9,778 research outputs found
The influence of environment on regional geochemical patterns in Northern Ireland
Imperial Users onl
Linear Finite-Field Deterministic Networks With Many Sources and One Destination
We find the capacity region of linear finite-field deterministic networks
with many sources and one destination. Nodes in the network are subject to
interference and broadcast constraints, specified by the linear finite-field
deterministic model. Each node can inject its own information as well as relay
other nodes' information. We show that the capacity region coincides with the
cut-set region. Also, for a specific case of correlated sources we provide
necessary and sufficient conditions for the sources transmissibility. Given the
"deterministic model" approximation for the corresponding Gaussian network
model, our results may be relevant to wireless sensor networks where the
sensing nodes multiplex the relayed data from the other nodes with their own
data, and where the goal is to decode all data at a single "collector" node.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figures, submitted to ISIT 201
An existence theory for a minimum energy problem
AbstractIn this paper we deal with existence theory and develop it for the simple case of the minimum energy problem, as described by Pironneau (1984). We shall treat this problem for the differential inequality by introducing the penalized differential equation and then taking limits of the equations resulting from the penalized approximation
Action of earthworms on flint burial – a return to Darwin’s estate
For thirty years, from the early 1840s, Charles Darwin documented the disappearance of flints in the grounds of Down House in Kent, at a location originally known as the “Stony Field”. This site (Great Pucklands Meadow - GPM) was visited in 2007 and an experiment set up in this ungrazed grassland. Locally-sourced flints (either large - 12 cm, or small – 5 cm dia.) were deposited at two densities within sixteen 1 m2 plots in a randomised factorial design. The area selected was distant from public access routes and remained unmown throughout the duration here reported. Fixed point photographs were taken at the outset to enable later photogrammetric analysis. After 6 years, the site was re-examined. The flints had generally been incorporated into the soil. Photographs were re-taken, proportion of buried flints recorded and measurements made of burial depth from a quarter of each plot. Results showed that large flints were more deeply incorporated than smaller (p=0.025), but more of the latter were below the soil surface. A controlled laboratory experiment was also conducted using Aporrectodea longa (the dominant earthworm species in GPM) to assess effects of casting in the absence of other biota. Results suggested that this species has a major influence on flint burial through surface casting. Combined with a long term, but small scale collection of A. longa casts from an area close to GPM, all results were consistent with those provided by Darwin and showed that rate of flint burial was within the range 0.21-0.96 cm y-1
Collection and rearing of earthworms
Earthworm experimentation requires a source of supply. This may come from field-collection, purchase from a supplier, or from breeding of stock. The mode of obtaining the animals may be determined by the type of experimentation, but must not compromise the experiment. Typical collection methods employ digging and hand-sorting of soil, addition of a vermifuge, application of an electrical current to the soil or combinations thereof. Each collection method has advantages and may target particular groups of earthworms more successfully than others. Rearing earthworms in the laboratory may be viewed as difficult but if control of factors such as soil type, moisture, temperature, food supply and stocking density are in place, it can be straightforward. Culture design will be determined by the experimental objectives
Addition of earthworms to soils in soil ecological field experiments
Over recent decades experiments have been undertaken to reveal the optimum method for introducing earthworms into soils so the animals have greater chances of survival and are able to produce sustainable populations. This article describes development of the Earthworm Inoculation Unit (EIU) technique, its advantages over more traditional introduction methods and how it has been used. EIUs provide the means for sustainable earthworm population development even under harsh soil conditions, such as restored sites. However, certain circumstances dictate that this technique is not appropriate as digging in the soil/turf is unacceptable. Here more traditional methods can still be of value
Alternative Buffer-Layers for the Growth of SrBi2Ta2O9 on Silicon
In this work we investigate the influence of the use of YSZ and CeO2/YSZ as
insulators for Metal- Ferroelectric-Insulator-Semiconductor (MFIS) structures
made with SrBi2Ta2O9 (SBT). We show that by using YSZ only the a-axis oriented
Pyrochlore phase could be obtained. On the other hand the use of a CeO2/YSZ
double-buffer layer gave a c-axis oriented SBT with no amorphous SiO2 inter-
diffusion layer. The characteristics of MFIS diodes were greatly improved by
the use of the double buffer. Using the same deposition conditions the memory
window could be increased from 0.3 V to 0.9 V. From the piezoelectric response,
nano-meter scale ferroelectric domains could be clearly identified in SBT thin
films.Comment: 5 pages, 9 figures, 13 refernece
Supernova-Remnant Origin of Cosmic Rays?
It is thought that Galactic cosmic ray (CR) nuclei are gradually accelerated
to high energies (up to ~300 TeV/nucleon, where 1TeV=10^12eV) in the expanding
shock-waves connected with the remnants of powerful supernova explosions.
However, this conjecture has eluded direct observational confirmation^1,2 since
it was first proposed in 1953 (ref. 3). Enomoto et al.^4 claim to have finally
found definitive evidence that corroborates this model, proposing that the
very-high-energy, TeV-range, gamma-rays from the supernova remnant (SNR) RX
J1713.7-3946 are due to the interactions of energetic nuclei in this region.
Here we argue that their claim is not supported by the existing multiwavelength
spectrum of this source. The search for the origin(s) of Galactic cosmic ray
nuclei may be closing in on the long-suspected supernova-remnant sources, but
it is not yet over.Comment: 4 pages, 1 Figur
Dynamics of quartz tuning fork force sensors used in scanning probe microscopy
We have performed an experimental characterization of the dynamics of
oscillating quartz tuning forks which are being increasingly used in scanning
probe microscopy as force sensors. We show that tuning forks can be described
as a system of coupled oscillators. Nevertheless, this description requires the
knowledge of the elastic coupling constant between the prongs of the tuning
fork, which has not yet been measured. Therefore tuning forks have been usually
described within the single oscillator or the weakly coupled oscillators
approximation that neglects the coupling between the prongs. We propose three
different procedures to measure the elastic coupling constant: an
opto-mechanical method, a variation of the Cleveland method and a thermal noise
based method. We find that the coupling between the quartz tuning fork prongs
has a strong influence on the dynamics and the measured motion is in remarkable
agreement with a simple model of coupled harmonic oscillators. The precise
determination of the elastic coupling between the prongs of a tuning fork
allows to obtain a quantitative relation between the resonance frequency shift
and the force gradient acting at the free end of a tuning fork prong.Comment: 16 pages, 6 figures, 2 Table
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