Iterative blip-summed path integral for quantum dynamics in strongly dissipative environments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Makri, Nancy

2017-04-01

The iterative decomposition of the blip-summed path integral [N. Makri, J. Chem. Phys. 141, 134117 (2014)] is described. The starting point is the expression of the reduced density matrix for a quantum system interacting with a harmonic dissipative bath in the form of a forward-backward path sum, where the effects of the bath enter through the Feynman-Vernon influence functional. The path sum is evaluated iteratively in time by propagating an array that stores blip configurations within the memory interval. Convergence with respect to the number of blips and the memory length yields numerically exact results which are free of statistical error. In situations of strongly dissipative, sluggish baths, the algorithm leads to a dramatic reduction of computational effort in comparison with iterative path integral methods that do not implement the blip decomposition. This gain in efficiency arises from (i) the rapid convergence of the blip series and (ii) circumventing the explicit enumeration of between-blip path segments, whose number grows exponentially with the memory length. Application to an asymmetric dissipative two-level system illustrates the rapid convergence of the algorithm even when the bath memory is extremely long.

Feynman formulae and phase space Feynman path integrals for tau-quantization of some Lévy-Khintchine type Hamilton functions

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Butko, Yana A., E-mail: yanabutko@yandex.ru, E-mail: kinderknecht@math.uni-sb.de; Grothaus, Martin, E-mail: grothaus@mathematik.uni-kl.de; Smolyanov, Oleg G., E-mail: Smolyanov@yandex.ru

2016-02-15

Evolution semigroups generated by pseudo-differential operators are considered. These operators are obtained by different (parameterized by a number τ) procedures of quantization from a certain class of functions (or symbols) defined on the phase space. This class contains Hamilton functions of particles with variable mass in magnetic and potential fields and more general symbols given by the Lévy-Khintchine formula. The considered semigroups are represented as limits of n-fold iterated integrals when n tends to infinity. Such representations are called Feynman formulae. Some of these representations are constructed with the help of another pseudo-differential operator, obtained by the same procedure ofmore » quantization; such representations are called Hamiltonian Feynman formulae. Some representations are based on integral operators with elementary kernels; these are called Lagrangian Feynman formulae. Langrangian Feynman formulae provide approximations of evolution semigroups, suitable for direct computations and numerical modeling of the corresponding dynamics. Hamiltonian Feynman formulae allow to represent the considered semigroups by means of Feynman path integrals. In the article, a family of phase space Feynman pseudomeasures corresponding to different procedures of quantization is introduced. The considered evolution semigroups are represented as phase space Feynman path integrals with respect to these Feynman pseudomeasures, i.e., different quantizations correspond to Feynman path integrals with the same integrand but with respect to different pseudomeasures. This answers Berezin’s problem of distinguishing a procedure of quantization on the language of Feynman path integrals. Moreover, the obtained Lagrangian Feynman formulae allow also to calculate these phase space Feynman path integrals and to connect them with some functional integrals with respect to probability measures.« less

Master equations and the theory of stochastic path integrals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weber, Markus F.; Frey, Erwin

2017-04-01

This review provides a pedagogic and self-contained introduction to master equations and to their representation by path integrals. Since the 1930s, master equations have served as a fundamental tool to understand the role of fluctuations in complex biological, chemical, and physical systems. Despite their simple appearance, analyses of master equations most often rely on low-noise approximations such as the Kramers-Moyal or the system size expansion, or require ad-hoc closure schemes for the derivation of low-order moment equations. We focus on numerical and analytical methods going beyond the low-noise limit and provide a unified framework for the study of master equations. After deriving the forward and backward master equations from the Chapman-Kolmogorov equation, we show how the two master equations can be cast into either of four linear partial differential equations (PDEs). Three of these PDEs are discussed in detail. The first PDE governs the time evolution of a generalized probability generating function whose basis depends on the stochastic process under consideration. Spectral methods, WKB approximations, and a variational approach have been proposed for the analysis of the PDE. The second PDE is novel and is obeyed by a distribution that is marginalized over an initial state. It proves useful for the computation of mean extinction times. The third PDE describes the time evolution of a ‘generating functional’, which generalizes the so-called Poisson representation. Subsequently, the solutions of the PDEs are expressed in terms of two path integrals: a ‘forward’ and a ‘backward’ path integral. Combined with inverse transformations, one obtains two distinct path integral representations of the conditional probability distribution solving the master equations. We exemplify both path integrals in analysing elementary chemical reactions. Moreover, we show how a well-known path integral representation of averaged observables can be recovered from them. Upon expanding the forward and the backward path integrals around stationary paths, we then discuss and extend a recent method for the computation of rare event probabilities. Besides, we also derive path integral representations for processes with continuous state spaces whose forward and backward master equations admit Kramers-Moyal expansions. A truncation of the backward expansion at the level of a diffusion approximation recovers a classic path integral representation of the (backward) Fokker-Planck equation. One can rewrite this path integral in terms of an Onsager-Machlup function and, for purely diffusive Brownian motion, it simplifies to the path integral of Wiener. To make this review accessible to a broad community, we have used the language of probability theory rather than quantum (field) theory and do not assume any knowledge of the latter. The probabilistic structures underpinning various technical concepts, such as coherent states, the Doi-shift, and normal-ordered observables, are thereby made explicit.

Master equations and the theory of stochastic path integrals.

PubMed

Weber, Markus F; Frey, Erwin

2017-04-01

This review provides a pedagogic and self-contained introduction to master equations and to their representation by path integrals. Since the 1930s, master equations have served as a fundamental tool to understand the role of fluctuations in complex biological, chemical, and physical systems. Despite their simple appearance, analyses of master equations most often rely on low-noise approximations such as the Kramers-Moyal or the system size expansion, or require ad-hoc closure schemes for the derivation of low-order moment equations. We focus on numerical and analytical methods going beyond the low-noise limit and provide a unified framework for the study of master equations. After deriving the forward and backward master equations from the Chapman-Kolmogorov equation, we show how the two master equations can be cast into either of four linear partial differential equations (PDEs). Three of these PDEs are discussed in detail. The first PDE governs the time evolution of a generalized probability generating function whose basis depends on the stochastic process under consideration. Spectral methods, WKB approximations, and a variational approach have been proposed for the analysis of the PDE. The second PDE is novel and is obeyed by a distribution that is marginalized over an initial state. It proves useful for the computation of mean extinction times. The third PDE describes the time evolution of a 'generating functional', which generalizes the so-called Poisson representation. Subsequently, the solutions of the PDEs are expressed in terms of two path integrals: a 'forward' and a 'backward' path integral. Combined with inverse transformations, one obtains two distinct path integral representations of the conditional probability distribution solving the master equations. We exemplify both path integrals in analysing elementary chemical reactions. Moreover, we show how a well-known path integral representation of averaged observables can be recovered from them. Upon expanding the forward and the backward path integrals around stationary paths, we then discuss and extend a recent method for the computation of rare event probabilities. Besides, we also derive path integral representations for processes with continuous state spaces whose forward and backward master equations admit Kramers-Moyal expansions. A truncation of the backward expansion at the level of a diffusion approximation recovers a classic path integral representation of the (backward) Fokker-Planck equation. One can rewrite this path integral in terms of an Onsager-Machlup function and, for purely diffusive Brownian motion, it simplifies to the path integral of Wiener. To make this review accessible to a broad community, we have used the language of probability theory rather than quantum (field) theory and do not assume any knowledge of the latter. The probabilistic structures underpinning various technical concepts, such as coherent states, the Doi-shift, and normal-ordered observables, are thereby made explicit.

An accurate European option pricing model under Fractional Stable Process based on Feynman Path Integral

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ma, Chao; Ma, Qinghua; Yao, Haixiang; Hou, Tiancheng

2018-03-01

In this paper, we propose to use the Fractional Stable Process (FSP) for option pricing. The FSP is one of the few candidates to directly model a number of desired empirical properties of asset price risk neutral dynamics. However, pricing the vanilla European option under FSP is difficult and problematic. In the paper, built upon the developed Feynman Path Integral inspired techniques, we present a novel computational model for option pricing, i.e. the Fractional Stable Process Path Integral (FSPPI) model under a general fractional stable distribution that tackles this problem. Numerical and empirical experiments show that the proposed pricing model provides a correction of the Black-Scholes pricing error - overpricing long term options, underpricing short term options; overpricing out-of-the-money options, underpricing in-the-money options without any additional structures such as stochastic volatility and a jump process.

Numerical calculation of the entanglement entropy for scalar field in dilaton spacetimes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Shifeng; Fang, Xiongjun; Jing, Jiliang

2018-06-01

Using coupled harmonic oscillators model, we numerical analyze the entanglement entropy of massless scalar field in Gafinkle-Horowitz-Strominger (GHS) dilaton spacetime and Gibbons-Maeda (GM) dilaton spacetime. By numerical fitting, we find that the entanglement entropy of the dilaton black holes receive contribution from dilaton charge and is proportional to the area of the event horizon. It is interesting to note that the results of numerical fitting are coincide with ones obtained by using brick wall method and Euclidean path integral approach.

UCAV path planning in the presence of radar-guided surface-to-air missile threats

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zeitz, Frederick H., III

This dissertation addresses the problem of path planning for unmanned combat aerial vehicles (UCAVs) in the presence of radar-guided surface-to-air missiles (SAMs). The radars, collocated with SAM launch sites, operate within the structure of an Integrated Air Defense System (IADS) that permits communication and cooperation between individual radars. The problem is formulated in the framework of the interaction between three sub-systems: the aircraft, the IADS, and the missile. The main features of this integrated model are: The aircraft radar cross section (RCS) depends explicitly on both the aspect and bank angles; hence, the RCS and aircraft dynamics are coupled. The probabilistic nature of IADS tracking is accounted for; namely, the probability that the aircraft has been continuously tracked by the IADS depends on the aircraft RCS and range from the perspective of each radar within the IADS. Finally, the requirement to maintain tracking prior to missile launch and during missile flyout are also modeled. Based on this model, the problem of UCAV path planning is formulated as a minimax optimal control problem, with the aircraft bank angle serving as control. Necessary conditions of optimality for this minimax problem are derived. Based on these necessary conditions, properties of the optimal paths are derived. These properties are used to discretize the dynamic optimization problem into a finite-dimensional, nonlinear programming problem that can be solved numerically. Properties of the optimal paths are also used to initialize the numerical procedure. A homotopy method is proposed to solve the finite-dimensional, nonlinear programming problem, and a heuristic method is proposed to improve the discretization during the homotopy process. Based upon the properties of numerical solutions, a method is proposed for parameterizing and storing information for later recall in flight to permit rapid replanning in response to changing threats. Illustrative examples are presented that confirm the standard flying tactics of "denying range, aspect, and aim," by yielding flight paths that "weave" to avoid long exposures of aspects with large RCS.

Servant-Leadership as Gender-Integrative Leadership: Paving a Path for More Gender-Integrative Organizations through Leadership Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reynolds, Kae

2011-01-01

Although numerous women have contributed essays and research on servant-leadership there is still a considerable gap in literature addressing feminist perspectives and issues of gender in servant-leadership. This theoretical paper attempts to fill that gap by presenting a discussion of servant-leadership that is informed through feminist…

Target-in-the-loop remote sensing of laser beam and atmospheric turbulence characteristics.

PubMed

Vorontsov, Mikhail A; Lachinova, Svetlana L; Majumdar, Arun K

2016-07-01

A new target-in-the-loop (TIL) atmospheric sensing concept for in situ remote measurements of major laser beam characteristics and atmospheric turbulence parameters is proposed and analyzed numerically. The technique is based on utilization of an integral relationship between complex amplitudes of the counterpropagating optical waves known as overlapping integral or interference metric, whose value is preserved along the propagation path. It is shown that the interference metric can be directly measured using the proposed TIL sensing system composed of a single-mode fiber-based optical transceiver and a remotely located retro-target. The measured signal allows retrieval of key beam and atmospheric turbulence characteristics including scintillation index and the path-integrated refractive index structure parameter.

Path integral solution for a Klein-Gordon particle in vector and scalar deformed radial Rosen-Morse-type potentials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khodja, A.; Kadja, A.; Benamira, F.; Guechi, L.

2017-12-01

The problem of a Klein-Gordon particle moving in equal vector and scalar Rosen-Morse-type potentials is solved in the framework of Feynman's path integral approach. Explicit path integration leads to a closed form for the radial Green's function associated with different shapes of the potentials. For q≤-1, and 1/2α ln | q|0, it is shown that the quantization conditions for the bound state energy levels E_{nr} are transcendental equations which can be solved numerically. Three special cases such as the standard radial Manning-Rosen potential (| q| =1), the standard radial Rosen-Morse potential (V2→ -V2,q=1) and the radial Eckart potential (V1→ -V1,q=1) are also briefly discussed.

A path-independent integral for the characterization of solute concentration and flux at biofilm detachments

USGS Publications Warehouse

Moran, B.; Kulkarni, S.S.; Reeves, H.W.

2007-01-01

A path-independent (conservation) integral is developed for the characterization of solute concentration and flux in a biofilm in the vicinity of a detachment or other flux limiting boundary condition. Steady state conditions of solute diffusion are considered and biofilm kinetics are described by an uptake term which can be expressed in terms of a potential (Michaelis-Menten kinetics). An asymptotic solution for solute concentration at the tip of the detachment is obtained and shown to be analogous to that of antiplane crack problems in linear elasticity. It is shown that the amplitude of the asymptotic solution can be calculated by evaluating a path-independent integral. The special case of a semi-infinite detachment in an infinite strip is considered and the amplitude of the asymptotic field is related to the boundary conditions and problem parameters in closed form for zeroth and first order kinetics and numerically for Michaelis-Menten kinetics. ?? Springer Science+Business Media, Inc. 2007.

EuPathDB: the eukaryotic pathogen genomics database resource

PubMed Central

Aurrecoechea, Cristina; Barreto, Ana; Basenko, Evelina Y.; Brestelli, John; Brunk, Brian P.; Cade, Shon; Crouch, Kathryn; Doherty, Ryan; Falke, Dave; Fischer, Steve; Gajria, Bindu; Harb, Omar S.; Heiges, Mark; Hertz-Fowler, Christiane; Hu, Sufen; Iodice, John; Kissinger, Jessica C.; Lawrence, Cris; Li, Wei; Pinney, Deborah F.; Pulman, Jane A.; Roos, David S.; Shanmugasundram, Achchuthan; Silva-Franco, Fatima; Steinbiss, Sascha; Stoeckert, Christian J.; Spruill, Drew; Wang, Haiming; Warrenfeltz, Susanne; Zheng, Jie

2017-01-01

The Eukaryotic Pathogen Genomics Database Resource (EuPathDB, http://eupathdb.org) is a collection of databases covering 170+ eukaryotic pathogens (protists & fungi), along with relevant free-living and non-pathogenic species, and select pathogen hosts. To facilitate the discovery of meaningful biological relationships, the databases couple preconfigured searches with visualization and analysis tools for comprehensive data mining via intuitive graphical interfaces and APIs. All data are analyzed with the same workflows, including creation of gene orthology profiles, so data are easily compared across data sets, data types and organisms. EuPathDB is updated with numerous new analysis tools, features, data sets and data types. New tools include GO, metabolic pathway and word enrichment analyses plus an online workspace for analysis of personal, non-public, large-scale data. Expanded data content is mostly genomic and functional genomic data while new data types include protein microarray, metabolic pathways, compounds, quantitative proteomics, copy number variation, and polysomal transcriptomics. New features include consistent categorization of searches, data sets and genome browser tracks; redesigned gene pages; effective integration of alternative transcripts; and a EuPathDB Galaxy instance for private analyses of a user's data. Forthcoming upgrades include user workspaces for private integration of data with existing EuPathDB data and improved integration and presentation of host–pathogen interactions. PMID:27903906

Path-integral method for the source apportionment of photochemical pollutants

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dunker, A. M.

2015-06-01

A new, path-integral method is presented for apportioning the concentrations of pollutants predicted by a photochemical model to emissions from different sources. A novel feature of the method is that it can apportion the difference in a species concentration between two simulations. For example, the anthropogenic ozone increment, which is the difference between a simulation with all emissions present and another simulation with only the background (e.g., biogenic) emissions included, can be allocated to the anthropogenic emission sources. The method is based on an existing, exact mathematical equation. This equation is applied to relate the concentration difference between simulations to line or path integrals of first-order sensitivity coefficients. The sensitivities describe the effects of changing the emissions and are accurately calculated by the decoupled direct method. The path represents a continuous variation of emissions between the two simulations, and each path can be viewed as a separate emission-control strategy. The method does not require auxiliary assumptions, e.g., whether ozone formation is limited by the availability of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) or nitrogen oxides (NOx), and can be used for all the species predicted by the model. A simplified configuration of the Comprehensive Air Quality Model with Extensions (CAMx) is used to evaluate the accuracy of different numerical integration procedures and the dependence of the source contributions on the path. A Gauss-Legendre formula using three or four points along the path gives good accuracy for apportioning the anthropogenic increments of ozone, nitrogen dioxide, formaldehyde, and nitric acid. Source contributions to these increments were obtained for paths representing proportional control of all anthropogenic emissions together, control of NOx emissions before VOC emissions, and control of VOC emissions before NOx emissions. There are similarities in the source contributions from the three paths but also differences due to the different chemical regimes resulting from the emission-control strategies.

Path-integral method for the source apportionment of photochemical pollutants

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dunker, A. M.

2014-12-01

A new, path-integral method is presented for apportioning the concentrations of pollutants predicted by a photochemical model to emissions from different sources. A novel feature of the method is that it can apportion the difference in a species concentration between two simulations. For example, the anthropogenic ozone increment, which is the difference between a simulation with all emissions present and another simulation with only the background (e.g., biogenic) emissions included, can be allocated to the anthropogenic emission sources. The method is based on an existing, exact mathematical equation. This equation is applied to relate the concentration difference between simulations to line or path integrals of first-order sensitivity coefficients. The sensitivities describe the effects of changing the emissions and are accurately calculated by the decoupled direct method. The path represents a continuous variation of emissions between the two simulations, and each path can be viewed as a separate emission-control strategy. The method does not require auxiliary assumptions, e.g., whether ozone formation is limited by the availability of volatile organic compounds (VOC's) or nitrogen oxides (NOx), and can be used for all the species predicted by the model. A simplified configuration of the Comprehensive Air Quality Model with Extensions is used to evaluate the accuracy of different numerical integration procedures and the dependence of the source contributions on the path. A Gauss-Legendre formula using 3 or 4 points along the path gives good accuracy for apportioning the anthropogenic increments of ozone, nitrogen dioxide, formaldehyde, and nitric acid. Source contributions to these increments were obtained for paths representing proportional control of all anthropogenic emissions together, control of NOx emissions before VOC emissions, and control of VOC emissions before NOx emissions. There are similarities in the source contributions from the three paths but also differences due to the different chemical regimes resulting from the emission-control strategies.

Förster resonance energy transfer, absorption and emission spectra in multichromophoric systems. III. Exact stochastic path integral evaluation.

PubMed

Moix, Jeremy M; Ma, Jian; Cao, Jianshu

2015-03-07

A numerically exact path integral treatment of the absorption and emission spectra of open quantum systems is presented that requires only the straightforward solution of a stochastic differential equation. The approach converges rapidly enabling the calculation of spectra of large excitonic systems across the complete range of system parameters and for arbitrary bath spectral densities. With the numerically exact absorption and emission operators, one can also immediately compute energy transfer rates using the multi-chromophoric Förster resonant energy transfer formalism. Benchmark calculations on the emission spectra of two level systems are presented demonstrating the efficacy of the stochastic approach. This is followed by calculations of the energy transfer rates between two weakly coupled dimer systems as a function of temperature and system-bath coupling strength. It is shown that the recently developed hybrid cumulant expansion (see Paper II) is the only perturbative method capable of generating uniformly reliable energy transfer rates and emission spectra across a broad range of system parameters.

Eigenstates and dynamics of Hooke's atom: Exact results and path integral simulations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gholizadehkalkhoran, Hossein; Ruokosenmäki, Ilkka; Rantala, Tapio T.

2018-05-01

The system of two interacting electrons in one-dimensional harmonic potential or Hooke's atom is considered, again. On one hand, it appears as a model for quantum dots in a strong confinement regime, and on the other hand, it provides us with a hard test bench for new methods with the "space splitting" arising from the one-dimensional Coulomb potential. Here, we complete the numerous previous studies of the ground state of Hooke's atom by including the excited states and dynamics, not considered earlier. With the perturbation theory, we reach essentially exact eigenstate energies and wave functions for the strong confinement regime as novel results. We also consider external perturbation induced quantum dynamics in a simple separable case. Finally, we test our novel numerical approach based on real-time path integrals (RTPIs) in reproducing the above. The RTPI turns out to be a straightforward approach with exact account of electronic correlations for solving the eigenstates and dynamics without the conventional restrictions of electronic structure methods.

Viking Doppler noise used to determine the radial dependence of electron density in the extended corona

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Berman, A. L.; Wackley, J. A.; Rockwell, S. T.; Kwan, M.

1977-01-01

The common form for radial dependence of electron density in the extended corona is given. By assuming proportionality between Doppler noise and integrated signal path electron density, Viking Doppler noise can be used to solve for a numerical value of X.

Review of computer simulations of isotope effects on biochemical reactions: From the Bigeleisen equation to Feynman's path integral.

PubMed

Wong, Kin-Yiu; Xu, Yuqing; Xu, Liang

2015-11-01

Enzymatic reactions are integral components in many biological functions and malfunctions. The iconic structure of each reaction path for elucidating the reaction mechanism in details is the molecular structure of the rate-limiting transition state (RLTS). But RLTS is very hard to get caught or to get visualized by experimentalists. In spite of the lack of explicit molecular structure of the RLTS in experiment, we still can trace out the RLTS unique "fingerprints" by measuring the isotope effects on the reaction rate. This set of "fingerprints" is considered as a most direct probe of RLTS. By contrast, for computer simulations, oftentimes molecular structures of a number of TS can be precisely visualized on computer screen, however, theoreticians are not sure which TS is the actual rate-limiting one. As a result, this is an excellent stage setting for a perfect "marriage" between experiment and theory for determining the structure of RLTS, along with the reaction mechanism, i.e., experimentalists are responsible for "fingerprinting", whereas theoreticians are responsible for providing candidates that match the "fingerprints". In this Review, the origin of isotope effects on a chemical reaction is discussed from the perspectives of classical and quantum worlds, respectively (e.g., the origins of the inverse kinetic isotope effects and all the equilibrium isotope effects are purely from quantum). The conventional Bigeleisen equation for isotope effect calculations, as well as its refined version in the framework of Feynman's path integral and Kleinert's variational perturbation (KP) theory for systematically incorporating anharmonicity and (non-parabolic) quantum tunneling, are also presented. In addition, the outstanding interplay between theory and experiment for successfully deducing the RLTS structures and the reaction mechanisms is demonstrated by applications on biochemical reactions, namely models of bacterial squalene-to-hopene polycyclization and RNA 2'-O-transphosphorylation. For all these applications, we used our recently-developed path-integral method based on the KP theory, called automated integration-free path-integral (AIF-PI) method, to perform ab initio path-integral calculations of isotope effects. As opposed to the conventional path-integral molecular dynamics (PIMD) and Monte Carlo (PIMC) simulations, values calculated from our AIF-PI path-integral method can be as precise as (not as accurate as) the numerical precision of the computing machine. Lastly, comments are made on the general challenges in theoretical modeling of candidates matching the experimental "fingerprints" of RLTS. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Enzyme Transition States from Theory and Experiment. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A parallel time integrator for noisy nonlinear oscillatory systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Subber, Waad; Sarkar, Abhijit

2018-06-01

In this paper, we adapt a parallel time integration scheme to track the trajectories of noisy non-linear dynamical systems. Specifically, we formulate a parallel algorithm to generate the sample path of nonlinear oscillator defined by stochastic differential equations (SDEs) using the so-called parareal method for ordinary differential equations (ODEs). The presence of Wiener process in SDEs causes difficulties in the direct application of any numerical integration techniques of ODEs including the parareal algorithm. The parallel implementation of the algorithm involves two SDEs solvers, namely a fine-level scheme to integrate the system in parallel and a coarse-level scheme to generate and correct the required initial conditions to start the fine-level integrators. For the numerical illustration, a randomly excited Duffing oscillator is investigated in order to study the performance of the stochastic parallel algorithm with respect to a range of system parameters. The distributed implementation of the algorithm exploits Massage Passing Interface (MPI).

Aircraft Engine Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Veres, Joseph

2001-01-01

This report outlines the detailed simulation of Aircraft Turbofan Engine. The objectives were to develop a detailed flow model of a full turbofan engine that runs on parallel workstation clusters overnight and to develop an integrated system of codes for combustor design and analysis to enable significant reduction in design time and cost. The model will initially simulate the 3-D flow in the primary flow path including the flow and chemistry in the combustor, and ultimately result in a multidisciplinary model of the engine. The overnight 3-D simulation capability of the primary flow path in a complete engine will enable significant reduction in the design and development time of gas turbine engines. In addition, the NPSS (Numerical Propulsion System Simulation) multidisciplinary integration and analysis are discussed.

Modified Chebyshev Picard Iteration for Efficient Numerical Integration of Ordinary Differential Equations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Macomber, B.; Woollands, R. M.; Probe, A.; Younes, A.; Bai, X.; Junkins, J.

2013-09-01

Modified Chebyshev Picard Iteration (MCPI) is an iterative numerical method for approximating solutions of linear or non-linear Ordinary Differential Equations (ODEs) to obtain time histories of system state trajectories. Unlike other step-by-step differential equation solvers, the Runge-Kutta family of numerical integrators for example, MCPI approximates long arcs of the state trajectory with an iterative path approximation approach, and is ideally suited to parallel computation. Orthogonal Chebyshev Polynomials are used as basis functions during each path iteration; the integrations of the Picard iteration are then done analytically. Due to the orthogonality of the Chebyshev basis functions, the least square approximations are computed without matrix inversion; the coefficients are computed robustly from discrete inner products. As a consequence of discrete sampling and weighting adopted for the inner product definition, Runge phenomena errors are minimized near the ends of the approximation intervals. The MCPI algorithm utilizes a vector-matrix framework for computational efficiency. Additionally, all Chebyshev coefficients and integrand function evaluations are independent, meaning they can be simultaneously computed in parallel for further decreased computational cost. Over an order of magnitude speedup from traditional methods is achieved in serial processing, and an additional order of magnitude is achievable in parallel architectures. This paper presents a new MCPI library, a modular toolset designed to allow MCPI to be easily applied to a wide variety of ODE systems. Library users will not have to concern themselves with the underlying mathematics behind the MCPI method. Inputs are the boundary conditions of the dynamical system, the integrand function governing system behavior, and the desired time interval of integration, and the output is a time history of the system states over the interval of interest. Examples from the field of astrodynamics are presented to compare the output from the MCPI library to current state-of-practice numerical integration methods. It is shown that MCPI is capable of out-performing the state-of-practice in terms of computational cost and accuracy.

Energy management during the space shuttle transition

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stengel, R. F.

1972-01-01

An approach to calculating optimal, gliding flight paths of the type associated with the space shuttle's transition from entry to cruising flight is presented. Kinetic energy and total energy (per unit weight) replace velocity and time in the dynamic equations, reducing the dimension and complexity of the problem. The capability for treating integral and terminal penalties (as well as Mach number effects) is retained in the numerical optimization; hence, stability and control boundaries can be observed as trajectories to the desired final energy, flight path angle, and range are determined. Numerical results show that the jump to the front-side of the L/D curve need not be made until the end of the transition and that the dynamic model provides a conservative range estimate. Alternatives for real time trajectory control are discussed.

Path integral approach to the Wigner representation of canonical density operators for discrete systems coupled to harmonic baths.

PubMed

Montoya-Castillo, Andrés; Reichman, David R

2017-01-14

We derive a semi-analytical form for the Wigner transform for the canonical density operator of a discrete system coupled to a harmonic bath based on the path integral expansion of the Boltzmann factor. The introduction of this simple and controllable approach allows for the exact rendering of the canonical distribution and permits systematic convergence of static properties with respect to the number of path integral steps. In addition, the expressions derived here provide an exact and facile interface with quasi- and semi-classical dynamical methods, which enables the direct calculation of equilibrium time correlation functions within a wide array of approaches. We demonstrate that the present method represents a practical path for the calculation of thermodynamic data for the spin-boson and related systems. We illustrate the power of the present approach by detailing the improvement of the quality of Ehrenfest theory for the correlation function C zz (t)=Re⟨σ z (0)σ z (t)⟩ for the spin-boson model with systematic convergence to the exact sampling function. Importantly, the numerically exact nature of the scheme presented here and its compatibility with semiclassical methods allows for the systematic testing of commonly used approximations for the Wigner-transformed canonical density.

Courant number and unsteady flow computation

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lai, Chintu; ,

1993-01-01

The Courant number C, the key to unsteady flow computation, is a ratio of physical wave velocity, ??, to computational signal-transmission velocity, ??, i.e., C = ??/??. In this way, it uniquely relates a physical quantity to a mathematical quantity. Because most unsteady open-channel flows are describable by a set of n characteristic equations along n characteristic paths, each represented by velocity ??i, i = 1,2,....,n, there exist as many as n components for the numerator of C. To develop a numerical model, a numerical integration must be made on each characteristic curve from an earlier point to a later point on the curve. Different numerical methods are available in unsteady flow computation due to the different paths along which the numerical integration is actually performed. For the denominator of C, the ?? defined as ?? = ?? 0 = ??x/??t has been customarily used; thus, the Courant number has the familiar form of C?? = ??/??0. This form will be referred to as ???common Courant number??? in this paper. The commonly used numerical criteria C?? for stability, neutral stability and instability, are imprecise or not universal in the sense that r0 does not always reflect the true maximum computational data-transmission speed of the scheme at hand, i.e., Ctau is no indication for the Courant constraint. In view of this , a new Courant number, called the ???natural Courant number???, Cn, that truly reflects the Courant constraint, has been defined. However, considering the numerous advantages inherent in the traditional C??, a useful and meaningful composite Courant number, denoted by C??* has been formulated from C??. It is hoped that the new aspects of the Courant number discussed herein afford the hydraulician a broader perspective, consistent criteria, and unified guidelines, with which to model various unsteady flows.

On the superposition principle in interference experiments.

PubMed

Sinha, Aninda; H Vijay, Aravind; Sinha, Urbasi

2015-05-14

The superposition principle is usually incorrectly applied in interference experiments. This has recently been investigated through numerics based on Finite Difference Time Domain (FDTD) methods as well as the Feynman path integral formalism. In the current work, we have derived an analytic formula for the Sorkin parameter which can be used to determine the deviation from the application of the principle. We have found excellent agreement between the analytic distribution and those that have been earlier estimated by numerical integration as well as resource intensive FDTD simulations. The analytic handle would be useful for comparing theory with future experiments. It is applicable both to physics based on classical wave equations as well as the non-relativistic Schrödinger equation.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Argo, P.E.; DeLapp, D.; Sutherland, C.D.

TRACKER is an extension of a three-dimensional Hamiltonian raytrace code developed some thirty years ago by R. Michael Jones. Subsequent modifications to this code, which is commonly called the {open_quotes}Jones Code,{close_quotes} were documented by Jones and Stephensen (1975). TRACKER incorporates an interactive user`s interface, modern differential equation integrators, graphical outputs, homing algorithms, and the Ionospheric Conductivity and Electron Density (ICED) ionosphere. TRACKER predicts the three-dimensional paths of radio waves through model ionospheres by numerically integrating Hamilton`s equations, which are a differential expression of Fermat`s principle of least time. By using continuous models, the Hamiltonian method avoids false caustics and discontinuousmore » raypath properties often encountered in other raytracing methods. In addition to computing the raypath, TRACKER also calculates the group path (or pulse travel time), the phase path, the geometrical (or {open_quotes}real{close_quotes}) pathlength, and the Doppler shift (if the time variation of the ionosphere is explicitly included). Computational speed can be traded for accuracy by specifying the maximum allowable integration error per step in the integration. Only geometrical optics are included in the main raytrace code; no partial reflections or diffraction effects are taken into account. In addition, TRACKER does not lend itself to statistical descriptions of propagation -- it requires a deterministic model of the ionosphere.« less

An algorithm to estimate unsteady and quasi-steady pressure fields from velocity field measurements.

PubMed

Dabiri, John O; Bose, Sanjeeb; Gemmell, Brad J; Colin, Sean P; Costello, John H

2014-02-01

We describe and characterize a method for estimating the pressure field corresponding to velocity field measurements such as those obtained by using particle image velocimetry. The pressure gradient is estimated from a time series of velocity fields for unsteady calculations or from a single velocity field for quasi-steady calculations. The corresponding pressure field is determined based on median polling of several integration paths through the pressure gradient field in order to reduce the effect of measurement errors that accumulate along individual integration paths. Integration paths are restricted to the nodes of the measured velocity field, thereby eliminating the need for measurement interpolation during this step and significantly reducing the computational cost of the algorithm relative to previous approaches. The method is validated by using numerically simulated flow past a stationary, two-dimensional bluff body and a computational model of a three-dimensional, self-propelled anguilliform swimmer to study the effects of spatial and temporal resolution, domain size, signal-to-noise ratio and out-of-plane effects. Particle image velocimetry measurements of a freely swimming jellyfish medusa and a freely swimming lamprey are analyzed using the method to demonstrate the efficacy of the approach when applied to empirical data.

Convergent Evolution in the Interest of Integrative Problem Solving: Connecting the Policy Sciences and Interdisciplinary Studies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wallace, Richard L.; Clark, Susan G.

2014-01-01

The contemporary fields of interdisciplinary studies and the policy sciences have evolved over similar intellectual paths and timelines, beginning in the early 20th century. Both have their roots in professional efforts--within and outside the academy--to address numerous, growing, and complex problems that face humanity. The policy sciences'…

On performing of interference technique based on self-adjusting Zernike filters (SA-AVT method) to investigate flows and validate 3D flow numerical simulations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pavlov, Al. A.; Shevchenko, A. M.; Khotyanovsky, D. V.; Pavlov, A. A.; Shmakov, A. S.; Golubev, M. P.

2017-10-01

We present a method for and results of determination of the field of integral density in the structure of flow corresponding to the Mach interaction of shock waves at Mach number M = 3. The optical diagnostics of flow was performed using an interference technique based on self-adjusting Zernike filters (SA-AVT method). Numerical simulations were carried out using the CFS3D program package for solving the Euler and Navier-Stokes equations. Quantitative data on the distribution of integral density on the path of probing radiation in one direction of 3D flow transillumination in the region of Mach interaction of shock waves were obtained for the first time.

Semiclassical description of resonance-assisted tunneling in one-dimensional integrable models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Le Deunff, Jérémy; Mouchet, Amaury; Schlagheck, Peter

2013-10-01

Resonance-assisted tunneling is investigated within the framework of one-dimensional integrable systems. We present a systematic recipe, based on Hamiltonian normal forms, to construct one-dimensional integrable models that exhibit resonance island chain structures with accurately controlled sizes and positions of the islands. Using complex classical trajectories that evolve along suitably defined paths in the complex time domain, we construct a semiclassical theory of the resonance-assisted tunneling process. This semiclassical approach yields a compact analytical expression for tunnelling-induced level splittings which is found to be in very good agreement with the exact splittings obtained through numerical diagonalization.

Integral transforms of the quantum mechanical path integral: Hit function and path-averaged potential.

PubMed

Edwards, James P; Gerber, Urs; Schubert, Christian; Trejo, Maria Anabel; Weber, Axel

2018-04-01

We introduce two integral transforms of the quantum mechanical transition kernel that represent physical information about the path integral. These transforms can be interpreted as probability distributions on particle trajectories measuring respectively the relative contribution to the path integral from paths crossing a given spatial point (the hit function) and the likelihood of values of the line integral of the potential along a path in the ensemble (the path-averaged potential).

Integral transforms of the quantum mechanical path integral: Hit function and path-averaged potential

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Edwards, James P.; Gerber, Urs; Schubert, Christian; Trejo, Maria Anabel; Weber, Axel

2018-04-01

We introduce two integral transforms of the quantum mechanical transition kernel that represent physical information about the path integral. These transforms can be interpreted as probability distributions on particle trajectories measuring respectively the relative contribution to the path integral from paths crossing a given spatial point (the hit function) and the likelihood of values of the line integral of the potential along a path in the ensemble (the path-averaged potential).

Homing by path integration when a locomotion trajectory crosses itself.

PubMed

Yamamoto, Naohide; Meléndez, Jayleen A; Menzies, Derek T

2014-01-01

Path integration is a process with which navigators derive their current position and orientation by integrating self-motion signals along a locomotion trajectory. It has been suggested that path integration becomes disproportionately erroneous when the trajectory crosses itself. However, there is a possibility that this previous finding was confounded by effects of the length of a traveled path and the amount of turns experienced along the path, two factors that are known to affect path integration performance. The present study was designed to investigate whether the crossover of a locomotion trajectory truly increases errors of path integration. In an experiment, blindfolded human navigators were guided along four paths that varied in their lengths and turns, and attempted to walk directly back to the beginning of the paths. Only one of the four paths contained a crossover. Results showed that errors yielded from the path containing the crossover were not always larger than those observed in other paths, and the errors were attributed solely to the effects of longer path lengths or greater degrees of turns. These results demonstrated that path crossover does not always cause significant disruption in path integration processes. Implications of the present findings for models of path integration are discussed.

Using GPS RO L1 data for calibration of the atmospheric path delay model for data reduction of the satellite altimetery observations.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Petrov, L.

2017-12-01

Processing satellite altimetry data requires the computation of path delayin the neutral atmosphere that is used for correcting ranges. The path delayis computed using numerical weather models and the accuracy of its computationdepends on the accuracy of numerical weather models. Accuracy of numerical modelsof numerical weather models over Antarctica and Greenland where there is a very sparse network of ground stations, is not well known. I used the dataset of GPS RO L1 data, computed predicted path delay for ROobservations using the numerical whether model GEOS-FPIT, formed the differences with observed path delay and used these differences for computationof the corrections to the a priori refractivity profile. These profiles wereused for computing corrections to the a priori zenith path delay. The systematic patter of these corrections are used for de-biasing of the the satellite altimetry results and for characterization of the systematic errorscaused by mismodeling atmosphere.

A path integral approach to asset-liability management

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Decamps, Marc; De Schepper, Ann; Goovaerts, Marc

2006-05-01

Functional integrals constitute a powerful tool in the investigation of financial models. In the recent econophysics literature, this technique was successfully used for the pricing of a number of derivative securities. In the present contribution, we introduce this approach to the field of asset-liability management. We work with a representation of cash flows by means of a two-dimensional delta-function perturbation, in the case of a Brownian model and a geometric Brownian model. We derive closed-form solutions for a finite horizon ALM policy. The results are numerically and graphically illustrated.

Excitonic effects in two-dimensional semiconductors: Path integral Monte Carlo approach

DOE PAGES

Velizhanin, Kirill A.; Saxena, Avadh

2015-11-01

The most striking features of novel two-dimensional semiconductors (e.g., transition metal dichalcogenide monolayers or phosphorene) is a strong Coulomb interaction between charge carriers resulting in large excitonic effects. In particular, this leads to the formation of multicarrier bound states upon photoexcitation (e.g., excitons, trions, and biexcitons), which could remain stable at near-room temperatures and contribute significantly to the optical properties of such materials. In our work we have used the path integral Monte Carlo methodology to numerically study properties of multicarrier bound states in two-dimensional semiconductors. Specifically, we have accurately investigated and tabulated the dependence of single-exciton, trion, and biexcitonmore » binding energies on the strength of dielectric screening, including the limiting cases of very strong and very weak screening. Our results of this work are potentially useful in the analysis of experimental data and benchmarking of theoretical and computational models.« less

Path integral molecular dynamics for exact quantum statistics of multi-electronic-state systems.

PubMed

Liu, Xinzijian; Liu, Jian

2018-03-14

An exact approach to compute physical properties for general multi-electronic-state (MES) systems in thermal equilibrium is presented. The approach is extended from our recent progress on path integral molecular dynamics (PIMD), Liu et al. [J. Chem. Phys. 145, 024103 (2016)] and Zhang et al. [J. Chem. Phys. 147, 034109 (2017)], for quantum statistical mechanics when a single potential energy surface is involved. We first define an effective potential function that is numerically favorable for MES-PIMD and then derive corresponding estimators in MES-PIMD for evaluating various physical properties. Its application to several representative one-dimensional and multi-dimensional models demonstrates that MES-PIMD in principle offers a practical tool in either of the diabatic and adiabatic representations for studying exact quantum statistics of complex/large MES systems when the Born-Oppenheimer approximation, Condon approximation, and harmonic bath approximation are broken.

Path integral molecular dynamics for exact quantum statistics of multi-electronic-state systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Xinzijian; Liu, Jian

2018-03-01

An exact approach to compute physical properties for general multi-electronic-state (MES) systems in thermal equilibrium is presented. The approach is extended from our recent progress on path integral molecular dynamics (PIMD), Liu et al. [J. Chem. Phys. 145, 024103 (2016)] and Zhang et al. [J. Chem. Phys. 147, 034109 (2017)], for quantum statistical mechanics when a single potential energy surface is involved. We first define an effective potential function that is numerically favorable for MES-PIMD and then derive corresponding estimators in MES-PIMD for evaluating various physical properties. Its application to several representative one-dimensional and multi-dimensional models demonstrates that MES-PIMD in principle offers a practical tool in either of the diabatic and adiabatic representations for studying exact quantum statistics of complex/large MES systems when the Born-Oppenheimer approximation, Condon approximation, and harmonic bath approximation are broken.

Creep crack-growth: A new path-independent T sub o and computational studies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stonesifer, R. B.; Atluri, S. N.

1981-01-01

Two path independent integral parameters which show some degree of promise as fracture criteria are the C* and delta T sub c integrals. The mathematical aspects of these parameters are reviewed. This is accomplished by deriving generalized vector forms of the parameters using conservation laws which are valid for arbitrary, three dimensional, cracked bodies with crack surface tractions (or applied displacements), body forces, inertial effects and large deformations. Two principal conclusions are that delta T sub c is a valid crack tip parameter during nonsteady as well as steady state creep and that delta T sub c has an energy rate interpretation whereas C* does not. An efficient, small displacement, infinitestimal strain, displacement based finite element model is developed for general elastic/plastic material behavior. For the numerical studies, this model is specialized to two dimensional plane stress and plane strain and to power law creep constitutive relations.

Semi-empirical formulation of multiple scattering for the Gaussian beam model of heavy charged particles stopping in tissue-like matter.

PubMed

Kanematsu, Nobuyuki

2009-03-07

Dose calculation for radiotherapy with protons and heavier ions deals with a large volume of path integrals involving a scattering power of body tissue. This work provides a simple model for such demanding applications. There is an approximate linearity between RMS end-point displacement and range of incident particles in water, empirically found in measurements and detailed calculations. This fact was translated into a simple linear formula, from which the scattering power that is only inversely proportional to the residual range was derived. The simplicity enabled the analytical formulation for ions stopping in water, which was designed to be equivalent with the extended Highland model and agreed with measurements within 2% or 0.02 cm in RMS displacement. The simplicity will also improve the efficiency of numerical path integrals in the presence of heterogeneity.

Computational Approaches to Simulation and Analysis of Large Conformational Transitions in Proteins

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Seyler, Sean L.

In a typical living cell, millions to billions of proteins--nanomachines that fluctuate and cycle among many conformational states--convert available free energy into mechanochemical work. A fundamental goal of biophysics is to ascertain how 3D protein structures encode specific functions, such as catalyzing chemical reactions or transporting nutrients into a cell. Protein dynamics span femtosecond timescales (i.e., covalent bond oscillations) to large conformational transition timescales in, and beyond, the millisecond regime (e.g., glucose transport across a phospholipid bilayer). Actual transition events are fast but rare, occurring orders of magnitude faster than typical metastable equilibrium waiting times. Equilibrium molecular dynamics (EqMD) can capture atomistic detail and solute-solvent interactions, but even microseconds of sampling attainable nowadays still falls orders of magnitude short of transition timescales, especially for large systems, rendering observations of such "rare events" difficult or effectively impossible. Advanced path-sampling methods exploit reduced physical models or biasing to produce plausible transitions while balancing accuracy and efficiency, but quantifying their accuracy relative to other numerical and experimental data has been challenging. Indeed, new horizons in elucidating protein function necessitate that present methodologies be revised to more seamlessly and quantitatively integrate a spectrum of methods, both numerical and experimental. In this dissertation, experimental and computational methods are put into perspective using the enzyme adenylate kinase (AdK) as an illustrative example. We introduce Path Similarity Analysis (PSA)--an integrative computational framework developed to quantify transition path similarity. PSA not only reliably distinguished AdK transitions by the originating method, but also traced pathway differences between two methods back to charge-charge interactions (neglected by the stereochemical model, but not the all-atom force field) in several conserved salt bridges. Cryo-electron microscopy maps of the transporter Bor1p are directly incorporated into EqMD simulations using MD flexible fitting to produce viable structural models and infer a plausible transport mechanism. Conforming to the theme of integration, a short compendium of an exploratory project--developing a hybrid atomistic-continuum method--is presented, including initial results and a novel fluctuating hydrodynamics model and corresponding numerical code.

Combining path integration and remembered landmarks when navigating without vision.

PubMed

Kalia, Amy A; Schrater, Paul R; Legge, Gordon E

2013-01-01

This study investigated the interaction between remembered landmark and path integration strategies for estimating current location when walking in an environment without vision. We asked whether observers navigating without vision only rely on path integration information to judge their location, or whether remembered landmarks also influence judgments. Participants estimated their location in a hallway after viewing a target (remembered landmark cue) and then walking blindfolded to the same or a conflicting location (path integration cue). We found that participants averaged remembered landmark and path integration information when they judged that both sources provided congruent information about location, which resulted in more precise estimates compared to estimates made with only path integration. In conclusion, humans integrate remembered landmarks and path integration in a gated fashion, dependent on the congruency of the information. Humans can flexibly combine information about remembered landmarks with path integration cues while navigating without visual information.

Combining Path Integration and Remembered Landmarks When Navigating without Vision

PubMed Central

Kalia, Amy A.; Schrater, Paul R.; Legge, Gordon E.

2013-01-01

This study investigated the interaction between remembered landmark and path integration strategies for estimating current location when walking in an environment without vision. We asked whether observers navigating without vision only rely on path integration information to judge their location, or whether remembered landmarks also influence judgments. Participants estimated their location in a hallway after viewing a target (remembered landmark cue) and then walking blindfolded to the same or a conflicting location (path integration cue). We found that participants averaged remembered landmark and path integration information when they judged that both sources provided congruent information about location, which resulted in more precise estimates compared to estimates made with only path integration. In conclusion, humans integrate remembered landmarks and path integration in a gated fashion, dependent on the congruency of the information. Humans can flexibly combine information about remembered landmarks with path integration cues while navigating without visual information. PMID:24039742

Minimal entropy probability paths between genome families.

PubMed

Ahlbrandt, Calvin; Benson, Gary; Casey, William

2004-05-01

We develop a metric for probability distributions with applications to biological sequence analysis. Our distance metric is obtained by minimizing a functional defined on the class of paths over probability measures on N categories. The underlying mathematical theory is connected to a constrained problem in the calculus of variations. The solution presented is a numerical solution, which approximates the true solution in a set of cases called rich paths where none of the components of the path is zero. The functional to be minimized is motivated by entropy considerations, reflecting the idea that nature might efficiently carry out mutations of genome sequences in such a way that the increase in entropy involved in transformation is as small as possible. We characterize sequences by frequency profiles or probability vectors, in the case of DNA where N is 4 and the components of the probability vector are the frequency of occurrence of each of the bases A, C, G and T. Given two probability vectors a and b, we define a distance function based as the infimum of path integrals of the entropy function H( p) over all admissible paths p(t), 0 < or = t< or =1, with p(t) a probability vector such that p(0)=a and p(1)=b. If the probability paths p(t) are parameterized as y(s) in terms of arc length s and the optimal path is smooth with arc length L, then smooth and "rich" optimal probability paths may be numerically estimated by a hybrid method of iterating Newton's method on solutions of a two point boundary value problem, with unknown distance L between the abscissas, for the Euler-Lagrange equations resulting from a multiplier rule for the constrained optimization problem together with linear regression to improve the arc length estimate L. Matlab code for these numerical methods is provided which works only for "rich" optimal probability vectors. These methods motivate a definition of an elementary distance function which is easier and faster to calculate, works on non-rich vectors, does not involve variational theory and does not involve differential equations, but is a better approximation of the minimal entropy path distance than the distance //b-a//(2). We compute minimal entropy distance matrices for examples of DNA myostatin genes and amino-acid sequences across several species. Output tree dendograms for our minimal entropy metric are compared with dendograms based on BLAST and BLAST identity scores.

Smisc - A collection of miscellaneous functions

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Landon Sego, PNNL

2015-08-31

A collection of functions for statistical computing and data manipulation. These include routines for rapidly aggregating heterogeneous matrices, manipulating file names, loading R objects, sourcing multiple R files, formatting datetimes, multi-core parallel computing, stream editing, specialized plotting, etc. Smisc-package A collection of miscellaneous functions allMissing Identifies missing rows or columns in a data frame or matrix as.numericSilent Silent wrapper for coercing a vector to numeric comboList Produces all possible combinations of a set of linear model predictors cumMax Computes the maximum of the vector up to the current index cumsumNA Computes the cummulative sum of a vector without propogating NAsmore » d2binom Probability functions for the sum of two independent binomials dataIn A flexible way to import data into R. dbb The Beta-Binomial Distribution df2list Row-wise conversion of a data frame to a list dfplapply Parallelized single row processing of a data frame dframeEquiv Examines the equivalence of two dataframes or matrices dkbinom Probability functions for the sum of k independent binomials factor2character Converts all factor variables in a dataframe to character variables findDepMat Identify linearly dependent rows or columns in a matrix formatDT Converts date or datetime strings into alternate formats getExtension Filename manipulations: remove the extension or path, extract the extension or path getPath Filename manipulations: remove the extension or path, extract the extension or path grabLast Filename manipulations: remove the extension or path, extract the extension or path ifelse1 Non-vectorized version of ifelse integ Simple numerical integration routine interactionPlot Two-way Interaction Plot with Error Bar linearMap Linear mapping of a numerical vector or scalar list2df Convert a list to a data frame loadObject Loads and returns the object(s) in an ".Rdata" file more Display the contents of a file to the R terminal movAvg2 Calculate the moving average using a 2-sided window openDevice Opens a graphics device based on the filename extension p2binom Probability functions for the sum of two independent binomials padZero Pad a vector of numbers with zeros parseJob Parses a collection of elements into (almost) equal sized groups pbb The Beta-Binomial Distribution pcbinom A continuous version of the binomial cdf pkbinom Probability functions for the sum of k independent binomials plapply Simple parallelization of lapply plotFun Plot one or more functions on a single plot PowerData An example of power data pvar Prints the name and value of one or more objects qbb The Beta-Binomial Distribution rbb And numerous others (space limits reporting).« less

Frequency-independent approach to calculate physical optics radiations with the quadratic concave phase variations

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wu, Yu Mao, E-mail: yumaowu@fudan.edu.cn; Teng, Si Jia, E-mail: sjteng12@fudan.edu.cn

In this work, we develop the numerical steepest descent path (NSDP) method to calculate the physical optics (PO) radiations with the quadratic concave phase variations. With the surface integral equation method, the physical optics (PO) scattered fields are formulated and further reduced to the surface integrals. The high frequency physical critical points contributions, including the stationary phase points, the boundary resonance points and the vertex points are comprehensively studied via the proposed NSDP method. The key contributions of this work are twofold. One is that together with the PO integrals taking the quadratic parabolic and hyperbolic phase terms, this workmore » makes the NSDP theory be complete for treating the PO integrals with quadratic phase variations. Another is that, in order to illustrate the transition effect of the high frequency physical critical points, in this work, we consider and further extend the NSDP method to calculate the PO integrals with the coalescence of the high frequency critical points. Numerical results for the highly oscillatory PO integral with the coalescence of the critical points are given to verify the efficiency of the proposed NSDP method. The NSDP method could achieve the frequency independent computational workload and error controllable accuracy in all the numerical experiments, especially for the case of the coalescence of the high frequency critical points.« less

Path integration: effect of curved path complexity and sensory system on blindfolded walking.

PubMed

Koutakis, Panagiotis; Mukherjee, Mukul; Vallabhajosula, Srikant; Blanke, Daniel J; Stergiou, Nicholas

2013-02-01

Path integration refers to the ability to integrate continuous information of the direction and distance traveled by the system relative to the origin. Previous studies have investigated path integration through blindfolded walking along simple paths such as straight line and triangles. However, limited knowledge exists regarding the role of path complexity in path integration. Moreover, little is known about how information from different sensory input systems (like vision and proprioception) contributes to accurate path integration. The purpose of the current study was to investigate how sensory information and curved path complexity affect path integration. Forty blindfolded participants had to accurately reproduce a curved path and return to the origin. They were divided into four groups that differed in the curved path, circle (simple) or figure-eight (complex), and received either visual (previously seen) or proprioceptive (previously guided) information about the path before they reproduced it. The dependent variables used were average trajectory error, walking speed, and distance traveled. The results indicated that (a) both groups that walked on a circular path and both groups that received visual information produced greater accuracy in reproducing the path. Moreover, the performance of the group that received proprioceptive information and later walked on a figure-eight path was less accurate than their corresponding circular group. The groups that had the visual information also walked faster compared to the group that had proprioceptive information. Results of the current study highlight the roles of different sensory inputs while performing blindfolded walking for path integration. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Analytical and numerical analysis of frictional damage in quasi brittle materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhu, Q. Z.; Zhao, L. Y.; Shao, J. F.

2016-07-01

Frictional sliding and crack growth are two main dissipation processes in quasi brittle materials. The frictional sliding along closed cracks is the origin of macroscopic plastic deformation while the crack growth induces a material damage. The main difficulty of modeling is to consider the inherent coupling between these two processes. Various models and associated numerical algorithms have been proposed. But there are so far no analytical solutions even for simple loading paths for the validation of such algorithms. In this paper, we first present a micro-mechanical model taking into account the damage-friction coupling for a large class of quasi brittle materials. The model is formulated by combining a linear homogenization procedure with the Mori-Tanaka scheme and the irreversible thermodynamics framework. As an original contribution, a series of analytical solutions of stress-strain relations are developed for various loading paths. Based on the micro-mechanical model, two numerical integration algorithms are exploited. The first one involves a coupled friction/damage correction scheme, which is consistent with the coupling nature of the constitutive model. The second one contains a friction/damage decoupling scheme with two consecutive steps: the friction correction followed by the damage correction. With the analytical solutions as reference results, the two algorithms are assessed through a series of numerical tests. It is found that the decoupling correction scheme is efficient to guarantee a systematic numerical convergence.

Computing the optimal path in stochastic dynamical systems

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bauver, Martha; Forgoston, Eric, E-mail: eric.forgoston@montclair.edu; Billings, Lora

2016-08-15

In stochastic systems, one is often interested in finding the optimal path that maximizes the probability of escape from a metastable state or of switching between metastable states. Even for simple systems, it may be impossible to find an analytic form of the optimal path, and in high-dimensional systems, this is almost always the case. In this article, we formulate a constructive methodology that is used to compute the optimal path numerically. The method utilizes finite-time Lyapunov exponents, statistical selection criteria, and a Newton-based iterative minimizing scheme. The method is applied to four examples. The first example is a two-dimensionalmore » system that describes a single population with internal noise. This model has an analytical solution for the optimal path. The numerical solution found using our computational method agrees well with the analytical result. The second example is a more complicated four-dimensional system where our numerical method must be used to find the optimal path. The third example, although a seemingly simple two-dimensional system, demonstrates the success of our method in finding the optimal path where other numerical methods are known to fail. In the fourth example, the optimal path lies in six-dimensional space and demonstrates the power of our method in computing paths in higher-dimensional spaces.« less

Elastic interactions of a fatigue crack with a micro-defect by the mixed boundary integral equation method

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lua, Yuan J.; Liu, Wing K.; Belytschko, Ted

1993-01-01

In this paper, the mixed boundary integral equation method is developed to study the elastic interactions of a fatigue crack and a micro-defect such as a void, a rigid inclusion or a transformation inclusion. The method of pseudo-tractions is employed to study the effect of a transformation inclusion. An enriched element which incorporates the mixed-mode stress intensity factors is applied to characterize the singularity at a moving crack tip. In order to evaluate the accuracy of the numerical procedure, the analysis of a crack emanating from a circular hole in a finite plate is performed and the results are compared with the available numerical solution. The effects of various micro-defects on the crack path and fatigue life are investigated. The results agree with the experimental observations.

An iterative learning control method with application for CNC machine tools

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kim, D.I.; Kim, S.

1996-01-01

A proportional, integral, and derivative (PID) type iterative learning controller is proposed for precise tracking control of industrial robots and computer numerical controller (CNC) machine tools performing repetitive tasks. The convergence of the output error by the proposed learning controller is guaranteed under a certain condition even when the system parameters are not known exactly and unknown external disturbances exist. As the proposed learning controller is repeatedly applied to the industrial robot or the CNC machine tool with the path-dependent repetitive task, the distance difference between the desired path and the actual tracked or machined path, which is one ofmore » the most significant factors in the evaluation of control performance, is progressively reduced. The experimental results demonstrate that the proposed learning controller can improve machining accuracy when the CNC machine tool performs repetitive machining tasks.« less

Semiclassical Path Integral Calculation of Nonlinear Optical Spectroscopy.

PubMed

Provazza, Justin; Segatta, Francesco; Garavelli, Marco; Coker, David F

2018-02-13

Computation of nonlinear optical response functions allows for an in-depth connection between theory and experiment. Experimentally recorded spectra provide a high density of information, but to objectively disentangle overlapping signals and to reach a detailed and reliable understanding of the system dynamics, measurements must be integrated with theoretical approaches. Here, we present a new, highly accurate and efficient trajectory-based semiclassical path integral method for computing higher order nonlinear optical response functions for non-Markovian open quantum systems. The approach is, in principle, applicable to general Hamiltonians and does not require any restrictions on the form of the intrasystem or system-bath couplings. This method is systematically improvable and is shown to be valid in parameter regimes where perturbation theory-based methods qualitatively breakdown. As a test of the methodology presented here, we study a system-bath model for a coupled dimer for which we compare against numerically exact results and standard approximate perturbation theory-based calculations. Additionally, we study a monomer with discrete vibronic states that serves as the starting point for future investigation of vibronic signatures in nonlinear electronic spectroscopy.

Determining integral density distribution in the mach reflection of shock waves

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shevchenko, A. M.; Golubev, M. P.; Pavlov, A. A.; Pavlov, Al. A.; Khotyanovsky, D. V.; Shmakov, A. S.

2017-05-01

We present a method for and results of determination of the field of integral density in the structure of flow corresponding to the Mach interaction of shock waves at Mach number M = 3. The optical diagnostics of flow was performed using an interference technique based on self-adjusting Zernike filters (SA-AVT method). Numerical simulations were carried out using the CFS3D program package for solving the Euler and Navier-Stokes equations. Quantitative data on the distribution of integral density on the path of probing radiation in one direction of 3D flow transillumination in the region of Mach interaction of shock waves were obtained for the first time.

Constraining the thermal conditions of impact environments through integrated low-temperature thermochronometry and numerical modeling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kelly, N. M.; Marchi, S.; Mojzsis, S. J.; Flowers, R. M.; Metcalf, J. R.; Bottke, W. F., Jr.

