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An Approach to Using Non Safety-Assured Programmable Components in Modest Integrity Systems
Programmable components (like personal computers or smart devices) can offer considerable benefits in terms of usability and functionality in a safety-related system. However there is a problem in justifying the use of programmable components if the components have not been safety justified to an appropriate integrity (e.g. to SIL 1 of IEC 61508). This paper outlines an approach (called LowSIL) developed in the UK CINIF nuclear industry research programme to justify the use of non safety-assured programmable components in modest integrity systems. This is a seven step approach that can be applied to new systems from an early design stage, or retrospectively to existing systems. The stages comprise: system characterisation, component suitability assessment, failure analysis, failure mitigation, identification of additional defences, identification of safety evidence requirements, and collation and evaluation of evidence. In the case of personal computers, there is supporting guidance on usage constraints, claim limits on reliability, and advice on âlocking downâ the component to maximise reliability. The approach is demonstrated for an example system. The approach has been applied successfully to a range of safety-related systems used in the nuclear industry
Theory of Bubble Nucleation and Cooperativity in DNA Melting
The onset of intermediate states (denaturation bubbles) and their role during
the melting transition of DNA are studied using the Peyrard-Bishop-Daxuois
model by Monte Carlo simulations with no adjustable parameters. Comparison is
made with previously published experimental results finding excellent
agreement. Melting curves, critical DNA segment length for stability of bubbles
and the possibility of a two states transition are studied.Comment: 4 figures. Accepted for publication in Physical Review Letter
Gravitational waveforms with controlled accuracy
A partially first-order form of the characteristic formulation is introduced
to control the accuracy in the computation of gravitational waveforms produced
by highly distorted single black hole spacetimes. Our approach is to reduce the
system of equations to first-order differential form on the angular
derivatives, while retaining the proven radial and time integration schemes of
the standard characteristic formulation. This results in significantly improved
accuracy over the standard mixed-order approach in the extremely nonlinear
post-merger regime of binary black hole collisions.Comment: Revised version, published in Phys. Rev. D, RevTeX, 16 pages, 4
figure
Linearized solutions of the Einstein equations within a Bondi-Sachs framework, and implications for boundary conditions in numerical simulations
We linearize the Einstein equations when the metric is Bondi-Sachs, when the
background is Schwarzschild or Minkowski, and when there is a matter source in
the form of a thin shell whose density varies with time and angular position.
By performing an eigenfunction decomposition, we reduce the problem to a system
of linear ordinary differential equations which we are able to solve. The
solutions are relevant to the characteristic formulation of numerical
relativity: (a) as exact solutions against which computations of gravitational
radiation can be compared; and (b) in formulating boundary conditions on the
Schwarzschild horizon.Comment: Revised following referee comment
High-powered Gravitational News
We describe the computation of the Bondi news for gravitational radiation. We
have implemented a computer code for this problem. We discuss the theory behind
it as well as the results of validation tests. Our approach uses the
compactified null cone formalism, with the computational domain extending to
future null infinity and with a worldtube as inner boundary. We calculate the
appropriate full Einstein equations in computational eth form in (a) the
interior of the computational domain and (b) on the inner boundary. At future
null infinity, we transform the computed data into standard Bondi coordinates
and so are able to express the news in terms of its standard and
polarization components. The resulting code is stable and
second-order convergent. It runs successfully even in the highly nonlinear
case, and has been tested with the news as high as 400, which represents a
gravitational radiation power of about .Comment: 24 pages, 4 figures. To appear in Phys. Rev.
Valley polarization and susceptibility of composite fermions around nu=3/2
We report magnetotransport measurements of fractional quantum Hall states in
an AlAs quantum well around Landau level filling factor nu = 3/2, demonstrating
that the quasiparticles are composite Fermions (CFs) with a valley degree of
freedom. By monitoring the valley level crossings for these states as a
function of applied symmetry-breaking strain, we determine the CF valley
susceptibility and polarization. The data can be explained well by a simple
Landau level fan diagram for CFs, and are in nearly quantitative agreement with
the results reported for CF spin polarization.Comment: to appear in Phys. Rev. Let
Influence of quantum fluctuations on zero-temperature phase transitions between collinear and noncollinear states in frustrated spin systems
We study a square-lattice spin-half Heisenberg model where frustration is
introduced by competing nearest-neighbor bonds of different signs. We discuss
the influence of quantum fluctuations on the nature of the zero-temperature
phase transitions from phases with collinear magnetic order at small
frustration to phases with noncollinear spiral order at large frustration. We
use the coupled cluster method (CCM) for high orders of approximation (up to
LSUB6) and the exact diagonalization of finite systems (up to 32 sites) to
calculate ground-state properties. The role of quantum fluctuations is examined
by comparing the ferromagnetic-spiral and the antiferromagnetic-spiral
transition within the same model. We find clear evidence that quantum
fluctuations prefer collinear order and that they may favour a first order
transition instead of a second order transition in case of no quantum
fluctuations.Comment: 6 pages, 6 Postscipt figures; Accepted for publication in Phys. Rev.
Probing the mechanical unzipping of DNA
A study of the micromechanical unzipping of DNA in the framework of the
Peyrard-Bishop-Dauxois model is presented. We introduce a Monte Carlo technique
that allows accurate determination of the dependence of the unzipping forces on
unzipping speed and temperature. Our findings agree quantitatively with
experimental results for homogeneous DNA, and for -phage DNA we
reproduce the recently obtained experimental force-temperature phase diagram.
Finally, we argue that there may be fundamental differences between {\em in
vivo} and {\em in vitro} DNA unzipping
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