5,951 research outputs found
An order (n) algorithm for the dynamics simulation of robotic systems
The formulation of an Order (n) algorithm for DISCOS (Dynamics Interaction Simulation of Controls and Structures), which is an industry-standard software package for simulation and analysis of flexible multibody systems is presented. For systems involving many bodies, the new Order (n) version of DISCOS is much faster than the current version. Results of the experimental validation of the dynamics software are also presented. The experiment is carried out on a seven-joint robot arm at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center. The algorithm used in the current version of DISCOS requires the inverse of a matrix whose dimension is equal to the number of constraints in the system. Generally, the number of constraints in a system is roughly proportional to the number of bodies in the system, and matrix inversion requires O(p exp 3) operations, where p is the dimension of the matrix. The current version of DISCOS is therefore considered an Order (n exp 3) algorithm. In contrast, the Order (n) algorithm requires inversion of matrices which are small, and the number of matrices to be inverted increases only linearly with the number of bodies. The newly-developed Order (n) DISCOS is currently capable of handling chain and tree topologies as well as multiple closed loops. Continuing development will extend the capability of the software to deal with typical robotics applications such as put-and-place, multi-arm hand-off and surface sliding
Decoherence by Correlated Noise and Quantum Error Correction
We study the decoherence of a quantum computer in an environment which is
inherently correlated in time and space. We first derive the nonunitary time
evolution of the computer and environment in the presence of a stabilizer error
correction code, providing a general way to quantify decoherence for a quantum
computer. The general theory is then applied to the spin-boson model. Our
results demonstrate that effects of long-range correlations can be
systematically reduced by small changes in the error correction codes.Comment: 4 pages, 1 figure, Phys. Rev. Lett. in pres
Oscillations and translation of a free cylinder in a confined flow
An oscillatory instability has been observed experimentally on an horizontal
cylinder free to move and rotate between two parallel vertical walls of
distance H; its characteristics differ both from vortex shedding driven
oscillations and from those of tethered cylinders in the same geometry. The
vertical motion of the cylinder, its rotation about its axis and its transverse
motion across the gap have been investigated as a function of its diameter D,
its density s, of the mean vertical velocity U of the fluid and of its
viscosity. For a blockage ratio D/H above 0.5 and a Reynolds number Re larger
then 14, oscillations of the rolling angle of the cylinder about its axis and
of its transverse coordinate in the gap are observed together with periodic
variations of the vertical velocity. Their frequency f is the same for the
sedimentation of the cylinder in a static fluid (U = 0) and for a non-zero mean
flow (U 6= 0). The Strouhal number St associated to the oscillation varies as
1/Re with : St.Re = 3 0.15. The corresponding period 1/f is then
independent of U and corresponds to a characteristic viscous diffusion time
over a distance ~ D, implying a strong influence of the viscosity. These
characteristics differ from those of vortex shedding and tethered cylinders for
which St is instead roughly constant with Re and higher than here
Co-transport-induced instability of membrane voltage in tip-growing cells
A salient feature of stationary patterns in tip-growing cells is the key role
played by the symports and antiports, membrane proteins that translocate two
ionic species at the same time. It is shown that these co-transporters
destabilize generically the membrane voltage if the two translocated ions
diffuse differently and carry a charge of opposite (same) sign for symports
(antiports). Orders of magnitude obtained for the time and lengthscale are in
agreement with experiments. A weakly nonlinear analysis characterizes the
bifurcation
Martian terrains
Terrain studies of candidate landing sites for a future rover/sample-return mission to Mars are being conducted to evaluate the geologic and trafficability aspects of each site. An optimum site should have geologic units of widely diverse ages and chemical compositions occurring in close enough proximity and in smooth enough terrain so that a roving vehicle of limited traverse ability (+ or - 100 km) could collect representative samples. In FY 1986, geologic maps were compiled at 1:500,000 and 1:2 million scales of the Mangala Valles, Kasei Valles, Chasma Boreale (north polar), and Planum Australe (south polar) areas, and a study was begun of the topography and surface roughness characteristics of the Mangala Valles site. Geologic mapping has been greatly facilitated by specially enhanced, high-resolution Viking photographs, which clarify stratigraphic relations of units unrecognized earlier. Photoclinometric profiles of topographic features provide width and depth measurements of four classes of channels, the thickness of some volcanic units, and the throw on some faults. Estimates of the surface roughness of units are calculated using a newly developed USGS computer program and using measurements derived from Earth-based radar