2017-12-01

Impacts have a significant physical and chemical influence on the surface conditions of a planet. The cratering record is used to understand a wide array of impact processes, such as the evolution of the impact flux through time. However, the relationship between impactor size and a resulting impact crater remains controversial (e.g., Bottke et al., 2016). Likewise, small variations in the impact velocity are known to significantly affect the thermal-mechanical disturbances in the aftermath of a collision. Development of more robust numerical models for impact cratering has implications for how we evaluate the disruptive capabilities of impact events, including the extent and duration of thermal anomalies, the volume of ejected material, and the resulting landscape of impacted environments. To address uncertainties in crater scaling relationships, we present an approach and methodology that integrates numerical modeling of the thermal evolution of terrestrial impact craters with low-temperature, (U-Th)/He thermochronometry. The approach uses time-temperature (t-T) paths of crust within an impact crater, generated from numerical simulations of an impact. These t-T paths are then used in forward models to predict the resetting behavior of (U-Th)/He ages in the mineral chronometers apatite and zircon. Differences between the predicted and measured (U-Th)/He ages from a modeled terrestrial impact crater can then be used to evaluate parameters in the original numerical simulations, and refine the crater scaling relationships. We expect our methodology to additionally inform our interpretation of impact products, such as lunar impact breccias and meteorites, providing robust constraints on their thermal histories. In addition, the method is ideal for sample return mission planning - robust "prediction" of ages we expect from a given impact environment enhances our ability to target sampling sites on the Moon, Mars or other solar system bodies where impacts have strongly shaped the surface. Bottke, W.F., Vokrouhlicky, D., Ghent, B., et al. (2016). 47th LPSC, Abstract #2036.

Path Integration on the Upper Half-Plane

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kubo, R.

1987-10-01

Feynman's path integral is considered on the Poincaré upper half-plane. It is shown that the fundermental solution to the heat equation partial f/partial t=Delta_{H}f can be expressed in terms of a path integral. A simple relation between the path integral and the Selberg trace formula is discussed briefly.

Path integration of head direction: updating a packet of neural activity at the correct speed using axonal conduction delays.

PubMed

Walters, Daniel; Stringer, Simon; Rolls, Edmund

2013-01-01

The head direction cell system is capable of accurately updating its current representation of head direction in the absence of visual input. This is known as the path integration of head direction. An important question is how the head direction cell system learns to perform accurate path integration of head direction. In this paper we propose a model of velocity path integration of head direction in which the natural time delay of axonal transmission between a linked continuous attractor network and competitive network acts as a timing mechanism to facilitate the correct speed of path integration. The model effectively learns a "look-up" table for the correct speed of path integration. In simulation, we show that the model is able to successfully learn two different speeds of path integration across two different axonal conduction delays, and without the need to alter any other model parameters. An implication of this model is that, by learning look-up tables for each speed of path integration, the model should exhibit a degree of robustness to damage. In simulations, we show that the speed of path integration is not significantly affected by degrading the network through removing a proportion of the cells that signal rotational velocity.

Path Integration of Head Direction: Updating a Packet of Neural Activity at the Correct Speed Using Axonal Conduction Delays

PubMed Central

Walters, Daniel; Stringer, Simon; Rolls, Edmund

2013-01-01

The head direction cell system is capable of accurately updating its current representation of head direction in the absence of visual input. This is known as the path integration of head direction. An important question is how the head direction cell system learns to perform accurate path integration of head direction. In this paper we propose a model of velocity path integration of head direction in which the natural time delay of axonal transmission between a linked continuous attractor network and competitive network acts as a timing mechanism to facilitate the correct speed of path integration. The model effectively learns a “look-up” table for the correct speed of path integration. In simulation, we show that the model is able to successfully learn two different speeds of path integration across two different axonal conduction delays, and without the need to alter any other model parameters. An implication of this model is that, by learning look-up tables for each speed of path integration, the model should exhibit a degree of robustness to damage. In simulations, we show that the speed of path integration is not significantly affected by degrading the network through removing a proportion of the cells that signal rotational velocity. PMID:23526976

Quantum theory of multiscale coarse-graining.

PubMed

Han, Yining; Jin, Jaehyeok; Wagner, Jacob W; Voth, Gregory A

2018-03-14

Coarse-grained (CG) models serve as a powerful tool to simulate molecular systems at much longer temporal and spatial scales. Previously, CG models and methods have been built upon classical statistical mechanics. The present paper develops a theory and numerical methodology for coarse-graining in quantum statistical mechanics, by generalizing the multiscale coarse-graining (MS-CG) method to quantum Boltzmann statistics. A rigorous derivation of the sufficient thermodynamic consistency condition is first presented via imaginary time Feynman path integrals. It identifies the optimal choice of CG action functional and effective quantum CG (qCG) force field to generate a quantum MS-CG (qMS-CG) description of the equilibrium system that is consistent with the quantum fine-grained model projected onto the CG variables. A variational principle then provides a class of algorithms for optimally approximating the qMS-CG force fields. Specifically, a variational method based on force matching, which was also adopted in the classical MS-CG theory, is generalized to quantum Boltzmann statistics. The qMS-CG numerical algorithms and practical issues in implementing this variational minimization procedure are also discussed. Then, two numerical examples are presented to demonstrate the method. Finally, as an alternative strategy, a quasi-classical approximation for the thermal density matrix expressed in the CG variables is derived. This approach provides an interesting physical picture for coarse-graining in quantum Boltzmann statistical mechanics in which the consistency with the quantum particle delocalization is obviously manifest, and it opens up an avenue for using path integral centroid-based effective classical force fields in a coarse-graining methodology.

A Well-Balanced Path-Integral f-Wave Method for Hyperbolic Problems with Source Terms

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Systems of hyperbolic partial differential equations with source terms (balance laws) arise in many applications where it is important to compute accurate time-dependent solutions modeling small perturbations of equilibrium solutions in which the source terms balance the hyperbolic part. The f-wave version of the wave-propagation algorithm is one approach, but requires the use of a particular averaged value of the source terms at each cell interface in order to be “well balanced” and exactly maintain steady states. A general approach to choosing this average is developed using the theory of path conservative methods. A scalar advection equation with a decay or growth term is introduced as a model problem for numerical experiments. PMID:24563581

A highly accurate analytical solution for the surface fields of a short vertical wire antenna lying on a multilayer ground

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Parise, M.

2018-01-01

A highly accurate analytical solution is derived to the electromagnetic problem of a short vertical wire antenna located on a stratified ground. The derivation consists of three steps. First, the integration path of the integrals describing the fields of the dipole is deformed and wrapped around the pole singularities and the two vertical branch cuts of the integrands located in the upper half of the complex plane. This allows to decompose the radiated field into its three contributions, namely the above-surface ground wave, the lateral wave, and the trapped surface waves. Next, the square root terms responsible for the branch cuts are extracted from the integrands of the branch-cut integrals. Finally, the extracted square roots are replaced with their rational representations according to Newton's square root algorithm, and residue theorem is applied to give explicit expressions, in series form, for the fields. The rigorous integration procedure and the convergence of square root algorithm ensure that the obtained formulas converge to the exact solution. Numerical simulations are performed to show the validity and robustness of the developed formulation, as well as its advantages in terms of time cost over standard numerical integration procedures.

Path-integral isomorphic Hamiltonian for including nuclear quantum effects in non-adiabatic dynamics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tao, Xuecheng; Shushkov, Philip; Miller, Thomas F.

2018-03-01

We describe a path-integral approach for including nuclear quantum effects in non-adiabatic chemical dynamics simulations. For a general physical system with multiple electronic energy levels, a corresponding isomorphic Hamiltonian is introduced such that Boltzmann sampling of the isomorphic Hamiltonian with classical nuclear degrees of freedom yields the exact quantum Boltzmann distribution for the original physical system. In the limit of a single electronic energy level, the isomorphic Hamiltonian reduces to the familiar cases of either ring polymer molecular dynamics (RPMD) or centroid molecular dynamics Hamiltonians, depending on the implementation. An advantage of the isomorphic Hamiltonian is that it can easily be combined with existing mixed quantum-classical dynamics methods, such as surface hopping or Ehrenfest dynamics, to enable the simulation of electronically non-adiabatic processes with nuclear quantum effects. We present numerical applications of the isomorphic Hamiltonian to model two- and three-level systems, with encouraging results that include improvement upon a previously reported combination of RPMD with surface hopping in the deep-tunneling regime.

Geometrical-optics approximation of forward scattering by gradient-index spheres.

PubMed

Li, Xiangzhen; Han, Xiang'e; Li, Renxian; Jiang, Huifen

2007-08-01

By means of geometrical optics we present an approximation method for acceleration of the computation of the scattering intensity distribution within a forward angular range (0-60 degrees ) for gradient-index spheres illuminated by a plane wave. The incident angle of reflected light is determined by the scattering angle, thus improving the approximation accuracy. The scattering angle and the optical path length are numerically integrated by a general-purpose integrator. With some special index models, the scattering angle and the optical path length can be expressed by a unique function and the calculation is faster. This method is proved effective for transparent particles with size parameters greater than 50. It fails to give good approximation results at scattering angles whose refractive rays are in the backward direction. For different index models, the geometrical-optics approximation is effective only for forward angles, typically those less than 60 degrees or when the refractive-index difference of a particle is less than a certain value.

Empirical microeconomics action functionals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baaquie, Belal E.; Du, Xin; Tanputraman, Winson

2015-06-01

A statistical generalization of microeconomics has been made in Baaquie (2013), where the market price of every traded commodity, at each instant of time, is considered to be an independent random variable. The dynamics of commodity market prices is modeled by an action functional-and the focus of this paper is to empirically determine the action functionals for different commodities. The correlation functions of the model are defined using a Feynman path integral. The model is calibrated using the unequal time correlation of the market commodity prices as well as their cubic and quartic moments using a perturbation expansion. The consistency of the perturbation expansion is verified by a numerical evaluation of the path integral. Nine commodities drawn from the energy, metal and grain sectors are studied and their market behavior is described by the model to an accuracy of over 90% using only six parameters. The paper empirically establishes the existence of the action functional for commodity prices that was postulated to exist in Baaquie (2013).

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Weinstein, Marvin; /SLAC

It is apparent to anyone who thinks about it that, to a large degree, the basic concepts of Newtonian physics are quite intuitive, but quantum mechanics is not. My purpose in this talk is to introduce you to a new, much more intuitive way to understand how quantum mechanics works. I begin with an incredibly easy way to derive the time evolution of a Gaussian wave-packet for the case free and harmonic motion without any need to know the eigenstates of the Hamiltonian. This discussion is completely analytic and I will later use it to relate the solution for themore » behavior of the Gaussian packet to the Feynman path-integral and stationary phase approximation. It will be clear that using the information about the evolution of the Gaussian in this way goes far beyond what the stationary phase approximation tells us. Next, I introduce the concept of the bucket brigade approach to dealing with problems that cannot be handled totally analytically. This approach combines the intuition obtained in the initial discussion, as well as the intuition obtained from the path-integral, with simple numerical tools. My goal is to show that, for any specific process, there is a simple Hilbert space interpretation of the stationary phase approximation. I will then argue that, from the point of view of numerical approximations, the trajectory obtained from my generalization of the stationary phase approximation specifies that subspace of the full Hilbert space that is needed to compute the time evolution of the particular state under the full Hamiltonian. The prescription I will give is totally non-perturbative and we will see, by the grace of Maple animations computed for the case of the anharmonic oscillator Hamiltonian, that this approach allows surprisingly accurate computations to be performed with very little work. I think of this approach to the path-integral as defining what I call a guided numerical approximation scheme. After the discussion of the anharmonic oscillator I will turn to tunneling problems and show that the instanton can also be though of in the same way. I will do this for the classic problem of a double well potential in the extreme limit when the splitting between the two lowest levels is extremely small and the tunneling rate from one well to another is also very small.« less

Semiautomated Management Of Arriving Air Traffic

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Erzberger, Heinz; Nedell, William

1992-01-01

System of computers, graphical workstations, and computer programs developed for semiautomated management of approach and arrival of numerous aircraft at airport. System comprises three subsystems: traffic-management advisor, used for controlling traffic into terminal area; descent advisor generates information integrated into plan-view display of traffic on monitor; and final-approach-spacing tool used to merge traffic converging on final approach path while making sure aircraft are properly spaced. Not intended to restrict decisions of air-traffic controllers.

Retrieval and Validation of Zenith and Slant Path Delays From the Irish GPS Network

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hanafin, Jennifer; Jennings, S. Gerard; O'Dowd, Colin; McGrath, Ray; Whelan, Eoin

2010-05-01

Retrieval of atmospheric integrated water vapour (IWV) from ground-based GPS receivers and provision of this data product for meteorological applications has been the focus of a number of Europe-wide networks and projects, most recently the EUMETNET GPS water vapour programme. The results presented here are from a project to provide such information about the state of the atmosphere around Ireland for climate monitoring and improved numerical weather prediction. Two geodetic reference GPS receivers have been deployed at Valentia Observatory in Co. Kerry and Mace Head Atmospheric Research Station in Co. Galway, Ireland. These two receivers supplement the existing Ordnance Survey Ireland active network of 17 permanent ground-based receivers. A system to retrieve column-integrated atmospheric water vapour from the data provided by this network has been developed, based on the GPS Analysis at MIT (GAMIT) software package. The data quality of the zenith retrievals has been assessed using co-located radiosondes at the Valentia site and observations from a microwave profiling radiometer at the Mace Head site. Validation of the slant path retrievals requires a numerical weather prediction model and HIRLAM (High-Resolution Limited Area Model) version 7.2, the current operational forecast model in use at Met Éireann for the region, has been used for this validation work. Results from the data processing and comparisons with the independent observations and model will be presented.

Moving singularity creep crack growth analysis with the /Delta T/c and C/asterisk/ integrals. [path-independent vector and energy rate line integrals

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stonesifer, R. B.; Atluri, S. N.

1982-01-01

The physical meaning of (Delta T)c and its applicability to creep crack growth are reviewed. Numerical evaluation of (Delta T)c and C(asterisk) is discussed with results being given for compact specimen and strip geometries. A moving crack-tip singularity, creep crack growth simulation procedure is described and demonstrated. The results of several crack growth simulation analyses indicate that creep crack growth in 304 stainless steel occurs under essentially steady-state conditions. Based on this result, a simple methodology for predicting creep crack growth behavior is summarized.

Orbital evolution of some Centaurs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kovalenko, Nataliya; Babenko, Yuri; Churyumov, Klim

2002-11-01

In this work we investigated the dynamical evolution of Centaurs objects 2060 (Chiron), 5145 (Pholus), 7066 (Nessus), 8405 (Asbolus), 10199 (Chariklo), 10370 (Hylonome), and Scattered-Disk object 15874. We have carried out orbital integration of test particles with initial orbits similar to those of these objects. Calculations were produced for +/-600kyr-10Myr starting at epoch and using the implicit single sequence Everhart methods. 12 variational orbits for each of selected Centaurs also have been numerically integrated for +/-200 kyr toward the past and the future. The most probable paths were traced up to +/-1 Myr. The character of orbital elements changes and peculiarities of close approaches to giant planets are discussed.

Geometry, Heat Equation and Path Integrals on the Poincaré Upper Half-Plane

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kubo, R.

1988-01-01

Geometry, heat equation and Feynman's path integrals are studied on the Poincaré upper half-plane. The fundamental solution to the heat equation partial f/partial t = Delta_{H} f is expressed in terms of a path integral defined on the upper half-plane. It is shown that Kac's statement that Feynman's path integral satisfies the Schrödinger equation is also valid for our case.

Simultaneous continuous measurement of non-commuting observables and correlation in qubit trajectories

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chantasri, Areeya; Jordan, Andrew

We consider the continuous quantum measurement of two or more non-commuting observables of a single qubit. Examples are presented for the measurement of two observables which can be mapped to two measurement axes on the Bloch sphere; a special case being the measurement along the X and Z bases. The qubit dynamics is described by the stochastic master equations which include the effect of decoherence and measurement inefficiencies. We investigate the qubit trajectories, their most likely paths, and their correlation functions using the stochastic path integral formalism. The correlation functions in qubit trajectories can be derived exactly for a special case and perturbatively for general cases. The theoretical predictions are compared with numerical simulations, as well as with trajectory data from the transmon superconducting qubit experiments.

Path integration on the hyperbolic plane with a magnetic field

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grosche, Christian

1990-08-01

In this paper I discuss the path integrals on three formulations of hyperbolic geometry, where a constant magnetic field B is included. These are: the pseudosphere Λ2, the Poincaré disc D, and the hyperbolic strip S. The corresponding path integrals can be reformulated in terms of the path integral for the modified Pöschl-Teller potential. The wave-functions and the energy spectrum for the discrete and continuous part of the spectrum are explicitly calculated in each case. First the results are compared for the limit B → 0 with previous calculations and second with the path integration on the Poincaré upper half-plane U. This work is a continuation of the path integral calculations for the free motion on the various formulations on the hyperbolic plane and for the case of constant magnetic field on the Poincaré upper half-plane U.

Dissociable cognitive mechanisms underlying human path integration.

PubMed

Wiener, Jan M; Berthoz, Alain; Wolbers, Thomas

2011-01-01

Path integration is a fundamental mechanism of spatial navigation. In non-human species, it is assumed to be an online process in which a homing vector is updated continuously during an outward journey. In contrast, human path integration has been conceptualized as a configural process in which travelers store working memory representations of path segments, with the computation of a homing vector only occurring when required. To resolve this apparent discrepancy, we tested whether humans can employ different path integration strategies in the same task. Using a triangle completion paradigm, participants were instructed either to continuously update the start position during locomotion (continuous strategy) or to remember the shape of the outbound path and to calculate home vectors on basis of this representation (configural strategy). While overall homing accuracy was superior in the configural condition, participants were quicker to respond during continuous updating, strongly suggesting that homing vectors were computed online. Corroborating these findings, we observed reliable differences in head orientation during the outbound path: when participants applied the continuous updating strategy, the head deviated significantly from straight ahead in direction of the start place, which can be interpreted as a continuous motor expression of the homing vector. Head orientation-a novel online measure for path integration-can thus inform about the underlying updating mechanism already during locomotion. In addition to demonstrating that humans can employ different cognitive strategies during path integration, our two-systems view helps to resolve recent controversies regarding the role of the medial temporal lobe in human path integration.

A Dynamic Bayesian Observer Model Reveals Origins of Bias in Visual Path Integration.

PubMed

Lakshminarasimhan, Kaushik J; Petsalis, Marina; Park, Hyeshin; DeAngelis, Gregory C; Pitkow, Xaq; Angelaki, Dora E

2018-06-20

Path integration is a strategy by which animals track their position by integrating their self-motion velocity. To identify the computational origins of bias in visual path integration, we asked human subjects to navigate in a virtual environment using optic flow and found that they generally traveled beyond the goal location. Such a behavior could stem from leaky integration of unbiased self-motion velocity estimates or from a prior expectation favoring slower speeds that causes velocity underestimation. Testing both alternatives using a probabilistic framework that maximizes expected reward, we found that subjects' biases were better explained by a slow-speed prior than imperfect integration. When subjects integrate paths over long periods, this framework intriguingly predicts a distance-dependent bias reversal due to buildup of uncertainty, which we also confirmed experimentally. These results suggest that visual path integration in noisy environments is limited largely by biases in processing optic flow rather than by leaky integration. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Elucidating the electron transport in semiconductors via Monte Carlo simulations: an inquiry-driven learning path for engineering undergraduates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Persano Adorno, Dominique; Pizzolato, Nicola; Fazio, Claudio

2015-09-01

Within the context of higher education for science or engineering undergraduates, we present an inquiry-driven learning path aimed at developing a more meaningful conceptual understanding of the electron dynamics in semiconductors in the presence of applied electric fields. The electron transport in a nondegenerate n-type indium phosphide bulk semiconductor is modelled using a multivalley Monte Carlo approach. The main characteristics of the electron dynamics are explored under different values of the driving electric field, lattice temperature and impurity density. Simulation results are presented by following a question-driven path of exploration, starting from the validation of the model and moving up to reasoned inquiries about the observed characteristics of electron dynamics. Our inquiry-driven learning path, based on numerical simulations, represents a viable example of how to integrate a traditional lecture-based teaching approach with effective learning strategies, providing science or engineering undergraduates with practical opportunities to enhance their comprehension of the physics governing the electron dynamics in semiconductors. Finally, we present a general discussion about the advantages and disadvantages of using an inquiry-based teaching approach within a learning environment based on semiconductor simulations.

Multi-criteria robustness analysis of metro networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Xiangrong; Koç, Yakup; Derrible, Sybil; Ahmad, Sk Nasir; Pino, Willem J. A.; Kooij, Robert E.

2017-05-01

Metros (heavy rail transit systems) are integral parts of urban transportation systems. Failures in their operations can have serious impacts on urban mobility, and measuring their robustness is therefore critical. Moreover, as physical networks, metros can be viewed as topological entities, and as such they possess measurable network properties. In this article, by using network science and graph theory, we investigate ten theoretical and four numerical robustness metrics and their performance in quantifying the robustness of 33 metro networks under random failures or targeted attacks. We find that the ten theoretical metrics capture two distinct aspects of robustness of metro networks. First, several metrics place an emphasis on alternative paths. Second, other metrics place an emphasis on the length of the paths. To account for all aspects, we standardize all ten indicators and plot them on radar diagrams to assess the overall robustness for metro networks. Overall, we find that Tokyo and Rome are the most robust networks. Rome benefits from short transferring and Tokyo has a significant number of transfer stations, both in the city center and in the peripheral area of the city, promoting both a higher number of alternative paths and overall relatively short path-lengths.

A link prediction method for heterogeneous networks based on BP neural network

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Ji-chao; Zhao, Dan-ling; Ge, Bing-Feng; Yang, Ke-Wei; Chen, Ying-Wu

2018-04-01

Most real-world systems, composed of different types of objects connected via many interconnections, can be abstracted as various complex heterogeneous networks. Link prediction for heterogeneous networks is of great significance for mining missing links and reconfiguring networks according to observed information, with considerable applications in, for example, friend and location recommendations and disease-gene candidate detection. In this paper, we put forward a novel integrated framework, called MPBP (Meta-Path feature-based BP neural network model), to predict multiple types of links for heterogeneous networks. More specifically, the concept of meta-path is introduced, followed by the extraction of meta-path features for heterogeneous networks. Next, based on the extracted meta-path features, a supervised link prediction model is built with a three-layer BP neural network. Then, the solution algorithm of the proposed link prediction model is put forward to obtain predicted results by iteratively training the network. Last, numerical experiments on the dataset of examples of a gene-disease network and a combat network are conducted to verify the effectiveness and feasibility of the proposed MPBP. It shows that the MPBP with very good performance is superior to the baseline methods.

Which way and how far? Tracking of translation and rotation information for human path integration.

PubMed

Chrastil, Elizabeth R; Sherrill, Katherine R; Hasselmo, Michael E; Stern, Chantal E

2016-10-01

Path integration, the constant updating of the navigator's knowledge of position and orientation during movement, requires both visuospatial knowledge and memory. This study aimed to develop a systems-level understanding of human path integration by examining the basic building blocks of path integration in humans. To achieve this goal, we used functional imaging to examine the neural mechanisms that support the tracking and memory of translational and rotational components of human path integration. Critically, and in contrast to previous studies, we examined movement in translation and rotation tasks with no defined end-point or goal. Navigators accumulated translational and rotational information during virtual self-motion. Activity in hippocampus, retrosplenial cortex (RSC), and parahippocampal cortex (PHC) increased during both translation and rotation encoding, suggesting that these regions track self-motion information during path integration. These results address current questions regarding distance coding in the human brain. By implementing a modified delayed match to sample paradigm, we also examined the encoding and maintenance of path integration signals in working memory. Hippocampus, PHC, and RSC were recruited during successful encoding and maintenance of path integration information, with RSC selective for tasks that required processing heading rotation changes. These data indicate distinct working memory mechanisms for translation and rotation, which are essential for updating neural representations of current location. The results provide evidence that hippocampus, PHC, and RSC flexibly track task-relevant translation and rotation signals for path integration and could form the hub of a more distributed network supporting spatial navigation. Hum Brain Mapp 37:3636-3655, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Numerical simulation of pseudoelastic shape memory alloys using the large time increment method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gu, Xiaojun; Zhang, Weihong; Zaki, Wael; Moumni, Ziad

2017-04-01

The paper presents a numerical implementation of the large time increment (LATIN) method for the simulation of shape memory alloys (SMAs) in the pseudoelastic range. The method was initially proposed as an alternative to the conventional incremental approach for the integration of nonlinear constitutive models. It is adapted here for the simulation of pseudoelastic SMA behavior using the Zaki-Moumni model and is shown to be especially useful in situations where the phase transformation process presents little or lack of hardening. In these situations, a slight stress variation in a load increment can result in large variations of strain and local state variables, which may lead to difficulties in numerical convergence. In contrast to the conventional incremental method, the LATIN method solve the global equilibrium and local consistency conditions sequentially for the entire loading path. The achieved solution must satisfy the conditions of static and kinematic admissibility and consistency simultaneously after several iterations. 3D numerical implementation is accomplished using an implicit algorithm and is then used for finite element simulation using the software Abaqus. Computational tests demonstrate the ability of this approach to simulate SMAs presenting flat phase transformation plateaus and subjected to complex loading cases, such as the quasi-static behavior of a stent structure. Some numerical results are contrasted to those obtained using step-by-step incremental integration.

Perfect discretization of reparametrization invariant path integrals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bahr, Benjamin; Dittrich, Bianca; Steinhaus, Sebastian

2011-05-01

To obtain a well-defined path integral one often employs discretizations. In the case of gravity and reparametrization-invariant systems, the latter of which we consider here as a toy example, discretizations generically break diffeomorphism and reparametrization symmetry, respectively. This has severe implications, as these symmetries determine the dynamics of the corresponding system. Indeed we will show that a discretized path integral with reparametrization-invariance is necessarily also discretization independent and therefore uniquely determined by the corresponding continuum quantum mechanical propagator. We use this insight to develop an iterative method for constructing such a discretized path integral, akin to a Wilsonian RG flow. This allows us to address the problem of discretization ambiguities and of an anomaly-free path integral measure for such systems. The latter is needed to obtain a path integral, that can act as a projector onto the physical states, satisfying the quantum constraints. We will comment on implications for discrete quantum gravity models, such as spin foams.

Distributed cooperating processes in a mobile robot control system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Skillman, Thomas L., Jr.

1988-01-01

A mobile inspection robot has been proposed for the NASA Space Station. It will be a free flying autonomous vehicle that will leave a berthing unit to accomplish a variety of inspection tasks around the Space Station, and then return to its berth to recharge, refuel, and transfer information. The Flying Eye robot will receive voice communication to change its attitude, move at a constant velocity, and move to a predefined location along a self generated path. This mobile robot control system requires integration of traditional command and control techniques with a number of AI technologies. Speech recognition, natural language understanding, task and path planning, sensory abstraction and pattern recognition are all required for successful implementation. The interface between the traditional numeric control techniques and the symbolic processing to the AI technologies must be developed, and a distributed computing approach will be needed to meet the real time computing requirements. To study the integration of the elements of this project, a novel mobile robot control architecture and simulation based on the blackboard architecture was developed. The control system operation and structure is discussed.

Numerical Simulation of Delamination Growth in Composite Materials

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Camanho, P. P.; Davila, C. G.; Ambur, D. R.

2001-01-01

The use of decohesion elements for the simulation of delamination in composite materials is reviewed. The test methods available to measure the interfacial fracture toughness used in the formulation of decohesion elements are described initially. After a brief presentation of the virtual crack closure technique, the technique most widely used to simulate delamination growth, the formulation of interfacial decohesion elements is described. Problems related with decohesion element constitutive equations, mixed-mode crack growth, element numerical integration and solution procedures are discussed. Based on these investigations, it is concluded that the use of interfacial decohesion elements is a promising technique that avoids the need for a pre-existing crack and pre-defined crack paths, and that these elements can be used to simulate both delamination onset and growth.

Distinct roles of hippocampus and medial prefrontal cortex in spatial and nonspatial memory.

PubMed

Sapiurka, Maya; Squire, Larry R; Clark, Robert E

2016-12-01

In earlier work, patients with hippocampal damage successfully path integrated, apparently by maintaining spatial information in working memory. In contrast, rats with hippocampal damage were unable to path integrate, even when the paths were simple and working memory might have been expected to support performance. We considered possible ways to understand these findings. We tested rats with either hippocampal lesions or lesions of medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) on three tasks of spatial or nonspatial memory: path integration, spatial alternation, and a nonspatial alternation task. Rats with mPFC lesions were impaired on both spatial and nonspatial alternation but performed normally on path integration. By contrast, rats with hippocampal lesions were impaired on path integration and spatial alternation but performed normally on nonspatial alternation. We propose that rodent neocortex is limited in its ability to construct a coherent spatial working memory of complex environments. Accordingly, in tasks such as path integration and spatial alternation, working memory cannot depend on neocortex alone. Rats may accomplish many spatial memory tasks by relying on long-term memory. Alternatively, they may accomplish these tasks within working memory through sustained coordination between hippocampus and other cortical brain regions such as mPFC, in the case of spatial alternation, or parietal cortex in the case of path integration. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Backside imaging of a microcontroller with common-path digital holography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Finkeldey, Markus; Göring, Lena; Schellenberg, Falk; Gerhardt, Nils C.; Hofmann, Martin

2017-03-01

The investigation of integrated circuits (ICs), such as microcontrollers (MCUs) and system on a chip (SoCs) devices is a topic with growing interests. The need for fast and non-destructive imaging methods is given by the increasing importance of hardware Trojans, reverse engineering and further security related analysis of integrated cryptographic devices. In the field of side-channel attacks, for instance, the precise spot for laser fault attacks is important and could be determined by using modern high resolution microscopy methods. Digital holographic microscopy (DHM) is a promising technique to achieve high resolution phase images of surface structures. These phase images provide information about the change of the refractive index in the media and the topography. For enabling a high phase stability, we use the common-path geometry to create the interference pattern. The interference pattern, or hologram, is captured with a water cooled sCMOS camera. This provides a fast readout while maintaining a low level of noise. A challenge for these types of holograms is the interference of the reflected waves from the different interfaces inside the media. To distinguish between the phase signals from the buried layer and the surface reflection we use specific numeric filters. For demonstrating the performance of our setup we show results with devices under test (DUT), using a 1064 nm laser diode as light source. The DUTs are modern microcontrollers thinned to different levels of thickness of the Si-substrate. The effect of the numeric filter compared to unfiltered images is analyzed.

Semiclassical propagation of Wigner functions.

PubMed

Dittrich, T; Gómez, E A; Pachón, L A

2010-06-07

We present a comprehensive study of semiclassical phase-space propagation in the Wigner representation, emphasizing numerical applications, in particular as an initial-value representation. Two semiclassical approximation schemes are discussed. The propagator of the Wigner function based on van Vleck's approximation replaces the Liouville propagator by a quantum spot with an oscillatory pattern reflecting the interference between pairs of classical trajectories. Employing phase-space path integration instead, caustics in the quantum spot are resolved in terms of Airy functions. We apply both to two benchmark models of nonlinear molecular potentials, the Morse oscillator and the quartic double well, to test them in standard tasks such as computing autocorrelation functions and propagating coherent states. The performance of semiclassical Wigner propagation is very good even in the presence of marked quantum effects, e.g., in coherent tunneling and in propagating Schrodinger cat states, and of classical chaos in four-dimensional phase space. We suggest options for an effective numerical implementation of our method and for integrating it in Monte-Carlo-Metropolis algorithms suitable for high-dimensional systems.

Medial temporal lobe roles in human path integration.

PubMed

Yamamoto, Naohide; Philbeck, John W; Woods, Adam J; Gajewski, Daniel A; Arthur, Joeanna C; Potolicchio, Samuel J; Levy, Lucien; Caputy, Anthony J

2014-01-01

Path integration is a process in which observers derive their location by integrating self-motion signals along their locomotion trajectory. Although the medial temporal lobe (MTL) is thought to take part in path integration, the scope of its role for path integration remains unclear. To address this issue, we administered a variety of tasks involving path integration and other related processes to a group of neurosurgical patients whose MTL was unilaterally resected as therapy for epilepsy. These patients were unimpaired relative to neurologically intact controls in many tasks that required integration of various kinds of sensory self-motion information. However, the same patients (especially those who had lesions in the right hemisphere) walked farther than the controls when attempting to walk without vision to a previewed target. Importantly, this task was unique in our test battery in that it allowed participants to form a mental representation of the target location and anticipate their upcoming walking trajectory before they began moving. Thus, these results put forth a new idea that the role of MTL structures for human path integration may stem from their participation in predicting the consequences of one's locomotor actions. The strengths of this new theoretical viewpoint are discussed.

Medial Temporal Lobe Roles in Human Path Integration

PubMed Central

Yamamoto, Naohide; Philbeck, John W.; Woods, Adam J.; Gajewski, Daniel A.; Arthur, Joeanna C.; Potolicchio, Samuel J.; Levy, Lucien; Caputy, Anthony J.

2014-01-01

Path integration is a process in which observers derive their location by integrating self-motion signals along their locomotion trajectory. Although the medial temporal lobe (MTL) is thought to take part in path integration, the scope of its role for path integration remains unclear. To address this issue, we administered a variety of tasks involving path integration and other related processes to a group of neurosurgical patients whose MTL was unilaterally resected as therapy for epilepsy. These patients were unimpaired relative to neurologically intact controls in many tasks that required integration of various kinds of sensory self-motion information. However, the same patients (especially those who had lesions in the right hemisphere) walked farther than the controls when attempting to walk without vision to a previewed target. Importantly, this task was unique in our test battery in that it allowed participants to form a mental representation of the target location and anticipate their upcoming walking trajectory before they began moving. Thus, these results put forth a new idea that the role of MTL structures for human path integration may stem from their participation in predicting the consequences of one's locomotor actions. The strengths of this new theoretical viewpoint are discussed. PMID:24802000

A sophisticated simulation for the fracture behavior of concrete material using XFEM

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhai, Changhai; Wang, Xiaomin; Kong, Jingchang; Li, Shuang; Xie, Lili

2017-10-01

The development of a powerful numerical model to simulate the fracture behavior of concrete material has long been one of the dominant research areas in earthquake engineering. A reliable model should be able to adequately represent the discontinuous characteristics of cracks and simulate various failure behaviors under complicated loading conditions. In this paper, a numerical formulation, which incorporates a sophisticated rigid-plastic interface constitutive model coupling cohesion softening, contact, friction and shear dilatation into the XFEM, is proposed to describe various crack behaviors of concrete material. An effective numerical integration scheme for accurately assembling the contribution to the weak form on both sides of the discontinuity is introduced. The effectiveness of the proposed method has been assessed by simulating several well-known experimental tests. It is concluded that the numerical method can successfully capture the crack paths and accurately predict the fracture behavior of concrete structures. The influence of mode-II parameters on the mixed-mode fracture behavior is further investigated to better determine these parameters.

Path integrals and the WKB approximation in loop quantum cosmology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ashtekar, Abhay; Campiglia, Miguel; Henderson, Adam

2010-12-01

We follow the Feynman procedure to obtain a path integral formulation of loop quantum cosmology starting from the Hilbert space framework. Quantum geometry effects modify the weight associated with each path so that the effective measure on the space of paths is different from that used in the Wheeler-DeWitt theory. These differences introduce some conceptual subtleties in arriving at the WKB approximation. But the approximation is well defined and provides intuition for the differences between loop quantum cosmology and the Wheeler-DeWitt theory from a path integral perspective.

Perfect discretization of path integrals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Steinhaus, Sebastian

2012-05-01

In order to obtain a well-defined path integral one often employs discretizations. In the case of General Relativity these generically break diffeomorphism symmetry, which has severe consequences since these symmetries determine the dynamics of the corresponding system. In this article we consider the path integral of reparametrization invariant systems as a toy example and present an improvement procedure for the discretized propagator. Fixed points and convergence of the procedure are discussed. Furthermore we show that a reparametrization invariant path integral implies discretization independence and acts as a projector onto physical states.

PathCase-SB architecture and database design

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background Integration of metabolic pathways resources and regulatory metabolic network models, and deploying new tools on the integrated platform can help perform more effective and more efficient systems biology research on understanding the regulation in metabolic networks. Therefore, the tasks of (a) integrating under a single database environment regulatory metabolic networks and existing models, and (b) building tools to help with modeling and analysis are desirable and intellectually challenging computational tasks. Description PathCase Systems Biology (PathCase-SB) is built and released. The PathCase-SB database provides data and API for multiple user interfaces and software tools. The current PathCase-SB system provides a database-enabled framework and web-based computational tools towards facilitating the development of kinetic models for biological systems. PathCase-SB aims to integrate data of selected biological data sources on the web (currently, BioModels database and KEGG), and to provide more powerful and/or new capabilities via the new web-based integrative framework. This paper describes architecture and database design issues encountered in PathCase-SB's design and implementation, and presents the current design of PathCase-SB's architecture and database. Conclusions PathCase-SB architecture and database provide a highly extensible and scalable environment with easy and fast (real-time) access to the data in the database. PathCase-SB itself is already being used by researchers across the world. PMID:22070889

A Wigner-based ray-tracing method for imaging simulations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mout, B. M.; Wick, M.; Bociort, F.; Urbach, H. P.

2015-09-01

The Wigner Distribution Function (WDF) forms an alternative representation of the optical field. It can be a valuable tool for understanding and classifying optical systems. Furthermore, it possesses properties that make it suitable for optical simulations: both the intensity and the angular spectrum can be easily obtained from the WDF and the WDF remains constant along the paths of paraxial geometrical rays. In this study we use these properties by implementing a numerical Wigner-Based Ray-Tracing method (WBRT) to simulate diffraction effects at apertures in free-space and in imaging systems. Both paraxial and non-paraxial systems are considered and the results are compared with numerical implementations of the Rayleigh-Sommerfeld and Fresnel diffraction integrals to investigate the limits of the applicability of this approach. The results of the different methods are in good agreement when simulating free-space diffraction or calculating point spread functions (PSFs) for aberration-free imaging systems, even at numerical apertures exceeding the paraxial regime. For imaging systems with aberrations, the PSFs of WBRT diverge from the results using diffraction integrals. For larger aberrations WBRT predicts negative intensities, suggesting that this model is unable to deal with aberrations.

Semiclassical evaluation of quantum fidelity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vanicek, Jiri

2004-03-01

We present a numerically feasible semiclassical method to evaluate quantum fidelity (Loschmidt echo) in a classically chaotic system. It was thought that such evaluation would be intractable, but instead we show that a uniform semiclassical expression not only is tractable but it gives remarkably accurate numerical results for the standard map in both the Fermi-golden-rule and Lyapunov regimes. Because it allows a Monte-Carlo evaluation, this uniform expression is accurate at times where there are 10^70 semiclassical contributions. Remarkably, the method also explicitly contains the ``building blocks'' of analytical theories of recent literature, and thus permits a direct test of approximations made by other authors in these regimes, rather than an a posteriori comparison with numerical results. We explain in more detail the extended validity of the classical perturbation approximation and thus provide a ``defense" of the linear response theory from the famous Van Kampen objection. We point out the potential use of our uniform expression in other areas because it gives a most direct link between the quantum Feynman propagator based on the path integral and the semiclassical Van Vleck propagator based on the sum over classical trajectories. Finally, we test the applicability of our method in integrable and mixed systems.

A comparative study of integrated pest management strategies based on impulsive control.

PubMed

Páez Chávez, Joseph; Jungmann, Dirk; Siegmund, Stefan

2018-12-01

The paper presents a comprehensive numerical study of mathematical models used to describe complex biological systems in the framework of integrated pest management. Our study considers two specific ecosystems that describe the application of control mechanisms based on pesticides and natural enemies, implemented in an impulsive and periodic manner, due to which the considered models belong to the class of impulsive differential equations. The present work proposes a numerical approach to study such type of models in detail, via the application of path-following (continuation) techniques for nonsmooth dynamical systems, via the novel continuation platform COCO (Dankowicz and Schilder). In this way, a detailed study focusing on the influence of selected system parameters on the effectiveness of the pest control scheme is carried out for both ecological scenarios. Furthermore, a comparative study is presented, with special emphasis on the mechanisms upon which a pest outbreak can occur in the considered ecosystems. Our study reveals that such outbreaks are determined by the presence of a branching point found during the continuation analysis. The numerical investigation concludes with an in-depth study of the state-dependent pesticide mortality considered in one of the ecological scenarios.

The path dependency theory: analytical framework to study institutional integration. The case of France.

PubMed

Trouvé, Hélène; Couturier, Yves; Etheridge, Francis; Saint-Jean, Olivier; Somme, Dominique

2010-06-30

The literature on integration indicates the need for an enhanced theorization of institutional integration. This article proposes path dependence as an analytical framework to study the systems in which integration takes place. PRISMA proposes a model for integrating health and social care services for older adults. This model was initially tested in Quebec. The PRISMA France study gave us an opportunity to analyze institutional integration in France. A qualitative approach was used. Analyses were based on semi-structured interviews with actors of all levels of decision-making, observations of advisory board meetings, and administrative documents. Our analyses revealed the complexity and fragmentation of institutional integration. The path dependency theory, which analyzes the change capacity of institutions by taking into account their historic structures, allows analysis of this situation. The path dependency to the Bismarckian system and the incomplete reforms of gerontological policies generate the coexistence and juxtaposition of institutional systems. In such a context, no institution has sufficient ability to determine gerontology policy and build institutional integration by itself. Using path dependence as an analytical framework helps to understand the reasons why institutional integration is critical to organizational and clinical integration, and the complex construction of institutional integration in France.

Detailed analysis of the fireball 20160317_031654 over the United Kingdom

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Koukal, Jakub

2018-03-01

On March 17, 2016 in the early morning hours the UKMON network (United Kingdom Meteor Observation Network) cameras recorded a bright fireball with an absolute magnitude of -12.5 ± 0.4m, its atmospheric path began above the Dorset County and ended up above the Oxford County in the southern part of England. This fireball belonging to the Northern March gamma Virginids (IAU MDC #749 NMV) meteor shower was recorded from 8 cameras of the UKMON network. The atmospheric path of the bolide and the heliocentric orbit of the meteoroid are analyzed in this article. The flight of the fireball, whose absolute magnitude was comparable with the brightness of the Full Moon, was also observed by numerous random observers from the public in the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Belgium and France. Numerical integration of the heliocentric orbit of the body and its clones was performed to find the potential parent body of the fireball and also the potential parent body of the meteor shower #749 NMV. However, no potential parent body of the fireball 20160317_031654 was found in the comets (periodic, non-periodic and lost) and asteroids database.

Two-path plasmonic interferometer with integrated detector

DOEpatents

Dyer, Gregory Conrad; Shaner, Eric A.; Aizin, Gregory

2016-03-29

An electrically tunable terahertz two-path plasmonic interferometer with an integrated detection element can down convert a terahertz field to a rectified DC signal. The integrated detector utilizes a resonant plasmonic homodyne mixing mechanism that measures the component of the plasma waves in-phase with an excitation field that functions as the local oscillator in the mixer. The plasmonic interferometer comprises two independently tuned electrical paths. The plasmonic interferometer enables a spectrometer-on-a-chip where the tuning of electrical path length plays an analogous role to that of physical path length in macroscopic Fourier transform interferometers.

Exact transition probabilities in a 6-state Landau–Zener system with path interference

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sinitsyn, Nikolai A.

2015-04-23

In this paper, we identify a nontrivial multistate Landau–Zener (LZ) model for which transition probabilities between any pair of diabatic states can be determined analytically and exactly. In the semiclassical picture, this model features the possibility of interference of different trajectories that connect the same initial and final states. Hence, transition probabilities are generally not described by the incoherent successive application of the LZ formula. Finally, we discuss reasons for integrability of this system and provide numerical tests of the suggested expression for the transition probability matrix.

O (a) improvement of 2D N = (2 , 2) lattice SYM theory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hanada, Masanori; Kadoh, Daisuke; Matsuura, So; Sugino, Fumihiko

2018-04-01

We perform a tree-level O (a) improvement of two-dimensional N = (2 , 2) supersymmetric Yang-Mills theory on the lattice, motivated by the fast convergence in numerical simulations. The improvement respects an exact supersymmetry Q which is needed for obtaining the correct continuum limit without a parameter fine tuning. The improved lattice action is given within a milder locality condition in which the interactions are decaying as the exponential of the distance on the lattice. We also prove that the path-integral measure is invariant under the improved Q-transformation.

The path integral on the pseudosphere

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grosche, C.; Steiner, F.

1988-02-01

A rigorous path integral treatment for the d-dimensional pseudosphere Λd-1 , a Riemannian manifold of constant negative curvature, is presented. The path integral formulation is based on a canonical approach using Weyl-ordering and the Hamiltonian path integral defined on midpoints. The time-dependent and energy-dependent Feynman kernels obtain different expressions in the even- and odd-dimensional cases, respectively. The special case of the three-dimensional pseudosphere, which is analytically equivalent to the Poincaré upper half plane, the Poincaré disc, and the hyperbolic strip, is discussed in detail including the energy spectrum and the normalised wave-functions.

Formulation of D-brane Dynamics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Evans, Thomas

2012-03-01

It is the purpose of this paper (within the context of STS rules & guidelines ``research report'') to formulate a statistical-mechanical form of D-brane dynamics. We consider first the path integral formulation of quantum mechanics, and extend this to a path-integral formulation of D-brane mechanics, summing over all the possible path integral sectors of R-R, NS charged states. We then investigate this generalization utilizing a path-integral formulation summing over all the possible path integral sectors of R-R charged states, calculated from the mean probability tree-level amplitude of type I, IIA, and IIB strings, serving as a generalization of all strings described by D-branes. We utilize this generalization to study black holes in regimes where the initial D-brane system is legitimate, and further this generalization to look at information loss near regions of nonlocality on a non-ordinary event horizon. We see here that in these specific regimes, we can calculate a path integral formulation, as describing D0-brane mechanics, tracing the dissipation of entropy throughout the event horizon. This is used to study the information paradox, and to propose a resolution between the phenomena and the correct and expected quantum mechanical description. This is done as our path integral throughout entropy entering the event horizon effectively and correctly encodes the initial state in subtle correlations in the Hawking radiation.

All-Optical Wavelength-Path Service With Quality Assurance by Multilayer Integration System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yagi, Mikio; Tanaka, Shinya; Satomi, Shuichi; Ryu, Shiro; Asano, Shoichiro

2006-09-01

In the future all-optical network controlled by generalized multiprotocol label switching (GMPLS), the wavelength path between end nodes will change dynamically. This inevitably means that the fiber parameters along the wavelength path will also vary. This variation in fiber parameters influences the signal quality of high-speed-transmission system (bit rates over 40 Gb/s). Therefore, at a path setup, the fiber-parameter effect should be adequately compensated. Moreover, the path setup must be completed fast enough to meet the network-application demands. To realize the rapid setup of adequate paths, a multilayer integration system for all-optical wavelength-path quality assurance is proposed. This multilayer integration system is evaluated in a field trial. In the trial, the GMPLS control plane, measurement plane, and data plane coordinated to maintain the quality of a 40-Gb/s wavelength path that would otherwise be degraded by the influence of chromatic dispersion. It is also demonstrated that the multilayer integration system can assure the signal quality in the face of not only chromatic dispersion but also degradation in the optical signal-to-noise ratio by the use of a 2R regeneration system. Our experiments confirm that the proposed multilayer integration system is an essential part of future all-optical networks.

Edgeworth expansions of stochastic trading time

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Decamps, Marc; De Schepper, Ann

2010-08-01

Under most local and stochastic volatility models the underlying forward is assumed to be a positive function of a time-changed Brownian motion. It relates nicely the implied volatility smile to the so-called activity rate in the market. Following Young and DeWitt-Morette (1986) [8], we propose to apply the Duru-Kleinert process-cum-time transformation in path integral to formulate the transition density of the forward. The method leads to asymptotic expansions of the transition density around a Gaussian kernel corresponding to the average activity in the market conditional on the forward value. The approximation is numerically illustrated for pricing vanilla options under the CEV model and the popular normal SABR model. The asymptotics can also be used for Monte Carlo simulations or backward integration schemes.

Adaptive integral dynamic surface control of a hypersonic flight vehicle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aslam Butt, Waseem; Yan, Lin; Amezquita S., Kendrick

2015-07-01

In this article, non-linear adaptive dynamic surface air speed and flight path angle control designs are presented for the longitudinal dynamics of a flexible hypersonic flight vehicle. The tracking performance of the control design is enhanced by introducing a novel integral term that caters to avoiding a large initial control signal. To ensure feasibility, the design scheme incorporates magnitude and rate constraints on the actuator commands. The uncertain non-linear functions are approximated by an efficient use of the neural networks to reduce the computational load. A detailed stability analysis shows that all closed-loop signals are uniformly ultimately bounded and the ? tracking performance is guaranteed. The robustness of the design scheme is verified through numerical simulations of the flexible flight vehicle model.

Crack Path Selection in Thermally Loaded Borosilicate/Steel Bibeam Specimen

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Grutzik, Scott Joseph; Reedy, Jr., E. D.

Here, we have developed a novel specimen for studying crack paths in glass. Under certain conditions, the specimen reaches a state where the crack must select between multiple paths satisfying the K II = 0 condition. This path selection is a simple but challenging benchmark case for both analytical and numerical methods of predicting crack propagation. We document the development of the specimen, using an uncracked and instrumented test case to study the effect of adhesive choice and validate the accuracy of both a simple beam theory model and a finite element model. In addition, we present preliminary fracture testmore » results and provide a comparison to the path predicted by two numerical methods (mesh restructuring and XFEM). The directional stability of the crack path and differences in kink angle predicted by various crack kinking criteria is analyzed with a finite element model.« less

Crack Path Selection in Thermally Loaded Borosilicate/Steel Bibeam Specimen

DOE PAGES

Grutzik, Scott Joseph; Reedy, Jr., E. D.

2017-08-04

Here, we have developed a novel specimen for studying crack paths in glass. Under certain conditions, the specimen reaches a state where the crack must select between multiple paths satisfying the K II = 0 condition. This path selection is a simple but challenging benchmark case for both analytical and numerical methods of predicting crack propagation. We document the development of the specimen, using an uncracked and instrumented test case to study the effect of adhesive choice and validate the accuracy of both a simple beam theory model and a finite element model. In addition, we present preliminary fracture testmore » results and provide a comparison to the path predicted by two numerical methods (mesh restructuring and XFEM). The directional stability of the crack path and differences in kink angle predicted by various crack kinking criteria is analyzed with a finite element model.« less

Path integrals, supersymmetric quantum mechanics, and the Atiyah-Singer index theorem for twisted Dirac

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fine, Dana S.; Sawin, Stephen

2017-01-01

Feynman's time-slicing construction approximates the path integral by a product, determined by a partition of a finite time interval, of approximate propagators. This paper formulates general conditions to impose on a short-time approximation to the propagator in a general class of imaginary-time quantum mechanics on a Riemannian manifold which ensure that these products converge. The limit defines a path integral which agrees pointwise with the heat kernel for a generalized Laplacian. The result is a rigorous construction of the propagator for supersymmetric quantum mechanics, with potential, as a path integral. Further, the class of Laplacians includes the square of the twisted Dirac operator, which corresponds to an extension of N = 1/2 supersymmetric quantum mechanics. General results on the rate of convergence of the approximate path integrals suffice in this case to derive the local version of the Atiyah-Singer index theorem.

The path integral on the Poincaré upper half-plane with a magnetic field and for the Morse potential

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grosche, Christian

1988-10-01

Rigorous path integral treatments on the Poincaré upper half-plane with a magnetic field and for the Morse potential are presented. The calculation starts with the path integral on the Poincaré upper half-plane with a magnetic field. By a Fourier expansion and a non-linear transformation this problem is reformulated in terms of the path integral for the Morse potential. This latter problem can be reduced by an appropriate space-time transformation to the path integral for the harmonic oscillator with generalised angular momentum, a technique which has been developed in recent years. The well-known solution for the last problem enables one to give explicit expressions for the Feynman kernels for the Morse potential and for the Poincaré upper half-plane with magnetic field, respectively. The wavefunctions and the energy spectrum for the bound and scattering states are given, respectively.

The path dependency theory: analytical framework to study institutional integration. The case of France

PubMed Central

Trouvé, Hélène; Couturier, Yves; Etheridge, Francis; Saint-Jean, Olivier; Somme, Dominique

2010-01-01

Background The literature on integration indicates the need for an enhanced theorization of institutional integration. This article proposes path dependence as an analytical framework to study the systems in which integration takes place. Purpose PRISMA proposes a model for integrating health and social care services for older adults. This model was initially tested in Quebec. The PRISMA France study gave us an opportunity to analyze institutional integration in France. Methods A qualitative approach was used. Analyses were based on semi-structured interviews with actors of all levels of decision-making, observations of advisory board meetings, and administrative documents. Results Our analyses revealed the complexity and fragmentation of institutional integration. The path dependency theory, which analyzes the change capacity of institutions by taking into account their historic structures, allows analysis of this situation. The path dependency to the Bismarckian system and the incomplete reforms of gerontological policies generate the coexistence and juxtaposition of institutional systems. In such a context, no institution has sufficient ability to determine gerontology policy and build institutional integration by itself. Conclusion Using path dependence as an analytical framework helps to understand the reasons why institutional integration is critical to organizational and clinical integration, and the complex construction of institutional integration in France. PMID:20689740

Noise-induced escape in an excitable system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khovanov, I. A.; Polovinkin, A. V.; Luchinsky, D. G.; McClintock, P. V. E.

2013-03-01

We consider the stochastic dynamics of escape in an excitable system, the FitzHugh-Nagumo (FHN) neuronal model, for different classes of excitability. We discuss, first, the threshold structure of the FHN model as an example of a system without a saddle state. We then develop a nonlinear (nonlocal) stability approach based on the theory of large fluctuations, including a finite-noise correction, to describe noise-induced escape in the excitable regime. We show that the threshold structure is revealed via patterns of most probable (optimal) fluctuational paths. The approach allows us to estimate the escape rate and the exit location distribution. We compare the responses of a monostable resonator and monostable integrator to stochastic input signals and to a mixture of periodic and stochastic stimuli. Unlike the commonly used local analysis of the stable state, our nonlocal approach based on optimal paths yields results that are in good agreement with direct numerical simulations of the Langevin equation.

HARPA: A versatile three-dimensional Hamiltonian ray-tracing program for acoustic waves in the atmosphere above irregular terrain

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jones, R. M.; Riley, J. P.; Georges, T. M.

1986-08-01

The modular FORTRAN 77 computer program traces the three-dimensional paths of acoustic rays through continuous model atmospheres by numerically integrating Hamilton's equations (a differential expression of Fermat's principle). The user specifies an atmospheric model by writing closed-form formulas for its three-dimensional wind and temperature (or sound speed) distribution, and by defining the height of the reflecting terrain vs. geographic latitude and longitude. Some general-purpose models are provided, or users can readily design their own. In addition to computing the geometry of each raypath, HARPA can calculate pulse travel time, phase time, Doppler shift (if the medium varies in time), absorption, and geometrical path length. The program prints a step-by-step account of a ray's progress. The 410-page documentation describes the ray-tracing equations and the structure of the program, and provides complete instructions, illustrated by a sample case.

Complex plane integration in the modelling of electromagnetic fields in layered media: part 1. Application to a very large loop

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Silva, Valdelírio da Silva e.; Régis, Cícero; Howard, Allen Q., Jr.

2014-02-01

This paper analyses the details of a procedure for the numerical integration of Hankel transforms in the calculation of the electromagnetic fields generated by a large horizontal loop over a 1D earth. The method performs the integration by deforming the integration path into the complex plane and applying Cauchy's theorem on a modified version of the integrand. The modification is the replacement of the Bessel functions J0 and J1 by the Hankel functions H_0^{(1)} and H_1^{(1)} respectively. The integration in the complex plane takes advantage of the exponentially decaying behaviour of the Hankel functions, allowing calculation on very small segments, instead of the infinite line of the original improper integrals. A crucial point in this problem is the location of the poles. The companion paper shows two methods to estimate the pole locations. We have used this method to calculate the fields of very large loops. Our results show that this method allows the estimation of the integrals with fewer evaluations of the integrand functions than other methods.

Mnemonic discrimination relates to perforant path integrity: An ultra-high resolution diffusion tensor imaging study.

PubMed

Bennett, Ilana J; Stark, Craig E L

2016-03-01

Pattern separation describes the orthogonalization of similar inputs into unique, non-overlapping representations. This computational process is thought to serve memory by reducing interference and to be mediated by the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus. Using ultra-high in-plane resolution diffusion tensor imaging (hrDTI) in older adults, we previously demonstrated that integrity of the perforant path, which provides input to the dentate gyrus from entorhinal cortex, was associated with mnemonic discrimination, a behavioral outcome designed to load on pattern separation. The current hrDTI study assessed the specificity of this perforant path integrity-mnemonic discrimination relationship relative to other cognitive constructs (identified using a factor analysis) and white matter tracts (hippocampal cingulum, fornix, corpus callosum) in 112 healthy adults (20-87 years). Results revealed age-related declines in integrity of the perforant path and other medial temporal lobe (MTL) tracts (hippocampal cingulum, fornix). Controlling for global effects of brain aging, perforant path integrity related only to the factor that captured mnemonic discrimination performance. Comparable integrity-mnemonic discrimination relationships were also observed for the hippocampal cingulum and fornix. Thus, whereas perforant path integrity specifically relates to mnemonic discrimination, mnemonic discrimination may be mediated by a broader MTL network. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Sensory feedback in a bump attractor model of path integration.

PubMed

Poll, Daniel B; Nguyen, Khanh; Kilpatrick, Zachary P

2016-04-01

Mammalian spatial navigation systems utilize several different sensory information channels. This information is converted into a neural code that represents the animal's current position in space by engaging place cell, grid cell, and head direction cell networks. In particular, sensory landmark (allothetic) cues can be utilized in concert with an animal's knowledge of its own velocity (idiothetic) cues to generate a more accurate representation of position than path integration provides on its own (Battaglia et al. The Journal of Neuroscience 24(19):4541-4550 (2004)). We develop a computational model that merges path integration with feedback from external sensory cues that provide a reliable representation of spatial position along an annular track. Starting with a continuous bump attractor model, we explore the impact of synaptic spatial asymmetry and heterogeneity, which disrupt the position code of the path integration process. We use asymptotic analysis to reduce the bump attractor model to a single scalar equation whose potential represents the impact of asymmetry and heterogeneity. Such imperfections cause errors to build up when the network performs path integration, but these errors can be corrected by an external control signal representing the effects of sensory cues. We demonstrate that there is an optimal strength and decay rate of the control signal when cues appear either periodically or randomly. A similar analysis is performed when errors in path integration arise from dynamic noise fluctuations. Again, there is an optimal strength and decay of discrete control that minimizes the path integration error.

A Note on Feynman Path Integral for Electromagnetic External Fields

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Botelho, Luiz C. L.

2017-08-01

We propose a Fresnel stochastic white noise framework to analyze the nature of the Feynman paths entering on the Feynman Path Integral expression for the Feynman Propagator of a particle quantum mechanically moving under an external electromagnetic time-independent potential.

An Anatomically Constrained Model for Path Integration in the Bee Brain.

PubMed

Stone, Thomas; Webb, Barbara; Adden, Andrea; Weddig, Nicolai Ben; Honkanen, Anna; Templin, Rachel; Wcislo, William; Scimeca, Luca; Warrant, Eric; Heinze, Stanley

2017-10-23

Path integration is a widespread navigational strategy in which directional changes and distance covered are continuously integrated on an outward journey, enabling a straight-line return to home. Bees use vision for this task-a celestial-cue-based visual compass and an optic-flow-based visual odometer-but the underlying neural integration mechanisms are unknown. Using intracellular electrophysiology, we show that polarized-light-based compass neurons and optic-flow-based speed-encoding neurons converge in the central complex of the bee brain, and through block-face electron microscopy, we identify potential integrator cells. Based on plausible output targets for these cells, we propose a complete circuit for path integration and steering in the central complex, with anatomically identified neurons suggested for each processing step. The resulting model circuit is thus fully constrained biologically and provides a functional interpretation for many previously unexplained architectural features of the central complex. Moreover, we show that the receptive fields of the newly discovered speed neurons can support path integration for the holonomic motion (i.e., a ground velocity that is not precisely aligned with body orientation) typical of bee flight, a feature not captured in any previously proposed model of path integration. In a broader context, the model circuit presented provides a general mechanism for producing steering signals by comparing current and desired headings-suggesting a more basic function for central complex connectivity, from which path integration may have evolved. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Spin coherent-state path integrals and the instanton calculus

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Garg, Anupam; Kochetov, Evgueny; Park, Kee-Su; Stone, Michael

2003-01-01

We use an instanton approximation to the continuous-time spin coherent-state path integral to obtain the tunnel splitting of classically degenerate ground states. We show that provided the fluctuation determinant is carefully evaluated, the path integral expression is accurate to order O(1/j). We apply the method to the LMG model and to the molecular magnet Fe8 in a transverse field.

