74,873 research outputs found
A microcontroller system for investigating the catch effect: Functional electrical stimulation of the common peroneal nerve
Correction of drop foot in hemiplegic gait is achieved by electrical stimulation of the common peroneal nerve with a series of pulses at a fixed frequency. However, during normal gait, the electromyographic signals from the tibialis anterior muscle indicate that muscle force is not constant but varies during the swing phase. The application of double pulses for the correction of drop foot may enhance the gait by generating greater torque at the ankle and thereby increase the efficiency of the stimulation with reduced fatigue. A flexible controller has been designed around the Odstock Drop Foot Stimulator to deliver different profiles of pulses implementing doublets and optimum series. A peripheral interface controller (PIC) microcontroller with some external circuits has been designed and tested to accommodate six profiles. Preliminary results of the measurements from a normal subject seated in a multi-moment chair (an isometric torque measurement device) indicate that profiles containing doublets and optimum spaced pulses look favourable for clinical use
Measuring dark energy properties with 3D cosmic shear
We present parameter estimation forecasts for present and future 3D cosmic
shear surveys. We demonstrate that, in conjunction with results from cosmic
microwave background (CMB) experiments, the properties of dark energy can be
estimated with very high precision with large-scale, fully 3D weak lensing
surveys. In particular, a 5-band, 10,000 square degree ground-based survey to a
median redshift of zm=0.7 could achieve 1- marginal statistical errors,
in combination with the constraints expected from the CMB Planck Surveyor, of
w0=0.108 and wa=0.099 where we parameterize w by
w(a)=w0+wa(1-a) where a is the scale factor. Such a survey is achievable with a
wide-field camera on a 4 metre class telescope. The error on the value of w at
an intermediate pivot redshift of z=0.368 is constrained to
w(z=0.368)=0.0175. We compare and combine the 3D weak lensing
constraints with the cosmological and dark energy parameters measured from
planned Baryon Acoustic Oscillation (BAO) and supernova Type Ia experiments,
and find that 3D weak lensing significantly improves the marginalized errors. A
combination of 3D weak lensing, CMB and BAO experiments could achieve
w0=0.037 and wa=0.099. Fully 3D weak shear analysis avoids the
loss of information inherent in tomographic binning, and we show that the
sensitivity to systematic errors is much less. In conjunction with the fact
that the physics of lensing is very soundly based, this analysis demonstrates
that deep, wide-angle 3D weak lensing surveys are extremely promising for
measuring dark energy properties.Comment: 18 pages, 16 figures. Accepted to MNRAS. Figures now in grayscale.
Further discussions on non-Gaussianity and photometric redshift errors. Some
references adde
Consideration of probability of bacterial growth for Jovian planets and their satellites
Environmental parameters affecting growth of bacteria are compared with current atmospheric models for Jupiter and Saturn, and with the available physical data for their satellites. Different zones of relative probability of growth are identified for Jupiter and Saturn. Of the more than two dozen satellites, only the largest (Io, Europa, Ganymede, Callisto, and Titan) are found to be interesting biologically. Titan's atmosphere may produce a substantial greenhouse effect providing increased surface temperatures. Models predicting a dense atmosphere are compatible with microbial growth for a range of pressures at Titan's surface. For Titan's surface the probability of growth would be enhanced if: (1) the surface is entirely or partially liquid; (2) volcanism is present; or (3) access to internal heat sources is significant
Weak Gravitational Flexion
Flexion is the significant third-order weak gravitational lensing effect
responsible for the weakly skewed and arc-like appearance of lensed galaxies.
Here we demonstrate how flexion measurements can be used to measure galaxy halo
density profiles and large-scale structure on non-linear scales, via
galaxy-galaxy lensing, dark matter mapping and cosmic flexion correlation
functions. We describe the origin of gravitational flexion, and discuss its
four components, two of which are first described here. We also introduce an
efficient complex formalism for all orders of lensing distortion. We proceed to
examine the flexion predictions for galaxy-galaxy lensing, examining isothermal
sphere and Navarro, Frenk & White (NFW) profiles and both circularly symmetric
and elliptical cases. We show that in combination with shear we can precisely
measure galaxy masses and NFW halo concentrations. We also show how flexion
measurements can be used to reconstruct mass maps in 2-D projection on the sky,
and in 3-D in combination with redshift data. Finally, we examine the
predictions for cosmic flexion, including convergence-flexion
cross-correlations, and find that the signal is an effective probe of structure
on non-linear scales.Comment: 17 pages, including 12 figures, submitted to MNRA
Dynamic performance of squeeze-film bearings
Earlier work has shown that oil-film forces can be modelled by linear coefficients. Identification techniques were used to generate numerical values for these coefficients. This paper has shown the invalidity of applying the perturbation techniques normally used in bearing studies to derive expressions for linearized coefficients to represent a cavitated oil-film. An alternative approach was developed based upon energy techniques to obtain estimates for linearized coefficients. Some current work being undertaken suggests that an alternative analytical approach is possible. These results will be reported in due course
Magnetic exchange interaction between rare-earth and Mn ions in multiferroic hexagonal manganites
We report a study of magnetic dynamics in multiferroic hexagonal manganite
HoMnO3 by far-infrared spectroscopy. Low-temperature magnetic excitation
spectrum of HoMnO3 consists of magnetic-dipole transitions of Ho ions within
the crystal-field split J=8 manifold and of the triangular antiferromagnetic
resonance of Mn ions. We determine the effective spin Hamiltonian for the Ho
ion ground state. The magnetic-field splitting of the Mn antiferromagnetic
resonance allows us to measure the magnetic exchange coupling between the
rare-earth and Mn ions.Comment: accepted for publication in Physical Review Letter
Non-local 2D Generalized Yang-Mills theories on arbitrary surfaces with boundary
The non-local generalized two dimensional Yang Mills theories on an arbitrary
orientable and non-orientable surfaces with boundaries is studied. We obtain
the effective action of these theories for the case which the gauge group is
near the identity, . Furthermore, by obtaining the effective action
at the large-N limit, it is shown that the phase structure of these theories is
the same as that obtain for these theories on orientable and non-orientable
surface without boundaries. It is seen that the model of these
theories on an arbitrary orientable and non-orientable surfaces with boundaries
have third order phase transition only on and surfaces, with
modified area for orientable and
for non-orientable surfaces respectivly.Comment: 10 pages, no figures, late
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