4,620 research outputs found
Empirical Bayes selection of wavelet thresholds
This paper explores a class of empirical Bayes methods for level-dependent
threshold selection in wavelet shrinkage. The prior considered for each wavelet
coefficient is a mixture of an atom of probability at zero and a heavy-tailed
density. The mixing weight, or sparsity parameter, for each level of the
transform is chosen by marginal maximum likelihood. If estimation is carried
out using the posterior median, this is a random thresholding procedure; the
estimation can also be carried out using other thresholding rules with the same
threshold. Details of the calculations needed for implementing the procedure
are included. In practice, the estimates are quick to compute and there is
software available. Simulations on the standard model functions show excellent
performance, and applications to data drawn from various fields of application
are used to explore the practical performance of the approach. By using a
general result on the risk of the corresponding marginal maximum likelihood
approach for a single sequence, overall bounds on the risk of the method are
found subject to membership of the unknown function in one of a wide range of
Besov classes, covering also the case of f of bounded variation. The rates
obtained are optimal for any value of the parameter p in (0,\infty],
simultaneously for a wide range of loss functions, each dominating the L_q norm
of the \sigmath derivative, with \sigma\ge0 and 0<q\le2.Comment: Published at http://dx.doi.org/10.1214/009053605000000345 in the
Annals of Statistics (http://www.imstat.org/aos/) by the Institute of
Mathematical Statistics (http://www.imstat.org
A Physical Limit to the Magnetic Fields of T Tauri Stars
Recent estimates of magnetic field strengths in T Tauri stars yield values
--. In this paper, I present an upper limit to the
photospheric values of by computing the equipartition values for different
surface gravities and effective temperatures. The values of derived from
the observations exceed this limit, and I examine the possible causes for this
discrepancy
ASCA and ROSAT observations of nearby cluster cooling flows
We present a detailed analysis of the X-ray properties of the cooling flows
in a sample of nearby, X-ray bright clusters of galaxies using high-quality
ASCA spectra and ROSAT X-ray images. We demonstrate the need for multiphase
models to consistently explain the spectral and imaging X-ray data for the
clusters. The mass deposition rates of the cooling flows, independently
determined from the ASCA spectra and ROSAT images, exhibit reasonable
agreement. We confirm the presence of intrinsic X-ray absorption in the
clusters using a variety of spectral models. We also report detections of
extended m infrared emission, spatially coincident with the cooling
flows, in several of the systems studied. The observed infrared fluxes and flux
limits are in good agreement with the predicted values due to reprocessed X-ray
emission from the cooling flows. We present precise measurements of the
abundances of iron, magnesium, silicon and sulphur in the central regions of
the Virgo and Centaurus clusters. Our results firmly favour models in which a
high mass fraction (70-80 per cent) of the iron in the X-ray gas in these
regions is due to Type Ia supernovae. Finally, we present a series of methods
which may be used to measure the ages of cooling flows from the X-ray data. The
results for the present sample of clusters indicate ages of between 2.5 and 7
Gyr. If the ages of cooling flows are primarily set by subcluster merger
events, then our results suggest that in the largest clusters, mergers with
subclusters with masses of approximately 30 per cent of the final cluster mass
are likely to disrupt cooling flows.Comment: Final version. MNRAS, in press. 36 pages, 9 figs, 14 tables in MNRAS
LaTex styl
Measuring the difference between actual and reported food intakes in the context of energy balance under laboratory conditions
Acknowledgements The present study was funded by the Food Standards Agency, UK. The Food Standards Agency had no role in the design, analysis or writing of this article. The authorsâ responsibilities were as follows: R. J. S., L. M. OâR. and G. W. H. designed the research; L. M. OâR. and Z. F. conducted the research and analysed the data; G. W. H. performed the statistical analyses; P. R. carried out the DLW analysis; R. J. S. had primary responsibility for the final content; R. J. S., L. M. OâR., Z. F., S. W. and M. B. E. L. wrote the paper.Peer reviewedPublisher PD
Effect of the beam-beam interactions on the dynamic aperture of the LHC at collision
The dynamic aperture of the LHC at collision energy is limited by the field errors in the IR quadrupoles being built at FNAL and KEK. The 300 mu rad crossing angle, incorporated in the design to reduce the effect of the long-range beam beam interactions, enhances the effect of the multipoles on the dynamic aperture. We have investigated the possibility of a different crossing angle with a more accurate modelling of the long-range interactions. Tune scans have been done to determine if a better choice of the tunes exists. (7 refs)
New times, new politics: history and memory during the final years of the CPGB
This article examines the relationship between collective memory, historical interpretation and political identity. It focuses on the dissolution of the Communist Party of Great Britain (CPGB) as constructed through collective narrative memory, and on Marxist interpretations of history. The divisions within the party and the wider Marxist community, stretching from 1956 until 1991, were often framed around questions of historical interpretation. The events of 1989â1991 created an historical and mnemonic crisis for CPGB members who struggled to reconcile their past identities with their present situation. Unlike the outward-facing revisionism of other political parties, this was an intensely personal affair. The solution for many was to emphasise the need to find new ways to progress socialist aims, without relying on a discredited grand narrative. In contrast, other Communist parties, such as the Communist Party of Britain, which had been established (or âre-establishedâ) in 1988, fared rather better. By adhering to the international party line of renewal and continued struggle, the party was able to hold its narrative together, condemning the excesses of totalitarian regimes, while reaffirming the need for international class struggle
A Deep Look at the Emission-Line Nebula in Abell 2597
The close correlation between cooling flows and emission-line nebulae in
clusters of galaxies has been recognized for over a decade and a half, but the
physical reason for this connection remains unclear. Here we present deep
optical spectra of the nebula in Abell 2597, one of the nearest strong
cooling-flow clusters. These spectra reveal the density, temperature, and metal
abundances of the line-emitting gas. The abundances are roughly half-solar, and
dust produces an extinction of at least a magnitude in V. The absence of [O
III] 4363 emission rules out shocks as a major ionizing mechanism, and the
weakness of He II 4686 rules out a hard ionizing source, such as an active
galactic nucleus or cooling intracluster gas. Hot stars are therefore the best
candidate for producing the ionization. However, even the hottest O stars
cannot power a nebula as hot as the one we see. Some other nonionizing source
of heat appears to contribute a comparable amount of power. We show that the
energy flux from a confining medium can become important when the ionization
level of a nebula drops to the low levels seen in cooling-flow nebulae. We
suggest that this kind of phenomenon, in which energy fluxes from the
surrounding medium augment photoelectric heating, might be the common feature
underlying the diverse group of objects classified as LINERS.Comment: 33 Latex pages, including 16 Postscript figures, to appear in 1997
September 1 Astrophysical Journa
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