195 research outputs found
A geographic knowledge discovery approach to property valuation
This thesis involves an investigation of how knowledge discovery can be applied in the area Geographic Information Science. In particular, its application in the area of
property valuation in order to reveal how different spatial entities and their interactions affect the price of the properties is explored. This approach is entirely
data driven and does not require previous knowledge of the area applied.
To demonstrate this process, a prototype system has been designed and implemented. It employs association rule mining and associative classification algorithms to uncover any existing inter-relationships and perform the valuation. Various algorithms that perform the above tasks have been proposed in the literature. The algorithm developed in this work is based on the Apriori algorithm. It has been
however, extended with an implementation of a âBest Ruleâ classification scheme based on the Classification Based on Associations (CBA) algorithm.
For the modelling of geographic relationships a graph-theoretic approach has been employed. Graphs have been widely used as modelling tools within the geography
domain, primarily for the investigation of network-type systems. In the current context, the graph reflects topological and metric relationships between the spatial
entities depicting general spatial arrangements. An efficient graph search algorithm has been developed, based on the Djikstra shortest path algorithm that enables the
investigation of relationships between spatial entities beyond first degree connectivity.
A case study with data from three central London boroughs has been performed to validate the methodology and algorithms, and demonstrate its effectiveness for computer aided property valuation. In addition, through the case study, the influence of location in the value of properties in those boroughs has been examined. The results are encouraging as they demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed methodology and algorithms, provided that the data is appropriately pre processed and is of high quality
An extended XMM-Newton observation of the Seyfert galaxy NGC 4051. II. Soft X-ray emission from a limb-brightened shell of post-shock gas
An extended XMM-Newton observation of the Seyfert I galaxy NGC 4051 in 2009
revealed a complex absorption spectrum, with a wide range of outflow velocities
and ionisation states.The main velocity and ionisation structure was
interpreted in Paper I in terms of a decelerating, recombining flow resulting
from the shocking of a still higher velocity wind colliding with the ISM or
slower moving ejecta. The high sensitivity of the XMM-Newton observation also
revealed a number of broad emission lines, all showing evidence of
self-absorption near the line cores. The line profiles are found here to be
consistent with emission from a limb-brightened shell of post-shock gas
building up ahead of the contact discontinuity. While the broad emission lines
remain quasi-constant as the continuum flux changes by an order of magnitude,
recombination continua of several H- and He-like ions are found to vary in
response to the continuum, providing an important key to scaling the ionised
flow.Comment: Accepted for publication in MNRA
Column classification/characterisation of strong cation exchange phases for the liquid chromatographic analysis of small molecular weight bases
A simple, rapid and robust protocol for the characterisation of strong cation exchange columns for the analysis of small molecular weight bases is described. A range of ten different phases were characterised, and the resultant selectivity and retention factors analysed using Principal Component Analysis. The score plots for the first and second principal components described 83% of the variability within the dataset. Score plots highlighted the large chromatographic differences observed between the phases, the validity of which was established using a larger range of bases. All the strong cation exchange materials demonstrated a synergistic mixed mode (i.e. ion exchange and hydrophobic) retention mechanism. Principal Component Analysis also highlighted the potential difficulty in locating suitable strong cation exchange âback-upâ columns for the analysis of small molecular weight bases in that the characterised columns all displayed very different selectivities. The robustness of the protocol was confirmed by a factorial design experiment
Three-minute oscillations above sunspot umbra observed with SDO/AIA and NoRH
Three-minute oscillations over sunspot's umbra in AR 11131 were observed
simultaneously in UV/EUV emission by SDO/AIA and in radio emission by Nobeyama
Radioheliograph (NoRH). We use 24-hours series of SDO and 8-hours series of
NoRH observations to study spectral, spatial and temporal variations of
pulsations in the 5-9 mHz frequency range at different layers of the solar
atmosphere. High spatial and temporal resolution of SDO/AIA in combination with
