Generating Bijections between HOAS and the Natural Numbers

A provably correct bijection between higher-order abstract syntax (HOAS) and the natural numbers enables one to define a "not equals" relationship between terms and also to have an adequate encoding of sets of terms, and maps from one term family to another. Sets and maps are useful in many situations and are preferably provided in a library of some sort. I have released a map and set library for use with Twelf which can be used with any type for which a bijection to the natural numbers exists. Since creating such bijections is tedious and error-prone, I have created a "bijection generator" that generates such bijections automatically together with proofs of correctness, all in the context of Twelf.Comment: In Proceedings LFMTP 2010, arXiv:1009.218

Plasma electrons above Saturn's main rings: CAPS observations

We present observations of thermal ( similar to 0.6 - 100eV) electrons observed near Saturn's main rings during Cassini's Saturn Orbit Insertion (SOI) on 1 July 2004. We find that the intensity of electrons is broadly anticorrelated with the ring optical depth at the magnetic footprint of the field line joining the spacecraft to the rings. We see enhancements corresponding to the Cassini division and Encke gap. We suggest that some of the electrons are generated by photoemission from ring particle surfaces on the illuminated side of the rings, the far side from the spacecraft. Structure in the energy spectrum over the Cassini division and A-ring may be related to photoelectron emission followed by acceleration, or, more likely, due to photoelectron production in the ring atmosphere or ionosphere

Hard X-ray variability of the black-hole candidate GRO J0422+32 during its 1992 outburst

We have studied the hard X-ray variability of the soft X-ray transient GRO J0422+32 with BATSE in the 20-100 keV energy band. Our analysis covers 180 days following the first X-ray detection of the source on 1992 August 5, fully covering its primary and secondary X-ray outburst. We computed power density spectra (PDSs) in the 20-50, 50-100, and 20-100 keV energy bands, in the frequency interval 0.002-0.488 Hz. The PDSs of GRO J0422+32 are approximately flat up to a break frequency, and decay as a power law above, with index ~1. The canonical anticorrelation between the break frequency and the power density at the break, observed in Cyg X-1 and other BHCs in the low state, is not observed in the PDSs of GRO J0422+32. We compare our results with those of similar variability studies of Cyg X-1. The relation between the spectral slope and the amplitude of the X-ray variations of GRO J0422+32 is similar to that of Cyg X-1; however, the relation between the hard X-ray flux and the amplitude of its variation is opposite to what has been found in Cyg X-1. Phase lags between the X-ray flux variations of GRO J0422+32 at high and low photon energies, could only be derived during the first 30 days of its outburst. During this period, the variations in the 50-100 keV lag those in the 20-50 keV energy band by an approximately constant phase difference of 0.039(3) rad in the frequency interval 0.02-0.20 Hz.Comment: 33 pages, including 14 postscript figures, AASTEX. To appear in ApJ 1999, March 1, vol. 513 #

Analysis of the role of predicted RNA secondary structures in Ebola virus replication

AbstractThermodynamic modeling of Ebola viral RNA predicts the formation of RNA stem-loop structures at the 3′ and 5′ termini and panhandle structures between the termini of the genomic (or antigenomic) RNAs. Sequence analysis showed a high degree of identity among Ebola Zaire, Sudan, Reston, and Cote d’Ivoire subtype viruses in their 3′ and 5′ termini (18 nucleotides in length) and within a second region (internal by approximately 20 nucleotides). While base pairing of the two conserved regions could lead to the formation of the base of the putative stem-loop or panhandle structures, the intervening sequence variation altered the predictions for the rest of the structures. Using an in vivo minigenome replication system, we engineered mutations designed to disrupt potential base pairing in the viral RNA termini. Analysis of these variants by screening for enhanced green fluorescent protein reporter expression and by quantitation of minigenomic RNA levels demonstrated that the upper portions of the putative panhandle and 3′ genomic structures can be destabilized without affecting virus replication

Preliminary interpretation of Titan plasma interaction as observed by the Cassini Plasma Spectrometer: Comparisons with Voyager 1

