21,272 research outputs found
A system to geometrically rectify and map airborne scanner imagery and to estimate ground area
A system of computer programs were developed which performs geometric rectification and line-by-line mapping of airborne multispectral scanner data to ground coordinates and estimates ground area. The system requires aircraft attitude and positional information furnished by ancillary aircraft equipment, as well as ground control points. The geometric correction and mapping procedure locates the scan lines, or the pixels on each line, in terms of map grid coordinates. The area estimation procedure gives ground area for each pixel or for a predesignated parcel specified in map grid coordinates. The results of exercising the system with simulated data showed the uncorrected video and corrected imagery and produced area estimates accurate to better than 99.7%
Minimising biases in Full Configuration Interaction Quantum Monte Carlo
We show that Full Configuration Interaction Quantum Monte Carlo (FCIQMC) is a
Markov Chain in its present form. We construct the Markov matrix of FCIQMC for
a two determinant system and hence compute the stationary distribution. These
solutions are used to quantify the dependence of the population dynamics on the
parameters defining the Markov chain. Despite the simplicity of a system with
only two determinants, it still reveals a population control bias inherent to
the FCIQMC algorithm. We investigate the effect of simulation parameters on the
population control bias for the neon atom and suggest simulation setups to in
general minimise the bias. We show a reweighting scheme to remove the bias
caused by population control commonly used in Diffusion Monte Carlo [J. Chem.
Phys. 99, 2865 (1993)] is effective and recommend its use as a post processing
step.Comment: Supplementary material available as 'Ancillary Files
Model of surface instabilities induced by stress
We propose a model based on a Ginzburg-Landau approach to study a strain
relief mechanism at a free interface of a non-hydrostatically stressed solid,
commonly observed in thin-film growth. The evolving instability, known as the
Grinfeld instability, is studied numerically in two and three dimensions.
Inherent in the description is the proper treatment of nonlinearities. We find
these nonlinearities can lead to competitive coarsening of interfacial
structures, corresponding to different wavenumbers, as strain is relieved. We
suggest ways to experimentally measure this coarsening.Comment: 4 pages (3 figures included
A Matrix Hyperbolic Cosine Algorithm and Applications
In this paper, we generalize Spencer's hyperbolic cosine algorithm to the
matrix-valued setting. We apply the proposed algorithm to several problems by
analyzing its computational efficiency under two special cases of matrices; one
in which the matrices have a group structure and an other in which they have
rank-one. As an application of the former case, we present a deterministic
algorithm that, given the multiplication table of a finite group of size ,
it constructs an expanding Cayley graph of logarithmic degree in near-optimal
O(n^2 log^3 n) time. For the latter case, we present a fast deterministic
algorithm for spectral sparsification of positive semi-definite matrices, which
implies an improved deterministic algorithm for spectral graph sparsification
of dense graphs. In addition, we give an elementary connection between spectral
sparsification of positive semi-definite matrices and element-wise matrix
sparsification. As a consequence, we obtain improved element-wise
sparsification algorithms for diagonally dominant-like matrices.Comment: 16 pages, simplified proof and corrected acknowledging of prior work
in (current) Section
The effect of quantization on the FCIQMC sign problem
The sign problem in Full Configuration Interaction Quantum Monte Carlo
(FCIQMC) without annihilation can be understood as an instability of the
psi-particle population to the ground state of the matrix obtained by making
all off-diagonal elements of the Hamiltonian negative. Such a matrix, and hence
the sign problem, is basis dependent. In this paper we discuss the properties
of a physically important basis choice: first versus second quantization. For a
given choice of single-particle orbitals, we identify the conditions under
which the fermion sign problem in the second quantized basis of antisymmetric
Slater determinants is identical to the sign problem in the first quantized
basis of unsymmetrized Hartree products. We also show that, when the two
differ, the fermion sign problem is always less severe in the second quantized
basis. This supports the idea that FCIQMC, even in the absence of annihilation,
improves the sign problem relative to first quantized methods. Finally, we
point out some theoretically interesting classes of Hamiltonians where first
and second quantized sign problems differ, and others where they do not.Comment: 4 pages w/ 2 page appendix, 2 figures, 1 tabl
X-Ray Microanalysis of Hamster Tracheal Epithelium
Studies of ion transport across respiratory epithelia are of great interest if we are to understand the pathophysiology of diseases such as cystic fibrosis in which ion transport is abnormal. Concentrations of elements were determined in various subcellular regions of normal or isoproterenol-treated hamster tracheal epithelium, using X-ray microanalysis of freeze-dried cryosections. Samples of trachea were taken from animals under anesthesia and either frozen in situ or dissected and plunge frozen. Concentrations of Mg, P, S, Cl, K and Ca were higher in cytoplasm and nuclei of control epithelial cells in dissected samples than in cryoneedle samples. Following treatment with isoproterenol, a large decrease in the concentration of Cl was observed. The results confirm that cyclic AMP-regulated chloride secretion is unaffected by anesthesia
The symbiotic star CH Cygni. III. A precessing radio jet
VLA, MERLIN and Hubble Space Telescope imaging observations of the extended
regions of the symbiotic system CH Cygni are analysed. These extensions are
evidence of a strong collimation mechanism, probably an accretion disk
surrounding the hot component of the system. Over 16 years (between 1985 and
2001) the general trend is that these jets are seen to precess. Fitting a
simple ballistic model of matter ejection to the geometry of the extended
regions suggests a period of 6520 +/- 150 days, with a precession cone opening
angle of 35 +/- 1 degrees. This period is of the same order as that proposed
for the orbital period of the outer giant in the system, suggesting a possible
link between the two. Anomalous knots in the emission, not explained by the
simple model, are believed to be the result of older, slower moving ejecta, or
possibly jet material that has become disrupted through sideways interaction
with the surrounding medium.Comment: 9 pages, 4 figure
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