1,606 research outputs found
Assessment of LANDSAT for rangeland mapping, Rush Valley, Utah
The feasibility of using LANDSAT MSS (multispectral scanner) data to identify and map cover types for rangeland, and to determine comparative condition of the ecotypes was assessed. A supporting objective is to assess the utility of various forms of aerial photography in the process. If rangelands can be efficiently mapped with Landsat data, as supported by appropriate aerial photography and field data, then uniform standards of cover classification and condition may be applied across the rangelands of the state. Further, a foundation may be established for long-term monitoring of range trend, using the same satellite system over time
Ozone Response to Aircraft Emissions: Sensitivity Studies with Two-dimensional Models
Our first intercomparison/assessment of the effects of a proposed high-speed civil transport (HSCT) fleet on the stratosphere is presented. These model calculations should be considered more as sensitivity studies, primarily designed to serve the following purposes: (1) to allow for intercomparison of model predictions; (2) to focus on the range of fleet operations and engine specifications giving minimal environmental impact; and (3) to provide the basis for future assessment studies. The basic scenarios were chosen to be as realistic as possible, using the information available on anticipated developments in technology. They are not to be interpreted as a commitment or goal for environmental acceptability
Stochastic Resonance in Noisy Non-Dynamical Systems
We have analyzed the effects of the addition of external noise to
non-dynamical systems displaying intrinsic noise, and established general
conditions under which stochastic resonance appears. The criterion we have
found may be applied to a wide class of non-dynamical systems, covering
situations of different nature. Some particular examples are discussed in
detail.Comment: 4 pages, RevTex, 3 PostScript figures available upon reques
Inherent noise can facilitate coherence in collective swarm motion
Among the most striking aspects of the movement of many animal groups are their sudden coherent changes in direction. Recent observations of locusts and starlings have shown that this directional switching is an intrinsic property of their motion. Similar direction switches are seen in self-propelled particle and other models of group motion. Comprehending the factors that determine such switches is key to understanding the movement of these groups. Here, we adopt a coarse-grained approach to the study of directional switching in a self-propelled particle model assuming an underlying one-dimensional Fokker–Planck equation for the mean velocity of the particles. We continue with this assumption in analyzing experimental data on locusts and use a similar systematic Fokker–Planck equation coefficient estimation approach to extract the relevant information for the assumed Fokker–Planck equation underlying that experimental data. In the experiment itself the motion of groups of 5 to 100 locust nymphs was investigated in a homogeneous laboratory environment, helping us to establish the intrinsic dynamics of locust marching bands. We determine the mean time between direction switches as a function of group density for the experimental data and the self-propelled particle model. This systematic approach allows us to identify key differences between the experimental data and the model, revealing that individual locusts appear to increase the randomness of their movements in response to a loss of alignment by the group. We give a quantitative description of how locusts use noise to maintain swarm alignment. We discuss further how properties of individual animal behavior, inferred by using the Fokker–Planck equation coefficient estimation approach, can be implemented in the self-propelled particle model to replicate qualitatively the group level dynamics seen in the experimental data
Recommended from our members
Acoustic 3D imaging of dental structures
Our goals for the first year of this three dimensional electodynamic imaging project was to determine how to combine flexible, individual addressable; preprocessing of array source signals; spectral extrapolation or received signals; acoustic tomography codes; and acoustic propagation modeling code. We investigated flexible, individually addressable acoustic array material to find the best match in power, sensitivity and cost and settled on PVDF sheet arrays and 3-1 composite material
Stochastic Resonance in a Dipole
We show that the dipole, a system usually proposed to model relaxation
phenomena, exhibits a maximum in the signal-to-noise ratio at a non-zero noise
level, thus indicating the appearance of stochastic resonance. The phenomenon
occurs in two different situations, i.e. when the minimum of the potential of
the dipole remains fixed in time and when it switches periodically between two
equilibrium points. We have also found that the signal-to-noise ratio has a
maximum for a certain value of the amplitude of the oscillating field.Comment: 4 pages, RevTex, 6 PostScript figures available upon request; to
appear in Phys. Rev.
