Turbo Detection of Space-time Trellis-Coded Constant Bit Rate Vector-Quantised Videophone System using Reversible Variable-Length Codes, Convolutional Codes and Turbo Codes

In this treatise we characterise the achievable performance of a proprietary video transmission system, which employs a Constant Bit Rate (CBR) video codec that is concatenated with one of three error correction codecs, namely a Reversible Variable-Length Code (RVLC), a Convolutional Code (CC) or a convolutional-based Turbo Code (TC). In our investigations, the CBR video codec was invoked in conjunction with Space-Time Trellis Coding (STTC) designed for transmission over a dispersive Rayleigh fading channel. At the receiver, the channel equaliser, the STTC decoder and the RVLC, CC or TC decoder, as appropriate, employ the Max-Log Maximum A-Posteriori (MAP) algorithm and their operations are performed in an iterative 'turbo-detection' fashion. The systems were designed for maintaining similar error-free video reconstruction qualities, which were found to be subjectively pleasing at a Peak Signal to Noise Ratio (PSNR) of 30.6~dB, at a similar decoding complexity per decoding iteration. These design criteria were achieved by employing differing transmission rates, with the CC- and TC-based systems having a 22% higher bandwidth requirement. The results demonstrated that the TC-, RVLC- and CC-based systems achieve acceptable subjective reconstructed video quality associated with an average PSNR in excess of 30~dB for $E_b/N_0$ values above 4.6~dB, 6.4~dB and 7.7~dB, respectively. The design choice between the TC- and RVLC-based systems constitutes a trade-off between the increased error resilience of the TC-based scheme and the reduced bandwidth requirement of the RVLC-based scheme

The phase relation between sunspot numbers and soft X-ray flares

To better understand long-term flare activity, we present a statistical study on soft X-ray flares from May 1976 to May 2008. It is found that the smoothed monthly peak fluxes of C-class, M-class, and X-class flares have a very noticeable time lag of 13, 8, and 8 months in cycle 21 respectively with respect to the smoothed monthly sunspot numbers. There is no time lag between the sunspot numbers and M-class flares in cycle 22. However, there is a one-month time lag for C-class flares and a one-month time lead for X-class flares with regard to sunspot numbers in cycle 22. For cycle 23, the smoothed monthly peak fluxes of C-class, M-class, and X-class flares have a very noticeable time lag of one month, 5 months, and 21 months respectively with respect to sunspot numbers. If we take the three types of flares together, the smoothed monthly peak fluxes of soft X-ray flares have a time lag of 9 months in cycle 21, no time lag in cycle 22 and a characteristic time lag of 5 months in cycle 23 with respect to the smoothed monthly sunspot numbers. Furthermore, the correlation coefficients of the smoothed monthly peak fluxes of M-class and X-class flares and the smoothed monthly sunspot numbers are higher in cycle 22 than those in cycles 21 and 23. The correlation coefficients between the three kinds of soft X-ray flares in cycle 22 are higher than those in cycles 21 and 23. These findings may be instructive in predicting C-class, M-class, and X-class flares regarding sunspot numbers in the next cycle and the physical processes of energy storage and dissipation in the corona.Comment: 8 pages, 3 figures, Accepted for publication in Astrophysics & Space Scienc

Twisted topological structures related to M-branes

Studying the M-branes leads us naturally to new structures that we call Membrane-, Membrane^c-, String^K(Z,3)- and Fivebrane^K(Z,4)-structures, which we show can also have twisted counterparts. We study some of their basic properties, highlight analogies with structures associated with lower levels of the Whitehead tower of the orthogonal group, and demonstrate the relations to M-branes.Comment: 17 pages, title changed on referee's request, minor changes to improve presentation, typos correcte

Study of Distribution and Asymmetry of Solar Active Prominences During Solar Cycle 23

In this paper we present the results of a study of the spatial distribution and asymmetry of solar active prominences (SAP) for the period 1996-2007 (solar cycle 23). For more meaningful statistical analysis we have analysed the distribution and asymmetry of SAP in two subdivisions viz. Group1 (ADF, APR, DSF, CRN, CAP) and Group2 (AFS, ASR, BSD, BSL, DSD, SPY, LPS). The north-south (N-S) latitudinal distribution shows that the SAP events are most prolific in the 21-30degree slice in the northern and southern hemispheres and east-west (E-W) longitudinal distribution study shows that the SAP events are most prolific (best visible) in the 81-90degree slice in the eastern and western hemispheres. It has been found that the SAP activity during this cycle is low compared to previous solar cycles. The present study indicates that during the rising phase of the cycle the number of SAP events were roughly equal on the north and south hemispheres. However, activity on the southern hemisphere has been dominant since 1999. Our statistical study shows that the N-S asymmetry is more significant then the E-W asymmetry.Comment: 21 pages 5 figures; Published online; 02 October, 2009; Solar Physics Journa

A handlebody calculus for topology change

We consider certain interesting processes in quantum gravity which involve a change of spatial topology. We use Morse theory and the machinery of handlebodies to characterise topology changes as suggested by Sorkin. Our results support the view that that the pair production of Kaluza-Klein monopoles and the nucleation of various higher dimensional objects are allowed transitions with non-zero amplitude.Comment: Latex, 32 pages, 7 figure

