2,664 research outputs found
A Bayesian method for pulsar template generation
Extracting Times of Arrival from pulsar radio signals depends on the
knowledge of the pulsars pulse profile and how this template is generated. We
examine pulsar template generation with Bayesian methods. We will contrast the
classical generation mechanism of averaging intensity profiles with a new
approach based on Bayesian inference. We introduce the Bayesian measurement
model imposed and derive the algorithm to reconstruct a "statistical template"
out of noisy data. The properties of these "statistical templates" are analysed
with simulated and real measurement data from PSR B1133+16. We explain how to
put this new form of template to use in analysing secondary parameters of
interest and give various examples: We implement a nonlinear filter for
determining ToAs of pulsars. Applying this method to data from PSR J1713+0747
we derive ToAs self consistently, meaning all epochs were timed and we used the
same epochs for template generation. While the average template contains
fluctuations and noise as unavoidable artifacts, we find that the "statistical
template" derived by Bayesian inference quantifies fluctuations and remaining
uncertainty. This is why the algorithm suggested turns out to reconstruct
templates of statistical significance from ten to fifty single pulses. A moving
data window of fifty pulses, taking out one single pulse at the beginning and
adding one at the end of the window unravels the characteristics of the methods
to be compared. It shows that the change induced in the classical
reconstruction is dominated by random fluctuations for the average template,
while statistically significant changes drive the dynamics of the proposed
method's reconstruction. The analysis of phase shifts with simulated data
reveals that the proposed nonlinear algorithm is able to reconstruct correct
phase information along with an acceptable estimation of the remaining
uncertainty.Comment: 21 pages, 16 figures, submitted to MNRA
PSR J1453+1902 and the radio luminosities of solitary versus binary millisecond pulsars
We present 3 yr of timing observations for PSR J1453+1902, a 5.79-ms pulsar
discovered during a 430-MHz drift-scan survey with the Arecibo telescope. Our
observations show that PSR J1453+1902 is solitary and has a proper motion of
8(2) mas/yr. At the nominal distance of 1.2 kpc estimated from the pulsar's
dispersion measure, this corresponds to a transverse speed of 46(11) km/s,
typical of the millisecond pulsar population. We analyse the current sample of
55 millisecond pulsars in the Galactic disk and revisit the question of whether
the luminosities of isolated millisecond pulsars are different from their
binary counterparts. We demonstrate that the apparent differences in the
luminosity distributions seen in samples selected from 430-MHz surveys can be
explained by small-number statistics and observational selection biases. An
examination of the sample from 1400-MHz surveys shows no differences in the
distributions. The simplest conclusion from the current data is that the spin,
kinematic, spatial and luminosity distributions of isolated and binary
millisecond pulsars are consistent with a single homogeneous population.Comment: 8 pages, 5 figures and 3 tables, accepted for publication by MNRA
Managing action research: the PEArL framework
The difficulty of managing and validating Action Research field studies has been widely discussed. Several different approaches to Action Research have emerged, and one of the most widely used models is Checklandâs FMA model, where a framework is provided to facilitate interested individuals in ârecoveringâ the route of the inquiry. In this paper, I argue that the FMA model is a valuable tool for planning the application of theoretical ideas in a practical situation, but that, as a guide to Action Research, it still fails to provide a sense of the manner in which an inquiry is undertaken. The PEArL mnemonic has been previously offered as a guide to facilitate researchers, participants, and those interested in gaining an appreciation of the manner in which an inquiry is conducted. In this paper, it is argued that applying the PEArL elements does not provide insight into the dynamic nature of collaborative inquiry. In order to gain a sense of the manner in which an inquiry was undertaken it is necessary to apply the PEArL mnemonic alongside a framework that facilitates the flow of the action research cycle. To illustrate the framework, an Action Research field study is described that was undertaken with residents and key workers in a shelter for the homeless, where the aim was to create a shared understanding of complex needs and support requirements
On spin-rotation contribution to nuclear spin conversion in C_{3v}-symmetry molecules. Application to CH_3F
The symmetrized contribution of E-type spin-rotation interaction to
conversion between spin modifications of E- and A_1-types in molecules with
C_{3v}-symmetry is considered. Using the high-J descending of collisional
broadening for accidental rotational resonances between these spin
modifications, it was possible to co-ordinate the theoretical description of
the conversion with (updated) experimental data for two carbon-substituted
isotopes of fluoromethane. As a result, both E-type spin-rotation constants are
obtained. They are roughly one and a half times more than the corresponding
constants for (deutero)methane.Comment: 13 pages with single-spacing, REVTeX, no figures, accepted for
publication in <J. Phys. B
Beam test of a superconducting cavity for the Fermilab high-brightness electron photo-injector
The characteristics of electrical trees in the inner and outer layers of different voltage rating XLPE cable insulation
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