14,944 research outputs found
Reducing bias and quantifying uncertainty in watershed flux estimates: the R package loadflex
Many ecological insights into the function of rivers and watersheds emerge from quantifying the flux of solutes or suspended materials in rivers. Numerous methods for flux estimation have been described, and each has its strengths and weaknesses. Currently, the largest practical challenges in flux estimation are to select among these methods and to implement or apply whichever method is chosen. To ease this process of method selection and application, we have written an R software package called loadflex that implements several of the most popular methods for flux estimation, including regressions, interpolations, and the special case of interpolation known as the period-weighted approach. Our package also implements a lesser-known and empirically promising approach called the ācomposite method,ā to which we have added an algorithm for estimating prediction uncertainty. Here we describe the structure and key features of loadflex, with a special emphasis on the rationale and details of our composite method implementation. We then demonstrate the use of loadflex by fitting four different models to nitrate data from the Lamprey River in southeastern New Hampshire, where two large floods in 2006ā2007 are hypothesized to have driven a long-term shift in nitrate concentrations and fluxes from the watershed. The models each give believable estimates, and yet they yield different answers for whether and how the floods altered nitrate loads. In general, the best modeling approach for each new dataset will depend on the specific site and solute of interest, and researchers need to make an informed choice among the many possible models. Our package addresses this need by making it simple to apply and compare multiple load estimation models, ultimately allowing researchers to estimate riverine concentrations and fluxes with greater ease and accuracy
Wave-like Solutions for Bianchi type-I cosmologies in 5D
We derive exact solutions to the vacuum Einstein field equations in 5D, under
the assumption that (i) the line element in 5D possesses self-similar symmetry,
in the classical understanding of Sedov, Taub and Zeldovich, and that (ii) the
metric tensor is diagonal and independent of the coordinates for ordinary 3D
space. These assumptions lead to three different types of self-similarity in
5D: homothetic, conformal and "wave-like". In this work we present the most
general wave-like solutions to the 5D field equations. Using the standard
technique based on Campbell's theorem, they generate a large number of
anisotropic cosmological models of Bianchi type-I, which can be applied to our
universe after the big-bang, when anisotropies could have played an important
role. We present a complete review of all possible cases of self-similar
anisotropic cosmologies in 5D. Our analysis extends a number of previous
studies on wave-like solutions in 5D with spatial spherical symmetry
Measuring Fractional Charge in Carbon Nanotubes
The Luttinger model of the one-dimensional Fermi gas is the cornerstone of
modern understanding of interacting electrons in one dimension. In fact, the
enormous class of systems whose universal behavior is adiabatically connected
to it are now deemed Luttinger liquids. Recently, it has been shown that
metallic single-walled carbon nanotubes are almost perfectly described by the
Luttinger Hamiltonian. Indeed, strongly non-Fermi liquid behavior has been
observed in a variety of DC transport experiments, in very good agreement with
theoretical predictions. Here, we describe how fractional quasiparticle charge,
a fundamental property of Luttinger liquids, can be observed in
impurity-induced shot noise.Comment: 6 pages, 2 figure
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