3,103 research outputs found
Planetary image conversion task
The Planetary Image Conversion Task group processed 12,500 magnetic tapes containing raw imaging data from JPL planetary missions and produced an image data base in consistent format on 1200 fully packed 6250-bpi tapes. The output tapes will remain at JPL. A copy of the entire tape set was delivered to US Geological Survey, Flagstaff, Ariz. A secondary task converted computer datalogs, which had been stored in project specific MARK IV File Management System data types and structures, to flat-file, text format that is processable on any modern computer system. The conversion processing took place at JPL's Image Processing Laboratory on an IBM 370-158 with existing software modified slightly to meet the needs of the conversion task. More than 99% of the original digital image data was successfully recovered by the conversion task. However, processing data tapes recorded before 1975 was destructive. This discovery is of critical importance to facilities responsible for maintaining digital archives since normal periodic random sampling techniques would be unlikely to detect this phenomenon, and entire data sets could be wiped out in the act of generating seemingly positive sampling results. Reccomended follow-on activities are also included
Mesoscale simulations of surfactant dissolution and mesophase formation
The evolution of the contact zone between pure surfactant and solvent has
been studied by mesoscale simulation. It is found that mesophase formation
becomes diffusion controlled and follows the equilibrium phase diagram
adiabatically almost as soon as individual mesophases can be identified,
corresponding to times in real systems of order 10 microseconds.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figures, ReVTeX
Topological Quantum Phase Transitions in Topological Superconductors
In this paper we show that BF topological superconductors (insulators) exibit
phase transitions between different topologically ordered phases characterized
by different ground state degeneracy on manifold with non-trivial topology.
These phase transitions are induced by the condensation (or lack of) of
topological defects. We concentrate on the (2+1)-dimensional case where the BF
model reduce to a mixed Chern-Simons term and we show that the superconducting
phase has a ground state degeneracy and not . When the symmetry is
, namely when both gauge fields are compact, this model is
not equivalent to the sum of two Chern-Simons term with opposite chirality,
even if naively diagonalizable. This is due to the fact that U(1) symmetry
requires an ultraviolet regularization that make the diagonalization
impossible. This can be clearly seen using a lattice regularization, where the
gauge fields become angular variables. Moreover we will show that the phase in
which both gauge fields are compact is not allowed dynamically.Comment: 5 pages, no figure
Quantum Glassiness
Describing matter at near absolute zero temperature requires understanding a
system's quantum ground state and the low energy excitations around it, the
quasiparticles, which are thermally populated by the system's contact to a heat
bath. However, this paradigm breaks down if thermal equilibration is
obstructed. This paper presents solvable examples of quantum many-body
Hamiltonians of systems that are unable to reach their ground states as the
environment temperature is lowered to absolute zero. These examples, three
dimensional generalizations of quantum Hamiltonians proposed for topological
quantum computing, 1) have no quenched disorder, 2) have solely local
interactions, 3) have an exactly solvable spectrum, 4) have topologically
ordered ground states, and 5) have slow dynamical relaxation rates akin to
those of strong structural glasses.Comment: 4 page
Coarse-grained simulation of amphiphilic self-assembly
We present a computer simulation study of amphiphilic self assembly performed using a computationally efficient single-site model based on Gay-Berne and Lennard-Jones particles. Molecular dynamics simulations of these systems show that free self-assembly of micellar, bilayer and inverse micelle arrangements can be readily achieved for a single model parameterisation. This self-assembly is predominantly driven by the anisotropy of the amphiphile-solvent interaction, amphiphile-amphiphile interactions being found to be of secondary importance. While amphiphile concentration is the main determinant of phase stability, molecular parameters such as headgroup size and interaction strength also have measurable affects on system properties. </p
Detection and measurement of planetary systems with GAIA
We use detailed numerical simulations and the Andromedae,
planetary system as a template to evaluate the capability of the ESA
Cornerstone Mission GAIA in detecting and measuring multiple planets around
solar-type stars in the neighborhood of the Solar System. For the outer two
