11,216 research outputs found
An operational system for subject switching between controlled vocabularies: A computational linguistics approach
The NASA Lexical Dictionary (NLD), a system that automatically translates input subject terms to those of NASA, was developed in four phases. Phase One provided Phrase Matching, a context sensitive word-matching process that matches input phrase words with any NASA Thesaurus posting (i.e., index) term or Use reference. Other Use references have been added to enable the matching of synonyms, variant spellings, and some words with the same root. Phase Two provided the capability of translating any individual DTIC term to one or more NASA terms having the same meaning. Phase Three provided NASA terms having equivalent concepts for two or more DTIC terms, i.e., coordinations of DTIC terms. Phase Four was concerned with indexer feedback and maintenance. Although the original NLD construction involved much manual data entry, ways were found to automate nearly all but the intellectual decision-making processes. In addition to finding improved ways to construct a lexical dictionary, applications for the NLD have been found and are being developed
A simple derivation of Kepler's laws without solving differential equations
Proceeding like Newton with a discrete time approach of motion and a
geometrical representation of velocity and acceleration, we obtain Kepler's
laws without solving differential equations. The difficult part of Newton's
work, when it calls for non trivial properties of ellipses, is avoided by the
introduction of polar coordinates. Then a simple reconsideration of Newton's
figure naturally leads to en explicit expression of the velocity and to the
equation of the trajectory. This derivation, which can be fully apprehended by
beginners at university (or even before) can be considered as a first
application of mechanical concepts to a physical problem of great historical
and pedagogical interest
Completed cohomology of Shimura curves and a p-adic Jacquet-Langlands correspondence
We study indefinite quaternion algebras over totally real fields F, and give
an example of a cohomological construction of p-adic Jacquet-Langlands
functoriality using completed cohomology. We also study the (tame) levels of
p-adic automorphic forms on these quaternion algebras and give an analogue of
Mazur's `level lowering' principle.Comment: Updated version. Contains some minor corrections compared to the
published versio
The Interaction of New and Old Magnetic Fluxes at the Beginning of Solar Cycle 23
The 11-year cycle of solar activity follows Hale's law by reversing the
magnetic polarity of leading and following sunspots in bipolar regions during
the minima of activity. In the 1996-97 solar minimum, most solar activity
emerged in narrow longitudinal zones - `active longitudes' but over a range in
latitude. Investigating the distribution of solar magnetic flux, we have found
that the Hale sunspot polarity reversal first occurred in these active zones.
We have estimated the rotation rates of the magnetic flux in the active zones
before and after the polarity reversal. Comparing these rotation rates with the
internal rotation inferred by helioseismology, we suggest that both `old' and
`new' magnetic fluxes were probably generated in a low-latitude zone near the
base of the solar convection zone. The reversal of active region polarity
observed in certain longitudes at the beginning of a new solar cycle suggests
that the phenomenon of active longitudes may give fundamental information about
the mechanism of the solar cycle. The non-random distribution of old-cycle and
new-cycle fluxes presents a challenge for dynamo theories, most of which assume
a uniform longitudinal distribution of solar magnetic fields.Comment: 4 pages, 5 figures; accepted for publication in ApJ Letter
Viscous evolution of point vortex equilibria: The collinear state
When point vortex equilibria of the 2D Euler equations are used as initial
conditions for the corre- sponding Navier-Stokes equations (viscous), typically
an interesting dynamical process unfolds at short and intermediate time scales,
before the long time single peaked, self-similar Oseen vortex state dom-
inates. In this paper, we describe the viscous evolution of a collinear three
vortex structure that cor- responds to an inviscid point vortex fixed
equilibrium. Using a multi-Gaussian 'core-growth' type of model, we show that
the system immediately begins to rotate unsteadily, a mechanism we attribute to
a 'viscously induced' instability. We then examine in detail the qualitative
and quantitative evolution of the system as it evolves toward the long-time
asymptotic Lamb-Oseen state, showing the sequence of topological bifurcations
that occur both in a fixed reference frame, and in an appropriately chosen
rotating reference frame. The evolution of passive particles in this viscously
evolving flow is shown and interpreted in relation to these evolving streamline
patterns.Comment: 17 pages, 15 figure
The Ground State Energy of Heavy Atoms According to Brown and Ravenhall: Absence of Relativistic Effects in Leading Order
It is shown that the ground state energy of heavy atoms is, to leading order,
given by the non-relativistic Thomas-Fermi energy. The proof is based on the
relativistic Hamiltonian of Brown and Ravenhall which is derived from quantum
electrodynamics yielding energy levels correctly up to order Ry
Boundary conditions at spatial infinity for fields in Casimir calculations
The importance of imposing proper boundary conditions for fields at spatial
infinity in the Casimir calculations is elucidated.Comment: 8 pages, 1 figure, submitted to the Proceedings of The Seventh
Workshop QFEXT'05 (Barcelona, September 5-9, 2005
Origins of Mass
Newtonian mechanics posited mass as a primary quality of matter, incapable of
further elucidation. We now see Newtonian mass as an emergent property. Most of
the mass of standard matter, by far, arises dynamically, from back-reaction of
the color gluon fields of quantum chromodynamics (QCD). The equations for
massless particles support extra symmetries - specifically scale, chiral, and
gauge symmetries. The consistency of the standard model relies on a high degree
of underlying gauge and chiral symmetry, so the observed non-zero masses of
many elementary particles ( and bosons, quarks, and leptons) requires
spontaneous symmetry breaking. Superconductivity is a prototype for spontaneous
symmetry breaking and for mass-generation, since photons acquire mass inside
superconductors. A conceptually similar but more intricate form of
all-pervasive (i.e. cosmic) superconductivity, in the context of the
electroweak standard model, gives us a successful, economical account of
and boson masses. It also allows a phenomenologically successful, though
profligate, accommodation of quark and lepton masses. The new cosmic
superconductivity, when implemented in a straightforward, minimal way, suggests
the existence of a remarkable new particle, the so-called Higgs particle. The
mass of the Higgs particle itself is not explained in the theory, but appears
as a free parameter. Earlier results suggested, and recent observations at the
Large Hadron Collider (LHC) may indicate, the actual existence of the Higgs
particle, with mass GeV. In addition to consolidating our
understanding of the origin of mass, a Higgs particle with
GeV could provide an important clue to the future, as it is consistent with
expectations from supersymmetry.Comment: Invited review for the Central European Journal of Physics. This is
the supplement to my 2011 Solvay Conference talk promised there. It is
adapted from an invited talk given at the Atlanta APS meeting, April 2012. 33
pages, 6 figures. v2: Added update section bringing in the CERN discovery
announcemen
Generalized vortex-model for the inverse cascade of two-dimensional turbulence
We generalize Kirchhoff's point vortex model of two-dimensional fluid motion
to a rotor model which exhibits an inverse cascade by the formation of rotor
clusters. A rotor is composed of two vortices with like-signed circulations
glued together by an overdamped spring. The model is motivated by a treatment
of the vorticity equation representing the vorticity field as a superposition
of vortices with elliptic Gaussian shapes of variable widths, augmented by a
suitable forcing mechanism. The rotor model opens up the way to discuss the
energy transport in the inverse cascade on the basis of dynamical systems
theory.Comment: 14 pages, 21 figure
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