3,873 research outputs found
Minimal energy control of a nanoelectromechanical memory element
The Pontryagin minimal energy control approach has been applied to minimise the switching energy in a nanoelectromechanical memory system and to characterise global stability of the oscillatory states of the bistable memory element. A comparison of two previously experimentally determined pulse-type control signals with Pontryagin control function has been performed, and the superiority of the Pontryagin approach with regard to power consumption has been demonstrated. An analysis of global stability shows how values of minimal energy can be utilized in order to specify equally stable states
The Nuclear Outflow in NGC 2110
We present a HST/STIS spectroscopic and optical/radio imaging study of the
Seyfert NGC 2110 aiming to measure the dynamics and understand the nature of
the nuclear outflow in the galaxy. Previous HST studies have revealed the
presence of a linear structure in the Narrow-Line Region (NLR) aligned with the
radio jet. We show that this structure is strongly accelerated, probably by the
jet, but is unlikely to be entrained in the jet flow. The ionisation properties
of this structure are consistent with photoionisation of dusty, dense gas by
the active nucleus. We present a plausible geometrical model for the NLR,
bringing together various components of the nuclear environment of the galaxy.
We highlight the importance of the circum-nuclear disc in determining the
appearance of the emission line gas and the morphology of the jet. From the
dynamics of the emission line gas, we place constraints on the accelerating
mechanism of the outflow and discuss the relative importance of radio source
synchrotron pressure, radio jet ram pressure and nuclear radiation pressure in
accelerating the gas. While all three mechanisms can account for the energetics
of the emission line gas, gravitational arguments support radio jet ram
pressure as the most likely source of the outflow.Comment: 15 pages, 7 figures; accepted to MNRA
Ionization Mechanisms in Jet-Dominated Seyferts: A Detailed Case Study
For the past 10 years there has been an active debate over whether fast
shocks play an important role in ionizing emission line regions in Seyfert
galaxies. To investigate this claim, we have studied the Seyfert 2 galaxy Mkn
78, using HST UV/optical images and spectroscopy. Since Mkn 78 provides the
archetypal jet-driven bipolar velocity field, if shocks are important anywhere
they should be important in this object. Having mapped the emission line fluxes
and velocity field, we first compare the ionization conditions to standard
photoionization and shock models. We find coherent variations of ionization
consistent with photoionization model sequences which combine optically thick
and thin gas, but are inconsistent with either autoionizing shock models or
photoionization models of just optically thick gas. Furthermore, we find
absolutely no link between the ionization of the gas and its kinematic state,
while we do find a simple decline of ionization degree with radius. We feel
this object provides the strongest case to date against the importance of shock
related ionization in Seyferts.Comment: 4 pages, 1 figure, to appear in the proceedings of IAU Symposium 222
"The Interplay among Black Holes, Stars and ISM in Galactic Nuclei", T.
Storchi Bergmann, L.C. Ho & H.R. Schmitt, ed
Lies, defeasibility and morality-in-action : the interactional architecture of false claims in sales, telemarketing and debt collection work
Lying is known to be endemic in a range of business settings. However, to date studies have not analysed how lies surface, and are spontaneously managed, in âreal timeâ interaction. Drawing on video and audio recordings, in this paper we analyse how actors account for false claims produced in different settings, namely sales, telemarketing and debt collection. Drawing on resources from ethnomethodology and conversation analysis, lies are conceptualised as products of interactional organization, rather than, say, products of the mind or motives of social actors. Our analysis reveals the centrality of âepistemicsâ for understanding how people handle, and seek to neutralise, the moral risks associated with false claims. Potential accusations of âlyingâ are shown to be defeasible in light of claims that the speaker has âdiscoveredâ, ânoticedâ or ârememberedâ some pertinent detail. We recover practices through which false claims are transformed, with varying degrees of success, from nefarious to innocent accountings. We conclude by discussing the implications of our findings for wider questions about the reproduction of work cultures that rely upon deceit
Mountain trail formation and the active walker model
We extend the active walker model to address the formation of paths on
gradients, which have been observed to have a zigzag form. Our extension
includes a new rule which prohibits direct descent or ascent on steep inclines,
simulating aversion to falling. Further augmentation of the model stops walkers
from changing direction very rapidly as that would likely lead to a fall. The
extended model predicts paths with qualitatively similar forms to the observed
trails, but only if the terms suppressing sudden direction changes are
included. The need to include terms into the model that stop rapid direction
change when simulating mountain trails indicates that a similar rule should
also be included in the standard active walker model.Comment: Introduction improved. Analysis of discretization errors added.
