer the microlensing parameters of binary events with realistic data quality. In MAGIC, binary microlensing parameters are divided into two groups and inferred separately with different neural networks. The key feature of MAGIC is the introduction of a neural controlled differential equation, which provides the capability to handle light curves with irregular sampling and large data gaps. Based on simulated light curves, we show that MAGIC can achieve fractional uncertainties of a few percent on the binary mass ratio and separation. We also test MAGIC on a real microlensing event. MAGIC is able to locate degenerate solutions even when large data gaps are introduced. As irregular samplings are common in astronomical surveys, our method also has implications for other studies that involve time series.

This article explores the relationship between the theory/experience of interconnectedness that is central to group analysis and the notion/experience of magic that is rarely written about in group analysis. The first part of the article reviews the history of magic in psychological theories of the mind ranging from Plato to Freud and Jung. A group-analytic clinical example serves to introduce a discussion of the place of magic within group-analytic theory and practice. It is hoped that this will encourage further dialogue about this important subject.

Abstract This research aims to analyze the magic spells uttered by the characters in Harry Potter and The Half-Blood Prince movie and identify the meaning and functionsof the magic spells in the movie. To come to the analysis, the writer applied literal meaning and non-literal meaning based on Griffiths’s theory. Meanwhile, thefunction of magic spells analyzes based on Searle's theory. This research employed qualitative research and descriptive method. The data were collected by the nonparticipant method and taking notes, selecting dialogues containing magic spells while watching the video. The result finally found the functions of each spell and its meaning, whether it has literal or non-literal meaning.

The tire dynamics simulation was done for the different speeds on the dry and wet roads with Magic Formula tire model. The coefficients of Magic Formula tire model under different conditions were obtained by means of the tire test data based on the nonlinear least squares method. The Magic Formula has a good ability to fit the test data for the longitudinal, lateral force and align moment. The tire dynamics simulation results show that at 30mph the wet tire peak longitudinal and lateral forces are only slightly less than the dry peak forces. The wet tire peak longitudinal and lateral forces decreases as the tire speed increases. This shows that the speed has a larger impact on the tire force. The align moment is relatively small. So it can be ignored in the vehicle dynamics analysis.

Abstract Dynamic behavior of a pneumatic tire is simulated by use of an explicit finite element (FE) code. Different parts of the tire and their corresponding material properties are taken into account in the FE model because they play a significant role in tire dynamics. The work presented in this study discusses simulation of cornering behavior, braking behavior, and combined cornering-cum-braking behavior. The effects of camber angle and grooved tread on tire cornering behavior are discussed. ABAQUS/Explicit, a general non-linear FE code, was used for these simulations. To predict the Magic Formula characteristics over a complete range, various simulations are performed at different normal loads and operating conditions. Predicted Magic Formula curves from the simulation results for various dynamic conditions closely follow the experimental data curves. Even though these simulations demand huge computational resources, the predicted Magic Formula curves can be directly used as input in the complete study of vehicle dynamics. Thus, this proposed approach minimizes the costly experiments needed to determine the Magic Formula characteristics and thereby forms a viable tool in the design and the development of tires.

The Major Atmospheric Gamma Imaging Cherenkov (MAGIC) telescopes are able to detect gamma rays from the ground with energies beyond several tens of GeV emitted by the most energetic known objects, including Pulsar Wind Nebulae, Active Galactic Nuclei, and Gamma-Ray Bursts. Gamma rays and cosmic rays are detected by imaging the Cherenkov light produced by the charged superluminal leptons in the extended air shower originated when the primary particle interacts with the atmosphere. These Cherenkov flashes brighten the night sky for short times in the nanosecond scale. From the image topology and other observables, gamma rays can be separated from the unwanted cosmic rays, and thereafter incoming direction and energy of the primary gamma rays can be reconstructed. The standard algorithm in MAGIC data analysis for the gamma/hadron separation is the so-called Random Forest, that works on a parametrization of the stereo events based on the shower image parameters. Until a few years ago, these algorithms were limited by the computational resources but modern devices, such as GPUs, make it possible to work efficiently on the pixel maps information. Most neural network applications in the field perform the training on Monte Carlo simulated data for the gamma-ray sample. This choice is prone to systematics arising from discrepancies between observational data and simulations. Instead, in this thesis I trained a known neural network scheme with observation data from a giant flare of the bright TeV blazar Mrk421 observed by MAGIC in 2013. With this method for gamma/hadron separation, the preliminary results compete with the standard MAGIC analysis based on Random Forest classification, which also shows the potential of this approach for further improvement. In this thesis first an introduction to the High-Energy Astrophysics and the Astroparticle physics is given. The cosmic messengers are briefly reviewed, with a focus on the photons, then astronomical sources of γ rays are described, followed by a description of the detection techniques. In the second chapter the MAGIC analysis pipeline starting from the low level data acquisition to the high level data is described. The MAGIC Instrument Response Functions are detailed. Finally, the most important astronomical sources used in the standard MAGIC analysis are listed. The third chapter is devoted to Deep Neural Network techniques, starting from an historical Artificial Intelligence excursus followed by a Machine Learning description. The basic principles behind an Artificial Neural Network and the Convolutional Neural Network used for this work are explained. Last chapter describes my original work, showing in detail the data selection/manipulation for training the Inception Resnet V2 Convolutional Neural Network and the preliminary results obtained from four test sources.

