175 research outputs found
A simple two-module problem to exemplify building-block assembly under crossover
Theoretically and empirically it is clear that a genetic algorithm with crossover will outperform a genetic algorithm without crossover in some fitness landscapes, and vice versa in other landscapes. Despite an extensive literature on the subject, and recent proofs of a principled distinction in the abilities of crossover and non-crossover algorithms for a particular theoretical landscape, building general intuitions about when and why crossover performs well when it does is a different matter. In particular, the proposal that crossover might enable the assembly of good building-blocks has been difficult to verify despite many attempts at idealized building-block landscapes. Here we show the first example of a two-module problem that shows a principled advantage for cross-over. This allows us to understand building-block assembly under crossover quite straightforwardly and build intuition about more general landscape classes favoring crossover or disfavoring it
Apparent phase transitions in finite one-dimensional sine-Gordon lattices
We study the one-dimensional sine-Gordon model as a prototype of roughening
phenomena. In spite of the fact that it has been recently proven that this
model can not have any phase transition [J. A. Cuesta and A. Sanchez, J. Phys.
A 35, 2373 (2002)], Langevin as well as Monte Carlo simulations strongly
suggest the existence of a finite temperature separating a flat from a rough
phase. We explain this result by means of the transfer operator formalism and
show as a consequence that sine-Gordon lattices of any practically achievable
size will exhibit this apparent phase transition at unexpectedly large
temperatures.Comment: 7 pages, 4 figure
Crossover effects in a discrete deposition model with Kardar-Parisi-Zhang scaling
We simulated a growth model in 1+1 dimensions in which particles are
aggregated according to the rules of ballistic deposition with probability p or
according to the rules of random deposition with surface relaxation (Family
model) with probability 1-p. For any p>0, this system is in the
Kardar-Parisi-Zhang (KPZ) universality class, but it presents a slow crossover
from the Edwards-Wilkinson class (EW) for small p. From the scaling of the
growth velocity, the parameter p is connected to the coefficient of the
nonlinear term of the KPZ equation, lambda, giving lambda ~ p^gamma, with gamma
= 2.1 +- 0.2. Our numerical results confirm the interface width scaling in the
growth regime as W ~ lambda^beta t^beta, and the scaling of the saturation time
as tau ~ lambda^(-1) L^z, with the expected exponents beta =1/3 and z=3/2 and
strong corrections to scaling for small lambda. This picture is consistent with
a crossover time from EW to KPZ growth in the form t_c ~ lambda^(-4) ~ p^(-8),
in agreement with scaling theories and renormalization group analysis. Some
consequences of the slow crossover in this problem are discussed and may help
investigations of more complex models.Comment: 16 pages, 7 figures; to appear in Phys. Rev.
High-Energy Aspects of Solar Flares: Overview of the Volume
In this introductory chapter, we provide a brief summary of the successes and
remaining challenges in understanding the solar flare phenomenon and its
attendant implications for particle acceleration mechanisms in astrophysical
plasmas. We also provide a brief overview of the contents of the other chapters
in this volume, with particular reference to the well-observed flare of 2002
July 23Comment: This is the introductory article for a monograph on the physics of
solar flares, inspired by RHESSI observations. The individual articles are to
appear in Space Science Reviews (2011
Optical nanofibers and spectroscopy
We review our recent progress in the production and characterization of
tapered optical fibers with a sub-wavelength diameter waist. Such fibers
exhibit a pronounced evanescent field and are therefore a useful tool for
highly sensitive evanescent wave spectroscopy of adsorbates on the fiber waist
or of the medium surrounding. We use a carefully designed flame pulling process
that allows us to realize preset fiber diameter profiles. In order to determine
the waist diameter and to verify the fiber profile, we employ scanning electron
microscope measurements and a novel accurate in situ optical method based on
harmonic generation. We use our fibers for linear and non-linear absorption and
fluorescence spectroscopy of surface-adsorbed organic molecules and investigate
their agglomeration dynamics. Furthermore, we apply our spectroscopic method to
quantum dots on the surface of the fiber waist and to caesium vapor surrounding
the fiber. Finally, towards dispersive measurements, we present our first
results on building and testing a single-fiber bi-modal interferometer.Comment: 13 pages, 18 figures. Accepted for publication in Applied Physics B.
