5,345 research outputs found
The Impact of Shape on the Perception of Euler Diagrams
Euler diagrams are often used for visualizing data collected into sets. However, there is a significant lack of guidance regarding graphical choices for Euler diagram layout. To address this deficiency, this paper asks the question `does the shape of a closed curve affect a user's comprehension of an Euler diagram?' By empirical study, we establish that curve shape does indeed impact on understandability. Our analysis of performance data indicates that circles perform best, followed by squares, with ellipses and rectangles jointly performing worst. We conclude that, where possible, circles should be used to draw effective Euler diagrams. Further, the ability to discriminate curves from zones and the symmetry of the curve shapes is argued to be important. We utilize perceptual theory to explain these results. As a consequence of this research, improved diagram layout decisions can be made for Euler diagrams whether they are manually or automatically drawn
The resistance of randomly grown trees
Copyright @ 2011 IOP Publishing Ltd. This is a preprint version of the published article which can be accessed from the link below.An electrical network with the structure of a random tree is considered: starting from a root vertex, in one iteration each leaf (a vertex with zero or one adjacent edges) of the tree is extended by either a single edge with probability p or two edges with probability 1 − p. With each edge having a resistance equal to 1 omega, the total resistance Rn between the root vertex and a busbar connecting all the vertices at the nth level is considered. A dynamical system is presented which approximates Rn, it is shown that the mean value (Rn) for this system approaches (1 + p)/(1 − p) as n → ∞, the distribution of Rn at large n is also examined. Additionally, a random sequence construction akin to a random Fibonacci sequence is used to approximate Rn; this sequence is shown to be related to the Legendre polynomials and its mean is shown to converge with |(Rn) − (1 + p)/(1 − p)| ∼ n−1/2.Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC
What makes slow samples slow in the Sherrington-Kirkpatrick model
Using results of a Monte Carlo simulation of the Sherrington-Kirkpatrick
model, we try to characterize the slow disorder samples, namely we analyze
visually the correlation between the relaxation time for a given disorder
sample with several observables of the system for the same disorder sample.
For temperatures below but not too low, fast samples (small relaxation
times) are clearly correlated with a small value of the largest eigenvalue of
the coupling matrix, a large value of the site averaged local field probability
distribution at the origin, or a small value of the squared overlap is more robust) . There is a strong correlation between the values of
the relaxation time for two distinct values of the temperature, but this
correlation decreases as the system size is increased. This may indicate the
onset of temperature chaos
Nitrogen superfractionation in dense cloud cores
We report new calculations of interstellar 15N fractionation. Previously, we
have shown that large enhancements of 15N/14N can occur in cold, dense gas
where CO is frozen out, but that the existence of an NH + N channel in the
dissociative recombination of N2H+ severely curtails the fractionation. In the
light of recent experimental evidence that this channel is in fact negligible,
we have reassessed the 15N chemistry in dense cloud cores. We consider the
effects of temperatures below 10 K, and of the presence of large amounts of
atomic nitrogen. We also show how the temporal evolution of gas-phase isotope
ratios is preserved as spatial heterogeneity in ammonia ice mantles, as
monolayers deposited at different times have different isotopic compositions.
We demonstrate that the upper layers of this ice may have 15N/14N ratios an
order of magnitude larger than the underlying elemental value. Converting our
ratios to delta-values, we obtain delta(15N) > 3,000 per mil in the uppermost
layer, with values as high as 10,000 per mil in some models. We suggest that
this material is the precursor to the 15N `hotspots' recently discovered in
meteorites and IDPsComment: accepted by MNRA
Superspace Geometrical Realization of the N-Extended Super Virasoro Algebra and its Dual
We derive properties of N-extended GR super Virasoro algebras. These include
adding central extensions, identification of all primary fields and the action
of the adjoint representation on its dual. The final result suggest
identification with the spectrum of fields in supergravity theories and
superstring/M-theory constructed from NSR N-extended supersymmetric Virasoro algebras.Comment: 17 pages Latex Typos in TeX file has been correcte
Interactions of a String Inspired Graviton Field
We continue to explore the possibility that the graviton in two dimensions is
related to a quadratic differential that appears in the anomalous contribution
of the gravitational effective action for chiral fermions. A higher dimensional
analogue of this field might exist as well. We improve the defining action for
this diffeomorphism tensor field and establish a principle for how it interacts
with other fields and with point particles in any dimension. All interactions
are related to the action of the diffeomorphism group. We discuss possible
interpretations of this field.Comment: 12 pages, more readable, references adde
Exploring ecosystem markets for the delivery of public goods in the UK
Environmental restoration and conservation challenges go beyond what can be financed publicly. There are significant opportunities for private investment in the delivery of public goods, benefitting both commercial organisations whose business relies on ecosystem services, as well as landowners, land managers and the general public. Thus, public-private financing of natural capital improvement presents an opportunity to increase the availability of funding for payments for ecosystem services that provide environmental and societal benefits. Though public-private partnerships for the financing of ecosystem services is in its infancy in the UK.