The work presented in this Thesis has been carried out for the MAGIC experiment during three years of PhD student-ship at the University of Padova, Department of Physics G. Galilei, in association with the Padova section of National Institute of Nuclear Physics (Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, INFN), under the supervision of Professor M. Mariotti, PhD Michele Doro and PhD Villi Scalzotto. The two MAGIC (Major Atmospheric Gamma-ray Imaging Cherenkov) telescopes, located in the Canary Island of La Palma (Spain), are a stereoscopic system based on the IAC (Imaging Atmospheric Cherenkov) technique and detect Cherenkov light emitted by atmospheric showers of charged particles that originate in the Earth’s atmosphere. These showers are predominantly generated by charged primary cosmic rays, such as protons and light isotopes, which impinge the Earth’s atmosphere isotropically, and by a percentage of gamma–rays, whose direction points back to the region of the cosmic emission. Thanks to sophisticated data reduction algorithms it is possible to efficiently extract the gamma–ray signal of the observed sources from the hadronic background in the energy range between ∼50 GeV and ∼20 TeV, allowing studies in different scientific fields such as galactic and extragalactic high energy Astrophysics, Cosmology and Particle Physics. The scientific activities of the MAGIC experiment are carried out in synergy and complementarity with satellite experiments, like AGILE and FERMI, and ground-based experiments, like H.E.S.S., VERITAS, and Milagro. The MAGIC telescopes, operated by a collaboration of about 150 physicists in more than 20 institutes, spread in several European countries, belong to the second generation of Cherenkov telescopes and have innovative features compared to previous IAC experiments related for example to the size of the reflecting surface area (about 250 square meters), to the lower energy threshold (below 100 GeV) and to the tracking velocity in case of observations of transient phenomena such as the Gamma Ray Bursts. In particular, the start of the operations of the second telescope MAGIC-II and the possibility to perform stereoscopic observations allow a lower energy threshold and a better sensitivity (by a factor ∼2) compared to the single MAGIC-I telescope observations. Currently, the MAGIC telescopes represent the more sensitive world-wide ground-based detector for gamma-rays in the energy range between ∼50 GeV and ∼150 GeV. During the PhD student-ship, my research activity focused on two principal occupations. The first one, orientated on technical issues, concerned the upgrade of a specific part of the software of the MAGIC experiment required for the stereoscopic data taking (which started since fall 2009), i.e. the calculation of the Effective Collection Area. The second one, more focused on scientific topics, was addressed to the possible indirect detection of dark matter with the MAGIC-I telescope. In particular, I contributed to the analysis data and to the related publications of the observations of interesting sources for possible detection of gamma–ray signal from self-annihilation processes of dark matter, like the dwarf spheroidal galaxies (satellite of the Milky Way) Draco and Willman 1 and the galaxy cluster Perseus. During the three years of PhD student-ship, I spent, on a whole, 4 months in the site of the MAGIC telescopes, as data taking operator and shift leader. I also contributed in June 2009 to the commissioning of the second telescope MAGIC-II for a period of 4 weeks. This Thesis is divided into eight chapters. Chapter 1 will be dedicated to a brief introduction on the physics of cosmic–rays and of astrophysical gamma-rays, on the current experimental methods for their detection, on the main mechanisms active in the Universe for the production of very high energy gamma-rays and on the main astronomical objects known as gamma-ray emitters. In chapter 2, a description of the main physical characteristics of the hadronic and electromagnetic atmospheric showers, the subsequent Cherenkov light emission and the Imaging Atmospheric Cherenkov technique will be given. In chapter 3, the main hardware components of the MAGIC telescopes will be illustrated, together with the main innovations introduced for the second telescope. In chapter 4, the standard analysis chain