11,939 research outputs found
A mathematical framework for inverse wave problems in heterogeneous media
This paper provides a theoretical foundation for some common formulations of
inverse problems in wave propagation, based on hyperbolic systems of linear
integro-differential equations with bounded and measurable coefficients. The
coefficients of these time-dependent partial differential equations respresent
parametrically the spatially varying mechanical properties of materials. Rocks,
manufactured materials, and other wave propagation environments often exhibit
spatial heterogeneity in mechanical properties at a wide variety of scales, and
coefficient functions representing these properties must mimic this
heterogeneity. We show how to choose domains (classes of nonsmooth coefficient
functions) and data definitions (traces of weak solutions) so that optimization
formulations of inverse wave problems satisfy some of the prerequisites for
application of Newton's method and its relatives. These results follow from the
properties of a class of abstract first-order evolution systems, of which
various physical wave systems appear as concrete instances. Finite speed of
propagation for linear waves with bounded, measurable mechanical parameter
fields is one of the by-products of this theory
Economic Impacts of Aquatic Vegetation to Angling in Two South Carolina Reservoirs
Angler creel surveys and economic impact models were
used to evaluate potential expansion of aquatic vegetation in
Lakes Murray and Moultrie, South Carolina. (PDF contains 4 pages.
X-Ray Spectral Variability of Extreme BL Lac AGN H1426+428
Between 7 March 2002 and 15 June 2002, intensive X-ray observations were
carried out on the extreme BL Lac object H1426+428 with instruments on board
the Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer (RXTE). These instruments provide measurements
of H1426+428 in the crucial energy range that characterizes the first peak of
its spectral energy distribution. This peak, which is almost certainly due to
synchrotron emission, has previously been inferred to be in excess of 100 keV.
By taking frequent observations over a four-month campaign, which included
450 ksec of RXTE time, studies of flux and spectral variability on
multiple timescales were performed, along with studies of spectral hysteresis.
The 3-24 keV X-ray flux and spectra exhibited significant variability, implying
variability in the location of the first peak of the spectral energy
distribution. Hysteresis patterns were observed, and their characteristics have
been discussed within the context of emission models.Comment: accepted for publication in Astrophysical Journa
A Multiplexer/Demultiplexer System for the Multi-Color Spin-Scan Cloud Camera on ATS-C
The ATS-3 spacecraft has transmitted many high quality color pictures of the full earth disc. This paper describes the design of the multiplexing/demultiplexing system for the multi-color camera. This system, which employs time division multiplexed pulse amplitude modulation (PAM), is described from a block diagram standpoint. Circuit design highlights and packaging details are also provided, Finally, the test results of the actual equipment are given
Electrical current distribution across a metal-insulator-metal structure during bistable switching
Combining scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and electron-beam-induced
current (EBIC) imaging with transport measurements, it is shown that the
current flowing across a two-terminal oxide-based capacitor-like structure is
preferentially confined in areas localized at defects. As the thin-film device
switches between two different resistance states, the distribution and
intensity of the current paths, appearing as bright spots, change. This implies
that switching and memory effects are mainly determined by the conducting
properties along such paths. A model based on the storage and release of charge
carriers within the insulator seems adequate to explain the observed memory
effect.Comment: 8 pages, 7 figures, submitted to J. Appl. Phy
Pregnancy-associated Malaria and the Prospects for Syndrome-specific Antimalaria Vaccines
Aided by the Plasmodium falciparum genome project, recent discoveries regarding the molecular basis of malaria pathogenesis have led to a better understanding of the interactions between host and parasite. Although vaccines that prevent infection by malaria parasites remain only hopes for the future, there are now more immediate prospects for vaccines that protect against specific disease syndromes. Here, we discuss the latest advances in the development of a vaccine that specifically targets pregnancy-associated malaria (PAM)
Targeting Mr Average: Participation, gender equity and school sport partnerships