Evanescent field optical readout of graphene mechanical motion at room temperature
Graphene mechanical resonators have recently attracted considerable attention
for use in precision force and mass sensing applications. To date, readout of
their oscillatory motion has typically required cryogenic conditions to achieve
high sensitivity, restricting their range of applications. Here we report the
first demonstration of evanescent optical readout of graphene motion, using a
scheme which does not require cryogenic conditions and exhibits enhanced
sensitivity and bandwidth at room temperature. We utilise a high
microsphere to enable evanescent readout of a 70 m diameter graphene drum
resonator with a signal-to-noise ratio of greater than 25 dB, corresponding to
a transduction sensitivity of 2.6 m
. The sensitivity of force measurements using this
resonator is limited by the thermal noise driving the resonator, corresponding
to a force sensitivity of N
with a bandwidth of 35 kHz at room temperature (T = 300
K). Measurements on a 30 m graphene drum had sufficient sensitivity to
resolve the lowest three thermally driven mechanical resonances.Comment: Fixed formatting errors in bibliograph
A Multi-level Algorithm for Quantum-impurity Models
A continuous-time path integral Quantum Monte Carlo method using the
directed-loop algorithm is developed to simulate the Anderson single-impurity
model in the occupation number basis. Although the method suffers from a sign
problem at low temperatures, the new algorithm has many advantages over
conventional algorithms. For example, the model can be easily simulated in the
Kondo limit without time discretization errors. Further, many observables
including the impurity susceptibility and a variety of fermionic observables
can be calculated efficiently. Finally the new approach allows us to explore a
general technique, called the multi-level algorithm, to solve the sign problem.
We find that the multi-level algorithm is able to generate an exponentially
large number of configurations with an effort that grows as a polynomial in
inverse temperature such that configurations with a positive sign dominate over
those with negative signs. Our algorithm can be easily generalized to other
multi-impurity problems.Comment: 9 pages, 8 figure
The compact far infrared emission from the young stellar object IRAS 16293-2422
High resolution far IR observations at 50 and 100 microns were made of the young stellar object (YSO), IRAS 16293-2422. The observations are part of a systematic high resolution study of nearby YSO's. The purpose is to obtain resolution in the far IR comparable to that at other wavelengths. Until recently, the high resolution that has been available in the far IR has been from either IRAS (angular resolution of approx 4 min) or the KAO using standard FIR photometry (approx 35 sec). With scanning techniques, it is possible to obtain 10 sec resolution on bright sources. Such a resolution is necessary to better determine the physical conditions of the YSO, and to compare with model of star formation. In order to better constrain the models for the source, the YSO was observed at both 50 and 100 microns on several flights in 1988 April from the KAO. Estimates are presented of the size both along the major and minor axis of the disk, as well as estimates of the dust temperature and 100 micron opacity for the YSO
GALEX Observations of CS and OH Emission in Comet 9P/Tempel 1 During Deep Impact
GALEX observations of comet 9P/Tempel 1 using the near ultraviolet (NUV)
objective grism were made before, during and after the Deep Impact event that
occurred on 2005 July 4 at 05:52:03 UT when a 370 kg NASA spacecraft was
maneuvered into the path of the comet. The NUV channel provides usable spectral
information in a bandpass covering 2000 - 3400 A with a point source spectral
resolving power of approximately 100. The primary spectral features in this
range include solar continuum scattered from cometary dust and emissions from
OH and CS molecular bands centered near 3085 and 2575 A, respectively. In
particular, we report the only cometary CS emission detected during this event.
The observations allow the evolution of these spectral features to be tracked
over the period of the encounter. In general, the NUV emissions observed from
Tempel 1 are much fainter than those that have been observed by GALEX from
other comets. However, it is possible to derive production rates for the parent
molecules of the species detected by GALEX in Tempel 1 and to determine the
number of these molecules liberated by the impact. The derived quiescent
production rates are Q(H2O) = 6.4e27 molecules/s and Q(CS2) = 6.7e24
molecules/s, while the impact produced an additional 1.6e32 H2O molecules and
1.3e29 CS2 molecules, a similar ratio as in quiescent outgassing.Comment: 15 pages, 4 figures, accepted for publication in the Astrophysical
Journa
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