of the MAGIC-I telescope finalized to the extraction of the physical quantities of main interest, such as the significance and the gamma-ray flux of a given source, will be described. Subsequently, the new tools required for the stereo analysis of the MAGIC telescopes data will be introduced. The current performance of the stereoscopic system (whose commissioning phase was successfully accomplished during 2009) will be also shown. Chapter 5 will be dedicated to the alt-azimuth dependence of one of the main quantities which characterize the detection of Cherenkov light by the MAGIC telescopes, i.e. the Effective Collection Area. Indeed, while the Zenith effect on this quantity is well known and related to the increased atmospheric depth the atmospheric showers must pass through for increasing Zenith angles of observation, a possible Azimuth dependence is associated to the geomagnetic effects induced to the development of the showers and to the particular geometric configuration of the two telescopes system. The fixed direction between them, in fact, breaks the circular symmetry typical for the observations performed with a single telescope. In view of the start of the operations of the second MAGIC telescope and of the stereoscopic observations, the introduction of the Azimuth dependence of the Effective Collection Area has been therefore systematically taken into account and successfully implemented in the analysis software of the experiment. The results of tests performed on both Monte Carlo simulated data and real data will be shown. In chapter 6, a brief introduction on the dark matter topic will be reported: the main experimental evidences and some of the models and candidates proposed in literature to describe the dark matter nature will be discussed. In particular, the attention will be focused on the indirect dark matter search which is based on the possibility for MAGIC to detect gamma–rays as a result of annihilation or decay of dark matter particles. Gamma–ray signals are searched for in places where dark matter is concentrated, like, for example, the dwarf spheroidal galaxies satellite of the Milky Way. Chapter 7 will be dedicated to the data analysis of the observation carried out by the MAGIC-I telescope of Segue 1, a source considered to be a dwarf spheroidal galaxy satellite of the Milky Way, whose stellar kinematics seems to indicate a high mass–to–light ratio, making this celestial object extremely interesting from the point of view of indirect dark matter searches. The data of this source required particular cares due to the fact that a 3.5 apparent magnitude star was present in the field of view of the source during the whole survey. The adopted techniques used to face the problems related to the light of that star will be illustrated. This analysis allowed to determine, for energies above 100 GeV, upper limits on the flux emission derived form different assumed power law spectra. A paper on Segue 1 observation carried out by the MAGIC-I telescope, based on the results achieved by this analysis, is in preparation. Finally, in chapter 8, the general conclusions of the work presented in this Thesis will be given.
Il lavoro presentato in questa Tesi è stato svolto nell’ambito dell’esperimento MAGIC durante i tre anni di Scuola di Dottorato all’Università degli Studi di Padova, Dipartimento di Fisica G. Galilei, in associazione con l’Instituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, sezione di Padova, sotto la supervisione del Professor M. Mariotti, del Dott. Michele Doro e del Dott. Villi Scalzotto. Il sistema stereoscopico di due telescopi MAGIC (Major Atmospheric Gamma-ray Imaging Cherenkov), situato nell’isola canaria di La Palma (Spagna), è basato sulla tecnica IAC (Imaging Atmospheric Cherenkov) per la rivelazione della luce Cherenkov emessa da cascate di particelle cariche che si originano nell’atmosfera terrestre. Tali cascate atmosferiche sono generate preminentemente dai raggi cosmici carichi, quali protoni e isotopi leggeri, che entrano isotropicamente nell’atmosfera terrestre, e da una percentuale di raggi gamma, la cui direzione di provenienza punta direttamente alla regione cosmica di emissione. Grazie a sofisticati algoritmi di riduzione dei dati è possibile estrarre efficacemente il segnale di natura gamma dal quello di natura adronica per energie comprese tra ∼50 