340 research outputs found
Agile Development of Linux Schedulers with Ekiben
Kernel task scheduling is important for application performance, adaptability
to new hardware, and complex user requirements. However, developing, testing,
and debugging new scheduling algorithms in Linux, the most widely used cloud
operating system, is slow and difficult. We developed Ekiben, a framework for
high velocity development of Linux kernel schedulers. Ekiben schedulers are
written in safe Rust, and the system supports live upgrade of new scheduling
policies into the kernel, userspace debugging, and bidirectional communication
with applications. A scheduler implemented with Ekiben achieved near identical
performance (within 1% on average) to the default Linux scheduler CFS on a wide
range of benchmarks. Ekiben is also able to support a range of research
schedulers, specifically the Shinjuku scheduler, a locality aware scheduler,
and the Arachne core arbiter, with good performance.Comment: 13 pages, 5 figures, submitted to Eurosys 202
A precise optical transmission spectrum of the inflated exoplanet WASP-52b
We have measured a precise optical transmission spectrum for WASP-52b, a
highly inflated hot Jupiter with an equilibrium temperature of 1300 K. Two
transits of the planet were observed spectroscopically at low resolution with
the auxiliary-port camera (ACAM) on the William Herschel Telescope (WHT),
covering a wide range of 4000-8750 \AA. We use a Gaussian process approach to
model the correlated noise in the multi-wavelength light curves, resulting in a
high precision relative transmission spectrum with errors on the order of a
pressure scale height. We attempted to fit a variety of different
representative model atmospheres to the transmission spectrum, but did not find
a satisfactory match to the entire spectral range. For the majority of the
covered wavelength range (4000-7750 \AA) the spectrum is flat, and can be
explained by an optically thick and grey cloud layer at 0.1 mbar, but this is
inconsistent with a slightly deeper transit at wavelengths \AA. We
were not able to find an obvious systematic source for this feature, so this
opacity may be the result of an additional unknown absorber.Comment: Submitted to MNRAS 17 Jan 2017, revised version after comments from
reviewer, 12 pages, 10 figure
Virtual Reality Applied to Welder Training
Welding is a challenging, risky, and time-consuming profession. Recently, there
has been a documented shortage of trained welders, and as a result, the market
is pushing for an increase in the rate at which new professionals are trained. To
address this growing demand, training institutions are exploring alternative methods to train future professionals with the goals of improving learner retention of
information, shortening training periods, and lowering associated expenses. The
emergence of virtual reality technologies has led to initiatives to explore their potential for welding training. Multiple studies have suggested that virtual reality
training delivers comparable, or even superior, results when compared to more conventional approaches, with shorter training times and reduced costs in consumables.
Additionally, virtual reality allows trainees to try out different approaches to their
work. The primary goal of this dissertation is to develop a virtual reality welding
simulator. To achieve this objective effectively, the creation of a classification system capable of identifying the simulator’s key characteristics becomes imperative.
Therefore, the secondary objective of this thesis is to develop a classification system
for the accurate evaluation and comparison of virtual reality welding simulators.
Regarding the virtual reality welding simulation, the HTC VIVE Pro 2 virtual
reality equipment was employed, to transfer the user’s action from the physical to the
virtual world. Within this virtual environment, it was introduced a suite of welding
tools and integrated a Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics simulator to mimic the
weld creation. After conducting comprehensive testing that revealed certain limitations in welding quality and in the simulator performance, the project opted to
incorporate a Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulator. The development of
the CFD simulator proved to be a formidable challenge, and regrettably, its complete
implementation was unattainable. Nevertheless, the project delved into three distinct grid architectures, from these, the dynamic grid was ultimately implemented.
It also proficiently integrated two crucial solvers for the Navier-Stokes equations.
