Analytical tools and isolation of TOF events

Analytical tools are presented in two reports. The first is a probability analysis of the orbital distribution of events in relation to dust flux density observed in Pioneer 8 and 9 distributions. A distinction is drawn between asymmetries caused by random fluctuations and systematic variations, by calculating the probability of any particular asymmetry. The second article discusses particle trajectories for a repulsive force field. The force on a particle due to solar radiation pressure is directed along the particle's radius vector, from the sun, and is inversely proportional to its distance from the sun. Equations of motion which describe both solar radiation pressure and gravitational attraction are presented

Large-scale Vortices in Protoplanetary Disks: On the observability of possible early stages of planet formation

We investigate the possibility of mapping large-scale anti-cyclonic vortices, resulting from a global baroclinic instability, as pre-cursors of planet formation in proto-planetary disks with the planned Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA). On the basis of three-dimensional radiative transfer simulations, images of a hydrodynamically calculated disk are derived which provide the basis for the simulation of ALMA. We find that ALMA will be able to trace the theoretically predicted large-scale anti-cyclonic vortex and will therefore allow testing of existing models of this very early stage of planet formation in circumstellar disks.Comment: Accepted by ApJ (Letters section). A preprint version with high-quality figures can be downloaded from http://spider.ipac.caltech.edu/staff/swolf/homepage/public/preprints/ vortex.ps.g

Calibration update of the COMBO-17 CDFS catalogue

We present an update to the photometric calibration of the COMBO-17 catalogue on the Extended Chandra Deep Field South, which is now consistent with the GaBoDS and MUSYC catalogues. As a result, photometric redshifts become slightly more accurate, with <0.01 rms and little bias in the delta_z/(1+z) of galaxies with R<21 and of QSOs with R<24. With increasing photon noise the rms of galaxies reaches 0.02 for R<23 and 0.035 at R~23.5. Consequences for the rest-frame colours of galaxies at z<1 are discussed.Comment: A&A research note, resubmitted 02 Oct 2008, 4 pages in print forma

Diffuse LEED intensities of disordered crystal surfaces : II. Multiple scattering on disordered overlayers

The diffraction of low energy electrons from disordered overlayers adsorbed on ordered substrates is treated theoretically by an extension of Beeby's multiple scattering method. A lattice gas model is assumed for the disordered adsorbate layer. Multiple scattering within a certain area around each atom — each atom of the overlayer and within the ordered substrate — is treated self-consistently, the remaining contributions to the total scattering amplitude being averaged. The theory can be used in the limiting cases of random distribution and of long range order within the adsorbate layer

Estimating Functions of Probability Distributions from a Finite Set of Samples, Part 1: Bayes Estimators and the Shannon Entropy

We present estimators for entropy and other functions of a discrete probability distribution when the data is a finite sample drawn from that probability distribution. In particular, for the case when the probability distribution is a joint distribution, we present finite sample estimators for the mutual information, covariance, and chi-squared functions of that probability distribution.Comment: uuencoded compressed tarfile, submitte

Towards time-dependent, non-equilibrium charge-transfer force fields: Contact electrification and history-dependent dissociation limits

Force fields uniquely assign interatomic forces for a given set of atomic coordinates. The underlying assumption is that electrons are in their quantum-mechanical ground state or in thermal equilibrium. However, there is an abundance of cases where this is unjustified because the system is only locally in equilibrium. In particular, the fractional charges of atoms, clusters, or solids tend to not only depend on atomic positions but also on how the system reached its state. For example, the charge of an isolated solid -- and thus the forces between atoms in that solid -- usually depends on the counterbody with which it has last formed contact. Similarly, the charge of an atom, resulting from the dissociation of a molecule, can differ for different solvents in which the dissociation took place. In this paper we demonstrate that such charge-transfer history effects can be accounted for by assigning discrete oxidation states to atoms. With our method, an atom can donate an integer charge to another, nearby atom to change its oxidation state as in a redox reaction. In addition to integer charges, atoms can exchange "partial charges" which are determined with the split charge equilibration method.Comment: 11 pages, 7 figure

Diffuse LEED intensities of disordered crystal surfaces : IV. Application of the disorder theory

The principles of the statistical disorder theory are discussed briefly. The theory is applied to a model of the disordered (101)Au surface with the characteristic (1 × 2) supersstructure. A fit procedure is described, by which the experimental angular intensity profiles are used directly to determine the disorder parameters and the interaction energies between the chains of surface atoms