Changes according to referee suggestions: changed title, clarification of
some points in the text, added references, replacement of Figure 13
Fast-neutron induced pre-equilibrium reactions on 55Mn and 63,65Cu at energies up to 40 MeV
Excitation functions were measured for the Mn(n,2n)Mn,
Mn(n,)V, Cu(n,)Co,
Cu(n,2n)Cu, and Cu(n,p)Ni reactions from 13.47 to
14.83 MeV. The experimental cross sections are compared with the results of
calculations including all activation channels for the stable isotopes of Mn
and Cu, for neutron incident energies up to 50 MeV. Within the energy range up
to 20 MeV the model calculations are most sensitive to the parameters related
to nuclei in the early stages of the reaction, while the model assumptions are
better established by analysis of the data in the energy range 20-40 MeV. While
the present analysis has taken advantage of both a new set of accurate measured
cross sections around 14 MeV and the larger data basis fortunately available
between 20 and 40 MeV for the Mn and Cu isotopes, the need of additional
measurements below as well as above 40 MeV is pointed out. Keywords: 55Mn,
63,65Cu, E40 MeV, Neutron activation cross section measurements, Nuclear
reactions, Model calculations, Manganese, CopperComment: 39 pages, 12 figure
Simultaneous alignment and folding of protein sequences
Accurate comparative analysis tools for low-homology proteins remains a difficult challenge in computational biology, especially sequence alignment and consensus folding problems. We presentpartiFold-Align, the first algorithm for simultaneous alignment and consensus folding of unaligned protein sequences; the algorithm’s complexity is polynomial in time and space. Algorithmically,partiFold-Align exploits sparsity in the set of super-secondary structure pairings and alignment candidates to achieve an effectively cubic running time for simultaneous pairwise alignment and folding. We demonstrate the efficacy of these techniques on transmembrane β-barrel proteins, an important yet difficult class of proteins with few known three-dimensional structures. Testing against structurally derived sequence alignments,partiFold-Align significantly outperforms state-of-the-art pairwise sequence alignment tools in the most difficult low sequence homology case and improves secondary structure prediction where current approaches fail. Importantly, partiFold-Align requires no prior training. These general techniques are widely applicable to many more protein families. partiFold-Align is available at http://partiFold.csail.mit.edu
Recent Advances in Understanding Particle Acceleration Processes in Solar Flares
We review basic theoretical concepts in particle acceleration, with
particular emphasis on processes likely to occur in regions of magnetic
reconnection. Several new developments are discussed, including detailed
studies of reconnection in three-dimensional magnetic field configurations
(e.g., current sheets, collapsing traps, separatrix regions) and stochastic
acceleration in a turbulent environment. Fluid, test-particle, and
particle-in-cell approaches are used and results compared. While these studies
show considerable promise in accounting for the various observational
manifestations of solar flares, they are limited by a number of factors, mostly
relating to available computational power. Not the least of these issues is the
need to explicitly incorporate the electrodynamic feedback of the accelerated
particles themselves on the environment in which they are accelerated. A brief
prognosis for future advancement is offered.Comment: This is a chapter in a monograph on the physics of solar flares,
inspired by RHESSI observations. The individual articles are to appear in
Space Science Reviews (2011
Effect of Local Environment and Stellar Mass on Galaxy Quenching and Morphology at 0.5 < z < 2.0
Large scale structure and cosmolog
Employing Travel Time to Compare the Value of Competing Cultural Organizations
A number of studies have applied non-market valuation techniques to measure the value of cultural goods. Virtually all of these studies are single case applications and rely mostly on stated preferences, such as contingent valuation techniques. We compare the relative value of multiple, competing goods and show how revealed preferences, in particular travel time, may be used for this. In addition, we account for heterogeneity. Using a unique transaction database with the visiting behavior of 80,821 Museum Cardholders to 108 Dutch museums, we propose a latent class application of a logit model to account for the different distances of museums to the population and for differences in willingness-to-travel.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/44648/1/10824_2005_Article_5796.pd
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