These functions were implemented in the Graphics Processing Unit (GPU), to improve their efficiency. Upon comparing GPU and Central Processing Unit (CPU)
performance, the project highlighted the substantial computational advantages of GPUs and the advantages it brings to fluid simulations.A soldadura é uma profissão exigente, perigosa e que requer um grande investimento
de tempo para alcançar resultados satisfatórios. Recentemente, tem sido registada
uma falta de profissionais qualificados na área da soldadura. Como resultado, o mer cado está a pressionar para um aumento do ritmo a que os novos trabalhadores são
formados. Para responder a esta crescente procura, as instituições de formação estão
a explorar métodos alternativos para formar futuros profissionais, com o objetivo de
melhorar a retenção de informação, encurtar os períodos de treino e reduzir as despe sas associadas. Com o desenvolvimento de tecnologias nas áreas de realidade virtual
e realidade aumentada, têm surgido iniciativas para explorar o potencial destas na
formação de soldadura. Vários estudos sugeriram que a formação em realidade virtual proporciona resultados comparáveis, ou mesmo superiores, aos de abordagens
mais convencionais, com tempos de formação mais curtos e reduções nos custos de
consumíveis. Além disso, a realidade virtual permite aos formandos experimentar
diferentes abordagens ao seu trabalho. O objetivo principal desta dissertação é o
desenvolvimento de um simulador de soldadura em realidade virtual. Para atingir este objetivo de forma eficaz, torna-se imperativa a criação de um sistema de
classificação capaz de identificar as características chave do simulador. Assim, o
objetivo secundário desta dissertação é desenvolver um sistema de classificação para
a avaliação e comparação precisas de simuladores de soldadura em realidade virtual.
Relativamente ao simulador de soldadura em realidade virtual, foi utilizado o
kit de realidade virtual HTC VIVE Pro 2, para transferir as ações do utilizador no
mundo físico para o mundo virtual. No ambiente virtual, foi introduzido um con junto de ferramentas de soldadura e integrado um simulador de Hidrodinâmica de
Partículas Suavizadas para simular a criação da solda. Após a realização de testes
exaustivos que revelaram algumas limitações na qualidade da solda e no desempenho
do simulador, o projeto optou por incorporar um simulador de Dinâmica de Fluidos
Computacional (CFD). O desenvolvimento do simulador CFD revelou-se um desa fio formidável e, infelizmente, não foi possível completar a sua implementação. No
entanto, o projeto aprofundou três arquiteturas de grelha distintas, das quais foi
implementada a grelha dinâmica. O projeto também implementou duas funções cru ciais para resolver as equações de Navier-Stokes. As funções relativas ao simulador
de fluidos foram implementadas na Unidade de Processamento Gráfico (GPU), a fim
de melhorar a sua eficiência. Ao comparar o desempenho da GPU com o da Unidade Central de Processamento (CPU), o projeto evidenciou os beneficios computacionais
das GPUs e as vantagens que trazem para as simulações de fluidos
Effects of moderate electric fields on the post-harvest preservation of chestnuts
Ohmic heating (OH) was evaluated as a post-harvest technology to improve chestnuts shelf-life (Castanea sativa Mill.) by controlling molds and insect larvae proliferation. Chestnuts were processed by OH at 35, 45, and 55 °C and compared with untreated fruits and the conventional hydrothermal technology (HT - 50 °C for 45 min), which is the process currently used by the chestnut industry. Shelf-life studies were carried out at different atmospheric conditions for 60 days: (i) 25 °C and 40% relative humidity (RH); (ii) 5 °C and 70% RH. The results show that the OH conducted at 55 °C (OH-55 °C), combined with storage at 5 °C, was more effective in controlling molds and larvae growth than the other treatments. Moreover, under these conditions, chestnuts shelf-life could be extended for 60 days without substantial changes in the fruits color and texture. After the OH-55 °C treatment, lower losses of some nutrients and vitamin C were registered compared to HT. This study demonstrates for the first time that OH has the potential to be used by the chestnut industry for the post-harvest disinfestation of this fruit.This study was supported by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) under the scope of the strategic funding of UID/BIO/04469/2020 unit and BioTecNorte operation (NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-000004) funded by the European Regional Development Fund under the scope of Norte2020 - Programa Operacional Regional do Norte. Enrique Pino-Hernández is a recipient of a fellowship supported