Debris flow runup on vertical barriers and adverse slopes

USGS Publications Warehouse

Iverson, Richard M.; George, David L.; Logan, Matthew

2016-01-01

Runup of debris flows against obstacles in their paths is a complex process that involves profound flow deceleration and redirection. We investigate the dynamics and predictability of runup by comparing results from large-scale laboratory experiments, four simple analytical models, and a depth-integrated numerical model (D-Claw). The experiments and numerical simulations reveal the important influence of unsteady, multidimensional flow on runup, and the analytical models highlight key aspects of the underlying physics. Runup against a vertical barrier normal to the flow path is dominated by rapid development of a shock, or jump in flow height, associated with abrupt deceleration of the flow front. By contrast, runup on sloping obstacles is initially dominated by a smooth flux of mass and momentum from the flow body to the flow front, which precedes shock development and commonly increases the runup height. D-Claw simulations that account for the emergence of shocks show that predicted runup heights vary systematically with the adverse slope angle and also with the Froude number and degree of liquefaction (or effective basal friction) of incoming flows. They additionally clarify the strengths and limitations of simplified analytical models. Numerical simulations based on a priori knowledge of the evolving dynamics of incoming flows yield quite accurate runup predictions. Less predictive accuracy is attained in ab initio simulations that compute runup based solely on knowledge of static debris properties in a distant debris flow source area. Nevertheless, the paucity of inputs required in ab initio simulations enhances their prospective value in runup forecasting.

Variational nature, integration, and properties of Newton reaction path

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bofill, Josep Maria; Quapp, Wolfgang

2011-02-01

The distinguished coordinate path and the reduced gradient following path or its equivalent formulation, the Newton trajectory, are analyzed and unified using the theory of calculus of variations. It is shown that their minimum character is related to the fact that the curve is located in a valley region. In this case, we say that the Newton trajectory is a reaction path with the category of minimum energy path. In addition to these findings a Runge-Kutta-Fehlberg algorithm to integrate these curves is also proposed.

Variational nature, integration, and properties of Newton reaction path.

PubMed

Bofill, Josep Maria; Quapp, Wolfgang

2011-02-21

The distinguished coordinate path and the reduced gradient following path or its equivalent formulation, the Newton trajectory, are analyzed and unified using the theory of calculus of variations. It is shown that their minimum character is related to the fact that the curve is located in a valley region. In this case, we say that the Newton trajectory is a reaction path with the category of minimum energy path. In addition to these findings a Runge-Kutta-Fehlberg algorithm to integrate these curves is also proposed.

The static quark potential from the gauge independent Abelian decomposition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cundy, Nigel; Cho, Y. M.; Lee, Weonjong; Leem, Jaehoon

2015-06-01

We investigate the relationship between colour confinement and the gauge independent Cho-Duan-Ge Abelian decomposition. The decomposition is defined in terms of a colour field n; the principle novelty of our study is that we have used a unique definition of this field in terms of the eigenvectors of the Wilson Loop. This allows us to establish an equivalence between the path-ordered integral of the non-Abelian gauge fields and an integral over an Abelian restricted gauge field which is tractable both theoretically and numerically in lattice QCD. We circumvent path ordering without requiring an additional path integral. By using Stokes' theorem, we can compute the Wilson Loop in terms of a surface integral over a restricted field strength, and show that the restricted field strength may be dominated by certain structures, which occur when one of the quantities parametrising the colour field n winds itself around a non-analyticity in the colour field. If they exist, these structures will lead to an area law scaling for the Wilson Loop and provide a mechanism for quark confinement. Unlike most studies of confinement using the Abelian decomposition, we do not rely on a dual-Meissner effect to create the inter-quark potential. We search for these structures in quenched lattice QCD. We perform the Abelian decomposition, and compare the electric and magnetic fields with the patterns expected theoretically. We find that the restricted field strength is dominated by objects which may be peaks of a single lattice spacing in size or extended string-like lines of electromagnetic flux. The objects are not isolated monopoles, as they generate electric fields in addition to magnetic fields, and the fields are not spherically symmetric, but may be either caused by a monopole/anti-monopole condensate, some other types of topological objects, or a combination of these. Removing these peaks removes the area law scaling of the string tension, suggesting that they are responsible for confinement.

Efficient Approaches for Evaluating the Planar Microstrip Green's Function and its Applications to the Analysis of Microstrip Antennas.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barkeshli, Sina

A relatively simple and efficient closed form asymptotic representation of the microstrip dyadic surface Green's function is developed. The large parameter in this asymptotic development is proportional to the lateral separation between the source and field points along the planar microstrip configuration. Surprisingly, this asymptotic solution remains accurate even for very small (almost two tenths of a wavelength) lateral separation of the source and field points. The present asymptotic Green's function will thus allow a very efficient calculation of the currents excited on microstrip antenna patches/feed lines and monolithic millimeter and microwave integrated circuit (MIMIC) elements based on a moment method (MM) solution of an integral equation for these currents. The kernal of the latter integral equation is the present asymptotic form of the microstrip Green's function. It is noted that the conventional Sommerfeld integral representation of the microstrip surface Green's function is very poorly convergent when used in this MM formulation. In addition, an efficient exact steepest descent path integral form employing a radially propagating representation of the microstrip dyadic Green's function is also derived which exhibits a relatively faster convergence when compared to the conventional Sommerfeld integral representation. The same steepest descent form could also be obtained by deforming the integration contour of the conventional Sommerfeld representation; however, the radially propagating integral representation exhibits better convergence properties for laterally separated source and field points even before the steepest descent path of integration is used. Numerical results based on the efficient closed form asymptotic solution for the microstrip surface Green's function developed in this work are presented for the mutual coupling between a pair of dipoles on a single layer grounded dielectric slab. The accuracy of the latter calculations is confirmed by comparison with results based on an exact integral representation for that Green's function.

Path integration of head direction: updating a packet of neural activity at the correct speed using neuronal time constants.

PubMed

Walters, D M; Stringer, S M

2010-07-01

A key question in understanding the neural basis of path integration is how individual, spatially responsive, neurons may self-organize into networks that can, through learning, integrate velocity signals to update a continuous representation of location within an environment. It is of vital importance that this internal representation of position is updated at the correct speed, and in real time, to accurately reflect the motion of the animal. In this article, we present a biologically plausible model of velocity path integration of head direction that can solve this problem using neuronal time constants to effect natural time delays, over which associations can be learned through associative Hebbian learning rules. The model comprises a linked continuous attractor network and competitive network. In simulation, we show that the same model is able to learn two different speeds of rotation when implemented with two different values for the time constant, and without the need to alter any other model parameters. The proposed model could be extended to path integration of place in the environment, and path integration of spatial view.

Enzymatic Kinetic Isotope Effects from Path-Integral Free Energy Perturbation Theory.

PubMed

Gao, J

2016-01-01

Path-integral free energy perturbation (PI-FEP) theory is presented to directly determine the ratio of quantum mechanical partition functions of different isotopologs in a single simulation. Furthermore, a double averaging strategy is used to carry out the practical simulation, separating the quantum mechanical path integral exactly into two separate calculations, one corresponding to a classical molecular dynamics simulation of the centroid coordinates, and another involving free-particle path-integral sampling over the classical, centroid positions. An integrated centroid path-integral free energy perturbation and umbrella sampling (PI-FEP/UM, or simply, PI-FEP) method along with bisection sampling was summarized, which provides an accurate and fast convergent method for computing kinetic isotope effects for chemical reactions in solution and in enzymes. The PI-FEP method is illustrated by a number of applications, to highlight the computational precision and accuracy, the rule of geometrical mean in kinetic isotope effects, enhanced nuclear quantum effects in enzyme catalysis, and protein dynamics on temperature dependence of kinetic isotope effects. © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Architectural constraints are a major factor reducing path integration accuracy in the rat head direction cell system.

PubMed

Page, Hector J I; Walters, Daniel; Stringer, Simon M

2015-01-01

Head direction cells fire to signal the direction in which an animal's head is pointing. They are able to track head direction using only internally-derived information (path integration)In this simulation study we investigate the factors that affect path integration accuracy. Specifically, two major limiting factors are identified: rise time, the time after stimulation it takes for a neuron to start firing, and the presence of symmetric non-offset within-layer recurrent collateral connectivity. On the basis of the latter, the important prediction is made that head direction cell regions directly involved in path integration will not contain this type of connectivity; giving a theoretical explanation for architectural observations. Increased neuronal rise time is found to slow path integration, and the slowing effect for a given rise time is found to be more severe in the context of short conduction delays. Further work is suggested on the basis of our findings, which represent a valuable contribution to understanding of the head direction cell system.

Simplified path integral for supersymmetric quantum mechanics and type-A trace anomalies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bastianelli, Fiorenzo; Corradini, Olindo; Iacconi, Laura

2018-05-01

Particles in a curved space are classically described by a nonlinear sigma model action that can be quantized through path integrals. The latter require a precise regularization to deal with the derivative interactions arising from the nonlinear kinetic term. Recently, for maximally symmetric spaces, simplified path integrals have been developed: they allow to trade the nonlinear kinetic term with a purely quadratic kinetic term (linear sigma model). This happens at the expense of introducing a suitable effective scalar potential, which contains the information on the curvature of the space. The simplified path integral provides a sensible gain in the efficiency of perturbative calculations. Here we extend the construction to models with N = 1 supersymmetry on the worldline, which are applicable to the first quantized description of a Dirac fermion. As an application we use the simplified worldline path integral to compute the type-A trace anomaly of a Dirac fermion in d dimensions up to d = 16.

Modeling the ponderomotive interaction of high-power laser beams with collisional plasma: the FDTD-based approach.

PubMed

Lin, Zhili; Chen, Xudong; Ding, Panfeng; Qiu, Weibin; Pu, Jixiong

2017-04-03

The ponderomotive interaction of high-power laser beams with collisional plasma is modeled in the nonrelativistic regime and is simulated using the powerful finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method for the first time in literature. The nonlinear and dissipative dielectric constant function of the collisional plasma is deduced that takes the ponderomotive effect into account and is implemented in the discrete framework of FDTD algorithms. Maclaurin series expansion approach is applied for implementing the obtained physical model and the time average of the square of light field is extracted by numerically evaluating an integral identity based on the composite trapezoidal rule for numerical integration. Two numerical examples corresponding to two different types of laser beams, Gaussian beam and vortex Laguerre-Gaussian beam, propagating in collisional plasma, are presented for specified laser and plasma parameters to verify the validity of the proposed FDTD-based approach. Simulation results show the anticipated self-focusing and attenuation phenomena of laser beams and the deformation of the spatial density distributions of electron plasma along the beam propagation path. Due to the flexibility of FDTD method in light beam excitation and accurate complex material modeling, the proposed approach has a wide application prospect in the study of the complex laser-plasma interactions in a small scale.

Creep crack-growth: A new path-independent integral (T sub c), and computational studies. Ph.D. Thesis Final Report

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stonesifer, R. B.; Atluri, S. N.

1982-01-01

The development of valid creep fracture criteria is considered. Two path-independent integral parameters which show some degree of promise are the C* and (Delta T)sub c integrals. The mathematical aspects of these parameters are reviewed by deriving generalized vector forms of the parameters using conservation laws which are valid for arbitrary, three dimensional, cracked bodies with crack surface tractions (or applied displacements), body forces, inertial effects, and large deformations. Two principal conclusions are that (Delta T)sub c has an energy rate interpretation whereas C* does not. The development and application of fracture criteria often involves the solution of boundary/initial value problems associated with deformation and stresses. The finite element method is used for this purpose. An efficient, small displacement, infinitesimal strain, displacement based finite element model is specialized to two dimensional plane stress and plane strain and to power law creep constitutive relations. A mesh shifting/remeshing procedure is used for simulating crack growth. The model is implemented with the quartz-point node technique and also with specially developed, conforming, crack-tip singularity elements which provide for the r to the n-(1+n) power strain singularity associated with the HRR crack-tip field. Comparisons are made with a variety of analytical solutions and alternate numerical solutions for a number of problems.

Quantization of Simple Parametrized Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ruffini, Giulio

1995-01-01

I study the canonical formulation and quantization of some simple parametrized systems using Dirac's formalism and the Becchi-Rouet-Stora-Tyutin (BRST) extended phase space method. These systems include the parametrized particle and minisuperspace. Using Dirac's formalism I first analyze for each case the construction of the classical reduced phase space. There are two separate features of these systems that may make this construction difficult: (a) Because of the boundary conditions used, the actions are not gauge invariant at the boundaries. (b) The constraints may have a disconnected solution space. The relativistic particle and minisuperspace have such complicated constraints, while the non-relativistic particle displays only the first feature. I first show that a change of gauge fixing is equivalent to a canonical transformation in the reduced phase space, thus resolving the problems associated with the first feature above. Then I consider the quantization of these systems using several approaches: Dirac's method, Dirac-Fock quantization, and the BRST formalism. In the cases of the relativistic particle and minisuperspace I consider first the quantization of one branch of the constraint at the time and then discuss the backgrounds in which it is possible to quantize simultaneously both branches. I motivate and define the inner product, and obtain, for example, the Klein-Gordon inner product for the relativistic case. Then I show how to construct phase space path integral representations for amplitudes in these approaches--the Batalin-Fradkin-Vilkovisky (BFV) and the Faddeev path integrals --from which one can then derive the path integrals in coordinate space--the Faddeev-Popov path integral and the geometric path integral. In particular I establish the connection between the Hilbert space representation and the range of the lapse in the path integrals. I also examine the class of paths that contribute in the path integrals and how they affect space-time covariance, concluding that it is consistent to take paths that move forward in time only when there is no electric field. The key elements in this analysis are the space-like paths and the behavior of the action under the non-trivial ( Z_2) element of the reparametrization group.

77 FR 74027 - Certain Integrated Circuit Packages Provided with Multiple Heat-Conducting Paths and Products...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-12-12

... INTERNATIONAL TRADE COMMISSION [Investigation No. 337-TA-851] Certain Integrated Circuit Packages Provided with Multiple Heat- Conducting Paths and Products Containing Same; Commission Determination Not To... provided with multiple heat-conducting paths and products containing same by reason of infringement of...

FIELD EVALUATION OF A METHOD FOR ESTIMATING GASEOUS FLUXES FROM AREA SOURCES USING OPEN-PATH FTIR

EPA Science Inventory

The paper gives preliminary results from a field evaluation of a new approach for quantifying gaseous fugitive emissions of area air pollution sources. The approach combines path-integrated concentration data acquired with any path-integrated optical remote sensing (PI-ORS) ...

FIELD EVALUATION OF A METHOD FOR ESTIMATING GASEOUS FLUXES FROM AREA SOURCES USING OPEN-PATH FOURIER TRANSFORM INFRARED

EPA Science Inventory

The paper describes preliminary results from a field experiment designed to evaluate a new approach to quantifying gaseous fugitive emissions from area air pollution sources. The new approach combines path-integrated concentration data acquired with any path-integrated optical re...

Particle paths and phase plane for time-dependent similarity solutions of the one-dimensional Vlasov-Maxwell equations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Roberts, Dana Aaron; Abraham-Shrauner, Barbara

1987-01-01

The phase trajectories of particles in a plasma described by the one-dimensional Vlasov-Maxwell equations are determined qualitatively, analyzing exact general similarity solutions for the cases of temporally damped and growing (sinusoidal or localized) electric fields. The results of numerical integration in both untransformed and Lie-group point-transformed coordinates are presented in extensive graphs and characterized in detail. The implications of the present analysis for the stability of BGK equilibria are explored, and the existence of nonlinear solutions arbitrarily close to and significantly different from the BGK solutions is demonstrated.

Maximum of a Fractional Brownian Motion: Analytic Results from Perturbation Theory.

PubMed

Delorme, Mathieu; Wiese, Kay Jörg

2015-11-20

Fractional Brownian motion is a non-Markovian Gaussian process X_{t}, indexed by the Hurst exponent H. It generalizes standard Brownian motion (corresponding to H=1/2). We study the probability distribution of the maximum m of the process and the time t_{max} at which the maximum is reached. They are encoded in a path integral, which we evaluate perturbatively around a Brownian, setting H=1/2+ϵ. This allows us to derive analytic results beyond the scaling exponents. Extensive numerical simulations for different values of H test these analytical predictions and show excellent agreement, even for large ϵ.

Parameter Estimation and Model Validation of Nonlinear Dynamical Networks

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Abarbanel, Henry; Gill, Philip

In the performance period of this work under a DOE contract, the co-PIs, Philip Gill and Henry Abarbanel, developed new methods for statistical data assimilation for problems of DOE interest, including geophysical and biological problems. This included numerical optimization algorithms for variational principles, new parallel processing Monte Carlo routines for performing the path integrals of statistical data assimilation. These results have been summarized in the monograph: “Predicting the Future: Completing Models of Observed Complex Systems” by Henry Abarbanel, published by Spring-Verlag in June 2013. Additional results and details have appeared in the peer reviewed literature.

Spatial Updating Strategy Affects the Reference Frame in Path Integration.

PubMed

He, Qiliang; McNamara, Timothy P

2018-06-01

This study investigated how spatial updating strategies affected the selection of reference frames in path integration. Participants walked an outbound path consisting of three successive waypoints in a featureless environment and then pointed to the first waypoint. We manipulated the alignment of participants' final heading at the end of the outbound path with their initial heading to examine the adopted reference frame. We assumed that the initial heading defined the principal reference direction in an allocentric reference frame. In Experiment 1, participants were instructed to use a configural updating strategy and to monitor the shape of the outbound path while they walked it. Pointing performance was best when the final heading was aligned with the initial heading, indicating the use of an allocentric reference frame. In Experiment 2, participants were instructed to use a continuous updating strategy and to keep track of the location of the first waypoint while walking the outbound path. Pointing performance was equivalent regardless of the alignment between the final and the initial headings, indicating the use of an egocentric reference frame. These results confirmed that people could employ different spatial updating strategies in path integration (Wiener, Berthoz, & Wolbers Experimental Brain Research 208(1) 61-71, 2011), and suggested that these strategies could affect the selection of the reference frame for path integration.

Mathematical model for path selection by ants between nest and food source.

PubMed

Bodnar, Marek; Okińczyc, Natalia; Vela-Pérez, M

2017-03-01

Several models have been proposed to describe the behavior of ants when moving from nest to food sources. Most of these studies where based on numerical simulations with no mathematical justification. In this paper, we propose a mechanism for the formation of paths of minimal length between two points by a collection of individuals undergoing reinforced random walks taking into account not only the lengths of the paths but also the angles (connected to the preference of ants to move along straight lines). Our model involves reinforcement (pheromone accumulation), persistence (tendency to preferably follow straight directions in absence of any external effect) and takes into account the bifurcation angles of each edge (represented by a probability of willingness of choosing the path with the smallest angle). We describe analytically the results for 2 ants and different path lengths and numerical simulations for several ants. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The instanton method and its numerical implementation in fluid mechanics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grafke, Tobias; Grauer, Rainer; Schäfer, Tobias

2015-08-01

A precise characterization of structures occurring in turbulent fluid flows at high Reynolds numbers is one of the last open problems of classical physics. In this review we discuss recent developments related to the application of instanton methods to turbulence. Instantons are saddle point configurations of the underlying path integrals. They are equivalent to minimizers of the related Freidlin-Wentzell action and known to be able to characterize rare events in such systems. While there is an impressive body of work concerning their analytical description, this review focuses on the question on how to compute these minimizers numerically. In a short introduction we present the relevant mathematical and physical background before we discuss the stochastic Burgers equation in detail. We present algorithms to compute instantons numerically by an efficient solution of the corresponding Euler-Lagrange equations. A second focus is the discussion of a recently developed numerical filtering technique that allows to extract instantons from direct numerical simulations. In the following we present modifications of the algorithms to make them efficient when applied to two- or three-dimensional (2D or 3D) fluid dynamical problems. We illustrate these ideas using the 2D Burgers equation and the 3D Navier-Stokes equations.

Numerical Evidence for a Phase Transition in 4D Spin-Foam Quantum Gravity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bahr, Benjamin; Steinhaus, Sebastian

2016-09-01

Building on recent advances in defining Wilsonian renormalization group (RG) flows, and the notion of scales in particular, for background-independent theories, we present a first investigation of the renormalization of the 4D spin-foam path integral for quantum gravity, both analytically and numerically. Focusing on a specific truncation of the model using a hypercubic lattice, we compute the RG flow and find strong indications for a phase transition, as well as an interesting interplay between the different observed phases and the (broken) diffeomorphism symmetry of the model. Most notably, it appears that the critical point between the phases, which is a fixed point of the RG flow, is precisely where broken diffeomorphism symmetry is restored, which suggests that it might allow us to define a continuum limit of the quantum gravity theory.

Numerical Evidence for a Phase Transition in 4D Spin-Foam Quantum Gravity.

PubMed

Bahr, Benjamin; Steinhaus, Sebastian

2016-09-30

Building on recent advances in defining Wilsonian renormalization group (RG) flows, and the notion of scales in particular, for background-independent theories, we present a first investigation of the renormalization of the 4D spin-foam path integral for quantum gravity, both analytically and numerically. Focusing on a specific truncation of the model using a hypercubic lattice, we compute the RG flow and find strong indications for a phase transition, as well as an interesting interplay between the different observed phases and the (broken) diffeomorphism symmetry of the model. Most notably, it appears that the critical point between the phases, which is a fixed point of the RG flow, is precisely where broken diffeomorphism symmetry is restored, which suggests that it might allow us to define a continuum limit of the quantum gravity theory.

Equilibrium paths analysis of materials with rheological properties by using the chaos theory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bednarek, Paweł; Rządkowski, Jan

2018-01-01

The numerical equilibrium path analysis of the material with random rheological properties by using standard procedures and specialist computer programs was not successful. The proper solution for the analysed heuristic model of the material was obtained on the base of chaos theory elements and neural networks. The paper deals with mathematical reasons of used computer programs and also are elaborated the properties of the attractor used in analysis. There are presented results of conducted numerical analysis both in a numerical and in graphical form for the used procedures.

An automated integration-free path-integral method based on Kleinert's variational perturbation theory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wong, Kin-Yiu; Gao, Jiali

2007-12-01

Based on Kleinert's variational perturbation (KP) theory [Path Integrals in Quantum Mechanics, Statistics, Polymer Physics, and Financial Markets, 3rd ed. (World Scientific, Singapore, 2004)], we present an analytic path-integral approach for computing the effective centroid potential. The approach enables the KP theory to be applied to any realistic systems beyond the first-order perturbation (i.e., the original Feynman-Kleinert [Phys. Rev. A 34, 5080 (1986)] variational method). Accurate values are obtained for several systems in which exact quantum results are known. Furthermore, the computed kinetic isotope effects for a series of proton transfer reactions, in which the potential energy surfaces are evaluated by density-functional theory, are in good accordance with experiments. We hope that our method could be used by non-path-integral experts or experimentalists as a "black box" for any given system.

Development of Advanced Methods of Structural and Trajectory Analysis for Transport Aircraft

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ardema, Mark D.; Windhorst, Robert; Phillips, James

1998-01-01

This paper develops a near-optimal guidance law for generating minimum fuel, time, or cost fixed-range trajectories for supersonic transport aircraft. The approach uses a choice of new state variables along with singular perturbation techniques to time-scale decouple the dynamic equations into multiple equations of single order (second order for the fast dynamics). Application of the maximum principle to each of the decoupled equations, as opposed to application to the original coupled equations, avoids the two point boundary value problem and transforms the problem from one of a functional optimization to one of multiple function optimizations. It is shown that such an approach produces well known aircraft performance results such as minimizing the Brequet factor for minimum fuel consumption and the energy climb path. Furthermore, the new state variables produce a consistent calculation of flight path angle along the trajectory, eliminating one of the deficiencies in the traditional energy state approximation. In addition, jumps in the energy climb path are smoothed out by integration of the original dynamic equations at constant load factor. Numerical results performed for a supersonic transport design show that a pushover dive followed by a pullout at nominal load factors are sufficient maneuvers to smooth the jump.

Optimization of Supersonic Transport Trajectories

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ardema, Mark D.; Windhorst, Robert; Phillips, James

1998-01-01

This paper develops a near-optimal guidance law for generating minimum fuel, time, or cost fixed-range trajectories for supersonic transport aircraft. The approach uses a choice of new state variables along with singular perturbation techniques to time-scale decouple the dynamic equations into multiple equations of single order (second order for the fast dynamics). Application of the maximum principle to each of the decoupled equations, as opposed to application to the original coupled equations, avoids the two point boundary value problem and transforms the problem from one of a functional optimization to one of multiple function optimizations. It is shown that such an approach produces well known aircraft performance results such as minimizing the Brequet factor for minimum fuel consumption and the energy climb path. Furthermore, the new state variables produce a consistent calculation of flight path angle along the trajectory, eliminating one of the deficiencies in the traditional energy state approximation. In addition, jumps in the energy climb path are smoothed out by integration of the original dynamic equations at constant load factor. Numerical results performed for a supersonic transport design show that a pushover dive followed by a pullout at nominal load factors are sufficient maneuvers to smooth the jump.

In-Body to On-Body Ultrawideband Propagation Model Derived From Measurements in Living Animals.

PubMed

Floor, Pål Anders; Chávez-Santiago, Raúl; Brovoll, Sverre; Aardal, Øyvind; Bergsland, Jacob; Grymyr, Ole-Johannes H N; Halvorsen, Per Steinar; Palomar, Rafael; Plettemeier, Dirk; Hamran, Svein-Erik; Ramstad, Tor A; Balasingham, Ilangko

2015-05-01

Ultrawideband (UWB) radio technology for wireless implants has gained significant attention. UWB enables the fabrication of faster and smaller transceivers with ultralow power consumption, which may be integrated into more sophisticated implantable biomedical sensors and actuators. Nevertheless, the large path loss suffered by UWB signals propagating through inhomogeneous layers of biological tissues is a major hindering factor. For the optimal design of implantable transceivers, the accurate characterization of the UWB radio propagation in living biological tissues is indispensable. Channel measurements in phantoms and numerical simulations with digital anatomical models provide good initial insight into the expected path loss in complex propagation media like the human body, but they often fail to capture the effects of blood circulation, respiration, and temperature gradients of a living subject. Therefore, we performed UWB channel measurements within 1-6 GHz on two living porcine subjects because of the anatomical resemblance with an average human torso. We present for the first time, a path loss model derived from these in vivo measurements, which includes the frequency-dependent attenuation. The use of multiple on-body receiving antennas to combat the high propagation losses in implant radio channels was also investigated.

INNOVATIVE APPROACH FOR MEASURING AMMONIA AND METHANE FLUXES FROM A HOG FARM USING OPEN-PATH FOURIER TRANSFORM INFRARED SPECTROSCOPY

EPA Science Inventory

The paper describes a new approach to quantify emissions from area air pollution sources. The approach combines path-integrated concentration data acquired with any path-integrated optical remote sensing (PI-ORS) technique and computed tomography (CT) technique. In this study, an...

Numerical Simulation and Experimental Validation of MIG Welding of T-Joints of Thin Aluminum Plates for Top Class Vehicles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bonazzi, Enrico; Colombini, Elena; Panari, Davide; Vergnano, Alberto; Leali, Francesco; Veronesi, Paolo

2017-01-01

The integration of experiments with numerical simulations can efficiently support a quick evaluation of the welded joint. In this work, the MIG welding operation on aluminum T-joint thin plate has been studied by the integration of both simulation and experiments. The aim of the paper is to enlarge the global database, to promote the use of thin aluminum sheets in automotive body industries and to provide new data. Since the welding of aluminum thin plates is difficult to control due to high speed of the heat source and high heat flows during heating and cooling, a simulation model could be considered an effective design tool to predict the real phenomena. This integrated approach enables new evaluation possibilities on MIG-welded thin aluminum T-joints, as correspondence between the extension of the microstructural zones and the simulation parameters, material hardness, transient 3D temperature distribution on the surface and inside the material, stresses, strains, and deformations. The results of the mechanical simulations are comparable with the experimental measurements along the welding path, especially considering the variability of the process. The results could well predict the welding-induced distortion, which together with local heating during welding must be anticipated and subsequently minimized and counterbalance.

Topological charge quantization via path integration: An application of the Kustaanheimo-Stiefel transformation

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Inomata, A.; Junker, G.; Wilson, R.

1993-08-01

The unified treatment of the Dirac monopole, the Schwinger monopole, and the Aharonov-Bahn problem by Barut and Wilson is revisited via a path integral approach. The Kustaanheimo-Stiefel transformation of space and time is utilized to calculate the path integral for a charged particle in the singular vector potential. In the process of dimensional reduction, a topological charge quantization rule is derived, which contains Dirac's quantization condition as a special case. 32 refs.

Evaluation of the path integral for flow through random porous media

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Westbroek, Marise J. E.; Coche, Gil-Arnaud; King, Peter R.; Vvedensky, Dimitri D.

2018-04-01

We present a path integral formulation of Darcy's equation in one dimension with random permeability described by a correlated multivariate lognormal distribution. This path integral is evaluated with the Markov chain Monte Carlo method to obtain pressure distributions, which are shown to agree with the solutions of the corresponding stochastic differential equation for Dirichlet and Neumann boundary conditions. The extension of our approach to flow through random media in two and three dimensions is discussed.

User's guide to Monte Carlo methods for evaluating path integrals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Westbroek, Marise J. E.; King, Peter R.; Vvedensky, Dimitri D.; Dürr, Stephan

2018-04-01

We give an introduction to the calculation of path integrals on a lattice, with the quantum harmonic oscillator as an example. In addition to providing an explicit computational setup and corresponding pseudocode, we pay particular attention to the existence of autocorrelations and the calculation of reliable errors. The over-relaxation technique is presented as a way to counter strong autocorrelations. The simulation methods can be extended to compute observables for path integrals in other settings.

A Hybrid Analytical/Numerical Model for the Characterization of Preferential Flow Path with Non-Darcy Flow

PubMed Central

Wang, Sen; Feng, Qihong; Han, Xiaodong

2013-01-01

Due to the long-term fluid-solid interactions in waterflooding, the tremendous variation of oil reservoir formation parameters will lead to the widespread evolution of preferential flow paths, thereby preventing the further enhancement of recovery efficiency because of unstable fingering and premature breakthrough. To improve oil recovery, the characterization of preferential flow paths is essential and imperative. In efforts that have been previously documented, fluid flow characteristics within preferential paths are assumed to obey Darcy's equation. However, the occurrence of non-Darcy flow behavior has been increasingly suggested. To examine this conjecture, the Forchheimer number with the inertial coefficient estimated from different empirical formulas is applied as the criterion. Considering a 10% non-Darcy effect, the fluid flow in a preferential path may do experience non-Darcy behavior. With the objective of characterizing the preferential path with non-Darcy flow, a hybrid analytical/numerical model has been developed to investigate the pressure transient response, which dynamically couples a numerical model describing the non-Darcy effect of a preferential flow path with an analytical reservoir model. The characteristics of the pressure transient behavior and the sensitivities of corresponding parameters have also been discussed. In addition, an interpretation approach for pressure transient testing is also proposed, in which the Gravitational Search Algorithm is employed as a non-linear regression technology to match measured pressure with this hybrid model. Examples of applications from different oilfields are also presented to illustrate this method. This cost-effective approach provides more accurate characterization of a preferential flow path with non-Darcy flow, which will lay a solid foundation for the design and operation of conformance control treatments, as well as several other Enhanced Oil Recovery projects. PMID:24386224

Meta-path based heterogeneous combat network link prediction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Jichao; Ge, Bingfeng; Yang, Kewei; Chen, Yingwu; Tan, Yuejin

2017-09-01

The combat system-of-systems in high-tech informative warfare, composed of many interconnected combat systems of different types, can be regarded as a type of complex heterogeneous network. Link prediction for heterogeneous combat networks (HCNs) is of significant military value, as it facilitates reconfiguring combat networks to represent the complex real-world network topology as appropriate with observed information. This paper proposes a novel integrated methodology framework called HCNMP (HCN link prediction based on meta-path) to predict multiple types of links simultaneously for an HCN. More specifically, the concept of HCN meta-paths is introduced, through which the HCNMP can accumulate information by extracting different features of HCN links for all the six defined types. Next, an HCN link prediction model, based on meta-path features, is built to predict all types of links of the HCN simultaneously. Then, the solution algorithm for the HCN link prediction model is proposed, in which the prediction results are obtained by iteratively updating with the newly predicted results until the results in the HCN converge or reach a certain maximum iteration number. Finally, numerical experiments on the dataset of a real HCN are conducted to demonstrate the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed HCNMP, in comparison with 30 baseline methods. The results show that the performance of the HCNMP is superior to those of the baseline methods.

Design of interferometer system on Versatile Experiment Spherical Torus (VEST) at Seoul National University

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Choi, D. H.; An, Y. H.; Chung, K. J.; Hwang, Y. S.

2012-01-01

A 94 GHz heterodyne interferometer system was designed to measure the plasma density of VEST (Versatile Experiment Spherical Torus), which was recently built at Seoul National University. Two 94 GHz Gunn oscillators with a frequency difference of 40 MHz were used in the microwave electronics part of a heterodyne interferometer system. A compact beam focusing system utilizing a pair of plano-convex lenses and a concave mirror was designed to maximize the effective beam reception and spatial resolution. Beam path analysis based on Gaussian optics was used in the design of the beam focusing system. The design of the beam focusing system and the beam path analysis were verified with a couple of experiments that were done within an experimental framework that considered the real dimensions of a vacuum vessel. Optimum distances between the optical components and the beam radii along the beam path obtained from the experiments were in good agreement with the beam path analysis using the Gaussian optics. Both experimentation and numerical calculations confirmed that the designed beam focusing system maximized the spatial resolution of the measurement; moreover, the beam waist was located at the center of the plasma to generate a phase shift more effectively in plasmas. The interferometer system presented in this paper is expected to be used in the measurements of line integrated plasma densities during the start-up phase of VEST.

Vector navigation in desert ants, Cataglyphis fortis: celestial compass cues are essential for the proper use of distance information.

PubMed

Sommer, Stefan; Wehner, Rüdiger

2005-10-01

Foraging desert ants navigate primarily by path integration. They continually update homing direction and distance by employing a celestial compass and an odometer. Here we address the question of whether information about travel distance is correctly used in the absence of directional information. By using linear channels that were partly covered to exclude celestial compass cues, we were able to test the distance component of the path-integration process while suppressing the directional information. Our results suggest that the path integrator cannot process the distance information accumulated by the odometer while ants are deprived of celestial compass information. Hence, during path integration directional cues are a prerequisite for the proper use of travel-distance information by ants.

Path optimization method for the sign problem

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ohnishi, Akira; Mori, Yuto; Kashiwa, Kouji

2018-03-01

We propose a path optimization method (POM) to evade the sign problem in the Monte-Carlo calculations for complex actions. Among many approaches to the sign problem, the Lefschetz-thimble path-integral method and the complex Langevin method are promising and extensively discussed. In these methods, real field variables are complexified and the integration manifold is determined by the flow equations or stochastically sampled. When we have singular points of the action or multiple critical points near the original integral surface, however, we have a risk to encounter the residual and global sign problems or the singular drift term problem. One of the ways to avoid the singular points is to optimize the integration path which is designed not to hit the singular points of the Boltzmann weight. By specifying the one-dimensional integration-path as z = t +if(t)(f ɛ R) and by optimizing f(t) to enhance the average phase factor, we demonstrate that we can avoid the sign problem in a one-variable toy model for which the complex Langevin method is found to fail. In this proceedings, we propose POM and discuss how we can avoid the sign problem in a toy model. We also discuss the possibility to utilize the neural network to optimize the path.

Measurement of J-integral in CAD/CAM dental ceramics and composite resin by digital image correlation.

PubMed

Jiang, Yanxia; Akkus, Anna; Roperto, Renato; Akkus, Ozan; Li, Bo; Lang, Lisa; Teich, Sorin

2016-09-01

Ceramic and composite resin blocks for CAD/CAM machining of dental restorations are becoming more common. The sample sizes affordable by these blocks are smaller than ideal for stress intensity factor (SIF) based tests. The J-integral measurement calls for full field strain measurement, making it challenging to conduct. Accordingly, the J-integral values of dental restoration materials used in CAD/CAM restorations have not been reported to date. Digital image correlation (DIC) provides full field strain maps, making it possible to calculate the J-integral value. The aim of this study was to measure the J-integral value for CAD/CAM restorative materials. Four types of materials (sintered IPS E-MAX CAD, non-sintered IPS E-MAX CAD, Vita Mark II and Paradigm MZ100) were used to prepare beam samples for three-point bending tests. J-integrals were calculated for different integral path size and locations with respect to the crack tip. J-integral at path 1 for each material was 1.26±0.31×10(-4)MPam for MZ 100, 0.59±0.28×10(-4)MPam for sintered E-MAX, 0.19±0.07×10(-4)MPam for VM II, and 0.21±0.05×10(-4)MPam for non-sintered E-MAX. There were no significant differences between different integral path size, except for the non-sintered E-MAX group. J-integral paths of non-sintered E-MAX located within 42% of the height of the sample provided consistent values whereas outside this range resulted in lower J-integral values. Moreover, no significant difference was found among different integral path locations. The critical SIF was calculated from J-integral (KJ) along with geometry derived SIF values (KI). KI values were comparable with KJ and geometry based SIF values obtained from literature. Therefore, DIC derived J-integral is a reliable way to assess the fracture toughness of small sized specimens for dental CAD/CAM restorative materials; however, with caution applied to the selection of J-integral path. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Interactive cutting path analysis programs

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Weiner, J. M.; Williams, D. S.; Colley, S. R.

1975-01-01

The operation of numerically controlled machine tools is interactively simulated. Four programs were developed to graphically display the cutting paths for a Monarch lathe, Cintimatic mill, Strippit sheet metal punch, and the wiring path for a Standard wire wrap machine. These programs are run on a IMLAC PDS-ID graphic display system under the DOS-3 disk operating system. The cutting path analysis programs accept input via both paper tape and disk file.

NVIDIA OptiX ray-tracing engine as a new tool for modelling medical imaging systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pietrzak, Jakub; Kacperski, Krzysztof; Cieślar, Marek

2015-03-01

The most accurate technique to model the X- and gamma radiation path through a numerically defined object is the Monte Carlo simulation which follows single photons according to their interaction probabilities. A simplified and much faster approach, which just integrates total interaction probabilities along selected paths, is known as ray tracing. Both techniques are used in medical imaging for simulating real imaging systems and as projectors required in iterative tomographic reconstruction algorithms. These approaches are ready for massive parallel implementation e.g. on Graphics Processing Units (GPU), which can greatly accelerate the computation time at a relatively low cost. In this paper we describe the application of the NVIDIA OptiX ray-tracing engine, popular in professional graphics and rendering applications, as a new powerful tool for X- and gamma ray-tracing in medical imaging. It allows the implementation of a variety of physical interactions of rays with pixel-, mesh- or nurbs-based objects, and recording any required quantities, like path integrals, interaction sites, deposited energies, and others. Using the OptiX engine we have implemented a code for rapid Monte Carlo simulations of Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT) imaging, as well as the ray-tracing projector, which can be used in reconstruction algorithms. The engine generates efficient, scalable and optimized GPU code, ready to run on multi GPU heterogeneous systems. We have compared the results our simulations with the GATE package. With the OptiX engine the computation time of a Monte Carlo simulation can be reduced from days to minutes.

Disentangling Complexity in Bayesian Automatic Adaptive Quadrature

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Adam, Gheorghe; Adam, Sanda

2018-02-01

The paper describes a Bayesian automatic adaptive quadrature (BAAQ) solution for numerical integration which is simultaneously robust, reliable, and efficient. Detailed discussion is provided of three main factors which contribute to the enhancement of these features: (1) refinement of the m-panel automatic adaptive scheme through the use of integration-domain-length-scale-adapted quadrature sums; (2) fast early problem complexity assessment - enables the non-transitive choice among three execution paths: (i) immediate termination (exceptional cases); (ii) pessimistic - involves time and resource consuming Bayesian inference resulting in radical reformulation of the problem to be solved; (iii) optimistic - asks exclusively for subrange subdivision by bisection; (3) use of the weaker accuracy target from the two possible ones (the input accuracy specifications and the intrinsic integrand properties respectively) - results in maximum possible solution accuracy under minimum possible computing time.

A review of path-independent integrals in elastic-plastic fracture mechanics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kim, Kwang S.; Orange, Thomas W.

1988-01-01

The objective of this paper is to review the path-independent (P-I) integrals in elastic plastic fracture mechanics which have been proposed in recent years to overcome the limitations imposed on the J-integral. The P-I integrals considered are the J-integral by Rice (1968), the thermoelastic P-I integrals by Wilson and Yu (1979) and Gurtin (1979), the J-integral by Blackburn (1972), the J(theta)-integral by Ainsworth et al. (1978), the J-integral by Kishimoto et al. (1980), and the Delta-T(p) and Delta T(p)-asterisk integrals by Alturi et al. (1982). The theoretical foundation of the P-I integrals is examined with an emphasis on whether or not the path independence is maintained in the presence of nonproportional loading and unloading in the plastic regime, thermal gradient, and material inhomogeneities. The simularities, difference, salient features, and limitations of the P-I integrals are discussed. Comments are also made with regard to the physical meaning, the possibility of experimental measurement, and computational aspects.

A review of path-independent integrals in elastic-plastic fracture mechanics, task 4

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kim, K. S.

1985-01-01

The path independent (P-I) integrals in elastic plastic fracture mechanics which have been proposed in recent years to overcome the limitations imposed on the J integral are reviewed. The P-I integrals considered herein are the J integral by Rice, the thermoelastic P-I integrals by Wilson and Yu and by Gurtin, the J* integral by Blackburn, the J sub theta integral by Ainsworth et al., the J integral by Kishimoto et al., and the delta T sub p and delta T* sub p integrals by Atluri et al. The theoretical foundation of these P-I integrals is examined with emphasis on whether or not path independence is maintained in the presence of nonproportional loading and unloading in the plastic regime, thermal gradients, and material inhomogeneities. The similarities, differences, salient features, and limitations of these P-I integrals are discussed. Comments are also made with regard to the physical meaning, the possibility of experimental measurement, and computational aspects.

77 FR 33486 - Certain Integrated Circuit Packages Provided With Multiple Heat-Conducting Paths and Products...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-06-06

... INTERNATIONAL TRADE COMMISSION [Docket No. 2899] Certain Integrated Circuit Packages Provided With... complaint entitled Certain Integrated Circuit Packages Provided With Multiple Heat-Conducting Paths and..., telephone (202) 205-2000. The public version of the complaint can be accessed on the Commission's electronic...

Experimental validation of wireless communication with chaos.

PubMed

Ren, Hai-Peng; Bai, Chao; Liu, Jian; Baptista, Murilo S; Grebogi, Celso

2016-08-01

The constraints of a wireless physical media, such as multi-path propagation and complex ambient noises, prevent information from being communicated at low bit error rate. Surprisingly, it has only recently been shown that, from a theoretical perspective, chaotic signals are optimal for communication. It maximises the receiver signal-to-noise performance, consequently minimizing the bit error rate. This work demonstrates numerically and experimentally that chaotic systems can in fact be used to create a reliable and efficient wireless communication system. Toward this goal, we propose an impulsive control method to generate chaotic wave signals that encode arbitrary binary information signals and an integration logic together with the match filter capable of decreasing the noise effect over a wireless channel. The experimental validation is conducted by inputting the signals generated by an electronic transmitting circuit to an electronic circuit that emulates a wireless channel, where the signals travel along three different paths. The output signal is decoded by an electronic receiver, after passing through a match filter.

Experimental validation of wireless communication with chaos

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ren, Hai-Peng; Bai, Chao; Liu, Jian; Baptista, Murilo S.; Grebogi, Celso

2016-08-01

The constraints of a wireless physical media, such as multi-path propagation and complex ambient noises, prevent information from being communicated at low bit error rate. Surprisingly, it has only recently been shown that, from a theoretical perspective, chaotic signals are optimal for communication. It maximises the receiver signal-to-noise performance, consequently minimizing the bit error rate. This work demonstrates numerically and experimentally that chaotic systems can in fact be used to create a reliable and efficient wireless communication system. Toward this goal, we propose an impulsive control method to generate chaotic wave signals that encode arbitrary binary information signals and an integration logic together with the match filter capable of decreasing the noise effect over a wireless channel. The experimental validation is conducted by inputting the signals generated by an electronic transmitting circuit to an electronic circuit that emulates a wireless channel, where the signals travel along three different paths. The output signal is decoded by an electronic receiver, after passing through a match filter.

Experimental validation of wireless communication with chaos

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ren, Hai-Peng; Bai, Chao; Liu, Jian

The constraints of a wireless physical media, such as multi-path propagation and complex ambient noises, prevent information from being communicated at low bit error rate. Surprisingly, it has only recently been shown that, from a theoretical perspective, chaotic signals are optimal for communication. It maximises the receiver signal-to-noise performance, consequently minimizing the bit error rate. This work demonstrates numerically and experimentally that chaotic systems can in fact be used to create a reliable and efficient wireless communication system. Toward this goal, we propose an impulsive control method to generate chaotic wave signals that encode arbitrary binary information signals and anmore » integration logic together with the match filter capable of decreasing the noise effect over a wireless channel. The experimental validation is conducted by inputting the signals generated by an electronic transmitting circuit to an electronic circuit that emulates a wireless channel, where the signals travel along three different paths. The output signal is decoded by an electronic receiver, after passing through a match filter.« less

Servo-controlling structure of five-axis CNC system for real-time NURBS interpolating

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Liangji; Guo, Guangsong; Li, Huiying

2017-07-01

NURBS (Non-Uniform Rational B-Spline) is widely used in CAD/CAM (Computer-Aided Design / Computer-Aided Manufacturing) to represent sculptured curves or surfaces. In this paper, we develop a 5-axis NURBS real-time interpolator and realize it in our developing CNC(Computer Numerical Control) system. At first, we use two NURBS curves to represent tool-tip and tool-axis path respectively. According to feedrate and Taylor series extension, servo-controlling signals of 5 axes are obtained for each interpolating cycle. Then, generation procedure of NC(Numerical Control) code with the presented method is introduced and the method how to integrate the interpolator into our developing CNC system is given. And also, the servo-controlling structure of the CNC system is introduced. Through the illustration, it has been indicated that the proposed method can enhance the machining accuracy and the spline interpolator is feasible for 5-axis CNC system.

Extending HPF for advanced data parallel applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chapman, Barbara; Mehrotra, Piyush; Zima, Hans

1994-01-01

The stated goal of High Performance Fortran (HPF) was to 'address the problems of writing data parallel programs where the distribution of data affects performance'. After examining the current version of the language we are led to the conclusion that HPF has not fully achieved this goal. While the basic distribution functions offered by the language - regular block, cyclic, and block cyclic distributions - can support regular numerical algorithms, advanced applications such as particle-in-cell codes or unstructured mesh solvers cannot be expressed adequately. We believe that this is a major weakness of HPF, significantly reducing its chances of becoming accepted in the numeric community. The paper discusses the data distribution and alignment issues in detail, points out some flaws in the basic language, and outlines possible future paths of development. Furthermore, we briefly deal with the issue of task parallelism and its integration with the data parallel paradigm of HPF.

BOOK REVIEW: Path Integrals in Field Theory: An Introduction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ryder, Lewis

2004-06-01

In the 1960s Feynman was known to particle physicists as one of the people who solved the major problems of quantum electrodynamics, his contribution famously introducing what are now called Feynman diagrams. To other physicists he gained a reputation as the author of the Feynman Lectures on Physics; in addition some people were aware of his work on the path integral formulation of quantum theory, and a very few knew about his work on gravitation and Yang--Mills theories, which made use of path integral methods. Forty years later the scene is rather different. Many of the problems of high energy physics are solved; and the standard model incorporates Feynman's path integral method as a way of proving the renormalisability of the gauge (Yang--Mills) theories involved. Gravitation is proving a much harder nut to crack, but here also questions of renormalisability are couched in path-integral language. What is more, theoretical studies of condensed matter physics now also appeal to this technique for quantisation, so the path integral method is becoming part of the standard apparatus of theoretical physics. Chapters on it appear in a number of recent books, and a few books have appeared devoted to this topic alone; the book under review is a very recent one. Path integral techniques have the advantage of enormous conceptual appeal and the great disadvantage of mathematical complexity, this being partly the result of messy integrals but more fundamentally due to the notions of functional differentiation and integration which are involved in the method. All in all this subject is not such an easy ride. Mosel's book, described as an introduction, is aimed at graduate students and research workers in particle physics. It assumes a background knowledge of quantum mechanics, both non-relativistic and relativistic. After three chapters on the path integral formulation of non-relativistic quantum mechanics there are eight chapters on scalar and spinor field theory, followed by three on gauge field theories---quantum electrodynamics and Yang--Mills theories, Faddeev--Popov ghosts and so on.There is no treatment of the quantisation of gravity.Thus in about 200 pages the reader has the chance to learn in some detail about a most important area of modern physics. The subject is tough but the style is clear and pedagogic, results for the most part being derived explicitly. The choice of topics included is main-stream and sensible and one has a clear sense that the author knows where he is going and is a reliable guide. Path Integrals in Field Theory is clearly the work of a man with considerable teaching experience and is recommended as a readable and helpful account of a rather non-trivial subject.

Quantum mechanical free energy profiles with post-quantization restraints: Binding free energy of the water dimer over a broad range of temperatures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bishop, Kevin P.; Roy, Pierre-Nicholas

2018-03-01

Free energy calculations are a crucial part of understanding chemical systems but are often computationally expensive for all but the simplest of systems. Various enhanced sampling techniques have been developed to improve the efficiency of these calculations in numerical simulations. However, the majority of these approaches have been applied using classical molecular dynamics. There are many situations where nuclear quantum effects impact the system of interest and a classical description fails to capture these details. In this work, path integral molecular dynamics has been used in conjunction with umbrella sampling, and it has been observed that correct results are only obtained when the umbrella sampling potential is applied to a single path integral bead post quantization. This method has been validated against a Lennard-Jones benchmark system before being applied to the more complicated water dimer system over a broad range of temperatures. Free energy profiles are obtained, and these are utilized in the calculation of the second virial coefficient as well as the change in free energy from the separated water monomers to the dimer. Comparisons to experimental and ground state calculation values from the literature are made for the second virial coefficient at higher temperature and the dissociation energy of the dimer in the ground state.

Quantum mechanical free energy profiles with post-quantization restraints: Binding free energy of the water dimer over a broad range of temperatures.

PubMed

Bishop, Kevin P; Roy, Pierre-Nicholas

2018-03-14

Free energy calculations are a crucial part of understanding chemical systems but are often computationally expensive for all but the simplest of systems. Various enhanced sampling techniques have been developed to improve the efficiency of these calculations in numerical simulations. However, the majority of these approaches have been applied using classical molecular dynamics. There are many situations where nuclear quantum effects impact the system of interest and a classical description fails to capture these details. In this work, path integral molecular dynamics has been used in conjunction with umbrella sampling, and it has been observed that correct results are only obtained when the umbrella sampling potential is applied to a single path integral bead post quantization. This method has been validated against a Lennard-Jones benchmark system before being applied to the more complicated water dimer system over a broad range of temperatures. Free energy profiles are obtained, and these are utilized in the calculation of the second virial coefficient as well as the change in free energy from the separated water monomers to the dimer. Comparisons to experimental and ground state calculation values from the literature are made for the second virial coefficient at higher temperature and the dissociation energy of the dimer in the ground state.

Recovery Act: An Integrated Experimental and Numerical Study: Developing a Reaction Transport Model that Couples Chemical Reactions of Mineral Dissolution/Precipitation with Spatial and Temporal Flow Variations.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Saar, Martin O.; Seyfried, Jr., William E.; Longmire, Ellen K.

2016-06-24

A total of 12 publications and 23 abstracts were produced as a result of this study. In particular, the compilation of a thermodynamic database utilizing consistent, current thermodynamic data is a major step toward accurately modeling multi-phase fluid interactions with solids. Existing databases designed for aqueous fluids did not mesh well with existing solid phase databases. Addition of a second liquid phase (CO2) magnifies the inconsistencies between aqueous and solid thermodynamic databases. Overall, the combination of high temperature and pressure lab studies (task 1), using a purpose built apparatus, and solid characterization (task 2), using XRCT and more developed technologies,more » allowed observation of dissolution and precipitation processes under CO2 reservoir conditions. These observations were combined with results from PIV experiments on multi-phase fluids (task 3) in typical flow path geometries. The results of the tasks 1, 2, and 3 were compiled and integrated into numerical models utilizing Lattice-Boltzmann simulations (task 4) to realistically model the physical processes and were ultimately folded into TOUGH2 code for reservoir scale modeling (task 5). Compilation of the thermodynamic database assisted comparisons to PIV experiments (Task 3) and greatly improved Lattice Boltzmann (Task 4) and TOUGH2 simulations (Task 5). PIV (Task 3) and experimental apparatus (Task 1) have identified problem areas in TOUGHREACT code. Additional lab experiments and coding work has been integrated into an improved numerical modeling code.« less

An adiabatic linearized path integral approach for quantum time-correlation functions II: a cumulant expansion method for improving convergence.

PubMed

Causo, Maria Serena; Ciccotti, Giovanni; Bonella, Sara; Vuilleumier, Rodolphe

2006-08-17

Linearized mixed quantum-classical simulations are a promising approach for calculating time-correlation functions. At the moment, however, they suffer from some numerical problems that may compromise their efficiency and reliability in applications to realistic condensed-phase systems. In this paper, we present a method that improves upon the convergence properties of the standard algorithm for linearized calculations by implementing a cumulant expansion of the relevant averages. The effectiveness of the new approach is tested by applying it to the challenging computation of the diffusion of an excess electron in a metal-molten salt solution.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Song, Kai; Song, Linze; Shi, Qiang, E-mail: qshi@iccas.ac.cn

Based on the path integral approach, we derive a new realization of the exact non-Markovian stochastic Schrödinger equation (SSE). The main difference from the previous non-Markovian quantum state diffusion (NMQSD) method is that the complex Gaussian stochastic process used for the forward propagation of the wave function is correlated, which may be used to reduce the amplitude of the non-Markovian memory term at high temperatures. The new SSE is then written into the recently developed hierarchy of pure states scheme, in a form that is more closely related to the hierarchical equation of motion approach. Numerical simulations are then performedmore » to demonstrate the efficiency of the new method.« less

Convergence of high order perturbative expansions in open system quantum dynamics.

PubMed

Xu, Meng; Song, Linze; Song, Kai; Shi, Qiang

2017-02-14

We propose a new method to directly calculate high order perturbative expansion terms in open system quantum dynamics. They are first written explicitly in path integral expressions. A set of differential equations are then derived by extending the hierarchical equation of motion (HEOM) approach. As two typical examples for the bosonic and fermionic baths, specific forms of the extended HEOM are obtained for the spin-boson model and the Anderson impurity model. Numerical results are then presented for these two models. General trends of the high order perturbation terms as well as the necessary orders for the perturbative expansions to converge are analyzed.

Recommended Practices for Measurement of Gas Path Pressures and Temperatures for Performance Assessment of Aircraft Turbine Engines and Components (Les Methodes Recommandees pour la Mesure de la Pression et de la Temperature de la Veine Gazeuse en Vue de l’Evaluation des Performances des Turbines Aeronautiques et de leurs Composants

DTIC Science & Technology

1990-06-01

reduction software , prior to converting all remaining test which requires internal compensation. T he r sidual effect is pressures to engineering units...Reduction Conversion of Millivolts to Engineering Units. Carrying out numerical integrations to obtain area and mass weighted averages for various...Performance Assessment of Aircraft Turbine Engines and Components (Les MWthodes Recommande’es pour la Mesure de la Pression et de ]a Temperature de la

Real-time Feynman path integral with Picard–Lefschetz theory and its applications to quantum tunneling

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Tanizaki, Yuya, E-mail: yuya.tanizaki@riken.jp; Theoretical Research Division, Nishina Center, RIKEN, Wako 351-0198; Koike, Takayuki, E-mail: tkoike@ms.u-tokyo.ac.jp

Picard–Lefschetz theory is applied to path integrals of quantum mechanics, in order to compute real-time dynamics directly. After discussing basic properties of real-time path integrals on Lefschetz thimbles, we demonstrate its computational method in a concrete way by solving three simple examples of quantum mechanics. It is applied to quantum mechanics of a double-well potential, and quantum tunneling is discussed. We identify all of the complex saddle points of the classical action, and their properties are discussed in detail. However a big theoretical difficulty turns out to appear in rewriting the original path integral into a sum of path integralsmore » on Lefschetz thimbles. We discuss generality of that problem and mention its importance. Real-time tunneling processes are shown to be described by those complex saddle points, and thus semi-classical description of real-time quantum tunneling becomes possible on solid ground if we could solve that problem. - Highlights: • Real-time path integral is studied based on Picard–Lefschetz theory. • Lucid demonstration is given through simple examples of quantum mechanics. • This technique is applied to quantum mechanics of the double-well potential. • Difficulty for practical applications is revealed, and we discuss its generality. • Quantum tunneling is shown to be closely related to complex classical solutions.« less

Weinberg propagator of a free massive particle with an arbitrary spin from the BFV-BRST path integral

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zima, V. G.; Fedoruk, S. O.

1999-11-01

The transition amplitude is obtained for a free massive particle of arbitrary spin by calculating the path integral in the index-spinor formulation within the BFV-BRST approach. No renormalizations of the path integral measure were applied. The calculation has given the Weinberg propagator written in the index-free form by the use of an index spinor. The choice of boundary conditions on the index spinor determines the holomorphic or antiholomorphic representation for the canonical description of particle/antiparticle spin.

Crossing Boundaries: Nativity, Ethnicity, and Mate Selection

PubMed Central

Qian, Zhenchao; Glick, Jennifer E.; Baston, Christie

2016-01-01

The influx of immigrants has increased diversity among ethnic minorities and indicates that they may take multiple integration paths in American society. Previous research on ethnic integration often focuses on panethnic differences and few have explored ethnic diversity within a racial or panethnic context. Using 2000 U.S. census data for Puerto Rican, Mexican, Chinese, and Filipino origin individuals, we examine differences in marriage and cohabitation with whites, with other minorities, within a panethnic group, and within an ethnic group by nativity status. Ethnic endogamy is strong and, to a less extent, so is panethnic endogamy. Yet, marital or cohabiting unions with whites remain an important path of integration but differ significantly by ethnicity, nativity, age at arrival, and educational attainment. Meanwhile, ethnic differences in marriage and cohabitation with other racial or ethnic minorities are strong. Our analysis supports that unions with whites remain a major path of integration, but other paths of integration also become viable options for all ethnic groups. PMID:22350840

Which coordinate system for modelling path integration?

PubMed

Vickerstaff, Robert J; Cheung, Allen

2010-03-21

Path integration is a navigation strategy widely observed in nature where an animal maintains a running estimate, called the home vector, of its location during an excursion. Evidence suggests it is both ancient and ubiquitous in nature, and has been studied for over a century. In that time, canonical and neural network models have flourished, based on a wide range of assumptions, justifications and supporting data. Despite the importance of the phenomenon, consensus and unifying principles appear lacking. A fundamental issue is the neural representation of space needed for biological path integration. This paper presents a scheme to classify path integration systems on the basis of the way the home vector records and updates the spatial relationship between the animal and its home location. Four extended classes of coordinate systems are used to unify and review both canonical and neural network models of path integration, from the arthropod and mammalian literature. This scheme demonstrates analytical equivalence between models which may otherwise appear unrelated, and distinguishes between models which may superficially appear similar. A thorough analysis is carried out of the equational forms of important facets of path integration including updating, steering, searching and systematic errors, using each of the four coordinate systems. The type of available directional cue, namely allothetic or idiothetic, is also considered. It is shown that on balance, the class of home vectors which includes the geocentric Cartesian coordinate system, appears to be the most robust for biological systems. A key conclusion is that deducing computational structure from behavioural data alone will be difficult or impossible, at least in the absence of an analysis of random errors. Consequently it is likely that further theoretical insights into path integration will require an in-depth study of the effect of noise on the four classes of home vectors. Copyright 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Propagation Diagnostic Simulations Using High-Resolution Equatorial Plasma Bubble Simulations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rino, C. L.; Carrano, C. S.; Yokoyama, T.