Calculations from alternative scheme include
Computer model calibration with large non-stationary spatial outputs: application to the calibration of a climate model
Bayesian calibration of computer models tunes unknown input parameters by
comparing outputs with observations. For model outputs that are distributed
over space, this becomes computationally expensive because of the output size.
To overcome this challenge, we employ a basis representation of the model
outputs and observations: we match these decompositions to carry out the
calibration efficiently. In the second step, we incorporate the non-stationary
behaviour, in terms of spatial variations of both variance and correlations, in
the calibration. We insert two integrated nested Laplace
approximation-stochastic partial differential equation parameters into the
calibration. A synthetic example and a climate model illustration highlight the
benefits of our approach
Recoiling Black Holes in Quasars
Recent simulations of merging black holes with spin give recoil velocities
from gravitational radiation up to several thousand km/s. A recoiling
supermassive black hole can retain the inner part of its accretion disk,
providing fuel for a continuing QSO phase lasting millions of years as the hole
moves away from the galactic nucleus. One possible observational manifestation
of a recoiling accretion disk is in QSO emission lines shifted in velocity from
the host galaxy. We have examined QSOs from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey with
broad emission lines substantially shifted relative to the narrow lines. We
find no convincing evidence for recoiling black holes carrying accretion disks.
We place an upper limit on the incidence of recoiling black holes in QSOs of 4%
for kicks greater than 500 km/s and 0.35% for kicks greater than 1000 km/s
line-of-sight velocity.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures, uses emulateapj, Submitted to ApJ Letter
Statistical Properties of Radio Emission from the Palomar Seyfert Galaxies
We have carried out an analysis of the radio and optical properties of a
statistical sample of 45 Seyfert galaxies from the Palomar spectroscopic survey
of nearby galaxies. We find that the space density of bright galaxies (-22 mag
<= M_{B_T} <= -18 mag) showing Seyfert activity is (1.25 +/- 0.38) X 10^{-3}
Mpc^{-3}, considerably higher than found in other Seyfert samples. Host galaxy
types, radio spectra, and radio source sizes are uncorrelated with Seyfert
type, as predicted by the unified schemes for active galaxies. Approximately
half of the detected galaxies have flat or inverted radio spectra, more than
expected based on previous samples. Surprisingly, Seyfert 1 galaxies are found
to have somewhat stronger radio sources than Seyfert 2 galaxies at 6 and 20 cm,
particularly among the galaxies with the weakest nuclear activity. We suggest
that this difference can be accommodated in the unified schemes if a minimum
level of Seyfert activity is required for a radio source to emerge from the
vicinity of the active nucleus. Below this level, Seyfert radio sources might
be suppressed by free-free absorption associated with the nuclear torus or a
compact narrow-line region, thus accounting for both the weakness of the radio
emission and the preponderance of flat spectra. Alternatively, the flat spectra
and weak radio sources might indicate that the weak active nuclei are fed by
advection-dominated accretion disks.Comment: 18 pages using emulateapj5, 13 embedded figures, accepted by Ap
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English individualism refuted - and reasserted: the land market of Earls Colne (Essex), 1550-1750
This is the author's post-print version of an article whose final and definitive form has been published in The Economic History Review. © 2003 Blackwell Publishing Ltd. The definitive version is available at: http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/118509292/homeEarls Colne first came to the notice of historians through Macfarlane's study of its seventeenth-century vicar, Ralph Josselin, and then Macfarlane's use of evidence from the village in his The Origins of English Individualism (1978). This article presents preliminary results drawn from a computer-based reconstruction of the copyhold land market, 1546-1750, to contest Macfarlane's reading of the family-land bond in the manor. The familial possession of land over long periods is shown to be normal, and consistent with an active land market predominantly in smaller parcels. Little consolidation took place in the manor although some growth in holding size was achieved through subtenancy. Finally, the article asks whether the experience of copyholders is typical of the general.University of Central Lancashir
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