A Generalized Window Approach for Designing Transmultiplexers

This paper proposes a computational, very efficient, approach for designing a novel family of M-channel maximally decimated nearly perfect-reconstruction cosine-modulated transmultiplexers. This approach is referred to as the generalized windowing method for transmultiplexers because after knowing the transmission channel a proper weighted sum of the inter-channel and inter-symbol interferences can be properly taken into account in the optimization of the window function, unlike in other existing windowing techniques. The proposed approach has also the following two advantages. First, independent of the number of subchannels and the common order of the subchannel filters, the number of unknowns is only four. Second, the overall optimization procedure is made considerably fast by estimating the above-mentioned sum in terms of two novel measures, namely, the signal to inter-symbol and the signal to inter-channel interferences, which are very easy to evaluate. Furthermore, when the transmission channel is not considered in the design, a table is provided, which contains the parameters for designing the prototype filter directly by using the windowing method without any time-consuming optimization. When comparing the resulting transmultiplexers with the corresponding perfect-reconstruction designs (the same number of subchannels and same prototype filter order), the levels of interferences are practically the same. However, when the system is affected by a strong narrowband interference, the proposed transmultiplexers outperform their PR counterparts. Design examples are included illustrating the efficiency of the proposed design approach over other existing techniques based on the use of the windowing method

Einstein constraints on a characteristic cone

We analyse the Cauchy problem on a characteristic cone, including its vertex, for the Einstein equations in arbitrary dimensions. We use a wave map gauge, solve the obtained constraints and show gauge conservation.Comment: 10 pages, to be published in the Proceedings of the 15th International Conference on Waves and Stability in Continuous Media, held in Palermo, 28th June to 1st July 200

Further Improvements in the Understanding of Isotropic Loop Quantum Cosmology

The flat, homogeneous, and isotropic universe with a massless scalar field is a paradigmatic model in Loop Quantum Cosmology. In spite of the prominent role that the model has played in the development of this branch of physics, there still remain some aspects of its quantization which deserve a more detailed discussion. These aspects include the kinematical resolution of the cosmological singularity, the precise relation between the solutions of the densitized and non-densitized versions of the quantum Hamiltonian constraint, the possibility of identifying superselection sectors which are as simple as possible, and a clear comprehension of the Wheeler-DeWitt (WDW) limit associated with the theory in those sectors. We propose an alternative operator to represent the Hamiltonian constraint which is specially suitable to deal with these issues in a satisfactory way. In particular, with our constraint operator, the singularity decouples in the kinematical Hilbert space and can be removed already at this level. Thanks to this fact, we can densitize the quantum Hamiltonian constraint in a rigorous manner. Besides, together with the physical observables, this constraint superselects simple sectors for the universe volume, with a support contained in a single semiaxis of the real line and for which the basic functions that encode the information about the geometry possess optimal physical properties. Namely, they provide a no-boundary description around the cosmological singularity and admit a well-defined WDW limit in terms of standing waves. Both properties explain the presence of a generic quantum bounce replacing the singularity at a fundamental level, in contrast with previous studies where the bounce was proved in concrete regimes and focusing on states with a marked semiclassical behavior.Comment: 13 pages, version accepted for publication in Physical Review

Discovery of very nearby ultracool dwarfs from DENIS

We report new spectroscopic results, obtained with UKIRT/CGS4, of a sample of 14 candidate ultracool dwarfs selected from the DENIS (Deep Near-Infrared Survey of the Southern Sky) database. A further object, selected from the 2MASS Second Incremental Release, was observed at a later epoch with the same instrument. Six objects are already known in the literature; we re-derive their properties. A further four prove to be very nearby (~10 pc) mid-to-late L-dwarfs, three unknown hitherto, two of which are almost certainly substellar. These findings increase the number of L-dwarfs known within ~10 pc by ~25%. The remainder of the objects discussed here are early L or very late M-type dwarfs lying between ~45 and 15 pc and are also new to the literature. Spectral types have been derived by direct comparison with J-,H- and K- band spectra of known template ultracool dwarfs given by Leggett et al. (ftp://ftp.jach.hawaii.edu/pub/ukirt/skl/dL.spectra/) For the known objects, we generally find agreement to within ~1 subclass with previously derived spectral types. Distances are determined from the most recent M_J vs. spectral type calibrations, and together with our derived proper motions yield kinematics for most targets consistent with that expected for the disk population; for three probable late M-dwarfs, membership of a dynamically older population is postulated. The very nearby L-type objects discussed here are of great interest for future studies of binarity and parallaxes.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figures, accepted in A&A Letter

Melanins and lipids in Lycoperdon perlatum fruit bodies

5 pages, 1 figure, 3 tables, 27 references.After sequential degradation with sodium persulphate and potassium permanganate, the characteristics of the dark pigments from the soil gasteromycete Lycoperdonperlatum were described. Several aromatic acids (phenolic and benzenecarboxylic) were detected by glc-ms of the degradation products, but the aliphatic content of these polymer fractions was predominant, containing a high proportion of protein and showing fatty acids similar to those previously found in the lipid fraction. An acid soluble fraction of melanin, of a highly aliphatic nature, was also present in Lycoperdon fruit bodies.Peer reviewe