2017-12-01

In a recent paper, under review, equatorial-plasma-bubble (EPB) simulations were used to conduct a comparative analysis of the EPB spectra characteristics with high-resolution in-situ measurements from the C/NOFS satellite. EPB realizations sampled in planes perpendicular to magnetic field lines provided well-defined EPB structure at altitudes penetrating both high and low-density regions. The average C/NOFS structure in highly disturbed regions showed nearly identical two-component inverse-power-law spectral characteristics as the measured EPB structure. This paper describes the results of PWE simulations using the same two-dimensional cross-field EPB realizations. New Irregularity Parameter Estimation (IPE) diagnostics, which are based on two-dimensional equivalent-phase-screen theory [A theory of scintillation for two-component power law irregularity spectra: Overview and numerical results, by Charles Carrano and Charles Rino, DOI: 10.1002/2015RS005903], have been successfully applied to extract two-component inverse-power-law parameters from measured intensity spectra. The EPB simulations [Low and Midlatitude Ionospheric Plasma DensityIrregularities and Their Effects on Geomagnetic Field, by Tatsuhiro Yokoyama and Claudia Stolle, DOI 10.1007/s11214-016-0295-7] have sufficient resolution to populate the structure scales (tens of km to hundreds of meters) that cause strong scintillation at GPS frequencies. The simulations provide an ideal geometry whereby the ramifications of varying structure along the propagation path can be investigated. It is well known path-integrated one-dimensional spectra increase the one-dimensional index by one. The relation requires decorrelation along the propagation path. Correlated structure would be interpreted as stochastic total-electron-content (TEC). The simulations are performed with unmodified structure. Because the EPB structure is confined to the central region of the sample planes, edge effects are minimized. Consequently, the propagated signal phase can be comparted to path-integrated phase for evaluating TEC extraction. Only the frequency dependence of phase scintillation distinguishes phase scintillation. The simulations allow scale-dependent exploration of remote-sensing diagnostics.

An accurate and efficient acoustic eigensolver based on a fast multipole BEM and a contour integral method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zheng, Chang-Jun; Gao, Hai-Feng; Du, Lei; Chen, Hai-Bo; Zhang, Chuanzeng

2016-01-01

An accurate numerical solver is developed in this paper for eigenproblems governed by the Helmholtz equation and formulated through the boundary element method. A contour integral method is used to convert the nonlinear eigenproblem into an ordinary eigenproblem, so that eigenvalues can be extracted accurately by solving a set of standard boundary element systems of equations. In order to accelerate the solution procedure, the parameters affecting the accuracy and efficiency of the method are studied and two contour paths are compared. Moreover, a wideband fast multipole method is implemented with a block IDR (s) solver to reduce the overall solution cost of the boundary element systems of equations with multiple right-hand sides. The Burton-Miller formulation is employed to identify the fictitious eigenfrequencies of the interior acoustic problems with multiply connected domains. The actual effect of the Burton-Miller formulation on tackling the fictitious eigenfrequency problem is investigated and the optimal choice of the coupling parameter as α = i / k is confirmed through exterior sphere examples. Furthermore, the numerical eigenvalues obtained by the developed method are compared with the results obtained by the finite element method to show the accuracy and efficiency of the developed method.

Leaky Waves in Metamaterials for Antenna Applications

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-07-01

excitation problems, electromagnetic fields are often represented as Sommerfeld integrals [31,32]. A detailed discussion about Sommerfeld integral is...source removed. In the rest of this section, a de- tailed discussion about Sommerfeld Integral Path is presented. 4.1 Spectral Domain Approach 4.1.1... Sommerfeld integral path for evaluating fields accurately and efficiently, the radiation intensity and directivity of electric/magnetic dipoles over a grounded

Koopman-von Neumann formulation of classical Yang-Mills theories: I

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carta, P.; Gozzi, E.; Mauro, D.

2006-03-01

In this paper we present the Koopman-von Neumann (KvN) formulation of classical non-Abelian gauge field theories. In particular we shall explore the functional (or classical path integral) counterpart of the KvN method. In the quantum path integral quantization of Yang-Mills theories concepts like gauge-fixing and Faddeev-Popov determinant appear in a quite natural way. We will prove that these same objects are needed also in this classical path integral formulation for Yang-Mills theories. We shall also explore the classical path integral counterpart of the BFV formalism and build all the associated universal and gauge charges. These last are quite different from the analog quantum ones and we shall show the relation between the two. This paper lays the foundation of this formalism which, due to the many auxiliary fields present, is rather heavy. Applications to specific topics outlined in the paper will appear in later publications.

A Neurocomputational Model of Goal-Directed Navigation in Insect-Inspired Artificial Agents

PubMed Central

Goldschmidt, Dennis; Manoonpong, Poramate; Dasgupta, Sakyasingha

2017-01-01

Despite their small size, insect brains are able to produce robust and efficient navigation in complex environments. Specifically in social insects, such as ants and bees, these navigational capabilities are guided by orientation directing vectors generated by a process called path integration. During this process, they integrate compass and odometric cues to estimate their current location as a vector, called the home vector for guiding them back home on a straight path. They further acquire and retrieve path integration-based vector memories globally to the nest or based on visual landmarks. Although existing computational models reproduced similar behaviors, a neurocomputational model of vector navigation including the acquisition of vector representations has not been described before. Here we present a model of neural mechanisms in a modular closed-loop control—enabling vector navigation in artificial agents. The model consists of a path integration mechanism, reward-modulated global learning, random search, and action selection. The path integration mechanism integrates compass and odometric cues to compute a vectorial representation of the agent's current location as neural activity patterns in circular arrays. A reward-modulated learning rule enables the acquisition of vector memories by associating the local food reward with the path integration state. A motor output is computed based on the combination of vector memories and random exploration. In simulation, we show that the neural mechanisms enable robust homing and localization, even in the presence of external sensory noise. The proposed learning rules lead to goal-directed navigation and route formation performed under realistic conditions. Consequently, we provide a novel approach for vector learning and navigation in a simulated, situated agent linking behavioral observations to their possible underlying neural substrates. PMID:28446872

Option pricing, stochastic volatility, singular dynamics and constrained path integrals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Contreras, Mauricio; Hojman, Sergio A.

2014-01-01

Stochastic volatility models have been widely studied and used in the financial world. The Heston model (Heston, 1993) [7] is one of the best known models to deal with this issue. These stochastic volatility models are characterized by the fact that they explicitly depend on a correlation parameter ρ which relates the two Brownian motions that drive the stochastic dynamics associated to the volatility and the underlying asset. Solutions to the Heston model in the context of option pricing, using a path integral approach, are found in Lemmens et al. (2008) [21] while in Baaquie (2007,1997) [12,13] propagators for different stochastic volatility models are constructed. In all previous cases, the propagator is not defined for extreme cases ρ=±1. It is therefore necessary to obtain a solution for these extreme cases and also to understand the origin of the divergence of the propagator. In this paper we study in detail a general class of stochastic volatility models for extreme values ρ=±1 and show that in these two cases, the associated classical dynamics corresponds to a system with second class constraints, which must be dealt with using Dirac’s method for constrained systems (Dirac, 1958,1967) [22,23] in order to properly obtain the propagator in the form of a Euclidean Hamiltonian path integral (Henneaux and Teitelboim, 1992) [25]. After integrating over momenta, one gets an Euclidean Lagrangian path integral without constraints, which in the case of the Heston model corresponds to a path integral of a repulsive radial harmonic oscillator. In all the cases studied, the price of the underlying asset is completely determined by one of the second class constraints in terms of volatility and plays no active role in the path integral.

A Neurocomputational Model of Goal-Directed Navigation in Insect-Inspired Artificial Agents.

PubMed

Goldschmidt, Dennis; Manoonpong, Poramate; Dasgupta, Sakyasingha

2017-01-01

Despite their small size, insect brains are able to produce robust and efficient navigation in complex environments. Specifically in social insects, such as ants and bees, these navigational capabilities are guided by orientation directing vectors generated by a process called path integration. During this process, they integrate compass and odometric cues to estimate their current location as a vector, called the home vector for guiding them back home on a straight path. They further acquire and retrieve path integration-based vector memories globally to the nest or based on visual landmarks. Although existing computational models reproduced similar behaviors, a neurocomputational model of vector navigation including the acquisition of vector representations has not been described before. Here we present a model of neural mechanisms in a modular closed-loop control-enabling vector navigation in artificial agents. The model consists of a path integration mechanism, reward-modulated global learning, random search, and action selection. The path integration mechanism integrates compass and odometric cues to compute a vectorial representation of the agent's current location as neural activity patterns in circular arrays. A reward-modulated learning rule enables the acquisition of vector memories by associating the local food reward with the path integration state. A motor output is computed based on the combination of vector memories and random exploration. In simulation, we show that the neural mechanisms enable robust homing and localization, even in the presence of external sensory noise. The proposed learning rules lead to goal-directed navigation and route formation performed under realistic conditions. Consequently, we provide a novel approach for vector learning and navigation in a simulated, situated agent linking behavioral observations to their possible underlying neural substrates.

Path integrals with higher order actions: Application to realistic chemical systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lindoy, Lachlan P.; Huang, Gavin S.; Jordan, Meredith J. T.

2018-02-01

Quantum thermodynamic parameters can be determined using path integral Monte Carlo (PIMC) simulations. These simulations, however, become computationally demanding as the quantum nature of the system increases, although their efficiency can be improved by using higher order approximations to the thermal density matrix, specifically the action. Here we compare the standard, primitive approximation to the action (PA) and three higher order approximations, the Takahashi-Imada action (TIA), the Suzuki-Chin action (SCA) and the Chin action (CA). The resulting PIMC methods are applied to two realistic potential energy surfaces, for H2O and HCN-HNC, both of which are spectroscopically accurate and contain three-body interactions. We further numerically optimise, for each potential, the SCA parameter and the two free parameters in the CA, obtaining more significant improvements in efficiency than seen previously in the literature. For both H2O and HCN-HNC, accounting for all required potential and force evaluations, the optimised CA formalism is approximately twice as efficient as the TIA formalism and approximately an order of magnitude more efficient than the PA. The optimised SCA formalism shows similar efficiency gains to the CA for HCN-HNC but has similar efficiency to the TIA for H2O at low temperature. In H2O and HCN-HNC systems, the optimal value of the a1 CA parameter is approximately 1/3 , corresponding to an equal weighting of all force terms in the thermal density matrix, and similar to previous studies, the optimal α parameter in the SCA was ˜0.31. Importantly, poor choice of parameter significantly degrades the performance of the SCA and CA methods. In particular, for the CA, setting a1 = 0 is not efficient: the reduction in convergence efficiency is not offset by the lower number of force evaluations. We also find that the harmonic approximation to the CA parameters, whilst providing a fourth order approximation to the action, is not optimal for these realistic potentials: numerical optimisation leads to better approximate cancellation of the fifth order terms, with deviation between the harmonic and numerically optimised parameters more marked in the more quantum H2O system. This suggests that numerically optimising the CA or SCA parameters, which can be done at high temperature, will be important in fully realising the efficiency gains of these formalisms for realistic potentials.

Path integration in tactile perception of shapes.

PubMed

Moscatelli, Alessandro; Naceri, Abdeldjallil; Ernst, Marc O

2014-11-01

Whenever we move the hand across a surface, tactile signals provide information about the relative velocity between the skin and the surface. If the system were able to integrate the tactile velocity information over time, cutaneous touch may provide an estimate of the relative displacement between the hand and the surface. Here, we asked whether humans are able to form a reliable representation of the motion path from tactile cues only, integrating motion information over time. In order to address this issue, we conducted three experiments using tactile motion and asked participants (1) to estimate the length of a simulated triangle, (2) to reproduce the shape of a simulated triangular path, and (3) to estimate the angle between two-line segments. Participants were able to accurately indicate the length of the path, whereas the perceived direction was affected by a direction bias (inward bias). The response pattern was thus qualitatively similar to the ones reported in classical path integration studies involving locomotion. However, we explain the directional biases as the result of a tactile motion aftereffect. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Time step rescaling recovers continuous-time dynamical properties for discrete-time Langevin integration of nonequilibrium systems.

PubMed

Sivak, David A; Chodera, John D; Crooks, Gavin E

2014-06-19

When simulating molecular systems using deterministic equations of motion (e.g., Newtonian dynamics), such equations are generally numerically integrated according to a well-developed set of algorithms that share commonly agreed-upon desirable properties. However, for stochastic equations of motion (e.g., Langevin dynamics), there is still broad disagreement over which integration algorithms are most appropriate. While multiple desiderata have been proposed throughout the literature, consensus on which criteria are important is absent, and no published integration scheme satisfies all desiderata simultaneously. Additional nontrivial complications stem from simulating systems driven out of equilibrium using existing stochastic integration schemes in conjunction with recently developed nonequilibrium fluctuation theorems. Here, we examine a family of discrete time integration schemes for Langevin dynamics, assessing how each member satisfies a variety of desiderata that have been enumerated in prior efforts to construct suitable Langevin integrators. We show that the incorporation of a novel time step rescaling in the deterministic updates of position and velocity can correct a number of dynamical defects in these integrators. Finally, we identify a particular splitting (related to the velocity Verlet discretization) that has essentially universally appropriate properties for the simulation of Langevin dynamics for molecular systems in equilibrium, nonequilibrium, and path sampling contexts.

An Extended Trajectory Mechanics Approach for Calculating the Path of a Pressure Transient: Derivation and Illustration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vasco, D. W.

2018-04-01

Following an approach used in quantum dynamics, an exponential representation of the hydraulic head transforms the diffusion equation governing pressure propagation into an equivalent set of ordinary differential equations. Using a reservoir simulator to determine one set of dependent variables leaves a reduced set of equations for the path of a pressure transient. Unlike the current approach for computing the path of a transient, based on a high-frequency asymptotic solution, the trajectories resulting from this new formulation are valid for arbitrary spatial variations in aquifer properties. For a medium containing interfaces and layers with sharp boundaries, the trajectory mechanics approach produces paths that are compatible with travel time fields produced by a numerical simulator, while the asymptotic solution produces paths that bend too strongly into high permeability regions. The breakdown of the conventional asymptotic solution, due to the presence of sharp boundaries, has implications for model parameter sensitivity calculations and the solution of the inverse problem. For example, near an abrupt boundary, trajectories based on the asymptotic approach deviate significantly from regions of high sensitivity observed in numerical computations. In contrast, paths based on the new trajectory mechanics approach coincide with regions of maximum sensitivity to permeability changes.

Evaluation of stress intensity factors for bi-material interface cracks using displacement jump methods

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nehar, K. C.; Hachi, B. E.; Cazes, F.; Haboussi, M.

2017-12-01

The aim of the present work is to investigate the numerical modeling of interfacial cracks that may appear at the interface between two isotropic elastic materials. The extended finite element method is employed to analyze brittle and bi-material interfacial fatigue crack growth by computing the mixed mode stress intensity factors (SIF). Three different approaches are introduced to compute the SIFs. In the first one, mixed mode SIF is deduced from the computation of the contour integral as per the classical J-integral method, whereas a displacement method is used to evaluate the SIF by using either one or two displacement jumps located along the crack path in the second and third approaches. The displacement jump method is rather classical for mono-materials, but has to our knowledge not been used up to now for a bi-material. Hence, use of displacement jump for characterizing bi-material cracks constitutes the main contribution of the present study. Several benchmark tests including parametric studies are performed to show the effectiveness of these computational methodologies for SIF considering static and fatigue problems of bi-material structures. It is found that results based on the displacement jump methods are in a very good agreement with those of exact solutions, such as for the J-integral method, but with a larger domain of applicability and a better numerical efficiency (less time consuming and less spurious boundary effect).

Cryosphere-hydrosphere interactions: numerical modeling using the Regional Ocean Modeling System (ROMS) at different scales

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bergamasco, A.; Budgell, W. P.; Carniel, S.; Sclavo, M.

2005-03-01

Conveyor belt circulation controls global climate through heat and water fluxes with atmosphere and from tropical to polar regions and vice versa. This circulation, commonly referred to as thermohaline circulation (THC), seems to have millennium time scale and nowadays--a non-glacial period--appears to be as rather stable. However, concern is raised by the buildup of CO2 and other greenhouse gases in the atmosphere (IPCC, Third assessment report: Climate Change 2001. A contribution of working group I, II and III to the Third Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (Cambridge Univ. Press, UK) 2001, http://www.ipcc.ch) as these may affect the THC conveyor paths. Since it is widely recognized that dense-water formation sites act as primary sources in strengthening quasi-stable THC paths (Stommel H., Tellus131961224), in order to simulate properly the consequences of such scenarios a better understanding of these oceanic processes is needed. To successfully model these processes, air-sea-ice-integrated modelling approaches are often required. Here we focus on two polar regions using the Regional Ocean Modeling System (ROMS). In the first region investigated, the North Atlantic-Arctic, where open-ocean deep convection and open-sea ice formation and dispersion under the intense air-sea interactions are the major engines, we use a new version of the coupled hydrodynamic-ice ROMS model. The second area belongs to the Antarctica region inside the Southern Ocean, where brine rejections during ice formation inside shelf seas origin dense water that, flowing along the continental slope, overflow becoming eventually abyssal waters. Results show how nowadays integrated-modelling tasks have become more and more feasible and effective; numerical simulations dealing with large computational domains or challenging different climate scenarios can be run on multi-processors platforms and on systems like LINUX clusters, made of the same hardware as PCs, and codes have been accordingly modified.This relevant numerical help coming from the computer science can now allow scientists to devote larger attention in the efforts of understanding the deep mechanisms of such complex processes.

Path integrals and large deviations in stochastic hybrid systems.

PubMed

Bressloff, Paul C; Newby, Jay M

2014-04-01

We construct a path-integral representation of solutions to a stochastic hybrid system, consisting of one or more continuous variables evolving according to a piecewise-deterministic dynamics. The differential equations for the continuous variables are coupled to a set of discrete variables that satisfy a continuous-time Markov process, which means that the differential equations are only valid between jumps in the discrete variables. Examples of stochastic hybrid systems arise in biophysical models of stochastic ion channels, motor-driven intracellular transport, gene networks, and stochastic neural networks. We use the path-integral representation to derive a large deviation action principle for a stochastic hybrid system. Minimizing the associated action functional with respect to the set of all trajectories emanating from a metastable state (assuming that such a minimization scheme exists) then determines the most probable paths of escape. Moreover, evaluating the action functional along a most probable path generates the so-called quasipotential used in the calculation of mean first passage times. We illustrate the theory by considering the optimal paths of escape from a metastable state in a bistable neural network.

Integrated Flight Path Planning System and Flight Control System for Unmanned Helicopters

PubMed Central

Jan, Shau Shiun; Lin, Yu Hsiang

2011-01-01

This paper focuses on the design of an integrated navigation and guidance system for unmanned helicopters. The integrated navigation system comprises two systems: the Flight Path Planning System (FPPS) and the Flight Control System (FCS). The FPPS finds the shortest flight path by the A-Star (A*) algorithm in an adaptive manner for different flight conditions, and the FPPS can add a forbidden zone to stop the unmanned helicopter from crossing over into dangerous areas. In this paper, the FPPS computation time is reduced by the multi-resolution scheme, and the flight path quality is improved by the path smoothing methods. Meanwhile, the FCS includes the fuzzy inference systems (FISs) based on the fuzzy logic. By using expert knowledge and experience to train the FIS, the controller can operate the unmanned helicopter without dynamic models. The integrated system of the FPPS and the FCS is aimed at providing navigation and guidance to the mission destination and it is implemented by coupling the flight simulation software, X-Plane, and the computing software, MATLAB. Simulations are performed and shown in real time three-dimensional animations. Finally, the integrated system is demonstrated to work successfully in controlling the unmanned helicopter to operate in various terrains of a digital elevation model (DEM). PMID:22164029

Integrated flight path planning system and flight control system for unmanned helicopters.

PubMed

Jan, Shau Shiun; Lin, Yu Hsiang

2011-01-01

This paper focuses on the design of an integrated navigation and guidance system for unmanned helicopters. The integrated navigation system comprises two systems: the Flight Path Planning System (FPPS) and the Flight Control System (FCS). The FPPS finds the shortest flight path by the A-Star (A*) algorithm in an adaptive manner for different flight conditions, and the FPPS can add a forbidden zone to stop the unmanned helicopter from crossing over into dangerous areas. In this paper, the FPPS computation time is reduced by the multi-resolution scheme, and the flight path quality is improved by the path smoothing methods. Meanwhile, the FCS includes the fuzzy inference systems (FISs) based on the fuzzy logic. By using expert knowledge and experience to train the FIS, the controller can operate the unmanned helicopter without dynamic models. The integrated system of the FPPS and the FCS is aimed at providing navigation and guidance to the mission destination and it is implemented by coupling the flight simulation software, X-Plane, and the computing software, MATLAB. Simulations are performed and shown in real time three-dimensional animations. Finally, the integrated system is demonstrated to work successfully in controlling the unmanned helicopter to operate in various terrains of a digital elevation model (DEM).

Covariant path integrals on hyperbolic surfaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schaefer, Joe

1997-11-01

DeWitt's covariant formulation of path integration [B. De Witt, "Dynamical theory in curved spaces. I. A review of the classical and quantum action principles," Rev. Mod. Phys. 29, 377-397 (1957)] has two practical advantages over the traditional methods of "lattice approximations;" there is no ordering problem, and classical symmetries are manifestly preserved at the quantum level. Applying the spectral theorem for unbounded self-adjoint operators, we provide a rigorous proof of the convergence of certain path integrals on Riemann surfaces of constant curvature -1. The Pauli-DeWitt curvature correction term arises, as in DeWitt's work. Introducing a Fuchsian group Γ of the first kind, and a continuous, bounded, Γ-automorphic potential V, we obtain a Feynman-Kac formula for the automorphic Schrödinger equation on the Riemann surface ΓH. We analyze the Wick rotation and prove the strong convergence of the so-called Feynman maps [K. D. Elworthy, Path Integration on Manifolds, Mathematical Aspects of Superspace, edited by Seifert, Clarke, and Rosenblum (Reidel, Boston, 1983), pp. 47-90] on a dense set of states. Finally, we give a new proof of some results in C. Grosche and F. Steiner, "The path integral on the Poincare upper half plane and for Liouville quantum mechanics," Phys. Lett. A 123, 319-328 (1987).

The Edge-Disjoint Path Problem on Random Graphs by Message-Passing.

PubMed

Altarelli, Fabrizio; Braunstein, Alfredo; Dall'Asta, Luca; De Bacco, Caterina; Franz, Silvio

2015-01-01

We present a message-passing algorithm to solve a series of edge-disjoint path problems on graphs based on the zero-temperature cavity equations. Edge-disjoint paths problems are important in the general context of routing, that can be defined by incorporating under a unique framework both traffic optimization and total path length minimization. The computation of the cavity equations can be performed efficiently by exploiting a mapping of a generalized edge-disjoint path problem on a star graph onto a weighted maximum matching problem. We perform extensive numerical simulations on random graphs of various types to test the performance both in terms of path length minimization and maximization of the number of accommodated paths. In addition, we test the performance on benchmark instances on various graphs by comparison with state-of-the-art algorithms and results found in the literature. Our message-passing algorithm always outperforms the others in terms of the number of accommodated paths when considering non trivial instances (otherwise it gives the same trivial results). Remarkably, the largest improvement in performance with respect to the other methods employed is found in the case of benchmarks with meshes, where the validity hypothesis behind message-passing is expected to worsen. In these cases, even though the exact message-passing equations do not converge, by introducing a reinforcement parameter to force convergence towards a sub optimal solution, we were able to always outperform the other algorithms with a peak of 27% performance improvement in terms of accommodated paths. On random graphs, we numerically observe two separated regimes: one in which all paths can be accommodated and one in which this is not possible. We also investigate the behavior of both the number of paths to be accommodated and their minimum total length.

The Edge-Disjoint Path Problem on Random Graphs by Message-Passing

PubMed Central

2015-01-01

We present a message-passing algorithm to solve a series of edge-disjoint path problems on graphs based on the zero-temperature cavity equations. Edge-disjoint paths problems are important in the general context of routing, that can be defined by incorporating under a unique framework both traffic optimization and total path length minimization. The computation of the cavity equations can be performed efficiently by exploiting a mapping of a generalized edge-disjoint path problem on a star graph onto a weighted maximum matching problem. We perform extensive numerical simulations on random graphs of various types to test the performance both in terms of path length minimization and maximization of the number of accommodated paths. In addition, we test the performance on benchmark instances on various graphs by comparison with state-of-the-art algorithms and results found in the literature. Our message-passing algorithm always outperforms the others in terms of the number of accommodated paths when considering non trivial instances (otherwise it gives the same trivial results). Remarkably, the largest improvement in performance with respect to the other methods employed is found in the case of benchmarks with meshes, where the validity hypothesis behind message-passing is expected to worsen. In these cases, even though the exact message-passing equations do not converge, by introducing a reinforcement parameter to force convergence towards a sub optimal solution, we were able to always outperform the other algorithms with a peak of 27% performance improvement in terms of accommodated paths. On random graphs, we numerically observe two separated regimes: one in which all paths can be accommodated and one in which this is not possible. We also investigate the behavior of both the number of paths to be accommodated and their minimum total length. PMID:26710102

Snapshot linear-Stokes imaging spectropolarimeter using division-of-focal-plane polarimetry and integral field spectroscopy.

PubMed

Mu, Tingkui; Pacheco, Shaun; Chen, Zeyu; Zhang, Chunmin; Liang, Rongguang

2017-02-13

In this paper, the design and experimental demonstration of a snapshot linear-Stokes imaging spectropolarimeter (SLSIS) is presented. The SLSIS, which is based on division-of-focal-plane polarimetry with four parallel linear polarization channels and integral field spectroscopy with numerous slit dispersive paths, has no moving parts and provides video-rate Stokes-vector hyperspectral datacubes. It does not need any scanning in the spectral, spatial or polarization dimension and offers significant advantages of rapid reconstruction without heavy computation during post-processing. The principle and the experimental setup of the SLSIS are described in detail. The image registration, Stokes spectral reconstruction and calibration procedures are included, and the system is validated using measurements of tungsten light and a static scene. The SLSIS's snapshot ability to resolve polarization spectral signatures is demonstrated using measurements of a dynamic scene.

Snapshot linear-Stokes imaging spectropolarimeter using division-of-focal-plane polarimetry and integral field spectroscopy

PubMed Central

Mu, Tingkui; Pacheco, Shaun; Chen, Zeyu; Zhang, Chunmin; Liang, Rongguang

2017-01-01

In this paper, the design and experimental demonstration of a snapshot linear-Stokes imaging spectropolarimeter (SLSIS) is presented. The SLSIS, which is based on division-of-focal-plane polarimetry with four parallel linear polarization channels and integral field spectroscopy with numerous slit dispersive paths, has no moving parts and provides video-rate Stokes-vector hyperspectral datacubes. It does not need any scanning in the spectral, spatial or polarization dimension and offers significant advantages of rapid reconstruction without heavy computation during post-processing. The principle and the experimental setup of the SLSIS are described in detail. The image registration, Stokes spectral reconstruction and calibration procedures are included, and the system is validated using measurements of tungsten light and a static scene. The SLSIS’s snapshot ability to resolve polarization spectral signatures is demonstrated using measurements of a dynamic scene. PMID:28191819

Optimization of Pockels electric field in transverse modulated optical voltage sensor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Yifan; Xu, Qifeng; Chen, Kun-Long; Zhou, Jie

2018-05-01

This paper investigates the possibilities of optimizing the Pockels electric field in a transverse modulated optical voltage sensor with a spherical electrode structure. The simulations show that due to the edge effect and the electric field concentrations and distortions, the electric field distributions in the crystal are non-uniform. In this case, a tiny variation in the light path leads to an integral error of more than 0.5%. Moreover, a 2D model cannot effectively represent the edge effect, so a 3D model is employed to optimize the electric field distributions. Furthermore, a new method to attach a quartz crystal to the electro-optic crystal along the electric field direction is proposed to improve the non-uniformity of the electric field. The integral error is reduced therefore from 0.5% to 0.015% and less. The proposed method is simple, practical and effective, and it has been validated by numerical simulations and experimental tests.

Radiologic-pathologic Correlation-An Advanced Fourth-year Elective: How We Do It.

PubMed

Hartman, Matthew; Silverman, Jan; Spruill, Laura; Hill, Jeanne

2016-07-01

Traditionally, the radiology elective has been designed to teach medical students the fundamentals of radiologic interpretation. When questioned, many students state that they want to take a radiology elective so they can "interpret images." For the students on radiology, rotation/elective education was often passive, consisting of didactic conferences and observational shadowing of radiologists as they interpreted images. Students had only a superficial appreciation of how radiologists interacted with clinical services, multidisciplinary teams, and pathology. There was very little emphasis on imaging appropriateness or the most efficient and effective imaging for various clinical problems. With the expansion of numerous imaging modalities and the emphasis on patient-centered care, including imaging safety and dose reduction, it is important to change the focus of radiology education from interpretation to the optimal integration of imaging into clinical medicine. Radiology-pathology (rad path) electives were created at Allegheny General Hospital and the Medical University of South Carolina as a new option to provide a high-quality advanced elective for fourth-year medical students. These electives enable students to correlate radiologic images with gross and microscopic pathology specimens, thus increasing their knowledge and understanding of both. The rad path elective combines aspects of surgery, radiology, and pathology and requires students to be active learners. The implementation of this elective is an exciting work in progress that has been evolving over the past 2 and 4 years at Medical University of South Carolina and Allegheny General Hospital, respectively. We will discuss the historical basis for the elective, the advantages and challenges of having such an integrated course, and some different strategies for creating a rad path elective. Copyright © 2016 The Association of University Radiologists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Improvements in mode-based waveform modeling and application to Eurasian velocity structure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Panning, M. P.; Marone, F.; Kim, A.; Capdeville, Y.; Cupillard, P.; Gung, Y.; Romanowicz, B.

2006-12-01

We introduce several recent improvements to mode-based 3D and asymptotic waveform modeling and examine how to integrate them with numerical approaches for an improved model of upper-mantle structure under eastern Eurasia. The first step in our approach is to create a large-scale starting model including shear anisotropy using Nonlinear Asymptotic Coupling Theory (NACT; Li and Romanowicz, 1995), which models the 2D sensitivity of the waveform to the great-circle path between source and receiver. We have recently improved this approach by implementing new crustal corrections which include a non-linear correction for the difference between the average structure of several large regions from the global model with further linear corrections to account for the local structure along the path between source and receiver (Marone and Romanowicz, 2006; Panning and Romanowicz, 2006). This model is further refined using a 3D implementation of Born scattering (Capdeville, 2005). We have made several recent improvements to this method, in particular introducing the ability to represent perturbations to discontinuities. While the approach treats all sensitivity as linear perturbations to the waveform, we have also experimented with a non-linear modification analogous to that used in the development of NACT. This allows us to treat large accumulated phase delays determined from a path-average approximation non-linearly, while still using the full 3D sensitivity of the Born approximation. Further refinement of shallow regions of the model is obtained using broadband forward finite-difference waveform modeling. We are also integrating a regional Spectral Element Method code into our tomographic modeling, allowing us to move beyond many assumptions inherent in the analytic mode-based approaches, while still taking advantage of their computational efficiency. Illustrations of the effects of these increasingly sophisticated steps will be presented.

Optimal trajectories of aircraft and spacecraft

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Miele, A.

1990-01-01

Work done on algorithms for the numerical solutions of optimal control problems and their application to the computation of optimal flight trajectories of aircraft and spacecraft is summarized. General considerations on calculus of variations, optimal control, numerical algorithms, and applications of these algorithms to real-world problems are presented. The sequential gradient-restoration algorithm (SGRA) is examined for the numerical solution of optimal control problems of the Bolza type. Both the primal formulation and the dual formulation are discussed. Aircraft trajectories, in particular, the application of the dual sequential gradient-restoration algorithm (DSGRA) to the determination of optimal flight trajectories in the presence of windshear are described. Both take-off trajectories and abort landing trajectories are discussed. Take-off trajectories are optimized by minimizing the peak deviation of the absolute path inclination from a reference value. Abort landing trajectories are optimized by minimizing the peak drop of altitude from a reference value. Abort landing trajectories are optimized by minimizing the peak drop of altitude from a reference value. The survival capability of an aircraft in a severe windshear is discussed, and the optimal trajectories are found to be superior to both constant pitch trajectories and maximum angle of attack trajectories. Spacecraft trajectories, in particular, the application of the primal sequential gradient-restoration algorithm (PSGRA) to the determination of optimal flight trajectories for aeroassisted orbital transfer are examined. Both the coplanar case and the noncoplanar case are discussed within the frame of three problems: minimization of the total characteristic velocity; minimization of the time integral of the square of the path inclination; and minimization of the peak heating rate. The solution of the second problem is called nearly-grazing solution, and its merits are pointed out as a useful engineering compromise between energy requirements and aerodynamics heating requirements.

Multispectral scanner system parameter study and analysis software system description, volume 2

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Landgrebe, D. A. (Principal Investigator); Mobasseri, B. G.; Wiersma, D. J.; Wiswell, E. R.; Mcgillem, C. D.; Anuta, P. E.

1978-01-01

The author has identified the following significant results. The integration of the available methods provided the analyst with the unified scanner analysis package (USAP), the flexibility and versatility of which was superior to many previous integrated techniques. The USAP consisted of three main subsystems; (1) a spatial path, (2) a spectral path, and (3) a set of analytic classification accuracy estimators which evaluated the system performance. The spatial path consisted of satellite and/or aircraft data, data correlation analyzer, scanner IFOV, and random noise model. The output of the spatial path was fed into the analytic classification and accuracy predictor. The spectral path consisted of laboratory and/or field spectral data, EXOSYS data retrieval, optimum spectral function calculation, data transformation, and statistics calculation. The output of the spectral path was fended into the stratified posterior performance estimator.

Neural basis of the cognitive map: path integration does not require hippocampus or entorhinal cortex.

PubMed

Shrager, Yael; Kirwan, C Brock; Squire, Larry R

2008-08-19

The hippocampus and entorhinal cortex have been linked to both memory functions and to spatial cognition, but it has been unclear how these ideas relate to each other. An important part of spatial cognition is the ability to keep track of a reference location using self-motion cues (sometimes referred to as path integration), and it has been suggested that the hippocampus or entorhinal cortex is essential for this ability. Patients with hippocampal lesions or larger lesions that also included entorhinal cortex were led on paths while blindfolded (up to 15 m in length) and were asked to actively maintain the path in mind. Patients pointed to and estimated their distance from the start location as accurately as controls. A rotation condition confirmed that performance was based on self-motion cues. When demands on long-term memory were increased, patients were impaired. Thus, in humans, the hippocampus and entorhinal cortex are not essential for path integration.

Flying Through Polytropes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pesnell, W. Dean

2016-01-01

Dropping objects into a tunnel bored through Earth has been used to visualize simple harmonic motion for many years, and even imagined for use as rapid transport systems. Unlike previous studies that assumed a constant density Earth, here we calculate the fall-through time of polytropes, models of Earth's interior where the pressure varies as a power of the density. This means the fall-through time can be calculated as the central condensation varies from one to large within the family of polytropes. Having a family of models, rather than a single model, helps to explore the properties of planets and stars. Comparing the family of phase space solutions shows that the fall-through time and velocity approach the limit of radial free-fall onto a point mass as the central condensation increases. More condensed models give higher maximum velocities but do not have the right global properties for Earth. The angular distance one can travel along the surface is calculated as a brachistochrone (path of least time) tunnel that is a function of the depth to which the tunnel is bored. We also show that completely degenerate objects, simple models of white dwarf stars supported by completely degenerate electrons, have sizes similar to Earth but their much higher masses mean a much larger gravitational strength and a shorter fall-through time. Numerical integrations of the equations describing polytropes and completely degenerate objects are used to generate the initial models. Analytic solutions and numerical integration of the equations of motion are used to calculate the fall-through time for each model, and numerical integrations with analytic approximations at the boundaries are used to calculate the brachistochrones in the polytropes. Scaling relationships are provided to help use these results in other planets and stars.

Hardware simulation of fuel cell/gas turbine hybrids

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smith, Thomas Paul

Hybrid solid oxide fuel cell/gas turbine (SOFC/GT) systems offer high efficiency power generation, but face numerous integration and operability challenges. This dissertation addresses the application of hardware-in-the-loop simulation (HILS) to explore the performance of a solid oxide fuel cell stack and gas turbine when combined into a hybrid system. Specifically, this project entailed developing and demonstrating a methodology for coupling a numerical SOFC subsystem model with a gas turbine that has been modified with supplemental process flow and control paths to mimic a hybrid system. This HILS approach was implemented with the U.S. Department of Energy Hybrid Performance Project (HyPer) located at the National Energy Technology Laboratory. By utilizing HILS the facility provides a cost effective and capable platform for characterizing the response of hybrid systems to dynamic variations in operating conditions. HILS of a hybrid system was accomplished by first interfacing a numerical model with operating gas turbine hardware. The real-time SOFC stack model responds to operating turbine flow conditions in order to predict the level of thermal effluent from the SOFC stack. This simulated level of heating then dynamically sets the turbine's "firing" rate to reflect the stack output heat rate. Second, a high-speed computer system with data acquisition capabilities was integrated with the existing controls and sensors of the turbine facility. In the future, this will allow for the utilization of high-fidelity fuel cell models that infer cell performance parameters while still computing the simulation in real-time. Once the integration of the numeric and the hardware simulation components was completed, HILS experiments were conducted to evaluate hybrid system performance. The testing identified non-intuitive transient responses arising from the large thermal capacitance of the stack that are inherent to hybrid systems. Furthermore, the tests demonstrated the capabilities of HILS as a research tool for investigating the dynamic behavior of SOFC/GT hybrid power generation systems.

Addendum to "Free energies from integral equation theories: enforcing path independence".

PubMed

Kast, Stefan M

2006-01-01

The variational formalism developed for the analysis of the path dependence of free energies from integral equation theories [S. M. Kast, Phys. Rev. E 67, 041203 (2003)] is extended in order to allow for the three-dimensional treatment of arbitrarily shaped solutes.

A theory for the radiation of magnetohydrodynamic surface waves and body waves into the solar corona

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Davila, Joseph M.

1988-01-01

The Green's function for the slab coronal hole is obtained explicitly. The Fourier integral representation for the radiated field inside and outside the coronal hole waveguide is obtained. The radiated field outside the coronal hole is calculated using the method of steepest descents. It is shown that the radiated field can be written as the sum of two contributions: (1) a contribution from the integral along the steepest descent path and (2) a contribution from all the poles of the integrand between the path of the original integral and the steepest descent path. The free oscillations of the waveguide can be associated with the pole contributions in the steepest descent representation for the Green's function. These pole contributions are essentially generalized surface waves with a maximum amplitude near the interface which separates the plasma inside the coronal hole from the surrounding background corona. The path contribution to the integral is essentially the power radiated in body waves.

Self-organizing path integration using a linked continuous attractor and competitive network: path integration of head direction.

PubMed

Stringer, Simon M; Rolls, Edmund T

2006-12-01

A key issue is how networks in the brain learn to perform path integration, that is update a represented position using a velocity signal. Using head direction cells as an example, we show that a competitive network could self-organize to learn to respond to combinations of head direction and angular head rotation velocity. These combination cells can then be used to drive a continuous attractor network to the next head direction based on the incoming rotation signal. An associative synaptic modification rule with a short term memory trace enables preceding combination cell activity during training to be associated with the next position in the continuous attractor network. The network accounts for the presence of neurons found in the brain that respond to combinations of head direction and angular head rotation velocity. Analogous networks in the hippocampal system could self-organize to perform path integration of place and spatial view representations.

Application of path-integral quantization to indistinguishable particle systems topologically confined by a magnetic field

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jacak, Janusz E.

2018-01-01

We demonstrate an original development of path-integral quantization in the case of a multiply connected configuration space of indistinguishable charged particles on a 2D manifold and exposed to a strong perpendicular magnetic field. The system occurs to be exceptionally homotopy-rich and the structure of the homotopy essentially depends on the magnetic field strength resulting in multiloop trajectories at specific conditions. We have proved, by a generalization of the Bohr-Sommerfeld quantization rule, that the size of a magnetic field flux quantum grows for multiloop orbits like (2 k +1 ) h/c with the number of loops k . Utilizing this property for electrons on the 2D substrate jellium, we have derived upon the path integration a complete FQHE hierarchy in excellent consistence with experiments. The path integral has been next developed to a sum over configurations, displaying various patterns of trajectory homotopies (topological configurations), which in the nonstationary case of quantum kinetics, reproduces some unclear formerly details in the longitudinal resistivity observed in experiments.

Shape sensing using multi-core fiber optic cable and parametric curve solutions.

PubMed

Moore, Jason P; Rogge, Matthew D

2012-01-30

The shape of a multi-core optical fiber is calculated by numerically solving a set of Frenet-Serret equations describing the path of the fiber in three dimensions. Included in the Frenet-Serret equations are curvature and bending direction functions derived from distributed fiber Bragg grating strain measurements in each core. The method offers advantages over prior art in that it determines complex three-dimensional fiber shape as a continuous parametric solution rather than an integrated series of discrete planar bends. Results and error analysis of the method using a tri-core optical fiber is presented. Maximum error expressed as a percentage of fiber length was found to be 7.2%.

Fuzzy multi-objective chance-constrained programming model for hazardous materials transportation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Du, Jiaoman; Yu, Lean; Li, Xiang

2016-04-01

Hazardous materials transportation is an important and hot issue of public safety. Based on the shortest path model, this paper presents a fuzzy multi-objective programming model that minimizes the transportation risk to life, travel time and fuel consumption. First, we present the risk model, travel time model and fuel consumption model. Furthermore, we formulate a chance-constrained programming model within the framework of credibility theory, in which the lengths of arcs in the transportation network are assumed to be fuzzy variables. A hybrid intelligent algorithm integrating fuzzy simulation and genetic algorithm is designed for finding a satisfactory solution. Finally, some numerical examples are given to demonstrate the efficiency of the proposed model and algorithm.

Deterministic quantum annealing expectation-maximization algorithm

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miyahara, Hideyuki; Tsumura, Koji; Sughiyama, Yuki

2017-11-01

Maximum likelihood estimation (MLE) is one of the most important methods in machine learning, and the expectation-maximization (EM) algorithm is often used to obtain maximum likelihood estimates. However, EM heavily depends on initial configurations and fails to find the global optimum. On the other hand, in the field of physics, quantum annealing (QA) was proposed as a novel optimization approach. Motivated by QA, we propose a quantum annealing extension of EM, which we call the deterministic quantum annealing expectation-maximization (DQAEM) algorithm. We also discuss its advantage in terms of the path integral formulation. Furthermore, by employing numerical simulations, we illustrate how DQAEM works in MLE and show that DQAEM moderate the problem of local optima in EM.

Analysis of separation of the space shuttle orbiter from a large transport airplane

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wilhite, A. W.

1977-01-01

The feasibility of safely separating the space shuttle orbiter (140A/B) from the top of a large carrier vehicle (the C-5 airplane) at subsonic speeds was investigated. The longitudinal equations of motion for both vehicles were numerically integrated using a digital computer program which incorporates experimentally derived interference aerodynamic data to analyze the separation maneuver for various initial conditions. Separation of the space shuttle orbiter from a carrier vehicle was feasible for a range of dynamic-pressure and flight-path-angle conditions. By using an autopilot, the vehicle attitudes were held constant which ensured separation. Carrier-vehicle engine thrust, landing gear, and spoilers provide some flexibility in the separation maneuver.

The uniform quantized electron gas revisited

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lomba, Enrique; Høye, Johan S.

2017-11-01

In this article we continue and extend our recent work on the correlation energy of the quantized electron gas of uniform density at temperature T=0 . As before, we utilize the methods, properties, and results obtained by means of classical statistical mechanics. These were extended to quantized systems via the Feynman path integral formalism. The latter translates the quantum problem into a classical polymer problem in four dimensions. Again, the well known RPA (random phase approximation) is recovered as a basic result which we then modify and improve upon. Here we analyze the condition of thermodynamic self-consistency. Our numerical calculations exhibit a remarkable agreement with well known results of a standard parameterization of Monte Carlo correlation energies.

Combined Effect of Random Transmit Power Control and Inter-Path Interference Cancellation on DS-CDMA Packet Mobile Communications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kudoh, Eisuke; Ito, Haruki; Wang, Zhisen; Adachi, Fumiyuki

In mobile communication systems, high speed packet data services are demanded. In the high speed data transmission, throughput degrades severely due to severe inter-path interference (IPI). Recently, we proposed a random transmit power control (TPC) to increase the uplink throughput of DS-CDMA packet mobile communications. In this paper, we apply IPI cancellation in addition to the random TPC. We derive the numerical expression of the received signal-to-interference plus noise power ratio (SINR) and introduce IPI cancellation factor. We also derive the numerical expression of system throughput when IPI is cancelled ideally to compare with the Monte Carlo numerically evaluated system throughput. Then we evaluate, by Monte-Carlo numerical computation method, the combined effect of random TPC and IPI cancellation on the uplink throughput of DS-CDMA packet mobile communications.

Advances in stereomicroscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schnitzler, H.; Zimmer, Klaus-Peter

2008-09-01

Similar to human's binocular vision, stereomicroscopes are comprised of two optical paths under a convergence angle providing a full perspective insight into the world's microstructure. The numerical aperture of stereomicroscopes has continuously increased over the years, reaching the point where the lenses of left and right perspective paths touched each other. This constraint appeared as an upper limit for the resolution of stereomicroscopes, as the resolution of a stereomicroscope was deduced from the numerical apertures of the two equally sized perspective channels. We present the optical design and advances in resolution of the world's first asymmetrical stereomicroscope, which is a technological breakthrough in many aspects of stereomicroscopes. This unique approach uses a large numerical aperture and thus an, so far, unachievable high lateral resolution in the one path, and a small aperture in the other path, which provides a high depth of field ("Fusion Optics"). This new concept is a technical challenge for the optical design of the zoom system as well as for the common main objectives. Furthermore, the new concept makes use of the particular way in which perspective information by binocular vision is formed in the human's brain. In conjunction with a research project at the University of Zurich, Leica Microsystems consolidated the functionality of this concept in to a new generation of stereomicroscopes.

PathJam: a new service for integrating biological pathway information.

PubMed

Glez-Peña, Daniel; Reboiro-Jato, Miguel; Domínguez, Rubén; Gómez-López, Gonzalo; Pisano, David G; Fdez-Riverola, Florentino

2010-10-28

Biological pathways are crucial to much of the scientific research today including the study of specific biological processes related with human diseases. PathJam is a new comprehensive and freely accessible web-server application integrating scattered human pathway annotation from several public sources. The tool has been designed for both (i) being intuitive for wet-lab users providing statistical enrichment analysis of pathway annotations and (ii) giving support to the development of new integrative pathway applications. PathJam’s unique features and advantages include interactive graphs linking pathways and genes of interest, downloadable results in fully compatible formats, GSEA compatible output files and a standardized RESTful API.

Integrative Families and Systems Treatment: A Middle Path toward Integrating Common and Specific Factors in Evidence-Based Family Therapy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fraser, J. Scott; Solovey, Andrew D.; Grove, David; Lee, Mo Yee; Greene, Gilbert J.

2012-01-01

A moderate common factors approach is proposed as a synthesis or middle path to integrate common and specific factors in evidence-based approaches to high-risk youth and families. The debate in family therapy between common and specific factors camps is reviewed and followed by suggestions from the literature for synthesis and creative flexibility…

A serpentine laminating micromixer combining splitting/recombination and advection.

PubMed

Kim, Dong Sung; Lee, Se Hwan; Kwon, Tai Hun; Ahn, Chong H

2005-07-01

Mixing enhancement has drawn great attention from designers of micromixers, since the flow in a microchannel is usually characterized by a low Reynolds number (Re) which makes the mixing quite a difficult task to accomplish. In this paper, a novel integrated efficient micromixer named serpentine laminating micromixer (SLM) has been designed, simulated, fabricated and fully characterized. In the SLM, a high level of efficient mixing can be achieved by combining two general chaotic mixing mechanisms: splitting/recombination and chaotic advection. The splitting and recombination (in other terms, lamination) mechanism is obtained by the successive arrangement of "F"-shape mixing units in two layers. The advection is induced by the overall three-dimensional serpentine path of the microchannel. The SLM was realized by SU-8 photolithography, nickel electroplating, injection molding and thermal bonding. Mixing performance of the SLM was fully characterized numerically and experimentally. The numerical mixing simulations show that the advection acts favorably to realize the ideal vertical lamination of fluid flow. The mixing experiments based on an average mixing color intensity change of phenolphthalein show a high level of mixing performance was obtained with the SLM. Numerical and experimental results confirm that efficient mixing is successfully achieved from the SLM over the wide range of Re. Due to the simple and mass producible geometry of the efficient micromixer, SLM proposed in this study, the SLM can be easily applied to integrated microfluidic systems, such as micro-total-analysis-systems or lab-on-a-chip systems.

Approximate analytic method for high-apogee twelve-hour orbits of artificial Earth's satellites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vashkovyaka, M. A.; Zaslavskii, G. S.

2016-09-01

We propose an approach to the study of the evolution of high-apogee twelve-hour orbits of artificial Earth's satellites. We describe parameters of the motion model used for the artificial Earth's satellite such that the principal gravitational perturbations of the Moon and Sun, nonsphericity of the Earth, and perturbations from the light pressure force are approximately taken into account. To solve the system of averaged equations describing the evolution of the orbit parameters of an artificial satellite, we use both numeric and analytic methods. To select initial parameters of the twelve-hour orbit, we assume that the path of the satellite along the surface of the Earth is stable. Results obtained by the analytic method and by the numerical integration of the evolving system are compared. For intervals of several years, we obtain estimates of oscillation periods and amplitudes for orbital elements. To verify the results and estimate the precision of the method, we use the numerical integration of rigorous (not averaged) equations of motion of the artificial satellite: they take into account forces acting on the satellite substantially more completely and precisely. The described method can be applied not only to the investigation of orbit evolutions of artificial satellites of the Earth; it can be applied to the investigation of the orbit evolution for other planets of the Solar system provided that the corresponding research problem will arise in the future and the considered special class of resonance orbits of satellites will be used for that purpose.

Fast orthogonal transforms and generation of Brownian paths

PubMed Central

Leobacher, Gunther

2012-01-01

We present a number of fast constructions of discrete Brownian paths that can be used as alternatives to principal component analysis and Brownian bridge for stratified Monte Carlo and quasi-Monte Carlo. By fast we mean that a path of length n can be generated in O(nlog(n)) floating point operations. We highlight some of the connections between the different constructions and we provide some numerical examples. PMID:23471545

Path integral Monte Carlo and the electron gas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brown, Ethan W.

Path integral Monte Carlo is a proven method for accurately simulating quantum mechanical systems at finite-temperature. By stochastically sampling Feynman's path integral representation of the quantum many-body density matrix, path integral Monte Carlo includes non-perturbative effects like thermal fluctuations and particle correlations in a natural way. Over the past 30 years, path integral Monte Carlo has been successfully employed to study the low density electron gas, high-pressure hydrogen, and superfluid helium. For systems where the role of Fermi statistics is important, however, traditional path integral Monte Carlo simulations have an exponentially decreasing efficiency with decreased temperature and increased system size. In this thesis, we work towards improving this efficiency, both through approximate and exact methods, as specifically applied to the homogeneous electron gas. We begin with a brief overview of the current state of atomic simulations at finite-temperature before we delve into a pedagogical review of the path integral Monte Carlo method. We then spend some time discussing the one major issue preventing exact simulation of Fermi systems, the sign problem. Afterwards, we introduce a way to circumvent the sign problem in PIMC simulations through a fixed-node constraint. We then apply this method to the homogeneous electron gas at a large swatch of densities and temperatures in order to map out the warm-dense matter regime. The electron gas can be a representative model for a host of real systems, from simple medals to stellar interiors. However, its most common use is as input into density functional theory. To this end, we aim to build an accurate representation of the electron gas from the ground state to the classical limit and examine its use in finite-temperature density functional formulations. The latter half of this thesis focuses on possible routes beyond the fixed-node approximation. As a first step, we utilize the variational principle inherent in the path integral Monte Carlo method to optimize the nodal surface. By using a ansatz resembling a free particle density matrix, we make a unique connection between a nodal effective mass and the traditional effective mass of many-body quantum theory. We then propose and test several alternate nodal ansatzes and apply them to single atomic systems. Finally, we propose a method to tackle the sign problem head on, by leveraging the relatively simple structure of permutation space. Using this method, we find we can perform exact simulations this of the electron gas and 3He that were previously impossible.

A study of methods to predict and measure the transmission of sound through the walls of light aircraft

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bernhard, R. J.; Bolton, J. S.; Gardner, B.; Mickol, J.; Mollo, C.; Bruer, C.

1986-01-01

Progress was made in the following areas: development of a numerical/empirical noise source identification procedure using bondary element techniques; identification of structure-borne noise paths using structural intensity and finite element methods; development of a design optimization numerical procedure to be used to study active noise control in three-dimensional geometries; measurement of dynamic properties of acoustical foams and incorporation of these properties in models governing three-dimensional wave propagation in foams; and structure-borne sound path identification by use of the Wigner distribution.

A new hybrid numerical scheme for simulating fault ruptures with near-fault bulk inhomogeneities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hajarolasvadi, S.; Elbanna, A. E.

2017-12-01

The Finite Difference (FD) and Boundary Integral (BI) Method have been extensively used to model spontaneously propagating shear cracks, which can serve as a useful idealization of natural earthquakes. While FD suffers from artificial dispersion and numerical dissipation and has a large computational cost as it requires the discretization of the whole volume of interest, it can be applied to a wider range of problems including ones with bulk nonlinearities and heterogeneities. On the other hand, in the BI method, the numerical consideration is confined to the crack path only, with the elastodynamic response of the bulk expressed in terms of integral relations between displacement discontinuities and tractions along the crack. Therefore, this method - its spectral boundary integral (SBI) formulation in particular - is much faster and more computationally efficient than other bulk methods such as FD. However, its application is restricted to linear elastic bulk and planar faults. This work proposes a novel hybrid numerical scheme that combines FD and the SBI to enable treating fault zone nonlinearities and heterogeneities with unprecedented resolution and in a more computationally efficient way. The main idea of the method is to enclose the inhomgeneities in a virtual strip that is introduced for computational purposes only. This strip is then discretized using a volume-based numerical method, chosen here to be the finite difference method while the virtual boundaries of the strip are handled using the SBI formulation that represents the two elastic half spaces outside the strip. Modeling the elastodynamic response in these two halfspaces needs to be carried out by an Independent Spectral Formulation before joining them to the strip with the appropriate boundary conditions. Dirichlet and Neumann boundary conditions are imposed on the strip and the two half-spaces, respectively, at each time step to propagate the solution forward. We demonstrate the validity of the approach using two examples for dynamic rupture propagation: one in the presence of a low velocity layer and the other in which off-fault plasticity is permitted. This approach is more computationally efficient than pure FD and expands the range of applications of SBI beyond the current state of the art.

Laser-Based Production of Metallic Conducting Paths

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vedder, Christian; Stollenwerk, Jochen; Wissenbach, Konrad; Pirch, Norbert

For numerous devices such as OLEDs, solar cells or heated windows conducting paths are needed for collecting or distributing electricity on poorly or non-conducting surfaces. With established techniques the metallic paths can only be produced with a great deal of effort, incurring high costs for plant, equipment and energy. A new laser based process to manufacture conducting paths allows for writing narrow paths (down to 35 μm width) of Al, Cu, Ag or similar materials onto flat surfaces of glass (plain or coated with ITO) and silicon wafers by melting and vaporizing a metal foil through optical energy at high speeds of up to 2.5 m/s.

Tomography and the Herglotz-Wiechert inverse formulation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nowack, Robert L.

1990-04-01

In this paper, linearized tomography and the Herglotz-Wiechert inverse formulation are compared. Tomographic inversions for 2-D or 3-D velocity structure use line integrals along rays and can be written in terms of Radon transforms. For radially concentric structures, Radon transforms are shown to reduce to Abel transforms. Therefore, for straight ray paths, the Abel transform of travel-time is a tomographic algorithm specialized to a one-dimensional radially concentric medium. The Herglotz-Wiechert formulation uses seismic travel-time data to invert for one-dimensional earth structure and is derived using exact ray trajectories by applying an Abel transform. This is of historical interest since it would imply that a specialized tomographic-like algorithm has been used in seismology since the early part of the century (see Herglotz, 1907; Wiechert, 1910). Numerical examples are performed comparing the Herglotz-Wiechert algorithm and linearized tomography along straight rays. Since the Herglotz-Wiechert algorithm is applicable under specific conditions, (the absence of low velocity zones) to non-straight ray paths, the association with tomography may prove to be useful in assessing the uniqueness of tomographic results generalized to curved ray geometries.

SIMULATION STUDY FOR GASEOUS FLUXES FROM AN AREA SOURCE USING COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY AND OPTICAL REMOTE SENSING

EPA Science Inventory

The paper presents a new approach to quantifying emissions from fugitive gaseous air pollution sources. Computed tomography (CT) and path-integrated optical remote sensing (PI-ORS) concentration data are combined in a new field beam geometry. Path-integrated concentrations are ...

Teaching Basic Quantum Mechanics in Secondary School Using Concepts of Feynman Path Integrals Method

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fanaro, Maria de los Angeles; Otero, Maria Rita; Arlego, Marcelo

2012-01-01

This paper discusses the teaching of basic quantum mechanics in high school. Rather than following the usual formalism, our approach is based on Feynman's path integral method. Our presentation makes use of simulation software and avoids sophisticated mathematical formalism. (Contains 3 figures.)

Piloting Systems Reset Path Integration Systems during Position Estimation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zhang, Lei; Mou, Weimin

2017-01-01

During locomotion, individuals can determine their positions with either idiothetic cues from movement (path integration systems) or visual landmarks (piloting systems). This project investigated how these 2 systems interact in determining humans' positions. In 2 experiments, participants studied the locations of 5 target objects and 1 single…

Path-integral invariants in abelian Chern-Simons theory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guadagnini, E.; Thuillier, F.

2014-05-01

We consider the U(1) Chern-Simons gauge theory defined in a general closed oriented 3-manifold M; the functional integration is used to compute the normalized partition function and the expectation values of the link holonomies. The non-perturbative path-integral is defined in the space of the gauge orbits of the connections which belong to the various inequivalent U(1) principal bundles over M; the different sectors of configuration space are labelled by the elements of the first homology group of M and are characterized by appropriate background connections. The gauge orbits of flat connections, whose classification is also based on the homology group, control the non-perturbative contributions to the mean values. The functional integration is carried out in any 3-manifold M, and the corresponding path-integral invariants turn out to be strictly related with the abelian Reshetikhin-Turaev surgery invariants.

Isothermal absorption of soluble gases by atmospheric nanoaerosols

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Elperin, T.; Fominykh, A.; Krasovitov, B.; Lushnikov, A.

2013-01-01

We investigate mass transfer during the isothermal absorption of atmospheric trace soluble gases by a single droplet whose size is comparable to the molecular mean free path in air at normal conditions. It is assumed that the trace reactant diffuses to the droplet surface and then reacts with the substances inside the droplet according to the first-order rate law. Our analysis applies a flux-matching theory of transport processes in gases and assumes constant thermophysical properties of the gases and liquids. We derive an integral equation of Volterra type for the transient molecular flux density to a liquid droplet and solve it numerically. Numerical calculations are performed for absorption of sulfur dioxide (SO2), dinitrogen trioxide (N2O3), and chlorine (Cl2) by liquid nanoaerosols accompanied by chemical dissociation reaction. It is shown that during gas absorption by nanoaerosols, the kinetic effects play a significant role, and neglecting kinetic effects leads to a significant overestimation of the soluble gas flux into a droplet during the entire period of gas absorption.

