64,211 research outputs found
Halo ratio from ground based all-sky imaging
© Author(s) 2019.The halo ratio (HR) is a quantitative measure characterizing the occurrence of the 22 halo peak associated with cirrus. We propose to obtain it from an approximation to the scattering phase function (SPF) derived from allsky imaging. Ground-based fisheye cameras are used to retrieve the SPF by implementing the necessary image transformations and corrections. These consist of geometric camera characterization by utilizing positions of known stars in a camera image, transforming the images from the zenithcentred to the light-source-centred system of coordinates and correcting for the air mass and for vignetting, the latter using independent measurements from a sun photometer. The SPF is then determined by averaging the image brightness over the azimuth angle and the HR by calculating the ratio of the SPF at two scattering angles in the vicinity of the 22° halo peak. In variance from previous suggestions we select these angles to be 20 and 23°, on the basis of our observations. HR time series have been obtained under various cloud conditions, including halo cirrus, non-halo cirrus and scattered cumuli. While the HR measured in this way is found to be sensitive to the halo status of cirrus, showing values typically > 1 under halo-producing clouds, similar HR values, mostly artefacts associated with bright cloud edges, can also be occasionally observed under scattered cumuli. Given that the HR is an ice cloud characteristic, a separate cirrus detection algorithm is necessary to screen out non-ice clouds before deriving reliable HR statistics. Here we propose utilizing sky brightness temperature from infrared radiometry: Both its absolute value and the magnitude of fluctuations obtained through detrended fluctuation analysis. The brightness temperature data permit the detection of cirrus in most but not all instances.Peer reviewe
Full-scale testing of an Ogee tip rotor
Full scale tests were utilized to investigate the effect of the ogee tip on helicopter rotor acoustics, performance, and loads. Two facilities were used: the Langley whirl tower and a UH-1H helicopter. The text matrix for hover on the whirl tower involved thrust values from 0 to 44 480 N (10,000 lb) at several tip Mach numbers for both standard and Ogee rotors. The full scale testing on the UH-1H encompassed the major portion of the flight envelope for that aircraft. Both near field acoustic measurements and far field flyover data were obtained for both the ogee and standard rotors. Data analysis of the whirl tower test shows that the ogee tip does significantly diffuse the tip vortex while providing some improvement in hover performance at low and moderate thrust coefficients. Flight testing of both rotors indicates that the strong impulsive noise signature of the standard rotor can be reduced with the ogee rotor. Analysis of the spectra indicates a reduction in energy in the 250 Hz and 1000 Hz range for the ogee rotor. Forward flight performance was significantly improved with the ogee configuration for a large number of flight conditions. Further, rotor control loads were reduced through use of this advanced tip rotor
Computer and photogrammetric general land use study of central north Alabama
The object of this report is to acquaint potential users with two computer programs, developed at NASA, Marshall Space Flight Center. They were used in producing a land use survey and maps of central north Alabama from Earth Resources Technology Satellite (ERTS) digital data. The report describes in detail the thought processes and analysis procedures used from the initiation of the land use study to its completion, as well as a photogrammetric study that was used in conjunction with the computer analysis to produce similar land use maps. The results of the land use demonstration indicate that, with respect to computer time and cost, such a study may be economically and realistically feasible on a statewide basis
Assessment of Neuropsychological Trajectories in Longitudinal Population-Based Studies of Children
This paper provides a strategy for the assessment of brain function in longitudinal cohort studies of children. The proposed strategy invokes both domain-specific and omnibus intelligence test approaches. In order to minimise testing burden and practice effects, the cohort is divided into four groups with one-quarter tested at 6-monthly intervals in the 0–2-year age range (at ages 6 months, 1.0, 1.5 and 2.0 years) and at annual intervals from ages 3–20 (one-quarter of the children at age 3, another at age 4, etc). This strategy allows investigation of cognitive development and of the relationship between environmental influences and development at each age. It also allows introduction of new domains of function when age-appropriate. As far as possible, tests are used that will provide a rich source of both longitudinal and cross-sectional data. The testing strategy allows the introduction of novel tests and new domains as well as piloting of tests when the test burden is relatively light. In addition to the recommended tests for each age and domain, alternative tests are described. Assessment methodology and knowledge about child cognitive development will change over the next 20 years, and strategies are suggested for altering the proposed test schedule as appropriate
Highly frustrated spin-lattice models of magnetism and their quantum phase transitions: A microscopic treatment via the coupled cluster method
We outline how the coupled cluster method of microscopic quantum many-body
theory can be utilized in practice to give highly accurate results for the
