1,238 research outputs found
Applying spatial reasoning to topographical data with a grounded geographical ontology
Grounding an ontology upon geographical data has been pro-
posed as a method of handling the vagueness in the domain more effectively. In order to do this, we require methods of reasoning about the spatial relations between the regions within the data. This stage can be computationally expensive, as we require information on the location of
points in relation to each other. This paper illustrates how using knowledge about regions allows us to reduce the computation required in an efficient and easy to understand manner. Further, we show how this system can be implemented in co-ordination with segmented data to reason abou
Properties and Performance of Two Wide Field of View Cherenkov/Fluorescence Telescope Array Prototypes
A wide field of view Cherenkov/fluorescence telescope array is one of the
main components of the Large High Altitude Air Shower Observatory project. To
serve as Cherenkov and fluorescence detectors, a flexible and mobile design is
adopted for easy reconfiguring of the telescope array. Two prototype telescopes
have been constructed and successfully run at the site of the ARGO-YBJ
experiment in Tibet. The features and performance of the telescopes are
presented
Observations of the Turbulence in the Scrape-Off-Layers of Alcator C-Mod and NSTX and Comparisons With Simualtion
Prospects for Observations of Pulsars and Pulsar Wind Nebulae with CTA
The last few years have seen a revolution in very-high gamma-ray astronomy
(VHE; E>100 GeV) driven largely by a new generation of Cherenkov telescopes
(namely the H.E.S.S. telescope array, the MAGIC and MAGIC-II large telescopes
and the VERITAS telescope array). The Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA) project
foresees a factor of 5 to 10 improvement in sensitivity above 0.1 TeV,
extending the accessible energy range to higher energies up to 100 TeV, in the
Galactic cut-off regime, and down to a few tens GeV, covering the VHE photon
spectrum with good energy and angular resolution. As a result of the fast
development of the VHE field, the number of pulsar wind nebulae (PWNe) detected
has increased from one PWN in the early '90s to more than two dozen firm
candidates today. Also, the low energy threshold achieved and good sensitivity
at TeV energies has resulted in the detection of pulsed emission from the Crab
Pulsar (or its close environment) opening new and exiting expectations about
the pulsed spectra of the high energy pulsars powering PWNe. Here we discuss
the physics goals we aim to achieve with CTA on pulsar and PWNe physics
evaluating the response of the instrument for different configurations.Comment: accepted for publication in Astroparticle Physic
Hadronic decay, the renormalization group, analiticity of the polarization operators and QCD parameters
The ALEPH data on hadronic tau-decay is throughly analysed in the framework
of QCD. The perturbative calculations are performed in 1-4-loop approximation.
The analytical properties of the polarization operators are used in the whole
complex q^2 plane. It is shown that the QCD prediction for R_{tau} agrees with
the measured value R_{tau} not only for conventional Lambda^{conv}_3 =
(618+-29) MeV but as well as for Lambda^{new}_3 = (1666+-7) MeV. The
polarization operator calculated using the renormgroup has nonphysical cut
[-Lambda^2_3, 0]. If Lambda_3 = Lambda^{conv}_3, the contribution of only
physical cut is deficient in the explanation of the ALEPH experiment. If
Lambda_3 = Lambda^{new}_3 the contribution of nonphysical cut is very small and
only the physical cut explains the ALEPH experiment. The new sum rules which
follow only from analytical properties of polarization operators are obtained.
