11,461 research outputs found
Commensurate-Incommensurate Magnetic Phase Transition in Magnetoelectric Single Crystal LiNiPO
Neutron scattering studies of single-crystal LiNiPO reveal a spontaneous
first-order commensurate-incommensurate magnetic phase transition. Short- and
long-range incommensurate phases are intermediate between the high temperature
paramagnetic and the low temperature antiferromagnetic phases. The modulated
structure has a predominant antiferromagnetic component, giving rise to
satellite peaks in the vicinity of the fundamental antiferromagnetic Bragg
reflection, and a ferromagnetic component giving rise to peaks at small
momentum-transfers around the origin at . The wavelength of the
modulated magnetic structure varies continuously with temperature. It is argued
that the incommensurate short- and long-range phases are due to
spin-dimensionality crossover from a continuous to the discrete Ising state.
These observations explain the anomalous first-order transition seen in the
magnetoelectric effect of this system
Formal Model Engineering for Embedded Systems Using Real-Time Maude
This paper motivates why Real-Time Maude should be well suited to provide a
formal semantics and formal analysis capabilities to modeling languages for
embedded systems. One can then use the code generation facilities of the tools
for the modeling languages to automatically synthesize Real-Time Maude
verification models from design models, enabling a formal model engineering
process that combines the convenience of modeling using an informal but
intuitive modeling language with formal verification. We give a brief overview
six fairly different modeling formalisms for which Real-Time Maude has provided
the formal semantics and (possibly) formal analysis. These models include
behavioral subsets of the avionics modeling standard AADL, Ptolemy II
discrete-event models, two EMF-based timed model transformation systems, and a
modeling language for handset software.Comment: In Proceedings AMMSE 2011, arXiv:1106.596
Formal Visual Modeling of Real-Time Systems in e-Motions: Two Case Studies
e-Motions is an Eclipse-based visual timed model transformation framework
with a Real-Time Maude semantics that supports the usual Maude formal analysis
methods, including simulation, reachability analysis, and LTL model checking.
e-Motions is characterized by a novel and powerful set of constructs for
expressing timed behaviors. In this paper we illustrate the use of these
constructs --- and thereby implicitly investigate their suitability to define
real-time systems in an intuitive way --- to define and formally analyze two
prototypical and very different real-time systems: (i) a simple round trip time
protocol for computing the time it takes a message to travel from one node to
another, and back; and (ii) the EDF scheduling algorithm.Comment: In Proceedings AMMSE 2011, arXiv:1106.596
Impact of noise on a dynamical system: prediction and uncertainties from a swarm-optimized neural network
In this study, an artificial neural network (ANN) based on particle swarm
optimization (PSO) was developed for the time series prediction. The hybrid
ANN+PSO algorithm was applied on Mackey--Glass chaotic time series in the
short-term . The performance prediction was evaluated and compared with
another studies available in the literature. Also, we presented properties of
the dynamical system via the study of chaotic behaviour obtained from the
predicted time series. Next, the hybrid ANN+PSO algorithm was complemented with
a Gaussian stochastic procedure (called {\it stochastic} hybrid ANN+PSO) in
order to obtain a new estimator of the predictions, which also allowed us to
compute uncertainties of predictions for noisy Mackey--Glass chaotic time
series. Thus, we studied the impact of noise for several cases with a white
noise level () from 0.01 to 0.1.Comment: 11 pages, 8 figure
The Space Debris Sensor Experiment
The Space Debris Sensor (SDS) is a NASA Class 1E technology demonstration external payload aboard the International Space Station (ISS). With approximately one square meter of detection area, the SDS is attached to the European Space Agency Columbus module facing the ISS velocity vector with minimal obstruction from ISS hardware. The SDS is the first flight demonstration of the Debris Resistive/Acoustic Grid Orbital NASA-Navy Sensor (DRAGONS) technology developed and matured over 10 years by the NASA Orbital Debris Program Office (ODPO), in concert with the DRAGONS consortium, to provide information on the sub-millimeter scale orbital debris environment. The SDS demonstrated the capacity to read 4 resistive grids at 1 Hz, 40 acoustic sensors at 500 kHz, and record and downlink impact data to the ground. Observable and derived data from the SDS could provide information to models that are critical to understanding risks the small debris environment poses to spacecraft in low Earth orbit. The technology demonstrated by the SDS is a major step forward in monitoring and characterizing the space debris environment. This paper will address the technical performance of the SDS during its operational lifetime and its realization of technical and scientific goals. The SDS was intended to operate for 3 years; however, the payload incurred multiple anomalies during its operational life. Subsequently termed Anomaly #1, the first was the symptomatic loss of low data rate 1553 channel command and telemetry. The second, Anomaly #2, was loss of all low- and medium-data rate (Ethernet) telemetry. Anomaly #2 proved to be unrecoverable, leading to loss of the payload after approximately 26 days on-board the ISS. Therefore, this paper also addresses the anomalies that occurred during operation of the SDS, their attribution, and their resolution. Lessons learned are described when relevant to anomaly identification, attribution, and resolution
How is environmental proactivity accomplished? Drivers and barriers in firms' pro-environmental change process
The contaminating effects of economic activity and the scarcity of natural resources has led firms to a situation in which corporate strategy has been compromised by environmental issues. The objective of this paper is to analyse some of the factors determining the pro-environmental change process by considering the drivers encouraging firms to progress in environmental protection and the barriers that curb this progress. Using a structural equation model implemented on a sample of 303 firms, our results confirm a direct and positive effect of stakeholder pressure and of the expectations of obtaining competitive advantages from the pro-environmental change process. The results also confirmed the indirect effect of stakeholder pressure on pro-environmental change through managers'' expectations of obtaining competitive advantages, which play a mediating role in the firm''s response. Although managers interpret the barriers we have studied as obstacles to adopting environmental protection measures, they do not prevent any firm from reaching advanced levels of pro-environmental change
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