13,118 research outputs found
A Continuation Method for Nash Equilibria in Structured Games
Structured game representations have recently attracted interest as models
for multi-agent artificial intelligence scenarios, with rational behavior most
commonly characterized by Nash equilibria. This paper presents efficient, exact
algorithms for computing Nash equilibria in structured game representations,
including both graphical games and multi-agent influence diagrams (MAIDs). The
algorithms are derived from a continuation method for normal-form and
extensive-form games due to Govindan and Wilson; they follow a trajectory
through a space of perturbed games and their equilibria, exploiting game
structure through fast computation of the Jacobian of the payoff function. They
are theoretically guaranteed to find at least one equilibrium of the game, and
may find more. Our approach provides the first efficient algorithm for
computing exact equilibria in graphical games with arbitrary topology, and the
first algorithm to exploit fine-grained structural properties of MAIDs.
Experimental results are presented demonstrating the effectiveness of the
algorithms and comparing them to predecessors. The running time of the
graphical game algorithm is similar to, and often better than, the running time
of previous approximate algorithms. The algorithm for MAIDs can effectively
solve games that are much larger than those solvable by previous methods
The Stellar Content of Obscured Galactic Giant H II Regions: II. W42
We present near infrared J, H, and K images and K-band spectroscopy in the
giant HII region W42. A massive star cluster is revealed; the color-color plot
and K-band spectroscopic morphology of two of the brighter objects suggest the
presence of young stellar objects. The spectrum of the bright central star is
similar to unobscured stars with MK spectral types of O5-O6.5. If this star is
on the zero age main sequence, then the derived spectrophotometric distance is
considerably smaller than previous estimates. The Lyman continuum luminosity of
the cluster is a few times that of the Trapezium. The slope of the K-band
luminosity function is similar to that for the Trapezium cluster and
significantly steeper than that for the massive star cluster in M17 or the
Arches cluster near the Galactic center.Comment: 30 pages, 11 figures, late
Submillimetre-sized dust aggregate collision and growth properties
The collisional and sticking properties of sub-mm-sized aggregates composed
of protoplanetary dust analogue material are measured, including the
statistical threshold velocity between sticking and bouncing, their surface
energy and tensile strength within aggregate clusters. We performed an
experiment on the REXUS 12 suborbital rocket. The protoplanetary dust analogue
materials were micrometre-sized monodisperse and polydisperse SiO2 particles
prepared into aggregates with sizes around 120 m and 330 m,
respectively and volume filling factors around 0.37. During the experimental
run of 150 s under reduced gravity conditions, the sticking of aggregates and
the formation and fragmentation of clusters of up to a few millimetres in size
was observed. The sticking probability of the sub-mm-sized dust aggregates
could be derived for velocities decreasing from 22 to 3 cm/s. The transition
from bouncing to sticking collisions happened at 12.7 cm/s for the smaller
aggregates composed of monodisperse particles and at 11.5 and 11.7 cm/s for the
larger aggregates composed of mono- and polydisperse dust particles,
respectively. Using the pull-off force of sub-mm-sized dust aggregates from the
clusters, the surface energy of the aggregates composed of monodisperse dust
was derived to be 1.6x10-5 J/m2, which can be scaled down to 1.7x10-2 J/m2 for
the micrometre-sized monomer particles and is in good agreement with previous
measurements for silica particles. The tensile strengths of these aggregates
within the clusters were derived to be 1.9 Pa and 1.6 Pa for the small and
large dust aggregates, respectively. These values are in good agreement with
recent tensile strength measurements for mm-sized silica aggregates. Using our
data on the sticking-bouncing threshold, estimates of the maximum aggregate
size can be given. For a minimum mass solar nebula model, aggregates can reach
sizes of 1 cm.Comment: 21 pages (incl. 6 pages of appendix), 23 figure
Low-velocity collision behaviour of clusters composed of sub-mm sized dust aggregates
The experiments presented aim to measure the outcome of collisions between
sub-mm sized protoplanetary dust aggregate analogues. We also observed the
clusters formed from these aggregates and their collision behaviour. The
experiments were performed at the drop tower in Bremen. The protoplanetary dust
analogue materials were micrometre-sized monodisperse and polydisperse SiO
particles prepared into aggregates with sizes between 120~m and
250~m. One of the dust samples contained aggregates that were previously
compacted through repeated bouncing. During three flights of 9~s of
microgravity each, individual collisions between aggregates and the formation
of clusters of up to a few millimetres in size were observed. In addition, the
collisions of clusters with the experiment cell walls leading to compaction or
