61,036 research outputs found
Using Ada to implement the operations management system in a community of experts
An architecture is described for the Space Station Operations Management System (OMS), consisting of a distributed expert system framework implemented in Ada. The motivation for such a scheme is based on the desire to integrate the very diverse elements of the OMS while taking maximum advantage of knowledge based systems technology. Part of the foundation of an Ada based distributed expert system was accomplished in the form of a proof of concept prototype for the KNOMES project (Knowledge-based Maintenance Expert System). This prototype successfully used concurrently active experts to accomplish monitoring and diagnosis for the Remote Manipulator System. The basic concept of this software architecture is named ACTORS for Ada Cognitive Task ORganization Scheme. It is when one considers the overall problem of integrating all of the OMS elements into a cooperative system that the AI solution stands out. By utilizing a distributed knowledge based system as the framework for OMS, it is possible to integrate those components which need to share information in an intelligent manner
Orthogonality preserving property for pairs of operators on Hilbert -modules
We investigate the orthogonality preserving property for pairs of mappings on
inner product -modules extending existing results for a single
orthogonality-preserving mapping. Guided by the point of view that the
-valued inner product structure of a Hilbert -module is determined
essentially by the module structure and by the orthogonality structure, pairs
of linear and local orthogonality-preserving mappings are investigated, not a
priori bounded. The intuition is that most often -linearity and
boundedness can be derived from the settings under consideration. In
particular, we obtain that if is a -algebra and are two bounded -linear
mappings between full Hilbert -modules, then implies for all if
and only if there exists an element of the center
of the multiplier algebra of such that
for all . In particular, for adjointable operators we have
, and any bounded invertible module operator may appear.
Varying the conditions on the mappings and we obtain further
affirmative results for local operators and for pairs of a bounded and of an
unbounded module operator with bounded inverse, among others. Also, unbounded
operators with disjoint ranges are considered. The proving techniques give new
insights.Comment: 23 pages, In this last revision several new examples are added and
some minor changes appeared in the text. To appear in Aequat. Mat
Vortex motion phase separator for zero gravity liquid transfer
A vortex motion phase separator is disclosed for transferring a liquid in a zero gravity environment while at the same time separating the liquid from vapors found within either the sender or the receiving tanks. The separator comprises a rigid sender tank having a circular cross-section and rigid receiver tank having a circular cross-section. A plurality of ducts connects the sender tank and the receiver tank. Disposed within the ducts connecting the receiver tank and the sender tank is a pump and a plurality of valves. The pump is powered by an electric motor and is adapted to draw either the liquid or a mixture of the liquid and the vapor from the sender tank. Initially, the mixture drawn from the sender tank is directed through a portion of the ductwork and back into the sender tank at a tangent to the inside surface of the sender tank, thereby creating a swirling vortex of the mixture within the sender tank. As the pumping action increases, the speed of the swirling action within the sender tank increases creating an increase in the centrifugal force operating on the mixture. The effect of the centrifugal force is to cause the heavier liquid to migrate to the inside surface of the sender tank and to separate from the vapor. When this separation reaches a predetermined degree, control means is activated to direct the liquid conveyed by the pump directly into the receiver tank. At the same time, the vapor within the receiver tank is directed from the receiver tank back into the sender tank. This flow continues until substantially all of the liquid is transferred from the sender tank to the receiver tank
A Survey of Metal Lines at High-redshift (I) : SDSS Absorption Line Studies - The Methodology and First Search Results for OVI
We report the results of a systematic search for signatures of metal lines in
quasar spectra of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) Data Release 3(DR3),
focusing on finding intervening absorbers via detection of their OVI doublet.
