3,122 research outputs found
Thermal kinetic inductance detectors for ground-based millimeter-wave cosmology
We show measurements of thermal kinetic inductance detectors (TKID) intended
for millimeter wave cosmology in the 200-300 GHz atmospheric window. The TKID
is a type of bolometer which uses the kinetic inductance of a superconducting
resonator to measure the temperature of the thermally isolated bolometer
island. We measure bolometer thermal conductance, time constant and noise
equivalent power. We also measure the quality factor of our resonators as the
bath temperature varies to show they are limited by effects consistent with
coupling to two level systems.Comment: 8 pages, 4 figures. Submitted to Journal of Low Temperature Physic
Risk and Utility in Portfolio Optimization
Modern portfolio theory(MPT) addresses the problem of determining the optimum
allocation of investment resources among a set of candidate assets. In the
original mean-variance approach of Markowitz, volatility is taken as a proxy
for risk, conflating uncertainty with risk. There have been many subsequent
attempts to alleviate that weakness which, typically, combine utility and risk.
We present here a modification of MPT based on the inclusion of separate risk
and utility criteria. We define risk as the probability of failure to meet a
pre-established investment goal. We define utility as the expectation of a
utility function with positive and decreasing marginal value as a function of
yield. The emphasis throughout is on long investment horizons for which
risk-free assets do not exist. Analytic results are presented for a Gaussian
probability distribution. Risk-utility relations are explored via empirical
stock-price data, and an illustrative portfolio is optimized using the
empirical data.Comment: 10 pages, 1 figure, presented at 2002 Conference on Econophysics in
Bali Indonesi
Viscous coalescence of droplets: a Lattice Boltzmann study
The coalescence of two resting liquid droplets in a saturated vapor phase is
investigated by Lattice Boltzmann simulations in two and three dimensions. We
find that, in the viscous regime, the bridge radius obeys a t^{1/2}-scaling law
in time with the characteristic time scale given by the viscous time. Our
results differ significantly from the predictions of existing analytical
theories of viscous coalescence as well as from experimental observations.
While the underlying reason for these deviations is presently unknown, a simple
scaling argument is given that describes our results well.Comment: 12 pages, 10 figures; as published in Phys. Fluid
Exciton-LO-phonon dynamics in InAs/GaAs quantum dots: Effects of zone-edge phonon damping
The dynamics of an exciton-LO-phonon system after an ultrafast optical
excitation in an InAs/GaAs quantum dot is studied theoretically. Influence of
anharmonic phonon damping and its interplay with the phonon dispersion is
analyzed. The signatures of the zone-edge decay process in the absorption
spectrum and time evolution are highlighted, providing a possible way of
experimental investigation on phonon anharmonicity effects.Comment: 10 pages, 2 figure
Online Popularity and Topical Interests through the Lens of Instagram
Online socio-technical systems can be studied as proxy of the real world to
investigate human behavior and social interactions at scale. Here we focus on
Instagram, a media-sharing online platform whose popularity has been rising up
to gathering hundred millions users. Instagram exhibits a mixture of features
including social structure, social tagging and media sharing. The network of
social interactions among users models various dynamics including
follower/followee relations and users' communication by means of
posts/comments. Users can upload and tag media such as photos and pictures, and
they can "like" and comment each piece of information on the platform. In this
work we investigate three major aspects on our Instagram dataset: (i) the
structural characteristics of its network of heterogeneous interactions, to
unveil the emergence of self organization and topically-induced community
structure; (ii) the dynamics of content production and consumption, to
understand how global trends and popular users emerge; (iii) the behavior of
users labeling media with tags, to determine how they devote their attention
and to explore the variety of their topical interests. Our analysis provides
clues to understand human behavior dynamics on socio-technical systems,
specifically users and content popularity, the mechanisms of users'
interactions in online environments and how collective trends emerge from
individuals' topical interests.Comment: 11 pages, 11 figures, Proceedings of ACM Hypertext 201
Influence of RANEY nickel on the formation of intermediates in the degradation of lignin
Lignin forms an important part of lignocellulosic biomass and is an abundantly available residue. It is a potential renewable source of phenol. Liquefaction of enzymatic hydrolysis lignin as well as catalytical hydrodeoxygenation of the main intermediates in the degradation of lignin, that is, catechol and guaiacol, was studied. The cleavage of the ether bonds, which are abundant in the molecular structure of lignin, can be realised in near-critical water (573 to 673 K, 20 to 30MPa). Hydrothermal treatment in this context provides high selectivity in respect to hydroxybenzenes, especially catechol. RANEY Nickel was found to be an adequate catalyst for hydrodeoxygenation. Although it does not influence the cleavage of ether bonds, RANEY Nickel favours the production of phenol from both lignin and catechol. The main product from hydrodeoxygenation of guaiacol with RANEY Nickel was cyclohexanol. Reaction mechanism and kinetics of the degradation of guaiacol were explored
- …