Characterising Spatial and Temporal Ionospheric Variability with a Network of Oblique Angle-of-arrival and Doppler Ionosondes

Ionospheric variability exists on a broad range of scales, and routinely impacts skywave propagation modes of high frequency radio waves, to the detriment of radar and communication systems. In order to better understand the electron density structures associated with such variability at mid-latitudes, a network of oblique angle-of-arrival (AoA) and Doppler ionosondes were installed in central and northern Australia as part of the ELOISE campaign in 2015. This thesis analyses observations from the ELOISE AoA ionosondes, with a focus on characterising the influence of medium- to large- scale gradients and signatures of travelling ionospheric disturbances (TIDs). Following an overview of the experiment, the design and calibration of the new ionosonde system is described. With multi-channel receivers connected to each element of two twin-arm arrays, a total of eleven AoA paths of between 900 and 2700 km were collected, including nine with interleaved Doppler measurements using a special channel scattering function (CSF) capability. On-board signal processing was developed to perform real-time clear channel evaluation and CSF scheduling, and generate the AoA ionograms and delay-Doppler images with fitted electron density profiles. In further offline analysis, peak detection and mode classification was carried out, to support reflection point mapping and tilt estimation. Significant testing and validation of the new ionosonde before and after the experiment revealed AoA uncertainties on the scale of 0.2–0.5° in bearing and 0.4–0.9° in elevation. Having identified a low-elevation bias, models of tropospheric refraction and antenna mutual coupling effects were considered as possible correction strategies, but ultimately an empirical approach based on aggregated ionospheric returns was implemented. Small-scale (intra-dwell) ionospheric variability also has the potential to compromise results, through unresolved multi-mode mixing, and this has been investigated using a combination of spatial and temporal variability metrics derived from the CSF data. The analysis of large quantities of F2 peak data shows persistent diurnal patterns in the oblique AoA observables that are also well-captured by a conventional data-assimilative ionospheric model, even without the benefit of AoA and Doppler inputs. Furthermore, Doppler measurements are reproduced remarkably well using just the midpoint fitted profiles. A statistical study has quantified the level of consistency between observations and model, to provide greater confidence in the results. Many of the geophysical features can be interpreted as ionospheric gradients, as evident in the tilt estimates, and horizontally moving structures such as TIDs, using a form of Doppler-based drift analysis. While signatures of TIDs vary considerably, two simple wave-like perturbation models have been evaluated to help classify quasi-periodic behaviour in the AoA observations, as well as understand the directional filtering effect imposed by the path geometry. In some cases, a set of TID parameters can be determined by eye, but in others automatic parameter inversion techniques may be more viable. Two such techniques were implemented but results using both real and synthetic data demonstrated some significant limitations. Finally, attempts to relate TID signatures across multiple paths shows promise, but there still appears to be a strong dependence on path geometry that is difficult to eliminate.Thesis (Ph.D.) -- University of Adelaide, School of Physical Sciences, 202

A Control-Theoretic Design And Analysis Framework For Resilient Hard Real-Time Systems