A Spectroscopic Orbit for Regulus

We present a radial velocity study of the rapidly rotating B-star Regulus that indicates the star is a single-lined spectroscopic binary. The orbital period (40.11 d) and probable semimajor axis (0.35 AU) are large enough that the system is not interacting at present. However, the mass function suggests that the secondary has a low mass (M_2 > 0.30 M_sun), and we argue that the companion may be a white dwarf. Such a star would be the remnant of a former mass donor that was the source of the large spin angular momentum of Regulus itself.Comment: 18 pages, 2 figures, ApJL in pres

Nutrition Strategies for Triathlon

Contemporary sports nutrition guidelines recommend that each athlete develop a personalised, periodised and practical approach to eating that allows him or her to train hard, recover and adapt optimally, stay free of illness and injury and compete at their best at peak races. Competitive triathletes undertake a heavy training programme to prepare for three different sports while undertaking races varying in duration from 20 min to 10 h. The everyday diet should be adequate in energy availability, provide CHO in varying amounts and timing around workouts according to the benefits of training with low or high CHO availability and spread high-quality protein over the day to maximise the adaptive response to each session. Race nutrition requires a targeted and well-practised plan that maintains fuel and hydration goals over the duration of the specific event, according to the opportunities provided by the race and other challenges, such as a hot environment. Supplements and sports foods can make a small contribution to a sports nutrition plan, when medical supplements are used under supervision to prevent/treat nutrient deficiencies (e.g. iron or vitamin D) or when sports foods provide a convenient source of nutrients when it is impractical to eat whole foods. Finally, a few evidence-based performance supplements may contribute to optimal race performance when used according to best practice protocols to suit the triathlete’s goals and individual responsiveness

The JCMT Gould Belt Survey: A First Look at the Auriga–California Molecular Cloud with SCUBA-2

We present 850 and 450 μm observations of the dense regions within the Auriga–California molecular cloud using SCUBA-2 as part of the JCMT Gould Belt Legacy Survey to identify candidate protostellar objects, measure the masses of their circumstellar material (disk and envelope), and compare the star formation to that in the Orion A molecular cloud. We identify 59 candidate protostars based on the presence of compact submillimeter emission, complementing these observations with existing Herschel/SPIRE maps. Of our candidate protostars, 24 are associated with young stellar objects (YSOs) in the Spitzer and Herschel/PACS catalogs of 166 and 60 YSOs, respectively (177 unique), confirming their protostellar nature. The remaining 35 candidate protostars are in regions, particularly around LkHα 101, where the background cloud emission is too bright to verify or rule out the presence of the compact 70 μm emission that is expected for a protostellar source. We keep these candidate protostars in our sample but note that they may indeed be prestellar in nature. Our observations are sensitive to the high end of the mass distribution in Auriga–Cal. We find that the disparity between the richness of infrared star-forming objects in Orion A and the sparsity in Auriga–Cal extends to the submillimeter, suggesting that the relative star formation rates have not varied over the Class II lifetime and that Auriga–Cal will maintain a lower star formation efficiency

Compactification, topology change and surgery theory

We study the process of compactification as a topology change. It is shown how the mediating spacetime topology, or cobordism, may be simplified through surgery. Within the causal Lorentzian approach to quantum gravity, it is shown that any topology change in dimensions $\geq 5$ may be achieved via a causally continuous cobordism. This extends the known result for 4 dimensions. Therefore, there is no selection rule for compactification at the level of causal continuity. Theorems from surgery theory and handle theory are seen to be very relevant for understanding topology change in higher dimensions. Compactification via parallelisable cobordisms is particularly amenable to study with these tools.Comment: 1+19 pages. LaTeX. 9 associated eps files. Discussion of disconnected case adde

Relamination of mafic subducting crust throughout Earth’s history

Earth has likely cooled by several hundred degrees over its history, which has probably affected subduction dynamics and associated magmatism. Today, the process of compositional buoyancy driven upwelling, and subsequent underplating, of subducted materials (commonly referred to as “relamination”) is thought to play a role in the formation of continental crust. Given that Archean continental crust formation is best explained by the involvement of mafic material, we investigate the feasibility of mafic crust relamination under a wide range of conditions applicable to modern and early Earth subduction zones, to assess if such a process might have been viable in an early Earth setting. Our numerical parametric study illustrates that the hotter, thicker-crust conditions of the early Earth favour the upward relamination of mafic subducting crust. The amount of relaminating subducting crust is observed to vary significantly, with subduction convergence rate having the strongest control on the volume of relaminated material. Indeed, removal of the entire mafic crust from the subducting slab is possible for slow subduction (∼2 cm/yr) under Archean conditions. We also observe great variability in the depth at which this separation occurs (80–120 km), with events corresponding to shallower detachment being more voluminous, and that relaminating material has to remain metastably buoyant until this separation depth, which is supported by geological, geophysical and geodynamical observations. Furthermore, this relamination behaviour is commonly episodic with a typical repeat time of approximately 10 Myrs, similar to timescales of episodicity observed in the Archean rock record. We demonstrate that this relamination process can result in the heating of considerable quantities of mafic material (to temperatures in excess of 900 °C), which is then emplaced below the over-riding lithosphere. As such, our results have implications for Archean subduction zone magmatism, for continental crust formation in the early Earth, and provide a novel explanation for the secular evolution of continental crust