Angular-planar CMB power spectrum

Gaussianity and statistical isotropy of the Universe are modern cosmology's minimal set of hypotheses. In this work we introduce a new statistical test to detect observational deviations from this minimal set. By defining the temperature correlation function over the whole celestial sphere, we are able to independently quantify both angular and planar dependence (modulations) of the CMB temperature power spectrum over different slices of this sphere. Given that planar dependence leads to further modulations of the usual angular power spectrum $C_l$, this test can potentially reveal richer structures in the morphology of the primordial temperature field. We have also constructed an unbiased estimator for this angular-planar power spectrum which naturally generalizes the estimator for the usual $C_l$'s. With the help of a chi-square analysis, we have used this estimator to search for observational deviations of statistical isotropy in WMAP's 5 year release data set (ILC5), where we found only slight anomalies on the angular scales $l=7$ and $l=8$. Since this angular-planar statistic is model-independent, it is ideal to employ in searches of statistical anisotropy (e.g., contaminations from the galactic plane) and to characterize non-Gaussianities.Comment: Replaced to match the published version. Journal-ref: Phys.Rev. D80 063525 (2009

Weak lensing B-modes on all scales as a probe of local isotropy

This article derives a multipolar hierarchy for the propagation of the weak-lensing shear and convergence in a general spacetime. The origin of B-modes, in particular on large angular scales, is related to the local isotropy of space. Known results assuming a Friedmann-Lema\^itre background are naturally recovered. The example of a Bianchi I spacetime illustrates our formalism and its implications for future observations are stressed.Comment: 10 pages, 2 figures. Replaced to match published versio

Understanding Drought Dynamics during Dry Season in Eastern Northeast Brazil

Eastern Northeast Brazil (ENEB) generally experiences a high variability in precipitation in the dry season, with amplitudes that can overcome 500mm. The understanding of this variability can help in mitigating the socio-economic issues related to the planning and management of water resources this region, which is highly vulnerable to drought. This work aims to assess spatio-temporal variability of precipitation during the dry season and investigate the relationships between climate phenomena and drought events in the ENEB, using univariate (Spearman correlation) and multivariate statistical techniques, such as Principal Component Analysis, Cluster Analysis, and Maximum Covariance Analysis. The results indicate that the variability of precipitation in the dry season can be explained mainly (62%) by local physical conditions and climate conditions have a secondary contribution. Further analysis of the larger anomalous events suggests that the state of Atlantic and Pacific oceans can govern the occurrence of those events, and the conditions of Atlantic Ocean can be considered a potential modulator of anomalous phenomena of precipitation in ENEB

Design and construction of a didactic standalone photovoltaic plant

This paper proposes the design and construction of a standalone didactic photovoltaic (PV) plant. The system components are available as a didactic kit to the students of the Federal Institute of Education, Science and Technology of Ceará (IFCE), Brazil. Thus, contributing to the teaching-learning process and providing a system to be used in future researches. In addition, the system was designed for supplying electricity to the lighting circuit of the Energy Processing Laboratory, located at IFCE Fortaleza Campus. The PV system developed during the work has an autonomy of 900 Ah and the total installed power of 840 Wp. Using a data capture system, a generation generated by the PV microgeneration was registered in operation up to 647 W

PALEO-PGEM v1.0: a statistical emulator of Pliocene–Pleistocene climate

We describe the development of the “Paleoclimate PLASIM-GENIE (Planet Simulator–Grid-Enabled Integrated Earth system model) emulator” PALEO-PGEM and its application to derive a downscaled high-resolution spatio-temporal description of the climate of the last 5×106 years. The 5×106-year time frame is interesting for a range of paleo-environmental questions, not least because it encompasses the evolution of humans. However, the choice of time frame was primarily pragmatic; tectonic changes can be neglected to first order, so that it is reasonable to consider climate forcing restricted to the Earth's orbital configuration, ice-sheet state, and the concentration of atmosphere CO2. The approach uses the Gaussian process emulation of the singular value decomposition of ensembles of the intermediate-complexity atmosphere–ocean GCM (general circulation model) PLASIM-GENIE. Spatial fields of bioclimatic variables of surface air temperature (warmest and coolest seasons) and precipitation (wettest and driest seasons) are emulated at 1000-year intervals, driven by time series of scalar boundary-condition forcing (CO2, orbit, and ice volume) and assuming the climate is in quasi-equilibrium. Paleoclimate anomalies at climate model resolution are interpolated onto the observed modern climatology to produce a high-resolution spatio-temporal paleoclimate reconstruction of the Pliocene–Pleistocene

Distribution system restoration using optimal power flow

This paper proposes a methodology to solve the Distribution System restoration problem after a fault. This is a Mix Integer Non-Linear optimization problem which poses considerable challenges to traditional methods. The approach described in this paper models the discrete variables of the problem as continuous functions, thus the problem can be solved using the Primal-Dual Interior Point method. The proposed methodology uses graph theory to identify isolated areas and loops in the system. System switches are closed based on a index, obtained from an Optimum Power Flow (OPF) algorithm. The problem is solved step-by-step, providing a feasible switching operation sequence. The proposed method are tested and comparisons show the efficcience and robustness of the algorithm.Este artigo apresenta uma metodologia para solução do problema de restabelecimento de Sistemas de Distribuição de Energia após a ocorrência de um defeito. Trata-se de um problema de programação não linear inteira mista de difícil solução pelos métodos tradicionais. Na metodologia proposta, as variáveis discretas do problema são modeladas como uma função contínua, permitindo que o problema possa ser resolvido utilizando-se o Método Primal-Dual de Pontos Interiores. No processo de solução, inicialmente utiliza-se teoria de grafos para determinar as áreas isoladas e os laços no sistema. Em seguida, as chaves são fechadas com base em um índice obtido através do Fluxo de Potência Ótimo (FPO). O problema é resolvido passo a passo de tal forma que uma sequência viável de operação é fornecida no final do processo. Testes e comparações são realizados mostrando a eficiência da metodologia proposta