1,270 research outputs found
Discovery of a Spin-Down State Change in the LMC Pulsar B0540-69
We report the discovery of a large, sudden, and persistent increase in the
spin-down rate of B0540-69, a young pulsar in the Large Magellanic Cloud, using
observations from the Swift and RXTE satellites. The relative increase in the
spin-down rate of 36% is unprecedented for B0540-69. No accompanying change in
the spin rate is seen, and no change is seen in the pulsed X-ray emission from
B0540-69 following the change in the spin-down rate. Such large relative
changes in the spin-down rate are seen in the recently discovered class of
'intermittent pulsars', and we compare the properties of B0540-69 to such
pulsars. We consider possible changes in the magnetosphere of the pulsar that
could cause such a large change in the spin-down rate.Comment: 6 pages, 2 figures, accepted for publication in ApJ Letter
Detection of explosives vapours on quartz crystal microbalances: generation of very low-concentrated vapours for sensors calibration
AbstractA controlled vapours generator of explosives compounds has been evaluated for delivering low-concentrated vapours in order to determine the threshold of quartz crystal microbalances based chemical gas sensors
Processing and Linking Audio Events in Large Multimedia Archives: The EU inEvent Project
In the inEvent EU project [1], we aim at structuring, retrieving, and sharing large archives of networked, and dynamically changing, multimedia recordings, mainly consisting of meetings, videoconferences, and lectures. More specifically, we are developing an integrated system that performs audiovisual processing of multimedia recordings, and labels them in terms of interconnected âhyper-events â (a notion inspired from hyper-texts). Each hyper-event is composed of simpler facets, including audio-video recordings and metadata, which are then easier to search, retrieve and share. In the present paper, we mainly cover the audio processing aspects of the system, including speech recognition, speaker diarization and linking (across recordings), the use of these features for hyper-event indexing and recommendation, and the search portal. We present initial results for feature extraction from lecture recordings using the TED talks. Index Terms: Networked multimedia events; audio processing: speech recognition; speaker diarization and linking; multimedia indexing and searching; hyper-events. 1
Audiotactile interaction can change over time in cochlear implant users
Recent results suggest that audiotactile interactions are disturbed in cochlear implant (CI) users. However, further exploration regarding the factors responsible for such abnormal sensory processing is still required. Considering the temporal nature of a previously used multisensory task, it remains unclear whether any aberrant results were caused by the specificity of the interaction studied or rather if it reflects an overall abnormal interaction. Moreover, although duration of experience with a CI has often been linked with the recovery of auditory functions, its impact on multisensory performance remains uncertain. In the present study, we used the parchment-skin illusion, a robust illustration of sound-biased perception of touch based on changes in auditory frequencies, to investigate the specificities of audiotactile interactions in CI users. Whereas individuals with relatively little experience with the CI performed similarly to the control group, experienced CI users showed a significantly greater illusory percept. The overall results suggest that despite being able to ignore auditory distractors in a temporal audiotactile task, CI users develop to become greatly influenced by auditory input in a spectral audiotactile task. When considered with the existing body of research, these results confirm that normal sensory interaction processing can be compromised in CI users
Rate distortion optimized graph partitioning for omnidirectional image coding
International audienceOmnidirectional images are spherical signals captured by cameras with 360-degree field of view. In order to be compressed using existing encoders, these signals are mapped to planar domain. A commonly used planar representation is the equirectangular one, which corresponds to a non uniform sampling pattern on the spherical surface. This particularity is not explored in traditional image compression schemes, which treat the input signal as a classical perspective image. In this work, we build a graph-based coder adapted to the spherical surface. We build a graph directly on the sphere. Then, to have computationally feasible graph transforms, we propose a rate-distortion optimized graph partitioning algorithm to achieve an effective trade-off between the distortion of the reconstructed signals, the smoothness of the signal on each subgraph, and the cost of coding the graph partitioning description. Experimental results demonstrate that our method outperforms JPEG coding of planar equirectangular images
Radio Detection of the Fermi LAT Blind Search Millisecond Pulsar J1311-3430
We report the detection of radio emission from PSR J1311-3430, the first
millisecond pulsar discovered in a blind search of Fermi Large Area Telescope
(LAT) gamma-ray data. We detected radio pulsations at 2 GHz, visible for <10%
of ~4.5-hrs of observations using the Green Bank Telescope (GBT). Observations
at 5 GHz with the GBT and at several lower frequencies with Parkes, Nancay, and
the Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope resulted in non-detections. We also report
the faint detection of a steep spectrum continuum radio source (0.1 mJy at 5
GHz) in interferometric imaging observations with the Jansky Very Large Array.
These detections demonstrate that PSR J1311-3430, is not radio quiet and
provides additional evidence that the radio beaming fraction of millisecond
pulsars is very large. The radio detection yields a distance estimate of 1.4
kpc for the system, yielding a gamma-ray efficiency of 30%, typical of
LAT-detected MSPs. We see apparent excess delay in the radio pulsar as the
pulsar appears from eclipse and we speculate on possible mechanisms for the
non-detections of the pulse at other orbital phases and observing frequencies.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figures. ApJ Letters, in pres
Fermi Large Area Telescope observations of GRB 110625A
Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) that emit photons at GeV energies form a small but
significant population of GRBs. However, the number of GRBs whose GeV-emitting
period is simultaneously observed in X-rays remains small. We report gamma-ray
observations of GRB 110625A using Fermi's Large Area Telescope (LAT) in the
energy range 100 MeV to 20 GeV. Gamma-ray emission at these energies was
clearly detected using data taken between 180s and 580s after the burst, an
epoch after the prompt emission phase. The GeV light curve differs from a
simple power-law decay, and probably consists of two emission periods.
Simultaneous Swift/XRT observations did not show flaring behaviors as in the
case of GRB 100728A. We discuss the possibility that the GeV emission is the
synchrotron self-Compton radiation of underlying ultraviolet flares.Comment: 6 pages, 3 figures, 1 table; accepted for publication in the ApJ on
May 31, 201
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