19,672 research outputs found
Percolative phase transition on ferromagnetic insulator manganites: uncorrelated to correlated polaron clusters
In this work, we report an atomic scale study on the ferromagnetic insulator
manganite LaMnO using PAC spectroscopy. Data analysis
reveals a nanoscopic transition from an undistorted to a Jahn-Teller-distorted
local environment upon cooling. The percolation thresholds of the two local
environments enclose a macroscopic structural transition
(Rhombohedric-Orthorhombic). Two distinct regimes of JT-distortions were found:
a high temperature regime where uncorrelated polaron clusters with severe
distortions of the MnO octahedra survive up to
and a low temperature regime where correlated regions have a weaker
JT-distorted symmetry.Comment: 4 pages, 4 Figures, submitted to PRL, new version with more data,
text reformulate
The WFCAM Multi-wavelength Variable Star Catalog
Stellar variability in the near-infrared (NIR) remains largely unexplored.
The exploitation of public science archives with data-mining methods offers a
perspective for the time-domain exploration of the NIR sky. We perform a
comprehensive search for stellar variability using the optical-NIR multi-band
photometric data in the public Calibration Database of the WFCAM Science
Archive (WSA), with the aim of contributing to the general census of variable
stars, and to extend the current scarce inventory of accurate NIR light curves
for a number of variable star classes. We introduce new variability indices
designed for multi-band data with correlated sampling, and apply them for
pre-selecting variable star candidates, i.e., light curves that are dominated
by correlated variations, from noise-dominated ones. Pre-selection criteria are
established by robust numerical tests for evaluating the response of
variability indices to colored noise characteristic to the data. We find 275
periodic variable stars and an additional 44 objects with suspected variability
with uncertain periods or apparently aperiodic variation. Only 44 of these
objects had been previously known, including 11 RR~Lyrae stars in the outskirts
of the globular cluster M3 (NGC~5272). We provide a preliminary classification
of the new variable stars that have well-measured light curves, but the
variability types of a large number of objects remain ambiguous. We classify
most of the new variables as contact binary stars, but we also find several
pulsating stars, among which 34 are probably new field RR~Lyrae and 3 are
likely Cepheids. We also identify 32 highly reddened variable objects close to
previously known dark nebulae, suggesting that these are embedded young stellar
objects. We publish our results and all light-curve data as the WFCAM Variable
Star Catalog.Comment: 21 pages, 11 figure
Tests of Bayesian Model Selection Techniques for Gravitational Wave Astronomy
The analysis of gravitational wave data involves many model selection
problems. The most important example is the detection problem of selecting
between the data being consistent with instrument noise alone, or instrument
noise and a gravitational wave signal. The analysis of data from ground based
gravitational wave detectors is mostly conducted using classical statistics,
and methods such as the Neyman-Pearson criteria are used for model selection.
Future space based detectors, such as the \emph{Laser Interferometer Space
Antenna} (LISA), are expected to produced rich data streams containing the
signals from many millions of sources. Determining the number of sources that
are resolvable, and the most appropriate description of each source poses a
challenging model selection problem that may best be addressed in a Bayesian
framework. An important class of LISA sources are the millions of low-mass
binary systems within our own galaxy, tens of thousands of which will be
detectable. Not only are the number of sources unknown, but so are the number
of parameters required to model the waveforms. For example, a significant
subset of the resolvable galactic binaries will exhibit orbital frequency
evolution, while a smaller number will have measurable eccentricity. In the
Bayesian approach to model selection one needs to compute the Bayes factor
between competing models. Here we explore various methods for computing Bayes
factors in the context of determining which galactic binaries have measurable
frequency evolution. The methods explored include a Reverse Jump Markov Chain
Monte Carlo (RJMCMC) algorithm, Savage-Dickie density ratios, the Schwarz-Bayes
Information Criterion (BIC), and the Laplace approximation to the model
evidence. We find good agreement between all of the approaches.Comment: 11 pages, 6 figure
Efficient computation of hashes
The sequential computation of hashes at the core of many distributed storage systems and found, for example, in grid services can hinder efficiency in service quality and even pose security challenges that can only be addressed by the use of parallel hash tree modes. The main contributions of this paper are, first, the identification of several efficiency and security challenges posed by the use of sequential hash computation based on the Merkle-Damgard engine. In addition, alternatives for the parallel computation of hash trees are discussed, and a prototype for a new parallel implementation of the Keccak function, the SHA-3 winner, is introduced
Bounds on the force between black holes
We treat the problem of N interacting, axisymmetric black holes and obtain
two relations among physical parameters of the system including the force
between the black holes. The first relation involves the total mass, the
angular momenta, the distances and the forces between the black holes. The
second one relates the angular momentum and area of each black hole with the
forces acting on it.Comment: 13 pages, no figure
Nursing training in Brazil and in Portugal: similarities and specificities
Objective: To identify similarities/specificities in the nursing training in Brazil and in Portugal. This is a documentary research conducted in two higher
education institutions, in January 2013. Method: It was focused on the National Curriculum Guidelines and on the Bologna Process. Results: Common
points: objectives and profile of the newly-trained nurses grounded on competencies; teaching of education in/for health. Brazilian specificity: universal
admission; three disciplines focused on research; mandatory discipline related to elderly care; two optional disciplines: Alternative therapies and Brazilian
Language of Signs; insertion of complementary activities, actions in teaching/research/extension; basis of teaching: compliance with the Brazilian Unified
Health System. Portuguese Specificity: admission with regionalized medical certificate; grounded on the European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System;
compulsory disciplines: Clinical Reasoning in Nursing; Family Nursing; Development throughout life; Rehabilitative Nursing and Prospects of development
of the Nursing; two optional disciplines: entrepreneurship and arts; basis of teaching: clinical teaching. Conclusions: There are similarities and specificities
between the surveyed courses
Psychological security specialists ambulance
The article discusses the components of psychological assessment of human security on the example of specialists of emergency medical care, and the relationship of personal characteristics, such as coping strategies, resource status, psychological protection, which determine the substantive aspect of contradictions psychological security of a personВ статье рассматриваются компоненты оценки психологической безопасности личности на примере специалистов скорой медицинской помощи, а также взаимосвязь личностных характеристик, таких как стратегии преодоления, ресурсные состояния, психологические защиты, которые определяют содержательный аспект противоречий психологической безопасности личност
A time of flight method to measure the speed of sound using a stereo sound card
We present an inexpensive apparatus for measuring the speed of sound, with a
time of flight method, using a computer with a stereo sound board. Students
measure the speed of sound by timing the delay between the arrivals of a pulse
to two microphones placed at different distances from the source. It can serve
as a very effective demonstration, providing a quick measurement of the speed
of sound in air; we have used it with great success in Open Days in our
Department. It can also be used for a full fledged laboratory determination of
the speed of sound in air.Comment: Accepted for publication in The Physics Teache
5D Attractors with Higher Derivatives
We analyze higher derivative corrections to attractor geometries in five
dimensions. We find corrected AdS_3xS^2 geometries by solving the equations of
motion coming from a recently constructed four-derivative supergravity action
in five dimensions. The result allows us to explicitly verify a previous
anomaly based derivation of the AdS_3 central charges of this theory. Also, by
dimensional reduction we compare our results with those of the 4D higher
derivative attractor, and find complete agreement.Comment: 18 pages, harvma
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