519 research outputs found
Recommended from our members
Modelling the preferences of students for alternative assignment designs using the Discrete Choice Experiment methodology
This paper outlines how a discrete choice experiment (DCE) can be used to learn more about how students are willing to trade off various features of assignments such as the nature and timing of feedback and the method used to submit assignments. A DCE identifies plausible levels of the key attributes of a good or service and then presents the respondent with alternative bundles of these attributes and their levels and asks the respondent to choose between particular bundles. We report results from a DCE we conducted with undergraduate business students regarding their preferences for assignment systems. We find that the most important features of assignments are how relevant the assignments are for exam preparation and the nature of the feedback that students receive. We also find that students generally prefer online to paper assignments. We argue that the DCE approach has a lot of potential in education research. Accessed 4,497 times on https://pareonline.net from November 13, 2014 to December 31, 2019. For downloads from January 1, 2020 forward, please click on the PlumX Metrics link to the right
Exoplanets or Dynamic Atmospheres? The Radial Velocity and Line Shape Variations of 51 Pegasi and Tau Bootis
Because of our relatively low spectral resolution, we compare our
observations with Gray's line bisector data by fitting observed line profiles
to an expansion in terms of orthogonal (Hermite) functions. To obtain an
accurate comparison, we model the emergent line profiles from rotating and
pulsating stars, taking the instrumental point spread function into account. We
describe this modeling process in detail.
We find no evidence for line profile or strength variations at the radial
velocity period in either 51 Peg or in Tau Boo. For 51 Peg, our upper limit for
line shape variations with 4.23-day periodicity is small enough to exclude with
10 sigma confidence the bisector curvature signal reported by Gray & Hatzes;
the bisector span and relative line depth signals reported by Gray (1997) are
also not seen, but in this case with marginal (2 sigma) confidence. We cannot,
however, exclude pulsations as the source of 51 Peg's radial velocity
variation, because our models imply that line shape variations associated with
pulsations should be much smaller than those computed by Gray & Hatzes; these
smaller signals are below the detection limits both for Gray & Hatzes' data and
for our own.
Tau Boo's large radial velocity amplitude and v*sin(i) make it easier to test
for pulsations in this star. Again we find no evidence for periodic line-shape
changes, at a level that rules out pulsations as the source of the radial
velocity variability. We conclude that the planet hypothesis remains the most
likely explanation for the existing data.Comment: 44 pages, 19 figures, plain TeX, accepted to ApJS (companion to
letter astro-ph/9712279
Correlation between molecular lines and diffuse interstellar bands
Observations are presented of the Diffuse Interstellar Bands (DIB's) at 4726, 4763, and 4789 A and at 5780 and 5797 A together with the ultraviolet lines of CH and CN molecules for stars with different shapes of UV extinction curve. The new results concerning the relationship between different characteristics of the interstellar clouds; molecular lines, blue and yellow DIB's, and UV extinction curves are discussed
Genetic-Algorithm-based Light Curve Optimization Applied to Observations of the W UMa star BH Cas
I have developed a procedure utilizing a Genetic-Algorithm-based optimization
scheme to fit the observed light curves of an eclipsing binary star with a
model produced by the Wilson-Devinney code. The principal advantages of this
approach are the global search capability and the objectivity of the final
result. Although this method can be more efficient than some other comparably
global search techniques, the computational requirements of the code are still
considerable. I have applied this fitting procedure to my observations of the W
UMa type eclipsing binary BH Cassiopeiae. An analysis of V-band CCD data
obtained in 1994/95 from Steward Observatory and U- and B-band photoelectric
data obtained in 1996 from McDonald Observatory provided three complete light
curves to constrain the fit. In addition, radial velocity curves obtained in
1997 from McDonald Observatory provided a direct measurement of the system mass
ratio to restrict the search. The results of the GA-based fit are in excellent
agreement with the final orbital solution obtained with the standard
differential corrections procedure in the Wilson-Devinney code.Comment: 9 pages, 2 figures, 2 tables, uses emulateapj.st
Asteroseismology from space: the Delta Scuti star Theta2 Tauri monitored by the WIRE satellite
