5,456 research outputs found
On the Observability of Giant Protoplanets in Circumstellar Disks
We investigate the possibility to detect giant planets that are still
embedded in young circumstellar disks. Based on models with different stellar,
planetary, and disk masses, and different radial positions of the planet we
analyze the resulting submillimeter appearance of these systems. We find that
the influence of the planet on the spectral energy distribution could not be
distinguished from that of other disk parameters. However, dust reemission
images of the disks show that the hot region in the proximity of a young
planet, along with the gap, could indeed be detected and mapped with the
Atacama Large Millimeter Array in the case of nearby circumstellar disks
(d<100pc) in approximate face-on orientation.Comment: ApJ, in pres
Event-Triggered Observers and Observer-Based Controllers for a Class of Nonlinear Systems
In this paper, we investigate the stabilization of a nonlinear plant subject
to network constraints, under the assumption of partial knowledge of the plant
state. The event triggered paradigm is used for the observation and the control
of the system. Necessary conditions, making use of the ISS property, are given
to guarantee the existence of a triggering mechanism, leading to asymptotic
convergence of the observer and system states. The proposed triggering
mechanism is illustrated in the stabilization of a robot with a flexible link
robot.Comment: Proceedings of the 2015 American Control Conference - ACC 201
Narcolepsy and emotional experience: a review of the literature
Narcolepsy is a chronic sleep disorder characterized by excessive daytime sleepiness, cataplexy, hypnagogic hallucinations, and sleep paralysis. This disease affects significantly the overall patient functioning, interfering with social, work, and affective life. Some symptoms of narcolepsy depend on emotional stimuli; for instance, cataplectic attacks can be triggered by emotional inputs such as laughing, joking, a pleasant surprise, and also anger. Neurophysiological and neurochemical findings suggest the involvement of
emotional brain circuits in the physiopathology of cataplexy, which seems to depending on the dysfunctional interplay between the hypothalamus and the amygdala associated with an alteration of hypocretin levels. Furthermore, behavioral studies suggest an impairment of emotions processing in narcolepsy-cataplexy (NC), like a probable coping strategy to avoid or reduce the frequency of cataplexy attacks. Consistently, NC patients seem to use coping strategies even during their sleep, avoiding unpleasant mental sleep activity through lucid dreaming. Interestingly, NC patients, even during sleep, have a different emotional experience than healthy subjects, with more vivid, bizarre, and frightening dreams. Notwithstanding this evidence, the relationship between emotion and narcolepsy is poorly investigated. This review aims to provide a synthesis of behavioral, neurophysiological, and neurochemical evidence to discuss the complex relationship between NC and emotional experience and to direct future research
Research focusing on plant performance in constructed wetlands and agronomic application of treated wastewater – A set of experimental studies in Sicily (Italy)
Constructed wetlands are sustainable technologies for the treatment of wastewater. These biological systems have been widely studied throughout the world for more than 30 years; however, most studies have focused on the effects of design and engineering on pollutant removal from wastewater. Undoubtedly, agro-technical aspects have been given too little consideration by research. This paper reports the main results of a set of experiments carried out on two pilot horizontal subsurface flow systems in Sicily (Italy). Festuca, Lolium and Pennisetum spp. in combination and three emergent macrophytes–Arundo donax L., Cyperus alternifolius L. and Typha latifolia L.–alone, were assessed. The aim of the study was to demonstrate that, under predetermined hydraulic and design conditions, the choice of plant species and the management of the vegetation can significantly affect the pollutant
removal performance of constructed wetlands. In addition, wastewater (after treatment) can also be used for agricultural purposes leading to increased sustainability in agricultural systems. Arundo and Typha-planted units performed better than Cyperus-planted units in terms of chemical, physical and microbiological contaminant removal. All the species adapted extremely well to wetland conditions. Polyculture systems were found to be more efficient than monocultures in the removal of dissolved organic compounds. The reuse of treated wastewater for the irrigation of open fields and horticultural crops led to significant savings in the use of freshwater and fertilizers. The results of physical-energy characterization of A. donax above-ground plant residues and pellets highlighted the fact that a constructed wetland could also be a potential source of bioenergy
Structural change in multipartite entanglement sharing: a random matrix approach
We study the typical entanglement properties of a system comprising two
independent qubit environments interacting via a shuttling ancilla. The initial
preparation of the environments is modeled using random-matrix techniques. The
entanglement measure used in our study is then averaged over many histories of
randomly prepared environmental states. Under a Heisenberg interaction model,
the average entanglement between the ancilla and one of the environments
remains constant, regardless of the preparation of the latter and the details
of the interaction. We also show that, upon suitable kinematic and dynamical
changes in the ancilla-environment subsystems, the entanglement-sharing
structure undergoes abrupt modifications associated with a change in the
multipartite entanglement class of the overall system's state. These results
are invariant with respect to the randomized initial state of the environments.Comment: 10 pages, RevTeX4 (Minor typo's corrected. Closer to published
version
Quantum Mechanics for Thinkers
This book provides quick access to quantum mechanics without dealing with a true textbook that demands proper specialized studies in physics (and related mathematics) for about a couple of years. It consists of three parts: basic formalism, formal development, and ontological issues. The 70 figures are a crucial instrument for becoming acquainted in a "representative" way with abstract problems, and the 30 in-section boxes assist readers understand for difficult mathematical problems. The book offers a considerable number of clear and analytical treatments of what are considered the most difficult conceptual problems of the theory
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