by an advanced doctoral training program (call NORTE-69-2015-15), funded by the European Social Fund under the scope of Norte2020 – Programa Operacional Regional do Norte (NORTE-08-5369-FSE 000036). Ricardo N. Pereira and Luís Abrunhosa acknowledge FCT for their Assistant Research contract obtained under CEEC Individual 2017: reference CEECIND/02903/2017 and CEECIND/00728/2017, respectively.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
Highly-parallelized simulation of a pixelated LArTPC on a GPU
The rapid development of general-purpose computing on graphics processing units (GPGPU) is allowing the implementation of highly-parallelized Monte Carlo simulation chains for particle physics experiments. This technique is particularly suitable for the simulation of a pixelated charge readout for time projection chambers, given the large number of channels that this technology employs. Here we present the first implementation of a full microphysical simulator of a liquid argon time projection chamber (LArTPC) equipped with light readout and pixelated charge readout, developed for the DUNE Near Detector. The software is implemented with an end-to-end set of GPU-optimized algorithms. The algorithms have been written in Python and translated into CUDA kernels using Numba, a just-in-time compiler for a subset of Python and NumPy instructions. The GPU implementation achieves a speed up of four orders of magnitude compared with the equivalent CPU version. The simulation of the current induced on 103 pixels takes around 1 ms on the GPU, compared with approximately 10 s on the CPU. The results of the simulation are compared against data from a pixel-readout LArTPC prototype
Globular Cluster Streams as Galactic High-Precision Scales - The Poster Child Palomar 5
Using the example of the tidal stream of the Milky Way globular cluster
Palomar 5 (Pal 5), we demonstrate how observational data on streams can be
efficiently reduced in dimensionality and modeled in a Bayesian framework. Our
approach combines detection of stream overdensities by a
Difference-of-Gaussians process with fast streakline models, a continuous
likelihood function built from these models, and inference with MCMC. By
generating model streams, we show that the geometry of the Pal 5
debris yields powerful constraints on the solar position and motion, the Milky
Way and Pal 5 itself. All 10 model parameters were allowed to vary over large
ranges without additional prior information. Using only SDSS data and a few
radial velocities from the literature, we find that the distance of the Sun
from the Galactic Center is kpc, and the transverse velocity is
km/s. Both estimates are in excellent agreement with independent
measurements of these quantities. Assuming a standard disk and bulge model, we
determine the Galactic mass within Pal 5's apogalactic radius of 19 kpc to be
M. Moreover, we find the potential of the
dark halo with a flattening of to be essentially
spherical within the radial range that is effectively probed by Pal 5. We also
determine Pal 5's mass, distance and proper motion independently from other
methods, which enables us to perform vital cross-checks. We conclude that with
more observational data and by using additional prior information, the
precision of this method can be significantly increased.Comment: 28 pages, 14 figures, submitted to ApJ (revised version), comments
welcom
Design and prototyping of a network-enabled low-cost low-power seismic sensor monitoring system
Esta tese explora recentes desenvolvimentos em tecnologias de informação, comunicações e
sensores no campo da sismologia. A tese aborda o potencial das redes de monitorização
sísmica de elevada densidade na melhoria da resolução da actividade sísmica observada e,
consequentemente, na melhor compreensão dos processos físicos que estão na base da
ocorrência de terramotos.
A tese argumenta que a tecnologia de sistemas de microelectromecânica (MEMS), usada na
produção de acelerómetros de pequena dimensão, tem aplicabilidade e elevado potencial no
domínio da sismologia. Acelerómetros MEMS já facilitaram a instalação de redes sísmicas de
elevada densidade com superior resolução espacial pela Universidade da Califórnia (Rede
Sísmica Comunitária) e pela Universidade de Évora (Rede Sísmica de Sensores do Alentejo),
esta última ainda em fase de instalação.
