18,125 research outputs found
The Validation of Computer-based Models in Engineering: Some Lessons from Computing Science
Questions of the quality of computer-based models and the formal processes of model testing, involving internal verification and external validation, are usually given only passing attention in engineering reports and in technical publications. However, such models frequently provide a basis for analysis methods, design calculations or real-time decision-making in complex engineering systems. This paper reviews techniques used for external validation of computer-based models and contrasts the somewhat casual approach which is usually adopted in this field with the more formal approaches to software testing and documentation recommended for large software projects. Both activities require intimate knowledge of the intended application, a systematic approach and considerable expertise and ingenuity in the design of tests. It is concluded that engineering degree courses dealing with modelling techniques and computer simulation should put more emphasis on model limitations, testing and validation
Comparison of nonlinear dynamic inversion and inverse simulation
No abstract available
Mathematical modelling of ethanol metabolism in normal subjects and chronic alcohol misusers
The time course of ethanol disappearance from the blood has been examined in normal males and females and in alcohol misusers. Blood alcohol estimations were made over a period of 3 hr, following an oral dose of ethanol (0.8 g/kg body weight) administered in the form of whisky. Attempts were made to fit the data to zero order, first order and mixed zero + first order kinetics. In the majority (75%) of normal females the blood ethanol concentration was still increasing at 30 min. This was only seen in 50% of normal males and in 50% of non-dependent alcohol misusers, but not in dependent alcohol misusers. In all of the normal females the disappearance of ethanol could be adequately described by zero order kinetics. However, in the normal male group only 20% could be described by zero order kinetics, 10% fitted first order kinetics and the remainder required a mixed model of zero + first order. The rate constant for the zero order component of the control male group was identical to zero order rate constant obtained for the female control group. In the female alcohol misuser group, 40% of the curves could not be described by zero order kinetics and fitted best to a mixed model. The zero order component of the entire group was significantly increased (by 35%) compared to that obtained for the female control group. In the male dependent and non-dependent alcohol misuser groups, all blood alcohol concentration curves fitted best to mixed zero and first order kinetics. However, no significant differences were noted in the values of the kinetic parameters when compared with the male control group. It is suggested that the zero order component of the blood alcohol concentration curves is due to the action of liver alcohol dehydrogenase and the first order component represents redistribution to the tissues. The presence or absence of a first order component is attributed to differences in absorption rates from the gut
Kaon Photoproduction and the Decay Parameter
The weak decay parameter of the is an important quantity
for the extraction of polarization observables in various experiments.
Moreover, in combination with from decay it provides a
measure for matter-antimatter asymmetry. The weak decay parameter also affects
the decay parameters of the and baryons and, in general, any
quantity in which the polarization of the is relevant. The recently
reported value by the BESIII collaboration of is significantly
larger than the previous PDG value of that had been accepted and
used for over 40 years. In this work we make an independent estimate of
, using an extensive set of polarization data measured in kaon
photoproduction in the baryon resonance region and constraints set by spin
algebra. The obtained value is 0.721(6)(5). The result is corroborated by
multiple statistical tests as well as a modern phenomenological model, showing
that our new value yields the best description of the data in question. Our
analysis supports the new BESIII finding that is significantly
larger than the previous PDG value. Any experimental quantity relying on the
value of should therefore be re-considered.Comment: 6 pages, 1 figure
Mathematical and computer modeling of electro-optic systems using a generic modeling approach
The conventional approach to modelling electro-optic sensor systems is to develop separate models for individual systems or classes of system, depending on the detector technology employed in the sensor and the application. However, this ignores commonality in design and in components of these systems. A generic approach is presented for modelling a variety of sensor systems operating in the infrared waveband that also allows systems to be modelled with different levels of detail and at different stages of the product lifecycle. The provision of different model types (parametric and image-flow descriptions) within the generic framework can allow valuable insights to be gained