fragmentation were recorded. We observed collisions amongst dust aggregates and
collisions between dust clusters and the cell aluminium walls at speeds ranging
from about 0.1 cm/s to 20 cm/s. The velocities at which sticking occurred
ranged from 0.18 to 5.0 cm/s for aggregates composed of monodisperse dust, with
an average value of 2.1 cm/s for reduced masses ranging from 1.2x10-6 to
1.8x10-3 g with an average value of 2.2x10-4 g. From the restructuring and
fragmentation of clusters composed of dust aggregates colliding with the
aluminium cell walls, we derived a collision recipe for dust aggregates
(100 m) following the model of Dominik \& Thielens (1997) developed
for microscopic particles. We measured a critical rolling energy of 1.8x10-13 J
and a critical breaking energy of 3.5x10-13 J for 100 m-sized
non-compacted aggregates.Comment: 12 pages, 13 figure
Really Cool Stars and the Star Formation History at the Galactic Center
We present R=550 to 1200 near infrared H and K spectra for a magnitude
limited sample of 79 asymptotic giant branch and cool supergiant stars in the
central ~ 5 pc (diameter) of the Galaxy. We use a set of similar spectra
obtained for solar neighborhood stars with known Teff and Mbol that is in the
same range as the Galactic center (GC) sample to derive Teff and Mbol for the
GC sample. We then construct the Hertzsprung--Russell (HRD) diagram for the GC
sample. Using an automated maximum likelihood routine, we derive a coarse star
formation history of the GC. We find (1) roughly 75% of the stars formed in the
central few pc are older than 5 Gyr; (2) the star formation rate (SFR) is
variable over time, with a roughly 4 times higher star formation rate in the
last 100 Myr compared to the average SFR; (3) our model can only match
dynamical limits on the total mass of stars formed by limiting the IMF to
masses above 0.7 M. This could be a signature of mass segregation or of
the bias toward massive star formation from the unique star formation
conditions in the GC; (4) blue supergiants account for 12 % of the total sample
observed, and the ratio of red to blue supergiants is roughly 1.5; (5) models
with isochrones with [Fe/H] = 0.0 over all ages fit the stars in our HRD better
than models with lower [Fe/H] in the oldest age bins, consistent with the
finding of Ramirez et al. (2000) that stars with ages between 10 Myr and 1 Gyr
have solar [Fe/H].Comment: ApJ, accepted. Latex, 65 pages including 19 figure
Collisions of small ice particles under microgravity conditions (II): Does the chemical composition of the ice change the collisional properties?
Context: Understanding the collisional properties of ice is important for
understanding both the early stages of planet formation and the evolution of
planetary ring systems. Simple chemicals such as methanol and formic acid are
known to be present in cold protostellar regions alongside the dominant water
ice; they are also likely to be incorporated into planets which form in
protoplanetary disks, and planetary ring systems. However, the effect of the
chemical composition of the ice on its collisional properties has not yet been
studied. Aims: Collisions of 1.5 cm ice spheres composed of pure crystalline
water ice, water with 5% methanol, and water with 5% formic acid were
investigated to determine the effect of the ice composition on the collisional
outcomes. Methods: The collisions were conducted in a dedicated experimental
instrument, operated under microgravity conditions, at relative particle impact
velocities between 0.01 and 0.19 m s^-1, temperatures between 131 and 160 K and
a pressure of around 10^-5 mbar. Results: A range of coefficients of
restitution were found, with no correlation between this and the chemical
composition, relative impact velocity, or temperature. Conclusions: We conclude
that the chemical composition of the ice (at the level of 95% water ice and 5%
methanol or formic acid) does not affect the collisional properties at these
temperatures and pressures due to the inability of surface wetting to take
place. At a level of 5% methanol or formic acid, the structure is likely to be
dominated by crystalline water ice, leading to no change in collisional
properties. The surface roughness of the particles is the dominant factor in
explaining the range of coefficients of restitution
H-Band Spectroscopic Classification of OB Stars
We present a new spectroscopic classification for OB stars based on H-band
(1.5 micron to 1.8 micron) observations of a sample of stars with optical
spectral types. Our initial sample of nine stars demonstrates that the
combination of He I 1.7002 micron and H Brackett series absorption can be used
to determine spectral types for stars between about O4 and B7 (to within about
+/- 2 sub-types). We find that the Brackett series exhibits luminosity effects
similar to the Balmer series for the B stars. This classification scheme will
be useful in studies of optically obscured high mass star forming regions. In
addition, we present spectra for the OB stars near 1.1 micron and 1.3 micron
which may be of use in analyzing their atmospheres and winds.Comment: Accepted by AJ, 16 pages Latex (aastex4.0) including 4 figures and 2
tables. A complete PostScript copy is available at
ftp://degobah.colorado.edu/pub/rblum/Hband
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