We introduce a new design metric called system-resiliency which characterizes the maximum unpredictable external stresses that any hard-real-time performance mode can withstand. Our proposed systemresiliency framework addresses resiliency determination for real-time systems with physical and hardware limitations. Furthermore, our framework advises the system designer about the feasible trade-offs between external system resources for the system operating modes on a real-time system that operates in a multi-parametric resiliency environment. Modern multi-modal real-time systems degrade the system’s operational modes as a response to unpredictable external stimuli. During these mode transitions, real-time systems should demonstrate a reliable and graceful degradation of service. Many control-theoretic-based system design approaches exist. Although they permit real-time systems to operate under various physical constraints, none of them allows the system designer to predict the system-resiliency over multi-constrained operating environment. Our framework fills this gap; the proposed framework consists of two components: the design-phase and runtime control. With the design-phase analysis, the designer predicts the behavior of the real-time system for variable external conditions. Also, the runtime controller navigates the system to the best desired target using advanced control-theoretic techniques. Further, our framework addresses the system resiliency of both uniprocessor and multicore processor systems. As a proof of concept, we first introduce a design metric called thermal-resiliency, which characterizes the maximum external thermal stress that any hard-real-time performance mode can withstand. We verify the thermal-resiliency for the external thermal stresses on a uniprocessor system through a physical testbed. We show how to solve some of the issues and challenges of designing predictable real-time systems that guarantee hard deadlines even under transitions between modes in an unpredictable thermal environment where environmental temperature may dynamically change using our new metric. We extend the derivation of thermal-resiliency to multicore systems and determine the limitations of external thermal stress that any hard-real-time performance mode can withstand. Our control-theoretic framework allows the system designer to allocate asymmetric processing resources upon a multicore proiii cessor and still maintain thermal constraints. In addition, we develop real-time-scheduling sub-components that are necessary to fully implement our framework; toward this goal, we investigate the potential utility of parallelization for meeting real-time constraints and minimizing energy. Under malleable gang scheduling of implicit-deadline sporadic tasks upon multiprocessors, we show the non-necessity of dynamic voltage/frequency regarding optimality of our scheduling problem. We adapt the canonical schedule for DVFS multiprocessor platforms and propose a polynomial-time optimal processor/frequency-selection algorithm. Finally, we verify the correctness of our framework through multiple measurable physical and hardware constraints and complete our work on developing a generalized framework

Proceedings Work-In-Progress Session of the 13th Real-Time and Embedded Technology and Applications Symposium

The Work-In-Progress session of the 13th IEEE Real-Time and Embedded Technology and Applications Symposium (RTAS\u2707) presents papers describing contributions both to state of the art and state of the practice in the broad field of real-time and embedded systems. The 17 accepted papers were selected from 19 submissions. This proceedings is also available as Washington University in St. Louis Technical Report WUCSE-2007-17, at http://www.cse.seas.wustl.edu/Research/FileDownload.asp?733. Special thanks go to the General Chairs – Steve Goddard and Steve Liu and Program Chairs - Scott Brandt and Frank Mueller for their support and guidance

Advanced Automation for Space Missions

The feasibility of using machine intelligence, including automation and robotics, in future space missions was studied

Third international conference on irrigation and drainage

Presented during the Third international conference on irrigation and drainage held March 30 - April 2, 2005 in San Diego, California. The theme of the conference was Water district management and governance.Includes bibliographical references.Sponsored by USCID; co-sponsored by Association of California Water Agencies and International Network for Participatory Irrigation Management.The changing face of western irrigated agriculture: structure, water management, and policy implications -- Proven institutional, financing and pricing principles for rural water services -- Involving stakeholders in irrigation and drainage district decisions: who, what, when, where, why, how -- Implementing district level irrigation water management with stakeholder participation -- WUA development and strengthening in the Kyrgyz Republic -- Variations in irrigation district voting and election procedures -- Water Users Association governance in developing countries: fragility and function -- Viet Nam: creating conditions for improved irrigation service delivery -- the case of the Phuoc Hoa Water Resources Project -- Technical and institutional support for water management in Albanian irrigation -- Reconciling traditional irrigation management with development of modern irrigation systems: the challenge for Afghanistan -- Field testing of SacMan Automated Canal Control System -- An infrastructure management system for enhanced irrigation district planning -- NCWCD efforts toward improving on-farm water management -- A web-based irrigation water use tracking system -- Using GIS to monitor water use compliance -- Development of a water management system to improve management and scheduling of water orders in Imperial Irrigation District -- Radar water-level measurement for open channels -- Non-standard structure flow measurement evaluation using the flow rate indexing procedure - QIP -- A GIS-based irrigation evaluation strategy for a rice production region -- Total Channel Control™ - an important role in identifying losses -- Commencing the modernization project of the Gila Gravity Main Canal -- Obtaining gains in efficiency when water is free -- A qualitative approach to study water markets in Pakistan -- Local groundwater management districts and Kansas state agencies share authority and responsibility for transition to long term management of the High Plains Aquifer -- Water user management and financing of irrigation facilities through use of improvement districts -- Irrigation management transfer to water user organizations in Turkey -- Farm size, irrigation practices, and on-farm irrigation efficiency in New Mexico's Elephant Butte Irrigation District -- The ITRC Rapid Appraisal Process (RAP) for irrigation districts -- Relationships between seepage loss rates and canal condition parameters for the Rapid Assessment Tool (RAT) -- Zarafshan Water District Improvement Project in Uzbekistan -- Technological modernization in irrigated agriculture: factors for sustainability in developing countries -- Reliability criteria for re-engineering of large-scale pressurized irrigation systems -- Upgrading existing databases: recommendations for irrigation districts -- Groundwater use in irrigated agriculture in Amudarya River basin in socio-economic dimensions -- Regional ET estimation from satellites