Basing on the sum rules obtained, it is shown that there is an essential
disagreement between QCD perturbation theory and the tau-lepton hadronic decay
experiment at conventional value Lambda_3. In the evolution upwards to larger
energies the matching of r(q^2) (Eq.(12)) at the masses J/psi, Upsilon and 2m_t
was performed. The obtained value alpha_s(-m^2_z) = 0.141+-0.004 (at Lambda_3 =
Lambda^{new}_3) differs essentially from conventional value, but the
calculation of the values R(s) = sigma(e+e- -> hadrons)/sigma(e+e- -> mu+mu-),
R_l = Gamma(Z -> hadrons)/Gamma(Z -> leptons), alpha_s(-3 GeV^2), alpha_s(-2.5
GeV^2) does not contradict the experiments.Comment: 20 page
An Institutional Theory perspective on sustainable practices across the dairy supply chain
AbstractThe need for sustainable practices in the food supply chain, particularly in the area of energy reduction, is becoming acute. The food industry currently has to contend with multiple competing pressures alongside the new challenges of sustainable production. We applied Institutional Theory to explore the role of supermarkets in the development of legitimate sustainable practices across the dairy supply chains. The paper focuses on dairy supply chain organizations and their consumption of energy. We conducted 70 semi-structured telephone interviews with various stakeholders across the supply chain. Findings revealed that the majority of actors in the supply chain identified supermarkets as the dominant player, and that the supermarkets exert pressure on other smaller organizations across the supply chain. Although some organizations wished to pursue a sustainable agenda through integrating new rules and legitimate practices within their own organization, the dominant logic appeared to be one of cost reduction and profit maximization. There was also evidence that supermarkets and other large organizations attempt to replicate publicly available information on green successes for image purposes. We conclude that the dominant logic of cost reduction is so well established that challenging the dominant logic may prove difficult. The challenge is therefore to complement the dominant logic with sustainable practices across the whole supply chain, a role Government needs to play. This will require a broader more systemic approach to encouraging sustainable practices including investment and financing practices, so that all members of the dairy supply chain can co-operate and contribute to energy reduction
Hydrogen lines in LAMOST low-resolution spectra of RR Lyrae stars
AbstractThe LAMOST pilot survey has produced a data release containing over 600,000 stellar spectra. By cross-checking with a large time series photometric database of RR Lyrae stars in high Galactic latitude regions, we found a total number of 157 RR Lyrae stars that have been observed with LAMOST. In this sample, we successfully captured three RR Lyrae stars in the fast expansion phase, all of them showing hypersonic shock wave features in the Balmer line region. We fit the shape of Hα line region and determine that the emission feature seen within the broadened Hα absorption line suggests hypersonic relative motion in the atmospheres of these three objects. With a further LAMOST survey of millions of stars, we plan to capture a large sample of RR Lyrae stars in their hypersonic expansion phase, and therefore provide a large database for the study of the internal structure and the pulsation mechanism of RR Lyrae stars
Strong coupling of excited heavy mesons
We compute the strong coupling constant , where () is the wave state, by QCD sum rules and by light-cone sum rules. The two methods give
compatible results in the limit , with a rather large value of
the coupling constant. We apply the results to the calculation of the hadronic
widths of the positive parity and states and to the chiral loop
contribution to the ratio .Comment: 31 pages, RevTeX, 4 figures appended as uuencoded fil
Experimental/Theoretical Comparisons of the Turbulence in the Scrape-Off-Layers of Alcator C-Mod, DIII-D, AND NSTX
Abelian Hidden Sectors at a GeV
We discuss mechanisms for naturally generating GeV-scale hidden sectors in
the context of weak-scale supersymmetry. Such low mass scales can arise when
hidden sectors are more weakly coupled to supersymmetry breaking than the
visible sector, as happens when supersymmetry breaking is communicated to the
visible sector by gauge interactions under which the hidden sector is
uncharged, or if the hidden sector is sequestered from gravity-mediated
supersymmetry breaking. We study these mechanisms in detail in the context of
gauge and gaugino mediation, and present specific models of Abelian GeV-scale
hidden sectors. In particular, we discuss kinetic mixing of a U(1)_x gauge
force with hypercharge, singlets or bi-fundamentals which couple to both
sectors, and additional loop effects. Finally, we investigate the possible
relevance of such sectors for dark matter phenomenology, as well as for low-
and high-energy collider searches.Comment: 43 pages, no figures; v2: to match JHEP versio
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