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An ontology to model the research process in information systems
The IS community has relied mostly on two main paradigms to undertake IS research: positivist and interpretivist. This paper argues that the ongoing debate around which of these paradigms is better suited to undertake IS research has created confusion amongst IS researchers, particularly between those who are relatively inexperienced (e.g. PhD researchers). Inexperienced researchers tend to place emphasis on the justification of their research approaches in the context of existing paradigms without offering a clear description of how the chosen methods and paradigms are applied in the context of their own research, a key issue to assess and understand any research output. This paper does not attempt to give any suggestions as to which research methods/paradigms should be used for IS research, but to raise the awareness that the way we currently communicate our thoughts in the research methods domain may not be very effective. We argue that an initial step to undertake this challenge could be to take a more âpracticalâ approach by focusing on the process of thinking and planning the research activity rather than focusing on the justification of the use of one or many research methods usually âloanedâ from other discipline
Rich-club vs rich-multipolarization phenomena in weighted networks
Large scale hierarchies characterize complex networks in different domains.
Elements at their top, usually the most central or influential, may show
multipolarization or tend to club forming tightly interconnected communities.
The rich-club phenomenon quantified this tendency based on unweighted network
representations. Here, we define this metric for weighted networks and discuss
the appropriate normalization which preserves nodes' strengths and discounts
structural strength-strength correlations if present. We find that in some real
networks the results given by the weighted rich-club coefficient can be in
sharp contrast to the ones in the unweighted approach. We also discuss that the
scanning of the weighted subgraphs formed by the high-strength hubs is able to
unveil features contrary to the average: the formation of local alliances in
rich-multipolarized environments, or a lack of cohesion even in the presence of
rich-club ordering. Beyond structure, this analysis matters for understanding
correctly functionalities and dynamical processes relying on hub
interconnectedness.Comment: 12 pages, 2 figure
Cluster of galaxies around seven radio-loud QSOs at 1<z<1.6: K-band images
We have conducted a NIR study of the environments of seven radio-loud quasars
at redshifts 1<z<1.6. In present paper we describe deep band images
obtained for the fields of ~6X6 arcmin around the quasars with 3
limiting magnitudes of K~20.5. These fields were previously studied using deep
B and R band images (Sanchez & Gonzalez-Serrano 1999). Using together optical
and NIR data, it has been found a significant excess of galaxies which
optical-NIR colours, luminosity, spatial scale, and number of galaxies are
compatible with clusters at the redshift of the quasar.
We have selected a sample of cluster candidates analyzing the R-K vs. K
diagram. A ~25% of the candidates present red optical-NIR colours and an
ultraviolet excess. This population has been also found in clusters around
quasars at the same redshifts (Tanaka et al. 2000; Haines et al. 2001). These
galaxies seem to follow a mixed evolution: a main passive evolution plus late
starformation processes. The quasars do not inhabit the core of the clusters,
being found in the outer regions. This result agrees with the hypothesis that
the origin/feeding mechanism of the nuclear activity were merging processes.
The quasars inhabit the region were a collision is most probably to produce a
merger.Comment: 15 pages. A&A, accepted for publishin
Transition matrices for symmetric and quasisymmetric Hall-Littlewood polynomials
We introduce explicit combinatorial interpretations for the coefficients in
some of the transition matrices relating to skew Hall-Littlewood polynomials
P_lambda/mu(x;t) and Hivert's quasisymmetric Hall-Littlewood polynomials
G_gamma(x;t). More specifically, we provide: 1) the G-expansions of the
Hall-Littlewood polynomials P_lambda, the monomial quasisymmetric polynomials
M_alpha, the quasisymmetric Schur polynomials S_alpha, and the peak
quasisymmetric functions K_alpha; 2) an expansion of P_lambda/mu in terms of
the F_alpha's. The F-expansion of P_lambda/mu is facilitated by introducing
starred tableaux.Comment: 28 pages; added brief discussion of the Hall-Littlewood Q', typos
corrected, added references in response to referee suggestion
Vacuum decay in an interacting multiverse
We examine a new multiverse scenario in which the component universes
interact. We focus our attention to the process of "true" vacuum nucleation in
the false vacuum within one single element of the multiverse. It is shown that
the interactions lead to a collective behaviour that might lead, under specific
conditions, to a pre-inflationary phase and ensued distinguishable imprints in
the comic microwave background radiation.Comment: 9 pages, 5 figure
Towards wafer scale inductive determination of magnetostatic and dynamic parameters of magnetic thin films and multilayers
We investigate an inductive probe head suitable for non-invasive
characterization of the magnetostatic and dynamic parameters of magnetic thin
films and multilayers on the wafer scale. The probe is based on a planar
waveguide with rearward high frequency connectors that can be brought in close
contact to the wafer surface. Inductive characterization of the magnetic
material is carried out by vector network analyzer ferromagnetic resonance.
Analysis of the field dispersion of the resonance allows the determination of
key material parameters such as the saturation magnetization MS or the
effective damping parameter Meff. Three waveguide designs are tested. The
broadband frequency response is characterized and the suitability for inductive
determination of MS and Meff is compared. Integration of such probes in a wafer
prober could in the future allow wafer scale in-line testing of magnetostatic
and dynamic key material parameters of magnetic thin films and multilayers
Lagrangian Volume Deformations around Simulated Galaxies
We present a detailed analysis of the local evolution of 206 Lagrangian
Volumes (LVs) selected at high redshift around galaxy seeds, identified in a
large-volume cold dark matter (CDM) hydrodynamical
simulation. The LVs have a mass range of . We
follow the dynamical evolution of the density field inside these initially
spherical LVs from up to , witnessing highly
non-linear, anisotropic mass rearrangements within them, leading to the
emergence of the local cosmic web (CW). These mass arrangements have been
analysed in terms of the reduced inertia tensor , focusing on the
evolution of the principal axes of inertia and their corresponding
eigendirections, and paying particular attention to the times when the
evolution of these two structural elements declines. In addition, mass and
component effects along this process have also been investigated. We have found
that deformations are led by dark matter dynamics and they transform most of
the initially spherical LVs into prolate shapes, i.e. filamentary structures.
An analysis of the individual freezing-out time distributions for shapes and
eigendirections shows that first most of the LVs fix their three axes of
symmetry (like a skeleton) early on, while accretion flows towards them still
continue. Very remarkably, we have found that more massive LVs fix their
skeleton earlier on than less massive ones. We briefly discuss the
astrophysical implications our findings could have, including the galaxy
mass-morphology relation and the effects on the galaxy-galaxy merger parameter
space, among others.Comment: 23 pages, 20 figures. Minor editorial improvement
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