Neste contexto, a tese descreve o trabalho conduzido no desenho e desenvolvimento de
sistemas de sensores baseados em acelerómetros MEMS. Este trabalho inclui a
conceptualização de componentes de arquitectura usados para a implementação de quatro
protótipos. Adicionalmente, foram também desenvolvidos os componentes necessários para a
operação e gestão da rede de sensores, que inclui servidores dedicados a operar software
especificamente desenvolvido neste trabalho.
A tese descreve também a instalação e avaliação de protótipos, usando como base de
comparação uma estação sísmica de elevado desempenho, recorrendo inclusivamente à
actividade sísmica resultante de dois eventos sísmicos.
A tese conclui que a arquitectura conceptualizada para o sistema sensor e para a rede de
sensores demonstrou ser eficaz. Adicionalmente, embora a tecnologia MEMS seja promissora,
ainda exibe limitações que limitam a sua aplicabilidade no domínio da sismologia,
especificamente na observação de eventos sísmicos moderados e fortes. Conclui-se também
que a instalação de acelerómetros MEMS em conjunto com sismómetros pode trazer benefícios
na observação de actividade sísmica. Espera-se também que futuras gerações de acelerómetros
MEMS possam ter uma adoção generalizada na sismologia; ABSTRACT:
This thesis exploits advances in information technologies, communications and sensor systems
to the field of seismology. It addresses the potential for high-density networks for seismic
monitoring aiming to improve the resolution of the recorded seismic activity and, consequently,
to improve the understanding of the physical processes that cause earthquakes, as well as to
gather more detailed seismic characterisation of studied regions.
It argues that microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) technology, used to produce small size
accelerometers, has a potential application in seismology. Indeed, MEMS accelerometers have
enabled the deployment of high-density seismic networks capable of monitoring seismic
activity with high spatial resolution, such as CalTech's Community Seismic Network (CSN)
and University of Évora’s SSN-Alentejo, currently in the deployment phase.
In this context, this thesis describes the work conducted to design and develop low-cost seismic
sensor systems, based on low-cost MEMS accelerometers. This work includes the
conceptualisation of the architectural components that were implemented in four prototypes.
Moreover, server-side components, necessary to operate and manage the sensor network, as
well as to provide visualisation tools for users, are also developed and presented.
This work also describes the field deployment and evaluation of selected prototypes, using a
high-performance seismic station as the reference sensor for comparison, based on generated
signals and two recorded seismic events.
It is concluded that the herein conceptualised architecture for the high-dense network and
sensor prototypes has been demonstrated to be effective. Moreover, albeit promising, MEMS
accelerometers still exhibit performance limitations constraining their application in
seismology addressing moderate and strong motion. In addition, MEMS accelerometers
characteristics complement seismometers, thus installing MEMS accelerometers with
seismometers, may provide additional insights concerning seismic activity and seismology in
general. It is also expected that next generation MEMS accelerometers will be capable to
compete with traditional seismometers, becoming the de facto technology in seismology
High-resolution survey for planetary companions to young stars in the Taurus Molecular Cloud
Direct imaging in the infrared at the diffraction limit of large telescopes
is a unique probe of the properties of young planetary systems. We survey 55
single class I and class II stars in Taurus in the L' filter using natural and
laser guide star adaptive optics and the near-infrared camera (NIRC2) of the
Keck II telescope, in order to search for planetary mass companions. We use
both reference star differential imaging and kernel phase techniques, achieving
typical 5-sigma contrasts of ~6 magnitudes at separations of 0.2" and ~8
magnitudes beyond 0.5". Although we do not detect any new faint companions, we
constrain the frequency of wide separation massive planets, such as HR 8799
analogues. We find that, assuming hot-start models and a planet distribution
with power-law mass and semi-major axis indices of -0.5 and -1, respectively,
less than 20% of our target stars host planets with masses >2 MJ at separations
>10 AU.Comment: 16 pages, 14 figures, accepted for publication in MNRA
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