Foreground separation using a flexible maximum-entropy algorithm: an application to COBE data

A flexible maximum-entropy component separation algorithm is presented that accommodates anisotropic noise, incomplete sky-coverage and uncertainties in the spectral parameters of foregrounds. The capabilities of the method are determined by first applying it to simulated spherical microwave data sets emulating the COBE-DMR, COBE-DIRBE and Haslam surveys. Using these simulations we find that is very difficult to determine unambiguously the spectral parameters of the galactic components for this data set due to their high level of noise. Nevertheless, we show that is possible to find a robust CMB reconstruction, especially at the high galactic latitude. The method is then applied to these real data sets to obtain reconstructions of the CMB component and galactic foreground emission over the whole sky. The best reconstructions are found for values of the spectral parameters: T_d=19 K, alpha_d=2, beta_ff=-0.19 and beta_syn=-0.8. The CMB map has been recovered with an estimated statistical error of \sim 22 muK on an angular scale of 7 degrees outside the galactic cut whereas the low galactic latitude region presents contamination from the foreground emissions.Comment: 29 pages, 25 figures, version accepted for publication in MNRAS. One subsection and 6 figures added. Main results unchange

Influence of Sintering Conditions on Specific Electrical Conductivity in Aluminum-Graphene Composite

Dependence of specific electrical resistance on temperature (20 - 1600 ∘C) and processing method in an aluminum-graphene (up to 2wt.%) composite is investigated. It is established that spark plasma sintering (SPS) under pressure 40 MPа does not influence on electrical resistance, whereas SPS at low pressure (<10 MPa) reduces electrical resistance at a room temperature on 6 orders. Lower values of electrical resistance (up to 90 Ω *mm) received at sintering in hot pressing set at radiating heating. It is supposed that the reason of sharp decrease in electrical resistance at the lowered pressure is presence of current pulsations during SPS. They induces magnetic fields in graphene flake which lead to their moving and forming of particles to electroconductive chains or their capture in arched cells at applied pressure. Keywords: composite, aluminum, graphene, electrical resistance, temperature dependence

All-sky component separation in the presence of anisotropic noise and dust temperature variations

We present an extension of the harmonic-space maximum-entropy component separation method (MEM) for multi-frequency CMB observations that allows one to perform the separation with more plausible assumptions about the receiver noise and foreground astrophysical components. Component separation is considered in the presence of spatially-varying noise variance and spectral properties of the foreground components. It is shown that, if not taken properly into account, the presence of spatially-varying foreground spectra, in particular, can severely reduce the accuracy of the component separation. Nevertheless, by extending the basic method to accommodate such behaviour and the presence of anisotropic noise, we find that the accuracy of the component separation can be improved to a level comparable with previous investigations in which these effects were not present.Comment: 11 pages, 15 figures, submitted to MNRAS. A fine-resolution colour copy can be downloaded from http://www.mrao.cam.ac.uk/projects/cpac/pub.htm

CMB component separation by parameter estimation

We propose a solution to the CMB component separation problem based on standard parameter estimation techniques. We assume a parametric spectral model for each signal component, and fit the corresponding parameters pixel by pixel in a two-stage process. First we fit for the full parameter set (e.g., component amplitudes and spectral indices) in low-resolution and high signal-to-noise ratio maps using MCMC, obtaining both best-fit values for each parameter, and the associated uncertainty. The goodness-of-fit is evaluated by a chi^2 statistic. Then we fix all non-linear parameters at their low-resolution best-fit values, and solve analytically for high-resolution component amplitude maps. This likelihood approach has many advantages: The fitted model may be chosen freely, and the method is therefore completely general; all assumptions are transparent; no restrictions on spatial variations of foreground properties are imposed; the results may be rigorously monitored by goodness-of-fit tests; and, most importantly, we obtain reliable error estimates on all estimated quantities. We apply the method to simulated Planck and six-year WMAP data based on realistic models, and show that separation at the muK level is indeed possible in these cases. We also outline how the foreground uncertainties may be rigorously propagated through to the CMB power spectrum and cosmological parameters using a Gibbs sampling technique.Comment: 20 pages, 10 figures, submitted to ApJ. For a high-resolution version, see http://www.astro.uio.no/~hke/docs/eriksen_et_al_fgfit.p

Failure process simulation of porous frictional composites with a polymer matrix

A stochastic structure model of a composite material incorporating n-component is considered. Calculation results of the stress-strain state of multicomponental frictional composites are cited. Regularities of microcrack onset and growth are discussed, and failure mechanisms of composites with porous structure under service loading are illustrated

Thermal-stress analyses of real brake systems

The decisive effect on the frictional and wear characteristics of the brake system is exerted by temperature generated at friction. So far, to design efficient brake joints employed in vehicles it's required to take account of their heat loading during operation. In the present work a system of interrelated problems has been considered, namely the contact, heat and thermoelastic ones. The conditions of the contact were given for the movable interface. The kinetic behavior of the thermal and contact parameters were taken into account at calculating temperature fields and stresses in the friction zone. To calculate temperature fields, heat models of the friction contact were elaborated to make allowance for redistribution of heat flows at friction. Based on numerical methods surface and mean bulk temperatures in the friction pair were calculated. It has been established that due to heat generation during friction the actual contact area in disc brakes contracts and becomes about 30% of the nominal one. This brings about inhomogeneity of temperature fields and considerable rise of surface temperatures and thermal stress in the rubbing bodies. The proposed calculation method can be used to forecast service characteristics of brakes and to optimize brake design for given materials of the friction pair

Foreground Subtraction of Cosmic Microwave Background Maps using WI-FIT (Wavelet based hIgh resolution Fitting of Internal Templates)

We present a new approach to foreground removal for Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) maps. Rather than relying on prior knowledge about the foreground components, we first extract the necessary information about them directly from the microwave sky maps by taking differences of temperature maps at different frequencies. These difference maps, which we refer to as internal templates, consist only of linear combinations of galactic foregrounds and noise, with no CMB component. We obtain the foreground cleaned maps by fitting these internal templates to, and subsequently subtracting the appropriately scaled contributions of them from, the CMB dominated channels. The fitting operation is performed in wavelet space, making the analysis feasible at high resolution with only a minor loss of precision. Applying this procedure to the WMAP data, we obtain a power spectrum that matches the spectrum obtained by the WMAP team at the signal dominated scales. Finally, we have revisited previous claims about a north-south power asymmetry on large angular scales, and confirm that these remain unchanged with this completely different approach to foreground separation. This also holds when fitting the foreground contribution independently to the northern and southern hemisphere indicating that the asymmetry is unlikely to have its origin in different foreground properties of the hemispheres. This conclusion is further strengthened by the lack of any observed frequency dependence.Comment: Submitted to Ap