1,180 research outputs found
On the Ricci dark energy model
We study the Ricci dark energy model (RDE) which was introduced as an
alternative to the holographic dark energy model. We point out that an
accelerating phase of the RDE is that of a constant dark energy model. This
implies that the RDE may not be a new model of explaining the present
accelerating universe.Comment: 8 page
Specifying and Verifying Concurrent Algorithms with Histories and Subjectivity
We present a lightweight approach to Hoare-style specifications for
fine-grained concurrency, based on a notion of time-stamped histories that
abstractly capture atomic changes in the program state. Our key observation is
that histories form a partial commutative monoid, a structure fundamental for
representation of concurrent resources. This insight provides us with a
unifying mechanism that allows us to treat histories just like heaps in
separation logic. For example, both are subject to the same assertion logic and
inference rules (e.g., the frame rule). Moreover, the notion of ownership
transfer, which usually applies to heaps, has an equivalent in histories. It
can be used to formally represent helping---an important design pattern for
concurrent algorithms whereby one thread can execute code on behalf of another.
Specifications in terms of histories naturally abstract granularity, in the
sense that sophisticated fine-grained algorithms can be given the same
specifications as their simplified coarse-grained counterparts, making them
equally convenient for client-side reasoning. We illustrate our approach on a
number of examples and validate all of them in Coq.Comment: 17 page
Three-dimensional reconstruction of individual helical nano-filament structures from atomic force microscopy topographs
Atomic force microscopy, AFM, is a powerful tool that can produce detailed topographical images of individual nano-structures with a high signal-to-noise ratio without the need for ensemble averaging. However, the application of AFM in structural biology has been hampered by the tip-sample convolution effect, which distorts images of nano-structures, particularly those that are of similar dimensions to the cantilever probe tips used in AFM. Here we show that the tip-sample convolution results in a feature-dependent and non-uniform distribution of image resolution on AFM topographs. We show how this effect can be utilised in structural studies of nano-sized upward convex objects such as spherical or filamentous molecular assemblies deposited on a flat surface, because it causes ‘magnification’ of such objects in AFM topographs. Subsequently, this enhancement effect is harnessed through contact-point based deconvolution of AFM topographs. Here, the application of this approach is demonstrated through the 3D reconstruction of the surface envelope of individual helical amyloid filaments without the need of cross-particle averaging using the contact- deconvoluted AFM topographs. Resolving the structural variations of individual macromolecular assemblies within inherently heterogeneous populations is paramount for mechanistic understanding of many biological phenomena such as amyloid toxicity and prion strains. The approach presented here will also facilitate the use of AFM for high-resolution structural studies and integrative structural biology analysis of single molecular assemblies
A Nonlinear Force-Free Magnetic Field Approximation Suitable for Fast Forward-Fitting to Coronal Loops. II. Numeric Code and Tests
Based on a second-order approximation of nonlinear force-free magnetic field
solutions in terms of uniformly twisted field lines derived in Paper I, we
develop here a numeric code that is capable to forward-fit such analytical
solutions to arbitrary magnetogram (or vector magnetograph) data combined with
(stereoscopically triangulated) coronal loop 3D coordinates. We test the code
here by forward-fitting to six potential field and six nonpotential field cases
simulated with our analytical model, as well as by forward-fitting to an
exactly force-free solution of the Low and Lou (1990) model. The
forward-fitting tests demonstrate: (i) a satisfactory convergence behavior
(with typical misalignment angles of ), (ii)
relatively fast computation times (from seconds to a few minutes), and (iii)
the high fidelity of retrieved force-free -parameters ( for simulations and for the Low and Lou model). The
salient feature of this numeric code is the relatively fast computation of a
quasi-forcefree magnetic field, which closely matches the geometry of coronal
loops in active regions, and complements the existing {\sl nonlinear force-free
field (NLFFF)} codes based on photospheric magnetograms without coronal
constraints.Comment: Solar PHysics, (in press), 25 pages, 11 figure
Signatures of the charge density wave collective mode in the infrared optical response of VSe<sub>2</sub>
We present a detailed study of the bulk electronic structure of high quality
VSe single crystals using optical spectroscopy. Upon entering the charge
density wave phase below the critical temperature of 112 K, the optical
conductivity of VSe undergoes a significant rearrangement. A Drude response