GeV e ∼20 TeV, permettendo studi in diversi settori scientifici quali l’Astrofisica galattica ed extragalattica delle alte energie, la Cosmologia e la Fisica delle Particelle Elementari. Le attività scientifiche dell’esperimento MAGIC vengono portate avanti in sinergia e complementarità con gli esperimenti gamma posti su satellite, quali AGILE e FERMI, e quelli posti a terra, quali H.E.S.S., VERITAS eMilagro. I telescopi MAGIC, realizzati da una collaborazione internazionale di circa 150 fisici appartenenti ad una ventina di istituzioni di diversi paesi della comunità europea, rientrano nella seconda generazione di telescopi Cherenkov e presentano rispetto ai precedenti delle caratteristiche innovative legate per esempio alla grandezza della superficie riflettente (circa 250 metri quadri), all’abbassamento della soglia energetica al di sotto dei 100 GeV e alla velocità di puntamento nel caso dell’osservazione di fenomeni improvvisi, come ad esempio l’esplosione di raggi gamma (Gamma Ray Bursts). In particolare, la messa in opera del secondo telescopio MAGIC-II e la possibilità di condurre osservazioni stereoscopiche permettono un abbassamento della soglia energetica ed una sensibilità di circa un fattore 2 superiore a quella ottenuta con il singolo telescopio MAGIC-I. Attualmente, i telescopi MAGIC rappresentano il rivelatore posto a terra più sensibile al mondo per raggi gamma di energie comprese tra ∼50 GeV e ∼150 GeV. Durante il lavoro di dottorato ho svolto la mia ricerca in due principali attività. La prima, di tipo tecnico, ha riguardato l’aggiornamento di una specifica parte del software dell’esperimento MAGIC necessario in vista della presa dati stereoscopica dei telescopi MAGIC (iniziata alla fine del 2009), ovvero il calcolo dell’area efficace collettrice. La seconda, di tipo più prettamente scientifico, è stata rivolta alla possibile rivelazione indiretta di materia oscura con il telescopio MAGIC-I. In particolare, ho contribuito all’analisi dati e alle relative pubblicazioni delle sorgenti osservate dal telescopio MAGIC-I candidate per la ricerca di possibili segnali gamma dovuti ad auto annichilazione di materia oscura, quali le galassie nane satelliti della Via Lattea Draco e Willman 1 e il cluster galattico Perseus. Durante i tre anni di dottorato ho passato complessivamente 4 mesi a La Palma, nel sito dei telescopi MAGIC, come operatore di presa dati. Inoltre nel mese di Giugno del 2009 ho partecipato per 4 settimane alla fase di commissioning del secondo telescopio MAGIC-II. Questo lavoro di Tesi è suddiviso in otto capitoli. Nel capitolo 1 verranno brevemente introdotti la fisica dei raggi cosmici e dei raggi gamma di natura astrofisica, gli attuali metodi sperimentali per la loro rivelazione, i meccanismi attivi nell’Universo per la produzione di raggi gamma di alte energie e le principali sorgenti cosmiche note di raggi gamma. Il capitolo 2 sarà dedicato alla descrizione delle principali caratteristiche fisiche degli sciami atmosferici di natura adronica ed elettromagnetica, alla susseguente emissione di luce Cherenkov prodotta da essi e alla tecnica di rivelazione IAC, su cui i telescopi MAGIC sono basati. Nel capitolo 3 verranno descritte le principali componenti hardware dei due telescopi MAGIC e le innovazioni introdotte per il secondo telescopio. Nel capitolo 4 si discuterà la catena di analisi standard del telescopio MAGIC-I per l’estrazione delle principali quantità fisiche di interesse, quali la significanza del segnale proveniente da una data sorgente e il suo flusso. Successivamente verranno brevemente descritte le principali novità introdotte per la corrente analisi delle sorgenti osservate stereoscopicamente. Le attuali performance del sistema stereoscopico (la cui fase di commissioning è stata portata a termine con successo durante il 2009) saranno inoltre presentate. Nel capitolo 5 verrà introdotta la tematica riguardante la dipendenza alt-azimutale di una delle principali quantità che caratterizzano la rivelazione di luce Cherenkov da parte dei telescopi MAGIC ovvero l’area efficace collettrice. Infatti, se da un lato l’effetto zenitale su tale quantità è ben noto e correlato alla maggiore profondità atmosferica che gli sciami percorrono nel loro sviluppo per angoli zenitali via via maggiori, una possibile dipendenza azimutale è associata agli effetti che il campo geomagnetico