‘Undetermined exiles’: a phenomenological exploration of transition out of Army life

What is it like for a soldier to leave the British Army? Can psychotherapy, and specifically existential psychotherapy, help in the transition process? These have become increasingly important questions since the Strategic Defence and Security Review (2010) set a government target of 7,000 British Army redundancies to be made by 2015. Psychological research with regards to the military is often pathological, focussing on trauma, employment or homelessness issues, rather than transition itself. In an attempt to address this gap, this thesis employs phenomenology to explore the transition experiences of eight former soldiers who left the British Army within the last ten years. Findings show that transition brings a sense of exile from the military and alienation in civilian life, leading to loss of the identity, belonging and certainty that military life provided. Participants were determined to make a success of transition but, without a clear identity, meaning or purpose in civilian life, struggled to apply this determination. This was the case for all the participants, regardless of their reasons for, and experiences of, leaving the Army. The more self-aware participants were of their losses and anxieties in transition, the more adaptable they were to civilian life and the better they could establish new meaning and purpose to channel their determination into. However, no participant identified as fully transitioned or believed they ever would be. Instead, transition was felt to be an ongoing process of grieving, adapting and evolving identity. This study introduces the term ‘transitioner’ to capture the process of being in between soldiers and civilians in transition while belonging to neither. Existential philosophy and psychotherapy can help to validate and empower transitioning soldiers to understand their place in transition and find new meaning and purpose in their civilian lives

Advances in Public Transport Platform for the Development of Sustainability Cities

Modern societies demand high and varied mobility, which in turn requires a complex transport system adapted to social needs that guarantees the movement of people and goods in an economically efficient and safe way, but all are subject to a new environmental rationality and the new logic of the paradigm of sustainability. From this perspective, an efficient and flexible transport system that provides intelligent and sustainable mobility patterns is essential to our economy and our quality of life. The current transport system poses growing and significant challenges for the environment, human health, and sustainability, while current mobility schemes have focused much more on the private vehicle that has conditioned both the lifestyles of citizens and cities, as well as urban and territorial sustainability. Transport has a very considerable weight in the framework of sustainable development due to environmental pressures, associated social and economic effects, and interrelations with other sectors. The continuous growth that this sector has experienced over the last few years and its foreseeable increase, even considering the change in trends due to the current situation of generalized crisis, make the challenge of sustainable transport a strategic priority at local, national, European, and global levels. This Special Issue will pay attention to all those research approaches focused on the relationship between evolution in the area of transport with a high incidence in the environment from the perspective of efficiency

Intelligent Sensor Networks

In the last decade, wireless or wired sensor networks have attracted much attention. However, most designs target general sensor network issues including protocol stack (routing, MAC, etc.) and security issues. This book focuses on the close integration of sensing, networking, and smart signal processing via machine learning. Based on their world-class research, the authors present the fundamentals of intelligent sensor networks. They cover sensing and sampling, distributed signal processing, and intelligent signal learning. In addition, they present cutting-edge research results from leading experts