long-duration observations allowed us to trace the variations of the cut-off
frequency and spectrum of oscillations across the umbra. We found that higher
frequency oscillations are more pronounced closer to the umbra's center, while
the lower frequencies concentrate to the peripheral parts. We interpreted this
discovery as a manifestation of variation of the magnetic field inclination
across the umbra at the level of temperature-minimum. Possible implications of
this interpretation for the diagnostics of sunspot atmospheres is discussed.Comment: 29 pages, 7 figures, in press ApJ, 201
120 Minima timings of eclipsing binaries
We present 120 times of minima of 8 eclipsing binaries
High-resolution X-ray spectroscopy of the low and high states of the Seyfert 1 galaxy NGC 4051 with Chandra LETGS
Methods. We analyse two observations taken with the Low Energy Transmission
Grating Spectrometer of Chandra. We investigated the spectral response to a
sudden flux decrease by a factor of 5, which occurred during the second
observation. Results. We detect a highly ionised absorption component with an
outflow velocity of -4670 km/s, one of the highest outflow velocity components
observed in a Seyfert 1 galaxy. The spectra contain a relativistic O VIII Ly
alpha line, and four absorption components spanning a range in ionisation
parameter xi between 0.07 and 3.19. An emission component producing radiative
recombination continua of C VI and C V appears during the low state. The black
body temperature decreases with the drop in flux observed in the second
observation. Conclusions. For all absorber components we exclude that the
ionisation parameter linearly responded to the decrease in flux by a factor of
5. The variability of the absorber suggest that at least three out of four
detected components are located in the range 0.02-1 pc. ABRIDGEDComment: Accepted by A&A, 14 pages, 9 figure
The Asymmetric Wind in M82
We have obtained detailed imaging Fabry-Perot observations of the nearby
galaxy M82, in order to understand the physical association between the
high-velocity outflow and the starburst nucleus. The observed velocities of the
emitting gas in M82 reveal a bipolar outflow of material, originating from the
bright starburst regions in the galaxy's inner disk, but misaligned with
respect to the galaxy spin axis. The deprojected outflow velocity increases
with radius from 525 to 655 km/s. Spectral lines show double components in the
centers of the outflowing lobes, with the H-alpha line split by ~300 km/s over
a region almost a kiloparsec in size. The filaments are not simple surfaces of
revolution, nor is the emission distributed evenly over the surfaces. We model
these lobes as a composite of cylindrical and conical structures, collimated in
the inner ~500 pc but expanding at a larger opening angle of ~25 degrees beyond
that radius. We compare our kinematic model with simulations of
starburst-driven winds in which disk material surrounding the source is
entrained by the wind. The data also reveal a remarkably low [NII]/H-alpha
ratio in the region of the outflow, indicating that photoionization by the
nuclear starburst may play a significant role in the excitation of the optical
filament gas, particularly near the nucleus.Comment: 42 pages AASTeX with 16 figures; accepted for publication in ApJ;
figures reformatted for better printin
Non-linear numerical simulations of magneto-acoustic wave propagation in small-scale flux tubes
We present results of non-linear, 2D, numerical simulations of
magneto-acoustic wave propagation in the photosphere and chromosphere of
small-scale flux tubes with internal structure. Waves with realistic periods of
three to five minutes are studied, after applying horizontal and vertical
oscillatory perturbations to the equilibrium model. Spurious reflections of
shock waves from the upper boundary are minimized thanks to a special boundary
condition. This has allowed us to increase the duration of the simulations and
to make it long enough to perform a statistical analysis of oscillations. The
simulations show that deep horizontal motions of the flux tube generate a slow
(magnetic) mode and a surface mode. These modes are efficiently transformed
into a slow (acoustic) mode in the vA < cS atmosphere. The slow (acoustic) mode
propagates vertically along the field lines, forms shocks and remains always
within the flux tube. It might deposit effectively the energy of the driver
into the chromosphere. When the driver oscillates with a high frequency, above
the cut-off, non-linear wave propagation occurs with the same dominant driver
period at all heights. At low frequencies, below the cut-off, the dominant
period of oscillations changes with height from that of the driver in the
photosphere to its first harmonic (half period) in the chromosphere. Depending
on the period and on the type of the driver, different shock patterns are
observed.Comment: 22 pages 6 color figures, submitted to Solar Physics, proceeding of
SOHO 19/ GONG 2007 meeting, Melbourne, Australi
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