Towards an exact orbital-free single-particle kinetic energy density for the inhomogeneous electron liquid in the Be atom

Holas and March (Phys. Rev. A51, 2040 (1995)) wrote the gradient of the one-body potential V(r) in terms of low-order derivatives of the idempotent Dirac density matrix built from a single Slater determinant of Kohn-Sham orbitals. Here, this is first combined with the study of Dawson and March (J. Chem. Phys. 81, 5850 (1984)) to express the single-particle kinetic energy density of the Be atom ground-state in terms of both the electron density n(r) and potential V(r). While this is the more compact formulation, we then, by removing V(r), demonstrate that the ratio t(r)/n(r) depends, though non-locally, only on the single variable n'(r)/n(r), no high-order gradients entering for the spherical Be atom.Comment: Submitted to Journal of Mathematical Chemistr

Gap anisotropy in the angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy of Bi_2Sr_2CaCu_2O_{8+\delta}

The gap anisotropy in Bi$_2$Sr$_2$CaCu$_2$O$_{8+\delta}$ is revisited in the framework of a d-wave scenario in view of the recent angle-resolved photoemission experiment. Based on a tight-binding fit to the normal state dispersion, a detail analysis on the effects of the inclusion of the next harmonic in the d-wave has been presented. Significant effect has been observed in the superconducting T$_c$. The density of states is linear at the nodes with enhanced weight, caused by a marked increase in the low energy excitaions which affect the thermodynamics considerably. The slope of the $\rho_s - T$ curve in the low temperature regime increases and the specific heat reflects the enhanced entropy at low temperatures. The leading edge of the ARPES energy distribution curves have been calculated and found to shift towards higher energy. The effect of scattering by non-magnetic impurities in this context is also outlined.Comment: 8 pages, 7 figures (akw.eps and edc.eps in one panel

Measuring Omega_0 with higher-order Quasar-Galaxy Correlations induced by Weak Lensing

Via the magnification bias, gravitational lensing by large-scale structures causes angular cross-correlations between distant quasars and foreground galaxies on angular scales of arc minutes and above. We investigate the three-point cross-correlation between quasars and galaxy pairs measurable via the second moment of the galaxy counts around quasars and show that it reaches the level of a few per cent on angular scales near one arc minute. Combining two- and three-point correlations, a skewness parameter can be defined which is shown to be virtually independent on the shape and normalisation of the dark-matter power spectrum. If the galaxy bias is linear and deterministic, the skewness depends on the cosmic matter density parameter Omega_0 only; otherwise, it can be used to probe the linearity and stochasticity of the bias. We finally estimate the signal-to-noise ratio of a skewness determination and find that around twenty thousand distant quasars e.g. from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey should suffice for a direct measurement of Omega_0.Comment: 11 pages, 6 figures, submitted to Astronomy and Astrophysic

Cosmological Information from Quasar-Galaxy Correlations induced by Weak Lensing

The magnification bias of large-scale structures, combined with galaxy biasing, leads to a cross-correlation of distant quasars with foreground galaxies on angular scales of the order of arc minutes and larger. The amplitude and angular shape of the cross-correlation function w_QG contain information on cosmological parameters and the galaxy bias factor. While the existence of this cross-correlation has firmly been established, existing data did not allow an accurate measurement of w_QG yet, but wide area surveys like the Sloan Digital Sky Survey now provide an ideal database for measuring it. However, w_QG depends on several cosmological parameters and the galaxy bias factor. We study in detail the sensitivity of w_QG to these parameters and develop a strategy for using the data. We show that the parameter space can be reduced to the bias factor b, Omega_0 and sigma_8, and compute the accuracy with which these parameters can be deduced from SDSS data. Under reasonable assumptions, it should be possible to reach relative accuracies of the order of 5%-15% for b, Omega_0, and sigma_8. This method is complementary to other weak-lensing analyses based on cosmic shear.Comment: 11 pages, 7 figures, accepted for publication in Astronomy and Astrophysic

Performance Analysis of Urban Cleaning Devices Using Human–Machine Interaction Method

Presently, several jobs require the collaboration of humans and machines to perform different services and tasks. The ease and intuitiveness of the worker when using each machine will not only improve the worker’s experience but also improve the company’s productivity and the satisfaction that all users have. Specifically, electromechanical devices used to provide cleaning services require complex interactions. These interactions determine the usability and performance of devices. Therefore, devices must have appropriate ergonomic arrangements for human–machine interactions. Otherwise, the desired performance cannot be achieved. This study analyzes the performance of an urban cleaning device (pressure washer on a power take-off van) using human– machine interaction method. The method measures visceral and behavioral levels (set by Norman) and service times. Using these measurements, the usability of the pressure washer is determined according to different factors that facilitate the operator’s well-being in the working environment. A pressure washer from Feniks Cleaning and Safety, Limited Company, has been studied. Sixteen errors related to ergonomics, usability and safety were identified in this machine, which operates in more than 40 locations in Spain. Therefore, this study provides valuable information on the usability and performance of pressure washers, as well as possibilities for improvement

Eyewitness suggestibility across presentation modalities

Misleading post-event information--Cognitive processing differences

CAD and creativity: does the computer really help?

We are frequently told by its exponents that computeraided design (CAD) liberates designers and gives them new ways of envisioning their work, but is this really true? CAD in architecture is examined to see to what extent it has enhanced creativity in design. This is partly done by applying a test of creativity advanced by contemporary architect Herman Hertzberger. In this analysis, CAD is found somewhat wanting, and some suggestions are made as to why this might be so

Bayesian detection of piecewise linear trends in replicated time-series with application to growth data modelling

We consider the situation where a temporal process is composed of contiguous segments with differing slopes and replicated noise-corrupted time series measurements are observed. The unknown mean of the data generating process is modelled as a piecewise linear function of time with an unknown number of change-points. We develop a Bayesian approach to infer the joint posterior distribution of the number and position of change-points as well as the unknown mean parameters. A-priori, the proposed model uses an overfitting number of mean parameters but, conditionally on a set of change-points, only a subset of them influences the likelihood. An exponentially decreasing prior distribution on the number of change-points gives rise to a posterior distribution concentrating on sparse representations of the underlying sequence. A Metropolis-Hastings Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) sampler is constructed for approximating the posterior distribution. Our method is benchmarked using simulated data and is applied to uncover differences in the dynamics of fungal growth from imaging time course data collected from different strains. The source code is available on CRAN.Comment: Accepted to International Journal of Biostatistic