759 research outputs found
Optimization of Drinking Water and Sewer Hydraulic Management: Coupling of a Genetic Algorithm and Two Network Hydraulic Tools
AbstractVeolia has developed an optimization platform for the operation of sewer networks (POSTEVENT) and drinking water networks (OPTIMâHYDRO). This platform couples a genetic algorithm NSGA-II with hydraulic network simulation tools (INFOWORKS CS and EPANET). The challenge is to optimize the design and operation of networks according to given objectives and constraints, by changing asset control parameters. This article deals with optimization challenges raised and developed off-line support tools. It ends with a case study on a French drinking water network consisting in upscale set points for pumping stations to optimize the procurement management of water and reduce the energy costs
Quantum Probabilistic Subroutines and Problems in Number Theory
We present a quantum version of the classical probabilistic algorithms
la Rabin. The quantum algorithm is based on the essential use of
Grover's operator for the quantum search of a database and of Shor's Fourier
transform for extracting the periodicity of a function, and their combined use
in the counting algorithm originally introduced by Brassard et al. One of the
main features of our quantum probabilistic algorithm is its full unitarity and
reversibility, which would make its use possible as part of larger and more
complicated networks in quantum computers. As an example of this we describe
polynomial time algorithms for studying some important problems in number
theory, such as the test of the primality of an integer, the so called 'prime
number theorem' and Hardy and Littlewood's conjecture about the asymptotic
number of representations of an even integer as a sum of two primes.Comment: 9 pages, RevTex, revised version, accepted for publication on PRA:
improvement in use of memory space for quantum primality test algorithm
further clarified and typos in the notation correcte
Probabilistic Projections of 21st Century Climate Change over Northern Eurasia
We present probabilistic projections of 21st century climate change over Northern Eurasia using the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Integrated Global System Model (IGSM), an integrated assessment model that couples an earth system model of intermediate complexity with a two-dimensional zonal-mean atmosphere, to a human activity model. Regional climate change is obtained by two downscaling methods: a dynamical downscaling, where the IGSM is linked to a three-dimensional atmospheric model; and a statistical downscaling, where a pattern scaling algorithm uses climate-change patterns from 17 climate models. This framework allows for key sources of uncertainty in future projections of regional climate change to be accounted for: emissions projections; climate system parameters (climate sensitivity, strength of aerosol forcing and ocean heat uptake rate); natural variability; and structural uncertainty. Results show that the choice of climate policy and the climate parameters are the largest drivers of uncertainty. We also find that different initial conditions lead to differences in patterns of change as large as when using different climate models. Finally, this analysis reveals the wide range of possible climate change over Northern Eurasia, emphasizing the need to consider all sources of uncertainty when modeling climate impacts over Northern Eurasia.We would like to recognize the Northern Eurasian Earth Science Partnership Initiative (NEESPI)
for providing the background that made this study possible. This work was partially funded by
the U.S. Department of Energy, OfïŹce of Biological and Environmental Research, under grant
DE-FG02-94ER61937. The Joint Program on the Science and Policy of Global Change is funded
by a number of federal agencies and a consortium of 40 industrial and foundation sponsors. (For
the complete list see http://globalchange.mit.edu/sponsors/current.html). This research used the
Evergreen computing cluster at the PaciïŹc Northwest National Laboratory. Evergreen is
supported by the OfïŹce of Science of the US Department of Energy under Contract No.
DE-AC05-76RL01830. 20th Century Reanalysis V2 data provided by the NOAA/OAR/ESRL
PSD, Boulder, Colorado, USA, from their Web site at http://www.esrl.noaa.gov/psd/
On the sizes of z>2 Damped Lyman-alpha Absorbing Galaxies
Recently, the number of detected galaxy counterparts of z > 2 Damped
Lyman-alpha Absorbers in QSO spectra has increased substantially so that we
today have a sample of 10 detections. M{\o}ller et al. in 2004 made the
prediction, based on a hint of a luminosity-metallicity relation for DLAs, that
HI size should increase with increasing metallicity. In this paper we
investigate the distribution of impact parameter and metallicity that would
result from the correlation between galaxy size and metallicity. We compare our
observations with simulated data sets given the relation of size and
metallicity. The observed sample presented here supports the metallicity-size
prediction: The present sample of DLA galaxies is consistent with the model
distribution. Our data also show a strong relation between impact parameter and
column density of HI. We furthermore compare the observations with several
numerical simulations and demonstrate that the observations support a scenario
where the relation between size and metallicity is driven by feedback
mechanisms controlling the star-formation efficiency and outflow of enriched
gas.Comment: Accepted for publishing in MNRAS lette
Convection, Thermal Bifurcation, and the Colors of A stars
Broad-band ultraviolet photometry from the TD-1 satellite and low dispersion
spectra from the short wavelength camera of IUE have been used to investigate a
long-standing proposal of Bohm-Vitense that the normal main sequence A- and
early-F stars may divide into two different temperature sequences: (1) a high
temperature branch (and plateau) comprised of slowly rotating convective stars,
and (2) a low temperature branch populated by rapidly rotating radiative stars.