This new report explores the voluntary ecosystem services market in the UK. This is achieved by developing an understanding of how key actors (schemes, stakeholder engagement initiatives, trading platforms and supporting modelling tools) operate, and by identifying possible synergies, examples of good practice and challenges to implementation. Topics covered include, understanding how the identified actors account for the social distribution of ecosystem services, how values are attributed to ecosystem services, and the legal obligations linked to ventures’ operation
H_2 Absorption and Fluorescence for Gamma Ray Bursts in Molecular Clouds
If a gamma ray burst with strong UV emission occurs in a molecular cloud,
there will be observable consequences resulting from excitation of the
surrounding H2. The UV pulse from the GRB will pump H2 into
vibrationally-excited levels which produce strong absorption at wavelengths <
1650 A. As a result, both the prompt flash and later afterglow will exhibit
strong absorption shortward of 1650 A, with specific spectroscopic features.
Such a cutoff in the emission from GRB 980329 may already have been observed by
Fruchter et al.; if so, GRB 980329 was at redshift 3.0 < z < 4.4 . BVRI
photometry of GRB 990510 could also be explained by H2 absorption if GRB 990510
is at redshift 1.6 < z < 2.3. The fluorescence accompanying the UV pumping of
the H2 will result in UV emission from the GRB which can extend over days or
months, depending on parameters of the ambient medium and beaming of the GRB
flash. The 7.5-13.6 eV fluorescent luminosity is \sim 10^{41.7} erg/s for
standard estimates of the parameters of the GRB and the ambient medium.
Spectroscopy can distinguish this fluorescent emission from other possible
sources of transient optical emission, such as a supernova.Comment: 13 pages, including 4 figures. submitted to Ap.J.(Letters
Young stars at large distances from the galactic plane: mechanisms of formation
We have collected from the literature a list of early-type stars, situated at
large distances from the galactic plane, for which evidence of youth seems
convincing. We discuss two possible formation mechanisms for these stars:
ejection from the plane by dynamical interactions within small clusters, and
formation away from the plane, via induced shocks created by spiral density
waves. We identify the stars that could be explained by each mechanism. We
conclude that the ejection mechanism can account for about two thirds of the
stars, while a combination of star formation at z = 500-800 pc from the plane
and ejection, can account for 90 percent of these stars. Neither mechanism, nor
both together, can explain the most extreme examples.Comment: 6 pages, No figures. Sixth Pacific Rim Conference on Stellar
Astrophysics - A tribute to Helmut Abt, (Kluwer
A Numerical Study of the Hierarchical Ising Model: High Temperature Versus Epsilon Expansion
We study numerically the magnetic susceptibility of the hierarchical model
with Ising spins () above the critical temperature and for two
values of the epsilon parameter. The integrations are performed exactly, using
recursive methods which exploit the symmetries of the model. Lattices with up
to sites have been used. Surprisingly, the numerical data can be fitted
very well with a simple power law of the form for the {\it whole} temperature range. The numerical values for
agree within a few percent with the values calculated with a high-temperature
expansion but show significant discrepancies with the epsilon-expansion. We
would appreciate comments about these results.Comment: 15 Pages, 12 Figures not included (hard copies available on request),
uses phyzzx.te
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