4,474 research outputs found
Shape Control for Experimental Continuation
An experimental method has been developed to locate unstable equilibria of
nonlinear structures quasi-statically. The technique involves loading a
structure by application of either a force or a displacement at a main
actuation point, while simultaneously controlling the overall shape using
additional probe points. The method is applied to a shallow arch, and unstable
segments of its equilibrium path are identified experimentally for the first
time. Shape control is a fundamental building block for the experimental---as
opposed to numerical---continuation of nonlinear structures, which will
significantly expand our ability to measure their mechanical response.Comment: Updated Figure 6 experimental results with correct calibration factor
for linear transducer. Updated Figure 6 finite element results with correct
load multiplier for half-model. Updated paper text to reflect these changes.
5 pages, 6 figure
Closed-Flux Solutions to the Constraints for Plane Gravity Waves
The metric for plane gravitational waves is quantized within the Hamiltonian
framework, using a Dirac constraint quantization and the self-dual field
variables proposed by Ashtekar. The z axis (direction of travel of the waves)
is taken to be the entire real line rather than the torus (manifold
coordinatized by (z,t) is RxR rather than x R). Solutions to the
constraints proposed in a previous paper involve open-ended flux lines running
along the entire z axis, rather than closed loops of flux; consequently, these
solutions are annihilated by the Gauss constraint at interior points of the z
axis, but not at the two boundary points. The solutions studied in the present
paper are based on closed flux loops and satisfy the Gauss constraint for all
z.Comment: 18 pages; LaTe
Plane waves in quantum gravity: breakdown of the classical spacetime
Starting with the Hamiltonian formulation for spacetimes with two commuting
spacelike Killing vectors, we construct a midisuperspace model for linearly
polarized plane waves in vacuum gravity. This model has no constraints and its
degrees of freedom can be interpreted as an infinite and continuous set of
annihilation and creation like variables. We also consider a simplified version
of the model, in which the number of modes is restricted to a discrete set. In
both cases, the quantization is achieved by introducing a Fock representation.
We find regularized operators to represent the metric and discuss whether the
coherent states of the quantum theory are peaked around classical spacetimes.
It is shown that, although the expectation value of the metric on Killing
orbits coincides with a classical solution, its relative fluctuations become
significant when one approaches a region where null geodesics are focused. In
that region, the spacetimes described by coherent states fail to admit an
approximate classical description. This result applies as well to the vacuum of
the theory.Comment: 11 pages, no figures, version accepted for publication in Phys. Rev.
Identifying Implementation Bugs in Machine Learning based Image Classifiers using Metamorphic Testing
We have recently witnessed tremendous success of Machine Learning (ML) in
practical applications. Computer vision, speech recognition and language
translation have all seen a near human level performance. We expect, in the
near future, most business applications will have some form of ML. However,
testing such applications is extremely challenging and would be very expensive
if we follow today's methodologies. In this work, we present an articulation of
the challenges in testing ML based applications. We then present our solution
approach, based on the concept of Metamorphic Testing, which aims to identify
implementation bugs in ML based image classifiers. We have developed
metamorphic relations for an application based on Support Vector Machine and a
Deep Learning based application. Empirical validation showed that our approach
was able to catch 71% of the implementation bugs in the ML applications.Comment: Published at 27th ACM SIGSOFT International Symposium on Software
Testing and Analysis (ISSTA 2018
Investigation of the Repassivation Process of CoCrMo in Simulated Biological Fluids
A thorough investigation into the repassivation process of CoCrMo in multiple simulated biological environments has been undertaken, looking in detail at both the kinetics and composition of the reformed oxide film. Specific focus of this research was aimed at determining the effect of bovine serum albumin (BSA) on these features. The kinetics of repassivation were obtained by using a variety of electrochemical techniques. The current transients formed were fitted to a second-order decay curve, which accouts for two separate phases: coverage and growth. The reformation of the passive film was fastest in a phosphate buffered saline environment, with the presence of BSA delaying this process because it inhibits the oxygen-reduction reaction as it obstructs the active sites of the alloy when adsorbed onto the surface. The composition of the newly formed film was analyzed with x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. As expected, the film was primarily composed of chromium (III) oxide with small contributions from cobalt and molybdenum oxides. In the presence of BSA, the quantity of molybdenum within the film was drastically reduced; it was shown to be extracted into the bulk solution via inductively coupled mass spectroscopy. This is observed because BSA is able to complex preferentially to the molybdenum ions when the alloy is exposed, extracting them into solution and altering the composition and integrity of the film
Energy and directional signatures for plane quantized gravity waves
Solutions are constructed to the quantum constraints for planar gravity
(fields dependent on z and t only) in the Ashtekar complex connection
formalism. A number of operators are constructed and applied to the solutions.
These include the familiar ADM energy and area operators, as well as new
operators sensitive to directionality (z+ct vs. z-ct dependence). The
directionality operators are quantum analogs of the classical constraints
proposed for unidirectional plane waves by Bondi, Pirani, and Robinson (BPR).
It is argued that the quantum BPR constraints will predict unidirectionality
reliably only for solutions which are semiclassical in a certain sense. The ADM
energy and area operators are likely to have imaginary eigenvalues, unless one
either shifts to a real connection, or allows the connection to occur other
than in a holonomy. In classical theory, the area can evolve to zero. A quantum
mechanical mechanism is proposed which would prevent this collapse.Comment: 54 pages; LaTe
A mechanistic inter-species comparison of flicker sensitivity
AbstractThe general validity of both the Rovamo [Vision Res. 39 (1999) 533] and Barten (Contrast sensitivity of the human eye, SPIE Optical Engineering Press, 1999), modulation transfer function models for describing flicker sensitivity in vertebrates was examined using published data for goldfish, chickens, tree shrews, ground squirrels, cats, pigeons and humans. Both models adequately described the flicker response in each species at frequencies greater than approximately 1 Hz. At lower frequencies, response predictions differed between the two models and this was due, in part, to dissimilar definitions of the role played by lateral inhibition in the retina. Modelled flicker sensitivity for a matched retinal illuminance condition enabled a direct inter-species comparison of signal processing response times at the photoreceptor level. The modelled results also quantified differences between species in post-retinal signal processing capability. Finally, the relationship between flicker frequency response curves and the perception of temporal signals in real visual scenes was examined for each species. It is proposed that the area under the flicker sensitivity function may offer a single “figure of merit” for specifying overall sensitivity to time signals in a species’ environment
Macroscopic behavior of bidisperse suspensions of noncolloidal particles in yield stress fluids
We study both experimentally and theoretically the rheological behavior of
isotropic bidisperse suspensions of noncolloidal particles in yield stress
fluids. We focus on materials in which noncolloidal particles interact with the
suspending fluid only through hydrodynamical interactions. We observe that both
the elastic modulus and yield stress of bidisperse suspensions are lower than
those of monodisperse suspensions of same solid volume fraction. Moreover, we
show that the dimensionless yield stress of such suspensions is linked to their
dimensionless elastic modulus and to their solid volume fraction through the
simple equation of Chateau et al.[J. rheol. 52, 489-506 (2008)]. We also show
that the effect of the particle size heterogeneity can be described by means of
a packing model developed to estimate random loose packing of assemblies of dry
particles. All these observations finally allow us to propose simple closed
form estimates for both the elastic modulus and the yield stress of bidisperse
suspensions: while the elastic modulus is a function of the reduced volume
fraction only, where is the estimated random loose
packing, the yield stress is a function of both the volume fraction and
the reduced volume fraction
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