Here we present the search algorithm, and criteria for distinguishing
candidates from spurious Lyman {} forest lines. In addition, we compare
our findings with simulations of the Lyman {} forest in order to
estimate the detectability of OVI doublets over various redshift intervals. We
have obtained a sample of 1756 OVI doublet candidates with rest-frame
equivalent width > 0.05 \AA{} in 855 AGN spectra (out of 3702 objects with
redshifts in the accessible range for OVI detection). This sample is further
subdivided into 3 groups according to the likelihood of being real and the
potential for follow-up observation of the candidate. The group with the
cleanest and most secure candidates is comprised of 145 candidates. 69 of these
reside at a velocity separation > 5000 km/s from the QSO, and can therefore be
classified tentatively as intervening absorbers. Most of these absorbers have
not been picked up by earlier, automated QSO absorption line detection
algorithms. This sample increases the number of known OVI absorbers at
redshifts beyond z$_{abs} > 2.7 substantially.Comment: 41 pages, 10 figures, 2 tables, accepted by AJ. This is a
substantially altered version, including an appendix with details on the
validity of the search algorithm on one pixel rather than binning. Also note
that M. Pieri was added as autho
Nonperturbative m_X cut effects in B -> Xs l+ l- observables
Recently, it was shown that in inclusive B -> Xs l+ l- decay, an angular
decomposition provides three independent (q^2 dependent) observables. A
strategy was formulated to extract all measurable Wilson coefficients in B ->
Xs l+ l- from a few simple integrals of these observables in the low q^2
region. The experimental measurements in the low q^2 region require a cut on
the hadronic invariant mass, which introduces a dependence on nonperturbative b
quark distribution functions. The associated hadronic uncertainties could
potentially limit the sensitivity of these decays to new physics. We compute
the nonperturbative corrections to all three observables at leading and
subleading order in the power expansion in \Lambda_QCD/m_b. We find that the
subleading power corrections give sizeable corrections, of order -5% to -10%
depending on the observable and the precise value of the hadronic mass cut.
They cause a shift of order -0.05 GeV^2 to -0.1 GeV^2 in the zero of the
forward-backward asymmetry.Comment: 11 pages, 4 figures, v2: corrected typos and Eq. (25), v3: journal
versio
Slowly modulated oscillations in nonlinear diffusion processes
It is shown here that certain systems of nonlinear (parabolic) reaction-diffusion equations have solutions which are approximated by oscillatory functions in the form R(ξ - cτ)P(t^*) where P(t^*) represents a sinusoidal oscillation on a fast time scale t* and R(ξ - cτ) represents a slowly-varying modulating amplitude on slow space (ξ) and slow time (τ) scales. Such solutions describe phenomena in chemical reactors, chemical and biological reactions, and in other media where a stable oscillation at each point (or site) undergoes a slow amplitude change due to diffusion
KAT-7 Science Verification: Using HI Observations of NGC 3109 to Understand its Kinematics and Mass Distribution
HI observations of the Magellanic-type spiral NGC 3109, obtained with the
seven dish Karoo Array Telescope (KAT-7), are used to analyze its mass
distribution. Our results are compared to what is obtained using VLA data.
KAT-7 is the precursor of the SKA pathfinder MeerKAT, which is under
construction. The short baselines and low system temperature of the telescope
make it sensitive to large scale low surface brightness emission. The new
observations with KAT-7 allow the measurement of the rotation curve of NGC 3109
out to 32', doubling the angular extent of existing measurements. A total HI
mass of 4.6 x 10^8 Msol is derived, 40% more than what was detected by the VLA
observations.
The observationally motivated pseudo-isothermal dark matter (DM) halo model
can reproduce very well the observed rotation curve but the cosmologically
motivated NFW DM model gives a much poorer fit to the data. While having a more
accurate gas distribution has reduced the discrepancy between the observed RC
and the MOdified Newtonian Dynamics (MOND) models, this is done at the expense
of having to use unrealistic mass-to-light ratios for the stellar disk and/or
very large values for the MOND universal constant a0. Different distances or HI
contents cannot reconcile MOND with the observed kinematics, in view of the
small errors on those two quantities. As for many slowly rotating gas-rich
galaxies studied recently, the present result for NGC 3109 continues to pose a
serious challenge to the MOND theory.Comment: 25 pages, 20 figures, accepted for publication in Astronomical
Journa
Application of Monte Carlo-based statistical significance determinations to the Beta Cephei stars V400 Car, V401 Car, V403 Car and V405 Car
We have used Lomb-Scargle periodogram analysis and Monte Carlo significance
tests to detect periodicities above the 3-sigma level in the Beta Cephei stars
V400 Car, V401 Car, V403 Car and V405 Car. These methods produce six previously
unreported periodicities in the expected frequency range of excited pulsations:
one in V400 Car, three in V401 Car, one in V403 Car and one in V405 Car. One of
these six frequencies is significant above the 4-sigma level. We provide
statistical significances for all of the periodicities found in these four
stars.Comment: 11 pages, 17 figure
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