23,756 research outputs found
Infrared thermal imaging figures of merit
Commercially available types of infrared thermal imaging instruments, both viewers (qualitative) and imagers (quantitative) are discussed. The various scanning methods by which thermal images (thermograms) are generated will be reviewed. The performance parameters (figures of merit) that define the quality of performance of infrared radiation thermometers will be introduced. A discussion of how these parameters are extended and adapted to define the performance of thermal imaging instruments will be provided. Finally, the significance of each of the key performance parameters of thermal imaging instruments will be reviewed and procedures currently used for testing to verify performance will be outlined
Quantum State Discrimination with General Figures of Merit
We solve the problem of quantum state discrimination with "general
(symmetric) figures of merit" for an even number of symmetric quantum bits with
use of the no-signaling principle. It turns out that conditional probability
has the same form for any figure of merit. Optimal measurement and
corresponding conditional probability are the same for any monotonous figure of
merit.Comment: 5 pages, 2 figure
Report of the Nuclear Propulsion Mission Analysis, Figures of Merit Subpanel: Quantifiable figures of merit for nuclear thermal propulsion
The results of an inquiry by the Nuclear Propulsion Mission Analysis, Figures of Merit subpanel are given. The subpanel was tasked to consider the question of what are the appropriate and quantifiable parameters to be used in the definition of an overall figure of merit (FoM) for Mars transportation system (MTS) nuclear thermal rocket engines (NTR). Such a characterization is needed to resolve the NTR engine design trades by a logical and orderly means, and to provide a meaningful method for comparison of the various NTR engine concepts. The subpanel was specifically tasked to identify the quantifiable engine parameters which would be the most significant engine factors affecting an overall FoM for a MTS and was not tasked with determining 'acceptable' or 'recommended' values for the identified parameters. In addition, the subpanel was asked not to define an overall FoM for a MTS. Thus, the selection of a specific approach, applicable weighting factors, to any interrelationships, for establishing an overall numerical FoM were considered beyond the scope of the subpanel inquiry
Figures of merit for present and future dark energy probes
We compare current and forecasted constraints on dynamical dark energy models
from Type Ia supernovae and the cosmic microwave background using figures of
merit based on the volume of the allowed dark energy parameter space. For a
two-parameter dark energy equation of state that varies linearly with the scale
factor, and assuming a flat universe, the area of the error ellipse can be
reduced by a factor of ~10 relative to current constraints by future
space-based supernova data and CMB measurements from the Planck satellite. If
the dark energy equation of state is described by a more general basis of
principal components, the expected improvement in volume-based figures of merit
is much greater. While the forecasted precision for any single parameter is
only a factor of 2-5 smaller than current uncertainties, the constraints on
dark energy models bounded by -1<w<1 improve for approximately 6 independent
dark energy parameters resulting in a reduction of the total allowed volume of
principal component parameter space by a factor of ~100. Typical quintessence
models can be adequately described by just 2-3 of these parameters even given
the precision of future data, leading to a more modest but still significant
improvement. In addition to advances in supernova and CMB data, percent-level
measurement of absolute distance and/or the expansion rate is required to
ensure that dark energy constraints remain robust to variations in spatial
curvature.Comment: 9 pages, 7 figures; submitted to Phys. Rev.
Networks of gravitational wave detectors and three figures of merit
This paper develops a general framework for studying the effectiveness of
networks of interferometric gravitational wave detectors and then uses it to
show that enlarging the existing LIGO-VIRGO network with one or more planned or
proposed detectors in Japan (LCGT), Australia, and India brings major benefits,
including much larger detection rate increases than previously thought... I
show that there is a universal probability distribution function (pdf) for
detected SNR values, which implies that the most likely SNR value of the first
detected event will be 1.26 times the search threshold. For binary systems, I
also derive the universal pdf for detected values of the orbital inclination,
taking into account the Malmquist bias; this implies that the number of
gamma-ray bursts associated with detected binary coalescences should be 3.4
times larger than expected from just the beaming fraction of the gamma burst.
Using network antenna patterns, I propose three figures of merit that
characterize the relative performance of different networks... Adding {\em any}
new site to the planned LIGO-VIRGO network can dramatically increase, by
factors of 2 to 4, the detected event rate by allowing coherent data analysis
to reduce the spurious instrumental coincident background. Moving one of the
LIGO detectors to Australia additionally improves direction-finding by a factor
of 4 or more. Adding LCGT to the original LIGO-VIRGO network not only improves
direction-finding but will further increase the detection rate over the
extra-site gain by factors of almost 2, partly by improving the network duty
cycle... Enlarged advanced networks could look forward to detecting three to
four hundred neutron star binary coalescences per year.Comment: 38 pages, 7 figures, 2 tables. Accepted for publication in Classical
and Quantum Gravit
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