The School Sport Partnership Programme (SSPP) is one strand of the national strategy for physical education and school sport in England, the physical education and school sport Club Links Strategy (PESSCL). The SSPP aims to make links between school physical education (PE) and out of school sports participation, and has a particular remit to raise the participation levels of several identified under-represented groups, of which girls and young women are one. National evaluations of the SSPP show that it is beginning to have positive impacts on young people's activity levels by increasing the range and provision of extra curricular activities (Office for Standards in Education (OFSTED), 2003, 2004, 2005; Loughborough Partnership, 2005, 2006). This paper contributes to the developing picture of the phased implementation of the programme by providing qualitative insights into the work of one school sport partnership with a particular focus on gender equity. The paper explores the ways in which gender equity issues have been explicitly addressed within the 'official texts' of the SSPP; how these have shifted over time and how teachers are responding to and making sense of these in their daily practice. Using participation observation, interview and questionnaire data, the paper explores how the coordinators are addressing the challenge of increasing the participation of girls and young women. The paper draws on Walby's (2000) conceptualisation of different kinds of feminist praxis to highlight the limitations of the coordinators' work. Two key themes from the data and their implications are addressed: the dominance of competitive sport practices and the PE professionals' views of targeting as a strategy for increasing the participation of under-represented groups. The paper concludes that coordinators work within an equality or difference discourse with little evidence of the transformative praxis needed for the programme to be truly inclusive. © 2008 Taylor & Francis
Particle acceleration at ultrarelativistic shocks: an eigenfunction method
We extend the eigenfunction method of computing the power-law spectrum of
particles accelerated at a relativistic shock fronts to apply to shocks of
arbitrarily high Lorentz factor. In agreement with the findings of Monte-Carlo
simulations, we find the index of the power-law distribution of accelerated
particles which undergo isotropic diffusion in angle at an ultrarelativistic,
unmagnetized shock is s=4.23 (where s=-d(ln f)/dp with f the Lorentz invariant
phase-space density and p the momentum). This corresponds to a synchrotron
index for uncooled electrons of a=0.62 (taking cooling into account a=1.12),
where a=-d(ln F)/dn, F is the radiation flux and n the frequency. We also
present an approximate analytic expression for the angular distribution of
accelerated particles, which displays the effect of particle trapping by the
shock: compared with the non-relativistic case the angular distribution is
weighted more towards the plane of the shock and away from its normal. We
investigate the sensitivity of our results to the transport properties of the
particles and the presence of a magnetic field. Shocks in which the ratio of
Poynting to kinetic energy flux upstream is not small are less compressive and
lead to larger values of .Comment: Minor additions on publicatio
K2 Variable Catalogue: Variable Stars and Eclipsing Binaries in K2 Campaigns 1 and 0
We have created a catalogue of variable stars found from a search of the
publicly available K2 mission data from Campaigns 1 and 0. This catalogue
provides the identifiers of 8395 variable stars, including 199 candidate
eclipsing binaries with periods up to 60d and 3871 periodic or quasi-periodic
objects, with periods up to 20d for Campaign 1 and 15d for Campaign 0.
Lightcurves are extracted and detrended from the available data. These are
searched using a combination of algorithmic and human classification, leading
to a classifier for each object as an eclipsing binary, sinusoidal periodic,
quasi periodic, or aperiodic variable. The source of the variability is not
identified, but could arise in the non-eclipsing binary cases from pulsation or
stellar activity. Each object is cross-matched against variable star related
guest observer proposals to the K2 mission, which specifies the variable type
in some cases. The detrended lightcurves are also compared to lightcurves
currently publicly available. The resulting catalogue is made available online
via the MAST archive at https://archive.stsci.edu/prepds/k2varcat/, and gives
the ID, type, period, semi-amplitude and range of the variation seen. We also
make available the detrended lightcurves for each object.Comment: Accepted by A&A. 6 pages, 6 figures. Catalogue and lightcurves are
available online via MAST at https://archive.stsci.edu/prepds/k2varcat
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