Exploiting Amplitude Control in Intelligent Reflecting Surface Aided Wireless Communication with Imperfect CSI

Intelligent reflecting surface (IRS) is a promising new paradigm to achieve high spectral and energy efficiency for future wireless networks by reconfiguring the wireless signal propagation via passive reflection. To reap the potential gains of IRS, channel state information (CSI) is essential, whereas channel estimation errors are inevitable in practice due to limited channel training resources. In this paper, in order to optimize the performance of IRS-aided multiuser systems with imperfect CSI, we propose to jointly design the active transmit precoding at the access point (AP) and passive reflection coefficients of IRS, each consisting of not only the conventional phase shift and also the newly exploited amplitude variation. First, the achievable rate of each user is derived assuming a practical IRS channel estimation method, which shows that the interference due to CSI errors is intricately related to the AP transmit precoders, the channel training power and the IRS reflection coefficients during both channel training and data transmission. Then, for the single-user case, by combining the benefits of the penalty method, Dinkelbach method and block successive upper-bound minimization (BSUM) method, a new penalized Dinkelbach-BSUM algorithm is proposed to optimize the IRS reflection coefficients for maximizing the achievable data transmission rate subjected to CSI errors; while for the multiuser case, a new penalty dual decomposition (PDD)-based algorithm is proposed to maximize the users' weighted sum-rate. Simulation results are presented to validate the effectiveness of our proposed algorithms as compared to benchmark schemes. In particular, useful insights are drawn to characterize the effect of IRS reflection amplitude control (with/without the conventional phase shift) on the system performance under imperfect CSI.Comment: 15 pages, 10 figures, accepted by IEEE Transactions on Communication

Possible hard X-ray shortages in bursts from KS 1731-260 and 4U 1705-44

Aims: A hard X-ray shortage, implying the cooling of the corona, was observed during bursts of IGR J17473-272, 4U 1636-536, Aql X-1, and GS 1826-238. Apart from these four sources, we investigate here an atoll sample, in which the number of bursts for each source is larger than 5, to explore the possible additional hard X-ray shortage during {\it Rossi X-ray timing explorer (RXTE)} era. Methods: According to the source catalog that shows type-I bursts, we analyzed all the available pointing observations of these sources carried out by the {\it RXTE} proportional counter array (PCA). We grouped and combined the bursts according to their outburst states and searched for the possible hard X-ray shortage while bursting. Results: We found that the island states of KS 1731-260 and 4U 1705-44 show a hard X-ray shortage at significant levels of 4.5 and 4.7 $\sigma$ and a systematic time lag of $0.9 \pm 2.1$ s and $2.5 \pm 2.0$ s with respect to the soft X-rays, respectively. While in their banana branches and other sources, we did not find any consistent shortage.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figures, accepted by A&A as a research not

A FEM Seepage Analysis for Upstream Cofferdam of Xiluodu Hydraulic Power Station

The upstream cofferdam of Xiluodu hydraulic power station project, with height of 72 meters, is designed as the main body of the project. It is characterized by its high retaining water head, short construction period and complex geological conditions. Presented in this paper is a three-dimensional FEM analysis used to investigate the seepage behavior of the upstream cofferdam for two different design schemes. In the analysis, the cracks in cut-off wall which may be caused in construction are also properly considered. Based on 3D seepage model of saturated-unsaturated flow for non-uniform soils, a fixed-mesh FEM is used in the seepage analysis of the upstream cofferdam. As the results of the analysis, the distribution of water head and discharge of seepage are obtained and compared. The seepage stability of the cofferdam is analyzed to be safe enough based on the new concept called critical gradient zone

Simplified Evaluation for Dynamic Layered Soils-Structure Interaction

An analytical method is presented or the evaluation of dynamic soil-structure response under a simpler condition where a structure is semi-buried in level ground of layered soils. Formulas are proposed to determine the lateral soil-wall displacement and corresponding earth pressures against the sidewalls of the structure during an earthquake. The key factors affecting the dynamic response of the soil-structure system are also discusse