Isothermal absorption of soluble gases by atmospheric nanoaerosols.

PubMed

Elperin, T; Fominykh, A; Krasovitov, B; Lushnikov, A

2013-01-01

We investigate mass transfer during the isothermal absorption of atmospheric trace soluble gases by a single droplet whose size is comparable to the molecular mean free path in air at normal conditions. It is assumed that the trace reactant diffuses to the droplet surface and then reacts with the substances inside the droplet according to the first-order rate law. Our analysis applies a flux-matching theory of transport processes in gases and assumes constant thermophysical properties of the gases and liquids. We derive an integral equation of Volterra type for the transient molecular flux density to a liquid droplet and solve it numerically. Numerical calculations are performed for absorption of sulfur dioxide (SO(2)), dinitrogen trioxide (N(2)O(3)), and chlorine (Cl(2)) by liquid nanoaerosols accompanied by chemical dissociation reaction. It is shown that during gas absorption by nanoaerosols, the kinetic effects play a significant role, and neglecting kinetic effects leads to a significant overestimation of the soluble gas flux into a droplet during the entire period of gas absorption.

Substructuring of multibody systems for numerical transfer path analysis in internal combustion engines

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Acri, Antonio; Offner, Guenter; Nijman, Eugene; Rejlek, Jan

2016-10-01

Noise legislations and the increasing customer demands determine the Noise Vibration and Harshness (NVH) development of modern commercial vehicles. In order to meet the stringent legislative requirements for the vehicle noise emission, exact knowledge of all vehicle noise sources and their acoustic behavior is required. Transfer path analysis (TPA) is a fairly well established technique for estimating and ranking individual low-frequency noise or vibration contributions via the different transmission paths. Transmission paths from different sources to target points of interest and their contributions can be analyzed by applying TPA. This technique is applied on test measurements, which can only be available on prototypes, at the end of the designing process. In order to overcome the limits of TPA, a numerical transfer path analysis methodology based on the substructuring of a multibody system is proposed in this paper. Being based on numerical simulation, this methodology can be performed starting from the first steps of the designing process. The main target of the proposed methodology is to get information of noise sources contributions of a dynamic system considering the possibility to have multiple forces contemporary acting on the system. The contributions of these forces are investigated with particular focus on distribute or moving forces. In this paper, the mathematical basics of the proposed methodology and its advantages in comparison with TPA will be discussed. Then, a dynamic system is investigated with a combination of two methods. Being based on the dynamic substructuring (DS) of the investigated model, the methodology proposed requires the evaluation of the contact forces at interfaces, which are computed with a flexible multi-body dynamic (FMBD) simulation. Then, the structure-borne noise paths are computed with the wave based method (WBM). As an example application a 4-cylinder engine is investigated and the proposed methodology is applied on the engine block. The aim is to get accurate and clear relationships between excitations and responses of the simulated dynamic system, analyzing the noise and vibrational sources inside a car engine, showing the main advantages of a numerical methodology.

Retrieval of Vertical Aerosol and Trace Gas Distributions from Polarization Sensitive Multi-Axis Differential Optical Absorption Spectroscopy (MAX-DOAS)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tirpitz, Jan-Lukas; Friess, Udo; Platt, Ulrich

2017-04-01

An accurate knowledge of the vertical distribution of trace gases and aerosols is crucial for our understanding of the chemical and dynamical processes in the lower troposphere. Their accurate determination is typically only possible by means of laborious and expensive airborne in-situ measurements but in the recent decades, numerous promising ground-based remote sensing approaches have been developed. One of them is to infer vertical distributions from "Differential Optical Absorption Spectroscopy" (DOAS) measurements. DOAS is a technique to analyze UV- and visible radiation spectra of direct or scattered sunlight, which delivers information on different atmospheric parameters, integrated over the light path from space to the instrument. An appropriate set of DOAS measurements, recorded under different viewing directions (Multi-Axis DOAS) and thus different light path geometries, provides information on the atmospheric state. The vertical profiles of aerosol properties and trace gas concentrations can be retrieved from such a set by numerical inversion techniques, incorporating radiative transfer models. The information content of measured data is rarely sufficient for a well-constrained retrieval, particularly for atmospheric layers above 1 km. We showed in first simulations that, apart from spectral properties, the polarization state of skylight is likely to provide a significant amount of additional information on the atmospheric state and thus to enhance retrieval quality. We present first simulations, expectations and ideas on how to implement and characterize a polarization sensitive Multi-Axis DOAS instrument and a corresponding profile retrieval algorithm.

A new navigational mechanism mediated by ant ocelli.

PubMed

Schwarz, Sebastian; Wystrach, Antoine; Cheng, Ken

2011-12-23

Many animals rely on path integration for navigation and desert ants are the champions. On leaving the nest, ants continuously integrate their distance and direction of travel so that they always know their current distance and direction from the nest and can take a direct path to home. Distance information originates from a step-counter and directional information is based on a celestial compass. So far, it has been assumed that the directional information obtained from ocelli contribute to a single global path integrator, together with directional information from the dorsal rim area (DRA) of the compound eyes and distance information from the step-counter. Here, we show that ocelli mediate a distinct compass from that mediated by the compound eyes. After travelling a two-leg outbound route, untreated foragers headed towards the nest direction, showing that both legs of the route had been integrated. In contrast, foragers with covered compound eyes but uncovered ocelli steered in the direction opposite to the last leg of the outbound route. Our findings suggest that, unlike the DRA, ocelli cannot by themselves mediate path integration. Instead, ocelli mediate a distinct directional system, which buffers the most recent leg of a journey.

Using a numerical model to understand the connection between the ocean and acoustic travel-time measurements.

PubMed

Powell, Brian S; Kerry, Colette G; Cornuelle, Bruce D

2013-10-01

Measurements of acoustic ray travel-times in the ocean provide synoptic integrals of the ocean state between source and receiver. It is known that the ray travel-time is sensitive to variations in the ocean at the transmission time, but the sensitivity of the travel-time to spatial variations in the ocean prior to the acoustic transmission have not been quantified. This study examines the sensitivity of ray travel-time to the temporally and spatially evolving ocean state in the Philippine Sea using the adjoint of a numerical model. A one year series of five day backward integrations of the adjoint model quantify the sensitivity of travel-times to varying dynamics that can alter the travel-time of a 611 km ray by 200 ms. The early evolution of the sensitivities reveals high-mode internal waves that dissipate quickly, leaving the lowest three modes, providing a connection to variations in the internal tide generation prior to the sample time. They are also strongly sensitive to advective effects that alter density along the ray path. These sensitivities reveal how travel-time measurements are affected by both nearby and distant waters. Temporal nonlinearity of the sensitivities suggests that prior knowledge of the ocean state is necessary to exploit the travel-time observations.

Proceedings of the IMOG (Interagency Manufacturing Operations Group) Numerical Systems Group. 62nd Meeting

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Maes, G.J.

1993-10-01

This document contains the proceedings of the 62nd Interagency Manufacturing Operations Group (IMOG) Numerical Systems Group. Included are the minutes of the 61st meeting and the agenda for the 62nd meeting. Presentations at the meeting are provided in the appendices to this document. Presentations were: 1992 NSG Annual Report to IMOG Steering Committee; Charter for the IMOG Numerical Systems Group; Y-12 Coordinate Measuring Machine Training Project; IBH NC Controller; Automatically Programmed Metrology Update; Certification of Anvil-5000 for Production Use at the Y-12 Plant; Accord Project; Sandia National Laboratories {open_quotes}Accord{close_quotes}; Demo/Anvil Tool Path Generation 5-Axis; Demo/Video Machine/Robot Animation Dynamics; Demo/Certification ofmore » Anvil Tool Path Generation; Tour of the M-60 Inspection Machine; Distributed Numerical Control Certification; Spline Usage Method; Y-12 NC Engineering Status; and Y-12 Manufacturing CAD Systems.« less

Visual influence on path integration in darkness indicates a multimodal representation of large-scale space

PubMed Central

Tcheang, Lili; Bülthoff, Heinrich H.; Burgess, Neil

2011-01-01

Our ability to return to the start of a route recently performed in darkness is thought to reflect path integration of motion-related information. Here we provide evidence that motion-related interoceptive representations (proprioceptive, vestibular, and motor efference copy) combine with visual representations to form a single multimodal representation guiding navigation. We used immersive virtual reality to decouple visual input from motion-related interoception by manipulating the rotation or translation gain of the visual projection. First, participants walked an outbound path with both visual and interoceptive input, and returned to the start in darkness, demonstrating the influences of both visual and interoceptive information in a virtual reality environment. Next, participants adapted to visual rotation gains in the virtual environment, and then performed the path integration task entirely in darkness. Our findings were accurately predicted by a quantitative model in which visual and interoceptive inputs combine into a single multimodal representation guiding navigation, and are incompatible with a model of separate visual and interoceptive influences on action (in which path integration in darkness must rely solely on interoceptive representations). Overall, our findings suggest that a combined multimodal representation guides large-scale navigation, consistent with a role for visual imagery or a cognitive map. PMID:21199934

On the Path Integral in Non-Commutative (nc) Qft

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dehne, Christoph

2008-09-01

As is generally known, different quantization schemes applied to field theory on NC spacetime lead to Feynman rules with different physical properties, if time does not commute with space. In particular, the Feynman rules that are derived from the path integral corresponding to the T*-product (the so-called naïve Feynman rules) violate the causal time ordering property. Within the Hamiltonian approach to quantum field theory, we show that we can (formally) modify the time ordering encoded in the above path integral. The resulting Feynman rules are identical to those obtained in the canonical approach via the Gell-Mann-Low formula (with T-ordering). They preserve thus unitarity and causal time ordering.

Tunable quantum interference in a 3D integrated circuit.

PubMed

Chaboyer, Zachary; Meany, Thomas; Helt, L G; Withford, Michael J; Steel, M J

2015-04-27

Integrated photonics promises solutions to questions of stability, complexity, and size in quantum optics. Advances in tunable and non-planar integrated platforms, such as laser-inscribed photonics, continue to bring the realisation of quantum advantages in computation and metrology ever closer, perhaps most easily seen in multi-path interferometry. Here we demonstrate control of two-photon interference in a chip-scale 3D multi-path interferometer, showing a reduced periodicity and enhanced visibility compared to single photon measurements. Observed non-classical visibilities are widely tunable, and explained well by theoretical predictions based on classical measurements. With these predictions we extract Fisher information approaching a theoretical maximum. Our results open a path to quantum enhanced phase measurements.

Path integral measure, constraints and ghosts for massive gravitons with a cosmological constant

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Metaxas, Dimitrios

2009-12-15

For massive gravity in a de Sitter background one encounters problems of stability when the curvature is larger than the graviton mass. I analyze this situation from the path integral point of view and show that it is related to the conformal factor problem of Euclidean quantum (massless) gravity. When a constraint for massive gravity is incorporated and the proper treatment of the path integral measure is taken into account one finds that, for particular choices of the DeWitt metric on the space of metrics (in fact, the same choices as in the massless case), one obtains the opposite boundmore » on the graviton mass.« less

Note: A portable Raman analyzer for microfluidic chips based on a dichroic beam splitter for integration of imaging and signal collection light paths

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Geng, Yijia; Xu, Shuping; Xu, Weiqing, E-mail: xuwq@jlu.edu.cn

An integrated and portable Raman analyzer featuring an inverted probe fixed on a motor-driving adjustable optical module was designed for the combination of a microfluidic system. It possesses a micro-imaging function. The inverted configuration is advantageous to locate and focus microfluidic channels. Different from commercial micro-imaging Raman spectrometers using manual switchable light path, this analyzer adopts a dichroic beam splitter for both imaging and signal collection light paths, which avoids movable parts and improves the integration and stability of optics. Combined with surface-enhanced Raman scattering technique, this portable Raman micro-analyzer is promising as a powerful tool for microfluidic analytics.

Blip decomposition of the path integral: exponential acceleration of real-time calculations on quantum dissipative systems.

PubMed

Makri, Nancy

2014-10-07

The real-time path integral representation of the reduced density matrix for a discrete system in contact with a dissipative medium is rewritten in terms of the number of blips, i.e., elementary time intervals over which the forward and backward paths are not identical. For a given set of blips, it is shown that the path sum with respect to the coordinates of all remaining time points is isomorphic to that for the wavefunction of a system subject to an external driving term and thus can be summed by an inexpensive iterative procedure. This exact decomposition reduces the number of terms by a factor that increases exponentially with propagation time. Further, under conditions (moderately high temperature and/or dissipation strength) that lead primarily to incoherent dynamics, the "fully incoherent limit" zero-blip term of the series provides a reasonable approximation to the dynamics, and the blip series converges rapidly to the exact result. Retention of only the blips required for satisfactory convergence leads to speedup of full-memory path integral calculations by many orders of magnitude.

Flat-plate solar array project. Volume 8: Project analysis and integration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mcguire, P.; Henry, P.

1986-01-01

Project Analysis and Integration (PA&I) performed planning and integration activities to support management of the various Flat-Plate Solar Array (FSA) Project R&D activities. Technical and economic goals were established by PA&I for each R&D task within the project to coordinate the thrust toward the National Photovoltaic Program goals. A sophisticated computer modeling capability was developed to assess technical progress toward meeting the economic goals. These models included a manufacturing facility simulation, a photovoltaic power station simulation and a decision aid model incorporating uncertainty. This family of analysis tools was used to track the progress of the technology and to explore the effects of alternative technical paths. Numerous studies conducted by PA&I signaled the achievement of milestones or were the foundation of major FSA project and national program decisions. The most important PA&I activities during the project history are summarized. The PA&I planning function is discussed and how it relates to project direction and important analytical models developed by PA&I for its analytical and assessment activities are reviewed.

Changes in the interaction of resting-state neural networks from adolescence to adulthood.

PubMed

Stevens, Michael C; Pearlson, Godfrey D; Calhoun, Vince D

2009-08-01

This study examined how the mutual interactions of functionally integrated neural networks during resting-state fMRI differed between adolescence and adulthood. Independent component analysis (ICA) was used to identify functionally connected neural networks in 100 healthy participants aged 12-30 years. Hemodynamic timecourses that represented integrated neural network activity were analyzed with tools that quantified system "causal density" estimates, which indexed the proportion of significant Granger causality relationships among system nodes. Mutual influences among networks decreased with age, likely reflecting stronger within-network connectivity and more efficient between-network influences with greater development. Supplemental tests showed that this normative age-related reduction in causal density was accompanied by fewer significant connections to and from each network, regional increases in the strength of functional integration within networks, and age-related reductions in the strength of numerous specific system interactions. The latter included paths between lateral prefrontal-parietal circuits and "default mode" networks. These results contribute to an emerging understanding that activity in widely distributed networks thought to underlie complex cognition influences activity in other networks. (c) 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

An Integrated Retrieval Framework for AMSR2: Implications for Light Precipitation and Sea Ice Edge Detectability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Duncan, D.; Kummerow, C. D.; Meier, W.

2016-12-01

Over the lifetime of AMSR-E, operational retrieval algorithms were developed and run for precipitation, ocean suite (SST, wind speed, cloud liquid water path, and column water vapor over ocean), sea ice, snow water equivalent, and soil moisture. With a separate algorithm for each group, the retrievals were never interactive or integrated in any way despite many co-sensitivities. AMSR2, the follow-on mission to AMSR-E, retrieves the same parameters at a slightly higher spatial resolution. We have combined the operational algorithms for AMSR2 in a way that facilitates sharing information between the retrievals. Difficulties that arose were mainly related to calibration, spatial resolution, coastlines, and order of processing. The integration of all algorithms for AMSR2 has numerous benefits, including better detection of light precipitation and sea ice, fewer screened out pixels, and better quality flags. Integrating the algorithms opens up avenues for investigating the limits of detectability for precipitation from a passive microwave radiometer and the impact of spatial resolution on sea ice edge detection; these are investigated using CloudSat and MODIS coincident observations from the A-Train constellation.

A Note on the Stochastic Nature of Feynman Quantum Paths

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Botelho, Luiz C. L.

2016-11-01

We propose a Fresnel stochastic white noise framework to analyze the stochastic nature of the Feynman paths entering on the Feynman Path Integral expression for the Feynman Propagator of a particle quantum mechanically moving under a time-independent potential.

Magnetospheric Whistler Mode Raytracing with the Inclusion of Finite Electron and ion Temperature

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maxworth, Ashanthi S.

Whistler mode waves are a type of a low frequency (100 Hz - 30 kHz) wave, which exists only in a magnetized plasma. These waves play a major role in Earth's magnetosphere. Due to the impact of whistler mode waves in many fields such as space weather, satellite communications and lifetime of space electronics, it is important to accurately predict the propagation path of these waves. The method used to determine the propagation path of whistler waves is called numerical raytracing. Numerical raytracing determines the power flow path of the whistler mode waves by solving a set of equations known as the Haselgrove's equations. In the majority of the previous work, raytracing was implemented assuming a cold background plasma (0 K), but the actual magnetosphere is at a temperature of about 1 eV (11600 K). In this work we have modified the numerical raytracing algorithm to work at finite electron and ion temperatures. The finite temperature effects have also been introduced into the formulations for linear cyclotron resonance wave growth and Landau damping, which are the primary mechanisms for whistler mode growth and attenuation in the magnetosphere. Including temperature increases the complexity of numerical raytracing, but the overall effects are mostly limited to increasing the group velocity of the waves at highly oblique wave normal angles.

Assessment of critical path analyses of the relationship between permeability and electrical conductivity of pore networks

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Critical path analysis (CPA) is a method for estimating macroscopic transport coefficients of heterogeneous materials that are highly disordered at the micro-scale. Developed originally to model conduction in semiconductors, numerous researchers have noted that CPA might also have relevance to flow ...

Diagnostic and Remedial Learning Strategy Based on Conceptual Graphs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jong, BinShyan; Lin, TsongWuu; Wu, YuLung; Chan, Teyi

2004-01-01

Numerous scholars have applied conceptual graphs for explanatory purposes. This study devised the Remedial-Instruction Decisive path (RID path) algorithm for diagnosing individual student learning situation. This study focuses on conceptual graphs. According to the concepts learned by students and the weight values of relations among these…

A path to in-space welding and to other in-space metal processing technologies using Space Shuttle small payloads

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tamir, David

1992-01-01

As we venture into space, it becomes necessary to assemble, expand, and repair space-based structures for our housing, research, and manufacturing. The zero gravity-vacuum of space challenges us to employ construction options which are commonplace on Earth. Rockwell International (RI) has begun to undertake the challenge of space-based construction via numerous options, of which one is welding. As of today, RI divisions have developed appropriate resources and technologies to bring space-based welding within our grasp. Further work, specifically in the area of developing space experiments to test RI technology, is required. RI Space Welding Project's achievements to date, from research and development (R&E) efforts in the areas of microgravity, vacuum, intra- / extra- vehicular activity and spinoff technologies, are reviewed. Special emphasis is given to results for G-169's (Get Away Special) microgravity flights aboard a NASA KC-135. Based on these achievements, a path to actual development of a space welding system is proposed with options to explore spinoff in-space metal processing technologies. This path is constructed by following a series of milestone experiments, of which several are to utilize NASA's Shuttle Small Payload Programs. Conceptual designs of the proposed shuttle payload experiments are discussed with application of lessons learned from G-169's design, development, integration, testing, safety approval process, and KC-135 flights.

PLANE-INTEGRATED OPEN-PATH FOURIER TRANSFORM INFRARED SPECTROMETRY METHODOLOGY FOR ANAEROBIC SWINE LAGOON EMISSION MEASUREMENTS

EPA Science Inventory

Emissions of ammonia and methane from an anaerobic lagoon at a swine animal feeding operation were evaluated five times over a period of two years. The plane-integrated (PI) open-path Fourier transform infrared spectrometry (OP-FTIR) methodology was used to transect the plume at ...

Path integral Monte Carlo ground state approach: formalism, implementation, and applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yan, Yangqian; Blume, D.

2017-11-01

Monte Carlo techniques have played an important role in understanding strongly correlated systems across many areas of physics, covering a wide range of energy and length scales. Among the many Monte Carlo methods applicable to quantum mechanical systems, the path integral Monte Carlo approach with its variants has been employed widely. Since semi-classical or classical approaches will not be discussed in this review, path integral based approaches can for our purposes be divided into two categories: approaches applicable to quantum mechanical systems at zero temperature and approaches applicable to quantum mechanical systems at finite temperature. While these two approaches are related to each other, the underlying formulation and aspects of the algorithm differ. This paper reviews the path integral Monte Carlo ground state (PIGS) approach, which solves the time-independent Schrödinger equation. Specifically, the PIGS approach allows for the determination of expectation values with respect to eigen states of the few- or many-body Schrödinger equation provided the system Hamiltonian is known. The theoretical framework behind the PIGS algorithm, implementation details, and sample applications for fermionic systems are presented.

Tackling higher derivative ghosts with the Euclidean path integral

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Fontanini, Michele; Department of Physics, Syracuse University, Syracuse, New York 13244; Trodden, Mark

2011-05-15

An alternative to the effective field theory approach to treat ghosts in higher derivative theories is to attempt to integrate them out via the Euclidean path integral formalism. It has been suggested that this method could provide a consistent framework within which we might tolerate the ghost degrees of freedom that plague, among other theories, the higher derivative gravity models that have been proposed to explain cosmic acceleration. We consider the extension of this idea to treating a class of terms with order six derivatives, and find that for a general term the Euclidean path integral approach works in themore » most trivial background, Minkowski. Moreover we see that even in de Sitter background, despite some difficulties, it is possible to define a probability distribution for tensorial perturbations of the metric.« less

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Akagi, Sheryl; Burling, Ian R.; Mendoza, Albert

We report trace-gas emission factors from three pine-understory prescribed fires in South Carolina, U.S. measured during the fall of 2011. The fires were an attempt to simulate high-intensity burns and the fuels included mature pine stands not frequently subjected to prescribed fire that were lit following a sustained period of drought. In this work we focus on the emission factor measurements made using a fixed open-path gas analyzer Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) system. We compare these emission factors with those measured using a roving, point sampling, land-based FTIR and an airborne FTIR that were deployed on the same fires. Wemore » also compare to emission factors measured by a similar open-path FTIR system deployed on savanna fires in Africa. The data suggest that the method in which the smoke is sampled can strongly influence the relative abundance of the emissions that are observed. The airborne FTIR probed the bulk of the emissions, which were lofted in the convection column and the downwind chemistry while the roving ground-based point sampling FTIR measured the contribution of individual residual smoldering combustion fuel elements scattered throughout the burn site. The open-path FTIR provided a fixed path-integrated sample of emissions produced directly upwind mixed with emissions that were redirected by wind gusts, or right after ignition and before the adjacent plume achieved significant vertical development. It typically probed two distinct combustion regimes, “flaming-like” (immediately after adjacent ignition) and “smoldering-like”, denoted “early” and “late”, respectively. The calculated emission factors from open-path measurements were closer to the airborne than to the point measurements, but this could vary depending on the calculation method or from fire to fire given the changing MCE and dynamics over the duration of a typical burn. The emission factors for species whose emissions are not highly fuel dependent (e.g. CH4 and CH3OH) from all three systems can be plotted versus modified combustion efficiency and fit to a single consistent trend suggesting that differences between the systems for these species may be mainly due to the unique mix of flaming and smoldering that each system sampled. For other more fuel dependent species, the different fuels sampled also likely contributed to platform differences in emission factors. The path-integrated sample of the ground-level smoke layer adjacent to the fire provided by the open-path measurements is important for estimating fire-line exposure to smoke for wildland fire personnel. We provide a table of estimated fire-line exposures for numerous known air toxics based on synthesizing results from several studies. Our data suggest that peak exposures are more likely to challenge permissible exposure limits for wildland fire personnel than shift-average exposures.« less

Optical path difference microscopy with a Shack-Hartmann wavefront sensor.

PubMed

Gong, Hai; Agbana, Temitope E; Pozzi, Paolo; Soloviev, Oleg; Verhaegen, Michel; Vdovin, Gleb

2017-06-01

In this Letter, we show that a Shack-Hartmann wavefront sensor can be used for the quantitative measurement of the specimen optical path difference (OPD) in an ordinary incoherent optical microscope, if the spatial coherence of the illumination light in the plane of the specimen is larger than the microscope resolution. To satisfy this condition, the illumination numerical aperture should be smaller than the numerical aperture of the imaging lens. This principle has been successfully applied to build a high-resolution reference-free instrument for the characterization of the OPD of micro-optical components and microscopic biological samples.

Long-time Dynamics of Stochastic Wave Breaking

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Restrepo, J. M.; Ramirez, J. M.; Deike, L.; Melville, K.

2017-12-01

A stochastic parametrization is proposed for the dynamics of wave breaking of progressive water waves. The model is shown to agree with transport estimates, derived from the Lagrangian path of fluid parcels. These trajectories are obtained numerically and are shown to agree well with theory in the non-breaking regime. Of special interest is the impact of wave breaking on transport, momentum exchanges and energy dissipation, as well as dispersion of trajectories. The proposed model, ensemble averaged to larger time scales, is compared to ensemble averages of the numerically generated parcel dynamics, and is then used to capture energy dissipation and path dispersion.

Solving nonlinear equilibrium equations of deformable systems by method of embedded polygons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Razdolsky, A. G.

2017-09-01

Solving of nonlinear algebraic equations is an obligatory stage of studying the equilibrium paths of nonlinear deformable systems. The iterative method for solving a system of nonlinear algebraic equations stated in an explicit or implicit form is developed in the present work. The method consists of constructing a sequence of polygons in Euclidean space that converge into a single point that displays the solution of the system. Polygon vertices are determined on the assumption that individual equations of the system are independent from each other and each of them is a function of only one variable. Initial positions of vertices for each subsequent polygon are specified at the midpoints of certain straight segments determined at the previous iteration. The present algorithm is applied for analytical investigation of the behavior of biaxially compressed nonlinear-elastic beam-column with an open thin-walled cross-section. Numerical examples are made for the I-beam-column on the assumption that its material follows a bilinear stress-strain diagram. A computer program based on the shooting method is developed for solving the problem. The method is reduced to numerical integration of a system of differential equations and to the solution of a system of nonlinear algebraic equations between the boundary values of displacements at the ends of the beam-column. A stress distribution at the beam-column cross-sections is determined by subdividing the cross-section area into many small cells. The equilibrium path for the twisting angle and the lateral displacements tend to the stationary point when the load is increased. Configuration of the path curves reveals that the ultimate load is reached shortly once the maximal normal stresses at the beam-column fall outside the limit of the elastic region. The beam-column has a unique equilibrium state for each value of the load, that is, there are no equilibrium states once the maximum load is reached.

Blocking performance approximation in flexi-grid networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ge, Fei; Tan, Liansheng

2016-12-01

The blocking probability to the path requests is an important issue in flexible bandwidth optical communications. In this paper, we propose a blocking probability approximation method of path requests in flexi-grid networks. It models the bundled neighboring carrier allocation with a group of birth-death processes and provides a theoretical analysis to the blocking probability under variable bandwidth traffic. The numerical results show the effect of traffic parameters to the blocking probability of path requests. We use the first fit algorithm in network nodes to allocate neighboring carriers to path requests in simulations, and verify approximation results.

Path integral pricing of Wasabi option in the Black-Scholes model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cassagnes, Aurelien; Chen, Yu; Ohashi, Hirotada

2014-11-01

In this paper, using path integral techniques, we derive a formula for a propagator arising in the study of occupation time derivatives. Using this result we derive a fair price for the case of the cumulative Parisian option. After confirming the validity of the derived result using Monte Carlo simulation, a new type of heavily path dependent derivative product is investigated. We derive an approximation for our so-called Wasabi option fair price and check the accuracy of our result with a Monte Carlo simulation.

IntPath--an integrated pathway gene relationship database for model organisms and important pathogens.

PubMed

Zhou, Hufeng; Jin, Jingjing; Zhang, Haojun; Yi, Bo; Wozniak, Michal; Wong, Limsoon

2012-01-01

Pathway data are important for understanding the relationship between genes, proteins and many other molecules in living organisms. Pathway gene relationships are crucial information for guidance, prediction, reference and assessment in biochemistry, computational biology, and medicine. Many well-established databases--e.g., KEGG, WikiPathways, and BioCyc--are dedicated to collecting pathway data for public access. However, the effectiveness of these databases is hindered by issues such as incompatible data formats, inconsistent molecular representations, inconsistent molecular relationship representations, inconsistent referrals to pathway names, and incomprehensive data from different databases. In this paper, we overcome these issues through extraction, normalization and integration of pathway data from several major public databases (KEGG, WikiPathways, BioCyc, etc). We build a database that not only hosts our integrated pathway gene relationship data for public access but also maintains the necessary updates in the long run. This public repository is named IntPath (Integrated Pathway gene relationship database for model organisms and important pathogens). Four organisms--S. cerevisiae, M. tuberculosis H37Rv, H. Sapiens and M. musculus--are included in this version (V2.0) of IntPath. IntPath uses the "full unification" approach to ensure no deletion and no introduced noise in this process. Therefore, IntPath contains much richer pathway-gene and pathway-gene pair relationships and much larger number of non-redundant genes and gene pairs than any of the single-source databases. The gene relationships of each gene (measured by average node degree) per pathway are significantly richer. The gene relationships in each pathway (measured by average number of gene pairs per pathway) are also considerably richer in the integrated pathways. Moderate manual curation are involved to get rid of errors and noises from source data (e.g., the gene ID errors in WikiPathways and relationship errors in KEGG). We turn complicated and incompatible xml data formats and inconsistent gene and gene relationship representations from different source databases into normalized and unified pathway-gene and pathway-gene pair relationships neatly recorded in simple tab-delimited text format and MySQL tables, which facilitates convenient automatic computation and large-scale referencing in many related studies. IntPath data can be downloaded in text format or MySQL dump. IntPath data can also be retrieved and analyzed conveniently through web service by local programs or through web interface by mouse clicks. Several useful analysis tools are also provided in IntPath. We have overcome in IntPath the issues of compatibility, consistency, and comprehensiveness that often hamper effective use of pathway databases. We have included four organisms in the current release of IntPath. Our methodology and programs described in this work can be easily applied to other organisms; and we will include more model organisms and important pathogens in future releases of IntPath. IntPath maintains regular updates and is freely available at http://compbio.ddns.comp.nus.edu.sg:8080/IntPath.

Augmenting two-dimensional hydrodynamic simulations with measured velocity data to identify flow paths as a function of depth on Upper St. Clair River in the Great Lakes basin

USGS Publications Warehouse

Holtschlag, D.J.; Koschik, J.A.

2005-01-01

Upper St. Clair River, which receives outflow from Lake Huron, is characterized by flow velocities that exceed 7 feet per second and significant channel curvature that creates complex flow patterns downstream from the Blue Water Bridge in the Port Huron, Michigan, and Sarnia, Ontario, area. Discrepancies were detected between depth-averaged velocities previously simulated by a two-dimensional (2D) hydrodynamic model and surface velocities determined from drifting buoy deployments. A detailed ADCP (acoustic Doppler current profiler) survey was done on Upper St. Clair River during July 1–3, 2003, to help resolve these discrepancies. As part of this study, a refined finite-element mesh of the hydrodynamic model used to identify source areas to public water intakes was developed for Upper St. Clair River. In addition, a numerical procedure was used to account for radial accelerations, which cause secondary flow patterns near channel bends. The refined model was recalibrated to better reproduce local velocities measured in the ADCP survey. ADCP data also were used to help resolve the remaining discrepancies between simulated and measured velocities and to describe variations in velocity with depth. Velocity data from ADCP surveys have significant local variability, and statistical processing is needed to compute reliable point estimates. In this study, velocity innovations were computed for seven depth layers posited within the river as the differences between measured and simulated velocities. For each layer, the spatial correlation of velocity innovations was characterized by use of variogram analysis. Results were used with kriging to compute expected innovations within each layer at applicable model nodes. Expected innovations were added to simulated velocities to form integrated velocities, which were used with reverse particle tracking to identify the expected flow path near a sewage outfall as a function of flow depth. Expected particle paths generated by use of the integrated velocities showed that surface velocities in the upper layers tended to originate nearer the Canadian shoreline than velocities near the channel bottom in the lower layers. Therefore, flow paths to U.S. public water intakes located on the river bottom are more likely to be in the United States than withdrawals near the water surface. Integrated velocities in the upper layers are generally consistent with the surface velocities indicated by drifting-buoy deployments. Information in the 2D hydrodynamic model and the ADCP measurements was insufficient to describe the vertical flow component. This limitation resulted in the inability to account for vertical movements on expected flow paths through Upper St. Clair River. A three dimensional hydrodynamic model would be needed to account for these effects.

Hierarchy of forward-backward stochastic Schrödinger equation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ke, Yaling; Zhao, Yi

2016-07-01

Driven by the impetus to simulate quantum dynamics in photosynthetic complexes or even larger molecular aggregates, we have established a hierarchy of forward-backward stochastic Schrödinger equation in the light of stochastic unravelling of the symmetric part of the influence functional in the path-integral formalism of reduced density operator. The method is numerically exact and is suited for Debye-Drude spectral density, Ohmic spectral density with an algebraic or exponential cutoff, as well as discrete vibrational modes. The power of this method is verified by performing the calculations of time-dependent population differences in the valuable spin-boson model from zero to high temperatures. By simulating excitation energy transfer dynamics of the realistic full FMO trimer, some important features are revealed.

One-Shot Decoupling and Page Curves from a Dynamical Model for Black Hole Evaporation.

PubMed

Brádler, Kamil; Adami, Christoph

2016-03-11

One-shot decoupling is a powerful primitive in quantum information theory and was hypothesized to play a role in the black hole information paradox. We study black hole dynamics modeled by a trilinear Hamiltonian whose semiclassical limit gives rise to Hawking radiation. An explicit numerical calculation of the discretized path integral of the S matrix shows that decoupling is exact in the continuous limit, implying that quantum information is perfectly transferred from the black hole to radiation. A striking consequence of decoupling is the emergence of an output radiation entropy profile that follows Page's prediction. We argue that information transfer and the emergence of Page curves is a robust feature of any multilinear interaction Hamiltonian with a bounded spectrum.

Green function of the double-fractional Fokker-Planck equation: path integral and stochastic differential equations.

PubMed

Kleinert, H; Zatloukal, V

2013-11-01

The statistics of rare events, the so-called black-swan events, is governed by non-Gaussian distributions with heavy power-like tails. We calculate the Green functions of the associated Fokker-Planck equations and solve the related stochastic differential equations. We also discuss the subject in the framework of path integration.

Low-coherence interferometric sensor system utilizing an integrated optics configuration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Plissi, M. V.; Rogers, A. J.; Brassington, D. J.; Wilson, M. G. F.

1995-08-01

The implementation of a twin Mach-Zehnder reference interferometer in an integrated optics substrate is described. From measurements of the fringe visibilities, an identification of the fringe order is attempted as a way to provide an absolute sensor for any parameter capable of modifying the difference in path length between two interfering optical paths.

Explaining Technology Integration in K-12 Classrooms: A Multilevel Path Analysis Model

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Liu, Feng; Ritzhaupt, Albert D.; Dawson, Kara; Barron, Ann E.

2017-01-01

The purpose of this research was to design and test a model of classroom technology integration in the context of K-12 schools. The proposed multilevel path analysis model includes teacher, contextual, and school related variables on a teacher's use of technology and confidence and comfort using technology as mediators of classroom technology…

Path integral learning of multidimensional movement trajectories

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

André, João; Santos, Cristina; Costa, Lino

2013-10-01

This paper explores the use of Path Integral Methods, particularly several variants of the recent Path Integral Policy Improvement (PI2) algorithm in multidimensional movement parametrized policy learning. We rely on Dynamic Movement Primitives (DMPs) to codify discrete and rhythmic trajectories, and apply the PI2-CMA and PIBB methods in the learning of optimal policy parameters, according to different cost functions that inherently encode movement objectives. Additionally we merge both of these variants and propose the PIBB-CMA algorithm, comparing all of them with the vanilla version of PI2. From the obtained results we conclude that PIBB-CMA surpasses all other methods in terms of convergence speed and iterative final cost, which leads to an increased interest in its application to more complex robotic problems.

Path-integral and Ornstein-Zernike study of quantum fluid structures on the crystallization line

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sesé, Luis M., E-mail: msese@ccia.uned.es

2016-03-07

Liquid neon, liquid para-hydrogen, and the quantum hard-sphere fluid are studied with path integral Monte Carlo simulations and the Ornstein-Zernike pair equation on their respective crystallization lines. The results cover the whole sets of structures in the r-space and the k-space and, for completeness, the internal energies, pressures and isothermal compressibilities. Comparison with experiment is made wherever possible, and the possibilities of establishing k-space criteria for quantum crystallization based on the path-integral centroids are discussed. In this regard, the results show that the centroid structure factor contains two significant parameters related to its main peak features (amplitude and shape) thatmore » can be useful to characterize freezing.« less

Spin Path Integrals and Generations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brannen, Carl

2010-11-01

The spin of a free electron is stable but its position is not. Recent quantum information research by G. Svetlichny, J. Tolar, and G. Chadzitaskos have shown that the Feynman position path integral can be mathematically defined as a product of incompatible states; that is, as a product of mutually unbiased bases (MUBs). Since the more common use of MUBs is in finite dimensional Hilbert spaces, this raises the question “what happens when spin path integrals are computed over products of MUBs?” Such an assumption makes spin no longer stable. We show that the usual spin-1/2 is obtained in the long-time limit in three orthogonal solutions that we associate with the three elementary particle generations. We give applications to the masses of the elementary leptons.

The role of spatial memory and frames of reference in the precision of angular path integration.

PubMed

Arthur, Joeanna C; Philbeck, John W; Kleene, Nicholas J; Chichka, David

2012-09-01

Angular path integration refers to the ability to maintain an estimate of self-location after a rotational displacement by integrating internally-generated (idiothetic) self-motion signals over time. Previous work has found that non-sensory inputs, namely spatial memory, can play a powerful role in angular path integration (Arthur et al., 2007, 2009). Here we investigated the conditions under which spatial memory facilitates angular path integration. We hypothesized that the benefit of spatial memory is particularly likely in spatial updating tasks in which one's self-location estimate is referenced to external space. To test this idea, we administered passive, non-visual body rotations (ranging 40°-140°) about the yaw axis and asked participants to use verbal reports or open-loop manual pointing to indicate the magnitude of the rotation. Prior to some trials, previews of the surrounding environment were given. We found that when participants adopted an egocentric frame of reference, the previously-observed benefit of previews on within-subject response precision was not manifested, regardless of whether remembered spatial frameworks were derived from vision or spatial language. We conclude that the powerful effect of spatial memory is dependent on one's frame of reference during self-motion updating. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Accelerated path integral methods for atomistic simulations at ultra-low temperatures

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Uhl, Felix, E-mail: felix.uhl@rub.de; Marx, Dominik; Ceriotti, Michele

2016-08-07

Path integral methods provide a rigorous and systematically convergent framework to include the quantum mechanical nature of atomic nuclei in the evaluation of the equilibrium properties of molecules, liquids, or solids at finite temperature. Such nuclear quantum effects are often significant for light nuclei already at room temperature, but become crucial at cryogenic temperatures such as those provided by superfluid helium as a solvent. Unfortunately, the cost of converged path integral simulations increases significantly upon lowering the temperature so that the computational burden of simulating matter at the typical superfluid helium temperatures becomes prohibitive. Here we investigate how accelerated pathmore » integral techniques based on colored noise generalized Langevin equations, in particular the so-called path integral generalized Langevin equation thermostat (PIGLET) variant, perform in this extreme quantum regime using as an example the quasi-rigid methane molecule and its highly fluxional protonated cousin, CH{sub 5}{sup +}. We show that the PIGLET technique gives a speedup of two orders of magnitude in the evaluation of structural observables and quantum kinetic energy at ultralow temperatures. Moreover, we computed the spatial spread of the quantum nuclei in CH{sub 4} to illustrate the limits of using such colored noise thermostats close to the many body quantum ground state.« less

Path integration guided with a quality map for shape reconstruction in the fringe reflection technique

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jing, Xiaoli; Cheng, Haobo; Wen, Yongfu

2018-04-01

A new local integration algorithm called quality map path integration (QMPI) is reported for shape reconstruction in the fringe reflection technique. A quality map is proposed to evaluate the quality of gradient data locally, and functions as a guideline for the integrated path. The presented method can be employed in wavefront estimation from its slopes over the general shaped surface with slope noise equivalent to that in practical measurements. Moreover, QMPI is much better at handling the slope data with local noise, which may be caused by the irregular shapes of the surface under test. The performance of QMPI is discussed by simulations and experiment. It is shown that QMPI not only improves the accuracy of local integration, but can also be easily implemented with no iteration compared to Southwell zonal reconstruction (SZR). From an engineering point-of-view, the proposed method may also provide an efficient and stable approach for different shapes with high-precise demand.

A taxonomy of integral reaction path analysis

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Grcar, Joseph F.; Day, Marcus S.; Bell, John B.

2004-12-23

W. C. Gardiner observed that achieving understanding through combustion modeling is limited by the ability to recognize the implications of what has been computed and to draw conclusions about the elementary steps underlying the reaction mechanism. This difficulty can be overcome in part by making better use of reaction path analysis in the context of multidimensional flame simulations. Following a survey of current practice, an integral reaction flux is formulated in terms of conserved scalars that can be calculated in a fully automated way. Conditional analyses are then introduced, and a taxonomy for bidirectional path analysis is explored. Many examplesmore » illustrate the resulting path analysis and uncover some new results about nonpremixed methane-air laminar jets.« less

Functional integration of vertical flight path and speed control using energy principles

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lambregts, A. A.

1984-01-01

A generalized automatic flight control system was developed which integrates all longitudinal flight path and speed control functions previously provided by a pitch autopilot and autothrottle. In this design, a net thrust command is computed based on total energy demand arising from both flight path and speed targets. The elevator command is computed based on the energy distribution error between flight path and speed. The engine control is configured to produce the commanded net thrust. The design incorporates control strategies and hierarchy to deal systematically and effectively with all aircraft operational requirements, control nonlinearities, and performance limits. Consistent decoupled maneuver control is achieved for all modes and flight conditions without outer loop gain schedules, control law submodes, or control function duplication.

Cortical Hubs Form a Module for Multisensory Integration on Top of the Hierarchy of Cortical Networks

PubMed Central

Zamora-López, Gorka; Zhou, Changsong; Kurths, Jürgen

2009-01-01

Sensory stimuli entering the nervous system follow particular paths of processing, typically separated (segregated) from the paths of other modal information. However, sensory perception, awareness and cognition emerge from the combination of information (integration). The corticocortical networks of cats and macaque monkeys display three prominent characteristics: (i) modular organisation (facilitating the segregation), (ii) abundant alternative processing paths and (iii) the presence of highly connected hubs. Here, we study in detail the organisation and potential function of the cortical hubs by graph analysis and information theoretical methods. We find that the cortical hubs form a spatially delocalised, but topologically central module with the capacity to integrate multisensory information in a collaborative manner. With this, we resolve the underlying anatomical substrate that supports the simultaneous capacity of the cortex to segregate and to integrate multisensory information. PMID:20428515

MULTI-POLLUTANT CONCENTRATION MEASUREMENTS AROUND A CONCENTRATED SWINE PRODUCTION FACILITY USING OPEN-PATH FTIR SPECTROMETRY

EPA Science Inventory

Open-path Fourier transform infrared (OP/FTIR) spectrometry was used to measure the concentrations of ammonia, methane, and other atmospheric gasses around an integrated industrial swine production facility in eastern North Carolina. Several single-path measurements were made ove...

Nonperturbative interpretation of the Bloch vector's path beyond the rotating-wave approximation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Benenti, Giuliano; Siccardi, Stefano; Strini, Giuliano

2013-09-01

The Bloch vector's path of a two-level system exposed to a monochromatic field exhibits, in the regime of strong coupling, complex corkscrew trajectories. By considering the infinitesimal evolution of the two-level system when the field is treated as a classical object, we show that the Bloch vector's rotation speed oscillates between zero and twice the rotation speed predicted by the rotating wave approximation. Cusps appear when the rotation speed vanishes. We prove analytically that in correspondence to cusps the curvature of the Bloch vector's path diverges. On the other hand, numerical data show that the curvature is very large even for a quantum field in the deep quantum regime with mean number of photons n¯≲1. We finally compute numerically the typical error size in a quantum gate when the terms beyond rotating wave approximation are neglected.

Numerical simulation of the geodynamo reaches Earth's core dynamical regime

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aubert, J.; Gastine, T.; Fournier, A.

2016-12-01

Numerical simulations of the geodynamo have been successful at reproducing a number of static (field morphology) and kinematic (secular variation patterns, core surface flows and westward drift) features of Earth's magnetic field, making them a tool of choice for the analysis and retrieval of geophysical information on Earth's core. However, classical numerical models have been run in a parameter regime far from that of the real system, prompting the question of whether we do get "the right answers for the wrong reasons", i.e. whether the agreement between models and nature simply occurs by chance and without physical relevance in the dynamics. In this presentation, we show that classical models succeed in describing the geodynamo because their large-scale spatial structure is essentially invariant as one progresses along a well-chosen path in parameter space to Earth's core conditions. This path is constrained by the need to enforce the relevant force balance (MAC or Magneto-Archimedes-Coriolis) and preserve the ratio of the convective overturn and magnetic diffusion times. Numerical simulations performed along this path are shown to be spatially invariant at scales larger than that where the magnetic energy is ohmically dissipated. This property enables the definition of large-eddy simulations that show good agreement with direct numerical simulations in the range where both are feasible, and that can be computed at unprecedented values of the control parameters, such as an Ekman number E=10-8. Combining direct and large-eddy simulations, large-scale invariance is observed over half the logarithmic distance in parameter space between classical models and Earth. The conditions reached at this mid-point of the path are furthermore shown to be representative of the rapidly-rotating, asymptotic dynamical regime in which Earth's core resides, with a MAC force balance undisturbed by viscosity or inertia, the enforcement of a Taylor state and strong-field dynamo action. We conclude that numerical modelling has advanced to a stage where it is possible to use models correctly representing the statics, kinematics and now the dynamics of the geodynamo. This opens the way to a better analysis of the geomagnetic field in the time and space domains.

Integrated analysis of numerical weather prediction and computational fluid dynamics for estimating cross-ventilation effects on inhaled air quality inside a factory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Murga, Alicia; Sano, Yusuke; Kawamoto, Yoichi; Ito, Kazuhide

2017-10-01

Mechanical and passive ventilation strategies directly impact indoor air quality. Passive ventilation has recently become widespread owing to its ability to reduce energy demand in buildings, such as the case of natural or cross ventilation. To understand the effect of natural ventilation on indoor environmental quality, outdoor-indoor flow paths need to be analyzed as functions of urban atmospheric conditions, topology of the built environment, and indoor conditions. Wind-driven natural ventilation (e.g., cross ventilation) can be calculated through the wind pressure coefficient distributions of outdoor wall surfaces and openings of a building, allowing the study of indoor air parameters and airborne contaminant concentrations. Variations in outside parameters will directly impact indoor air quality and residents' health. Numerical modeling can contribute to comprehend these various parameters because it allows full control of boundary conditions and sampling points. In this study, numerical weather prediction modeling was used to calculate wind profiles/distributions at the atmospheric scale, and computational fluid dynamics was used to model detailed urban and indoor flows, which were then integrated into a dynamic downscaling analysis to predict specific urban wind parameters from the atmospheric to built-environment scale. Wind velocity and contaminant concentration distributions inside a factory building were analyzed to assess the quality of the human working environment by using a computer simulated person. The impact of cross ventilation flows and its variations on local average contaminant concentration around a factory worker, and inhaled contaminant dose, were then discussed.

From conformal blocks to path integrals in the Vaidya geometry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anous, Tarek; Hartman, Thomas; Rovai, Antonin; Sonner, Julian

2017-09-01

Correlators in conformal field theory are naturally organized as a sum over conformal blocks. In holographic theories, this sum must reorganize into a path integral over bulk fields and geometries. We explore how these two sums are related in the case of a point particle moving in the background of a 3d collapsing black hole. The conformal block expansion is recast as a sum over paths of the first-quantized particle moving in the bulk geometry. Off-shell worldlines of the particle correspond to subdominant contributions in the Euclidean conformal block expansion, but these same operators must be included in order to correctly reproduce complex saddles in the Lorentzian theory. During thermalization, a complex saddle dominates under certain circumstances; in this case, the CFT correlator is not given by the Virasoro identity block in any channel, but can be recovered by summing heavy operators. This effectively converts the conformal block expansion in CFT from a sum over intermediate states to a sum over channels that mimics the bulk path integral.

An Obstacle-Tolerant Path Planning Algorithm for Mobile-Anchor-Node-Assisted Localization

PubMed Central

Tsai, Rong-Guei

2018-01-01

The location information obtained using a sensor is a critical requirement in wireless sensor networks. Numerous localization schemes have been proposed, among which mobile-anchor-node-assisted localization (MANAL) can reduce costs and overcome environmental constraints. A mobile anchor node (MAN) provides its own location information to assist the localization of sensor nodes. Numerous path planning schemes have been proposed for MANAL, but most scenarios assume the absence of obstacles in the environment. However, in a realistic environment, sensor nodes cannot be located because the obstacles block the path traversed by the MAN, thereby rendering the sensor incapable of receiving sufficient three location information from the MAN. This study proposes the obstacle-tolerant path planning (OTPP) approach to solve the sensor location problem owing to obstacle blockage. OTPP can approximate the optimum beacon point number and path planning, thereby ensuring that all the unknown nodes can receive the three location information from the MAN and reduce the number of MAN broadcast packet times. Experimental results demonstrate that OTPP performs better than Z-curves because it reduces the total number of beacon points utilized and is thus more suitable in an obstacle-present environment. Compared to the Z-curve, OTPP can reduce localization error and improve localization coverage. PMID:29547582

Network reliability maximization for stochastic-flow network subject to correlated failures using genetic algorithm and tabu\\xA0search

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yeh, Cheng-Ta; Lin, Yi-Kuei; Yang, Jo-Yun

2018-07-01

Network reliability is an important performance index for many real-life systems, such as electric power systems, computer systems and transportation systems. These systems can be modelled as stochastic-flow networks (SFNs) composed of arcs and nodes. Most system supervisors respect the network reliability maximization by finding the optimal multi-state resource assignment, which is one resource to each arc. However, a disaster may cause correlated failures for the assigned resources, affecting the network reliability. This article focuses on determining the optimal resource assignment with maximal network reliability for SFNs. To solve the problem, this study proposes a hybrid algorithm integrating the genetic algorithm and tabu search to determine the optimal assignment, called the hybrid GA-TS algorithm (HGTA), and integrates minimal paths, recursive sum of disjoint products and the correlated binomial distribution to calculate network reliability. Several practical numerical experiments are adopted to demonstrate that HGTA has better computational quality than several popular soft computing algorithms.

Material Targets for Scaling All-Spin Logic

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Manipatruni, Sasikanth; Nikonov, Dmitri E.; Young, Ian A.

2016-01-01

All-spin-logic devices are promising candidates to augment and complement beyond-CMOS integrated circuit computing due to nonvolatility, ultralow operating voltages, higher logical efficiency, and high density integration. However, the path to reach lower energy-delay product performance compared to CMOS transistors currently is not clear. We show that scaling and engineering the nanoscale magnetic materials and interfaces is the key to realizing spin-logic devices that can surpass the energy-delay performance of CMOS transistors. With validated stochastic nanomagnetic and vector spin-transport numerical models, we derive the target material and interface properties for the nanomagnets and channels. We identify promising directions for material engineering and discovery focusing on the systematic scaling of magnetic anisotropy (Hk ) and saturation magnetization (Ms ), the use of perpendicular magnetic anisotropy, and the interface spin-mixing conductance of the ferromagnet-spin-channel interface (Gmix ). We provide systematic targets for scaling a spin-logic energy-delay product toward 2 aJ ns, comprehending the stochastic noise for nanomagnets.

Shuttle cryogenic supply system optimization study. Volume 5A-1: Users manual for math models

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1973-01-01

The Integrated Math Model for Cryogenic Systems is a flexible, broadly applicable systems parametric analysis tool. The program will effectively accommodate systems of considerable complexity involving large numbers of performance dependent variables such as are found in the individual and integrated cryogen systems. Basically, the program logic structure pursues an orderly progression path through any given system in much the same fashion as is employed for manual systems analysis. The system configuration schematic is converted to an alpha-numeric formatted configuration data table input starting with the cryogen consumer and identifying all components, such as lines, fittings, and valves, each in its proper order and ending with the cryogen supply source assembly. Then, for each of the constituent component assemblies, such as gas generators, turbo machinery, heat exchangers, and accumulators, the performance requirements are assembled in input data tabulations. Systems operating constraints and duty cycle definitions are further added as input data coded to the configuration operating sequence.

A Low Cost Approach to the Design of Autopilot for Hypersonic Glider

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liang, Wang; Weihua, Zhang; Ke, Peng; Donghui, Wang

2017-12-01

This paper proposes a novel integrated guidance and control (IGC) approach to improve the autopilot design with low cost for hypersonic glider in dive and pull-up phase. The main objective is robust and adaptive tracking of flight path angle (FPA) under severe flight scenarios. Firstly, the nonlinear IGC model is developed with a second order actuator dynamics. Then the adaptive command filtered back-stepping control is implemented to deal with the large aerodynamics coefficient uncertainties, control surface uncertainties and unmatched time-varying disturbances. For the autopilot, a back-stepping sliding mode control is designed to track the control surface deflection, and a nonlinear differentiator is used to avoid direct differentiating the control input. Through a series of 6-DOF numerical simulations, it’s shown that the proposed scheme successfully cancels out the large uncertainties and disturbances in tracking different kinds of FPA trajectory. The contribution of this paper lies in the application and determination of nonlinear integrated design of guidance and control system for hypersonic glider.

Real-time path planning and autonomous control for helicopter autorotation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yomchinda, Thanan

Autorotation is a descending maneuver that can be used to recover helicopters in the event of total loss of engine power; however it is an extremely difficult and complex maneuver. The objective of this work is to develop a real-time system which provides full autonomous control for autorotation landing of helicopters. The work includes the development of an autorotation path planning method and integration of the path planner with a primary flight control system. The trajectory is divided into three parts: entry, descent and flare. Three different optimization algorithms are used to generate trajectories for each of these segments. The primary flight control is designed using a linear dynamic inversion control scheme, and a path following control law is developed to track the autorotation trajectories. Details of the path planning algorithm, trajectory following control law, and autonomous autorotation system implementation are presented. The integrated system is demonstrated in real-time high fidelity simulations. Results indicate feasibility of the capability of the algorithms to operate in real-time and of the integrated systems ability to provide safe autorotation landings. Preliminary simulations of autonomous autorotation on a small UAV are presented which will lead to a final hardware demonstration of the algorithms.

Integrated optimization of unmanned aerial vehicle task allocation and path planning under steady wind.

PubMed

Luo, He; Liang, Zhengzheng; Zhu, Moning; Hu, Xiaoxuan; Wang, Guoqiang

2018-01-01

Wind has a significant effect on the control of fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), resulting in changes in their ground speed and direction, which has an important influence on the results of integrated optimization of UAV task allocation and path planning. The objective of this integrated optimization problem changes from minimizing flight distance to minimizing flight time. In this study, the Euclidean distance between any two targets is expanded to the Dubins path length, considering the minimum turning radius of fixed-wing UAVs. According to the vector relationship between wind speed, UAV airspeed, and UAV ground speed, a method is proposed to calculate the flight time of UAV between targets. On this basis, a variable-speed Dubins path vehicle routing problem (VS-DP-VRP) model is established with the purpose of minimizing the time required for UAVs to visit all the targets and return to the starting point. By designing a crossover operator and mutation operator, the genetic algorithm is used to solve the model, the results of which show that an effective UAV task allocation and path planning solution under steady wind can be provided.

Integrated optimization of unmanned aerial vehicle task allocation and path planning under steady wind

PubMed Central

Liang, Zhengzheng; Zhu, Moning; Hu, Xiaoxuan; Wang, Guoqiang

2018-01-01

Wind has a significant effect on the control of fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), resulting in changes in their ground speed and direction, which has an important influence on the results of integrated optimization of UAV task allocation and path planning. The objective of this integrated optimization problem changes from minimizing flight distance to minimizing flight time. In this study, the Euclidean distance between any two targets is expanded to the Dubins path length, considering the minimum turning radius of fixed-wing UAVs. According to the vector relationship between wind speed, UAV airspeed, and UAV ground speed, a method is proposed to calculate the flight time of UAV between targets. On this basis, a variable-speed Dubins path vehicle routing problem (VS-DP-VRP) model is established with the purpose of minimizing the time required for UAVs to visit all the targets and return to the starting point. By designing a crossover operator and mutation operator, the genetic algorithm is used to solve the model, the results of which show that an effective UAV task allocation and path planning solution under steady wind can be provided. PMID:29561888

Fixed-topology Lorentzian triangulations: Quantum Regge Calculus in the Lorentzian domain

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tate, Kyle; Visser, Matt

2011-11-01

A key insight used in developing the theory of Causal Dynamical Triangu-lations (CDTs) is to use the causal (or light-cone) structure of Lorentzian manifolds to restrict the class of geometries appearing in the Quantum Gravity (QG) path integral. By exploiting this structure the models developed in CDTs differ from the analogous models developed in the Euclidean domain, models of (Euclidean) Dynamical Triangulations (DT), and the corresponding Lorentzian results are in many ways more "physical". In this paper we use this insight to formulate a Lorentzian signature model that is anal-ogous to the Quantum Regge Calculus (QRC) approach to Euclidean Quantum Gravity. We exploit another crucial fact about the structure of Lorentzian manifolds, namely that certain simplices are not constrained by the triangle inequalities present in Euclidean signa-ture. We show that this model is not related to QRC by a naive Wick rotation; this serves as another demonstration that the sum over Lorentzian geometries is not simply related to the sum over Euclidean geometries. By removing the triangle inequality constraints, there is more freedom to perform analytical calculations, and in addition numerical simulations are more computationally efficient. We first formulate the model in 1 + 1 dimensions, and derive scaling relations for the pure gravity path integral on the torus using two different measures. It appears relatively easy to generate "large" universes, both in spatial and temporal extent. In addition, loopto-loop amplitudes are discussed, and a transfer matrix is derived. We then also discuss the model in higher dimensions.

Numerical-experimental investigation of load paths in DP800 dual phase steel during Nakajima test

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bergs, Thomas; Nick, Matthias; Feuerhack, Andreas; Trauth, Daniel; Klocke, Fritz

2018-05-01

Fuel efficiency requirements demand lightweight construction of vehicle body parts. The usage of advanced high strength steels permits a reduction of sheet thickness while still maintaining the overall strength required for crash safety. However, damage, internal defects (voids, inclusions, micro fractures), microstructural defects (varying grain size distribution, precipitates on grain boundaries, anisotropy) and surface defects (micro fractures, grooves) act as a concentration point for stress and consequently as an initiation point for failure both during deep drawing and in service. Considering damage evolution in the design of car body deep drawing processes allows for a further reduction in material usage and therefore body weight. Preliminary research has shown that a modification of load paths in forming processes can help mitigate the effects of damage on the material. This paper investigates the load paths in Nakajima tests of a DP800 dual phase steel to research damage in deep drawing processes. Investigation is done via a finite element model using experimentally validated material data for a DP800 dual phase steel. Numerical simulation allows for the investigation of load paths with respect to stress states, strain rates and temperature evolution, which cannot be easily observed in physical experiments. Stress triaxiality and the Lode parameter are used to describe the stress states. Their evolution during the Nakajima tests serves as an indicator for damage evolution. The large variety of sheet metal forming specific load paths in Nakajima tests allows a comprehensive evaluation of damage for deep drawing. The results of the numerical simulation conducted in this project and further physical experiments will later be used to calibrate a damage model for simulation of deep drawing processes.