induce sullo sviluppo degli sciami stessi e alla particolare configurazione geometrica del sistema di telescopi. La direzione fissa tra di essi, infatti, rompe la simmetria circolare di osservazione tipica delle osservazioni effettuate con un singolo telescopio. Alla luce della messa in funzione del secondo telescopio MAGIC-II e della osservazione stereoscopica delle sorgenti, l’introduzione della dipendenza azimutale dell’area efficace colletrice è stata dunque presa sistematicamente in considerazione e implementata efficacemente nel software di analisi dati dell’esperimento. Saranno riportati inoltre i risultati di test effettuati su campioni di dati Monte Carlo e di dati reali. Nel capitolo 6 verrà fatta una breve introduzione sulla materia oscura: saranno discusse le principali evidenze sperimentali, alcuni modelli che la descrivono e i principali candidati proposti in letteratura per spiegarne la natura. L’attenzione sarà focalizzata sulla ricerca indiretta di materia oscura che si basa sulla possibilità per i telescopi MAGIC di poter rivelare segnali indiretti sotto forma di raggi gamma, provenienti da annichilazione o decadimento di particelle di materia oscura, da parte di sorgenti caratterizzate da alte densità di tale tipo di materia quali, per esempio, galassie nane sferoidali satelliti della Via Lattea. Il capitolo 7 sarà dedicato all’analisi dati dell’osservazione effettuata da parte del telescopio MAGIC-I della sorgente Segue 1, ritenuta essere una galassia nana sferoidale satellite della Via Lattea, la cui cinematica stellare sembra indicare un elevato rapporto massa–luminosità, rendendo tale oggetto celeste estremamente interessante dal punto di vista della recerca indiretta di materia oscura. I dati di tale sorgente hanno richiesto particolare attenzione dovuta al fatto della presenza di una stella di magnitudo apparente 3.5 nel campo di vista della sorgente durante l’intera osservazione. Le tecniche adottate per trattare i problemi legati alla presenza di tale stella saranno illustrati. L’analisi ha permesso di determinare, per energie maggiori di 100 GeV, limiti superiori sul flusso della sorgente assumendo diversi generici spettri di potenza. Un articolo sull’osservazione della sorgente Segue 1 condotta dal telescopio MAGIC-I, basato sui risultati di questa analisi, è in fase di preparazione. Infine, nel capitolo 8, verranno riportate le conclusioni generali su questo lavoro di Tesi.

This study is a business case analysis of a Medium Altitude Global ISR Communication (MAGIC) UAV system. The MAGIC platform is analyzed together with three other medium-altitude ISR platforms. A cost model for RDT and E and O and S for the MAGIC is developed based on historical data. A baseline case for MAGIC is then developed with Average Production Unit Cost (APUC) of $17M, RDT and E cost of $510M, and discount factor of 0.025 for the analysis. A Net Present Value of Life Cycle Cost (NPVLCC) and a return ratio as defined by the ratio of the NPVLCC of alternative platforms to the NPVLCC of MAGIC are used in the analysis. Results are presented for 500, 1000, 2000, and 3000 nm ranges. MAGIC outperforms Reaper and Global Hawk, while Predator outperforms MAGIC at the 500 nm. MAGIC outperforms all others in the 1000, 2000 and 3000 nm range. The analysis is extended to cover other payloads for the same ranges. The results show that MAGIC is favored over Reaper for 1000 nm and 2000 nm range, and the return ratio is marginal for 500 nm. MAGIC is favored in all ranges when compared with Global Hawk.

This thesis examines news articles to see if obesity has been framed as a moral panic by looking at how the coverage understands the causes of obesity and its solutions. A qualitative textual analysis of 100 articles and 28 images from Time and Newsweek was done spanning 1986 to 2012. I found that the obesity "epidemic" was first discussed as problem of individual responsibility and that the best cure was medicine. The narrative shifted to childhood obesity around 2004 and cited parents as the responsible party while suggesting family bonding as a solution to childhood obesity. I find that the media dialogue around obesity points to individuals rather than systemic factors as the cause of obesity and, in so doing, takes the focus off of social and economic inequalities that are also factors in the obesity epidemic.