We find no evidence from either dataset to support such a claim, or to confirm
the existence of an "A-star gap" in the B-V color range 0.22 <= B-V <= 0.28 due
to the sudden onset of convection. We do observe, nonetheless, a large scatter
in the 1800--2000 A colors of the A-F stars, which amounts to ~0.65 mags at a
given B-V color index. The scatter is not caused by interstellar or
circumstellar reddening. A convincing case can also be made against binarity
and intrinsic variability due to pulsations of delta Sct origin. We find no
correlation with established chromospheric and coronal proxies of convection,
and thus no demonstrable link to the possible onset of convection among the A-F
stars. The scatter is not instrumental. Approximately 0.4 mags of the scatter
is shown to arise from individual differences in surface gravity as well as a
moderate spread (factor of ~3) in heavy metal abundance and UV line blanketing.
A dispersion of ~0.25 mags remains, which has no clear and obvious explanation.
The most likely cause, we believe, is a residual imprecision in our correction
for the spread in metal abundances. However, the existing data do not rule out
possible contributions from intrinsic stellar variability or from differential
UV line blanketing effects owing to a dispersion in microturbulent velocity.Comment: 40 pages, 14 figures, 1 table, AAS LaTex, to appear in The
Astrophysical Journa
GYES, a multifibre spectrograph for the CFHT
We have chosen the name of GYES, one of the mythological giants with one
hundred arms, offspring of Gaia and Uranus, for our instrument study of a
multifibre spectrograph for the prime focus of the Canada-France-Hawaii
Telescope. Such an instrument could provide an excellent ground-based
complement for the Gaia mission and a northern complement to the HERMES project
on the AAT. The CFHT is well known for providing a stable prime focus
environment, with a large field of view, which has hosted several imaging
instruments, but has never hosted a multifibre spectrograph. Building upon the
experience gained at GEPI with FLAMES-Giraffe and X-Shooter, we are
investigating the feasibility of a high multiplex spectrograph (about 500
fibres) over a field of view 1 degree in diameter. We are investigating an
instrument with resolution in the range 15000 to 30000, which should provide
accurate chemical abundances for stars down to 16th magnitude and radial
velocities, accurate to 1 km/s for fainter stars. The study is led by
GEPI-Observatoire de Paris with a contribution from Oxford for the study of the
positioner. The financing for the study comes from INSU CSAA and Observatoire
de Paris. The conceptual study will be delivered to CFHT for review by October
1st 2010.Comment: Contributed talk at the Gaia ELSA conference 2010, S\`evres 7-11 June
2010, to be published on the EAS Series, Editors: C. Turon, F. Arenou & F.
Meynadie
Response of different PTH assays to therapy with sevelamer or CaCO3 and active vitamin D sterols
Amino-terminally truncated parathyroid hormone (PTH) fragments are detected to differing degrees by first- and second-generation immunometric PTH assays (PTH-IMAs), and acute changes in serum calcium affect the proportion of these fragments in circulation. However, the effect of chronic calcium changes and different vitamin D doses on these PTH measurements remains to be defined. In this study, 60 pediatric dialysis patients, aged 13.9â±â0.7 years, with secondary hyperparathyroidism were randomized to 8 months of therapy with oral vitamin D combined with either calcium carbonate (CaCO3) or sevelamer. Serum phosphorus levels did not differ between groups. Serum calcium levels rose from 9.3â±â0.1 to 9.7â±â0.1 mg/dl during CaCO3 therapy (pâ<â0.01 from baseline) but remained unchanged during sevelamer therapy. In the CaCO3 and sevelamer groups, baseline serum PTH levels (1st PTH-IMA; Nichols Institute Diagnostics, San Clemente, CA) were 964â±â75 and 932â±â89 pg/ml, and levels declined to 491â±â55 and 543â±â59 pg/ml, respectively (nonsignificant between groups). Patients treated with sevelamer received higher doses of vitamin D than those treated with CaCO3. The PTH values obtained by first- and second-generation PTH-IMAs correlated closely throughout therapy and the response of PTH was similar to both PTH-IMAs, despite differences in serum calcium levels
The Hot Stars of Old Open Clusters: M67, NGC 188 and NGC6791
We analyze ultraviolet (~1500 A) images of the old open clusters M67, NGC
188, and NGC 6791 obtained with Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (UIT) during the
second flight of the Astro observatory in March 1995. Twenty stars are detected
on the UIT image of M67, including 11 blue stragglers, seven white dwarf
candidates, and the yellow giant -- white dwarf binary S1040. The ultraviolet
photometry of the blue stragglers F90 (S975) and F131 (S1082) suggests that
these stars have hot subluminous companions. We present a semi-empirical
integrated ultraviolet spectrum of M67, and show that the blue stragglers
dominate the integrated spectrum at wavelengths shorter than 2600 A. The number
of white dwarfs in M67 is roughly consistent with the number expected from
white dwarf cooling models. Eight candidate sdB/sdO stars are detected in NGC
6791, and two are detected in NGC 188. The luminosity range 1.10 < log L/Lsun <
1.27, derived from the ultraviolet photometry of the six sdB candidates, is
consistent with theoretical models of metal-rich hot horizontal branch (HB)
stars. The fraction of hot HB stars in both NGC 6791 and NGC 188 is about 30%,
implying that the integrated spectra of both clusters should show a UV turnup
at least as strong as that observed in any elliptical galaxy.Comment: 34 pages incl. 6 postscript figures, accepted for publication in A
On the use of laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy to determine the fractional abundances of carbon ions in the laser plasma plume
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