10,933 research outputs found
Complexity transitions in global algorithms for sparse linear systems over finite fields
We study the computational complexity of a very basic problem, namely that of
finding solutions to a very large set of random linear equations in a finite
Galois Field modulo q. Using tools from statistical mechanics we are able to
identify phase transitions in the structure of the solution space and to
connect them to changes in performance of a global algorithm, namely Gaussian
elimination. Crossing phase boundaries produces a dramatic increase in memory
and CPU requirements necessary to the algorithms. In turn, this causes the
saturation of the upper bounds for the running time. We illustrate the results
on the specific problem of integer factorization, which is of central interest
for deciphering messages encrypted with the RSA cryptosystem.Comment: 23 pages, 8 figure
Detection of Contact Binaries Using Sparse High Phase Angle Lightcurves
We show that candidate contact binary asteroids can be efficiently identified
from sparsely sampled photometry taken at phase angles >60deg. At high phase
angle, close/contact binary systems produce distinctive lightcurves that spend
most of the time at maximum or minimum (typically >1mag apart) brightness with
relatively fast transitions between the two. This means that a few (~5) sparse
observations will suffice to measure the large range of variation and identify
candidate contact binary systems. This finding can be used in the context of
all-sky surveys to constrain the fraction of contact binary near-Earth objects.
High phase angle lightcurve data can also reveal the absolute sense of the
spin.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures, 1 table. Accepted for publication in ApJ
A search for magnetic fields on central stars in planetary nebulae
One of the possible mechanisms responsible for the panoply of shapes in
planetary nebulae is the presence of magnetic fields that drive the ejection of
ionized material during the proto-planetary nebula phase. Therefore, detecting
magnetic fields in such objects is of key importance for understanding their
dynamics. Still, magnetic fields have not been detected using polarimetry in
the central stars of planetary nebulae. Circularly polarized light spectra have
been obtained with the Focal Reducer and Low Dispersion Spectrograph at the
Very Large Telescope of the European Southern Observatory and the Intermediate
dispersion Spectrograph and Imaging System at the William Herschel Telescope.
Nineteen planetary nebulae spanning very different morphology and evolutionary
stages have been selected. Most of central stars have been observed at
different rotation phases to point out evidence of magnetic variability. In
this paper, we present the result of two observational campaigns aimed to
detect and measure the magnetic field in the central stars of planetary nebulae
on the basis of low resolution spectropolarimetry. In the limit of the adopted
method, we can state that large scale fields of kG order are not hosted on the
central star of planetary nebulae.Comment: Paper accepted to be published in Astronomy and Astrophysics on
20/01/201
Number of loops of size h in growing scale-free networks
The hierarchical structure of scale-free networks has been investigated
focusing on the scaling of the number of loops of size h as a function
of the system size. In particular we have found the analytic expression for the
scaling of in the Barab\'asi-Albert (BA) scale-free network. We have
performed numerical simulations on the scaling law for in the BA
network and in other growing scale free networks, such as the bosonic network
(BN) and the aging nodes (AN) network. We show that in the bosonic network and
in the aging node network the phase transitions in the topology of the network
are accompained by a change in the scaling of the number of loops with the
system size.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figure
Mean-Field and Anomalous Behavior on a Small-World Network
We use scaling results to identify the crossover to mean-field behavior of
equilibrium statistical mechanics models on a variant of the small world
network. The results are generalizable to a wide-range of equilibrium systems.
Anomalous scaling is found in the width of the mean-field region, as well as in
the mean-field amplitudes. Finally, we consider non-equilibrium processes.Comment: 4 pages, 0 figures; reference adde
The ultracool dwarf DENIS-P J104814.7-395606. Chromospheres and coronae at the low-mass end of the main-sequence
We have obtained an XMM-Newton observation and a broad-band spectrum from the
ultraviolet to the near infrared with X-Shooter for one of the nearest M9
dwarfs, DENIS-P J1048-3956 (4pc). We integrate these data by a compilation of
activity parameters for ultracool dwarfs from the literature with the aim to
advance our understanding of these objects by comparing them to early-M type
dwarf stars and the Sun.
Our deep XMM-Newton observation has led to the first X-ray detection of
DENIS-P J1048-3956 (log Lx = 25.1) as well as the first measurement of its V
band brightness (V = 17.35mag). Flux-flux relations between X-ray and
chromospheric activity indicators are here for the first time extended into the
regime of the ultracool dwarfs. The approximate agreement of DENIS-P J1048-3956
and other ultracool dwarfs with flux-flux relations for early-M dwarfs suggests
that the same heating mechanisms work in the atmospheres of ultracool dwarfs,
albeit weaker as judged from their lower fluxes. The observed Balmer decrements
of DENIS-P J1048-3956 are compatible with optically thick plasma in LTE at low,
nearly photospheric temperature or optically thin LTE plasma at 20000K.
Describing the decrements with CaseB recombination requires different emitting
regions for Halpha and the higher Balmer lines. The high observed Halpha/Hbeta
flux ratio is also poorly fitted by the optically thin models. We derive a
similarly high value for the Halpha/Hbeta ratio of vB10 and LHS2065 and
conclude that this may be a characteristic of ultracool dwarfs. We add DENIS-P
J1048-3956 to the list of ultracool dwarfs detected in both the radio and the
X-ray band. The Benz-Guedel relation between radio and X-ray luminosity of
late-type stars is well-known to be violated by ultracool dwarfs. We speculate
on the presence of two types of ultracool dwarfs with distinct radio and X-ray
behavior.Comment: accepted for publication in Astronomy & Astrophysic
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