6,166 research outputs found
Harmonic density interpolation methods for high-order evaluation of Laplace layer potentials in 2D and 3D
We present an effective harmonic density interpolation method for the
numerical evaluation of singular and nearly singular Laplace boundary integral
operators and layer potentials in two and three spatial dimensions. The method
relies on the use of Green's third identity and local Taylor-like
interpolations of density functions in terms of harmonic polynomials. The
proposed technique effectively regularizes the singularities present in
boundary integral operators and layer potentials, and recasts the latter in
terms of integrands that are bounded or even more regular, depending on the
order of the density interpolation. The resulting boundary integrals can then
be easily, accurately, and inexpensively evaluated by means of standard
quadrature rules. A variety of numerical examples demonstrate the effectiveness
of the technique when used in conjunction with the classical trapezoidal rule
(to integrate over smooth curves) in two-dimensions, and with a Chebyshev-type
quadrature rule (to integrate over surfaces given as unions of non-overlapping
quadrilateral patches) in three-dimensions
Closing the Window on Strongly Interacting Dark Matter with IceCube
We use the recent results on dark matter searches of the 22-string IceCube
detector to probe the remaining allowed window for strongly interacting dark
matter in the mass range 10^4<m_X<10^15 GeV. We calculate the expected signal
in the 22-string IceCube detector from the annihilation ofsuch particles
captured in the Sun and compare it to the detected background. As a result, the
remaining allowed region in the mass versus cross sectionparameter space is
ruled out. We also show the expected sensitivity of the complete IceCube
detector with 86 strings.Comment: 5 pages, 7 figures. Uppdated figures 2 and 3 (y-axis normalization
and label) . Version accepted for publication in PR
A Phenomenological Case Study of Pakistani Science Teachersâ Experiences of Professional Development
Effective teacher development is significant for any educational system to remain competitive in the global arena (Bayar, 2014). However, science teachersâ professional development activities have often been found to be ineffective (Opfer & Pedder, 2011). Science teachers also minimally participate in such activities due to their ineffective experiences (Chval, Abell, Pareja, Musikul & Ritzka, 2007). Understanding how science teachersâ experiences are constructed is also crucial to create programs to meet their needs (Schneider & Plasman, 2011). It is essential in the construction of professional development experiences to recognize who is being served in professional development (Saka, 2013). But rigorous methods are required to understand the outcomes of professional development (Koomen, Blair, Young-Isebrand & Oberhauser, 2014).
The purpose of this phenomenological case study was to study how secondary school science teachers describe their lived experiences of professional development in Punjab (Pakistan). How do these teachers understand, make sense, and use of those intended goals of professional development opportunities and change their practices through the implementation of learned knowledge of professional development? This study used purposive sampling to collect the qualitative data from fifteen secondary school science teachers of Punjab (Pakistan). The data collection was done through conducting semi-structured in-depth phenomenological interviews with these science teachers (Seidman, 2013). The data were analyzed using three-stage coding methods, and thematic analysis.
Three main themes emerged from the analysis of data. The first theme of sense making is about their understanding and description of intended meaning of professional development activities. The second theme of meaningful experiences captured the participants perceived benefits from the PD activities. The third theme of contextual and cultural factors is focused on the understanding the impact of these factors in imparting of professional development experiences. The findings of the study communicate the significance of science teachersâ role in professional development activities. Science teachersâ voices, needs and active involvement must be taken into consideration in the designing and implementation of such activities
Frustration free gapless Hamiltonians for Matrix Product States
For every Matrix Product State (MPS) one can always construct a so-called
parent Hamiltonian. This is a local, frustration free, Hamiltonian which has
the MPS as ground state and is gapped. Whenever that parent Hamiltonian has a
degenerate ground state (the so-called non-injective case), we construct
another 'uncle' Hamiltonian which is local and frustration free but gapless,
and its spectrum is . The construction is obtained by linearly perturbing
the matrices building up the state in a random direction, and then taking the
limit where the perturbation goes to zero. For MPS where the parent Hamiltonian
has a unique ground state (the so-called injective case) we also build such
uncle Hamiltonian with the same properties in the thermodynamic limit.Comment: 36 pages, new version with some contents rearranged, and a correction
in the injective cas
Invisible floral larcenies: microbial communities degrade floral nectar of bumble bee-pollinated plants
8 pĂĄginas, 4 figuras, 1 lĂĄminaThe ecology of nectarivorous microbial communities remains virtually unknown, which precludes elucidating whether these organisms play some role in plantâpollinator mutualisms beyond minor commensalism. We simultaneously assessed microbial abundance and nectar composition at the individual nectary level in flowers of three southern Spanish bumble bee-pollinated plants (Helleborus foetidus, Aquilegia vulgaris, and Aquilegia pyrenaica cazorlensis). Yeasts were frequent and abundant in nectar of all species, and variation in yeast density was correlated with drastic changes in nectar sugar concentration and composition. Yeast communities built up in nectar from early to late floral stages, at which time all nectaries contained yeasts, often at densities between 104 and 105 cells/mm3. Total sugar concentration and percentage sucrose declined, and percentage fructose increased, with increasing density of yeast cells in nectar. Among-nectary variation in microbial density accounted for 65% (H. foetidus and A. vulgaris) and 35% (A. p. cazorlensis) of intraspecific variance in nectar sugar composition, and 60% (H. foetidus) and 38% (A. vulgaris) of variance in nectar concentration. Our results provide compelling evidence that nectar microbial communities can have detrimental effects on plants and/or pollinators via extensive nectar degradation and also call for a more careful interpretation of nectar traits in the future, if uncontrolled for yeasts.Work was supported by grants 2005-RNM-156 (ConsejerĂa de InnovaciĂłn, Ciencia y Empresa, Junta de AndalucĂa) and by CGL2006-01355 and EXPLORA CGL2007-28866-E/BOS (Ministerio de EducaciĂłn y Ciencia, Gobierno de EspanÌa).Peer reviewe
- âŠ