planets of the Andromedae, system, GAIA high-precision global
astrometric measurements would provide estimates of the full set of orbital
elements and masses accurate to better than 1--10%, and would be capable of
addressing the coplanarity issue by determining the true geometry of the system
with uncertainties of order of a few degrees. Finally, we discuss the
generalization to a variety of configurations of potential planetary systems in
the solar neighborhood for which GAIA could provide accurate measurements of
unique value for the science of extra-solar planets.Comment: 4 pages, 2 pictures, accepted for publication in A&A Letter
Darwin Tames an Andromeda Dwarf: Unraveling the Orbit of NGC 205 Using a Genetic Algorithm
NGC 205, a close satellite of the M31 galaxy, is our nearest example of a
dwarf elliptical galaxy. Photometric and kinematic observations suggest that
NGC 205 is undergoing tidal distortion from its interaction with M31. Despite
earlier attempts, the orbit and progenitor properties of NGC 205 are not well
known. We perform an optimized search for these unknowns by combining a genetic
algorithm with restricted N-body simulations of the interaction. This approach,
coupled with photometric and kinematic observations as constraints, allows for
an effective exploration of the parameter space. We represent NGC 205 as a
static Hernquist potential with embedded massless test particles that serve as
tracers of surface brightness. We explore 3 distinct, initially stable
configurations of test particles: cold rotating disk, warm rotating disk, and
hot, pressure-supported spheroid. Each model reproduces some, but not all, of
the observed features of NGC 205, leading us to speculate that a rotating
progenitor with substantial pressure support could match all of the
observables. Furthermore, plausible combinations of mass and scale length for
the pressure-supported spheroid progenitor model reproduce the observed
velocity dispersion profile. For all 3 models, orbits that best match the
observables place the satellite 11+/-9 kpc behind M31 moving at very large
velocities: 300-500 km/s on primarily radial orbits. Given that the observed
radial component is only 54 km/s, this implies a large tangential motion for
NGC 205, moving from the NW to the SE. These results suggest NGC 205 is not
associated with the stellar arc observed to the NE of NGC 205. Furthermore, NGC
205's velocity appears to be near or greater than its escape velocity,
signifying that the satellite is likely on its first M31 passage.Comment: 34 pages, 20 figures, accepted for publication in the Astrophysical
Journal, A pdf version with high-resolution figures may be obtained from
http://www.ucolick.org/~kirsten/ms.pd
Non-Universal Fractional Quantum Hall States in a Quantum wire
The ground state as well as low-lying excitations in a 2D electron system in
strong magnetic fields and a parabolic potential is investigated by the
variational Monte Calro method. Trial wave functions analogous to the Laughlin
state are used with the power-law exponent as the variational parameter. Finite
size scaling of the excitation energy shows that the correlation function at
long distance is characterized by anon-universal exponent in sharp contrast to
the standard Laughlin state.The Laughlin-type state becomes unstable depending
on strength of the confining potential.Comment: 10 pages, REVTE
Shortcuts through Colocation Facilities
Network overlays, running on top of the existing Internet substrate, are of
perennial value to Internet end-users in the context of, e.g., real-time
applications. Such overlays can employ traffic relays to yield path latencies
lower than the direct paths, a phenomenon known as Triangle Inequality
Violation (TIV). Past studies identify the opportunities of reducing latency
using TIVs. However, they do not investigate the gains of strategically
selecting relays in Colocation Facilities (Colos). In this work, we answer the
following questions: (i) how Colo-hosted relays compare with other relays as
well as with the direct Internet, in terms of latency (RTT) reductions; (ii)
what are the best locations for placing the relays to yield these reductions.
To this end, we conduct a large-scale one-month measurement of inter-domain
paths between RIPE Atlas (RA) nodes as endpoints, located at eyeball networks.
We employ as relays Planetlab nodes, other RA nodes, and machines in Colos. We
examine the RTTs of the overlay paths obtained via the selected relays, as well
as the direct paths. We find that Colo-based relays perform the best and can
achieve latency reductions against direct paths, ranging from a few to 100s of
milliseconds, in 76% of the total cases; 75% (58% of total cases) of these
reductions require only 10 relays in 6 large Colos.Comment: In Proceedings of the ACM Internet Measurement Conference (IMC '17),
London, GB, 201
- …