4,185 research outputs found
On the observability of bow shocks of Galactic runaway OB stars
Massive stars that have been ejected from their parent cluster and
supersonically sailing away through the interstellar medium (ISM) are
classified as exiled. They generate circumstellar bow shock nebulae that can be
observed. We present two-dimensional, axisymmetric hydrodynamical simulations
of a representative sample of stellar wind bow shocks from Galactic OB stars in
an ambient medium of densities ranging from n_ISM=0.01 up to 10.0/cm3.
Independently of their location in the Galaxy, we confirm that the infrared is
the most appropriated waveband to search for bow shocks from massive stars.
Their spectral energy distribution is the convenient tool to analyze them since
their emission does not depend on the temporary effects which could affect
unstable, thin-shelled bow shocks. Our numerical models of Galactic bow shocks
generated by high-mass (~40 Mo) runaway stars yield H fluxes which
could be observed by facilities such as the SuperCOSMOS H-Alpha Survey. The
brightest bow shock nebulae are produced in the denser regions of the ISM. We
predict that bow shocks in the field observed at Ha by means of
Rayleigh-sensitive facilities are formed around stars of initial mass larger
than about 20 Mo. Our models of bow shocks from OB stars have the emission
maximum in the wavelength range 3 <= lambda <= 50 micrometer which can be up to
several orders of magnitude brighter than the runaway stars themselves,
particularly for stars of initial mass larger than 20 Mo.Comment: 13 pages, 12 figures. Accepted to MNRAS (2016
Low frequency VLBI in space using GAS-Can satellites: Report on the May 1987 JPL Workshop
Summarized are the results of a workshop held at JPL on May 28 and 29, 1987, to study the feasibility of using small, very inexpensive spacecraft for a low-frequency radio interferometer array. Many technical aspects of a mission to produce high angular resolution images of the entire sky at frequencies from 2 to 20 MHz were discussed. The workshop conclusion was that such a mission was scientifically valuable and technically practical. A useful array could be based on six or more satellites no larger than those launched from Get-Away-Special canisters. The cost of each satellite could be $1-2M, and the mass less than 90 kg. Many details require further study, but as this report shows, there is good reason to proceed. No fundamental problems have been discovered involving the use of untraditional, very inexpensive spacecraft for this type of mission
Accreting millisecond X-ray pulsars: 10 years of INTEGRAL observations
During the last 10 years, INTEGRAL made a unique contribution to the study of
accreting millisecond X-ray pulsars (AMXPs), discovering three of the 14
sources now known of this class. Besides increasing the number of known AMXPs,
INTEGRAL also carried out observations of these objects above 20 keV,
substantially advancing our understanding of their behaviour. We present here a
review of all the AMXPs observed with INTEGRAL and discuss the physical
interpretation of their behaviour in the X-ray domain. We focus in particular
on the lightcurve profile during outburst, as well as the timing, spectral, and
thermonuclear type-I X-ray bursts properties.Comment: 8 pages, 8 figures. Proceedings of "An INTEGRAL view of the
high-energy sky (the first 10 years)" the 9th INTEGRAL Workshop, October
15-19, 2012, Paris, Franc
Learn global and optimize local:A data-driven methodology for last-mile routing
In last-mile routing, the task of finding a route is often framed as a Traveling Salesman Problem to minimize travel time and associated cost. However, solutions stemming from this approach do not match the realized paths as drivers deviate due to navigational considerations and preferences. To prescribe routes that incorporate this tacit knowledge, a data-driven model is proposed that aligns well with the hierarchical structure of delivery data wherein each stop belongs to a zone — a geographical area. First, on the global level, a zone sequence is established as a result of a minimization over a cost matrix which is a weighted combination of historical information and distances (travel times) between zones. Subsequently, within zones, sequences of stops are determined, such that, integrated with the predetermined zone sequence, a full solution is obtained. The methodology is particularly promising as it propels itself within the top-tier of submissions to the Last-Mile Routing Research Challenge while maintaining an elegant decomposition that ensures a feasible implementation into practice. The concurrence between prescribed and realized routes underpins the adequateness of a hierarchical breakdown of the problem, and the fact that drivers make a series of locally optimal decisions when navigating. Furthermore, experimenting with the balance between historical information and distance exposes that historic information is pivotal in deciding a starting zone of a route. The experiments also reveal that at the end of a route, historical information can best be discarded, making the time it takes to return to the station the primary concern.</p
FUSE Spectra of the Black Hole Binary LMC X-3
Far-ultraviolet spectra of LMC X-3 were taken covering photometric phases
0.47 to 0.74 in the 1.7-day orbital period of the black-hole binary (phase zero
being superior conjunction of the X-ray source). The continuum is faint and
flat, but appears to vary significantly during the observations. Concurrent
RXTE/ASM observations show the system was in its most luminous X-ray state
during the FUSE observations. The FUV spectrum contains strong terrestrial
airglow emission lines, while the only stellar lines clearly present are
emissions from the O VI resonance doublet. Their flux does not change
significantly during the FUSE observations. These lines are modelled as two
asymmetrical profiles, including the local ISM absorptions due to C II and
possibly O VI. Velocity variations of O VI emission are consistent with the
orbital velocity of the black hole and provide a new constraint on its mass.Comment: 12 pages including 1 table, 4 diagrams To appear in A
The Pure State Space of Quantum Mechanics as Hermitian Symmetric Space
The pure state space of Quantum Mechanics is investigated as Hermitian
Symmetric Kaehler manifold. The classical principles of Quantum Mechanics
(Quantum Superposition Principle, Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle, Quantum
Probability Principle) and Spectral Theory of observables are discussed in this
non linear geometrical context.Comment: 18 pages, no figure
A flexible and optimal approach for appointment scheduling in healthcare
Appointment scheduling is generally applied in outpatient clinics and other healthcare services. The challenge in scheduling is to find a strategy for dealing with variability and unpredictability in service duration and patient arrivals. The consequences of an ineffective strategy include long waiting times for patients and idle time for the healthcare provider. In turn, these have implications for the perceived quality, cost-efficiency, and capacity of healthcare services. The generation of optimal schedules is a notoriously intractable problem, and earlier attempts at designing effective strategies for appointment scheduling were based on approximation, simulation, or simplification. We propose a novel strategy for scheduling that exploits three tactical ideas to make the problem manageable. We compare the proposed strategy to other approaches, and show that it matches or outperforms competing methods in terms of flexibility, ease of use, and speed. More importantly, it outperforms competing approaches nearly uniformly in approaching the desired balance between waiting and idle times as specified in a chosen objective function. Therefore, the strategy is a good basis for further enrichments
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