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The relative disposition of individual telescopes in the ground is one of the important factors in optimising the performance of a stereoscopic array of imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes (IACTs). Following previous attempts at an automated survey of the broad parameter space involved using evolutionary algorithms, in this paper we will present a novel approach to optimising the array geometry based on deep learning techniques. The focus of this initial work will be to test the algorithmic approach and will be based on a simplified toy model of the array. Despite being simplified, the model heuristics aims to capture the principal array performance features relevant for the layout optimisation. Our final goal is to create an algorithm capable of scanning the large parameter space involved in the design of a large stereoscopic array of IACTs to assist optimisation of the array geometry (in face of external constraints and multiple performance objectives). The use of simple heuristics precludes direct comparison to existing real-world experiments, but the analysis is internally consistent and gives insight as to the potential of the technique. Deep learning techniques are being increasingly applied to tackle a number of problems in the field of Gamma-ray Astronomy, and this work represents a novel, original application of this modern computational technique to the field.

We present the 1-100 GeV spectral energy distribution for a population of 148 high-synchrotron-peaked blazars (HSPs) recently detected with Fermi-LAT as part of the First Brazil-ICRANet Gamma-ray Blazar catalogue (1BIGB). Most of the 1BIGB sources do not appear in previous Fermi-LAT catalogues and their gamma-ray spectral properties are presented here for the first time, representing a significant new extension of the gamma-ray blazar population. Since our sample was originally selected from an excess signal in the 0.3-500 GeV band, the sources stand out as promising TeV blazar candidates, potentially in reach of the forthcoming very-high-energy (VHE) gamma-ray observatory, CTA. The flux estimates presented here are derived considering PASS8 data, integrating over more than 9 years of Fermi-LAT observations. We also review the full broadband fit between 0.3-500 GeV presented in the original 1BIGB paper for all sources, updating the power-law parameters with currently available Fermi-LAT dataset. The importance of these sources in the context of VHE population studies with both current instruments and the future CTA is evaluated. To do so, we select a subsample of 1BIGB sources and extrapolate their gamma-ray SEDs to the highest energies, properly accounting for absorption due to the extragalactic background light. We compare those extrapolations to the published CTA sensitivity curves and estimate their detectability by CTA. Two notable sources from our sample, namely 1BIGB J224910.6-130002 and 1BIGB J194356.2+211821, are discussed in greater detail. All gamma-ray SEDs, which are shown here for the first time, are made publicly available via the Brazilian Science Data Center (BSDC) service, maintained at CBPF, in Rio de Janeiro., Comment: 13 pages, 6 figures

Our present knowledge of the properties of blazars mostly comes from small samples of bright objects, especially regarding studies on their cosmological evolution. Statistically well defined and completely identified samples of faint blazars are very difficult to obtain. We present a new X-ray selected sample of 62 blazars and blazar candidates reaching deep X-ray fluxes. We relied on the availability of large catalogs of astronomical objects combined with on-line services offering simple access to finding charts and magnitude estimates. We built the sample cross-matching X-ray sources in the Swift Serendipitous Survey in deep XRT GRB Fields catalog with data from deep radio and optical surveys. Our sample can probe populations of sources 10 times weaker in the X-ray flux with respect previous studies, thus allowing for a more detailed comparison between data and simulated counts. We use the sample to calculate the radio and X-ray LogN-LogS of blazars down to fluxes at least one order of magnitude fainter than previous studies. We show that, considering that our sample may be somewhat contaminated by sources other than blazars, we are in agreement with previous observational and theoretical estimations., 10 pages, 5 figures, 2 tables, accepted for publication in MNRAS

Image wirelogs, both acoustic and resistivity, encapsulate information regarding the studied reservoir's petrophysical properties that are used to pursue a meaningful characterization of it. More recently, some authors used those image logs to estimate porosity and permeability using a traditional image processing pipeline or using a deep learning perspective. Among others, those quantities might be critical to determine the feasibility of a specific hydrocarbon reservoir exploitation. However, the use of such estimates are limited since it is not possible to assign uncertainty on those deterministic methods. Thus, their reliability can not be assessed. In this work, we propose a novel approach using Deep Learning and Bayesian methodologies to address the estimation of uncertainty quantification for both permeability and porosity simultaneously from the image logs. The current methodology can be used to derive probability density functions (PDFs) from each prediction. As a result, the PDFs were used to estimate the robustness and uncertainties of the predicted values. The current method achieved a correlation coefficient R 2 higher than 99 % in both porosity and permeability regression in the blind test sample, i.e., using a different set of data that was not applied in the training procedure.

