The Characterization of Surface Variegation Effects on Remote Sensing

Improvements in remote sensing capabilities hinge very directly upon attaining an understanding of the physical processes contributing to the measurements. In order to devise new measurement strategies and to learn better techniques for processing remotely gathered data, it is necessary to understand and to characterize the complex radiative interactions of the atmosphere-surface system. In particular, it is important to understand the role of atmospheric structure, ground reflectance inhomogeneity and ground bidirectional reflectance type. The goals, then, are to model, analyze, and parameterize the observable effects of three dimensional atmospheric structure and composition and two dimensional variations in ground albedo and bidirectional reflectance. To achieve these goals, a Monte Carlo radiative transfer code is employed to model and analyze the effects of many of the complications which are present in nature

Studies of atmospheric refraction effects on laser data

The refraction effect from three perspectives was considered. An analysis of the axioms on which the accepted correction algorithms were based was the first priority. The integrity of the meteorological measurements on which the correction model is based was also considered and a large quantity of laser observations was processed in an effort to detect any serious anomalies in them. The effect of refraction errors on geodetic parameters estimated from laser data using the most recent analysis procedures was the focus of the third element of study. The results concentrate on refraction errors which were found to be critical in the eventual use of the data for measurements of crustal dynamics

Refined conformal spectra in the dimer model

Working with Lieb's transfer matrix for the dimer model, we point out that the full set of dimer configurations may be partitioned into disjoint subsets (sectors) closed under the action of the transfer matrix. These sectors are labelled by an integer or half-integer quantum number we call the variation index. In the continuum scaling limit, each sector gives rise to a representation of the Virasoro algebra. We determine the corresponding conformal partition functions and their finitizations, and observe an intriguing link to the Ramond and Neveu-Schwarz sectors of the critical dense polymer model as described by a conformal field theory with central charge c=-2.Comment: 44 page

Against the tide of depoliticisation: The politics of research governance

Research has identified a general trend towards depoliticisation. Against this trend, we identify opportunities for politicisation through the international emergence of a research governance tool: ‘responsible research and innovation’ (RRI). Drawing on face-to-face interviews with university staff, we reveal two factors that influence whether research governance becomes a site of politics: actors’ acknowledgement of their societal responsibilities, and the meanings these actors attribute to RRI. RRI provides a focus for political struggles over the public value of research and innovation at a time when science policy is given a privileged role in driving economic growth

Fusion algebra of critical percolation

We present an explicit conjecture for the chiral fusion algebra of critical percolation considering Virasoro representations with no enlarged or extended symmetry algebra. The representations we take to generate fusion are countably infinite in number. The ensuing fusion rules are quasi-rational in the sense that the fusion of a finite number of these representations decomposes into a finite direct sum of these representations. The fusion rules are commutative, associative and exhibit an sl(2) structure. They involve representations which we call Kac representations of which some are reducible yet indecomposable representations of rank 1. In particular, the identity of the fusion algebra is a reducible yet indecomposable Kac representation of rank 1. We make detailed comparisons of our fusion rules with the recent results of Eberle-Flohr and Read-Saleur. Notably, in agreement with Eberle-Flohr, we find the appearance of indecomposable representations of rank 3. Our fusion rules are supported by extensive numerical studies of an integrable lattice model of critical percolation. Details of our lattice findings and numerical results will be presented elsewhere.Comment: 12 pages, v2: comments and references adde

Fundamental Limits of Classical and Quantum Imaging

Quantum imaging promises increased imaging performance over classical protocols. However, there are a number of aspects of quantum imaging that are not well understood. In particular, it has so far been unknown how to compare classical and quantum imaging procedures. Here, we consider classical and quantum imaging in a single theoretical framework and present general fundamental limits on the resolution and the deposition rate for classical and quantum imaging. The resolution can be estimated from the image itself. We present a utility function that allows us to compare imaging protocols in a wide range of applications.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures; accepted for Physical Review Letters, with updated title and fixed typo

A further chemical trial with doublegee (Emex Australis)

In the Journal of Agriculture, Vol. 3, No. 4, July-August, 1954, details were given of experimental work with doublegees and the following conclusions were reached:

Wind on the boundary for the Abelian sandpile model

We continue our investigation of the two-dimensional Abelian sandpile model in terms of a logarithmic conformal field theory with central charge c=-2, by introducing two new boundary conditions. These have two unusual features: they carry an intrinsic orientation, and, more strangely, they cannot be imposed uniformly on a whole boundary (like the edge of a cylinder). They lead to seven new boundary condition changing fields, some of them being in highest weight representations (weights -1/8, 0 and 3/8), some others belonging to indecomposable representations with rank 2 Jordan cells (lowest weights 0 and 1). Their fusion algebra appears to be in full agreement with the fusion rules conjectured by Gaberdiel and Kausch.Comment: 26 pages, 4 figure

The chemical control of wild radish

Wild radish (Raphanus raphanistrum) and wild turnip (Brassica Tournefortii) occur over a very wide area in Western Australia and are two of the most troublesome weeds of cereal crops. In a period of three years the area sprayed with hormone-like weed-killers for the control of these weeds has increased from experimental proportions to an estimated total of 400,000 acres in one season