3,924 research outputs found
Large normally hyperbolic cylinders in a priori stable Hamiltonian systems
We prove the existence of normally hyperbolic invariant cylinders in nearly
integrable hamiltonian systems
On the number of Mather measures of Lagrangian systems
In 1996, Ricardo Ricardo Ma\~n\'e discovered that Mather measures are in fact
the minimizers of a "universal" infinite dimensional linear programming
problem. This fundamental result has many applications, one of the most
important is to the estimates of the generic number of Mather measures.
Ma\~n\'e obtained the first estimation of that sort by using finite dimensional
approximations. Recently, we were able with Gonzalo Contreras to use this
method of finite dimensional approximation in order to solve a conjecture of
John Mather concerning the generic number of Mather measures for families of
Lagrangian systems. In the present paper we obtain finer results in that
direction by applying directly some classical tools of convex analysis to the
infinite dimensional problem. We use a notion of countably rectifiable sets of
finite codimension in Banach (and Frechet) spaces which may deserve independent
interest
A Low Noise Thermometer Readout for Ruthenium Oxide Resistors
The thermometer and thermal control system, for the Absolute Radiometer for
Cosmology, Astrophysics, and Diffuse Emission (ARCADE) experiment, is
described, including the design, testing, and results from the first flight of
ARCADE. The noise is equivalent to about 1 Omega or 0.15 mK in a second for the
RuO_2 resistive thermometers at 2.7 K. The average power dissipation in each
thermometer is 1 nW. The control system can take full advantage of the
thermometers to maintain stable temperatures. Systematic effects are still
under investigation, but the measured precision and accuracy are sufficient to
allow measurement of the cosmic background spectrum.
Journal-ref: Review of Scientific Instruments Vol 73 #10 (Oct 2002)Comment: 5 pages text 7 figure
Spectra of random Hermitian matrices with a small-rank external source: supercritical and subcritical regimes
Random Hermitian matrices with a source term arise, for instance, in the
study of non-intersecting Brownian walkers \cite{Adler:2009a, Daems:2007} and
sample covariance matrices \cite{Baik:2005}.
We consider the case when the external source matrix has two
distinct real eigenvalues: with multiplicity and zero with multiplicity
. The source is small in the sense that is finite or , for . For a Gaussian potential, P\'ech\'e
\cite{Peche:2006} showed that for sufficiently small (the subcritical
regime) the external source has no leading-order effect on the eigenvalues,
while for sufficiently large (the supercritical regime) eigenvalues
exit the bulk of the spectrum and behave as the eigenvalues of
Gaussian unitary ensemble (GUE). We establish the universality of these results
for a general class of analytic potentials in the supercritical and subcritical
regimes.Comment: 41 pages, 4 figure
The Expected Rate of Gamma-Ray Burst Afterglows In Supernova Searches
We predict the rate at which Gamma-Ray Burst (GRB) afterglows should be
detected in supernova searches as a function of limiting flux. Although GRB
afterglows are rarer than supernovae, they are detectable at greater distances
because of their higher intrinsic luminosity. Assuming that GRBs trace the
cosmic star formation history and that every GRB gives rise to a bright
afterglow, we find that the average detection rate of supernovae and afterglows
should be comparable at limiting magnitudes brighter than K=18. The actual rate
of afterglows is expected to be somewhat lower since only a fraction of all
gamma-ray selected GRBs were observed to have associated afterglows. However,
the rate could also be higher if the initial gamma-ray emission from GRB
sources is more beamed than their late afterglow emission. Hence, current and
future supernova searches can place strong constraints on the afterglow
appearance fraction and the initial beaming angle of GRB sources.Comment: 13 pages, submitted to ApJ
Moving boulders in flash floods and estimating flow conditions using boulders in ancient deposits
Boulders moving in flash floods cause considerable damage and casualties. More and bigger boulders move in flash floods than predicted from published theory. The interpretation of flow conditions from the size of large particles within flash flood deposits has, until now, generally assumed that the velocity (or discharge) is unchanging in time (i.e. flow is steady), or changes instantaneously between periods of constant conditions. Standard practice is to apply theories developed for steady flow conditions to flash floods, which are however inherently very unsteady flows. This is likely to lead to overestimates of peak flow velocity (or discharge). Flash floods are characterised by extremely rapid variations in flow that generate significant transient forces in addition to the mean-flow drag. These transient forces, generated by rapid velocity changes, are generally ignored in published theories, but they are briefly so large that they could initiate the motion of boulders. This paper develops a theory for the initiation of boulder movement due to the additional impulsive force generated by unsteady flow, and discusses the implications. Keywords
Land cover classification using multi-temporal MERIS vegetation indices
The spectral, spatial, and temporal resolutions of Envisat's Medium Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (MERIS) data are attractive for regional- to global-scale land cover mapping. Moreover, two novel and operational vegetation indices derived from MERIS data have considerable potential as discriminating variables in land cover classification. Here, the potential of these two vegetation indices (the MERIS global vegetation index (MGVI), MERIS terrestrial chlorophyll index (MTCI)) was evaluated for mapping eleven broad land cover classes in Wisconsin. Data acquired in the high and low chlorophyll seasons were used to increase inter-class separability. The two vegetation indices provided a higher degree of inter-class separability than data acquired in many of the individual MERIS spectral wavebands. The most accurate landcover map (73.2%) was derived from a classification of vegetation index-derived data with a support vector machine (SVM), and was more accurate than the corresponding map derived from a classification using the data acquired in the original spectral wavebands
Automated Classification of Airborne Laser Scanning Point Clouds
Making sense of the physical world has always been at the core of mapping. Up
until recently, this has always dependent on using the human eye. Using
airborne lasers, it has become possible to quickly "see" more of the world in
many more dimensions. The resulting enormous point clouds serve as data sources
for applications far beyond the original mapping purposes ranging from flooding
protection and forestry to threat mitigation. In order to process these large
quantities of data, novel methods are required. In this contribution, we
develop models to automatically classify ground cover and soil types. Using the
logic of machine learning, we critically review the advantages of supervised
and unsupervised methods. Focusing on decision trees, we improve accuracy by
including beam vector components and using a genetic algorithm. We find that
our approach delivers consistently high quality classifications, surpassing
classical methods
The cosmic microwave background radiation temperature at z = 3.025 toward QSO 0347--3819
From the analysis of the CII fine-structure population ratio in the damped
Ly_alpha system at z = 3.025 toward the quasar Q0347--3819 we derive an upper
bound of 14.6 (+/- 0.2) K on the cosmic microwave background temperature
regardless the presence of other different excitation mechanisms. The analysis
of the ground state rotational level populations of H_2 detected in the system
reveals a Galactic-type UV radiation field ruling out UV pumping as an
important excitation mechanism for CII. The low dust content estimated from the
Cr/Zn ratio indicates that the IR dust emission can also be neglected. When the
collisional excitation is considered, we measure a temperature for the cosmic
background radiation of T = 12.1 (+1.7, -3.2) K. The results are in agreement
with the T = 10.968 (+/-) 0.004 K predicted by the hot Big Bang cosmology at z
= 3.025.Comment: Accepte
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