124 research outputs found
How Varroa Parasitism affects the immunological and nutritional status of the honey bee, Apis mellifera
We investigated the effect of the parasitic mite Varroa destructor on the immunological and nutritional condition of honey bees, Apis mellifera, from the perspective of the individual bee and the colony. Pupae, newly-emerged adults and foraging adults were sampled from honey bee colonies at one site in S. Texas, USA. Varroa infested bees displayed elevated titer of Deformed Wing Virus (DWV), suggestive of depressed capacity to limit viral replication. Expression of genes coding three anti-microbial peptides (defensin1, abaecin, hymenoptaecin) was either not significantly different between Varroa-infested and uninfested bees or was significantly elevated in Varroa-infested bees, varying with sampling date and bee developmental age. The effect of Varroa on nutritional indices of the bees was complex, with protein, triglyceride, glycogen and sugar levels strongly influenced by life-stage of the bee and individual colony. Protein content was depressed and free amino acid content elevated in Varroa-infested pupae, suggesting that protein synthesis, and consequently growth, may be limited in these insects. No simple relationship between the values of nutritional and immune-related indices was observed, and colony-scale effects were indicated by the reduced weight of pupae in colonies with high Varroa abundance, irrespective of whether the individual pupa bore Varroa
Implementation of a Wavefront-Sensing Algorithm
A computer program has been written as a unique implementation of an image-based wavefront-sensing algorithm reported in "Iterative-Transform Phase Retrieval Using Adaptive Diversity" (GSC-14879-1), NASA Tech Briefs, Vol. 31, No. 4 (April 2007), page 32. This software was originally intended for application to the James Webb Space Telescope, but is also applicable to other segmented-mirror telescopes. The software is capable of determining optical-wavefront information using, as input, a variable number of irradiance measurements collected in defocus planes about the best focal position. The software also uses input of the geometrical definition of the telescope exit pupil (otherwise denoted the pupil mask) to identify the locations of the segments of the primary telescope mirror. From the irradiance data and mask information, the software calculates an estimate of the optical wavefront (a measure of performance) of the telescope generally and across each primary mirror segment specifically. The software is capable of generating irradiance data, wavefront estimates, and basis functions for the full telescope and for each primary-mirror segment. Optionally, each of these pieces of information can be measured or computed outside of the software and incorporated during execution of the software
Quantum revivals, geometric phases and circle map recurrences
Revivals of the coherent states of a deformed, adiabatically and cyclically
varying oscillator Hamiltonian are examined. The revival time distribution is
exactly that of Poincar\'{e} recurrences for a rotation map: only three
distinct revival times can occur, with specified weights. A link is thus
established between quantum revivals and recurrences in a coarse-grained
discrete-time dynamical system.Comment: 9 page
Optimal Padding for the Two-Dimensional Fast Fourier Transform
One-dimensional Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) operations work fastest on grids whose size is divisible by a power of two. Because of this, padding grids (that are not already sized to a power of two) so that their size is the next highest power of two can speed up operations. While this works well for one-dimensional grids, it does not work well for two-dimensional grids. For a two-dimensional grid, there are certain pad sizes that work better than others. Therefore, the need exists to generalize a strategy for determining optimal pad sizes. There are three steps in the FFT algorithm. The first is to perform a one-dimensional transform on each row in the grid. The second step is to transpose the resulting matrix. The third step is to perform a one-dimensional transform on each row in the resulting grid. Steps one and three both benefit from padding the row to the next highest power of two, but the second step needs a novel approach. An algorithm was developed that struck a balance between optimizing the grid pad size with prime factors that are small (which are optimal for one-dimensional operations), and with prime factors that are large (which are optimal for two-dimensional operations). This algorithm optimizes based on average run times, and is not fine-tuned for any specific application. It increases the amount of times that processor-requested data is found in the set-associative processor cache. Cache retrievals are 4-10 times faster than conventional memory retrievals. The tested implementation of the algorithm resulted in faster execution times on all platforms tested, but with varying sized grids. This is because various computer architectures process commands differently. The test grid was 512 512. Using a 540 540 grid on a Pentium V processor, the code ran 30 percent faster. On a PowerPC, a 256x256 grid worked best. A Core2Duo computer preferred either a 1040x1040 (15 percent faster) or a 1008x1008 (30 percent faster) grid. There are many industries that can benefit from this algorithm, including optics, image-processing, signal-processing, and engineering applications
Variable Sampling Mapping