Ab initio molecular dynamics with nuclear quantum effects at classical cost: Ring polymer contraction for density functional theory.

PubMed

Marsalek, Ondrej; Markland, Thomas E

2016-02-07

Path integral molecular dynamics simulations, combined with an ab initio evaluation of interactions using electronic structure theory, incorporate the quantum mechanical nature of both the electrons and nuclei, which are essential to accurately describe systems containing light nuclei. However, path integral simulations have traditionally required a computational cost around two orders of magnitude greater than treating the nuclei classically, making them prohibitively costly for most applications. Here we show that the cost of path integral simulations can be dramatically reduced by extending our ring polymer contraction approach to ab initio molecular dynamics simulations. By using density functional tight binding as a reference system, we show that our ring polymer contraction scheme gives rapid and systematic convergence to the full path integral density functional theory result. We demonstrate the efficiency of this approach in ab initio simulations of liquid water and the reactive protonated and deprotonated water dimer systems. We find that the vast majority of the nuclear quantum effects are accurately captured using contraction to just the ring polymer centroid, which requires the same number of density functional theory calculations as a classical simulation. Combined with a multiple time step scheme using the same reference system, which allows the time step to be increased, this approach is as fast as a typical classical ab initio molecular dynamics simulation and 35× faster than a full path integral calculation, while still exactly including the quantum sampling of nuclei. This development thus offers a route to routinely include nuclear quantum effects in ab initio molecular dynamics simulations at negligible computational cost.

Assessment of Hydrogen Sulfide Minimum Detection Limits of an Open Path Tunable Diode Laser

EPA Science Inventory

During June 2007, U.S. EPA conducted a feasibility study to determine whether the EPA OTM 10 measurement approach, also known as radial plume mapping (RPM), was feasible. A Boreal open-path tunable diode laser (OP-TDL) to collect path-integrated hydrogen sulfide measurements alon...

Creativity, Spirituality, and Transcendence: Paths to Integrity and Wisdom in the Mature Self. Publications in Creativity Research.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Miller, Melvin E., Ed.; Cook-Greuter, Susanne R., Ed.

This book contains 11 papers on creativity, spirituality, and transcendence as paths to integrity and wisdom in the mature self. The book begins with the paper "Introduction--Creativity in Adulthood: Personal Maturity and Openness to Extraordinary Sources of Inspiration" (Susanne R. Cook-Greuter, Melvin E. Miller). The next four papers,…

Derivation of the Schrodinger Equation from the Hamilton-Jacobi Equation in Feynman's Path Integral Formulation of Quantum Mechanics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Field, J. H.

2011-01-01

It is shown how the time-dependent Schrodinger equation may be simply derived from the dynamical postulate of Feynman's path integral formulation of quantum mechanics and the Hamilton-Jacobi equation of classical mechanics. Schrodinger's own published derivations of quantum wave equations, the first of which was also based on the Hamilton-Jacobi…

Finding the way with a noisy brain.

PubMed

Cheung, Allen; Vickerstaff, Robert

2010-11-11

Successful navigation is fundamental to the survival of nearly every animal on earth, and achieved by nervous systems of vastly different sizes and characteristics. Yet surprisingly little is known of the detailed neural circuitry from any species which can accurately represent space for navigation. Path integration is one of the oldest and most ubiquitous navigation strategies in the animal kingdom. Despite a plethora of computational models, from equational to neural network form, there is currently no consensus, even in principle, of how this important phenomenon occurs neurally. Recently, all path integration models were examined according to a novel, unifying classification system. Here we combine this theoretical framework with recent insights from directed walk theory, and develop an intuitive yet mathematically rigorous proof that only one class of neural representation of space can tolerate noise during path integration. This result suggests many existing models of path integration are not biologically plausible due to their intolerance to noise. This surprising result imposes significant computational limitations on the neurobiological spatial representation of all successfully navigating animals, irrespective of species. Indeed, noise-tolerance may be an important functional constraint on the evolution of neuroarchitectural plans in the animal kingdom.

A path integral methodology for obtaining thermodynamic properties of nonadiabatic systems using Gaussian mixture distributions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Raymond, Neil; Iouchtchenko, Dmitri; Roy, Pierre-Nicholas; Nooijen, Marcel

2018-05-01

We introduce a new path integral Monte Carlo method for investigating nonadiabatic systems in thermal equilibrium and demonstrate an approach to reducing stochastic error. We derive a general path integral expression for the partition function in a product basis of continuous nuclear and discrete electronic degrees of freedom without the use of any mapping schemes. We separate our Hamiltonian into a harmonic portion and a coupling portion; the partition function can then be calculated as the product of a Monte Carlo estimator (of the coupling contribution to the partition function) and a normalization factor (that is evaluated analytically). A Gaussian mixture model is used to evaluate the Monte Carlo estimator in a computationally efficient manner. Using two model systems, we demonstrate our approach to reduce the stochastic error associated with the Monte Carlo estimator. We show that the selection of the harmonic oscillators comprising the sampling distribution directly affects the efficiency of the method. Our results demonstrate that our path integral Monte Carlo method's deviation from exact Trotter calculations is dominated by the choice of the sampling distribution. By improving the sampling distribution, we can drastically reduce the stochastic error leading to lower computational cost.

Path integration of the time-dependent forced oscillator with a two-time quadratic action

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Tian Rong; Cheng, Bin Kang

1986-03-01

Using the prodistribution theory proposed by DeWitt-Morette [C. DeWitt-Morette, Commun. Math. Phys. 28, 47 (1972); C. DeWitt-Morette, A. Maheshwari, and B. Nelson, Phys. Rep. 50, 257 (1979)], the path integration of a time-dependent forced harmonic oscillator with a two-time quadratic action has been given in terms of the solutions of some integrodifferential equations. We then evaluate explicitly both the classical path and the propagator for the specific kernel introduced by Feynman in the polaron problem. Our results include the previous known results as special cases.

Research on axisymmetric aspheric surface numerical design and manufacturing technology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Zhen-zhong; Guo, Yin-biao; Lin, Zheng

2006-02-01

The key technology for aspheric machining offers exact machining path and machining aspheric lens with high accuracy and efficiency, in spite of the development of traditional manual manufacturing into nowadays numerical control (NC) machining. This paper presents a mathematical model between virtual cone and aspheric surface equations, and discusses the technology of uniform wear of grinding wheel and error compensation in aspheric machining. Finally, a software system for high precision aspheric surface manufacturing is designed and realized, based on the mentioned above. This software system can work out grinding wheel path according to input parameters and generate machining NC programs of aspheric surfaces.

Numerical investigations of internal stresses on carbon steel based on ultrasonic LCR waves

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ramasamy, R.; Ibrahim, Z.; Chai, H. K.

2017-10-01

Internal stresses or residual stresses in the structural elements are very crucial in carrying out in-service evaluations and fitness-for-purpose assessments. The generation of these internal stresses can occur as result of the fabrication of the steel members, installation sequence or other ad-hoc events such as accidents or impact. The accurate prediction of the internal stresses will contribute towards estimating the integrity state of the structural elements, with respect to their material allowable stresses. This paper investigates the explicit FE based numerical modelling of the ultrasonic based non-destructive technique, utilising the measurable longitudinal critical refracted wave (LCR) and relating these to the internal stresses within the structural elements by the evaluation of the material dependent acoustoelastic factors. The subsurface travel path of the LCR wave inside the structural elements makes it a sub-surface stress measurement technique and the linearised relationship with corresponding internal stresses can be systematically applied repeatedly. The numerical results are compared against laboratory tests data to correlate the findings and to establish modelling feasibility for future proof-of-concepts. It can be concluded from this numerical investigation, that the subsurface ultrasonic LCR wave has great potential to be implemented for in-situ structural residual stress measurements, as compared to other available surface measurements such as strain gauges or x-ray diffraction.

Improved transition path sampling methods for simulation of rare events

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chopra, Manan; Malshe, Rohit; Reddy, Allam S.; de Pablo, J. J.

2008-04-01

The free energy surfaces of a wide variety of systems encountered in physics, chemistry, and biology are characterized by the existence of deep minima separated by numerous barriers. One of the central aims of recent research in computational chemistry and physics has been to determine how transitions occur between deep local minima on rugged free energy landscapes, and transition path sampling (TPS) Monte-Carlo methods have emerged as an effective means for numerical investigation of such transitions. Many of the shortcomings of TPS-like approaches generally stem from their high computational demands. Two new algorithms are presented in this work that improve the efficiency of TPS simulations. The first algorithm uses biased shooting moves to render the sampling of reactive trajectories more efficient. The second algorithm is shown to substantially improve the accuracy of the transition state ensemble by introducing a subset of local transition path simulations in the transition state. The system considered in this work consists of a two-dimensional rough energy surface that is representative of numerous systems encountered in applications. When taken together, these algorithms provide gains in efficiency of over two orders of magnitude when compared to traditional TPS simulations.

Retrofitting Steam Turbines with Expired Service Life

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dubrovskii, V. G.; Zubov, A. P.; Koshelev, S. A.; Babiev, A. N.; Kremer, V. L.

2018-06-01

Many pieces of equipment installed at thermal power stations (TPS) have an expired service life or are close to expiry and are obsolete. In addition, the structure of heat consumption by end users has changed. Among the ways for solving the problem of aging equipment is the retrofitting of turbines that allows for service life recovery and improvement of their performance to the modern level. The service life is recovered through replacement of high-temperature assemblies and parts of a turbine, and the performance is improved by retrofitting and major overhaul of low-temperature assemblies. Implementation of modern engineering solutions and numerical methods in designing upgraded flow paths of steam turbines considerably improves the turbine effectiveness. New flow paths include sabre-like guide vanes, integrally-machined shrouds, and effective honeycomb or axial-radial seals. The flow paths are designed using optimization and hydraulic simulation methods as well as approaches for improving the performance on the turbine blading and internal steam flow paths. Retrofitting of turbines should be performed to meet the customers' needs. The feasibility of implementation of one or another alternative must be determined on a case-by-case basis depending on the turbine conditions, the availability of reserves for generating live steam and supplying circulation water, and the demands and capacities for generation and delivery of power and heat. The main principle of retrofitting is to retain the foundation and the auxiliary and heat-exchange equipment that is fit for further operation. With the example of PT-60-130 and T-100-130, the experience is presented of a comprehensive approach to retrofitting considering the customer's current needs and the actual equipment conditions. Due to the use of modern engineering solutions and procedures, retrofitting yields updating and upgrading of the turbine at a relatively low cost.

Integration across Time Determines Path Deviation Discrimination for Moving Objects

PubMed Central

Whitaker, David; Levi, Dennis M.; Kennedy, Graeme J.

2008-01-01

Background Human vision is vital in determining our interaction with the outside world. In this study we characterize our ability to judge changes in the direction of motion of objects–a common task which can allow us either to intercept moving objects, or else avoid them if they pose a threat. Methodology/Principal Findings Observers were presented with objects which moved across a computer monitor on a linear path until the midline, at which point they changed their direction of motion, and observers were required to judge the direction of change. In keeping with the variety of objects we encounter in the real world, we varied characteristics of the moving stimuli such as velocity, extent of motion path and the object size. Furthermore, we compared performance for moving objects with the ability of observers to detect a deviation in a line which formed the static trace of the motion path, since it has been suggested that a form of static memory trace may form the basis for these types of judgment. The static line judgments were well described by a ‘scale invariant’ model in which any two stimuli which possess the same two-dimensional geometry (length/width) result in the same level of performance. Performance for the moving objects was entirely different. Irrespective of the path length, object size or velocity of motion, path deviation thresholds depended simply upon the duration of the motion path in seconds. Conclusions/Significance Human vision has long been known to integrate information across space in order to solve spatial tasks such as judgment of orientation or position. Here we demonstrate an intriguing mechanism which integrates direction information across time in order to optimize the judgment of path deviation for moving objects. PMID:18414653

IntPath--an integrated pathway gene relationship database for model organisms and important pathogens

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Pathway data are important for understanding the relationship between genes, proteins and many other molecules in living organisms. Pathway gene relationships are crucial information for guidance, prediction, reference and assessment in biochemistry, computational biology, and medicine. Many well-established databases--e.g., KEGG, WikiPathways, and BioCyc--are dedicated to collecting pathway data for public access. However, the effectiveness of these databases is hindered by issues such as incompatible data formats, inconsistent molecular representations, inconsistent molecular relationship representations, inconsistent referrals to pathway names, and incomprehensive data from different databases. Results In this paper, we overcome these issues through extraction, normalization and integration of pathway data from several major public databases (KEGG, WikiPathways, BioCyc, etc). We build a database that not only hosts our integrated pathway gene relationship data for public access but also maintains the necessary updates in the long run. This public repository is named IntPath (Integrated Pathway gene relationship database for model organisms and important pathogens). Four organisms--S. cerevisiae, M. tuberculosis H37Rv, H. Sapiens and M. musculus--are included in this version (V2.0) of IntPath. IntPath uses the "full unification" approach to ensure no deletion and no introduced noise in this process. Therefore, IntPath contains much richer pathway-gene and pathway-gene pair relationships and much larger number of non-redundant genes and gene pairs than any of the single-source databases. The gene relationships of each gene (measured by average node degree) per pathway are significantly richer. The gene relationships in each pathway (measured by average number of gene pairs per pathway) are also considerably richer in the integrated pathways. Moderate manual curation are involved to get rid of errors and noises from source data (e.g., the gene ID errors in WikiPathways and relationship errors in KEGG). We turn complicated and incompatible xml data formats and inconsistent gene and gene relationship representations from different source databases into normalized and unified pathway-gene and pathway-gene pair relationships neatly recorded in simple tab-delimited text format and MySQL tables, which facilitates convenient automatic computation and large-scale referencing in many related studies. IntPath data can be downloaded in text format or MySQL dump. IntPath data can also be retrieved and analyzed conveniently through web service by local programs or through web interface by mouse clicks. Several useful analysis tools are also provided in IntPath. Conclusions We have overcome in IntPath the issues of compatibility, consistency, and comprehensiveness that often hamper effective use of pathway databases. We have included four organisms in the current release of IntPath. Our methodology and programs described in this work can be easily applied to other organisms; and we will include more model organisms and important pathogens in future releases of IntPath. IntPath maintains regular updates and is freely available at http://compbio.ddns.comp.nus.edu.sg:8080/IntPath. PMID:23282057

Understanding large SEP events with the PATH code: Modeling of the 13 December 2006 SEP event

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Verkhoglyadova, O. P.; Li, G.; Zank, G. P.; Hu, Q.; Cohen, C. M. S.; Mewaldt, R. A.; Mason, G. M.; Haggerty, D. K.; von Rosenvinge, T. T.; Looper, M. D.

2010-12-01

The Particle Acceleration and Transport in the Heliosphere (PATH) numerical code was developed to understand solar energetic particle (SEP) events in the near-Earth environment. We discuss simulation results for the 13 December 2006 SEP event. The PATH code includes modeling a background solar wind through which a CME-driven oblique shock propagates. The code incorporates a mixed population of both flare and shock-accelerated solar wind suprathermal particles. The shock parameters derived from ACE measurements at 1 AU and observational flare characteristics are used as input into the numerical model. We assume that the diffusive shock acceleration mechanism is responsible for particle energization. We model the subsequent transport of particles originated at the flare site and particles escaping from the shock and propagating in the equatorial plane through the interplanetary medium. We derive spectra for protons, oxygen, and iron ions, together with their time-intensity profiles at 1 AU. Our modeling results show reasonable agreement with in situ measurements by ACE, STEREO, GOES, and SAMPEX for this event. We numerically estimate the Fe/O abundance ratio and discuss the physics underlying a mixed SEP event. We point out that the flare population is as important as shock geometry changes during shock propagation for modeling time-intensity profiles and spectra at 1 AU. The combined effects of seed population and shock geometry will be examined in the framework of an extended PATH code in future modeling efforts.

The Effect of Delamination on Damage Path and Failure Load Prediction for Notched Composite Laminates

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Satyanarayana, Arunkumar; Bogert, Philip B.; Chunchu, Prasad B.

2007-01-01

The influence of delamination on the progressing damage path and initial failure load in composite laminates is investigated. Results are presented from a numerical and an experimental study of center-notched tensile-loaded coupons. The numerical study includes two approaches. The first approach considers only intralaminar (fiber breakage and matrix cracking) damage modes in calculating the progression of the damage path. In the second approach, the model is extended to consider the effect of interlaminar (delamination) damage modes in addition to the intralaminar damage modes. The intralaminar damage is modeled using progressive damage analysis (PDA) methodology implemented with the VUMAT subroutine in the ABAQUS finite element code. The interlaminar damage mode has been simulated using cohesive elements in ABAQUS. In the experimental study, 2-3 specimens each of two different stacking sequences of center-notched laminates are tensile loaded. The numerical results from the two different modeling approaches are compared with each other and the experimentally observed results for both laminate types. The comparisons reveal that the second modeling approach, where the delamination damage mode is included together with the intralaminar damage modes, better simulates the experimentally observed damage modes and damage paths, which were characterized by splitting failures perpendicular to the notch tips in one or more layers. Additionally, the inclusion of the delamination mode resulted in a better prediction of the loads at which the failure took place, which were higher than those predicted by the first modeling approach which did not include delaminations.

Path-integral methods for analyzing the effects of fluctuations in stochastic hybrid neural networks.

PubMed

Bressloff, Paul C

2015-01-01

We consider applications of path-integral methods to the analysis of a stochastic hybrid model representing a network of synaptically coupled spiking neuronal populations. The state of each local population is described in terms of two stochastic variables, a continuous synaptic variable and a discrete activity variable. The synaptic variables evolve according to piecewise-deterministic dynamics describing, at the population level, synapses driven by spiking activity. The dynamical equations for the synaptic currents are only valid between jumps in spiking activity, and the latter are described by a jump Markov process whose transition rates depend on the synaptic variables. We assume a separation of time scales between fast spiking dynamics with time constant [Formula: see text] and slower synaptic dynamics with time constant τ. This naturally introduces a small positive parameter [Formula: see text], which can be used to develop various asymptotic expansions of the corresponding path-integral representation of the stochastic dynamics. First, we derive a variational principle for maximum-likelihood paths of escape from a metastable state (large deviations in the small noise limit [Formula: see text]). We then show how the path integral provides an efficient method for obtaining a diffusion approximation of the hybrid system for small ϵ. The resulting Langevin equation can be used to analyze the effects of fluctuations within the basin of attraction of a metastable state, that is, ignoring the effects of large deviations. We illustrate this by using the Langevin approximation to analyze the effects of intrinsic noise on pattern formation in a spatially structured hybrid network. In particular, we show how noise enlarges the parameter regime over which patterns occur, in an analogous fashion to PDEs. Finally, we carry out a [Formula: see text]-loop expansion of the path integral, and use this to derive corrections to voltage-based mean-field equations, analogous to the modified activity-based equations generated from a neural master equation.

MPI CyberMotion Simulator: implementation of a novel motion simulator to investigate multisensory path integration in three dimensions.

PubMed

Barnett-Cowan, Michael; Meilinger, Tobias; Vidal, Manuel; Teufel, Harald; Bülthoff, Heinrich H

2012-05-10

Path integration is a process in which self-motion is integrated over time to obtain an estimate of one's current position relative to a starting point (1). Humans can do path integration based exclusively on visual (2-3), auditory (4), or inertial cues (5). However, with multiple cues present, inertial cues - particularly kinaesthetic - seem to dominate (6-7). In the absence of vision, humans tend to overestimate short distances (<5 m) and turning angles (<30°), but underestimate longer ones (5). Movement through physical space therefore does not seem to be accurately represented by the brain. Extensive work has been done on evaluating path integration in the horizontal plane, but little is known about vertical movement (see (3) for virtual movement from vision alone). One reason for this is that traditional motion simulators have a small range of motion restricted mainly to the horizontal plane. Here we take advantage of a motion simulator (8-9) with a large range of motion to assess whether path integration is similar between horizontal and vertical planes. The relative contributions of inertial and visual cues for path navigation were also assessed. 16 observers sat upright in a seat mounted to the flange of a modified KUKA anthropomorphic robot arm. Sensory information was manipulated by providing visual (optic flow, limited lifetime star field), vestibular-kinaesthetic (passive self motion with eyes closed), or visual and vestibular-kinaesthetic motion cues. Movement trajectories in the horizontal, sagittal and frontal planes consisted of two segment lengths (1st: 0.4 m, 2nd: 1 m; ±0.24 m/s(2) peak acceleration). The angle of the two segments was either 45° or 90°. Observers pointed back to their origin by moving an arrow that was superimposed on an avatar presented on the screen. Observers were more likely to underestimate angle size for movement in the horizontal plane compared to the vertical planes. In the frontal plane observers were more likely to overestimate angle size while there was no such bias in the sagittal plane. Finally, observers responded slower when answering based on vestibular-kinaesthetic information alone. Human path integration based on vestibular-kinaesthetic information alone thus takes longer than when visual information is present. That pointing is consistent with underestimating and overestimating the angle one has moved through in the horizontal and vertical planes respectively, suggests that the neural representation of self-motion through space is non-symmetrical which may relate to the fact that humans experience movement mostly within the horizontal plane.

A global solution to the Schrödinger equation: From Henstock to Feynman

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Nathanson, Ekaterina S., E-mail: enathanson@ggc.edu; Jørgensen, Palle E. T., E-mail: palle-jorgensen@uiowa.edu

2015-09-15

One of the key elements of Feynman’s formulation of non-relativistic quantum mechanics is a so-called Feynman path integral. It plays an important role in the theory, but it appears as a postulate based on intuition, rather than a well-defined object. All previous attempts to supply Feynman’s theory with rigorous mathematics underpinning, based on the physical requirements, have not been satisfactory. The difficulty comes from the need to define a measure on the infinite dimensional space of paths and to create an integral that would possess all of the properties requested by Feynman. In the present paper, we consider a newmore » approach to defining the Feynman path integral, based on the theory developed by Muldowney [A Modern Theory of Random Variable: With Applications in Stochastic Calcolus, Financial Mathematics, and Feynman Integration (John Wiley & Sons, Inc., New Jersey, 2012)]. Muldowney uses the Henstock integration technique and deals with non-absolute integrability of the Fresnel integrals, in order to obtain a representation of the Feynman path integral as a functional. This approach offers a mathematically rigorous definition supporting Feynman’s intuitive derivations. But in his work, Muldowney gives only local in space-time solutions. A physical solution to the non-relativistic Schrödinger equation must be global, and it must be given in the form of a unitary one-parameter group in L{sup 2}(ℝ{sup n}). The purpose of this paper is to show that a system of one-dimensional local Muldowney’s solutions may be extended to yield a global solution. Moreover, the global extension can be represented by a unitary one-parameter group acting in L{sup 2}(ℝ{sup n})« less

Processor Would Find Best Paths On Map

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Eberhardt, Silvio P.

1990-01-01

Proposed very-large-scale integrated (VLSI) circuit image-data processor finds path of least cost from specified origin to any destination on map. Cost of traversal assigned to each picture element of map. Path of least cost from originating picture element to every other picture element computed as path that preserves as much as possible of signal transmitted by originating picture element. Dedicated microprocessor at each picture element stores cost of traversal and performs its share of computations of paths of least cost. Least-cost-path problem occurs in research, military maneuvers, and in planning routes of vehicles.

Computer calculation of Witten's 3-manifold invariant

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Freed, Daniel S.; Gompf, Robert E.

1991-10-01

Witten's 2+1 dimensional Chern-Simons theory is exactly solvable. We compute the partition function, a topological invariant of 3-manifolds, on generalized Seifert spaces. Thus we test the path integral using the theory of 3-manifolds. In particular, we compare the exact solution with the asymptotic formula predicted by perturbation theory. We conclude that this path integral works as advertised and gives an effective topological invariant.

Path integral analysis of Jarzynski's equality: Analytical results

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Minh, David D. L.; Adib, Artur B.

2009-02-01

We apply path integrals to study nonequilibrium work theorems in the context of Brownian dynamics, deriving in particular the equations of motion governing the most typical and most dominant trajectories. For the analytically soluble cases of a moving harmonic potential and a harmonic oscillator with a time-dependent natural frequency, we find such trajectories, evaluate the work-weighted propagators, and validate Jarzynski’s equality.

Book Review:

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Louko, Jorma

2007-04-01

Bastianelli and van Nieuwenhuizen's monograph `Path Integrals and Anomalies in Curved Space' collects in one volume the results of the authors' 15-year research programme on anomalies that arise in Feynman diagrams of quantum field theories on curved manifolds. The programme was spurred by the path-integral techniques introduced in Alvarez-Gaumé and Witten's renowned 1983 paper on gravitational anomalies which, together with the anomaly cancellation paper by Green and Schwarz, led to the string theory explosion of the 1980s. The authors have produced a tour de force, giving a comprehensive and pedagogical exposition of material that is central to current research. The first part of the book develops from scratch a formalism for defining and evaluating quantum mechanical path integrals in nonlinear sigma models, using time slicing regularization, mode regularization and dimensional regularization. The second part applies this formalism to quantum fields of spin 0, 1/2, 1 and 3/2 and to self-dual antisymmetric tensor fields. The book concludes with a discussion of gravitational anomalies in 10-dimensional supergravities, for both classical and exceptional gauge groups. The target audience is researchers and graduate students in curved spacetime quantum field theory and string theory, and the aims, style and pedagogical level have been chosen with this audience in mind. Path integrals are treated as calculational tools, and the notation and terminology are throughout tailored to calculational convenience, rather than to mathematical rigour. The style is closer to that of an exceedingly thorough and self-contained review article than to that of a textbook. As the authors mention, the first part of the book can be used as an introduction to path integrals in quantum mechanics, although in a classroom setting perhaps more likely as supplementary reading than a primary class text. Readers outside the core audience, including this reviewer, will gain from the book a heightened appreciation of the central role of regularization as a defining ingredient of a quantum field theory and will be impressed by the agreement of results arising from different regularization schemes. The readers may in particular enjoy the authors' `brief history of anomalies' in quantum field theory, as well as a similar historical discussion of path integrals in quantum mechanics.

Acetylcholine contributes to the integration of self-movement cues in head direction cells.

PubMed

Yoder, Ryan M; Chan, Jeremy H M; Taube, Jeffrey S

2017-08-01

Acetylcholine contributes to accurate performance on some navigational tasks, but details of its contribution to the underlying brain signals are not fully understood. The medial septal area provides widespread cholinergic input to various brain regions, but selective damage to medial septal cholinergic neurons generally has little effect on landmark-based navigation, or the underlying neural representations of location and directional heading in visual environments. In contrast, the loss of medial septal cholinergic neurons disrupts navigation based on path integration, but no studies have tested whether these path integration deficits are associated with disrupted head direction (HD) cell activity. Therefore, we evaluated HD cell responses to visual cue rotations in a familiar arena, and during navigation between familiar and novel arenas, after muscarinic receptor blockade with systemic atropine. Atropine treatment reduced the peak firing rate of HD cells, but failed to significantly affect other HD cell firing properties. Atropine also failed to significantly disrupt the dominant landmark control of the HD signal, even though we used a procedure that challenged this landmark control. In contrast, atropine disrupted HD cell stability during navigation between familiar and novel arenas, where path integration normally maintains a consistent HD cell signal across arenas. These results suggest that acetylcholine contributes to path integration, in part, by facilitating the use of idiothetic cues to maintain a consistent representation of directional heading. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

Congestion patterns of electric vehicles with limited battery capacity.

PubMed

Jing, Wentao; Ramezani, Mohsen; An, Kun; Kim, Inhi

2018-01-01

The path choice behavior of battery electric vehicle (BEV) drivers is influenced by the lack of public charging stations, limited battery capacity, range anxiety and long battery charging time. This paper investigates the congestion/flow pattern captured by stochastic user equilibrium (SUE) traffic assignment problem in transportation networks with BEVs, where the BEV paths are restricted by their battery capacities. The BEV energy consumption is assumed to be a linear function of path length and path travel time, which addresses both path distance limit problem and road congestion effect. A mathematical programming model is proposed for the path-based SUE traffic assignment where the path cost is the sum of the corresponding link costs and a path specific out-of-energy penalty. We then apply the convergent Lagrangian dual method to transform the original problem into a concave maximization problem and develop a customized gradient projection algorithm to solve it. A column generation procedure is incorporated to generate the path set. Finally, two numerical examples are presented to demonstrate the applicability of the proposed model and the solution algorithm.

Congestion patterns of electric vehicles with limited battery capacity

PubMed Central

2018-01-01

The path choice behavior of battery electric vehicle (BEV) drivers is influenced by the lack of public charging stations, limited battery capacity, range anxiety and long battery charging time. This paper investigates the congestion/flow pattern captured by stochastic user equilibrium (SUE) traffic assignment problem in transportation networks with BEVs, where the BEV paths are restricted by their battery capacities. The BEV energy consumption is assumed to be a linear function of path length and path travel time, which addresses both path distance limit problem and road congestion effect. A mathematical programming model is proposed for the path-based SUE traffic assignment where the path cost is the sum of the corresponding link costs and a path specific out-of-energy penalty. We then apply the convergent Lagrangian dual method to transform the original problem into a concave maximization problem and develop a customized gradient projection algorithm to solve it. A column generation procedure is incorporated to generate the path set. Finally, two numerical examples are presented to demonstrate the applicability of the proposed model and the solution algorithm. PMID:29543875

Path Integrals for Electronic Densities, Reactivity Indices, and Localization Functions in Quantum Systems

PubMed Central

Putz, Mihai V.

2009-01-01

The density matrix theory, the ancestor of density functional theory, provides the immediate framework for Path Integral (PI) development, allowing the canonical density be extended for the many-electronic systems through the density functional closure relationship. Yet, the use of path integral formalism for electronic density prescription presents several advantages: assures the inner quantum mechanical description of the system by parameterized paths; averages the quantum fluctuations; behaves as the propagator for time-space evolution of quantum information; resembles Schrödinger equation; allows quantum statistical description of the system through partition function computing. In this framework, four levels of path integral formalism were presented: the Feynman quantum mechanical, the semiclassical, the Feynman-Kleinert effective classical, and the Fokker-Planck non-equilibrium ones. In each case the density matrix or/and the canonical density were rigorously defined and presented. The practical specializations for quantum free and harmonic motions, for statistical high and low temperature limits, the smearing justification for the Bohr’s quantum stability postulate with the paradigmatic Hydrogen atomic excursion, along the quantum chemical calculation of semiclassical electronegativity and hardness, of chemical action and Mulliken electronegativity, as well as by the Markovian generalizations of Becke-Edgecombe electronic focalization functions – all advocate for the reliability of assuming PI formalism of quantum mechanics as a versatile one, suited for analytically and/or computationally modeling of a variety of fundamental physical and chemical reactivity concepts characterizing the (density driving) many-electronic systems. PMID:20087467

Path integrals for electronic densities, reactivity indices, and localization functions in quantum systems.

PubMed

Putz, Mihai V

2009-11-10

The density matrix theory, the ancestor of density functional theory, provides the immediate framework for Path Integral (PI) development, allowing the canonical density be extended for the many-electronic systems through the density functional closure relationship. Yet, the use of path integral formalism for electronic density prescription presents several advantages: assures the inner quantum mechanical description of the system by parameterized paths; averages the quantum fluctuations; behaves as the propagator for time-space evolution of quantum information; resembles Schrödinger equation; allows quantum statistical description of the system through partition function computing. In this framework, four levels of path integral formalism were presented: the Feynman quantum mechanical, the semiclassical, the Feynman-Kleinert effective classical, and the Fokker-Planck non-equilibrium ones. In each case the density matrix or/and the canonical density were rigorously defined and presented. The practical specializations for quantum free and harmonic motions, for statistical high and low temperature limits, the smearing justification for the Bohr's quantum stability postulate with the paradigmatic Hydrogen atomic excursion, along the quantum chemical calculation of semiclassical electronegativity and hardness, of chemical action and Mulliken electronegativity, as well as by the Markovian generalizations of Becke-Edgecombe electronic focalization functions - all advocate for the reliability of assuming PI formalism of quantum mechanics as a versatile one, suited for analytically and/or computationally modeling of a variety of fundamental physical and chemical reactivity concepts characterizing the (density driving) many-electronic systems.

Ab initio molecular dynamics with nuclear quantum effects at classical cost: Ring polymer contraction for density functional theory

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Marsalek, Ondrej; Markland, Thomas E., E-mail: tmarkland@stanford.edu

Path integral molecular dynamics simulations, combined with an ab initio evaluation of interactions using electronic structure theory, incorporate the quantum mechanical nature of both the electrons and nuclei, which are essential to accurately describe systems containing light nuclei. However, path integral simulations have traditionally required a computational cost around two orders of magnitude greater than treating the nuclei classically, making them prohibitively costly for most applications. Here we show that the cost of path integral simulations can be dramatically reduced by extending our ring polymer contraction approach to ab initio molecular dynamics simulations. By using density functional tight binding asmore » a reference system, we show that our ring polymer contraction scheme gives rapid and systematic convergence to the full path integral density functional theory result. We demonstrate the efficiency of this approach in ab initio simulations of liquid water and the reactive protonated and deprotonated water dimer systems. We find that the vast majority of the nuclear quantum effects are accurately captured using contraction to just the ring polymer centroid, which requires the same number of density functional theory calculations as a classical simulation. Combined with a multiple time step scheme using the same reference system, which allows the time step to be increased, this approach is as fast as a typical classical ab initio molecular dynamics simulation and 35× faster than a full path integral calculation, while still exactly including the quantum sampling of nuclei. This development thus offers a route to routinely include nuclear quantum effects in ab initio molecular dynamics simulations at negligible computational cost.« less

On the relation between phase path, group path and attenuation in a cold absorbing plasma

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bennett, J. A.; Dyson, P. L.

1978-01-01

Consideration is given to a cold absorbing plasma in which the collision frequency is zero. Expressions are developed which relate the attenuation and the group and phase refractive indices. It is found that because the expressions for the group and phase refractive indices and the imaginary part of the refractive index are closely related in form, the attenuation is related to the difference between the group and phase paths. Numerical calculations have derived approximations which significantly increase the range of known approximations of this type.

Path-length-resolved dynamic light scattering in highly scattering random media: The transition to diffusing wave spectroscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bizheva, Kostadinka K.; Siegel, Andy M.; Boas, David A.

1998-12-01

We used low coherence interferometry to measure Brownian motion within highly scattering random media. A coherence gate was applied to resolve the optical path-length distribution and to separate ballistic from diffusive light. Our experimental analysis provides details on the transition from single scattering to light diffusion and its dependence on the system parameters. We found that the transition to the light diffusion regime occurs at shorter path lengths for media with higher scattering anisotropy or for larger numerical aperture of the focusing optics.

Path Flow Estimation Using Time Varying Coefficient State Space Model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jou, Yow-Jen; Lan, Chien-Lun

2009-08-01

The dynamic path flow information is very crucial in the field of transportation operation and management, i.e., dynamic traffic assignment, scheduling plan, and signal timing. Time-dependent path information, which is important in many aspects, is nearly impossible to be obtained. Consequently, researchers have been seeking estimation methods for deriving valuable path flow information from less expensive traffic data, primarily link traffic counts of surveillance systems. This investigation considers a path flow estimation problem involving the time varying coefficient state space model, Gibbs sampler, and Kalman filter. Numerical examples with part of a real network of the Taipei Mass Rapid Transit with real O-D matrices is demonstrated to address the accuracy of proposed model. Results of this study show that this time-varying coefficient state space model is very effective in the estimation of path flow compared to time-invariant model.

Social network analysis using k-Path centrality method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Taniarza, Natya; Adiwijaya; Maharani, Warih

2018-03-01

k-Path centrality is deemed as one of the effective methods to be applied in centrality measurement in which the influential node is estimated as the node that is being passed by information path frequently. Regarding this, k-Path centrality has been employed in the analysis of this paper specifically by adapting random-algorithm approach in order to: (1) determine the influential user’s ranking in a social media Twitter; and (2) ascertain the influence of parameter α in the numeration of k-Path centrality. According to the analysis, the findings showed that the method of k-Path centrality with random-algorithm approach can be used to determine user’s ranking which influences in the dissemination of information in Twitter. Furthermore, the findings also showed that parameter α influenced the duration and the ranking results: the less the α value, the longer the duration, yet the ranking results were more stable.

System and method for interfacing large-area electronics with integrated circuit devices

DOEpatents

Verma, Naveen; Glisic, Branko; Sturm, James; Wagner, Sigurd

2016-07-12

A system and method for interfacing large-area electronics with integrated circuit devices is provided. The system may be implemented in an electronic device including a large area electronic (LAE) device disposed on a substrate. An integrated circuit IC is disposed on the substrate. A non-contact interface is disposed on the substrate and coupled between the LAE device and the IC. The non-contact interface is configured to provide at least one of a data acquisition path or control path between the LAE device and the IC.

Path-integral representation for the relativistic particle propagators and BFV quantization

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Fradkin, E.S.; Gitman, D.M.

1991-11-15

The path-integral representations for the propagators of scalar and spinor fields in an external electromagnetic field are derived. The Hamiltonian form of such expressions can be interpreted in the sense of Batalin-Fradkin-Vilkovisky quantization of one-particle theory. The Lagrangian representation as derived allows one to extract in a natural way the expressions for the corresponding gauge-invariant (reparametrization- and supergauge-invariant) actions for pointlike scalar and spinning particles. At the same time, the measure and ranges of integrations, admissible gauge conditions, and boundary conditions can be exactly established.

Impact adding bifurcation in an autonomous hybrid dynamical model of church bell

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brzeski, P.; Chong, A. S. E.; Wiercigroch, M.; Perlikowski, P.

2018-05-01

In this paper we present the bifurcation analysis of the yoke-bell-clapper system which corresponds to the biggest bell "Serce Lodzi" mounted in the Cathedral Basilica of St Stanislaus Kostka, Lodz, Poland. The mathematical model of the system considered in this work has been derived and verified based on measurements of dynamics of the real bell. We perform numerical analysis both by direct numerical integration and path-following method using toolbox ABESPOL (Chong, 2016). By introducing the active yoke the position of the bell-clapper system with respect to the yoke axis of rotation can be easily changed and it can be used to probe the system dynamics. We found a wide variety of periodic and non-periodic solutions, and examined the ranges of coexistence of solutions and transitions between them via different types of bifurcations. Finally, a new type of bifurcation induced by a grazing event - an "impact adding bifurcation" has been proposed. When it occurs, the number of impacts between the bell and the clapper is increasing while the period of the system's motion stays the same.

Broadband angle-independent antireflection coatings on nanostructured light trapping solar cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vázquez-Guardado, Abraham; Boroumand, Javaneh; Franklin, Daniel; Chanda, Debashis

2018-03-01

Backscattering from nanostructured surfaces greatly diminishes the efficacy of light trapping solar cells. While the analytical design of broadband, angle-independent antireflection coatings on nanostructured surfaces proved inefficient, numerical optimization proves a viable alternative. Here, we numerically design and experimentally verify the performance of single and bilayer antireflection coatings on a 2D hexagonal diffractive light trapping pattern on crystalline silicon substrates. Three well-known antireflection coatings, aluminum oxide, silicon nitride, and silicon oxide, which also double as high-quality surface passivation materials, are studied in the 400-1000 nm band. By varying thickness and conformity, the optimal parameters that minimize the broadband total reflectance (specular and scattering) from the nanostructured surface are obtained. The design results in a single-layer antireflection coating with normal-angle wavelength-integrated reflectance below 4% and a bilayer antireflection coating demonstrating reflection down to 1.5%. We show experimentally an angle-averaged reflectance of ˜5.2 % up to 60° incident angle from the optimized bilayer antireflection-coated nanostructured surface, paving the path toward practical implementation of the light trapping solar cells.

Random gauge models of the superconductor-insulator transition in two-dimensional disordered superconductors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Granato, Enzo

2017-11-01

We study numerically the superconductor-insulator transition in two-dimensional inhomogeneous superconductors with gauge disorder, described by four different quantum rotor models: a gauge glass, a flux glass, a binary phase glass, and a Gaussian phase glass. The first two models describe the combined effect of geometrical disorder in the array of local superconducting islands and a uniform external magnetic field, while the last two describe the effects of random negative Josephson-junction couplings or π junctions. Monte Carlo simulations in the path-integral representation of the models are used to determine the critical exponents and the universal conductivity at the quantum phase transition. The gauge- and flux-glass models display the same critical behavior, within the estimated numerical uncertainties. Similar agreement is found for the binary and Gaussian phase-glass models. Despite the different symmetries and disorder correlations, we find that the universal conductivity of these models is approximately the same. In particular, the ratio of this value to that of the pure model agrees with recent experiments on nanohole thin-film superconductors in a magnetic field, in the large disorder limit.

i-PI: A Python interface for ab initio path integral molecular dynamics simulations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ceriotti, Michele; More, Joshua; Manolopoulos, David E.

2014-03-01

Recent developments in path integral methodology have significantly reduced the computational expense of including quantum mechanical effects in the nuclear motion in ab initio molecular dynamics simulations. However, the implementation of these developments requires a considerable programming effort, which has hindered their adoption. Here we describe i-PI, an interface written in Python that has been designed to minimise the effort required to bring state-of-the-art path integral techniques to an electronic structure program. While it is best suited to first principles calculations and path integral molecular dynamics, i-PI can also be used to perform classical molecular dynamics simulations, and can just as easily be interfaced with an empirical forcefield code. To give just one example of the many potential applications of the interface, we use it in conjunction with the CP2K electronic structure package to showcase the importance of nuclear quantum effects in high-pressure water. Catalogue identifier: AERN_v1_0 Program summary URL: http://cpc.cs.qub.ac.uk/summaries/AERN_v1_0.html Program obtainable from: CPC Program Library, Queen’s University, Belfast, N. Ireland Licensing provisions: GNU General Public License, version 3 No. of lines in distributed program, including test data, etc.: 138626 No. of bytes in distributed program, including test data, etc.: 3128618 Distribution format: tar.gz Programming language: Python. Computer: Multiple architectures. Operating system: Linux, Mac OSX, Windows. RAM: Less than 256 Mb Classification: 7.7. External routines: NumPy Nature of problem: Bringing the latest developments in the modelling of nuclear quantum effects with path integral molecular dynamics to ab initio electronic structure programs with minimal implementational effort. Solution method: State-of-the-art path integral molecular dynamics techniques are implemented in a Python interface. Any electronic structure code can be patched to receive the atomic coordinates from the Python interface, and to return the forces and energy that are used to integrate the equations of motion. Restrictions: This code only deals with distinguishable particles. It does not include fermonic or bosonic exchanges between equivalent nuclei, which can become important at very low temperatures. Running time: Depends dramatically on the nature of the simulation being performed. A few minutes for short tests with empirical force fields, up to several weeks for production calculations with ab initio forces. The examples provided with the code run in less than an hour.

5-HT1a Receptor Antagonists Block Perforant Path-Dentate LTP Induced in Novel, but Not Familiar, Environments

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sanberg, Cyndy Davis; Jones, Floretta L.; Do, Viet H.; Dieguez, Dario, Jr.; Derrick, Brian E.

2006-01-01

Numerous studies suggest roles for monoamines in modulating long-term potentiation (LTP). Previously, we reported that both induction and maintenance of perforant path-dentate gyrus LTP is enhanced when induced while animals explore novel environments. Here we investigate the contribution of serotonin and 5-HT1a receptors to the novelty-mediated…

Design Tool Using a New Optimization Method Based on a Stochastic Process

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yoshida, Hiroaki; Yamaguchi, Katsuhito; Ishikawa, Yoshio

Conventional optimization methods are based on a deterministic approach since their purpose is to find out an exact solution. However, such methods have initial condition dependence and the risk of falling into local solution. In this paper, we propose a new optimization method based on the concept of path integrals used in quantum mechanics. The method obtains a solution as an expected value (stochastic average) using a stochastic process. The advantages of this method are that it is not affected by initial conditions and does not require techniques based on experiences. We applied the new optimization method to a hang glider design. In this problem, both the hang glider design and its flight trajectory were optimized. The numerical calculation results prove that performance of the method is sufficient for practical use.

Design, Manufacturing and Characterization of Functionally Graded Flextensional Piezoelectric Actuators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Amigo, R. C. R.; Vatanabe, S. L.; Silva, E. C. N.

2013-03-01

Previous works have been shown several advantages in using Functionally Graded Materials (FGMs) for the performance of flextensional devices, such as reduction of stress concentrations and gains in reliability. In this work, the FGM concept is explored in the design of graded devices by using the Topology Optimization Method (TOM), in order to determine optimal topologies and gradations of the coupled structures of piezoactuators. The graded pieces are manufactured by using the Spark Plasma Sintering (SPS) technique and are bonded to piezoelectric ceramics. The graded actuators are then tested by using a modular vibrometer system for measuring output displacements, in order to validate the numerical simulations. The technological path developed here represents the initial step toward the manufacturing of an integral piezoelectric device, constituted by piezoelectric and non-piezoelectric materials without bonding layers.

Numerical Simulation of the Working Process in the Twin Screw Vacuum Pump

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lu, Yang; Fu, Yu; Guo, Bei; Fu, Lijuan; Zhang, Qingqing; Chen, Xiaole

2017-08-01

Twin screw vacuum pumps inherit the advantages of screw machinery, such as high reliability, stable medium conveying, small vibration, simple and compact structures, convenient operation, etc, which have been widely used in petrochemical and air industry. On the basis of previous studies, this study analyzed the geometric features of variable pitch of the twin screw vacuum pump such as the sealing line, the meshing line and the volume between teeth. The mathematical model of numerical simulation of the twin screw vacuum pump was established. The leakage paths of the working volume including the sealing line and the addendum arc were comprehensively considered. The corresponding simplified geometric model of leakage flow was built up for different leak paths and the flow coefficients were calculated. The flow coefficient value range of different leak paths was given. The results showed that the flow coefficient of different leak paths can be taken as constant value for the studied geometry. The analysis of recorded indicator diagrams showed that the increasing rotational speed can dramatically decrease the exhaust pressure and the lower rotational speed can lead to over-compression. The pressure of the isentropic process which was affected by leakage was higher than the theoretical process.

Free-end adaptive nudged elastic band method for locating transition states in minimum energy path calculation.

PubMed

Zhang, Jiayong; Zhang, Hongwu; Ye, Hongfei; Zheng, Yonggang

2016-09-07

A free-end adaptive nudged elastic band (FEA-NEB) method is presented for finding transition states on minimum energy paths, where the energy barrier is very narrow compared to the whole paths. The previously proposed free-end nudged elastic band method may suffer from convergence problems because of the kinks arising on the elastic band if the initial elastic band is far from the minimum energy path and weak springs are adopted. We analyze the origin of the formation of kinks and present an improved free-end algorithm to avoid the convergence problem. Moreover, by coupling the improved free-end algorithm and an adaptive strategy, we develop a FEA-NEB method to accurately locate the transition state with the elastic band cut off repeatedly and the density of images near the transition state increased. Several representative numerical examples, including the dislocation nucleation in a penta-twinned nanowire, the twin boundary migration under a shear stress, and the cross-slip of screw dislocation in face-centered cubic metals, are investigated by using the FEA-NEB method. Numerical results demonstrate both the stability and efficiency of the proposed method.

Path-integral theory of an axially confined worm-like chain

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smith, D. A.

2001-06-01

A path-integral formulation is developed for the thermodynamic properties of a worm-like chain moving on a surface and laterally confined by a harmonic potential. The free energy of the chain is calculated as a function of its length and boundary conditions at each end. Distribution functions for chain displacements can be constructed by utilizing the Markov property as a function of displacement φ(s) and its derivative dφ(s)/ds along the path. These quantities are also calculated in the presence of pinning sites which impose fixed positive or negative displacements, foreshadowing their application to a model for the regulation of striated muscle.

Critique of Coleman's Theory of the Vanishing Cosmological Constant

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Susskind, Leonard

In these lectures I would like to review some of the criticisms to the Coleman worm-hole theory of the vanishing cosmological constant. In particular, I would like to focus on the most fundamental assumption that the path integral over topologies defines a probability for the cosmological constant which has the form EXP(A) with A being the Baum-Hawking-Coleman saddle point. Coleman argues that the euclideam path integral over all geometries may be dominated by special configurations which consist of large smooth "spheres" connected by any number of narrow wormholes. Formally summing up such configurations gives a very divergent expression for the path integral…

Triple-Pulsed Two-Micron Integrated Path Differential Absorption Lidar: A New Active Remote Sensing Capability with Path to Space

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Singh, Upendra N.; Refaat, Tamer F.; Petros, Mulugeta; Yu, Jirong

2015-01-01

The two-micron wavelength is suitable for monitoring atmospheric water vapor and carbon dioxide, the two most dominant greenhouse gases. Recent advances in 2-micron laser technology paved the way for constructing state-of-the-art lidar transmitters for active remote sensing applications. In this paper, a new triple-pulsed 2-micron integrated path differential absorption lidar is presented. This lidar is capable of measuring either two species or single specie with two different weighting functions, simultaneously and independently. Development of this instrument is conducted at NASA Langley Research Center. Instrument scaling for projected future space missions will be discussed.

High-order Path Integral Monte Carlo methods for solving strongly correlated fermion problems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chin, Siu A.

2015-03-01

In solving for the ground state of a strongly correlated many-fermion system, the conventional second-order Path Integral Monte Carlo method is plagued with the sign problem. This is due to the large number of anti-symmetric free fermion propagators that are needed to extract the square of the ground state wave function at large imaginary time. In this work, I show that optimized fourth-order Path Integral Monte Carlo methods, which uses no more than 5 free-fermion propagators, in conjunction with the use of the Hamiltonian energy estimator, can yield accurate ground state energies for quantum dots with up to 20 polarized electrons. The correlations are directly built-in and no explicit wave functions are needed. This work is supported by the Qatar National Research Fund NPRP GRANT #5-674-1-114.

Fuel processing in integrated micro-structured heat-exchanger reactors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kolb, G.; Schürer, J.; Tiemann, D.; Wichert, M.; Zapf, R.; Hessel, V.; Löwe, H.

Micro-structured fuel processors are under development at IMM for different fuels such as methanol, ethanol, propane/butane (LPG), gasoline and diesel. The target application are mobile, portable and small scale stationary auxiliary power units (APU) based upon fuel cell technology. The key feature of the systems is an integrated plate heat-exchanger technology which allows for the thermal integration of several functions in a single device. Steam reforming may be coupled with catalytic combustion in separate flow paths of a heat-exchanger. Reactors and complete fuel processors are tested up to the size range of 5 kW power output of a corresponding fuel cell. On top of reactor and system prototyping and testing, catalyst coatings are under development at IMM for numerous reactions such as steam reforming of LPG, ethanol and methanol, catalytic combustion of LPG and methanol, and for CO clean-up reactions, namely water-gas shift, methanation and the preferential oxidation of carbon monoxide. These catalysts are investigated in specially developed testing reactors. In selected cases 1000 h stability testing is performed on catalyst coatings at weight hourly space velocities, which are sufficiently high to meet the demands of future fuel processing reactors.

Method for Vibration Response Simulation and Sensor Placement Optimization of a Machine Tool Spindle System with a Bearing Defect

PubMed Central

Cao, Hongrui; Niu, Linkai; He, Zhengjia

2012-01-01

Bearing defects are one of the most important mechanical sources for vibration and noise generation in machine tool spindles. In this study, an integrated finite element (FE) model is proposed to predict the vibration responses of a spindle bearing system with localized bearing defects and then the sensor placement for better detection of bearing faults is optimized. A nonlinear bearing model is developed based on Jones' bearing theory, while the drawbar, shaft and housing are modeled as Timoshenko's beam. The bearing model is then integrated into the FE model of drawbar/shaft/housing by assembling equations of motion. The Newmark time integration method is used to solve the vibration responses numerically. The FE model of the spindle-bearing system was verified by conducting dynamic tests. Then, the localized bearing defects were modeled and vibration responses generated by the outer ring defect were simulated as an illustration. The optimization scheme of the sensor placement was carried out on the test spindle. The results proved that, the optimal sensor placement depends on the vibration modes under different boundary conditions and the transfer path between the excitation and the response. PMID:23012514

The Human Space Life Sciences Critical Path Roadmap Project: A Strategy for Human Space Flight through Exploration-Class Missions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sawin, Charles F.

1999-01-01

The product of the critical path roadmap project is an integrated strategy for mitigating the risks associated with human exploration class missions. It is an evolving process that will assure the ability to communicate the integrated critical path roadmap. Unlike previous reports, this one will not sit on a shelf - it has the full support of the JSC Space and Life Sciences Directorate (SA) and is already being used as a decision making tool (e.g., budget and investigation planning for Shuttle and Space Station mission). Utility of this product depends on many efforts, namely: providing the required information (completed risk data sheets, critical question information, technology data). It is essential to communicate the results of the critical path roadmap to the scientific community - this meeting is a good opportunity to do so. The web site envisioned for the critical path roadmap will provide the capability to communicate to a broader community and to track and update the system routinely.

Development of a new integrated local trajectory planning and tracking control framework for autonomous ground vehicles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Xiaohui; Sun, Zhenping; Cao, Dongpu; Liu, Daxue; He, Hangen

2017-03-01

This study proposes a novel integrated local trajectory planning and tracking control (ILTPTC) framework for autonomous vehicles driving along a reference path with obstacles avoidance. For this ILTPTC framework, an efficient state-space sampling-based trajectory planning scheme is employed to smoothly follow the reference path. A model-based predictive path generation algorithm is applied to produce a set of smooth and kinematically-feasible paths connecting the initial state with the sampling terminal states. A velocity control law is then designed to assign a speed value at each of the points along the generated paths. An objective function considering both safety and comfort performance is carefully formulated for assessing the generated trajectories and selecting the optimal one. For accurately tracking the optimal trajectory while overcoming external disturbances and model uncertainties, a combined feedforward and feedback controller is developed. Both simulation analyses and vehicle testing are performed to verify the effectiveness of the proposed ILTPTC framework, and future research is also briefly discussed.

From conformal blocks to path integrals in the Vaidya geometry

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Anous, Tarek; Hartman, Thomas; Rovai, Antonin

Correlators in conformal field theory are naturally organized as a sum over conformal blocks. In holographic theories, this sum must reorganize into a path integral over bulk fields and geometries. We explore how these two sums are related in the case of a point particle moving in the background of a 3d collapsing black hole. The conformal block expansion is recast as a sum over paths of the first-quantized particle moving in the bulk geometry. Off-shell worldlines of the particle correspond to subdominant contributions in the Euclidean conformal block expansion, but these same operators must be included in order tomore » correctly reproduce complex saddles in the Lorentzian theory. During thermalization, a complex saddle dominates under certain circumstances; in this case, the CFT correlator is not given by the Virasoro identity block in any channel, but can be recovered by summing heavy operators. This effectively converts the conformal block expansion in CFT from a sum over intermediate states to a sum over channels that mimics the bulk path integral.« less

Integration of polarization-multiplexing and phase-shifting in nanometric two dimensional self-mixing measurement.

PubMed

Tao, Yufeng; Xia, Wei; Wang, Ming; Guo, Dongmei; Hao, Hui

2017-02-06

Integration of phase manipulation and polarization multiplexing was introduced to self-mixing interferometry (SMI) for high-sensitive measurement. Light polarizations were used to increase measuring path number and predict manifold merits for potential applications. Laser source was studied as a microwave-photonic resonator optically-injected by double reflected lights on a two-feedback-factor analytical model. Independent external paths exploited magnesium-oxide doped lithium niobate crystals at perpendicular polarizations to transfer interferometric phases into amplitudes of harmonics. Theoretical resolutions reached angstrom level. By integrating two techniques, this SMI outperformed the conventional single-path SMIs by simultaneous dual-targets measurement on single laser tube with high sensitivity and low speckle noise. In experimental demonstration, by nonlinear filtering method, a custom-made phase-resolved algorithm real-time figured out instantaneous two-dimensional displacements with nanometer resolution. Experimental comparisons to lock-in technique and a commercial Ploytec-5000 laser Doppler velocity meter validated this two-path SMI in micron range without optical cross-talk. Moreover, accuracy subjected to slewing rates of crystals could be flexibly adjusted.

From conformal blocks to path integrals in the Vaidya geometry

DOE PAGES

Anous, Tarek; Hartman, Thomas; Rovai, Antonin; ...

2017-09-04

Correlators in conformal field theory are naturally organized as a sum over conformal blocks. In holographic theories, this sum must reorganize into a path integral over bulk fields and geometries. We explore how these two sums are related in the case of a point particle moving in the background of a 3d collapsing black hole. The conformal block expansion is recast as a sum over paths of the first-quantized particle moving in the bulk geometry. Off-shell worldlines of the particle correspond to subdominant contributions in the Euclidean conformal block expansion, but these same operators must be included in order tomore » correctly reproduce complex saddles in the Lorentzian theory. During thermalization, a complex saddle dominates under certain circumstances; in this case, the CFT correlator is not given by the Virasoro identity block in any channel, but can be recovered by summing heavy operators. This effectively converts the conformal block expansion in CFT from a sum over intermediate states to a sum over channels that mimics the bulk path integral.« less

Path suppression of strongly collapsing bubbles at finite and low Reynolds numbers.

PubMed

Rechiman, Ludmila M; Dellavale, Damián; Bonetto, Fabián J

2013-06-01

We study, numerically and experimentally, three different methods to suppress the trajectories of strongly collapsing and sonoluminescent bubbles in a highly viscous sulfuric acid solution. A new numerical scheme based on the window method is proposed to account for the history force acting on a spherical bubble with variable radius. We could quantify the history force, which is not negligible in comparison with the primary Bjerknes force in this type of problem, and results are in agreement with the classical primary Bjerknes force trapping threshold analysis. Moreover, the present numerical implementation reproduces the spatial behavior associated with the positional and path instability of sonoluminescent argon bubbles in strongly gassed and highly degassed sulfuric acid solutions. Finally, the model allows us to demonstrate that spatially stationary bubbles driven by biharmonic excitation could be obtained with a different mode from the one used in previous reported experiments.

Exploiting broad-area surface emitting lasers to manifest the path-length distributions of finite-potential quantum billiards.

PubMed

Yu, Y T; Tuan, P H; Chang, K C; Hsieh, Y H; Huang, K F; Chen, Y F

2016-01-11

Broad-area vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs) with different cavity sizes are experimentally exploited to manifest the influence of the finite confinement strength on the path-length distribution of quantum billiards. The subthreshold emission spectra of VCSELs are measured to obtain the path-length distributions by using the Fourier transform. It is verified that the number of the resonant peaks in the path-length distribution decreases with decreasing the confinement strength. Theoretical analyses for finite-potential quantum billiards are numerically performed to confirm that the mesoscopic phenomena of quantum billiards with finite confinement strength can be analogously revealed by using broad-area VCSELs.

Integration of Hierarchical Goal Network Planning and Autonomous Path Planning

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-03-01

Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA); 2010 May 3– 7; Anchorage, AK. p. 2902–2908. 4. Ayan NF, Kuter U, Yaman F, Goldman RP. Hotride...DISTRIBUTION/AVAILABILITY STATEMENT Approved for public release; distribution unlimited. 13. SUPPLEMENTARY NOTES 14. ABSTRACT Automated planning has...world robotic systems. This report documents work to integrate a hierarchical goal network planning algorithm with low-level path planning. The system

Batalin-Vilkovisky quantization and generalizations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bering, Klaus

Gauge theories play an important role in modern physics. Whenever a gauge symmetry is present, one should provide for a manifestly gauge independent formalism. It turns out that the BRST symmetry plays a prominent part in providing the gauge independence. The importance of gauge independence in the Hamiltonian Batalin-Fradkin-Fradkina- Vilkovisky formalism and in the Lagrangian Batalin- Vilkovisky formalism is stressed. Parallels are drawn between the various theories. A Hamiltonian path integral that takes into account quantum ordering effects arising in the operator formalism, should be written with the help of the star- multiplication or the Moyal bracket. It is generally believed, that this leads to higher order quantum corrections in the corresponding Lagrangian path integral. A higher order Lagrangian path integral based on a nilpotent higher order odd Laplacian is proposed. A new gauge independence mechanism that adapts to the higher order formalism, and that by-passes the problem of constructing a BRST transformation of the path integral in the higher order case, is developed. The new gauge mechanism is closely related to the cohomology of the odd Laplacian operator. Various cohomology aspects of the odd Laplacian are investigated. Whereas for instance the role of the ghost-cohomology properties of the BFV-BRST charge has been emphasized by several authors, the cohomology of the odd Laplacian are in general not well known.