Since antiquity, magic and the occult have had great popularity among all walks of life. Nowadays, by its popularity, magic and its elements are extremely popular. Because of this, this field is crowded with a large number of fraudsters who take advantage of people's "naivety" and their belief in miracles. This article will examine the relationship between science, magic and religion, separating each concept from the other. Legal ways of regulating this type of activity and ways of dealing with such an unusual phenomenon, which can neither be seen nor touched, will be considered

In this paper, a control oriented rational tire model is developed and incorporated in a two-track vehicle dynamics model for the prospective design of vehicle dynamics controllers. The tire model proposed in this paper is an enhancement over previous rational models which have taken into account only the peaking and saturation behavior disregarding all other force generation characteristics. Simulation results have been conducted to compare the dynamics of a vehicle model equipped with a Magic Formula tire model, a rational tire model available in the literature and the present rational tire model. It has been observed that the proposed tire model results in vehicle responses that closely follow those obtained with the Magic Formula even for extreme driving scenarios conducted on roads with low adhesion coefficient.

A complete suite of bulk major- and trace-elements measurements combined with macroscopic/microscopic observations and mineralogy guided by scanning electron microscope-energy dispersive spectrometry (SEM-EDS) analyses were applied on Nekuashu (2.55 Ga) and Pelland (2.32 Ga) intrusions in northern Canada, near the Strange Lake rare earth elements (REE) deposit, to evaluate their magmatic evolution and possible relations to the Mesoproterozoic Strange Lake Peralkaline Complex (SLPC). These Neoarchean to earliest-Paleoproterozoic intrusions, part of the Core Zone in southeastern Churchill Province, comprise mainly hypersolvus suites, including hornblendite, gabbro, monzogabbro/monzodiorite, monzonite, syenite/augite-syenite, granodiorite, and mafic diabase/dyke. However, the linkage of the suites and their petrogenesis are poorly understood. Geochemical evidence suggests a combination of 'intra-crustal multi-stage differentiation', mainly controlled by fractional crystallization (to generate mafic to felsic suites), and 'accumulation' (to form hornblendite suite) was involved in the evolution history of this system. Our model proposes that hornblendite and mafic to felsic intrusive rocks of both intrusions share a similar basaltic parent magma, generated from melting of a hydrous metasomatized mantle source that triggered an initial REE and incompatible element enrichment that prepared the ground for the subsequent enrichment in the SLPC. Geochemical signature of the hornblendite suite is consistent with a cumulate origin and its formation during the early stages of the magma evolution, however, the remaining suites were mainly controlled by 'continued fractional crystallization' processes, producing more evolved suites: gabbronorite/hornblende-gabbro ? monzogabbro/monzodiorite ? monzonite ? syenite/augite-syenite. In this proposed model, the hydrous mantle-derived basaltic magma was partly solidified to form the mafic suites (gabbronorite/hornblende-gabbro) by early-stage plagioclase-pyroxene-amphibole fractionation in the deep crust while settling of the early crystallized hornblende (+pyroxene) led to the formation of the hornblendite cumulates. The subsequent fractionation of plagioclase, pyroxene, and amphibole from the residual melt produced the more intermediate suites of monzogabbro/monzodiorite. The evolved magma ascended upward into the shallow crust to form monzonite by K-feldspar fractionation. The residual melt then intruded at shallower depth to form syenite/augite-syenite with abundant microcline crystals. The granodiorite suite was probably generated from lower crustal melts associated with the mafic end members. Later mafic diabase/dykes were likely generated by further partial melting of the same source at depth that were injected into the other suites.

We present herein a summary of integrated data analyses aimed at investigating the effects of hydrothermal alteration on seismic reflectivity in the footwall of the Lalor volcanogenic massive-sulfide (VMS) deposit, Manitoba. Multivariate analyses of seismic rock properties, lithofacies, and hydrothermal alteration indices show an increase in P-wave velocity for altered volcanic and volcaniclastic lithofacies with respect to their least-altered equivalents. Scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry analyses of drill-core samples suggest that this P-wave velocity increase is due to the high abundance of high P-wave velocity aluminous minerals, including cordierite, Fe-Mg amphibole, and garnet, which in volcanic rocks are characteristic of VMS-associated hydrothermal alteration metamorphosed in the amphibolite facies. A seismic synthetic profile computed from a simple amphibolite-facies mineral assemblage model, consisting of mafic-felsic host rock contacts, a sulfide ore lens, and a discordant hydrothermal conduit, show enhanced seismic reflections at conduit-host rock contacts in comparison to the equivalent greenschist facies mineral assemblage model. Collectively our results suggest that VMS footwall hydrothermal alteration zones metamorphosed under middle- to upper-amphibolite facies conditions have enhanced potential for seismic detection.

