3,480 research outputs found
Radar backscatter properties of milo and soybeans
The radar backscatter from fields of milo and soybeans was measured with a ground based radar as a function of frequency (8-18 GHz), polarization (HH and VV) and angle of incidence (0 deg-70 deg) during the summer of 1974. Supporting ground truth was gathered contemporaneously with the backscatter data. At nadir sigma deg of milo correlated highly, r = 0.96, with soil moisture in the milo field at 8.6 GHz but decreased to a value of r = 0.78 at a frequency of 17.0 GHz. Correlation studies of the variations of sigma deg with soil moisture in the soybean fields were not possible due to a lack of a meaningful soil moisture dynamic range. At the larger angles of incidence, however, sigma deg of soybeans did appear to be dependent on precipitation. It is suggested this phenomenon was caused by the rain altering plant geometry. In general sigma deg of both milo and soybeans had a relatively small dynamic range at the higher angles of incidence and showed no significant dependence on the measured crop parameters
On solutions of a class of non-Markovian Fokker-Planck equations
We show that a formal solution of a rather general non-Markovian
Fokker-Planck equation can be represented in a form of an integral
decomposition and thus can be expressed through the solution of the Markovian
equation with the same Fokker-Planck operator. This allows us to classify
memory kernels into safe ones, for which the solution is always a probability
density, and dangerous ones, when this is not guaranteed. The first situation
describes random processes subordinated to a Wiener process, while the second
one typically corresponds to random processes showing a strong ballistic
component. In this case the non-Markovian Fokker-Planck equation is only valid
in a restricted range of parameters, initial and boundary conditions.Comment: A new ref.12 is added and discusse
Seasonal variations of the microwave scattering properties of deciduous trees as measured in the 1-18 GHz spectral range
The author has identified the following significant results. Employing two FM-CW radar spectrometers, scattering data were acquired from stands of deciduous trees during the spring and autumn. The data suggest that the trees act as a volume scatter target particularly in the 7-18 GHz region. A comparison of data collected in spring and autumn indicates that the radar scattering coefficient, sigma deg, as measured in spring can be substantially larger (as much as 10 dB) than sigma deg as measured in the autumn
Harmonic operation of a free-electron laser
Harmonic operation of a free-electron-laser amplifier is studied. The key issue investigated here is suppression of the fundamental. For a tapered amplifier with the right choice of parameters, it is found that the presence of the harmonic mode greatly reduces the growth rate of the fundamental. A limit on the reflection coefficient of the fundamental mode that will ensure stable operation is derived. The relative merits of tripling the frequency by operating at the third harmonic versus decreasing the wiggler period by a factor of 3 are discussed
Development, implementation and evaluation of satellite-aided agricultural monitoring systems
Research supporting the use of remote sensing for inventory and assessment of agricultural commodities is summarized. Three task areas are described: (1) corn and soybean crop spectral/temporal signature characterization; (2) efficient area estimation technology development; and (3) advanced satellite and sensor system definition. Studies include an assessment of alternative green measures from MSS variables; the evaluation of alternative methods for identifying, labeling or classification targets in an automobile procedural context; a comparison of MSS, the advanced very high resolution radiometer and the coastal zone color scanner, as well as a critical assessment of thematic mapper dimensionally and spectral structure
Blinking statistics of a molecular beacon triggered by end-denaturation of DNA
We use a master equation approach based on the Poland-Scheraga free energy
for DNA denaturation to investigate the (un)zipping dynamics of a denaturation
wedge in a stretch of DNA, that is clamped at one end. In particular, we
quantify the blinking dynamics of a fluorophore-quencher pair mounted within
the denaturation wedge. We also study the behavioural changes in the presence
of proteins, that selectively bind to single-stranded DNA. We show that such a
setup could be well-suited as an easy-to-implement nanodevice for sensing
environmental conditions in small volumes.Comment: 14 pages, 5 figures, LaTeX, IOP style. Accepted to J Phys Cond Mat
special issue on diffusio
Definition study of the Shuttle Imaging Radar-A (SIR-A) antenna on the second space shuttle mission (OFT-2)
A definition is derived for an antenna configuration fixed-mounted high in the payload bay on the hybrid OFT-2 pallet which is compatible with Orbiter interface requirements. Tests showed that the combination of the selected panels and the designed corporate feed meets SIR-A performance requirement of 33 db gain. The effects of Orbiter structure proximity on performance were determined by scale model tests to be negligible. The potential for improved performance during subsequent reflights includes a multiple-beam capability and dual polarization
Modeling Disordered Quantum Systems with Dynamical Networks
It is the purpose of the present article to show that so-called network
models, originally designed to describe static properties of disordered
electronic systems, can be easily generalized to quantum-{\em dynamical}
models, which then allow for an investigation of dynamical and spectral
aspects. This concept is exemplified by the Chalker-Coddington model for the
Quantum Hall effect and a three-dimensional generalization of it. We simulate
phase coherent diffusion of wave packets and consider spatial and spectral
correlations of network eigenstates as well as the distribution of
(quasi-)energy levels. Apart from that it is demonstrated how network models
can be used to determine two-point conductances. Our numerical calculations for
the three-dimensional model at the Metal-Insulator transition point delivers
among others an anomalous diffusion exponent of .
The methods presented here in detail have been used partially in earlier work.Comment: 16 pages, Rev-TeX. to appear in Int. J. Mod. Phys.
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