Fitting Spectral Decay with the k-Support Norm

The spectral kk-support norm enjoys good estimation properties in low rank matrix learning problems, empirically outperforming the trace norm. Its unit ball is the convex hull of rank kk matrices with unit Frobenius norm. In this paper we generalize the norm to the spectral (k,p)(k,p)-support norm, whose additional parameter pp can be used to tailor the norm to the decay of the spectrum of the underlying model. We characterize the unit ball and we explicitly compute the norm. We further provide a conditional gradient method to solve regularization problems with the norm, and we derive an efficient algorithm to compute the Euclidean projection on the unit ball in the case p=∞p=∞. In numerical experiments, we show that allowing pp to vary significantly improves performance over the spectral kk-support norm on various matrix completion benchmarks, and better captures the spectral decay of the underlying model

Recombining Plasma in the Gamma-ray Emitting Mixed-Morphology Supernova Remnant 3C 391

A group of middle-aged mixed-morphology (MM) supernova remnants (SNRs) interacting with molecular clouds (MC) has been discovered as strong GeV gamma-ray emitters by Large Area Telescope on board Fermi Gamma Ray Space Telescope (Fermi-LAT). The recent observations of the Suzaku X-ray satellite have revealed that some of these interacting gamma-ray emitting SNRs, such as IC443, W49B, W44, and G359.1-0.5, have overionized plasmas. 3C 391 (G31.9+0.0) is another Galactic MM SNR interacting with MC. It was observed in GeV gamma rays by Fermi-LAT as well as in the 0.3 $-$ 10.0 keV X-ray band by Suzaku. In this work, 3C 391 was detected in GeV gamma rays with a significance of $\sim$ 18 $\sigma$ and we showed that the GeV emission is point-like in nature. The GeV gamma-ray spectrum was shown to be best explained by the decay of neutral pions assuming that the protons follow a broken power-law distribution. We revealed radiative recombination structures of silicon and sulfur from 3C 391 using Suzaku data. In this paper we discuss the possible origin of this type of radiative plasma and hadronic gamma rays.Comment: 10 pages, 7 figures; accepted by Ap

Localness of energy cascade in hydrodynamic turbulence, II. Sharp spectral filter

We investigate the scale-locality of subgrid-scale (SGS) energy flux and inter-band energy transfers defined by the sharp spectral filter. We show by rigorous bounds, physical arguments and numerical simulations that the spectral SGS flux is dominated by local triadic interactions in an extended turbulent inertial-range. Inter-band energy transfers are also shown to be dominated by local triads if the spectral bands have constant width on a logarithmic scale. We disprove in particular an alternative picture of ``local transfer by nonlocal triads,'' with the advecting wavenumber mode at the energy peak. Although such triads have the largest transfer rates of all {\it individual} wavenumber triads, we show rigorously that, due to their restricted number, they make an asymptotically negligible contribution to energy flux and log-banded energy transfers at high wavenumbers in the inertial-range. We show that it is only the aggregate effect of a geometrically increasing number of local wavenumber triads which can sustain an energy cascade to small scales. Furthermore, non-local triads are argued to contribute even less to the space-average energy flux than is implied by our rigorous bounds, because of additional cancellations from scale-decorrelation effects. We can thus recover the -4/3 scaling of nonlocal contributions to spectral energy flux predicted by Kraichnan's ALHDIA and TFM closures. We support our results with numerical data from a $512^3$ pseudospectral simulation of isotropic turbulence with phase-shift dealiasing. We conclude that the sharp spectral filter has a firm theoretical basis for use in large-eddy simulation (LES) modeling of turbulent flows.Comment: 42 pages, 9 figure

Searching for Overionized Plasma in the Gamma-ray Emitting Supernova Remnant G349.7++0.2

G349.7$+$0.2 is a supernova remnant (SNR) expanding in a dense medium of molecular clouds and interacting with clumps of molecular material emitting gamma rays. We analyzed the gamma-ray data of Large Area Telescope on board Fermi Gamma Ray Space Telescope and detected G349.7$+$0.2 in the energy range of 0.2$-$300 GeV with a significance of $\sim$13$\sigma$ showing no extended morphology. Modeling of the gamma-ray spectrum revealed that the GeV gamma-ray emission dominantly originates from the decay of neutral pions, where the protons follow a broken power-law distribution with a spectral break at $\sim$12 GeV. To search for features of radiative recombination continua in the eastern and western regions of the remnant, we analyzed the Suzaku data of G349.7$+$0.2 and found no evidence for overionized plasma. In this paper we discuss possible scenarios to explain the hadronic gamma-ray emission in G349.7$+$0.2 and the mixed morphology nature of this SNR.Comment: 10 pages, 7 figures; accepted by ApJ. arXiv admin note: text overlap with arXiv:1406.217

Analysis of Ultrafast Transient Absorption Spectroscopy Data using Integrative Data Analysis Platform: 1. Data Processing, Fitting, and Model Selection

This manuscript describes a workflow for analysis of transient absorption (TA) spectroscopy data using Integrative Data Analysis Platforms (IDAP) software package. Time-dependent spectral series are analyzed through evaluation of the isosbestic point and kinetics of excited state and ground-state bleach decays. Model fitting and selection based on Akaike\u27s Information Criterion is discussed. As a practical example, we analyze excitation decays of a common protein label, Alexa Fluor 647

The Evolving Accretion Disc in the Black Hole X-ray Transient XTE J1859+226

We present HST, RXTE, and UKIRT observations of the broad band spectra of the black hole X-ray transient XTE J1859+226 during the decline from its 1999-2000 outburst. Our UV spectra define the 2175A interstellar absorption feature very well and based on its strength we estimate E(B-V)=0.58+/-0.12. Hence we deredden our spectra and follow the evolution of the spectral energy distribution on the decline from outburst. We find that the UV and optical data, and the X-ray thermal component when detectable, can be fit with a simple blackbody model of an accretion disc heated by internal viscosity and X-ray irradiation, and extending to close to the last stable orbit around the black hole, although the actual inner radius cannot be well constrained. During the decline we see the disc apparently evolving from a model with the edge dominated by irradiative heating towards one where viscous heating is dominant everywhere. The outer disc radius also appears to decrease during the decline; we interpret this as evidence of a cooling wave moving inwards and discuss its implications for the disc instability model. Based on the normalisation of our spectral fits we estimate a likely distance range of 4.6-8.0kpc, although a value outside of this range cannot securely be ruled out.Comment: 10 pages including figures. Accepted for publication in MNRA