Aeromagnetic and ground gravity data for the Canadian Superior Province, filtered to extract long wavelength components and converted to pseudo-gravity, highlight deep, N-S trending regional-scale, rectilinear faults and margins to discrete, competent mafic or felsic granulite blocks (i.e. at high angles to most regional mapped structures and sub-province boundaries) with little to no surface expression that are spatially associated with lode ('orogenic') Au and Ni-Cu-PGE-Cr occurrences. Statistical and machine learning analysis of the Red Lake-Stormy Lake region in the W Superior Province confirms visual inspection for a greater correlation between Au deposits and these deep N-S structures than with mapped surface to upper crustal, generally E-W trending, faults and shear zones. Porphyry Au, Ni, Mo and U-Th showings are also located above these deep transverse faults. Several well defined concentric circular to elliptical structures identified in the Oxford Stull and Island Lake domains along the S boundary of the N Superior proto-craton, intersected by N- to NNW striking extensional fractures and/or faults that transect the W Superior Province, again with little to no direct surface or upper crustal expression, are spatially associated with magmatic Ni-Cu-PGE-Cr and related mineralization and Au occurrences. The McFaulds Lake greenstone belt, aka. 'Ring of Fire', constitutes only a small, crescent-shaped belt within one of these concentric features above which 2736-2733 Ma mafic-ultramafic intrusions bodies were intruded. The Big Trout Lake igneous complex that hosts Cr-Pt-Pd-Rh mineralization west of the Ring of Fire lies within a smaller concentrically ringed feature at depth and, near the Ontario-Manitoba border, the Lingman Lake Au deposit, numerous Au occurrences and minor Ni showings, are similarly located on concentric structures. Preliminary magnetotelluric (MT) interpretations suggest that these concentric structures appear to also have an expression in the subcontinental lithospheric mantle (SCLM) and that lithospheric mantle resistivity features trend N-S as well as E-W. With diameters between ca. 90 km to 185 km, elliptical structures are similar in size and internal geometry to coronae on Venus which geomorphological, radar, and gravity interpretations suggest formed above mantle upwellings. Emplacement of mafic-ultramafic bodies hosting Ni-Cr-PGE mineralization along these ringlike structures at their intersection with coeval deep transverse, ca. N-S faults (viz. phi structures), along with their location along the margin to the N Superior proto-craton, are consistent with secondary mantle upwellings portrayed in numerical models of a mantle plume beneath a craton with a deep lithospheric keel within a regional N-S compressional regime. Early, regional ca. N-S faults in the W Superior were reactivated as dilatational antithetic (secondary Riedel/R') sinistral shears during dextral transpression and as extensional fractures and/or normal faults during N-S shortening. The Kapuskasing structural zone or uplift likely represents Proterozoic reactivation of a similar deep transverse structure. Preservation of discrete faults in the deep crust beneath zones of distributed Neoarchean dextral transcurrent to transpressional shear zones in the present-day upper crust suggests a 'millefeuille' lithospheric strength profile, with competent SCLM, mid- to deep, and upper crustal layers. Mechanically strong deep crustal felsic and mafic granulite layers are attributed to dehydration and melt extraction. Intra-crustal decoupling along a ductile décollement in the W Superior led to the preservation of early-formed deep structures that acted as conduits for magma transport into the overlying crust and focussed hydrothermal fluid flow during regional deformation. Increase in the thickness of semi-brittle layers in the lower crust during regional metamorphism would result in an increase in fracturing and faulting in the lower crust, facilitating hydrothermal and carbonic fluid flow in pathways linking SCLM to the upper crust, a factor explaining the late timing for most orogenic Au. Results provide an important new dataset for regional prospectively mapping, especially with machine learning, and exploration targeting for Au and Ni-Cr-Cu-PGE mineralization. Results also furnish evidence for parautochthonous development of the S Superior Province during plume-related rifting and cannot be explained by conventional subduction and arc-accretion models.

