13,056 research outputs found
Alternatives for jet engine control
Alternatives to linear quadratic regulator theory in the linear case are examined along with nonlinear modelling and optimization approaches for global control. Context for the studies has been set by the DYNGEN digital simulator and by models generated for various phases of the F100 Multivariable Control Synthesis Program. With respect to the linear alternatives, the multivariable frequency domain is stressed. Progress is reported in both the direct algebraic approach to exact model matching, by means of stimulating work on the basic computational issues, and in the indirect generalized Nyquist approach. With respect to nonlinear modelling and optimization, the emphasis is twofold: the development of analytical nonlinear models of the jet engine and the use of these models in conjunction with techniques of mathematical programming in order to study global control over nonincremental portions of the flight envelope. The possibility of using tensor methods is explored
A technique to correct for sample thickness variations for use with IDAPS X-ray radiograph analysis
The Image Data Processing System (IDAPS) at the Marshall Space Flight Center is used to analyze radiographs of metal samples to qualitatively and quantitatively map compositional variations across the samples. When the X-ray radiographs are of samples having thickness variations, corrections must be made to accomplish compositional analysis. A correction technique is described for cylindrical samples and is applied to radiographs of SPAR Experiment 74-18. Uncorrected and corrected images are shown
High-Dimensional Density Ratio Estimation with Extensions to Approximate Likelihood Computation
The ratio between two probability density functions is an important component
of various tasks, including selection bias correction, novelty detection and
classification. Recently, several estimators of this ratio have been proposed.
Most of these methods fail if the sample space is high-dimensional, and hence
require a dimension reduction step, the result of which can be a significant
loss of information. Here we propose a simple-to-implement, fully nonparametric
density ratio estimator that expands the ratio in terms of the eigenfunctions
of a kernel-based operator; these functions reflect the underlying geometry of
the data (e.g., submanifold structure), often leading to better estimates
without an explicit dimension reduction step. We show how our general framework
can be extended to address another important problem, the estimation of a
likelihood function in situations where that function cannot be
well-approximated by an analytical form. One is often faced with this situation
when performing statistical inference with data from the sciences, due the
complexity of the data and of the processes that generated those data. We
emphasize applications where using existing likelihood-free methods of
inference would be challenging due to the high dimensionality of the sample
space, but where our spectral series method yields a reasonable estimate of the
likelihood function. We provide theoretical guarantees and illustrate the
effectiveness of our proposed method with numerical experiments.Comment: With supplementary materia
Map-Based Navigation in a Graphical MOO
Traditional MUDs and MOOs lack support for global wareness and simple navigation. These problems can be addressed by the introduction of a map-based navigation tool. In this paper we report on the design and evaluation of such a tool for MOOsburg, a graphical 2D MOO based on the town of Blacksburg, Virginia. The tool supports exploration and place-based tasks in the MOO. It also allows navigation of a large-scale map and encourages users to develop survey knowledge of the town. An evaluation revealed some initial usability problems with our prototype and suggested new design ideas that may better support users. Using these results, the lessons learned about map-based navigation are presented
Influence of Phase Matching on the Cooper Minimum in Ar High Harmonic Spectra
We study the influence of phase matching on interference minima in high
harmonic spectra. We concentrate on structures in atoms due to interference of
different angular momentum channels during recombination. We use the Cooper
minimum (CM) in argon at 47 eV as a marker in the harmonic spectrum. We measure
2d harmonic spectra in argon as a function of wavelength and angular
divergence. While we identify a clear CM in the spectrum when the target gas
jet is placed after the laser focus, we find that the appearance of the CM
varies with angular divergence and can even be completely washed out when the
gas jet is placed closer to the focus. We also show that the argon CM appears
at different wavelengths in harmonic and photo-absorption spectra measured
under conditions independent of any wavelength calibration. We model the
experiment with a simulation based on coupled solutions of the time-dependent
Schr\"odinger equation and the Maxwell wave equation, including both the single
atom response and macroscopic effects of propagation. The single atom
calculations confirm that the ground state of argon can be represented by its
field free symmetry, despite the strong laser field used in high harmonic
generation. Because of this, the CM structure in the harmonic spectrum can be
described as the interference of continuum and channels, whose relative
phase jumps by at the CM energy, resulting in a minimum shifted from the
photoionization result. We also show that the full calculations reproduce the
dependence of the CM on the macroscopic conditions. We calculate simple phase
matching factors as a function of harmonic order and explain our experimental
and theoretical observation in terms of the effect of phase matching on the
shape of the harmonic spectrum. Phase matching must be taken into account to
fully understand spectral features related to HHG spectroscopy
Strength and High-Temperature Stability of Dispersion Strengthened Nickel-MgO Alloys
Strength and high-temperature stability of dispersion strengthened nickel-magnesium oxide alloy
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