We propose a unified model for dark matter haloes and central galactic objects as a self-gravitating system of semidegenerated fermions in thermal equilibrium. We consider spherical symmetry and then we solve the equations of gravitational equilibrium using the Fermi integrals in a dimensionless manner, obtaining the density profile and velocity curve. We also obtain scaling laws for the observables of the system and show that, for a wide range of our parameters, our model is consistent with the so called universality of the surface density of dark matter., Comment: Proceedings for the 3rd Galileo-Xu Guanqxi meeting

We aim here to provide a complete sample of faint (fr ≳ 1 mJy, fx ≳ 10−15 erg cm−2 s−1) blazars and blazar candidates serendipitously discovered in deep Swift images centered on Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs). By stacking all available images, we obtain exposures ranging from 104 to more than a million seconds. Since GRBs are thought to explode randomly across the sky, this set of deep fields can be considered as an unbiased survey of ≈ 12 square degrees of extragalactic sky, with sensitivities reaching a few 10−15 erg cm−2 s−1 in the 0.5-2 keV band. We then derive the x-ray Log N Log S and show that, considering that our sample may be contaminated by sources other than blazars, we are in agreement with previous estimations based on data and simulations.

We study an isothermal system of semi-degenerate self-gravitating fermions in general relativity. Such systems present mass density solutions with a central degenerate core, a plateau and a tail which follows a power law behaviour $r^{-2}$. The different solutions are governed by the free parameters of the model: the degeneracy and temperature parameters at the center, and the particle mass $m$. We then analyze in detail the free parameter space for a fixed $m$ in the keV regime, by studying the one-parameter sequences of equilibrium configurations up to the critical point, which is represented by the maximum in a central density ($\rho_0$) Vs. core mass ($M_c$) diagram. We show that for fully degenerate cores, the known expression for the critical core mass $M_c^{cr}\propto m_{pl}^3/m^2$ is obtained, while instead for low degenerate cores, the critical core mass increases showing the temperature effects in a non linear way. The main result of this work is that when applying this theory to model the distribution of dark matter in galaxies from the very center up to the outer halos, we do not find any critical core-halo configuration of self-gravitating fermions, which be able to explain the super massive dark object in their centers together with an outer halo simultaneously., Comment: Reported at 13th Italian-Korean Meeting on Relativistic Astrophysics, 15-19 July 2013, Seoul (South Korea) Submitted to JKPS

The problem of modeling the distribution of dark matter in galaxies in terms of equilibrium configurations of collisionless self-gravitating quantum particles is considered. We first summarize the pioneering model of a Newtonian self-gravitating Fermi gas in thermodynamic equilibrium developed by Ruffini and Stella (1983), which is shown to be the generalization of the King model for fermions. We further review the extension of the former model developed by Gao, Merafina and Ruffini (1990), done for any degree of fermion degeneracy at the center ($\theta_0$), within general relativity. Finally, we present here for the first time the solutions of the density profiles and rotation curves corresponding to the Gao et. al. model, which have a definite mass $M_h$ and circular velocity $v_h$, at the halo radius $r_h$ of the configurations, typical of spiral galaxies. This treatment allow us to determine a novel core-halo morphology for the dark matter profiles, as well as a novel particle mass bound associated with them., Comment: Reported at 13th Italian-Korean Meeting on Relativistic Astrophysics, 15-19 July 2013, Seoul (South Korea) Submitted to JKPS

Recent investigations seem to favor a cosmological dynamics according to which the accelerated expansion of the Universe may have already peaked and is now slowing down again \cite{sastaro}. As a consequence, the cosmic acceleration may be a transient phenomenon. We investigate a toy model that reproduces such a background behavior as the result of a time-dependent coupling in the dark sector which implies a cancelation of the "bare" cosmological constant. With the help of a statistical analysis of Supernova Type Ia (SNIa) data we demonstrate that for a certain parameter combination a transient accelerating phase emerges as a pure interaction effect., Comment: Latex file, 23 pages, 21 figures in eps format. Discussion enlarged, new subsection on scalar field dynamics included, accepted for publication in JCAP.