Recommended from our members
Ecological Consequences of a Millennium of Introduced Dogs on Madagascar
Introduced predators currently threaten endemic animals on Madagascar through predation, facilitation of human-led hunts, competition, and disease transmission, but the antiquity and past consequences of these introductions are poorly known. We use directly radiocarbon dated bones of introduced dogs (Canis familiaris) to test whether dogs could have aided human-led hunts of the island’s extinct megafauna. We compare carbon and nitrogen isotope data from the bone collagen of dogs and endemic “fosa” (Cryptoprocta spp.) in central and southwestern Madagascar to test for competition between introduced and endemic predators. The distinct isotopic niches of dogs and fosa suggest that any past antagonistic relationship between these predators did not follow from predation or competition for shared prey. Radiocarbon dates confirm that dogs have been present on Madagascar for over a millennium and suggest that they at least briefly co-occurred with the island’s extinct megafauna, which included giant lemurs, elephant birds, and pygmy hippopotamuses. Today, dogs share a mutualism with pastoralists who also occasionally hunt endemic vertebrates, and similar behavior is reflected in deposits at several Malagasy paleontological sites that contain dog and livestock bones along with butchered bones of extinct megafauna and extant lemurs. Dogs on Madagascar have had a wide range of diets during the past millennium, but relatively high stable carbon isotope values suggest few individuals relied primarily on forest bushmeat. Our newly generated data suggest that dogs were part of a suite of animal introductions beginning over a millennium ago that coincided with widespread landscape transformation and megafaunal extinction.Introduction Materials and Methods - Specimen and Site Selection - 14C and Stable Isotope Analyses - Data Analysis Results - Chronological Data - Stable Isotope Data Discussio
Noncollinear magnetic ordering in small Chromium Clusters
We investigate noncollinear effects in antiferromagnetically coupled clusters
using the general, rotationally invariant form of local spin-density theory.
The coupling to the electronic degrees of freedom is treated with relativistic
non-local pseudopotentials and the ionic structure is optimized by Monte-Carlo
techniques. We find that small chromium clusters (N \le 13) strongly favor
noncollinear configurations of their local magnetic moments due to frustration.
This effect is associated with a significantly lower total magnetization of the
noncollinear ground states, ameliorating the disagreement between Stern-Gerlach
measurements and previous collinear calculations for Cr_{12} and Cr_{13}. Our
results further suggest that the trend to noncollinear configurations might be
a feature common to most antiferromagnetic clusters.Comment: 9 pages, RevTeX plus .eps/.ps figure
Noise and Periodic Modulations in Neural Excitable Media
We have analyzed the interplay between noise and periodic modulations in a
mean field model of a neural excitable medium. To this purpose, we have
considered two types of modulations; namely, variations of the resistance and
oscillations of the threshold. In both cases, stochastic resonance is present,
irrespective of if the system is monostable or bistable.Comment: 13 pages, RevTex, 5 PostScript figure
Neutral and Cationic Rare Earth Metal Alkyl and Benzyl Compounds with the 1,4,6-Trimethyl-6-pyrrolidin-1-yl-1,4-diazepane Ligand and Their Performance in the Catalytic Hydroamination/Cyclization of Aminoalkenes
A new neutral tridentate 1,4,6-trimethyl-6-pyrrolidin-1-yl-1,4-diazepane (L) was prepared. Reacting L with trialkyls M(CH2SiMe3)3(THF)2 (M = Sc, Y) and tribenzyls M(CH2Ph)3(THF)3 (M = Sc, La) yielded trialkyl complexes (L)M(CH2SiMe3)3 (M = Sc, 1; M = Y, 2) and tribenzyl complexes (L)M(CH2Ph)3 (M = Sc, 3; M = La, 4). Complexes 1 and 2 can be converted to their corresponding ionic compounds [(L)M(CH2SiMe3)2(THF)][B(C6H5)4] (M = Sc, Y) by reaction with [PhNMe2H][B(C6H5)4] in THF. Complexes 3 and 4 can be converted to cationic species [(L)M(CH2Ph)2]+ by reaction with [PhNMe2H][B(C6F5)4] in C6D5Br in the absence of THF. The neutral complexes 1-4 and their cationic derivatives were studied as catalysts for the hydroamination/cyclization of 2,2-diphenylpent-4-en-1-amine and N-methylpent-4-en-1-amine reference substrates and compared with ligand-free Sc, Y, and La neutral and cationic catalysts. The most effective catalysts in the series were the cationic L-yttrium catalyst (for 2,2-diphenylpent-4-en-1-amine) and the cationic lanthanum systems (for N-methylpent-4-en-1-amine). For the La catalysts, evidence was obtained for release of L from the metal during catalysis.
- …