ground-state properties of a wide variety of highly frustrated and strongly
correlated spin-lattice models of interest in quantum magnetism, including
their quantum phase transitions. The method itself is described, and it is
shown how it may be implemented in practice to high orders in a systematically
improvable hierarchy of (so-called LSUB) approximations, by the use of
computer-algebraic techniques. The method works from the outset in the
thermodynamic limit of an infinite lattice at all levels of approximation, and
it is shown both how the "raw" LSUB results are themselves generally
excellent in the sense that they converge rapidly, and how they may accurately
be extrapolated to the exact limit, , of the truncation
index , which denotes the {\it only} approximation made. All of this is
illustrated via a specific application to a two-dimensional, frustrated,
spin-half -- model on a honeycomb lattice with
nearest-neighbor and next-nearest-neighbor interactions with exchange couplings
and , respectively, where both
interactions are of the same anisotropic type. We show how the method can
be used to determine the entire zero-temperature ground-state phase diagram of
the model in the range of the frustration parameter and
of the spin-space anisotropy parameter. In particular,
we identify a candidate quantum spin-liquid region in the phase space
Spin-1/2 - Heisenberg model on a cross-striped square lattice
Using the coupled cluster method (CCM) we study the full (zero-temperature)
ground-state (GS) phase diagram of a spin-half () -
Heisenberg model on a cross-striped square lattice. Each site of the square
lattice has 4 nearest-neighbour exchange bonds of strength and 2
next-nearest-neighbour (diagonal) bonds of strength . The bonds
are arranged so that the basic square plaquettes in alternating columns have
either both or no bonds included. The classical () version of the model has 4 collinear phases when and
can take either sign. Three phases are antiferromagnetic (AFM), showing
so-called N\'{e}el, double N\'{e}el and double columnar striped order
respectively, while the fourth is ferromagnetic. For the quantum model
we use the 3 classical AFM phases as CCM reference states, on top of which the
multispin-flip configurations arising from quantum fluctuations are
incorporated in a systematic truncation hierarchy. Calculations of the
corresponding GS energy, magnetic order parameter and the susceptibilities of
the states to various forms of valence-bond crystalline (VBC) order are thus
carried out numerically to high orders of approximation and then extrapolated
to the (exact) physical limit. We find that the model has 5 phases,
which correspond to the four classical phases plus a new quantum phase with
plaquette VBC order. The positions of the 5 quantum critical points are
determined with high accuracy. While all 4 phase transitions in the classical
model are first order, we find strong evidence that 3 of the 5 quantum phase
transitions in the model are of continuous deconfined type
A frustrated spin-1/2 Heisenberg antiferromagnet on a chevron-square lattice
The coupled cluster method (CCM) is used to study the zero-temperature
properties of a frustrated spin-half () -- Heisenberg
antiferromagnet (HAF) on a 2D chevron-square lattice. Each site on an
underlying square lattice has 4 nearest-neighbor exchange bonds of strength
and 2 next-nearest-neighbor (diagonal) bonds of strength , with each square plaquette having only one diagonal bond.
The diagonal bonds form a chevron pattern, and the model thus interpolates
smoothly between 2D HAFs on the square () and triangular () lattices,
and also extrapolates to disconnected 1D HAF chains (). The
classical () version of the model has N\'{e}el order for and a form of spiral order for , where
. For the model we use both these classical
states, as well as other collinear states not realized as classical
ground-state (GS) phases, as CCM reference states, on top of which the
multispin-flip configurations resulting from quantum fluctuations are
incorporated in a systematic truncation scheme, which we carry out to high
orders and extrapolate to the physical limit. We calculate the GS energy, GS
magnetic order parameter, and the susceptibilities of the states to various
forms of valence-bond crystalline (VBC) order, including plaquette and two
different dimer forms. We find that the model has two quantum
critical points, at and ,
with N\'{e}el order for , a form of spiral order for
that includes the correct three-sublattice
spin ordering for the triangular-lattice HAF at , and
parallel-dimer VBC order for
Internal dissipation of a polymer
The dynamics of flexible polymer molecules are often assumed to be governed
by hydrodynamics of the solvent. However there is considerable evidence that
internal dissipation of a polymer contributes as well. Here we investigate the
dynamics of a single chain in the absence of solvent to characterize the nature
of this internal friction. We model the chains as freely hinged but with
localized bond angles and 3-fold symmetric dihedral angles. We show that the
damping is close but not identical to Kelvin damping, which depends on the
first temporal and second spatial derivative of monomer position. With no
internal potential between monomers, the magnitude of the damping is small for
long wavelengths and weakly damped oscillatory time dependent behavior is seen
for a large range of spatial modes. When the size of the internal potential is
increased, such oscillations persist, but the damping becomes larger. However
underdamped motion is present even with quite strong dihedral barriers for long
enough wavelengths.Comment: 6 pages, 8 figure
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