8,813 research outputs found
A fast algorithm for control and estimation using a polynomial state-space structure
One of the major problems associated with the control of flexible structures is the estimation of system states. Since the parameters of the structures are not constant under varying loads and conditions, conventional fixed parameter state estimators can not be used to effectively estimate the states of the system. One alternative is to use a state estimator which adapts to the condition of the system. One such estimator is the Kalman filter. This filter is a time varying recursive digital filter which is based upon a model of the system being measured. This filter adapts the model according to the output of the system. Previously, the Kalman filter has only been used in an off-line capacity due to the computational time required for implementation. With recent advances in computer technology, it is becoming a viable tool for use in the on-line environment. A distributed Kalman filter implementation is described for fast estimation of the state of a flexible arm. A key issue, is the sensor structure and initial work on a distributed sensor that could be used with the Kalman filter is presented
Computational tools for multi-linked flexible structures
A software module which designs and tests controllers and filters in Kalman Estimator form, based on a polynomial state-space model is discussed. The user-friendly program employs an interactive graphics approach to simplify the design process. A variety of input methods are provided to test the effectiveness of the estimator. Utilities are provided which address important issues in filter design such as graphical analysis, statistical analysis, and calculation time. The program also provides the user with the ability to save filter parameters, inputs, and outputs for future use
User's guide for the Solar Backscattered Ultraviolet (SBUV) and the Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer (TOMS) RUT-S and RUT-T data sets: October 31, 1978 to November 1, 1980
Raw data from the Solar Backscattered Ultrviolet/Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer (SBUV/TOMS) Nimbus 7 operation are available on computer tape. These data are contained on two separate sets of RUTs (Raw Units Tapes) for SBUV and TOMS, labelled RUT-S and RUT-T respectively. The RUT-S and RUT-T tapes contain uncalibrated radiance and irradiance data, housekeeping data, wavelength and electronic calibration data, instrument field-of-view location and solar ephemeris information. These tapes also contain colocated cloud, terrain pressure and snow/ice thickness data, each derived from an independent source. The "RUT User's Guide" describes the SBUV and TOMS experiments, the instrument calibration and performance, operating schedules, and data coverage, and provides an assessment of RUT-S and -T data quality. It also provides detailed information on the data available on the computer tapes
Prospective Study on Retinal Nerve Fibre Layer Thickness Changes in Isolated Unilateral Retrobulbar Optic Neuritis
Purpose. To investigate the retinal nerve fibre layer (RNFL) thickness after unilateral acute optic neuritis using optical coherence tomography (OCT). Patients and Methods. This prospective cohort study recruited consecutive patients with a first episode of isolated, unilateral acute optic neuritis. RNFL thickness and visual acuity (VA) of the attack and normal fellow eye were measured at presentation and 3 months in both the treatment and nontreatment groups. Results. 11 subjects received systemic steroids and 9 were treated conservatively. The baseline RNFL thickness was similar in the attack and fellow eye (P≥0.4). At 3 months, the attack eye had a thinner temporal (P=0.02) and average (P=0.05) RNFL compared to the fellow eye. At 3 months, the attack eye had significant RNFL thinning in the 4 quadrants and average thickness (P≤0.0002) compared to baseline. The RNFL thickness between the treatment and nontreatment groups was similar at baseline and 3 months (P≥0.1). Treatment offered better VA at 3 months (0.1 ± 0.2 versus 0.3 ± 0.2 LogMAR, P=0.04). Conclusion. Generalized RNFL thinning occurred at 3 months after a first episode of acute optic neuritis most significantly in the temporal quadrant and average thickness. Visual improvement with treatment was independent of RNFL thickness
The Spitzer Local Volume Legacy: Survey Description and Infrared Photometry
The survey description and the near-, mid-, and far-infrared flux properties
are presented for the 258 galaxies in the Local Volume Legacy (LVL). LVL is a
Spitzer Space Telescope legacy program that surveys the local universe out to
11 Mpc, built upon a foundation of ultraviolet, H-alpha, and HST imaging from
11HUGS (11 Mpc H-alpha and Ultraviolet Galaxy Survey) and ANGST (ACS Nearby
Galaxy Survey Treasury). LVL covers an unbiased, representative, and
statistically robust sample of nearby star-forming galaxies, exploiting the
highest extragalactic spatial resolution achievable with Spitzer. As a result
of its approximately volume-limited nature, LVL augments previous Spitzer
observations of present-day galaxies with improved sampling of the
low-luminosity galaxy population. The collection of LVL galaxies shows a large
spread in mid-infrared colors, likely due to the conspicuous deficiency of 8um
PAH emission from low-metallicity, low-luminosity galaxies. Conversely, the
far-infrared emission tightly tracks the total infrared emission, with a
dispersion in their flux ratio of only 0.1 dex. In terms of the relation