The general objective of this BARD project focused on rationally designed insect neuropeptide (NP) agonists and antagonists, their application for the characterization of the mechanisms of action of the pyrokinin/PBAN (PK-PBAN) family and the development of biostable, bioavailable versions that can provide the basis for development of novel, environmentally-friendly pest insect control agents. The specific objectives of the study, as originally proposed, were to: (i) Test stimulatory potencies of rationally designed backbone cyclic (BBC) peptides on pheromonotropic, melanotropic, myotropic and pupariation activities; (ii) Test the inhibitory potencies of the BBC compounds on the above activities evoked either by synthetic peptides (PBAN, LPK, myotropin and pheromonotropin) or by the natural endogenous mechanism; (iii) Determine the bioavailability of the most potent BBC compounds that will be found in (ii); (iv) Design, synthesize and examine novel PK/PBAN analogs with enhanced bioavailability and receptor binding; (v) Design and synthesize ‘magic bullet’ analogs and examine their ability to selectively kill cells expressing the PK/PBAN receptor. To achieve these goals the agonistic and antagonistic activities/properties of rationally designed linear and BBC neuropeptide (NP) were thoroughly studied and the information obtained was further used for the design and synthesis of improved compounds toward the design of an insecticide prototype. The study revealed important information on the structure activity relationship (SAR) of agonistic/antagonistic peptides, including definitive identification of the orientation of the Pro residue as trans for agonist activity in 4 PK/PBANbioassays (pheromonotropic, pupariation, melanotropic, & hindgut contractile) and a PK-related CAP₂b bioassay (diuretic); indications that led to the identification of a novel scaffold to develop biostbiostable, bioavailable peptidomimetic PK/PBANagonists/antagonists. The work led to the development of an arsenal of PK/PBAN antagonists with a variety of selectivity profiles; whether between different PKbioassays, or within the same bioassay between different natural elicitors. Examples include selective and non-selective BBC and novel amphiphilic PK pheromonotropic and melanotropic antagonists some of which are capable of penetrating the moth cuticle in efficacious quantities. One of the latter analog group demonstrated unprecedented versatility in its ability to antagonize a broad spectrum of pheromonotropic elicitors. A novel, transPro mimetic motif was proposed & used to develop a strong, selective PK agonist of the melanotropic bioassay in moths. The first antagonist (pure) of PK-related CAP₂b diuresis in flies was developed using a cisPro mimetic motif; an indication that while a transPro orientation is associated with receptor agonism, a cisPro orientation is linked with an antagonist interaction. A novel, biostablePK analog, incorporating β-amino acids at key peptidase-susceptible sites, exhibited in vivo pheromonotropic activity that by far exceeded that of PBAN when applied topically. Direct analysis of neural tissue by state-of-the-art MALDI-TOF/TOF mass spectrometry was used to identify specific PK/PK-related peptides native to eight arthropod pest species [house (M. domestica), stable (S. calcitrans), horn (H. irritans) & flesh (N. bullata) flies; Southern cattle fever tick (B. microplus), European tick (I. ricinus), yellow fever mosquito (A. aegypti), & Southern Green Stink Bug (N. viridula)]; including the unprecedented identification of mass-identical Leu/Ile residues and the first identification of NPs from a tick or the CNS of Hemiptera. Evidence was obtained for the selection of Neb-PK-2 as the primary pupariation factor of the flesh fly (N. bullata) among native PK/PK-related candidates. The peptidomic techniques were also used to map the location of PK/PK-related NP in the nervous system of the model fly D. melanogaster. Knowledge of specific PK sequences can aid in the future design of species specific (or non-specific) NP agonists/antagonists. In addition, the study led to the first cloning of a PK/PBAN receptor from insect larvae (S. littoralis), providing the basis for SAR analysis for the future design of 2ⁿᵈgeneration selective and/or nonselective agonists/antagonists. Development of a microplate ligand binding assay using the PK/PBAN pheromone gland receptor was also carried out. The assay will enable screening, including high throughput, of various libraries (chemical, molecular & natural product) for the discovery of receptor specific agonists/antagonists. In summary, the body of work achieves several key milestones and brings us significantly closer to the development of novel, environmentally friendly pest insect management agents based on insect PK/PBANNPs capable of disrupting critical NP-regulated functions.