Direction-of-Arrival Estimation Based on Sparse Recovery with Second-Order Statistics

Traditional direction-of-arrival (DOA) estimation techniques perform Nyquist-rate sampling of the received signals and as a result they require high storage. To reduce sampling ratio, we introduce level-crossing (LC) sampling which captures samples whenever the signal crosses predetermined reference levels, and the LC-based analog-to-digital converter (LC ADC) has been shown to efficiently sample certain classes of signals. In this paper, we focus on the DOA estimation problem by using second-order statistics based on the LC samplings recording on one sensor, along with the synchronous samplings of the another sensors, a sparse angle space scenario can be found by solving an $ell_1$ minimization problem, giving the number of sources and their DOA's. The experimental results show that our proposed method, when compared with some existing norm-based constrained optimization compressive sensing (CS) algorithms, as well as subspace method, improves the DOA estimation performance, while using less samples when compared with Nyquist-rate sampling and reducing sensor activity especially for long time silence signal

The 1982 ASEE-NASA Faculty Fellowship program (Aeronautics and Research)

The NASA/ASEE Summer Faculty Fellowship Program (Aeronautics and Research) conducted at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center during the summer of 1982 is described. Abstracts of the Final Reports submitted by the Fellows detailing the results of their research are also presented

Convexity and potential sums for Salpeter-like Hamiltonians

The semirelativistic Hamiltonian H = \beta\sqrt{m^2 + p^2} + V(r), where V(r) is a central potential in R^3, is concave in p^2 and convex in p. This fact enables us to obtain complementary energy bounds for the discrete spectrum of H. By extending the notion of 'kinetic potential' we are able to find general energy bounds on the ground-state energy E corresponding to potentials with the form V = sum_{i}a_{i}f^{(i)}(r). In the case of sums of powers and the log potential, where V(r) = sum_{q\ne 0} a(q) sgn(q)r^q + a(0)ln(r), the bounds can all be expressed in the semi-classical form E \approx \min_{r}{\beta\sqrt{m^2 + 1/r^2} + sum_{q\ne 0} a(q)sgn(q)(rP(q))^q + a(0)ln(rP(0))}. 'Upper' and 'lower' P-numbers are provided for q = -1,1,2, and for the log potential q = 0. Some specific examples are discussed, to show the quality of the bounds.Comment: 21 pages, 4 figure

Radio observations of the cool gas, dust, and star formation in the first galaxies

We summarize cm through submm observations of the host galaxies of z ~ 6 quasars. These observations reveal the cool molecular gas (the fuel for star formation), the warm dust (heated by star formation), the fine structure line emission (tracing the CNM and PDRs), and the synchrotron emission. Our results imply active star formation in ~ 30% of the host galaxies, with star formation rates ~ 10^3 M_sun/year, and molecular gas masses ~ 10^10 M_sun. Imaging of the [CII] emission from the most distant quasar reveals a 'maximal starburst disk' on a scale ~ 1.5 kpc. Gas dynamical studies suggest a departure of these galaxies from the low-z M_{BH} -- M_{bulge} relation, with the black holes being, on average, 15 times more massive than expected. Overall, we are witnessing the co-eval formation of massive galaxies and supermassive black holes within 1 Gyr of the Big Bang.Comment: First Stars and Galaxies: Challenges in the Next Decade, AIP, 2010; Austin TX (eds Whelan, Bromm, Yoshida); 7 page

Influence of tensor interactions on masses and decay widths of dibaryons

The influence of gluon and Goldstone boson induced tensor interactions on the dibaryon masses and D-wave decay widths has been studied in the quark delocalization, color screening model. The effective S-D wave transition interactions induced by gluon and Goldstone boson exchanges decrease rapidly with increasing strangeness of the channel. The tensor contribution of K and $\eta$ mesons is negligible in this model. There is no six-quark state in the light flavor world studied so far that can become bound by means of these tensor interactions besides the deuteron. The partial D-wave decay widths of the $IJ^p={1/2}2^+$ N$\Omega$ state to spin 0 and 1 $\Lambda\Xi$ final states are 12.0 keV and 21.9 keV respectively. This is a very narrow dibaryon resonance that might be detectable in relativistic heavy ion reactions by existing RHIC detectors through the reconstruction of the vertex mass of the decay product $\Lambda\Xi$ and by the COMPAS detector at CERN or at JHF in Japan and the FAIR project in Germany in the future.Comment: 19 pages, 5 figure

Linearly polarized X-ray flares following short gamma-ray bursts

Soft X-ray flares were detected to follow the short-duration gamma-ray burst GRB 050724. The temporal properties of the flares suggest that they are likely due to the late time activity of the central engine. We argue that if short GRBs are generated through compact star mergers, as is supported by the recent observations, the jet powering the late X-ray flares must be launched via magnetic processes rather than via neutrino-antineutrino annihilations. As a result, the X-ray flares following short GRBs are expected to be linearly polarized. The argument may also apply to the X-ray flares following long GRBs. Future observations with the upcoming X-ray polarimeters will test this prediction.Comment: 4 pages (no figure), accepted for publication in ApJL, typos correcte

Continuous twin screw rheo-extrusion of an AZ91D magnesium alloy

© The Minerals, Metals & Materials Society and ASM International 2012The twin screw rheo-extrusion (TSRE) is designed to take advantage of the nondendritc microstructure and thixotropic characterization of semisolid-metal slurries and produce simple metal profiles directly from melts. The extrusion equipment consists of a rotor-stator high shear slurry maker, a twin screw extruder, and a die assembly. The process is continuous and has a potential for significantly saving energy, manufacturing cost, and enhancing efficiency. The present investigation was carried out to study the process performance for processing rods of an AZ91D magnesium alloy and the microstructure evolution during processing. The semisolid slurry prepared by the process was characterized by uniformly distributed nondendritic granular primary phase particles. AZ91D rods with uniform and fine microstructures and moderate mechanical properties were produced. For the given slurry making parameters, decreasing extrusion temperature was found to improve microstructures and properties. The mechanisms of particle granulation and refinement and the effect of processing parameters on process performance and thermal management are discussed. © 2012 The Minerals, Metals & Materials Society and ASM International.EPSRC (UK) and Rautomead Lt

Studying the first galaxies with ALMA

We discuss observations of the first galaxies, within cosmic reionization, at centimeter and millimeter wavelengths. We present a summary of current observations of the host galaxies of the most distant QSOs ($z \sim 6$). These observations reveal the gas, dust, and star formation in the host galaxies on kpc-scales. These data imply an enriched ISM in the QSO host galaxies within 1 Gyr of the big bang, and are consistent with models of coeval supermassive black hole and spheroidal galaxy formation in major mergers at high redshift. Current instruments are limited to studying truly pathologic objects at these redshifts, meaning hyper-luminous infrared galaxies ($L_{FIR} \sim 10^{13}$ L$_\odot$). ALMA will provide the one to two orders of magnitude improvement in millimeter astronomy required to study normal star forming galaxies (ie. Ly-$\alpha$ emitters) at $z \sim 6$. ALMA will reveal, at sub-kpc spatial resolution, the thermal gas and dust -- the fundamental fuel for star formation -- in galaxies into cosmic reionization.Comment: to appear in Science with ALMA: a new era for Astrophysics}, ed. R. Bachiller (Springer: Berlin); 5 pages, 7 figure