between infrared-to-ultraviolet ratio and ultraviolet spectral slope, the LVL
sample shows redder colors and/or lower infrared-to-ultraviolet ratios than
starburst galaxies, suggesting that reprocessing by dust is less important in
the lower mass systems that dominate the LVL sample. Comparisons with
theoretical models suggest that the amplitude of deviations from the relation
found for starburst galaxies correlates with the age of the stellar populations
that dominate the ultraviolet/optical luminosities.Comment: Accepted for publication in ApJ; Figures 1,8,9 provided as jpeg
Crossover from Kondo assisted suppression to co-tunneling enhancement of tunneling magnetoresistance via ferromagnetic nanodots in MgO tunnel barriers
Recently, it has been shown that magnetic tunnel junctions with thin MgO
tunnel barriers exhibit extraordinarily high tunneling magnetoresistance (TMR)
values at room temperature1, 2. However, the physics of spin dependent
tunneling through MgO barriers is only beginning to be unravelled. Using planar
magnetic tunnel junctions in which ultra-thin layers of magnetic metals are
deposited in the middle of a MgO tunnel barrier here we demonstrate that the
TMR is strongly modified when these layers are discontinuous and composed of
small pancake shaped nanodots. At low temperatures, in the Coulomb blockade
regime, for layers less than ~1 nm thick, the conductance of the junction is
increased at low bias consistent with Kondo assisted tunneling. In the same
regime we observe a suppression of the TMR. For slightly thicker layers, and
correspondingly larger nanodots, the TMR is enhanced at low bias, consistent
with co-tunneling.Comment: Nano Letters (in press
Entanglement Measures for Single- and Multi-Reference Correlation Effects
Electron correlation effects are essential for an accurate ab initio
description of molecules. A quantitative a priori knowledge of the single- or
multi-reference nature of electronic structures as well as of the dominant
contributions to the correlation energy can facilitate the decision regarding
the optimum quantum chemical method of choice. We propose concepts from quantum
information theory as orbital entanglement measures that allow us to evaluate
the single- and multi-reference character of any molecular structure in a given
orbital basis set. By studying these measures we can detect possible artifacts
of small active spaces.Comment: 14 pages, 4 figure
Anonymous Single-Sign-On for n designated services with traceability
Anonymous Single-Sign-On authentication schemes have been proposed to allow
users to access a service protected by a verifier without revealing their
identity which has become more important due to the introduction of strong
privacy regulations. In this paper we describe a new approach whereby anonymous
authentication to different verifiers is achieved via authorisation tags and
pseudonyms. The particular innovation of our scheme is authentication can only
occur between a user and its designated verifier for a service, and the
verification cannot be performed by any other verifier. The benefit of this
authentication approach is that it prevents information leakage of a user's
service access information, even if the verifiers for these services collude
which each other. Our scheme also supports a trusted third party who is
authorised to de-anonymise the user and reveal her whole services access
information if required. Furthermore, our scheme is lightweight because it does
not rely on attribute or policy-based signature schemes to enable access to
multiple services. The scheme's security model is given together with a
security proof, an implementation and a performance evaluation.Comment: 3
Multi-gap superconductivity in a BaFe1.84Co0.16As2 film from optical measurements at terahertz frequencies
We measured the THz reflectance properties of a high quality epitaxial thin
film of the Fe-based superconductor BaFeCoAs with
T=22.5 K. The film was grown by pulsed laser deposition on a DyScO
substrate with an epitaxial SrTiO intermediate layer. The measured
spectrum, i.e. the reflectivity ratio between the superconducting and
normal state reflectance, provides clear evidence of a superconducting gap
close to 15 cm. A detailed data analysis shows that a
two-band, two-gap model is absolutely necessary to obtain a good description of
the measured spectrum. The low-energy gap results to be
well determined (=15.50.5 cm), while the value of the
high-energy gap is more uncertain (=557 cm).
Our results provide evidence of a nodeless isotropic double-gap scenario, with
the presence of two optical gaps corresponding to 2 values close
to 2 and 7.Comment: Published Versio
Tuning of the Fano Effect through a Quantum Dot in an Aharonov-Bohm Interferometer
The Fano effect, which arises from an interference between a localized state
and the continuum, reveals a fundamental aspect of quantum mechanics. We have
realized a tunable Fano system in a quantum dot (QD) in an Aharonov-Bohm
interferometer, which is the first convincing demonstration of this effect in
mesoscopic systems. With the aid of the continuum, the localized state inside
the QD acquires itinerancy over the system even in the Coulomb blockade.
Through tuning of the parameters, which is an advantage of the present system,
unique properties of the Fano effect on the phase and coherence of electrons
have been revealed.Comment: REVTEX, 4 pages, 4 figures included. Discussion and figures are
improved. Accepted for publication in Phys. Rev. Let
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