5,615 research outputs found
Sparse approximate inverse preconditioners on high performance GPU platforms
Simulation with models based on partial differential equations often requires the solution of (sequences of) large and sparse algebraic linear systems. In multidimensional domains, preconditioned Krylov iterative solvers are often appropriate for these duties. Therefore, the search for efficient preconditioners for Krylov subspace methods is a crucial theme. Recent developments, especially in computing hardware, have renewed the interest in approximate inverse preconditioners in factorized form, because their application during the solution process can be more efficient. We present here some experiences focused on the approximate inverse preconditioners proposed by Benzi and Tůma from 1996 and the sparsification and inversion proposed by van Duin in 1999. Computational costs, reorderings and implementation issues are considered both on conventional and innovative computing architectures like Graphics Programming Units (GPUs)
Equivalence between Palatini and metric formalisms of f(R)-gravity by divergence free current
The equivalence between metric and Palatini formalisms in f(R)-gravity can be
achieved in the general context of theories with divergence free current. This
equivalence is a necessary result of a symmetry which is included in a
particular conservation equation of the current. In fact the conservation
equation, by an appropriate redefinition of the introduced auxiliary field, may
be encoded in a massless scalar field equation.Comment: 6 page
Participatory GIS in Mapping Ecosystem Services: Two Case Studies from High-Biodiversity Regions in Italy and Peru
Assessing ecosystem services (ES) and mapping their values are of paramount importance. Here we present two case studies where the participatory mapping of social values of landscape ecosystem services is used in territories with high levels of cultural and biological diversity (Adamello Brenta Natural Park in Italy and the Alto Mayo basin in the Western Amazon, Peru). A mixed-method approach combining social geography fieldwork (participatory mapping) and desk work (GIS analyses) is adopted to improve ES mapping by including multiple actors and to increase awareness. Mapping ecosystem services is not just a technical task; it also highlights social implications of the cartographic process, a key issue in human geography. By taking into account the controversial and multiple roles of maps, and by involving actors in attributing values and mapping their spatial relations to landscape and ES, it is possible to enrich technical knowledge with local knowledge
String duality transformations in gravity from Noether symmetry approach
We select gravity models that undergo scale factor duality
transformations. As a starting point, we consider the tree-level effective
gravitational action of bosonic String Theory coupled with the dilaton field.
This theory inherits the Busher's duality of its parent String Theory. Using
conformal transformations of the metric tensor, it is possible to map the
tree-level dilaton-graviton string effective action into gravity,
relating the dilaton field to the Ricci scalar curvature. Furthermore, the
duality can be framed under the standard of Noether symmetries and exact
cosmological solutions are derived. Using suitable changes of variables, the
string-based Lagrangians are shown in cases where the duality
transformation becomes a parity inversion.Comment: v1: 13 pages; v2: minor rephrasings, published versio
From soil remediation to biofuel. Process simulation of bioethanol production from Arundo donax
A range of energy crops can be grown on marginal land (i.e. land that is not suitable for food crop production or contaminated site) to provide feedstocks for bioenergy, non-food products and biofuels. The food versus fuel debate had a significant negative impact in Europe on first generation biofuels production from food crops (i.e. wheat, rapeseed, etc). A new approach involving the use of marginal land for the production of lignocellulosic species for the production of bioethanol is now pursued in Italy and in many other countries, where the demand for high quality water resources, arable land, food and fossil fuels is rapidly growing. With an emerging “feed versus fuel debate” there is a pressing need to find options for the use of marginal lands and wastewaters or saline ground waters to produce second generation biofuel or bio paper crops. Arundo donax was selected as a potential crop for use in these areas, since it produces more cellulosic biomass and sequesters more contaminants, using less land and pesticides than any other alternative crops reported in the literature. The objective of this paper is to evaluate economically a simplified process for the production of second generation bioethanol from A. donax. Process calculations and economic analyses are performed using the software SuperPro Designer®
Sentinel-2 Data Analysis and Comparison with UAV Multispectral Images for Precision Viticulture
Precision viticulture (PV) requires the use of technologies that can detect the spatial and temporal variability of vineyards and, at the same time, allow useful information to be
obtained at sustainable costs. In order to develop a cheap and easy-to-handle operational monitoring scheme for PV, the aim of this work was to evaluate the possibility
of using Sentinel-2 multispectral images for long-term vineyard monitoring through the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI). Vigour maps of two vineyards located in
northeastern Italy were computed from satellite imagery and compared with those derived from UAV multispectral images; their correspondence was evaluated from
qualitative and statistical points of view. To achieve this, the UAV images were roughly resampled to 10 m pixel size in order to match the spatial resolution of the satellite imagery.
Preliminary results show the potential use of open source Sentinel-2 platforms for monitoring vineyards, highlighting links with the information given in the agronomic bulletins and
identifying critical areas for crop production. Despite the large differences in spatial resolution, the results of the comparison between the UAV and Sentinel-2 data were
promising. However, for long-term vineyard monitoring at territory scale, further studies using multispectral sensor calibration and groundtruth data are required
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