10,658 research outputs found
Exploiting Resolution-based Representations for MaxSAT Solving
Most recent MaxSAT algorithms rely on a succession of calls to a SAT solver
in order to find an optimal solution. In particular, several algorithms take
advantage of the ability of SAT solvers to identify unsatisfiable subformulas.
Usually, these MaxSAT algorithms perform better when small unsatisfiable
subformulas are found early. However, this is not the case in many problem
instances, since the whole formula is given to the SAT solver in each call. In
this paper, we propose to partition the MaxSAT formula using a resolution-based
graph representation. Partitions are then iteratively joined by using a
proximity measure extracted from the graph representation of the formula. The
algorithm ends when only one partition remains and the optimal solution is
found. Experimental results show that this new approach further enhances a
state of the art MaxSAT solver to optimally solve a larger set of industrial
problem instances
Magnetically assisted self-injection and radiation generation for plasma based acceleration
It is shown through analytical modeling and numerical simulations that
external magnetic fields can relax the self-trapping thresholds in plasma based
accelerators. In addition, the transverse location where self-trapping occurs
can be selected by adequate choice of the spatial profile of the external
magnetic field. We also find that magnetic-field assisted self-injection can
lead to the emission of betatron radiation at well defined frequencies. This
controlled injection technique could be explored using state-of-the-art
magnetic fields in current/next generation plasma/laser wakefield accelerator
experiments.Comment: 7 pages, 4 figures, accepted for publication in Plasma Physics and
Controlled Fusio
Dynamics and control of the expansion of finite-size plasmas produced in ultraintense laser-matter interactions
The strong influence of the electron dynamics provides the possibility of
controlling the expansion of laser-produced plasmas by appropriately shaping
the laser pulse. A simple irradiation scheme is proposed to tailor the
explosion of large deuterium clusters, inducing the formation of shock
structures, capable of driving nuclear fusion reactions. Such a scenario has
been thoroughly investigated, resorting to two- and three-dimensional
particle-in-cell simulations. Furthermore, the intricate dynamics of ions and
electrons during the collisionless expansion of spherical nanoplasmas has been
analyzed in detail using a self-consistent ergodic-kinetic model. This study
clarifies the transition from hydrodynamic-like to Coulomb-explosion regimes
Magnetic control of particle-injection in plasma based accelerators
The use of an external transverse magnetic field to trigger and to control
electron self-injection in laser- and particle-beam driven wakefield
accelerators is examined analytically and through full-scale particle-in-cell
simulations. A magnetic field can relax the injection threshold and can be used
to control main output beam features such as charge, energy, and transverse
dynamics in the ion channel associated with the plasma blowout. It is shown
that this mechanism could be studied using state-of-the-art magnetic fields in
next generation plasma accelerator experiments.Comment: 10 pages, 3 figure
Genetic structure of Bertholletia excelsa populations from the Amazon at different spatial scales.
Population genetic structure and genetic diversity levels are important issues to understand population dynamics and to guide forest management plans. The Brazil nut tree (Bertholletia excelsa Bonpl.) is an endemic species, widely distributed through Amazonian upland forests and also an important species for the local extractive economy. Our aim was to analyze the genetic structure of Brazil nut trees at both fine and large scales throughout the Amazon Basin, contributing to the knowledge base on this species and to generate information to support plans for its conservation. We genotyped individuals from nine sites distributed in five regions of the Brazilian Amazon using 11 microsatellite loci. We found an excess of heterozygotes in most populations, with significant negative inbreeding coefficients (f) for five of them and the finescale structure, when present, was very small. These results, as a consequence of self-incompatibility, indicate that conservation plans for B. excelsa must include the maintenance of genetic diversity within populations to ensure viable amounts of seeds for both economic purposes and for the local persistence of the species.Published online: 24 March 2015
Generalized Totalizer Encoding for Pseudo-Boolean Constraints
Pseudo-Boolean constraints, also known as 0-1 Integer Linear Constraints, are
used to model many real-world problems. A common approach to solve these
constraints is to encode them into a SAT formula. The runtime of the SAT solver
on such formula is sensitive to the manner in which the given pseudo-Boolean
constraints are encoded. In this paper, we propose generalized Totalizer
encoding (GTE), which is an arc-consistency preserving extension of the
Totalizer encoding to pseudo-Boolean constraints. Unlike some other encodings,
the number of auxiliary variables required for GTE does not depend on the
magnitudes of the coefficients. Instead, it depends on the number of distinct
combinations of these coefficients. We show the superiority of GTE with respect
to other encodings when large pseudo-Boolean constraints have low number of
distinct coefficients. Our experimental results also show that GTE remains
competitive even when the pseudo-Boolean constraints do not have this
characteristic.Comment: 10 pages, 2 figures, 2 tables. To be published in 21st International
Conference on Principles and Practice of Constraint Programming 201
A Bright Spatially-Coherent Compact X-ray Synchrotron Source
Each successive generation of x-ray machines has opened up new frontiers in
science, such as the first radiographs and the determination of the structure
of DNA. State-of-the-art x-ray sources can now produce coherent high brightness
keV x-rays and promise a new revolution in imaging complex systems on nanometre
and femtosecond scales. Despite the demand, only a few dedicated synchrotron
facilities exist worldwide, partially due the size and cost of conventional
(accelerator) technology. Here we demonstrate the use of a recently developed
compact laser-plasma accelerator to produce a well-collimated,
spatially-coherent, intrinsically ultrafast source of hard x-rays. This method
reduces the size of the synchrotron source from the tens of metres to
centimetre scale, accelerating and wiggling a high electron charge
simultaneously. This leads to a narrow-energy spread electron beam and x-ray
source that is >1000 times brighter than previously reported plasma wiggler and
thus has the potential to facilitate a myriad of uses across the whole spectrum
of light-source applications.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figure
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