The Cassini Plasma Spectrometer (CAPS) instrument observed the plasma environment at Titan during the Cassini orbiter's TA encounter on October 26, 2004. Titan was in Saturn's magnetosphere during the Voyager 1 flyby and also during the TA encounter. CAPS measurements from this encounter are compared with measurements made by the Voyager 1 Plasma Science Instrument (PLS). The comparisons focus on the composition and nature of ambient and pickup ions. They lead to: A) the major ion components of Saturn's magnetosphere in the vicinity of Titan are H+, H-2(+) and O+/CH4+ ions; B) finite gyroradius effects are apparent in ambient O+ ions as the result of their absorption by Titan's extended atmosphere; C) the principal pickup ions are composed of H+, H-2(+), N+/CH2+, CH4+, and N-2(+); D) the pickup ions are in narrow energy ranges; and E) there is clear evidence of the slowing down of background ions due to pickup ion mass loading

Hard X-ray lags in GRO J1719-24

We have used the Fourier cross spectra of GRO J1719-24, as obtained with BATSE, to estimate the phase lags between the X-ray flux variations in the 20--50 and 50--100 keV energy bands as a function of Fourier frequency in the interval 0.002--0.488 Hz. Our analysis covers the entire ~80 day X-ray outburst of this black-hole candidate, following the first X-ray detection on 1993 September 25. The X-ray variations in the 50--100 keV band lag those in the 20--50 keV energy band by an approximately constant phase difference of 0.072 +/- 0.010 rad in the frequency interval 0.02--0.20 Hz. The peak phase lags in the interval 0.02--0.20 Hz are about twice those of Cyg X-1 and GRO J0422+32.These results are consistent with models for Comptonization regions composed of extended non-uniform clouds around the central source.Comment: 10 pages, including 4 postscript figures, AASTEX. Accepted for publication by Ap

Correlation Between BATSE Hard X-ray Spectral and Timing Properties of Cygnus X-1

We have analyzed approximately 1100 days of Cygnus X-1 hard X-ray data obtained with BATSE to study its rapid variability. We find for the first time correlations between the slope of the spectrum and the hard X-ray intensity, and between the spectral slope and the amplitude of the rapid variations of the hard X-ray flux. We compare our results with expectations from current theories of accretion onto black holes.Comment: 17 pages, 3 Postscript figures, uses aasms4.sty. Accepted for publication in Astrophysical Journal Letter

Termination Casts: A Flexible Approach to Termination with General Recursion

This paper proposes a type-and-effect system called Teqt, which distinguishes terminating terms and total functions from possibly diverging terms and partial functions, for a lambda calculus with general recursion and equality types. The central idea is to include a primitive type-form "Terminates t", expressing that term t is terminating; and then allow terms t to be coerced from possibly diverging to total, using a proof of Terminates t. We call such coercions termination casts, and show how to implement terminating recursion using them. For the meta-theory of the system, we describe a translation from Teqt to a logical theory of termination for general recursive, simply typed functions. Every typing judgment of Teqt is translated to a theorem expressing the appropriate termination property of the computational part of the Teqt term.Comment: In Proceedings PAR 2010, arXiv:1012.455

Dynamic auroral storms on Saturn as observed by the Hubble Space Telescope

We present observations of significant dynamics within two UV auroral storms observed on Saturn using the Hubble Space Telescope in April/May 2013. Specifically, we discuss bursts of auroral emission observed at the poleward boundary of a solar wind-induced auroral storm, propagating at ∼330% rigid corotation from near ∼01 h LT toward ∼08 h LT. We suggest that these are indicative of ongoing, bursty reconnection of lobe flux in the magnetotail, providing strong evidence that Saturn’s auroral storms are caused by large-scale flux closure. We also discuss the later evolution of a similar storm and show that the emission maps to the trailing region of an energetic neutral atom enhancement. We thus identify the auroral form with the upward field-aligned continuity currents flowing into the associated partial ring current