The performance of an optical system (for example, a telescope) is limited by the misalignments and manufacturing imperfections of the optical elements in the system. The impact of these misalignments and imperfections can be quantified by the phase variations imparted on light traveling through the system. Phase retrieval is a methodology for determining these variations. Phase retrieval uses images taken with the optical system and using a light source of known shape and characteristics. Unlike interferometric methods, which require an optical reference for comparison, and unlike Shack-Hartmann wavefront sensors that require special optical hardware at the optical system's exit pupil, phase retrieval is an in situ, image-based method for determining the phase variations of light at the system s exit pupil. Phase retrieval can be used both as an optical metrology tool (during fabrication of optical surfaces and assembly of optical systems) and as a sensor used in active, closed-loop control of an optical system, to optimize performance. One class of phase-retrieval algorithms is the iterative transform algorithm (ITA). ITAs estimate the phase variations by iteratively enforcing known constraints in the exit pupil and at the detector, determined from modeled or measured data. The Variable Sampling Mapping (VSM) technique is a new method for enforcing these constraints in ITAs. VSM is an open framework for addressing a wide range of issues that have previously been considered detrimental to high-accuracy phase retrieval, including undersampled images, broadband illumination, images taken at or near best focus, chromatic aberrations, jitter or vibration of the optical system or detector, and dead or noisy detector pixels. The VSM is a model-to-data mapping procedure. In VSM, fully sampled electric fields at multiple wavelengths are modeled inside the phase-retrieval algorithm, and then these fields are mapped to intensities on the light detector, using the properties of the detector and optical system, for comparison with measured data. Ultimately, this model-to-data mapping procedure enables a more robust and accurate way of incorporating the exit-pupil and image detector constraints, which are fundamental to the general class of ITA phase retrieval algorithms
System and Method for Null-Lens Wavefront Sensing
A method of measuring aberrations in a null-lens including assembly and alignment aberrations. The null-lens may be used for measuring aberrations in an aspheric optic with the null-lens. Light propagates from the aspheric optic location through the null-lens, while sweeping a detector through the null-lens focal plane. Image data being is collected at locations about said focal plane. Light is simulated propagating to the collection locations for each collected image. Null-lens aberrations may extracted, e.g., applying image-based wavefront-sensing to collected images and simulation results. The null-lens aberrations improve accuracy in measuring aspheric optic aberrations
Fractal Noise in Quantum Ballistic and Diffusive Lattice Systems
We demonstrate fractal noise in the quantum evolution of wave packets moving
either ballistically or diffusively in periodic and quasiperiodic tight-binding
lattices, respectively. For the ballistic case with various initial
superpositions we obtain a space-time self-affine fractal which
verify the predictions by Berry for "a particle in a box", in addition to
quantum revivals. For the diffusive case self-similar fractal evolution is also
obtained. These universal fractal features of quantum theory might be useful in
the field of quantum information, for creating efficient quantum algorithms,
and can possibly be detectable in scattering from nanostructures.Comment: 9 pages, 8 postscript figure
Quantum Supearrivals
A curious effect is uncovered by calculating the it time evolving probability
of reflection of a Gaussian wave packet from a rectangular potential barrier
while it is perturbed by reducing its height. A time interval is found during
which this probability of reflection is larger (``superarrivals'') than in the
unperturbed case. This nonclassical effect can be explained by requiring a wave
function to act as a ``field'' through which an action, induced by the
perturbation of the boundary condition, propagates at a speed depending upon
the rate of reducing the barrier height.Comment: 4 new .eps figures added. Majour changes include explanation of
superarrivals through dynamical effect induced by perturbing barrie
Superrevivals in the quantum dynamics of a particle confined in a finite square well potential
We examine the revival features in wave packet dynamics of a particle
confined in a finite square well potential. The possibility of tunneling
modifies the revival pattern as compared to an infinite square well potential.
We study the dependence of the revival times on the depth of the square well
and predict the existence of superrevivals. The nature of these superrevivals
is compared with similar features seen in the dynamics of wavepackets in an
anharmonic oscillator potential.Comment: 8 pages in Latex two-column format with 5 figures (eps). To appear in
Physical Review
Quantum Revivals in Periodically Driven Systems close to nonlinear resonance
We calculate the quantum revival time for a wave-packet initially well
localized in a one-dimensional potential in the presence of an external
periodic modulating field. The dependence of the revival time on various
parameters of the driven system is shown analytically. As an example of
application of our approach, we compare the analytically obtained values of the
revival time for various modulation strengths with the numerically computed
ones in the case of a driven gravitational cavity. We show that they are in
very good agreement.Comment: 14 pages, 1 figur
- …