The first intensive photometric time-series of a Delta Scuti star was
obtained from space. Theta2 Tau was monitored with the star camera on the
Wide-Field Infrared Explorer (WIRE) satellite. Twelve independent frequencies
were detected down to the 0.5 mmag amplitude level. Their reality was
investigated by searching for them using two different algorithms and by some
internal checks. All the frequencies are in the range 10.8-14.6 c\d. The
histogram of the frequency spacings shows that 81% are below 1.8 c\d; rotation
may thus play a role in the mode excitation. The fundamental radial mode is not
observed, although it is expected to occur in a region where the noise level is
very low (55 micromag). The rms residual is about two times lower than that
usually obtained from successful ground--based multisite campaigns. The
comparison of the results of previous campaigns with the new ones establishes
the amplitude variability of some modes.Comment: 7 pages (in A&A style), 7 eps figures. Accepted for A&A Main Journa
The Chiral Potts Models Revisited
In honor of Onsager's ninetieth birthday, we like to review some exact
results obtained so far in the chiral Potts models and to translate these
results into language more transparent to physicists, so that experts in Monte
Carlo calculations, high and low temperature expansions, and various other
methods, can use them. We shall pay special attention to the interfacial
tension between the state and the state. By examining
the ground states, it is seen that the integrable line ends at a superwetting
point, on which the relation is satisfied, so that it
is energetically neutral to have one interface or more. We present also some
partial results on the meaning of the integrable line for low temperatures
where it lives in the non-wet regime. We make Baxter's exact results more
explicit for the symmetric case. By performing a Bethe Ansatz calculation with
open boundary conditions we confirm a dilogarithm identity for the
low-temperature expansion which may be new. We propose a new model for
numerical studies. This model has only two variables and exhibits commensurate
and incommensurate phase transitions and wetting transitions near zero
temperature. It appears to be not integrable, except at one point, and at each
temperature there is a point, where it is almost identical with the integrable
chiral Potts model.Comment: J. Stat. Phys., LaTeX using psbox.tex and AMS fonts, 69 pages, 30
figure
Examples of the Zeroth Theorem of the History of Physics
The zeroth theorem of the history of science (enunciated by E. P. Fischer)
and widely known in the mathematics community as Arnol'd's Principle (decreed
by M. V. Berry), states that a discovery (rule, regularity, insight) named
after someone (often) did not originate with that person. I present five
examples from physics: the Lorentz condition defining the Lorentz gauge of the
electromagnetic potentials; the Dirac delta function (x); the Schumann
resonances of the earth-ionosphere cavity; the Weizsacker-Williams method of
virtual quanta; the BMT equation of spin dynamics. I give illustrated thumbnail
sketches of both the true and reputed discoverers and quote from their
"discovery" publications.Comment: 36 pages, 8 figures. Small revisions, added material and references -
Arnol'd's law, Emil Wiechert. Submitted to Am. J. Phy
Abundance analysis of targets for the COROT / MONS asteroseimology missions I. Semi-automatic abundance analysis of the gamma Dor star HD 49434
One of the goals of the ground-based support program for the COROT and
MONS/Roemer satellite missions is to select and characterise suitable target
stars for the part of the missions dedicated to asteroseismology. While the
global atmospheric parameters may be determined with good accuracy from the
Stromgren indices, careful abundance analysis must be made for the proposed
main targets. This is a time consuming process considering the long list of
primary and secondary targets. We have therefore developed new software called
VWA for this task. The VWA automatically selects the least blended lines from
the atomic line database VALD, and consequently adjusts the abundance in order
to find the best match between the calculated and observed spectra. The
variability of HD 49434 was discovered as part of COROT ground-based support
observations. Here we present a detailed abundance analysis of HD 49434 using
VWA. For most elements we find abundances somewhat below the Solar values, in
particular we find [Fe/H] = -0.13(14). We also present the results from the
study of the variability that is seen in spectroscopic and photometric time
series observations. From the characteristics of the variation seen in
photometry and in the line profiles we propose that HD 49434 is a variable star
of the gamma Doradus type.Comment: 10 pages, 6 figure
- …