24,148 research outputs found
Unified model of loop quantum gravity and matter
We reconsider the unified model of gravitation and Yang--Mills interactions
proposed by Chakraborty and Peld\'an, in the light of recent formal
developments in loop quantum gravity. In particular, we show that one can
promote the Hamiltonian constraint of the unified model to a well defined
anomaly-free quantum operator using the techniques introduced by Thiemann, at
least for the Euclidean theory. The Lorentzian version of the model can be
consistently constructed, but at the moment appears to yield a correct weak
field theory only under restrictive assumptions, and its quantization appears
problematic.Comment: 4 pages, dedicated to Michael P. Ryan on the occasion of his sixtieth
birthda
Continuous data assimilation with blurred-in-time measurements of the surface quasi-geostrophic equation
An intrinsic property of almost any physical measuring device is that it
makes observations which are slightly blurred in time. We consider a
nudging-based approach for data assimilation that constructs an approximate
solution based on a feedback control mechanism that is designed to account for
observations that have been blurred by a moving time average. Analysis of this
nudging model in the context of the subcritical surface quasi-geostrophic
equation shows, provided the time-averaging window is sufficiently small and
the resolution of the observations sufficiently fine, that the approximating
solution converges exponentially fast to the observed solution over time. In
particular, we demonstrate that observational data with a small blur in time
possess no significant obstructions to data assimilation provided that the
nudging properly takes the time averaging into account. Two key ingredients in
our analysis are additional boundedness properties for the relevant interpolant
observation operators and a non-local Gronwall inequality.Comment: 44 page
Plasma Sterilization Technology for Spacecraft Applications
The application of plasma gas technology to sterilization and decontamination of spacecraft components is considered. Areas investigated include: effective sterilizing ranges of four separate gases; lethal constituents of a plasma environment; effectiveness of plasma against a diverse group of microorganisms; penetrating efficiency of plasmas for sterilization; and compatibility of spacecraft materials with plasma environments. Results demonstrated that plasma gas, specifically helium plasma, is a highly effective sterilant and is compatible with spacecraft materials
Restoration of multichannel microwave radiometric images
A constrained iterative image restoration method is applied to multichannel diffraction-limited imagery. This method is based on the Gerchberg-Papoulis algorithm utilizing incomplete information and partial constraints. The procedure is described using the orthogonal projection operators which project onto two prescribed subspaces iteratively. Some of its properties and limitations are also presented. The selection of appropriate constraints was emphasized in a practical application. Multichannel microwave images, each having different spatial resolution, were restored to a common highest resolution to demonstrate the effectiveness of the method. Both noise-free and noisy images were used in this investigation
A connection between the Camassa-Holm equations and turbulent flows in channels and pipes
In this paper we discuss recent progress in using the Camassa-Holm equations
to model turbulent flows. The Camassa-Holm equations, given their special
geometric and physical properties, appear particularly well suited for studying
turbulent flows. We identify the steady solution of the Camassa-Holm equation
with the mean flow of the Reynolds equation and compare the results with
empirical data for turbulent flows in channels and pipes. The data suggests
that the constant version of the Camassa-Holm equations, derived under
the assumptions that the fluctuation statistics are isotropic and homogeneous,
holds to order distance from the boundaries. Near a boundary, these
assumptions are no longer valid and the length scale is seen to depend
on the distance to the nearest wall. Thus, a turbulent flow is divided into two
regions: the constant region away from boundaries, and the near wall
region. In the near wall region, Reynolds number scaling conditions imply that
decreases as Reynolds number increases. Away from boundaries, these
scaling conditions imply is independent of Reynolds number. Given the
agreement with empirical and numerical data, our current work indicates that
the Camassa-Holm equations provide a promising theoretical framework from which
to understand some turbulent flows.Comment: tex file, 29 pages, 4 figures, Physics of Fluids (in press
Resolution enhancement of multichannel microwave imagery from the Nimbus-7 SMMR for maritime rainfall analysis
A restoration of the 37, 21, 18, 10.7, and 6.6 GHz satellite imagery from the scanning multichannel microwave radiometer (SMMR) aboard Nimbus-7 to 22.2 km resolution is attempted using a deconvolution method based upon nonlinear programming. The images are deconvolved with and without the aid of prescribed constraints, which force the processed image to abide by partial a priori knowledge of the high-resolution result. The restored microwave imagery may be utilized to examined the distribution of precipitating liquid water in marine rain systems
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Foundations of Cooperation in Young Children
Observations and experiments show that human adults preferentially share resources with close relations, with people who have shared with them (reciprocity), and with people who have shared with others (indirect reciprocity). These tendencies are consistent with evolutionary theory but could also reflect the shaping effects of experience or instruction in complex, cooperative and competitive societies. Here we report evidence for these three tendencies in 3.5 year old children, despite their limited experience with complex cooperative networks. Three pillars of mature cooperative behavior therefore appear to have roots extending deep into human development.Psycholog
Packing Fractions and Maximum Angles of Stability of Granular Materials
In two-dimensional rotating drum experiments, we find two separate influences
of the packing fraction of a granular heap on its stability. For a fixed grain
shape, the stability increases with packing fraction. However, in determining
the relative stability of different grain shapes, those with the lowest average
packing fractions tend to form the most stable heaps. We also show that only
the configuration close to the surface of the pile figures prominently.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure
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Magnitude of behavioral deficits varies with job-related chlorpyrifos exposure levels among Egyptian pesticide workers.
Chronic occupational exposure to organophosphorus pesticides (OPs) is consistently associated with deficits on behavioral tests when compared to unexposed comparison groups. However, a dose-response relationship has yet to be established, leading some to doubt an association between occupational OP exposure and behavioral deficits. Pesticide application teams in Egypt who are primarily exposed to one OP, chlorpyrifos (CPF), were recruited into a field assessment. Trail Making A and the more challenging Trail Making B tests were administered to 54 engineers (who supervise the pesticide application process, usually from the side of the field), 59 technicians (who guide the pesticide applicators in the field), 31 applicators (who mix and apply pesticides using knapsack sprayers), and 150 controls (who did not work in the fields) at two different times during the OP application season as well as immediately after applications had ended and 1.5 months later. All participants were males since only males work on pesticide application teams in Egypt. Urinary levels of 3,5,6-trichloro-2-pyridinol (TCPy), a specific metabolite of CPF, confirmed the pattern of lower to higher CPF exposures from engineers to technicians to applicators, and these were all greater than urinary metabolite levels in controls. A consistent relationship between job title and performance speed on the behavioral task was observed: Controls had the best (fastest) performance on Trail Making A and B tests throughout the application season, and applicators had significantly slower performance than engineers on Trail Making A (p = 0.015) and B (p = 0.003). However, individual urinary TCPy, blood acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BuChE) levels did not predict individual performance. This study identifies a dose-related effect based on job title, which serves as a surrogate for chronic exposure in that differing job titles exhibit varying group exposure levels. The results establish that chronic occupational exposure to chlorpyrifos is neurotoxic and suggest that the classic biomarkers of recent CPF exposure are not predictive of chronic exposure effects
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