Cosmological models with two interacting fluids, each satisfying the strong energy condition, are studied in the framework of classical General Relativity. If the interactions are phenomenologically described by a power law in the scale factor, the two initial interacting fluids can be equivalently substituted by two non interacting effective fluids, where one of them may violate the strong energy condition and/or have negative energy density. Analytical solutions of the Friedmann equations of this general setting are obtained and studied. One may have, depending on the scale where the interaction becomes important, non singular universes with early accelerated phase, or singular models with transition from decelerated to accelerated expansion at large scales. Among the first, there are bouncing models where contraction is stopped by the interaction. In the second case, one obtains dark energy expansion rates without dark energy, like $\Lambda$CDM or phantomic accelerated expansions without cosmological constant or phantoms, respectively., Comment: 10 pages, no figures, accepted for publication in General Relativity and Gravitation

Context. Blazars are the dominant type of extragalactic sources at microwave and at γ-ray energies. In the most energetic part of the electromagnetic spectrum (E ≳ 100 GeV) a high fraction of high Galactic latitude sources are blazars of the high synchrotron peaked (HSP) type, that is BL Lac objects with synchrotron power peaking in the UV or in the X-ray band. Building new large samples of HSP blazars is key to understand the properties of jets under extreme conditions, and to study the demographics and the peculiar cosmological evolution of these sources. Aims: High synchrotron peaked blazars are remarkably rare, with only a few hundreds of them expected to be above the sensitivity limits of currently available surveys, some of which include hundreds of millions of sources. To find these very uncommon objects, we have devised a method that combines ALLWISE survey data with multi-frequency selection criteria. Methods: The sample was defined starting from a primary list of infrared colour-colour selected sources from the ALLWISE all sky survey database, and applying further restrictions on IR-radio and IR-X-ray flux ratios. Using a polynomial fit to the multi-frequency data (radio to X-ray), we estimated synchrotron peak frequencies and fluxes of each object. Results: We assembled a sample including 992 sources, which is currently the largest existing list of confirmed and candidates HSP blazars. All objects are expected to radiate up to the highest γ-ray photon energies. In fact, 299 of these are confirmed emitters of GeV γ-ray photons (based on Fermi-LAT catalogues), and 36 have already been detected in the TeV band. The majority of sources in the sample are within reach of the upcoming Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA), and many may be detectable even by the current generation of Cherenkov telescopes during flaring episodes. The sample includes 425 previously known blazars, 151 new identifications, and 416 HSP candidates (mostly faint sources) for which no optical spectra is available yet. The full 1WHSP catalogue is online at http://cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr (ftp://130.79.128.5) or via http://cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr/viz-bin/qcat?J/A+A/579/A34 and also available at http://www.asdc.asi.it/1whsp/

Current research marks a clear success in identifying the moment of formation of a Black Hole of ~ 10M⊙, with the emission of a Gamma Ray Burst. This explains in terms of the 'Blackholic Energy' the source of the energy of these astrophysical systems. Their energetics up to 1054 erg, make them detectable all over our Universe. Concurrently a new problematic has been arising related to: (a) The evidence of Dark Matter in galactic halos; (b) The origin of the Super Massive Black Holes in active galactic nuclei and Quasars and (c) The purported existence of a Black Hole in the Center of our Galaxy. These three aspects of this new problematic have been traditionally approached independently. We propose an unified approach to all three of them based on a system of massive self-gravitating neutrinos in General Relativity. Perspectives of future research are presented.