present above the critical temperature is suppressed while a new interband
transition appears around 0.07\,eV. From our analysis, we estimate that part of
the spectral weight of the Drude response is transferred to a collective mode
of the CDW phase. The remaining normal state charge dynamics appears to become
strongly damped by interactions with the lattice as evidenced by a mass
enhancement factor m/m3. In addition to the changes taking place
in the electronic structure, we observe the emergence of infrared active
phonons below the critical temperature associated with the 4a x 4a lattice
reconstruction
Comparing Discharge Estimates Made via the BAM Algorithm in High-Order Arctic Rivers Derived Solely From Optical CubeSat, Landsat, and Sentinel-2 Data
Conventional satellite platforms are limited in their ability to monitor rivers at fine spatial and temporal scales: suffering from unavoidable trade-offs between spatial and temporal resolutions. CubeSat constellations, however, can provide global data at high spatial and temporal resolutions, albeit with reduced spectral information. This study provides a first assessment of using CubeSat data for river discharge estimation in both gauged and ungauged settings. Discharge was estimated for 11 Arctic rivers with sizes ranging from 16 to >1,000 m wide using the Bayesian at-many-stations hydraulic geometry-Manning algorithm (BAM). BAM-at-many-stations hydraulic geometry solves for hydraulic geometry parameters to estimate flow and requires only river widths as input. Widths were retrieved from Landsat 8 and Sentinel-2 data sets and a CubeSat (the Planet company) data set, as well as their fusions. Results show satellite data fusion improves discharge estimation for both large (>100 m wide) and medium (40–100 m wide) rivers by increasing the number of days with a discharge estimation by a factor of 2–6 without reducing accuracy. Narrow rivers (<40 m wide) are too small for Landsat and Sentinel-2 data sets, and their discharge is also not well estimated using CubeSat data alone, likely because the four-band sensor cannot resolve water surfaces accurately enough. BAM technique outperforms space-based rating curves when gauge data are available, and its accuracy is acceptable when no gauge data are present (instead relying on global reanalysis for discharge priors). Ultimately, we conclude that the data fusion presented here is a viable approach toward improving discharge estimates in the Arctic, even in ungauged basins
Fermionic Casimir effect with helix boundary condition
In this paper, we consider the fermionic Casimir effect under a new type of
space-time topology using the concept of quotient topology. The relation
between the new topology and that in Ref. \cite{Feng,Zhai3} is something like
that between a M\"obius strip and a cylindric. We obtain the exact results of
the Casimir energy and force for the massless and massive Dirac fields in the
()-dimensional space-time. For both massless and massive cases, there is a
symmetry for the Casimir energy. To see the effect of the mass, we
compare the result with that of the massless one and we found that the Casimir
force approaches the result of the force in the massless case when the mass
tends to zero and vanishes when the mass tends to infinity.Comment: 7 pages, 4 figures, published in Eur. Phys. J.
Streamer Wave Events Observed in Solar Cycle 23
In this paper we conduct a data survey searching for well-defined streamer
wave events observed by the Large Angle and Spectrometric Coronagraph (LASCO)
on-board the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) throughout Solar Cycle
23. As a result, 8 candidate events are found and presented here. We compare
different events and find that in most of them the driving CMEs ejecta are
characterized by a high speed and a wide angular span, and the CME-streamer
interactions occur generally along the flank of the streamer structure at an
altitude no higher than the bottom of the field of view of LASCO C2. In
addition, all front-side CMEs have accompanying flares. These common
observational features shed light on the excitation conditions of streamer wave
events.
We also conduct a further analysis on one specific streamer wave event on 5
June 2003. The heliocentric distances of 4 wave troughs/crests at various
exposure times are determined; they are then used to deduce the wave properties
like period, wavelength, and phase speeds. It is found that both the period and
wavelength increase gradually with the wave propagation along the streamer
plasma sheet, and the phase speed of the preceding wave is generally faster
than that of the trailing ones. The associated coronal seismological study
yields the radial profiles of the Alfv\'en speed and magnetic field strength in
the region surrounding the streamer plasma sheet. Both quantities show a
general declining trend with time. This is interpreted as an observational
manifestation of the recovering process of the CME-disturbed corona. It is also
found that the Alfv\'enic critical point is at about 10 R where the
flow speed, which equals the Alfv\'en speed, is 200 km s
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