Modeling and Analysis of Scholar Mobility on Scientific Landscape

Scientific literature till date can be thought of as a partially revealed landscape, where scholars continue to unveil hidden knowledge by exploring novel research topics. How do scholars explore the scientific landscape , i.e., choose research topics to work on? We propose an agent-based model of topic mobility behavior where scholars migrate across research topics on the space of science following different strategies, seeking different utilities. We use this model to study whether strategies widely used in current scientific community can provide a balance between individual scientific success and the efficiency and diversity of the whole academic society. Through extensive simulations, we provide insights into the roles of different strategies, such as choosing topics according to research potential or the popularity. Our model provides a conceptual framework and a computational approach to analyze scholars' behavior and its impact on scientific production. We also discuss how such an agent-based modeling approach can be integrated with big real-world scholarly data.Comment: To appear in BigScholar, WWW 201

Joint Estimation of Multiple Graphical Models from High Dimensional Time Series

In this manuscript we consider the problem of jointly estimating multiple graphical models in high dimensions. We assume that the data are collected from n subjects, each of which consists of T possibly dependent observations. The graphical models of subjects vary, but are assumed to change smoothly corresponding to a measure of closeness between subjects. We propose a kernel based method for jointly estimating all graphical models. Theoretically, under a double asymptotic framework, where both (T,n) and the dimension d can increase, we provide the explicit rate of convergence in parameter estimation. It characterizes the strength one can borrow across different individuals and impact of data dependence on parameter estimation. Empirically, experiments on both synthetic and real resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) data illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed method.Comment: 40 page

Lyα\alpha Leaks in the Absorption Spectra of High Redshift QSOs

Spectra of high redshift QSOs show deep Gunn-Peterson absorptions on the blue sides of the \Lya emissions lines. They can be decomposed into components called \Lya leaks, defined to be emissive regions in complementary to otherwise zero-fluxed absorption gaps. Just like \Lya absorption forests at low redshifts, \Lya leaks are both easy to find in observations and containing rich sets of statistical properties that can be used to study the early evolution of the IGM. Among all properties of a leak profile, we investigate its equivalent width in this paper, since it is weakly affected by instrumental resolution and noise. Using 10 Keck QSO spectra at $z\sim6$, we have measured the number density distribution function $n(W,z)$, defined to be the number of leaks per equivalent width $W$ and per redshift $z$, in the redshift range $5.4 - 6.0$. These new observational statistics, in both the differential and cumulative forms, fit well to hydro numerical simulations of uniform ionizing background in the $\Lambda$CDM cosmology. In this model, Ly $\alpha$ leaks are mainly due to low density voids. It supports the early studies that the IGM at $z\simeq6$ would still be in a highly ionized state with neutral hydrogen fraction $\simeq 10^{-4}$. Measurements of $n(W,z)$ at $z>6$ would be effective to probe the reionization of the IGM.Comment: 3 figs, accepted by ApJ

A WENO Algorithm of the Temperature and Ionization Profiles around a Point Source

We develop a numerical solver for radiative transfer problems based on the weighted essentially nonoscillatory (WENO) scheme modified with anti-diffusive flux corrections, in order to solve the temperature and ionization profiles around a point source of photons in the reionization epoch. Algorithms for such simulation must be able to handle the following two features: 1. the sharp profiles of ionization and temperature at the ionizing front (I-front) and the heating front (T-front), and 2. the fraction of neutral hydrogen within the ionized sphere is extremely small due to the stiffness of the rate equations of atom processes. The WENO scheme can properly handle these two features, as it has been shown to have high order of accuracy and good convergence in capturing discontinuities and complicated structures in fluid as well as to be significantly superior over piecewise smooth solutions containing discontinuities. With this algorithm, we show the time-dependence of the preheated shell around a UV photon source. In the first stage the I-front and T-front are coincident, and propagate with almost the speed of light. In later stage, when the frequency spectrum of UV photons is hardened, the speeds of propagation of the ionizing and heating fronts are both significantly less than the speed of light, and the heating front is always beyond the ionizing front. In the spherical shell between the I- and T-fronts, the IGM is heated, while atoms keep almost neutral. The time scale of the preheated shell evolution is dependent on the intensity of the photon source. We also find that the details of the pre-heated shell and the distribution of neutral hydrogen remained in the ionized sphere are actually sensitive to the parameters used. The WENO algorithm can provide stable and robust solutions to study these details.Comment: 24 pages, 7 figures, accepted in New Astronom