Integrating cell on chip—Novel waveguide platform employing ultra-long optical paths

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fohrmann, Lena Simone; Sommer, Gerrit; Pitruzzello, Giampaolo; Krauss, Thomas F.; Petrov, Alexander Yu.; Eich, Manfred

2017-09-01

Optical waveguides are the most fundamental building blocks of integrated optical circuits. They are extremely well understood, yet there is still room for surprises. Here, we introduce a novel 2D waveguide platform which affords a strong interaction of the evanescent tail of a guided optical wave with an external medium while only employing a very small geometrical footprint. The key feature of the platform is its ability to integrate the ultra-long path lengths by combining low propagation losses in a silicon slab with multiple reflections of the guided wave from photonic crystal (PhC) mirrors. With a reflectivity of 99.1% of our tailored PhC-mirrors, we achieve interaction paths of 25 cm within an area of less than 10 mm2. This corresponds to 0.17 dB/cm effective propagation which is much lower than the state-of-the-art loss of approximately 1 dB/cm of single mode silicon channel waveguides. In contrast to conventional waveguides, our 2D-approach leads to a decay of the guided wave power only inversely proportional to the optical path length. This entirely different characteristic is the major advantage of the 2D integrating cell waveguide platform over the conventional channel waveguide concepts that obey the Beer-Lambert law.

IT Workforce: Key Practices Help Ensure Strong Integrated Program Teams; Selected Departments Need to Assess Skill Gaps

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-11-01

personnel, career paths for program managers, plans to strengthen program management, and use of special hiring authorities) Monitor and report...agencies with direct hiring authority for program managers and directed OPM to create a specialized career path. OMB also tasked agencies with...guidance for developing career paths for IT program managers.14 OPM’s career path guide was to build upon its IT Program Management Competency Model

SEMTAP (Serpentine End Match TApe program): The Easy Way to Program Your Numerically Controlled Router for the Production of SEM Joints

Treesearch

Ronald E. Coleman

1977-01-01

SEMTAP (Serpentine End Match TApe Program) is an easy and inexpensive method of programing a numerically controlled router for the manufacture of SEM (Serpentine End Matching) joints. The SEMTAP computer program allows the user to issue commands that will accurately direct a numerically controlled router along any SEM path. The user need not be a computer programer to...

Boundary acquisition for setup of numerical simulation

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Diegert, C.

1997-12-31

The author presents a work flow diagram that includes a path that begins with taking experimental measurements, and ends with obtaining insight from results produced by numerical simulation. Two examples illustrate this path: (1) Three-dimensional imaging measurement at micron scale, using X-ray tomography, provides information on the boundaries of irregularly-shaped alumina oxide particles held in an epoxy matrix. A subsequent numerical simulation predicts the electrical field concentrations that would occur in the observed particle configurations. (2) Three-dimensional imaging measurement at meter scale, again using X-ray tomography, provides information on the boundaries fossilized bone fragments in a Parasaurolophus crest recently discoveredmore » in New Mexico. A subsequent numerical simulation predicts acoustic response of the elaborate internal structure of nasal passageways defined by the fossil record. The author must both add value, and must change the format of the three-dimensional imaging measurements before the define the geometric boundary initial conditions for the automatic mesh generation, and subsequent numerical simulation. The author applies a variety of filters and statistical classification algorithms to estimate the extents of the structures relevant to the subsequent numerical simulation, and capture these extents as faceted geometries. The author will describe the particular combination of manual and automatic methods used in the above two examples.« less

Codification of scan path parameters and development of perimeter scan strategies for 3D bowl-shaped laser forming

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tavakoli, A.; Naeini, H. Moslemi; Roohi, Amir H.; Gollo, M. Hoseinpour; Shahabad, Sh. Imani

2018-01-01

In the 3D laser forming process, developing an appropriate laser scan pattern for producing specimens with high quality and uniformity is critical. This study presents certain principles for developing scan paths. Seven scan path parameters are considered, including: (1) combined linear or curved path; (2) type of combined linear path; (3) order of scan sequences; (4) the position of the start point in each scan; (5) continuous or discontinuous scan path; (6) direction of scan path; and (7) angular arrangement of combined linear scan paths. Regarding these path parameters, ten combined linear scan patterns are presented. Numerical simulations show continuous hexagonal, scan pattern, scanning from outer to inner path, is the optimized. In addition, it is observed the position of the start point and the angular arrangement of scan paths is the most effective path parameters. Also, further experimentations show four sequences due to creat symmetric condition enhance the height of the bowl-shaped products and uniformity. Finally, the optimized hexagonal pattern was compared with the similar circular one. In the hexagonal scan path, distortion value and standard deviation rather to edge height of formed specimen is very low, and the edge height despite of decreasing length of scan path increases significantly compared to the circular scan path. As a result, four-sequence hexagonal scan pattern is proposed as the optimized perimeter scan path to produce bowl-shaped product.

Assessment of critical path analyses of the relationship between permeability and electrical conductivity of pore networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Skaggs, Todd H.

2011-10-01

Critical path analysis (CPA) is a method for estimating macroscopic transport coefficients of heterogeneous materials that are highly disordered at the micro-scale. Developed originally to model conduction in semiconductors, numerous researchers have noted that CPA might also have relevance to flow and transport processes in porous media. However, the results of several numerical investigations of critical path analysis on pore network models raise questions about the applicability of CPA to porous media. Among other things, these studies found that (i) in well-connected 3D networks, CPA predictions were inaccurate and became worse when heterogeneity was increased; and (ii) CPA could not fully explain the transport properties of 2D networks. To better understand the applicability of CPA to porous media, we made numerical computations of permeability and electrical conductivity on 2D and 3D networks with differing pore-size distributions and geometries. A new CPA model for the relationship between the permeability and electrical conductivity was found to be in good agreement with numerical data, and to be a significant improvement over a classical CPA model. In sufficiently disordered 3D networks, the new CPA prediction was within ±20% of the true value, and was nearly optimal in terms of minimizing the squared prediction errors across differing network configurations. The agreement of CPA predictions with 2D network computations was similarly good, although 2D networks are in general not well-suited for evaluating CPA. Numerical transport coefficients derived for regular 3D networks of slit-shaped pores were found to be in better agreement with experimental data from rock samples than were coefficients derived for networks of cylindrical pores.

Explosion localization and characterization via infrasound using numerical modeling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fee, D.; Kim, K.; Iezzi, A. M.; Matoza, R. S.; Jolly, A. D.; De Angelis, S.; Diaz Moreno, A.; Szuberla, C.

2017-12-01

Numerous methods have been applied to locate, detect, and characterize volcanic and anthropogenic explosions using infrasound. Far-field localization techniques typically use back-azimuths from multiple arrays (triangulation) or Reverse Time Migration (RTM, or back-projection). At closer ranges, networks surrounding a source may use Time Difference of Arrival (TDOA), semblance, station-pair double difference, etc. However, at volcanoes and regions with topography or obstructions that block the direct path of sound, recent studies have shown that numerical modeling is necessary to provide an accurate source location. A heterogeneous and moving atmosphere (winds) may also affect the location. The time reversal mirror (TRM) application of Kim et al. (2015) back-propagates the wavefield using a Finite Difference Time Domain (FDTD) algorithm, with the source corresponding to the location of peak convergence. Although it provides high-resolution source localization and can account for complex wave propagation, TRM is computationally expensive and limited to individual events. Here we present a new technique, termed RTM-FDTD, which integrates TRM and FDTD. Travel time and transmission loss information is computed from each station to the entire potential source grid from 3-D Green's functions derived via FDTD. The wave energy is then back-projected and stacked at each grid point, with the maximum corresponding to the likely source. We apply our method to detect and characterize thousands of explosions from Yasur Volcano, Vanuatu and Etna Volcano, Italy, which both provide complex wave propagation and multiple source locations. We compare our results with those from more traditional methods (e.g. semblance), and suggest our method is preferred as it is computationally less expensive than TRM but still integrates numerical modeling. RTM-FDTD could be applied to volcanic other anthropogenic sources at a wide variety of ranges and scenarios. Kim, K., Lees, J.M., 2015. Imaging volcanic infrasound sources using time reversal mirror algorithm. Geophysical Journal International 202, 1663-1676.

Influences on the Motivation of Low-Income, First-Generation Students on the Path to College: A Cross-Case Analysis Using Self-Determination Theory

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mitchall, Allison Michelle

2015-01-01

Low-income, first-generation students face numerous barriers on the path to college. However, millions of these students persevere and ultimately enroll. How do these students remain motivated on the road to higher education despite these challenges? This collective case study explored influences on the motivation of low-income, first generation…

Evaluating marginal likelihood with thermodynamic integration method and comparison with several other numerical methods

DOE PAGES

Liu, Peigui; Elshall, Ahmed S.; Ye, Ming; ...

2016-02-05

Evaluating marginal likelihood is the most critical and computationally expensive task, when conducting Bayesian model averaging to quantify parametric and model uncertainties. The evaluation is commonly done by using Laplace approximations to evaluate semianalytical expressions of the marginal likelihood or by using Monte Carlo (MC) methods to evaluate arithmetic or harmonic mean of a joint likelihood function. This study introduces a new MC method, i.e., thermodynamic integration, which has not been attempted in environmental modeling. Instead of using samples only from prior parameter space (as in arithmetic mean evaluation) or posterior parameter space (as in harmonic mean evaluation), the thermodynamicmore » integration method uses samples generated gradually from the prior to posterior parameter space. This is done through a path sampling that conducts Markov chain Monte Carlo simulation with different power coefficient values applied to the joint likelihood function. The thermodynamic integration method is evaluated using three analytical functions by comparing the method with two variants of the Laplace approximation method and three MC methods, including the nested sampling method that is recently introduced into environmental modeling. The thermodynamic integration method outperforms the other methods in terms of their accuracy, convergence, and consistency. The thermodynamic integration method is also applied to a synthetic case of groundwater modeling with four alternative models. The application shows that model probabilities obtained using the thermodynamic integration method improves predictive performance of Bayesian model averaging. As a result, the thermodynamic integration method is mathematically rigorous, and its MC implementation is computationally general for a wide range of environmental problems.« less

General Path-Integral Successive-Collision Solution of the Bounded Dynamic Multi-Swarm Problem.

DTIC Science & Technology

1983-09-23

coefficients (i.e., moments of the distribution functions), and/or (il) fnding the distribution functions themselves. The present work is concerned with the...collisions since their first appearance in the system. By definition, a swarm particle sufers a *generalized collision" either when it collides with a...studies6-rand the present work have contributed to- wards making the path-integral successive-collision method a practicable tool of transport theory

Spin foam models for quantum gravity from lattice path integrals

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bonzom, Valentin

2009-09-15

Spin foam models for quantum gravity are derived from lattice path integrals. The setting involves variables from both lattice BF theory and Regge calculus. The action consists in a Regge action, which depends on areas, dihedral angles and includes the Immirzi parameter. In addition, a measure is inserted to ensure a consistent gluing of simplices, so that the amplitude is dominated by configurations that satisfy the parallel transport relations. We explicitly compute the path integral as a sum over spin foams for a generic measure. The Freidel-Krasnov and Engle-Pereira-Rovelli models correspond to a special choice of gluing. In this case,more » the equations of motion describe genuine geometries, where the constraints of area-angle Regge calculus are satisfied. Furthermore, the Immirzi parameter drops out of the on-shell action, and stationarity with respect to area variations requires spacetime geometry to be flat.« less

Qualitative Evaluation of Project P.A.T.H.S.: An Integration of Findings Based on Program Participants

PubMed Central

Shek, Daniel T. L.; Sun, Rachel C. F.

2012-01-01

An integration of the qualitative evaluation findings collected in different cohorts of students who participated in Project P.A.T.H.S. (Positive Adolescent Training through Holistic Social Programmes) (n = 252 students in 29 focus groups) was carried out. With specific focus on how the informants described the program, results showed that the descriptions were mainly positive in nature, suggesting that the program was well received by the program participants. When the informants were invited to name three metaphors that could stand for the program, positive metaphors were commonly used. Beneficial effects of the program in different psychosocial domains were also voiced by the program participants. The qualitative findings integrated in this paper provide further support for the effectiveness of the Tier 1 Program of Project P.A.T.H.S. in promoting holistic development in Chinese adolescents in Hong Kong. PMID:22666134

Elastic constants of hcp 4He: Path-integral Monte Carlo results versus experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ardila, Luis Aldemar Peña; Vitiello, Silvio A.; de Koning, Maurice

2011-09-01

The elastic constants of hcp 4He are computed using the path-integral Monte Carlo (PIMC) method. The stiffness coefficients are obtained by imposing different distortions to a periodic cell containing 180 atoms, followed by measurement of the elements of the corresponding stress tensor. For this purpose an appropriate path-integral expression for the stress tensor observable is derived and implemented into the pimc++ package. In addition to allowing the determination of the elastic stiffness constants, this development also opens the way to an explicit atomistic determination of the Peierls stress for dislocation motion using the PIMC technique. A comparison of the results to available experimental data shows an overall good agreement of the density dependence of the elastic constants, with the single exception of C13. Additional calculations for the bcc phase, on the other hand, show good agreement for all elastic constants.

High-density amorphous ice: A path-integral simulation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Herrero, Carlos P.; Ramírez, Rafael

2012-09-01

Structural and thermodynamic properties of high-density amorphous (HDA) ice have been studied by path-integral molecular dynamics simulations in the isothermal-isobaric ensemble. Interatomic interactions were modeled by using the effective q-TIP4P/F potential for flexible water. Quantum nuclear motion is found to affect several observable properties of the amorphous solid. At low temperature (T = 50 K) the molar volume of HDA ice is found to increase by 6%, and the intramolecular O-H distance rises by 1.4% due to quantum motion. Peaks in the radial distribution function of HDA ice are broadened with respect to their classical expectancy. The bulk modulus, B, is found to rise linearly with the pressure, with a slope ∂B/∂P = 7.1. Our results are compared with those derived earlier from classical and path-integral simulations of HDA ice. We discuss similarities and discrepancies with those earlier simulations.

ER = EPR and non-perturbative action integrals for quantum gravity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alsaleh, Salwa; Alasfar, Lina

In this paper, we construct and calculate non-perturbative path integrals in a multiply-connected spacetime. This is done by summing over homotopy classes of paths. The topology of the spacetime is defined by Einstein-Rosen bridges (ERB) forming from the entanglement of quantum foam described by virtual black holes. As these “bubbles” are entangled, they are connected by Planckian ERBs because of the ER = EPR conjecture. Hence, the spacetime will possess a large first Betti number B1. For any compact 2-surface in the spacetime, the topology (in particular the homotopy) of that surface is non-trivial due to the large number of Planckian ERBs that define homotopy through this surface. The quantization of spacetime with this topology — along with the proper choice of the 2-surfaces — is conjectured to allow non-perturbative path integrals of quantum gravity theory over the spacetime manifold.

Generalization of the coherent-state path integrals and systematic derivation of semiclassical propagators

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Koda, Shin-ichi; Takatsuka, Kazuo

The coherent path integral is generalized such that the identity operator represented in a complete (actually overcomplete) set of the coherent states with the ''time-variable'' exponents are inserted between two consecutive short-time propagators. Since such a complete set of any given exponent can constitute the identity operator, the exponent may be varied from time to time without loss of generality as long as it is set common to all the Gaussians. However, a finite truncation of the coherent state expansion should result in different values of the propagator depending on the choice of the exponents. Furthermore, approximation methodology to treatmore » with the exact propagator can also depend on this choice, and thereby many different semiclassical propagators may emerge from these combinations. Indeed, we show that the well-known semiclassical propagators such as those of Van Vleck, Herman-Kluk, Heller's thawed Gaussian, and many others can be derived in a systematic manner, which enables one to comprehend these semiclassical propagators from a unified point of view. We are particularly interested in our generalized form of the Herman-Kluk propagator, since the relative accuracy of this propagator has been well established by Kay, and since, nevertheless, its derivation was not necessarily clear. Thus our generalized Herman-Kluk propagator replaces the classical Hamiltonian with a Gaussian averaged quantum Hamiltonian, generating non-Newtonian trajectories. We perform a numerical test to assess the quality of such a family of generalized Herman-Kluk propagators and find that the original Herman-Kluk gives an accurate result. The reason why this has come about is also discussed.« less

Cartographic modeling of snow avalanche path location within Glacier National Park, Montana

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Walsh, Stephen J.; Brown, Daniel G.; Bian, Ling; Butler, David R.

1990-01-01

Geographic information system (GIS) techniques were applied to the study of snow-avalanche path location within Glacier National Park, Montana. Aerial photointerpretation and field surveys confirmed the location of 121 avalanche paths within the selected study area. Spatial and nonspatial information on each path were integrated using the ARC/INFO GIS. Lithologic, structural, hydrographic, topographic, and land-cover impacts on path location were analyzed. All path frequencies within variable classes were normalized by the area of class occurrence relative to the total area of the study area and were added to the morphometric information contained within INFO tables. The normalized values for each GIS coverage were used to cartographically model, by means of composite factor weightings, avalanche path locations.

Inertial confinement fusion for energy: overview of the ongoing experimental, theoretical and numerical studies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jacquemot, S.

2017-10-01

This paper provides an overview of the results presented at the 26th IAEA Fusion Energy Conference in the field of inertial confinement fusion for energy, covering its various experimental, numerical/theoretical and technological facets, as well as the different paths towards ignition that are currently followed worldwide.

Stereo Image Dense Matching by Integrating Sift and Sgm Algorithm

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhou, Y.; Song, Y.; Lu, J.

2018-05-01

Semi-global matching(SGM) performs the dynamic programming by treating the different path directions equally. It does not consider the impact of different path directions on cost aggregation, and with the expansion of the disparity search range, the accuracy and efficiency of the algorithm drastically decrease. This paper presents a dense matching algorithm by integrating SIFT and SGM. It takes the successful matching pairs matched by SIFT as control points to direct the path in dynamic programming with truncating error propagation. Besides, matching accuracy can be improved by using the gradient direction of the detected feature points to modify the weights of the paths in different directions. The experimental results based on Middlebury stereo data sets and CE-3 lunar data sets demonstrate that the proposed algorithm can effectively cut off the error propagation, reduce disparity search range and improve matching accuracy.

Shortest path problem on a grid network with unordered intermediate points

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saw, Veekeong; Rahman, Amirah; Eng Ong, Wen

2017-10-01

We consider a shortest path problem with single cost factor on a grid network with unordered intermediate points. A two stage heuristic algorithm is proposed to find a feasible solution path within a reasonable amount of time. To evaluate the performance of the proposed algorithm, computational experiments are performed on grid maps of varying size and number of intermediate points. Preliminary results for the problem are reported. Numerical comparisons against brute forcing show that the proposed algorithm consistently yields solutions that are within 10% of the optimal solution and uses significantly less computation time.

Self-consistent collective coordinate for reaction path and inertial mass

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wen, Kai; Nakatsukasa, Takashi

2016-11-01

We propose a numerical method to determine the optimal collective reaction path for a nucleus-nucleus collision, based on the adiabatic self-consistent collective coordinate (ASCC) method. We use an iterative method, combining the imaginary-time evolution and the finite amplitude method, for the solution of the ASCC coupled equations. It is applied to the simplest case, α -α scattering. We determine the collective path, the potential, and the inertial mass. The results are compared with other methods, such as the constrained Hartree-Fock method, Inglis's cranking formula, and the adiabatic time-dependent Hartree-Fock (ATDHF) method.

Development of an Implantable WBAN Path-Loss Model for Capsule Endoscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aoyagi, Takahiro; Takizawa, Kenichi; Kobayashi, Takehiko; Takada, Jun-Ichi; Hamaguchi, Kiyoshi; Kohno, Ryuji

An implantable WBAN path-loss model for a capsule endoscopy which is used for examining digestive organs, is developed by conducting simulations and experiments. First, we performed FDTD simulations on implant WBAN propagation by using a numerical human model. Second, we performed FDTD simulations on a vessel that represents the human body. Third, we performed experiments using a vessel of the same dimensions as that used in the simulations. On the basis of the results of these simulations and experiments, we proposed the gradient and intercept parameters of the simple path-loss in-body propagation model.

Numerical and experimental study on the steady cone-jet mode of electro-centrifugal spinning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hashemi, Ali Reza; Pishevar, Ahmad Reza; Valipouri, Afsaneh; Pǎrǎu, Emilian I.

2018-01-01

This study focuses on a numerical investigation of an initial stable jet through the air-sealed electro-centrifugal spinning process, which is known as a viable method for the mass production of nanofibers. A liquid jet undergoing electric and centrifugal forces, as well as other forces, first travels in a stable trajectory and then goes through an unstable curled path to the collector. In numerical modeling, hydrodynamic equations have been solved using the perturbation method—and the boundary integral method has been implemented to efficiently solve the electric potential equation. Hydrodynamic equations have been coupled with the electric field using stress boundary conditions at the fluid-fluid interface. Perturbation equations were discretized by a second order finite difference method, and the Newton method was implemented to solve the discretized non-linear system. Also, the boundary element method was utilized to solve electrostatic equations. In the theoretical study, the fluid was described as a leaky dielectric with charges only on the surface of the jet traveling in dielectric air. The effect of the electric field induced around the nozzle tip on the jet instability and trajectory deviation was also experimentally studied through plate-plate geometry as well as point-plate geometry. It was numerically found that the centrifugal force prevails on electric force by increasing the rotational speed. Therefore, the alteration of the applied voltage does not significantly affect the jet thinning profile or the jet trajectory.

Continuous quantum measurements and the action uncertainty principle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mensky, Michael B.

1992-09-01

The path-integral approach to quantum theory of continuous measurements has been developed in preceding works of the author. According to this approach the measurement amplitude determining probabilities of different outputs of the measurement can be evaluated in the form of a restricted path integral (a path integral “in finite limits”). With the help of the measurement amplitude, maximum deviation of measurement outputs from the classical one can be easily determined. The aim of the present paper is to express this variance in a simpler and transparent form of a specific uncertainty principle (called the action uncertainty principle, AUP). The most simple (but weak) form of AUP is δ S≳ℏ, where S is the action functional. It can be applied for simple derivation of the Bohr-Rosenfeld inequality for measurability of gravitational field. A stronger (and having wider application) form of AUP (for ideal measurements performed in the quantum regime) is |∫{/' t″ }(δ S[ q]/δ q( t))Δ q( t) dt|≃ℏ, where the paths [ q] and [Δ q] stand correspondingly for the measurement output and for the measurement error. It can also be presented in symbolic form as Δ(Equation) Δ(Path) ≃ ℏ. This means that deviation of the observed (measured) motion from that obeying the classical equation of motion is reciprocally proportional to the uncertainty in a path (the latter uncertainty resulting from the measurement error). The consequence of AUP is that improving the measurement precision beyond the threshold of the quantum regime leads to decreasing information resulting from the measurement.

Wave optics simulation of atmospheric turbulence and reflective speckle effects in carbon dioxide lidar

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nelson, Douglas Harold

Laser speckle can influence lidar measurements from a diffuse hard target. Atmospheric optical turbulence will also affect the lidar return signal. This investigation develops a numerical simulation that models the propagation of a lidar beam and accounts for both reflective speckle and atmospheric turbulence effects. The simulation, previously utilized to simulate the effects of atmospheric optical turbulence alone, is based on implementing a Huygens-Fresnel approximation to laser propagation. A series of phase screens, with the appropriate atmospheric statistical characteristics, is used to simulate the effect of atmospheric optical turbulence. A single random phase screen is used to simulate scattering of the entire beam from a rough surface. These investigations compare the output of the numerical model with separate CO2 lidar measurements of atmospheric turbulence and reflective speckle. This work also compares the output of the model with separate analytical predictions for atmospheric turbulence and reflective speckle. Good agreement is found between the model and the experimental data. Good agreement is also found with analytical predictions. Additionally, results of simulation of the combined effects on a finite aperture lidar system show agreement with experimental observations of increasing RMS noise with increasing turbulence level and the behavior of the experimental integrated intensity probability distribution. Simulation studies are included that demonstrate the usefulness of the model, examine its limitations and provide greater insight into the process of combined atmospheric optical turbulence and reflective speckle. One highlight of these studies is examination of the limitations of the simulation that shows, in general, precision increases with increasing grid size. The study of the backscatter intensity enhancement predicted by analytical theory show it to behave as a multi-path effect, like scintillation, with the highest contributions from atmospheric optical turbulence weighted at the middle of the propagation path. Aperture geometry also affects the signal-to-noise ratio with thin annular apertures exhibiting lower RMS noise than circular apertures of the same active area. The simulation is capable of studying a variety of lidar schemes including varying atmospheric optical turbulence along the propagation path as well as diverse transmitter and receiver geometries.

Simple Kinematic Pathway Approach (KPA) to Catchment-scale Travel Time and Water Age Distributions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Soltani, S. S.; Cvetkovic, V.; Destouni, G.

2017-12-01

The distribution of catchment-scale water travel times is strongly influenced by morphological dispersion and is partitioned between hillslope and larger, regional scales. We explore whether hillslope travel times are predictable using a simple semi-analytical "kinematic pathway approach" (KPA) that accounts for dispersion on two levels of morphological and macro-dispersion. The study gives new insights to shallow (hillslope) and deep (regional) groundwater travel times by comparing numerical simulations of travel time distributions, referred to as "dynamic model", with corresponding KPA computations for three different real catchment case studies in Sweden. KPA uses basic structural and hydrological data to compute transient water travel time (forward mode) and age (backward mode) distributions at the catchment outlet. Longitudinal and morphological dispersion components are reflected in KPA computations by assuming an effective Peclet number and topographically driven pathway length distributions, respectively. Numerical simulations of advective travel times are obtained by means of particle tracking using the fully-integrated flow model MIKE SHE. The comparison of computed cumulative distribution functions of travel times shows significant influence of morphological dispersion and groundwater recharge rate on the compatibility of the "kinematic pathway" and "dynamic" models. Zones of high recharge rate in "dynamic" models are associated with topographically driven groundwater flow paths to adjacent discharge zones, e.g. rivers and lakes, through relatively shallow pathway compartments. These zones exhibit more compatible behavior between "dynamic" and "kinematic pathway" models than the zones of low recharge rate. Interestingly, the travel time distributions of hillslope compartments remain almost unchanged with increasing recharge rates in the "dynamic" models. This robust "dynamic" model behavior suggests that flow path lengths and travel times in shallow hillslope compartments are controlled by topography, and therefore application and further development of the simple "kinematic pathway" approach is promising for their modeling.

Career Paths in Environmental Sciences

EPA Science Inventory

Career paths, current and future, in the environmental sciences will be discussed, based on experiences and observations during the author's 40 + years in the field. An emphasis will be placed on the need for integrated, transdisciplinary systems thinking approaches toward achie...

3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine in Adult Rats Produces Deficits in Path Integration and Spatial Reference Memory

PubMed Central

Able, Jessica A.; Gudelsky, Gary A.; Vorhees, Charles V.; Williams, Michael T.

2010-01-01

Background ±3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) is a recreational drug that causes cognitive deficits in humans. A rat model for learning and memory deficits has not been established, although some cognitive deficits have been reported. Methods Male Sprague-Dawley rats were treated with MDMA (15 mg/kg × 4 doses) or saline (SAL) (n = 20/treatment group) and tested in different learning paradigms: 1) path integration in the Cincinnati water maze (CWM), 2) spatial learning in the Morris water maze (MWM), and 3) novel object recognition (NOR). One week after drug administration, testing began in the CWM, then four phases of MWM, and finally NOR. Following behavioral testing, monoamine levels were assessed. Results ±3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine-treated rats committed more CWM errors than did SAL-treated rats. ±3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine-treated animals were further from the former platform position during each 30-second MWM probe trial but showed no differences during learning trials with the platform present. There were no group differences in NOR. ± 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine depleted serotonin in all brain regions and dopamine in the striatum. Conclusions ±3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine produced MWM reference memory deficits even after complex learning in the CWM, where deficits in path integration learning occurred. Assessment of path integration may provide a sensitive index of MDMA-induced learning deficits. PMID:16324685

Quantization of simple parametrized systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ruffini, G.

2005-11-01

I study the canonical formulation and quantization of some simple parametrized systems, including the non-relativistic parametrized particle and the relativistic parametrized particle. Using Dirac's formalism I construct for each case the classical reduced phase space and study the dependence on the gauge fixing used. Two separate features of these systems can make this construction difficult: the actions are not invariant at the boundaries, and the constraints may have disconnected solution spaces. The relativistic particle is affected by both, while the non-relativistic particle displays only by the first. Analyzing the role of canonical transformations in the reduced phase space, I show that a change of gauge fixing is equivalent to a canonical transformation. In the relativistic case, quantization of one branch of the constraint at the time is applied and I analyze the electromagenetic backgrounds in which it is possible to quantize simultaneously both branches and still obtain a covariant unitary quantum theory. To preserve unitarity and space-time covariance, second quantization is needed unless there is no electric field. I motivate a definition of the inner product in all these cases and derive the Klein-Gordon inner product for the relativistic case. I construct phase space path integral representations for amplitudes for the BFV and the Faddeev path integrals, from which the path integrals in coordinate space (Faddeev-Popov and geometric path integrals) are derived.

A path integral approach to the Hodgkin-Huxley model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baravalle, Roman; Rosso, Osvaldo A.; Montani, Fernando

2017-11-01

To understand how single neurons process sensory information, it is necessary to develop suitable stochastic models to describe the response variability of the recorded spike trains. Spikes in a given neuron are produced by the synergistic action of sodium and potassium of the voltage-dependent channels that open or close the gates. Hodgkin and Huxley (HH) equations describe the ionic mechanisms underlying the initiation and propagation of action potentials, through a set of nonlinear ordinary differential equations that approximate the electrical characteristics of the excitable cell. Path integral provides an adequate approach to compute quantities such as transition probabilities, and any stochastic system can be expressed in terms of this methodology. We use the technique of path integrals to determine the analytical solution driven by a non-Gaussian colored noise when considering the HH equations as a stochastic system. The different neuronal dynamics are investigated by estimating the path integral solutions driven by a non-Gaussian colored noise q. More specifically we take into account the correlational structures of the complex neuronal signals not just by estimating the transition probability associated to the Gaussian approach of the stochastic HH equations, but instead considering much more subtle processes accounting for the non-Gaussian noise that could be induced by the surrounding neural network and by feedforward correlations. This allows us to investigate the underlying dynamics of the neural system when different scenarios of noise correlations are considered.

The study of optimization on process parameters of high-accuracy computerized numerical control polishing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Wei-Ren; Huang, Shih-Pu; Tsai, Tsung-Yueh; Lin, Yi-Jyun; Yu, Zong-Ru; Kuo, Ching-Hsiang; Hsu, Wei-Yao; Young, Hong-Tsu

2017-09-01

Spherical lenses lead to forming spherical aberration and reduced optical performance. Consequently, in practice optical system shall apply a combination of spherical lenses for aberration correction. Thus, the volume of the optical system increased. In modern optical systems, aspherical lenses have been widely used because of their high optical performance with less optical components. However, aspherical surfaces cannot be fabricated by traditional full aperture polishing process due to their varying curvature. Sub-aperture computer numerical control (CNC) polishing is adopted for aspherical surface fabrication in recent years. By using CNC polishing process, mid-spatial frequency (MSF) error is normally accompanied during this process. And the MSF surface texture of optics decreases the optical performance for high precision optical system, especially for short-wavelength applications. Based on a bonnet polishing CNC machine, this study focuses on the relationship between MSF surface texture and CNC polishing parameters, which include feed rate, head speed, track spacing and path direction. The power spectral density (PSD) analysis is used to judge the MSF level caused by those polishing parameters. The test results show that controlling the removal depth of single polishing path, through the feed rate, and without same direction polishing path for higher total removal depth can efficiently reduce the MSF error. To verify the optical polishing parameters, we divided a correction polishing process to several polishing runs with different direction polishing paths. Compare to one shot polishing run, multi-direction path polishing plan could produce better surface quality on the optics.

Multi-chord fiber-coupled interferometer with a long coherence length laser

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Merritt, Elizabeth C.; Lynn, Alan G.; Gilmore, Mark A.; Hsu, Scott C.

2012-03-01

This paper describes a 561 nm laser heterodyne interferometer that provides time-resolved measurements of line-integrated plasma electron density within the range of 1015-1018 cm-2. Such plasmas are produced by railguns on the plasma liner experiment, which aims to produce μs-, cm-, and Mbar-scale plasmas through the merging of 30 plasma jets in a spherically convergent geometry. A long coherence length, 320 mW laser allows for a strong, sub-fringe phase-shift signal without the need for closely matched probe and reference path lengths. Thus, only one reference path is required for all eight probe paths, and an individual probe chord can be altered without altering the reference or other probe path lengths. Fiber-optic decoupling of the probe chord optics on the vacuum chamber from the rest of the system allows the probe paths to be easily altered to focus on different spatial regions of the plasma. We demonstrate that sub-fringe resolution capability allows the interferometer to operate down to line-integrated densities of the order of 5 × 1015 cm-2.

Using multiple calibration sets to improve the quantitative accuracy of partial least squares (PLS) regression on open-path fourier transform infrared (OP/FT-IR) spectra of ammonia over wide concentration ranges

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

A technique of using multiple calibration sets in partial least squares regression (PLS) was proposed to improve the quantitative determination of ammonia from open-path Fourier transform infrared spectra. The spectra were measured near animal farms, and the path-integrated concentration of ammonia...

Novel Plasmonic Materials and Nanodevices for Integrated Quantum Photonics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shalaginov, Mikhail Y.

Light-matter interaction is the foundation for numerous important quantum optical phenomena, which may be harnessed to build practical devices with higher efficiency and unprecedented functionality. Nanoscale engineering is seen as a fruitful avenue to significantly strengthen light-matter interaction and also make quantum optical systems ultra-compact, scalable, and energy efficient. This research focuses on color centers in diamond that share quantum properties with single atoms. These systems promise a path for the realization of practical quantum devices such as nanoscale sensors, single-photon sources, and quantum memories. In particular, we explored an intriguing methodology of utilizing nanophotonic structures, such as hyperbolic metamaterials, nanoantennae, and plasmonic waveguides, to improve the color centers performance. We observed enhancement in the color center's spontaneous emission rate, emission directionality, and cooperativity over a broad optical frequency range. Additionally, we studied the effect of plasmonic environments on the spin-readout sensitivity of color centers. The use of CMOS-compatible epitaxially grown plasmonic materials in the design of these nanophotonic structures promises a new level of performance for a variety of integrated room-temperature quantum devices based on diamond color centers.

Radiative transfer and spectroscopic databases: A line-sampling Monte Carlo approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Galtier, Mathieu; Blanco, Stéphane; Dauchet, Jérémi; El Hafi, Mouna; Eymet, Vincent; Fournier, Richard; Roger, Maxime; Spiesser, Christophe; Terrée, Guillaume

2016-03-01

Dealing with molecular-state transitions for radiative transfer purposes involves two successive steps that both reach the complexity level at which physicists start thinking about statistical approaches: (1) constructing line-shaped absorption spectra as the result of very numerous state-transitions, (2) integrating over optical-path domains. For the first time, we show here how these steps can be addressed simultaneously using the null-collision concept. This opens the door to the design of Monte Carlo codes directly estimating radiative transfer observables from spectroscopic databases. The intermediate step of producing accurate high-resolution absorption spectra is no longer required. A Monte Carlo algorithm is proposed and applied to six one-dimensional test cases. It allows the computation of spectrally integrated intensities (over 25 cm-1 bands or the full IR range) in a few seconds, regardless of the retained database and line model. But free parameters need to be selected and they impact the convergence. A first possible selection is provided in full detail. We observe that this selection is highly satisfactory for quite distinct atmospheric and combustion configurations, but a more systematic exploration is still in progress.

Feynman formulas for semigroups generated by an iterated Laplace operator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Buzinov, M. S.

2017-04-01

In the present paper, we find representations of a one-parameter semigroup generated by a finite sum of iterated Laplace operators and an additive perturbation (the potential). Such semigroups and the evolution equations corresponding to them find applications in the field of physics, chemistry, biology, and pattern recognition. The representations mentioned above are obtained in the form of Feynman formulas, i.e., in the form of a limit of multiple integrals as the multiplicity tends to infinity. The term "Feynman formula" was proposed by Smolyanov. Smolyanov's approach uses Chernoff's theorems. A simple form of representations thus obtained enables one to use them for numerical modeling the dynamics of the evolution system as a method for the approximation of solutions of equations. The problems considered in this note can be treated using the approach suggested by Remizov (see also the monograph of Smolyanov and Shavgulidze on path integrals). The representations (of semigroups) obtained in this way are more complicated than those given by the Feynman formulas; however, it is possible to bypass some analytical difficulties.

Neural dynamics for landmark orientation and angular path integration

PubMed Central

Seelig, Johannes D.; Jayaraman, Vivek

2015-01-01

Summary Many animals navigate using a combination of visual landmarks and path integration. In mammalian brains, head direction cells integrate these two streams of information by representing an animal's heading relative to landmarks, yet maintaining their directional tuning in darkness based on self-motion cues. Here we use two-photon calcium imaging in head-fixed flies walking on a ball in a virtual reality arena to demonstrate that landmark-based orientation and angular path integration are combined in the population responses of neurons whose dendrites tile the ellipsoid body — a toroidal structure in the center of the fly brain. The population encodes the fly's azimuth relative to its environment, tracking visual landmarks when available and relying on self-motion cues in darkness. When both visual and self-motion cues are absent, a representation of the animal's orientation is maintained in this network through persistent activity — a potential substrate for short-term memory. Several features of the population dynamics of these neurons and their circular anatomical arrangement are suggestive of ring attractors — network structures proposed to support the function of navigational brain circuits. PMID:25971509

Equipartition terms in transition path ensemble: Insights from molecular dynamics simulations of alanine dipeptide.

PubMed

Li, Wenjin

2018-02-28

Transition path ensemble consists of reactive trajectories and possesses all the information necessary for the understanding of the mechanism and dynamics of important condensed phase processes. However, quantitative description of the properties of the transition path ensemble is far from being established. Here, with numerical calculations on a model system, the equipartition terms defined in thermal equilibrium were for the first time estimated in the transition path ensemble. It was not surprising to observe that the energy was not equally distributed among all the coordinates. However, the energies distributed on a pair of conjugated coordinates remained equal. Higher energies were observed to be distributed on several coordinates, which are highly coupled to the reaction coordinate, while the rest were almost equally distributed. In addition, the ensemble-averaged energy on each coordinate as a function of time was also quantified. These quantitative analyses on energy distributions provided new insights into the transition path ensemble.

Rock climbing: A local-global algorithm to compute minimum energy and minimum free energy pathways.

PubMed

Templeton, Clark; Chen, Szu-Hua; Fathizadeh, Arman; Elber, Ron

2017-10-21

The calculation of minimum energy or minimum free energy paths is an important step in the quantitative and qualitative studies of chemical and physical processes. The computations of these coordinates present a significant challenge and have attracted considerable theoretical and computational interest. Here we present a new local-global approach to study reaction coordinates, based on a gradual optimization of an action. Like other global algorithms, it provides a path between known reactants and products, but it uses a local algorithm to extend the current path in small steps. The local-global approach does not require an initial guess to the path, a major challenge for global pathway finders. Finally, it provides an exact answer (the steepest descent path) at the end of the calculations. Numerical examples are provided for the Mueller potential and for a conformational transition in a solvated ring system.

Statistical Analysis of the First Passage Path Ensemble of Jump Processes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

von Kleist, Max; Schütte, Christof; Zhang, Wei

2018-02-01

The transition mechanism of jump processes between two different subsets in state space reveals important dynamical information of the processes and therefore has attracted considerable attention in the past years. In this paper, we study the first passage path ensemble of both discrete-time and continuous-time jump processes on a finite state space. The main approach is to divide each first passage path into nonreactive and reactive segments and to study them separately. The analysis can be applied to jump processes which are non-ergodic, as well as continuous-time jump processes where the waiting time distributions are non-exponential. In the particular case that the jump processes are both Markovian and ergodic, our analysis elucidates the relations between the study of the first passage paths and the study of the transition paths in transition path theory. We provide algorithms to numerically compute statistics of the first passage path ensemble. The computational complexity of these algorithms scales with the complexity of solving a linear system, for which efficient methods are available. Several examples demonstrate the wide applicability of the derived results across research areas.

Emergence of small-world structure in networks of spiking neurons through STDP plasticity.

PubMed

Basalyga, Gleb; Gleiser, Pablo M; Wennekers, Thomas

2011-01-01

In this work, we use a complex network approach to investigate how a neural network structure changes under synaptic plasticity. In particular, we consider a network of conductance-based, single-compartment integrate-and-fire excitatory and inhibitory neurons. Initially the neurons are connected randomly with uniformly distributed synaptic weights. The weights of excitatory connections can be strengthened or weakened during spiking activity by the mechanism known as spike-timing-dependent plasticity (STDP). We extract a binary directed connection matrix by thresholding the weights of the excitatory connections at every simulation step and calculate its major topological characteristics such as the network clustering coefficient, characteristic path length and small-world index. We numerically demonstrate that, under certain conditions, a nontrivial small-world structure can emerge from a random initial network subject to STDP learning.

Inexact trajectory planning and inverse problems in the Hamilton–Pontryagin framework

PubMed Central

Burnett, Christopher L.; Holm, Darryl D.; Meier, David M.

2013-01-01

We study a trajectory-planning problem whose solution path evolves by means of a Lie group action and passes near a designated set of target positions at particular times. This is a higher-order variational problem in optimal control, motivated by potential applications in computational anatomy and quantum control. Reduction by symmetry in such problems naturally summons methods from Lie group theory and Riemannian geometry. A geometrically illuminating form of the Euler–Lagrange equations is obtained from a higher-order Hamilton–Pontryagin variational formulation. In this context, the previously known node equations are recovered with a new interpretation as Legendre–Ostrogradsky momenta possessing certain conservation properties. Three example applications are discussed as well as a numerical integration scheme that follows naturally from the Hamilton–Pontryagin principle and preserves the geometric properties of the continuous-time solution. PMID:24353467

Calculation of transient potential rise on the wind turbine struck by lightning.

PubMed

Xiaoqing, Zhang

2014-01-01

A circuit model is proposed in this paper for calculating the transient potential rise on the wind turbine struck by lightning. The model integrates the blade, sliding contact site, and tower and grounding system of the wind turbine into an equivalent circuit. The lightning current path from the attachment point to the ground can be fully described by the equivalent circuit. The transient potential responses are obtained in the different positions on the wind turbine by solving the circuit equations. In order to check the validity of the model, the laboratory measurement is made with a reduced-scale wind turbine. The measured potential waveform is compared with the calculated one and a better agreement is shown between them. The practical applicability of the model is also examined by a numerical example of a 2 MW Chinese-built wind turbine.

The Tool for Designing Engineering Systems Using a New Optimization Method Based on a Stochastic Process

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yoshida, Hiroaki; Yamaguchi, Katsuhito; Ishikawa, Yoshio

The conventional optimization methods were based on a deterministic approach, since their purpose is to find out an exact solution. However, these methods have initial condition dependence and risk of falling into local solution. In this paper, we propose a new optimization method based on a concept of path integral method used in quantum mechanics. The method obtains a solutions as an expected value (stochastic average) using a stochastic process. The advantages of this method are not to be affected by initial conditions and not to need techniques based on experiences. We applied the new optimization method to a design of the hang glider. In this problem, not only the hang glider design but also its flight trajectory were optimized. The numerical calculation results showed that the method has a sufficient performance.

SSME to RS-25: Challenges of Adapting a Heritage Engine to a New Vehicle Architecture

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ballard, Richard O.

2015-01-01

A key constituent of the NASA Space Launch System (SLS) architecture is the RS-25 engine, also known as the Space Shuttle Main Engine (SSME). This engine was selected largely due to the maturity and extensive experience gained through 30-plus years of service. However, while the RS-25 is a highly mature system, simply unbolting it from the Space Shuttle and mounting it on the new SLS vehicle is not a "plug-and-play" operation. In addition to numerous technical integration and operational details, there were also hardware upgrades needed. While the magnitude of effort is less than that needed to develop a new clean-sheet engine system, this paper describes some of the expected and unexpected challenges encountered to date on the path to the first flight of SLS.

Joint Use of ERT, Tracer, and Numerical Techniques to Image Preferential Flow Paths in a Fractured Granite Aquifer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sanaga, S.; Vijay, S.; Kbvn, P.; Peddinti, S. R.; P S L, S.

2017-12-01

Fractured geologic media poses formidable challenges to hydrogeologists due of the strenuous mapping of fracture-matrix system and quantification of flow and transport processes. In this research, we demonstrated the efficacy of tracer-ERT studies coupled with numerical simulations to delineate preferential flow paths in a fractured granite aquifer of Deccan traps in India. A series of natural gradient saline tracer experiments were conducted from a depth window of 18 to 22 m in an injection well located inside the IIT Hyderabad campus. Tracer migration was monitored in a time-lapse mode using two cross-sectional surface ERT profiles placed in the direction of flow gradient. Dynamic changes in sub-surface electrical properties inferred via resistivity anomalies were used to highlight preferential flow paths of the study area. ERT-derived tracer breakthrough curves were in agreement with geochemical sample measurements (R2=0.74). Fracture geometry and hydraulic properties derived from ERT and pumping tests were then used to evaluate two mathematical conceptualizations that are relevant to fractured aquifers. Results of numerical analysis conclude that a dual continuum model that combines matrix and fracture systems through a flow exchange term has outperformed equivalent continuum model in reproducing tracer concentrations at the monitoring wells (evident by decrease in RMSE from 199 mg/l to 65 mg/l). A sensitivity analysis of the model parameters reveals that spatial variability in hydraulic conductivity, local-scale dispersion, and flow exchange at fracture-matrix interface have a profound effect on model simulations. Keywords: saline tracer, ERT, fractured granite, groundwater, preferential flow, numerical simulation

Differential equations driven by rough paths with jumps

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Friz, Peter K.; Zhang, Huilin

2018-05-01

We develop the rough path counterpart of Itô stochastic integration and differential equations driven by general semimartingales. This significantly enlarges the classes of (Itô/forward) stochastic differential equations treatable with pathwise methods. A number of applications are discussed.

Effect of the bitterness of food on muscular activity and masticatory movement.

PubMed

Okada, Yamato; Shiga, Hiroshi

2017-10-01

The purpose of this study was to clarify the effect of the bitterness of food on muscular activity and masticatory movement. Twenty healthy subjects were asked to chew a non-bitter gummy jelly and a bitter gummy jelly on their habitual chewing side. The masseter muscular activity and the movement of mandibular incisal point were recorded simultaneously. For all cycles excluding the first cycle, parameters representing the muscular activity (total integral value and integral value per cycle) and masticatory movement (path, rhythm, and stability) were calculated and compared between the two types of gummy jellies. The total integral value of masseter muscular activity during the chewing of bitter gummy jelly was significantly smaller than during the chewing of non-bitter gummy jelly, however, no definite trends in the integral value per cycle and the stability of movement were observed. The parameters representing the movement path tended to be small during the chewing of bitter gummy jelly than during the chewing of non-bitter gummy jelly. The masticatory width was significantly smaller during the chewing of bitter gummy jelly. The parameters representing the rhythm of movement were significantly longer during the chewing of bitter gummy jelly than during the chewing of non-bitter gummy jelly. From these results it was suggested that the bitterness of food does not affect the integral value per cycle or the stability of the masticatory movement, but it does affect the movement path and rhythm, with narrowing of the path and slowing of the rhythm. Copyright © 2017 Japan Prosthodontic Society. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Elevated temperature crack growth

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kim, K. S.; Vanstone, R. H.

1992-01-01

The purpose of this program was to extend the work performed in the base program (CR 182247) into the regime of time-dependent crack growth under isothermal and thermal mechanical fatigue (TMF) loading, where creep deformation also influences the crack growth behavior. The investigation was performed in a two-year, six-task, combined experimental and analytical program. The path-independent integrals for application to time-dependent crack growth were critically reviewed. The crack growth was simulated using a finite element method. The path-independent integrals were computed from the results of finite-element analyses. The ability of these integrals to correlate experimental crack growth data were evaluated under various loading and temperature conditions. The results indicate that some of these integrals are viable parameters for crack growth prediction at elevated temperatures.

Stationary properties of maximum-entropy random walks.

PubMed

Dixit, Purushottam D

2015-10-01

Maximum-entropy (ME) inference of state probabilities using state-dependent constraints is popular in the study of complex systems. In stochastic systems, how state space topology and path-dependent constraints affect ME-inferred state probabilities remains unknown. To that end, we derive the transition probabilities and the stationary distribution of a maximum path entropy Markov process subject to state- and path-dependent constraints. A main finding is that the stationary distribution over states differs significantly from the Boltzmann distribution and reflects a competition between path multiplicity and imposed constraints. We illustrate our results with particle diffusion on a two-dimensional landscape. Connections with the path integral approach to diffusion are discussed.

Comparison of age distributions estimated from environmental tracers by using binary-dilution and numerical models of fractured and folded karst: Shenandoah Valley of Virginia and West Virginia, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Yager, Richard M.; Plummer, Niel; Kauffman, Leon J.; Doctor, Daniel H.; Nelms, David L.; Schlosser, Peter

2013-01-01

Measured concentrations of environmental tracers in spring discharge from a karst aquifer in the Shenandoah Valley, USA, were used to refine a numerical groundwater flow model. The karst aquifer is folded and faulted carbonate bedrock dominated by diffuse flow along fractures. The numerical model represented bedrock structure and discrete features (fault zones and springs). Concentrations of 3H, 3He, 4He, and CFC-113 in spring discharge were interpreted as binary dilutions of young (0–8 years) water and old (tracer-free) water. Simulated mixtures of groundwater are derived from young water flowing along shallow paths, with the addition of old water flowing along deeper paths through the model domain that discharge to springs along fault zones. The simulated median age of young water discharged from springs (5.7 years) is slightly older than the median age estimated from 3H/3He data (4.4 years). The numerical model predicted a fraction of old water in spring discharge (0.07) that was half that determined by the binary-dilution model using the 3H/3He apparent age and 3H and CFC-113 data (0.14). This difference suggests that faults and lineaments are more numerous or extensive than those mapped and included in the numerical model.

Terrain classification in navigation of an autonomous mobile robot

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dodds, David R.

1991-03-01

In this paper we describe a method of path planning that integrates terrain classification (by means of fractals) the certainty grid method of spatial representation Kehtarnavaz Griswold collision-zones Dubois Prade fuzzy temporal and spatial knowledge and non-point sized qualitative navigational planning. An initially planned (" end-to-end" ) path is piece-wise modified to accommodate known and inferred moving obstacles and includes attention to time-varying multiple subgoals which may influence a section of path at a time after the robot has begun traversing that planned path.

Interference coupling analysis based on a hybrid method: application to a radio telescope system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Qing-Lin; Qiu, Yang; Tian, Jin; Liu, Qi

2018-02-01

Working in a way that passively receives electromagnetic radiation from a celestial body, a radio telescope can be easily disturbed by external radio frequency interference as well as electromagnetic interference generated by electric and electronic components operating at the telescope site. A quantitative analysis of these interferences must be taken into account carefully for further electromagnetic protection of the radio telescope. In this paper, based on electromagnetic topology theory, a hybrid method that combines the Baum-Liu-Tesche (BLT) equation and transfer function is proposed. In this method, the coupling path of the radio telescope is divided into strong coupling and weak coupling sub-paths, and the coupling intensity criterion is proposed by analyzing the conditions in which the BLT equation simplifies to a transfer function. According to the coupling intensity criterion, the topological model of a typical radio telescope system is established. The proposed method is used to solve the interference response of the radio telescope system by analyzing subsystems with different coupling modes separately and then integrating the responses of the subsystems as the response of the entire system. The validity of the proposed method is verified numerically. The results indicate that the proposed method, compared with the direct solving method, reduces the difficulty and improves the efficiency of interference prediction.

Methods of Contemporary Gauge Theory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Makeenko, Yuri

2002-08-01

Preface; Part I. Path Integrals: 1. Operator calculus; 2. Second quantization; 3. Quantum anomalies from path integral; 4. Instantons in quantum mechanics; Part II. Lattice Gauge Theories: 5. Observables in gauge theories; 6. Gauge fields on a lattice; 7. Lattice methods; 8. Fermions on a lattice; 9. Finite temperatures; Part III. 1/N Expansion: 10. O(N) vector models; 11. Multicolor QCD; 12. QCD in loop space; 13. Matrix models; Part IV. Reduced Models: 14. Eguchi-Kawai model; 15. Twisted reduced models; 16. Non-commutative gauge theories.

Methods of Contemporary Gauge Theory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Makeenko, Yuri

2005-11-01

Preface; Part I. Path Integrals: 1. Operator calculus; 2. Second quantization; 3. Quantum anomalies from path integral; 4. Instantons in quantum mechanics; Part II. Lattice Gauge Theories: 5. Observables in gauge theories; 6. Gauge fields on a lattice; 7. Lattice methods; 8. Fermions on a lattice; 9. Finite temperatures; Part III. 1/N Expansion: 10. O(N) vector models; 11. Multicolor QCD; 12. QCD in loop space; 13. Matrix models; Part IV. Reduced Models: 14. Eguchi-Kawai model; 15. Twisted reduced models; 16. Non-commutative gauge theories.

Weinberg propagator of a massive particle with an arbitrary spin (in Ukrainian)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zima, V. G.; Fedoruk, S. O.

The transition amplitude is obtained for a free massive particle of an arbitrary spin by calculating the path integral in the index--spinor formulation within the BFV--BRST approach. None renormalizations of the path integral measure were applied. The calculation has given the Weinberg propagator written in the index--free form with the use of an index spinor. The choice of boundary conditions on the index spinor determines holomorphic or antiholomorphic representation for the canonical description of particle/antiparticle spin.

A path to integration in an academic health science center.

PubMed Central

Panko, W. B.; Wilson, W.

1992-01-01

This article describes a networking and integration strategy in use at the University of Michigan Medical Center. This strategy builds upon the existing technology base and is designed to provide a roadmap that will direct short-term development along a productive, long-term path. It offers a way to permit the short-term development of incremental solutions to current problems while at the same time maximizing the likelihood that these incremental efforts can be recycled into a more comprehensive approach. PMID:1336413

A path-integral approach to the problem of time

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Amaral, M. M.; Bojowald, Martin

2018-01-01

Quantum transition amplitudes are formulated for model systems with local internal time, using intuition from path integrals. The amplitudes are shown to be more regular near a turning point of internal time than could be expected based on existing canonical treatments. In particular, a successful transition through a turning point is provided in the model systems, together with a new definition of such a transition in general terms. Some of the results rely on a fruitful relation between the problem of time and general Gribov problems.

A Tomographic Method for the Reconstruction of Local Probability Density Functions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sivathanu, Y. R.; Gore, J. P.

1993-01-01

A method of obtaining the probability density function (PDF) of local properties from path integrated measurements is described. The approach uses a discrete probability function (DPF) method to infer the PDF of the local extinction coefficient from measurements of the PDFs of the path integrated transmittance. The local PDFs obtained using the method are compared with those obtained from direct intrusive measurements in propylene/air and ethylene/air diffusion flames. The results of this comparison are good.

Life-space foam: A medium for motivational and cognitive dynamics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ivancevic, Vladimir; Aidman, Eugene

2007-08-01

General stochastic dynamics, developed in a framework of Feynman path integrals, have been applied to Lewinian field-theoretic psychodynamics [K. Lewin, Field Theory in Social Science, University of Chicago Press, Chicago, 1951; K. Lewin, Resolving Social Conflicts, and, Field Theory in Social Science, American Psychological Association, Washington, 1997; M. Gold, A Kurt Lewin Reader, the Complete Social Scientist, American Psychological Association, Washington, 1999], resulting in the development of a new concept of life-space foam (LSF) as a natural medium for motivational and cognitive psychodynamics. According to LSF formalisms, the classic Lewinian life space can be macroscopically represented as a smooth manifold with steady force fields and behavioral paths, while at the microscopic level it is more realistically represented as a collection of wildly fluctuating force fields, (loco)motion paths and local geometries (and topologies with holes). A set of least-action principles is used to model the smoothness of global, macro-level LSF paths, fields and geometry. To model the corresponding local, micro-level LSF structures, an adaptive path integral is used, defining a multi-phase and multi-path (multi-field and multi-geometry) transition process from intention to goal-driven action. Application examples of this new approach include (but are not limited to) information processing, motivational fatigue, learning, memory and decision making.

Mitigation of Atmospheric Delay in SAR Absolute Ranging Using Global Numerical Weather Prediction Data: Corner Reflector Experiments at 3 Different Test Sites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cong, Xiaoying; Balss, Ulrich; Eineder, Michael

2015-04-01

The atmospheric delay due to vertical stratification, the so-called stratified atmospheric delay, has a great impact on both interferometric and absolute range measurements. In our current researches [1][2][3], centimeter-range accuracy has been proven based on Corner Reflector (CR) based measurements by applying atmospheric delay correction using the Zenith Path Delay (ZPD) corrections derived from nearby Global Positioning System (GPS) stations. For a global usage, an effective method has been introduced to estimate the stratified delay based on global 4-dimensional Numerical Weather Prediction (NWP) products: the direct integration method [4][5]. Two products, ERA-Interim and operational data, provided by European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecast (ECMWF) are used to integrate the stratified delay. In order to access the integration accuracy, a validation approach is investigated based on ZPD derived from six permanent GPS stations located in different meteorological conditions. Range accuracy at centimeter level is demonstrated using both ECMWF products. Further experiments have been carried out in order to determine the best interpolation method by analyzing the temporal and spatial correlation of atmospheric delay using both ECMWF and GPS ZPD. Finally, the integrated atmospheric delays in slant direction (Slant Path Delay, SPD) have been applied instead of the GPS ZPD for CR experiments at three different test sites with more than 200 TerraSAR-X High Resolution SpotLight (HRSL) images. The delay accuracy is around 1-3 cm depending on the location of test site due to the local water vapor variation and the acquisition time/date. [1] Eineder M., Minet C., Steigenberger P., et al. Imaging geodesy - Toward centimeter-level ranging accuracy with TerraSAR-X. Geoscience and Remote Sensing, IEEE Transactions on, 2011, 49(2): 661-671. [2] Balss U., Gisinger C., Cong X. Y., et al. Precise Measurements on the Absolute Localization Accuracy of TerraSAR-X on the Base of Far-Distributed Test Sites; EUSAR 2014; 10th European Conference on Synthetic Aperture Radar; Proceedings of. VDE, 2014: 1-4. [3] Eineder M., Balss U., Gisinger C., et al. TerraSAR-X pixel localization accuracy: Approaching the centimeter level, Geoscience and Remote Sensing Symposium (IGARSS), 2014 IEEE International. IEEE, 2014: 2669-2670. [4] Cong X., Balss U., Eineder M., et al. Imaging Geodesy -- Centimeter-Level Ranging Accuracy With TerraSAR-X: An Update. Geoscience and Remote Sensing Letters, IEEE, 2012, 9(5): 948-952. [5] Cong X. SAR Interferometry for Volcano Monitoring: 3D-PSI Analysis and Mitigation of Atmospheric Refractivity. München, Technische Universität München, Dissertation, 2014.

On the efficacy of spatial sampling using manual scanning paths to determine the spatial average sound pressure level in rooms.