The effects of Chern-Simons gravity on bodies orbiting the Earth
One of the possible low-energy consequences of string theory is the addition
of a Chern-Simons term to the standard Einstein-Hilbert action of general
relativity. It can be argued that the quintessence field should couple to this
Chern-Simons term, and if so, it drives in the linearized theory a
parity-violating interaction between the gravito-electric and gravitomagnetic
fields. In this paper, the linearized spacetime for Chern-Simons gravity around
a massive spinning body is found to include new modifications to the
gravitomagnetic field that have not appeared in previous work. The orbits of
test bodies and the precession of gyroscopes in this spacetime are calculated,
leading to new constraints on the Chern-Simons parameter space due to current
satellite experiments.Comment: 9 pages, 2 figures; minor corrections made; to appear in PR
Sensitivity-analysis method for inverse simulation application
An important criticism of traditional methods of inverse simulation that are based on the NewtonâRaphson algorithm is that they suffer from numerical problems. In this paper these problems are discussed and a new method based on sensitivity-analysis theory is developed and evaluated. The Jacobian matrix may be calculated by solving a sensitivity equation and this has advantages over the approximation methods that are usually applied when the derivatives of output variables with respect to inputs cannot be found analytically. The methodology also overcomes problems of input-output redundancy that arise in the traditional approaches to inverse simulation. The sensitivity- analysis approach makes full use of information within the time interval over which key quantities are compared, such as the difference between calculated values and the given ideal maneuver after each integration step. Applications to nonlinear HS125 aircraft and Lynx helicopter models show that, for this sensitivity-analysis method, more stable and accurate results are obtained than from use of the traditional NewtonâRaphson approach
Recommended from our members
The X-ray quantum efficiency measurement of high resistivity CCDs
The CCD247 is the second generation of high-resistivity device to be manufactured in e2v technologies plc development programme. Intended for infrared astronomy, the latest devices are fabricated on high resistivity (~8 kΩ cm) bulk silicon, allowing for a greater device thickness whilst maintaining full depletion when 'thinned' to a thickness of 150 Όm. In the case of the front illuminated variant, depletion of up to 300 Όm is achievable by applying a gate to substrate potential of up to 120 V, whilst retaining adequate spectral performance. The increased depletion depth of high-resistivity CCDs greatly improves the quantum efficiency (QE) for incident X-ray photons of energies above 5 keV, making such a device beneficial in future X-ray astronomy missions and other applications. Here we describe the experimental setup and present results of X-ray QE measurements taken in the energy range 2-20 keV for a front illuminated CCD247, showing QE in excess of 80% at 10 keV. Results for the first generation CCD217 and swept-charge device (1500 Ω cm epitaxial silicon) are also presented
Fluctuations and Correlations in Lattice Models for Predator-Prey Interaction
Including spatial structure and stochastic noise invalidates the classical
Lotka-Volterra picture of stable regular population cycles emerging in models
for predator-prey interactions. Growth-limiting terms for the prey induce a
continuous extinction threshold for the predator population whose critical
properties are in the directed percolation universality class. Here, we discuss
the robustness of this scenario by considering an ecologically inspired
stochastic lattice predator-prey model variant where the predation process
includes next-nearest-neighbor interactions. We find that the corresponding
stochastic model reproduces the above scenario in dimensions 1< d \leq 4, in
contrast with mean-field theory which predicts a first-order phase transition.
However, the mean-field features are recovered upon allowing for
nearest-neighbor particle exchange processes, provided these are sufficiently
fast.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figures, 2-column revtex4 format. Emphasis on the lattice
predator-prey model with next-nearest-neighbor interaction (Rapid
Communication in PRE
Exploring music with a probabilistic projection interface
We present the design and evaluation of an in-
teractive tool for music exploration, with musi-
cal mood and genre inferred directly from tracks.
It uses probabilistic representations of multivari-
able predictions of subjective characteristics of
the music to give users subtle, nuanced visuali-
sations of the 2D map. These explicitly repre-
sent the uncertainty and overlap among features
and support music exploration and casual playlist
generation. A longitudinal trial in usersâ homes
showed that probabilistic highlighting of subjec-
tive features led to more focused exploration in
mouse activity logs, and 6 of 8 users preferred
the probabilistic highlighting
- âŠ