PubMed

Hopkins, Carl

2011-05-01

In architectural acoustics, noise control and environmental noise, there are often steady-state signals for which it is necessary to measure the spatial average, sound pressure level inside rooms. This requires using fixed microphone positions, mechanical scanning devices, or manual scanning. In comparison with mechanical scanning devices, the human body allows manual scanning to trace out complex geometrical paths in three-dimensional space. To determine the efficacy of manual scanning paths in terms of an equivalent number of uncorrelated samples, an analytical approach is solved numerically. The benchmark used to assess these paths is a minimum of five uncorrelated fixed microphone positions at frequencies above 200 Hz. For paths involving an operator walking across the room, potential problems exist with walking noise and non-uniform scanning speeds. Hence, paths are considered based on a fixed standing position or rotation of the body about a fixed point. In empty rooms, it is shown that a circle, helix, or cylindrical-type path satisfy the benchmark requirement with the latter two paths being highly efficient at generating large number of uncorrelated samples. In furnished rooms where there is limited space for the operator to move, an efficient path comprises three semicircles with 45°-60° separations.

2-Micron Triple-Pulse Integrated Path Differential Absorption Lidar Development for Simultaneous Airborne Column Measurements of Carbon Dioxide and Water Vapor in the Atmosphere

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Singh, Upendra N.; Petros, Mulugeta; Refaat, Tamer F.; Yu, Jirong

2016-01-01

For more than 15 years, NASA Langley Research Center (LaRC) has contributed in developing several 2-micron carbon dioxide active remote sensors using the DIAL technique. Currently, an airborne 2-micron triple-pulse integrated path differential absorption (IPDA) lidar is under development at NASA LaRC. This paper focuses on the advancement of the 2-micron triple-pulse IPDA lidar development. Updates on the state-of-the-art triple-pulse laser transmitter will be presented including the status of wavelength control, packaging and lidar integration. In addition, receiver development updates will also be presented, including telescope integration, detection systems and data acquisition electronics. Future plan for IPDA lidar system for ground integration, testing and flight validation will be presented.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Luo, P.F.; Wang, J.S.; Chao, Y.J.

The stereo vision is used to study the fracture behavior in the compact tension (CT) specimen made from 304L stainless steel. During crack tip blunting, initiation, and growth in the CT specimen, both in-plane and out-of-plane displacement fields near the crack tip are measured by the stereo vision. Based on the plane stress assumption and the deformation theory of plasticity, the J integral is evaluated along several rectangular paths surrounding the crack tip by using the measured in-plane displacement field. Prior to crack growth, the J integral is path independent. For crack extension up to {Delta}a {approx} 3 mm, themore » near field J integral values are 6% to 10% lower than far field J integral values. For the crack extension of {Delta}a {approx} 4 mm, the J integral lost path independence. The far field J integral values are in good agreement with results obtained from Merkle-Corten`s formula. Both J-{Delta}a and CTOA-{Delta}a are obtained by computing the J integral value and crack tip opening angle (CTOA) at each {Delta}a. Results indicate that CTOA reached a nearly constant value at a crack extension of {Delta}a = 3 mm with a leveled resistance curve thereafter. Also, the J integral value is determined by the maximum transverse diameter of the shadow spots, which are generated by using the out-of-plane displacement field. Results indicate that for crack extension up to 0.25 mm, the J integral values evaluated by using the out-of- plane displacement are close to those obtained by using in-plane displacements and Merkle-Corten`s formula.« less

Gold, Blood, and Power: Finance and War Through the Ages

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-05-01

roads and even paths (the Persians proved at Thermopylae that access to a goat path was enough for them to inflict a nasty surprise on an enemy...the state was giving or loaning cash to purchase armor. There is substantial evidence of numerous loans for farming and other business activities...percentage of collected revenues actually made it to the government, as compared to states that used the inefficient tax- farming systems—France, Prussia

Detailed numerical investigation of the Bohm limit in cosmic ray diffusion theory

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hussein, M.; Shalchi, A., E-mail: m_hussein@physics.umanitoba.ca, E-mail: andreasm4@yahoo.com

2014-04-10

A standard model in cosmic ray diffusion theory is the so-called Bohm limit in which the particle mean free path is assumed to be equal to the Larmor radius. This type of diffusion is often employed to model the propagation and acceleration of energetic particles. However, recent analytical and numerical work has shown that standard Bohm diffusion is not realistic. In the present paper, we perform test-particle simulations to explore particle diffusion in the strong turbulence limit in which the wave field is much stronger than the mean magnetic field. We show that there is indeed a lower limit ofmore » the particle mean free path along the mean field. In this limit, the mean free path is directly proportional to the unperturbed Larmor radius like in the traditional Bohm limit, but it is reduced by the factor δB/B {sub 0} where B {sub 0} is the mean field and δB the turbulent field. Although we focus on parallel diffusion, we also explore diffusion across the mean field in the strong turbulence limit.« less

Effective pathway of charge transfer in DNA duplex

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Seongjin; Yi, Juyeon; Hwang, Sun-Yong

2009-03-01

We examine the most efficient route for charge propagation in DNA duplex. We find a direct path along one strand and a detour using the complementary strand compete with each other. Charge tends to take the path along the strand whose energy levels are close to its energy, and yet there exists a crossover length Nc so that for a transfer over a distance shorter than Nc the direct path is always advantageous. We obtain the analytic results for the behavior together with various decay types such as a constant decay, an exponential decay, and a crossover between them, whose validity is confirmed by the numerical calculation.

Minimum noise impact aircraft trajectories

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jacobson, I. D.; Melton, R. G.

1981-01-01

Numerical optimization is used to compute the optimum flight paths, based upon a parametric form that implicitly includes some of the problem restrictions. The other constraints are formulated as penalties in the cost function. Various aircraft on multiple trajectores (landing and takeoff) can be considered. The modular design employed allows for the substitution of alternate models of the population distribution, aircraft noise, flight paths, and annoyance, or for the addition of other features (e.g., fuel consumption) in the cost function. A reduction in the required amount of searching over local minima was achieved through use of the presence of statistical lateral dispersion in the flight paths.

System and Method for Aiding Pilot Preview, Rehearsal, Review, and Real-Time Visual Acquisition of Flight Mission Progress

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Prinzel, III, Lawrence J. (Inventor); Pope, Alan T. (Inventor); Williams, Steven P. (Inventor); Bailey, Randall E. (Inventor); Arthur, Jarvis J. (Inventor); Kramer, Lynda J. (Inventor); Schutte, Paul C. (Inventor)

2012-01-01

Embodiments of the invention permit flight paths (current and planned) to be viewed from various orientations to provide improved path and terrain awareness via graphical two-dimensional or three-dimensional perspective display formats. By coupling the flight path information with a terrain database, uncompromising terrain awareness relative to the path and ownship is provided. In addition, missed approaches, path deviations, and any navigational path can be reviewed and rehearsed before performing the actual task. By rehearsing a particular mission, check list items can be reviewed, terrain awareness can be highlighted, and missed approach procedures can be discussed by the flight crew. Further, the use of Controller Pilot Datalink Communications enables data-linked path, flight plan changes, and Air Traffic Control requests to be integrated into the flight display of the present invention.

Design optimization of a compact photonic crystal microcavity based on slow light and dispersion engineering for the miniaturization of integrated mode-locked lasers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kemiche, Malik; Lhuillier, Jérémy; Callard, Ségolène; Monat, Christelle

2018-01-01

We exploit slow light (high ng) modes in planar photonic crystals in order to design a compact cavity, which provides an attractive path towards the miniaturization of near-infrared integrated fast pulsed lasers. By applying dispersion engineering techniques, we can design structures with a low dispersion, as needed by mode-locking operation. Our basic InP SiO2 heterostructure is robust and well suited to integrated laser applications. We show that an optimized 30 μm long cavity design yields 9 frequency-equidistant modes with a FSR of 178 GHz within a 11.5 nm bandwidth, which could potentially sustain the generation of optical pulses shorter than 700 fs. In addition, the numerically calculated quality factors of these modes are all above 10,000, making them suitable for reaching laser operation. Thanks to the use of a high group index (28), this cavity design is almost one order of magnitude shorter than standard rib-waveguide based mode-locked lasers. The use of slow light modes in planar photonic crystal based cavities thus relaxes the usual constraints that tightly link the device size and the quality (peak power, repetition rate) of the pulsed laser signal.

Going the distance: spatial scale of athletic experience affects the accuracy of path integration.

PubMed

Smith, Alastair D; Howard, Christina J; Alcock, Niall; Cater, Kirsten

2010-09-01

Evidence suggests that athletically trained individuals are more accurate than untrained individuals in updating their spatial position through idiothetic cues. We assessed whether training at different spatial scales affects the accuracy of path integration. Groups of rugby players (large-scale training) and martial artists (small-scale training) participated in a triangle-completion task: they were led (blindfolded) along two sides of a right-angled triangle and were required to complete the hypotenuse by returning to the origin. The groups did not differ in their assessment of the distance to the origin, but rugby players were more accurate than martial artists in assessing the correct angle to turn (heading), and landed significantly closer to the origin. These data support evidence that distance and heading components can be dissociated. Furthermore, they suggest that the spatial scale at which an individual is trained may affect the accuracy of one component of path integration but not the other.

Quantum structural fluctuation in para-hydrogen clusters revealed by the variational path integral method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miura, Shinichi

2018-03-01

In this paper, the ground state of para-hydrogen clusters for size regime N ≤ 40 has been studied by our variational path integral molecular dynamics method. Long molecular dynamics calculations have been performed to accurately evaluate ground state properties. The chemical potential of the hydrogen molecule is found to have a zigzag size dependence, indicating the magic number stability for the clusters of the size N = 13, 26, 29, 34, and 39. One-body density of the hydrogen molecule is demonstrated to have a structured profile, not a melted one. The observed magic number stability is examined using the inherent structure analysis. We also have developed a novel method combining our variational path integral hybrid Monte Carlo method with the replica exchange technique. We introduce replicas of the original system bridging from the structured to the melted cluster, which is realized by scaling the potential energy of the system. Using the enhanced sampling method, the clusters are demonstrated to have the structured density profile in the ground state.

Accurate Exchange-Correlation Energies for the Warm Dense Electron Gas.

PubMed

Malone, Fionn D; Blunt, N S; Brown, Ethan W; Lee, D K K; Spencer, J S; Foulkes, W M C; Shepherd, James J

2016-09-09

The density matrix quantum Monte Carlo (DMQMC) method is used to sample exact-on-average N-body density matrices for uniform electron gas systems of up to 10^{124} matrix elements via a stochastic solution of the Bloch equation. The results of these calculations resolve a current debate over the accuracy of the data used to parametrize finite-temperature density functionals. Exchange-correlation energies calculated using the real-space restricted path-integral formalism and the k-space configuration path-integral formalism disagree by up to ∼10% at certain reduced temperatures T/T_{F}≤0.5 and densities r_{s}≤1. Our calculations confirm the accuracy of the configuration path-integral Monte Carlo results available at high density and bridge the gap to lower densities, providing trustworthy data in the regime typical of planetary interiors and solids subject to laser irradiation. We demonstrate that the DMQMC method can calculate free energies directly and present exact free energies for T/T_{F}≥1 and r_{s}≤2.

Quantum structural fluctuation in para-hydrogen clusters revealed by the variational path integral method.

PubMed

Miura, Shinichi

2018-03-14

In this paper, the ground state of para-hydrogen clusters for size regime N ≤ 40 has been studied by our variational path integral molecular dynamics method. Long molecular dynamics calculations have been performed to accurately evaluate ground state properties. The chemical potential of the hydrogen molecule is found to have a zigzag size dependence, indicating the magic number stability for the clusters of the size N = 13, 26, 29, 34, and 39. One-body density of the hydrogen molecule is demonstrated to have a structured profile, not a melted one. The observed magic number stability is examined using the inherent structure analysis. We also have developed a novel method combining our variational path integral hybrid Monte Carlo method with the replica exchange technique. We introduce replicas of the original system bridging from the structured to the melted cluster, which is realized by scaling the potential energy of the system. Using the enhanced sampling method, the clusters are demonstrated to have the structured density profile in the ground state.

The product form for path integrals on curved manifolds

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grosche, C.

1988-03-01

A general and simple framework for treating path integrals on curved manifolds is presented. The crucial point will be a product ansatz for the metric tensor and the quantum hamiltonian, i.e. we shall write g αβ = h αγh βγ and H = (1/2m)h αγp αp βh βγ + V + ΔV , respectively, a prescription which we shall call “product form” definition. The p α are hermitian momenta and Δ V is a well-defined quantum correction. We shall show that this ansatz, which looks quite special, is in fact - under reasonable assumptions in quantum mechanics - a very general one. We shall derive the lagrangian path integral in the “product form” definition and shall also prove that the Schro¨dinger equation can be derived from the corresponding short-time kernel. We shall discuss briefly an application of this prescription to the problem of free quantum motion on the Poincare´upper half-plane.

Variational path integral molecular dynamics and hybrid Monte Carlo algorithms using a fourth order propagator with applications to molecular systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kamibayashi, Yuki; Miura, Shinichi

2016-08-01

In the present study, variational path integral molecular dynamics and associated hybrid Monte Carlo (HMC) methods have been developed on the basis of a fourth order approximation of a density operator. To reveal various parameter dependence of physical quantities, we analytically solve one dimensional harmonic oscillators by the variational path integral; as a byproduct, we obtain the analytical expression of the discretized density matrix using the fourth order approximation for the oscillators. Then, we apply our methods to realistic systems like a water molecule and a para-hydrogen cluster. In the HMC, we adopt two level description to avoid the time consuming Hessian evaluation. For the systems examined in this paper, the HMC method is found to be about three times more efficient than the molecular dynamics method if appropriate HMC parameters are adopted; the advantage of the HMC method is suggested to be more evident for systems described by many body interaction.

Numerical integration of asymptotic solutions of ordinary differential equations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Thurston, Gaylen A.

1989-01-01

Classical asymptotic analysis of ordinary differential equations derives approximate solutions that are numerically stable. However, the analysis also leads to tedious expansions in powers of the relevant parameter for a particular problem. The expansions are replaced with integrals that can be evaluated by numerical integration. The resulting numerical solutions retain the linear independence that is the main advantage of asymptotic solutions. Examples, including the Falkner-Skan equation from laminar boundary layer theory, illustrate the method of asymptotic analysis with numerical integration.

Optimisation structurelle des systemes energetiques

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saloux, Etienne

The development of renewable energies is growing over the last decade to face environmental issues due to the world fossil fuel consumption increase. These energies are highly involved in houses and commercial buildings and numerous systems have been proposed to meet their energy demand. Therefore, improving both efficiency and use of systems, i.e. improving energy management, appears essential to limit the ecological footprint of humanity on the planet. However, system integration yields a very complex problem to be solved due to the large number of units and theirs technology, size, working conditions and interconnections. This situation highlights the lack of systematic analysis for comparing integrated system performance and for correctly pointing out their potential. As a result, the objective of this thesis is to develop and to present such a method, in other words the structural optimization of energy systems. It will be helpful to choose the optimal equipment by identifying all the possibilities of system arrangements and for comparing their performance. Combinations have then been subjected to environmental (climate), structural (available area) and economical constrains while assessment criteria have considered both energy, economic and ecological aspects. For that reason, as well as energy and economic analyses, the exergy concept has also been applied to the equipment. Nevertheless, the high degree of complexity of integrated systems and the tedious numerical calculations make the resolution by using standard software very difficult. It is clear that the whole optimization project would be considerable and the aim is to develop models and optimization tools. First of all, an exhaustive review of energy equipment including photovoltaic panels, solar collectors, heat pumps and thermal energy storage systems, has been performed. Afterwards, energy and exergy models have been developed and tested for two specific energy scenarios: a) a solar assisted heat pump using ice and warm water storages and b) an ambient air heat pump associated to photovoltaic panels. A superstructure has then been constructed to account for every system combination possibility. The different energy paths have been illustrated while irreversibility along every path is identified. Thus, it allows the system operation to be clearly understood. Besides, an exergy diagram has been developed and permits energy and exergy assessment of system and system arrangements to be not only identified but also quantified and separated depending on their (renewable or non-renewable) source. Finally, dimensions and operation variables have been optimized according to exergy and economic criteria for the aforementioned scenarios; the potential of each energy option has been estimated and yield a better energy management to be reached.

Designing Networks that are Capable of Self-Healing and Adapting

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-04-01

from statistical mechanics, combinatorics, boolean networks, and numerical simulations, and inspired by design principles from biological networks, we... principles for self-healing networks, and applications, and construct an all-possible-paths model for network adaptation. 2015-11-16 UNIT CONVERSION...combinatorics, boolean networks, and numerical simulations, and inspired by design principles from biological networks, we will undertake the fol

Lotka-Volterra systems in environments with randomly disordered temporal periodicity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Naess, Arvid; Dimentberg, Michael F.; Gaidai, Oleg

2008-08-01

A generalized Lotka-Volterra model for a pair of interacting populations of predators and prey is studied. The model accounts for the prey’s interspecies competition and therefore is asymptotically stable, whereas its oscillatory behavior is induced by temporal variations in environmental conditions simulated by those in the prey’s reproduction rate. Two models of the variations are considered, each of them combining randomness with “hidden” periodicity. The stationary joint probability density function (PDF) of the number of predators and prey is calculated numerically by the path integration (PI) method based on the use of characteristic functions and the fast Fourier transform. The numerical results match those for the asymptotic case of white-noise variations for which an analytical solution is available. Several examples are studied, with calculations of important characteristics of oscillations, for example the expected rate of up-crossings given the level of the predator number. The calculated PDFs may be of predominantly random (unimodal) or predominantly periodic nature (bimodal). Thus, the PI method has been demonstrated to be a powerful tool for studies of the dynamics of predator-prey pairs. The method captures the random oscillations as observed in nature, taking into account potential periodicity in the environmental conditions.

Lotka-Volterra systems in environments with randomly disordered temporal periodicity.

PubMed

Naess, Arvid; Dimentberg, Michael F; Gaidai, Oleg

2008-08-01

A generalized Lotka-Volterra model for a pair of interacting populations of predators and prey is studied. The model accounts for the prey's interspecies competition and therefore is asymptotically stable, whereas its oscillatory behavior is induced by temporal variations in environmental conditions simulated by those in the prey's reproduction rate. Two models of the variations are considered, each of them combining randomness with "hidden" periodicity. The stationary joint probability density function (PDF) of the number of predators and prey is calculated numerically by the path integration (PI) method based on the use of characteristic functions and the fast Fourier transform. The numerical results match those for the asymptotic case of white-noise variations for which an analytical solution is available. Several examples are studied, with calculations of important characteristics of oscillations, for example the expected rate of up-crossings given the level of the predator number. The calculated PDFs may be of predominantly random (unimodal) or predominantly periodic nature (bimodal). Thus, the PI method has been demonstrated to be a powerful tool for studies of the dynamics of predator-prey pairs. The method captures the random oscillations as observed in nature, taking into account potential periodicity in the environmental conditions.

Stochastic flux freezing and magnetic dynamo.

PubMed

Eyink, Gregory L

2011-05-01

Magnetic flux conservation in turbulent plasmas at high magnetic Reynolds numbers is argued neither to hold in the conventional sense nor to be entirely broken, but instead to be valid in a statistical sense associated to the "spontaneous stochasticity" of Lagrangian particle trajectories. The latter phenomenon is due to the explosive separation of particles undergoing turbulent Richardson diffusion, which leads to a breakdown of Laplacian determinism for classical dynamics. Empirical evidence is presented for spontaneous stochasticity, including numerical results. A Lagrangian path-integral approach is then exploited to establish stochastic flux freezing for resistive hydromagnetic equations and to argue, based on the properties of Richardson diffusion, that flux conservation must remain stochastic at infinite magnetic Reynolds number. An important application of these results is the kinematic, fluctuation dynamo in nonhelical, incompressible turbulence at magnetic Prandtl number (Pr(m)) equal to unity. Numerical results on the Lagrangian dynamo mechanisms by a stochastic particle method demonstrate a strong similarity between the Pr(m)=1 and 0 dynamos. Stochasticity of field-line motion is an essential ingredient of both. Finally, some consequences for nonlinear magnetohydrodynamic turbulence, dynamo, and reconnection are briefly considered. © 2011 American Physical Society

Numerical prediction of mechanical properties of Pb-Sn solder alloys containing antimony, bismuth and or silver ternary trace elements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gadag, Shiva P.; Patra, Susant

2000-12-01

Solder joint interconnects are mechanical means of structural support for bridging the various electronic components and providing electrical contacts and a thermal path for heat dissipation. The functionality of the electronic device often relies on the structural integrity of the solder. The dimensional stability of solder joints is numerically predicted based on their mechanical properties. Algorithms to model the kinetics of dissolution and subsequent growth of intermetallic from the complete knowledge of a single history of time-temperature-reflow profile, by considering equivalent isothermal time intervals, have been developed. The information for dissolution is derived during the heating cycle of reflow and for the growth process from cooling curve of reflow profile. A simple and quick analysis tool to derive tensile stress-strain maps as a function of the reflow temperature of solder and strain rate has been developed by numerical program. The tensile properties are used in modeling thermal strain, thermal fatigue and to predict the overall fatigue life of solder joints. The numerical analysis of the tensile properties as affected by their composition and rate of testing, has been compiled in this paper. A numerical model using constitutive equation has been developed to evaluate the interfacial fatigue crack growth rate. The model can assess the effect of cooling rate, which depends on the level of strain energy release rate. Increasing cooling rate from normalizing to water-quenching, enhanced the fatigue resistance to interfacial crack growth by up to 50% at low strain energy release rate. The increased cooling rates enhanced the fatigue crack growth resistance by surface roughening at the interface of solder joint. This paper highlights salient features of process modeling. Interfacial intermetallic microstructure is affected by cooling rate and thereby affects the mechanical properties.

Numerical Determination of Critical Conditions for Thermal Ignition

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Luo, W.; Wake, G. C.; Hawk, C. W.; Litchford, R. J.

2008-01-01

The determination of ignition or thermal explosion in an oxidizing porous body of material, as described by a dimensionless reaction-diffusion equation of the form .tu = .2u + .e-1/u over the bounded region O, is critically reexamined from a modern perspective using numerical methodologies. First, the classic stationary model is revisited to establish the proper reference frame for the steady-state solution space, and it is demonstrated how the resulting nonlinear two-point boundary value problem can be reexpressed as an initial value problem for a system of first-order differential equations, which may be readily solved using standard algorithms. Then, the numerical procedure is implemented and thoroughly validated against previous computational results based on sophisticated path-following techniques. Next, the transient nonstationary model is attacked, and the full nonlinear form of the reaction-diffusion equation, including a generalized convective boundary condition, is discretized and expressed as a system of linear algebraic equations. The numerical methodology is implemented as a computer algorithm, and validation computations are carried out as a prelude to a broad-ranging evaluation of the assembly problem and identification of the watershed critical initial temperature conditions for thermal ignition. This numerical methodology is then used as the basis for studying the relationship between the shape of the critical initial temperature distribution and the corresponding spatial moments of its energy content integral and an attempt to forge a fundamental conjecture governing this relation. Finally, the effects of dynamic boundary conditions on the classic storage problem are investigated and the groundwork is laid for the development of an approximate solution methodology based on adaptation of the standard stationary model.

Functional Integration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cartier, Pierre; DeWitt-Morette, Cecile

2006-11-01

Acknowledgements; List symbols, conventions, and formulary; Part I. The Physical and Mathematical Environment: 1. The physical and mathematical environment; Part II. Quantum Mechanics: 2. First lesson: gaussian integrals; 3. Selected examples; 4. Semiclassical expansion: WKB; 5. Semiclassical expansion: beyond WKB; 6. Quantum dynamics: path integrals and operator formalism; Part III. Methods from Differential Geometry: 7. Symmetries; 8. Homotopy; 9. Grassmann analysis: basics; 10. Grassmann analysis: applications; 11. Volume elements, divergences, gradients; Part IV. Non-Gaussian Applications: 12. Poisson processes in physics; 13. A mathematical theory of Poisson processes; 14. First exit time: energy problems; Part V. Problems in Quantum Field Theory: 15. Renormalization 1: an introduction; 16. Renormalization 2: scaling; 17. Renormalization 3: combinatorics; 18. Volume elements in quantum field theory Bryce DeWitt; Part VI. Projects: 19. Projects; Appendix A. Forward and backward integrals: spaces of pointed paths; Appendix B. Product integrals; Appendix C. A compendium of gaussian integrals; Appendix D. Wick calculus Alexander Wurm; Appendix E. The Jacobi operator; Appendix F. Change of variables of integration; Appendix G. Analytic properties of covariances; Appendix H. Feynman's checkerboard; Bibliography; Index.

Functional Integration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cartier, Pierre; DeWitt-Morette, Cecile

2010-06-01

Acknowledgements; List symbols, conventions, and formulary; Part I. The Physical and Mathematical Environment: 1. The physical and mathematical environment; Part II. Quantum Mechanics: 2. First lesson: gaussian integrals; 3. Selected examples; 4. Semiclassical expansion: WKB; 5. Semiclassical expansion: beyond WKB; 6. Quantum dynamics: path integrals and operator formalism; Part III. Methods from Differential Geometry: 7. Symmetries; 8. Homotopy; 9. Grassmann analysis: basics; 10. Grassmann analysis: applications; 11. Volume elements, divergences, gradients; Part IV. Non-Gaussian Applications: 12. Poisson processes in physics; 13. A mathematical theory of Poisson processes; 14. First exit time: energy problems; Part V. Problems in Quantum Field Theory: 15. Renormalization 1: an introduction; 16. Renormalization 2: scaling; 17. Renormalization 3: combinatorics; 18. Volume elements in quantum field theory Bryce DeWitt; Part VI. Projects: 19. Projects; Appendix A. Forward and backward integrals: spaces of pointed paths; Appendix B. Product integrals; Appendix C. A compendium of gaussian integrals; Appendix D. Wick calculus Alexander Wurm; Appendix E. The Jacobi operator; Appendix F. Change of variables of integration; Appendix G. Analytic properties of covariances; Appendix H. Feynman's checkerboard; Bibliography; Index.

Neighboring extremals of dynamic optimization problems with path equality constraints

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lee, A. Y.

1988-01-01

Neighboring extremals of dynamic optimization problems with path equality constraints and with an unknown parameter vector are considered in this paper. With some simplifications, the problem is reduced to solving a linear, time-varying two-point boundary-value problem with integral path equality constraints. A modified backward sweep method is used to solve this problem. Two example problems are solved to illustrate the validity and usefulness of the solution technique.

Energy Optimal Path Planning: Integrating Coastal Ocean Modelling with Optimal Control

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Subramani, D. N.; Haley, P. J., Jr.; Lermusiaux, P. F. J.

2016-02-01

A stochastic optimization methodology is formulated for computing energy-optimal paths from among time-optimal paths of autonomous vehicles navigating in a dynamic flow field. To set up the energy optimization, the relative vehicle speed and headings are considered to be stochastic, and new stochastic Dynamically Orthogonal (DO) level-set equations that govern their stochastic time-optimal reachability fronts are derived. Their solution provides the distribution of time-optimal reachability fronts and corresponding distribution of time-optimal paths. An optimization is then performed on the vehicle's energy-time joint distribution to select the energy-optimal paths for each arrival time, among all stochastic time-optimal paths for that arrival time. The accuracy and efficiency of the DO level-set equations for solving the governing stochastic level-set reachability fronts are quantitatively assessed, including comparisons with independent semi-analytical solutions. Energy-optimal missions are studied in wind-driven barotropic quasi-geostrophic double-gyre circulations, and in realistic data-assimilative re-analyses of multiscale coastal ocean flows. The latter re-analyses are obtained from multi-resolution 2-way nested primitive-equation simulations of tidal-to-mesoscale dynamics in the Middle Atlantic Bight and Shelbreak Front region. The effects of tidal currents, strong wind events, coastal jets, and shelfbreak fronts on the energy-optimal paths are illustrated and quantified. Results showcase the opportunities for longer-duration missions that intelligently utilize the ocean environment to save energy, rigorously integrating ocean forecasting with optimal control of autonomous vehicles.

Intrinsic viscosity and the electrical polarizability of arbitrarily shaped objects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mansfield, Marc L.; Douglas, Jack F.; Garboczi, Edward J.

2001-12-01

The problem of calculating the electric polarizability tensor αe of objects of arbitrary shape has been reformulated in terms of path integration and implemented computationally. The method simultaneously yields the electrostatic capacity C and the equilibrium charge density. These functionals of particle shape are important in many materials science applications, including the conductivity and viscosity of filled materials and suspensions. The method has been validated through comparison with exact results (for the sphere, the circular disk, touching spheres, and tori), it has been found that 106 trajectories yield an accuracy of about four and three significant figures for C and αe, respectively. The method is fast: For simple objects, 106 trajectories require about 1 min on a PC. It is also versatile: Switching from one object to another is easy. Predictions have also been made for regular polygons, polyhedra, and right circular cylinders, since these shapes are important in applications and since numerical calculations of high stated accuracy are available. Finally, the path-integration method has been applied to estimate transport properties of both linear flexible polymers (random walk chains of spheres) and lattice model dendrimer molecules. This requires probing of an ensemble of objects. For linear chains, the distribution function of C and of the trace (αe), are found to be universal in a size coordinate reduced by the chain radius of gyration. For dendrimers, these distribution functions become increasingly sharp with generation number. It has been found that C and αe provide important information about the distribution of molecular size and shape and that they are important for estimating the Stokes friction and intrinsic viscosity of macromolecules.

Triple-Pulse Integrated Path Differential Absorption Lidar for Carbon Dioxide Measurement - Novel Lidar Technologies and Techniques with Path to Space

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Singh, Upendra N.; Refaat, Tamer F.; Petros, Mulugeta

2017-01-01

The societal benefits of understanding climate change through identification of global carbon dioxide sources and sinks led to the desired NASA's active sensing of carbon dioxide emissions over nights, days, and seasons (ASCENDS) space-based missions of global carbon dioxide measurements. For more than 15 years, NASA Langley Research Center (LaRC) have developed several carbon dioxide active remote sensors using the differential absorption lidar (DIAL) technique operating at the two-micron wavelength. Currently, an airborne two-micron triple-pulse integrated path differential absorption (IPDA) lidar is under development. This IPDA lidar measures carbon dioxide as well as water vapor, the dominant interfering molecule on carbon dioxide remote sensing. Advancement of this triple-pulse IPDA lidar development is presented.

Employer Resource Manual. Project Path.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kane, Karen R.; Del George, Eve

Project Path at Illinois' College of DuPage was established to provide pre-employment training and career counseling for disabled students. To encourage the integration of qualified individuals with disabilities into the workplace, the project compiled this resource manual for area businesses, providing tips for interacting with disabled people…

Removal of Gross Air Embolization from Cardiopulmonary Bypass Circuits with Integrated Arterial Line Filters: A Comparison of Circuit Designs.

PubMed

Reagor, James A; Holt, David W

2016-03-01

Advances in technology, the desire to minimize blood product transfusions, and concerns relating to inflammatory mediators have lead many practitioners and manufacturers to minimize cardiopulmonary bypass (CBP) circuit designs. The oxygenator and arterial line filter (ALF) have been integrated into one device as a method of attaining a reduction in prime volume and surface area. The instructions for use of a currently available oxygenator with integrated ALF recommends incorporating a recirculation line distal to the oxygenator. However, according to an unscientific survey, 70% of respondents utilize CPB circuits incorporating integrated ALFs without a path of recirculation distal to the oxygenator outlet. Considering this circuit design, the ability to quickly remove a gross air bolus in the blood path distal to the oxygenator may be compromised. This in vitro study was designed to determine if the time required to remove a gross air bolus from a CPB circuit without a path of recirculation distal to the oxygenator will be significantly longer than that of a circuit with a path of recirculation distal to the oxygenator. A significant difference was found in the mean time required to remove a gross air bolus between the circuit designs (p = .0003). Additionally, There was found to be a statistically significant difference in the mean time required to remove a gross air bolus between Trial 1 and Trials 4 (p = .015) and 5 (p =.014) irrespective of the circuit design. Under the parameters of this study, a recirculation line distal to an oxygenator with an integrated ALF significantly decreases the time it takes to remove an air bolus from the CPB circuit and may be safer for clinical use than the same circuit without a recirculation line.

Numerical simulation of time delay interferometry for a LISA-like mission with the simplification of having only one interferometer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dhurandhar, S. V.; Ni, W.-T.; Wang, G.

2013-01-01

In order to attain the requisite sensitivity for LISA, laser frequency noise must be suppressed below the secondary noises such as the optical path noise, acceleration noise etc. In a previous paper (Dhurandhar, S.V., Nayak, K.R., Vinet, J.-Y. Time delay interferometry for LISA with one arm dysfunctional. Class. Quantum Grav. 27, 135013, 2010), we have found a large family of second-generation analytic solutions of time delay interferometry with one arm dysfunctional, and we also estimated the laser noise due to residual time-delay semi-analytically from orbit perturbations due to Earth. Since other planets and solar-system bodies also perturb the orbits of LISA spacecraft and affect the time delay interferometry (TDI), we simulate the time delay numerically in this paper for all solutions with the generation number n ⩽ 3. We have worked out a set of 3-year optimized mission orbits of LISA spacecraft starting at January 1, 2021 using the CGC2.7 ephemeris framework. We then use this numerical solution to calculate the residual optical path differences in the second-generation solutions of our previous paper, and compare with the semi-analytic error estimate. The accuracy of this calculation is better than 1 cm (or 30 ps). The maximum path length difference, for all configuration calculated, is below 1 m (3 ns). This is well below the limit under which the laser frequency noise is required to be suppressed. The numerical simulation in this paper can be applied to other space-borne interferometers for gravitational wave detection with the simplification of having only one interferometer.

Integrating obstacle avoidance, global path planning, visual cue detection, and landmark triangulation in a mobile robot

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kortenkamp, David; Huber, Marcus J.; Congdon, Clare B.; Huffman, Scott B.; Bidlack, Clint R.; Cohen, Charles J.; Koss, Frank V.; Raschke, Ulrich; Weymouth, Terry E.

1993-05-01

This paper describes the design and implementation of an integrated system for combining obstacle avoidance, path planning, landmark detection and position triangulation. Such an integrated system allows the robot to move from place to place in an environment, avoiding obstacles and planning its way out of traps, while maintaining its position and orientation using distinctive landmarks. The task the robot performs is to search a 22 m X 22 m arena for 10 distinctive objects, visiting each object in turn. This same task was recently performed by a dozen different robots at a competition in which the robot described in this paper finished first.

Influence of the Strain History on TWIP Steel Deformation Mechanisms in the Deep-Drawing Process

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lapovok, R.; Timokhina, I.; Mester, A.-K.; Weiss, M.; Shekhter, A.

2018-03-01

A study of preferable deformation modes on strain path and strain level in a TWIP steel sheet was performed. Different strain paths were obtained by stretch forming of specimens with various shapes and tensile tests. TEM analysis was performed on samples cut from various locations in the deformed specimens, which had different strain paths and strain levels and the preferable deformation modes were identified. Stresses caused by various strain paths were considered and an analytical analysis performed to identify the preferable deformation modes for the case of single crystal. For a single crystal, in assumption of the absence of lattice rotation, the strain path and the level of accumulated equivalent strain define the preferable deformation mode. For a polycrystalline material, such analytical analysis is not possible due to the large number of grains and, therefore, numerical simulation was employed. For the polycrystalline material, the role of strain path diminishes due to the presence of a large number of grains with random orientations and the effect of accumulated strain becomes dominant. However, at small strains the strain path still defines the level of twinning activity. TEM analysis experimentally confirmed that various deformation modes lead to different deformation strengthening mechanisms.

Influence of the Strain History on TWIP Steel Deformation Mechanisms in the Deep-Drawing Process

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lapovok, R.; Timokhina, I.; Mester, A.-K.; Weiss, M.; Shekhter, A.

2018-06-01

A study of preferable deformation modes on strain path and strain level in a TWIP steel sheet was performed. Different strain paths were obtained by stretch forming of specimens with various shapes and tensile tests. TEM analysis was performed on samples cut from various locations in the deformed specimens, which had different strain paths and strain levels and the preferable deformation modes were identified. Stresses caused by various strain paths were considered and an analytical analysis performed to identify the preferable deformation modes for the case of single crystal. For a single crystal, in assumption of the absence of lattice rotation, the strain path and the level of accumulated equivalent strain define the preferable deformation mode. For a polycrystalline material, such analytical analysis is not possible due to the large number of grains and, therefore, numerical simulation was employed. For the polycrystalline material, the role of strain path diminishes due to the presence of a large number of grains with random orientations and the effect of accumulated strain becomes dominant. However, at small strains the strain path still defines the level of twinning activity. TEM analysis experimentally confirmed that various deformation modes lead to different deformation strengthening mechanisms.

Path optimization with limited sensing ability

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kang, Sung Ha, E-mail: kang@math.gatech.edu; Kim, Seong Jun, E-mail: skim396@math.gatech.edu; Zhou, Haomin, E-mail: hmzhou@math.gatech.edu

2015-10-15

We propose a computational strategy to find the optimal path for a mobile sensor with limited coverage to traverse a cluttered region. The goal is to find one of the shortest feasible paths to achieve the complete scan of the environment. We pose the problem in the level set framework, and first consider a related question of placing multiple stationary sensors to obtain the full surveillance of the environment. By connecting the stationary locations using the nearest neighbor strategy, we form the initial guess for the path planning problem of the mobile sensor. Then the path is optimized by reducingmore » its length, via solving a system of ordinary differential equations (ODEs), while maintaining the complete scan of the environment. Furthermore, we use intermittent diffusion, which converts the ODEs into stochastic differential equations (SDEs), to find an optimal path whose length is globally minimal. To improve the computation efficiency, we introduce two techniques, one to remove redundant connecting points to reduce the dimension of the system, and the other to deal with the entangled path so the solution can escape the local traps. Numerical examples are shown to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed method.« less

Analysis multi-agent with precense of the leader

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Achmadi, Sentot; Marjono, Miswanto

2017-12-01

The phenomenon of swarm is a natural phenomenon that is often done by a collection of living things in the form of motion from one place to another. By clustering, a group of animals can increase their effectiveness in food search and avoid predators. A group of geese also performs a swarm phenomenon when flying and forms an inverted V-formation with one of the geese acting as a leader. Each flying track of members of the geese group always follows the leader's path at a certain distance. This article discusses the mathematical modeling of the swarm phenomenon, which is the optimal tracking control for multi-agent model with the influence of the leader in the 2-dimensional space. The leader in this model is intended to track the specified path. Firstly, the leader's motion control is to follow the predetermined path using the Tracking Error Dynamic method. Then, the path from the leader is used to design the motion control of each agent to track the leader's path at a certain distance. The result of numerical simulation shows that the leader trajectory can track the specified path. Similarly, the motion of each agent can trace and follow the leader's path.

Path lumping: An efficient algorithm to identify metastable path channels for conformational dynamics of multi-body systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meng, Luming; Sheong, Fu Kit; Zeng, Xiangze; Zhu, Lizhe; Huang, Xuhui

2017-07-01

Constructing Markov state models from large-scale molecular dynamics simulation trajectories is a promising approach to dissect the kinetic mechanisms of complex chemical and biological processes. Combined with transition path theory, Markov state models can be applied to identify all pathways connecting any conformational states of interest. However, the identified pathways can be too complex to comprehend, especially for multi-body processes where numerous parallel pathways with comparable flux probability often coexist. Here, we have developed a path lumping method to group these parallel pathways into metastable path channels for analysis. We define the similarity between two pathways as the intercrossing flux between them and then apply the spectral clustering algorithm to lump these pathways into groups. We demonstrate the power of our method by applying it to two systems: a 2D-potential consisting of four metastable energy channels and the hydrophobic collapse process of two hydrophobic molecules. In both cases, our algorithm successfully reveals the metastable path channels. We expect this path lumping algorithm to be a promising tool for revealing unprecedented insights into the kinetic mechanisms of complex multi-body processes.

Quadcopter Path Following Control Design Using Output Feedback with Command Generator Tracker LOS Based At Square Path

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nugraha, A. T.; Agustinah, T.

2018-01-01

Quadcopter an unstable system, underactuated and nonlinear in quadcopter control research developments become an important focus of attention. In this study, following the path control method for position on the X and Y axis, used structure-Generator Tracker Command (CGT) is tested. Attitude control and position feedback quadcopter is compared using the optimal output. The addition of the H∞ performance optimal output feedback control is used to maintain the stability and robustness of quadcopter. Iterative numerical techniques Linear Matrix Inequality (LMI) is used to find the gain controller. The following path control problems is solved using the method of LQ regulators with output feedback. Simulations show that the control system can follow the paths that have been defined in the form of a reference signal square shape. The result of the simulation suggest that the method which used can bring the yaw angle at the expected value algorithm. Quadcopter can do automatically following path with cross track error mean X=0.5 m and Y=0.2 m.

Resonance fluorescence trajectories in superconducting qubit

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Naghiloo, Mahdi; Tan, Dian; Harrington, Patrick; Lewalle, Philippe; Jordan, Andrew; Murch, Kater

We employ phase-sensitive amplification to perform homodyne detection of the resonance fluorescence from a driven superconducting artificial atom. Entanglement between the emitter and its fluorescence allows us to track the individual quantum state trajectories of the emitter. We analyze the ensemble properties of these trajectories by considering paths that connect specific initial and final states. By applying a stochastic path integral formalism, we calculate equations of motion for the most likely path between two quantum states and compare these predicted paths to experimental data. Drawing on the mathematical similarity between the action formalism of the most likely quantum paths and ray optics, we study the emergence of caustics in quantum trajectories-situations where multiple extrema in the stochastic action occur. We observe such multiple most likely paths in experimental data and find these paths to be in reasonable quantitative agreement with theoretical calculations. Supported by the John Templeton Foundation.

Path Planning Algorithms for Autonomous Border Patrol Vehicles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lau, George Tin Lam

This thesis presents an online path planning algorithm developed for unmanned vehicles in charge of autonomous border patrol. In this Pursuit-Evasion game, the unmanned vehicle is required to capture multiple trespassers on its own before any of them reach a target safe house where they are safe from capture. The problem formulation is based on Isaacs' Target Guarding problem, but extended to the case of multiple evaders. The proposed path planning method is based on Rapidly-exploring random trees (RRT) and is capable of producing trajectories within several seconds to capture 2 or 3 evaders. Simulations are carried out to demonstrate that the resulting trajectories approach the optimal solution produced by a nonlinear programming-based numerical optimal control solver. Experiments are also conducted on unmanned ground vehicles to show the feasibility of implementing the proposed online path planning algorithm on physical applications.

Electron path control of high-order harmonic generation by a spatially inhomogeneous field

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mohebbi, Masoud; Nazarpoor Malaei, Sakineh

2016-04-01

We theoretically investigate the control of high-order harmonics cut-off and as-pulse generation by a chirped laser field using a metallic bow tie-shaped nanostructure. The numerical results show that the trajectories of the electron wave packet are strongly modified, the short quantum path is enhanced, the long quantum path is suppressed and the low modulated spectrum of the harmonics can be remarkably extended. Our calculated results also show that, by confining electron motion, a broadband supercontinuum with the width of 1670 eV can be produced which directly generates an isolated 34 as-pulse without phase compensation. To explore the underlying mechanism responsible for the cut-off extension and the quantum path selection, we perform time-frequency analysis and a classical simulation based on the three-step model.

Map Projection Induced Variations in Locations of Polygon Geofence Edges

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Neeley, Paula; Narkawicz, Anthony

2017-01-01

This Paper under-estimates answers to the following question under various constraints: If a geofencing algorithm uses a map projection to determine whether a position is inside/outside a polygon region, how far outside/inside the polygon can the point be and the algorithm determine that it is inside/outside (the opposite and therefore incorrect answer)? Geofencing systems for unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) often model stay-in and stay-out regions using 2D polygons with minimum and maximum altitudes. The vertices of the polygons are typically input as latitude-longitude pairs, and the edges as paths between adjacent vertices. There are numerous ways to generate these paths, resulting in numerous potential locations for the edges of stay-in and stay-out regions. These paths may be geodesics on a spherical model of the earth or geodesics on the WGS84 reference ellipsoid. In geofencing applications that use map projections, these paths are inverse images of straight lines in the projected plane. This projected plane may be a projection of a spherical earth model onto a tangent plane, called an orthographic projection. Alternatively, it may be a projection where the straight lines in the projected plane correspond to straight lines in the latitudelongitude coordinate system, also called a Plate Carr´ee projection. This paper estimates distances between different edge paths and an oracle path, which is a geodesic on either the spherical earth or the WGS84 ellipsoidal earth. This paper therefore estimates how far apart different edge paths can be rather than comparing their path lengths, which are not considered. Rather, the comparision is between the actual locations of the edges between vertices. For edges drawn using orthographic projections, this maximum distance increases as the distance from the polygon vertices to the projection point increases. For edges drawn using Plate Carr´ee projections, this maximum distance increases as the vertices become further from the equator. Distances between geodesics on a spherical earth and a WGS84 ellipsoidal earth are also analyzed, using the WGS84 ellipsoid as the oracle. Bounds on the 2D distance between a straight line and a great circle path, in an orthographically projected plane rather than on the surface of the earth, have been formally verified in the PVS theorem prover, meaning that they are mathematically correct in the absence of floating point errors.

Validation of double-pulse 1572 nm integrated path differential absorption lidar measurement of carbon dioxide

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Du, Juan; Liu, Jiqiao; Bi, Decang; Ma, Xiuhua; Hou, Xia; Zhu, Xiaolei; Chen, Weibiao

2018-04-01

A ground-based double-pulse 1572 nm integrated path differential absorption (IPDA) lidar was developed for carbon dioxide (CO2) column concentrations measurement. The lidar measured the CO2 concentrations continuously by receiving the scattered echo signal from a building about 1300 m away. The other two instruments of TDLAS and in-situ CO2 analyzer measured the CO2 concentrations on the same time. A CO2 concentration measurement of 430 ppm with 1.637 ppm standard error was achieved.

Path integral Liouville dynamics: Applications to infrared spectra of OH, water, ammonia, and methane

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Liu, Jian, E-mail: jianliupku@pku.edu.cn; State Key Joint Laboratory of Environmental Simulation and Pollution Control, College of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871; Zhang, Zhijun

Path integral Liouville dynamics (PILD) is applied to vibrational dynamics of several simple but representative realistic molecular systems (OH, water, ammonia, and methane). The dipole-derivative autocorrelation function is employed to obtain the infrared spectrum as a function of temperature and isotopic substitution. Comparison to the exact vibrational frequency shows that PILD produces a reasonably accurate peak position with a relatively small full width at half maximum. PILD offers a potentially useful trajectory-based quantum dynamics approach to compute vibrational spectra of molecular systems.

Gauge fixing and BFV quantization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rogers, Alice

2000-01-01

Non-singularity conditions are established for the Batalin-Fradkin-Vilkovisky (BFV) gauge-fixing fermion which are sufficient for it to lead to the correct path integral for a theory with constraints canonically quantized in the BFV approach. The conditions ensure that the anticommutator of this fermion with the BRST charge regularizes the path integral by regularizing the trace over non-physical states in each ghost sector. The results are applied to the quantization of a system which has a Gribov problem, using a non-standard form of the gauge-fixing fermion.

Path-integral molecular dynamics simulations of hydrated hydrogen chloride cluster HCl(H 2O) 4 on a semiempirical potential energy surface

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Takayanagi, Toshiyuki; Takahashi, Kenta; Kakizaki, Akira; Shiga, Motoyuki; Tachikawa, Masanori

2009-04-01

Path-integral molecular dynamics simulations for the HCl(H 2O) 4 cluster have been performed on the ground-state potential energy surface directly obtained on-the-fly from semiempirical PM3-MAIS molecular orbital calculations. It is found that the HCl(H 2O) 4 cluster has structural rearrangement above the temperature of 300 K showing a liquid-like behavior. Quantum mechanical fluctuation of hydrogen nuclei plays a significant role in structural arrangement processes in this cluster.

Off-line robot programming and graphical verification of path planning

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tonkay, Gregory L.

1989-01-01

The objective of this project was to develop or specify an integrated environment for off-line programming, graphical path verification, and debugging for robotic systems. Two alternatives were compared. The first was the integration of the ASEA Off-line Programming package with ROBSIM, a robotic simulation program. The second alternative was the purchase of the commercial product IGRIP. The needs of the RADL (Robotics Applications Development Laboratory) were explored and the alternatives were evaluated based on these needs. As a result, IGRIP was proposed as the best solution to the problem.

Finite element modelling of creep crack growth in 316 stainless and 9Cr-1Mo steels

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Krishnaswamy, P.; Brust, F.W.

1994-09-01

The failure behavior of steels under sustained and cyclic loads has been addressed. The constitutive behavior of the two steels have been represented by the conventional strain-hardening law and the Murakami-Ohno model for reversed and cyclic loads. The laws have been implemented into the research finite element code FVP. Post processors for FVP to calculate various path independent integral fracture parameters have been written. Compact tension C(T) specimens have been tested under sustained and cyclic loads with both the load point displacement and crack growth monitored during the tests. FE models with extremely refined meshes for the C(T) specimens weremore » prepared and the experiment simulated numerically. Results from this analysis focus on the differences between the various constitutive models as well as the fracture parameters in characterizing the creep crack growth of the two steels.« less

Rarefaction effects in gas flows over curved surfaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dongari, Nishanth; White, Craig; Scanlon, Thomas J.; Zhang, Yonghao; Reese, Jason M.

2012-11-01

The fundamental test case of gas flow between two concentric rotating cylinders is considered in order to investigate rarefaction effects associated with the Knudsen layers over curved surfaces. We carry out direct simulation Monte Carlo simulations covering a wide range of Knudsen numbers and accommodation coefficients, and for various outer-to-inner cylinder radius ratios. Numerical data is compared with classical slip flow theory and a new power-law (PL) wall scaling model. The PL model incorporates Knudsen layer effects in near-wall regions by taking into account the boundary limiting effects on the molecular free paths. The limitations of both theoretical models are explored with respect to rarefaction and curvature effects. Torque and velocity profile comparisons also convey that mere prediction of integral flow parameters does not guarantee the accuracy of a theoretical model, and that it is important to ensure that prediction of the local flowfield is in agreement with simulation data.

Calculation of Transient Potential Rise on the Wind Turbine Struck by Lightning

PubMed Central

Xiaoqing, Zhang

2014-01-01

A circuit model is proposed in this paper for calculating the transient potential rise on the wind turbine struck by lightning. The model integrates the blade, sliding contact site, and tower and grounding system of the wind turbine into an equivalent circuit. The lightning current path from the attachment point to the ground can be fully described by the equivalent circuit. The transient potential responses are obtained in the different positions on the wind turbine by solving the circuit equations. In order to check the validity of the model, the laboratory measurement is made with a reduced-scale wind turbine. The measured potential waveform is compared with the calculated one and a better agreement is shown between them. The practical applicability of the model is also examined by a numerical example of a 2 MW Chinese-built wind turbine. PMID:25254231

A two-field modified Lagrangian formulation for robust simulations of extrinsic cohesive zone models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cazes, F.; Coret, M.; Combescure, A.

2013-06-01

This paper presents the robust implementation of a cohesive zone model based on extrinsic cohesive laws (i.e. laws involving an infinite initial stiffness). To this end, a two-field Lagrangian weak formulation in which cohesive tractions are chosen as the field variables along the crack's path is presented. Unfortunately, this formulation cannot model the infinite compliance of the broken elements accurately, and no simple criterion can be defined to determine the loading-unloading change of state at the integration points of the cohesive elements. Therefore, a modified Lagrangian formulation using a fictitious cohesive traction instead of the classical cohesive traction as the field variable is proposed. Thanks to this change of variable, the cohesive law becomes an increasing function of the equivalent displacement jump, which eliminates the problems mentioned previously. The ability of the proposed formulations to simulate fracture accurately and without field oscillations is investigated through three numerical test examples.

Finite-size effects on the radiative energy loss of a fast parton in hot and dense strongly interacting matter

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Caron-Huot, Simon; Gale, Charles

2010-12-15

We consider finite-size effects on the radiative energy loss of a fast parton moving in a finite-temperature, strongly interacting medium, using the light-cone path integral formalism put forward by B. G. Zakharov [JETP Lett. 63, 952 (1996); 65, 615 (1997)]. We present a convenient reformulation of the problem that makes possible its exact numerical analysis. This is done by introducing the concept of a radiation rate in the presence of finite-size effects. This effectively extends the finite-temperature approach of Arnold, Moore, and Yaffe [J. High Energy Phys. 11 (2001) 057; 12 (2001) 009; 06 (2001) 030] (AMY) to include interferencemore » between vacuum and medium radiation. We compare results with those obtained in the regime considered by AMY, with those obtained at leading order in an opacity expansion, and with those obtained deep in the Landau-Pomeranchuk-Migdal regime.« less

Adiabatic particle motion in a nearly drift-free magnetic field: Application to the geomagnetic tail

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stern, D. P.

1977-01-01

The guiding center motion of particles in a nearly drift free magnetic field is analyzed in order to investigate the dependence of mean drift velocity on equatorial pitch angle, the variation of local drift velocity along the trajectory, and other properties. The mean drift for adiabatic particles is expressed by means of elliptic integrals. Approximations to the twice-averaged Hamiltonian W near z = O are derived, permitting simple representation of drift paths if an electric potential also exists. In addition, the use of W or of expressions for the longitudinal invariant allows the derivation of the twice averaged Liouville equation and of the corresponding Vlasov equation. Bounce times are calculated (using the drift-free approximation), as are instantaneous guiding center drift velocities, which are then used to provide a numerical check on the formulas for the mean drift.

Quantum ergodicity in the SYK model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Altland, Alexander; Bagrets, Dmitry

2018-05-01

We present a replica path integral approach describing the quantum chaotic dynamics of the SYK model at large time scales. The theory leads to the identification of non-ergodic collective modes which relax and eventually give way to an ergodic long time regime (describable by random matrix theory). These modes, which play a role conceptually similar to the diffusion modes of dirty metals, carry quantum numbers which we identify as the generators of the Clifford algebra: each of the 2N different products that can be formed from N Majorana operators defines one effective mode. The competition between a decay rate quickly growing in the order of the product and a density of modes exponentially growing in the same parameter explains the characteristics of the system's approach to the ergodic long time regime. We probe this dynamics through various spectral correlation functions and obtain favorable agreement with existing numerical data.

Uniform quantized electron gas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Høye, Johan S.; Lomba, Enrique

2016-10-01

In this work we study the correlation energy of the quantized electron gas of uniform density at temperature T  =  0. To do so we utilize methods from classical statistical mechanics. The basis for this is the Feynman path integral for the partition function of quantized systems. With this representation the quantum mechanical problem can be interpreted as, and is equivalent to, a classical polymer problem in four dimensions where the fourth dimension is imaginary time. Thus methods, results, and properties obtained in the statistical mechanics of classical fluids can be utilized. From this viewpoint we recover the well known RPA (random phase approximation). Then to improve it we modify the RPA by requiring the corresponding correlation function to be such that electrons with equal spins can not be on the same position. Numerical evaluations are compared with well known results of a standard parameterization of Monte Carlo correlation energies.

Adiabatic coarse-graining and simulations of stochastic biochemical networks

PubMed Central

Sinitsyn, N. A.; Hengartner, Nicolas; Nemenman, Ilya

2009-01-01

We propose a universal approach for analysis and fast simulations of stiff stochastic biochemical networks, which rests on elimination of fast chemical species without a loss of information about mesoscopic, non-Poissonian fluctuations of the slow ones. Our approach is similar to the Born–Oppenheimer approximation in quantum mechanics and follows from the stochastic path integral representation of the cumulant generating function of reaction events. In applications with a small number of chemical reactions, it produces analytical expressions for cumulants of chemical fluxes between the slow variables. This allows for a low-dimensional, interpretable representation and can be used for high-accuracy, low-complexity coarse-grained numerical simulations. As an example, we derive the coarse-grained description for a chain of biochemical reactions and show that the coarse-grained and the microscopic simulations agree, but the former is 3 orders of magnitude faster. PMID:19525397

Tightness of Salt Rocks and Fluid Percolation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lüdeling, C.; Minkley, W.; Brückner, D.

2016-12-01

Salt formations are used for storage of oil and gas and as waste repositiories because of their excellent barrier properties. We summarise the current knowledge regarding fluid tightness of saliferous rocks, in particular rock salt. Laboratory results, in-situ observations and natural analogues, as well as theoretical and numerical investigations, indicate that pressure-driven percolation is the most important mechanism for fluid transport: If the fluid pressure exceeds the percolation threshold, i.e. the minor principal stress, the fluid can open up grain boundaries, create connected flow paths and initiate directed migration in the direction of major principal stress. Hence, this mechanism provides the main failure mode for rock salt barriers, where integrity can be lost if the minor principal stress is lowered, e.g. due to excavations or thermomechanical uplift. We present new laboratory experiments showing that there is no fluid permeation below the percolation threshold also at high temperatures and pressures, contrary to recent claims in the literature.

Influences of system uncertainties on the numerical transfer path analysis of engine systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Acri, A.; Nijman, E.; Acri, A.; Offner, G.

2017-10-01

Practical mechanical systems operate with some degree of uncertainty. In numerical models uncertainties can result from poorly known or variable parameters, from geometrical approximation, from discretization or numerical errors, from uncertain inputs or from rapidly changing forcing that can be best described in a stochastic framework. Recently, random matrix theory was introduced to take parameter uncertainties into account in numerical modeling problems. In particular in this paper, Wishart random matrix theory is applied on a multi-body dynamic system to generate random variations of the properties of system components. Multi-body dynamics is a powerful numerical tool largely implemented during the design of new engines. In this paper the influence of model parameter variability on the results obtained from the multi-body simulation of engine dynamics is investigated. The aim is to define a methodology to properly assess and rank system sources when dealing with uncertainties. Particular attention is paid to the influence of these uncertainties on the analysis and the assessment of the different engine vibration sources. Examples of the effects of different levels of uncertainties are illustrated by means of examples using a representative numerical powertrain model. A numerical transfer path analysis, based on system dynamic substructuring, is used to derive and assess the internal engine vibration sources. The results obtained from this analysis are used to derive correlations between parameter uncertainties and statistical distribution of results. The derived statistical information can be used to advance the knowledge of the multi-body analysis and the assessment of system sources when uncertainties in model parameters are considered.

Accurate path integration in continuous attractor network models of grid cells.

PubMed

Burak, Yoram; Fiete, Ila R

2009-02-01

Grid cells in the rat entorhinal cortex display strikingly regular firing responses to the animal's position in 2-D space and have been hypothesized to form the neural substrate for dead-reckoning. However, errors accumulate rapidly when velocity inputs are integrated in existing models of grid cell activity. To produce grid-cell-like responses, these models would require frequent resets triggered by external sensory cues. Such inadequacies, shared by various models, cast doubt on the dead-reckoning potential of the grid cell system. Here we focus on the question of accurate path integration, specifically in continuous attractor models of grid cell activity. We show, in contrast to previous models, that continuous attractor models can generate regular triangular grid responses, based on inputs that encode only the rat's velocity and heading direction. We consider the role of the network boundary in the integration performance of the network and show that both periodic and aperiodic networks are capable of accurate path integration, despite important differences in their attractor manifolds. We quantify the rate at which errors in the velocity integration accumulate as a function of network size and intrinsic noise within the network. With a plausible range of parameters and the inclusion of spike variability, our model networks can accurately integrate velocity inputs over a maximum of approximately 10-100 meters and approximately 1-10 minutes. These findings form a proof-of-concept that continuous attractor dynamics may underlie velocity integration in the dorsolateral medial entorhinal cortex. The simulations also generate pertinent upper bounds on the accuracy of integration that may be achieved by continuous attractor dynamics in the grid cell network. We suggest experiments to test the continuous attractor model and differentiate it from models in which single cells establish their responses independently of each other.

The Integrated Curriculum of "Planned Approach to Healthier Schools"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lounsbery, Monica; Gast, Julie; Smith, Nicole

2005-01-01

Planned Approach to Healthier Schools (PATHS) is a multicomponent school program that aims to establish and sustain a social norm consistent with physical activity and healthy nutrition in the school community. The PATHS components include: (1) a professional development and wellness program for faculty and staff; (2) ongoing social-marketing…

Promoting Social Competence and Inclusion: Taking Alternative Paths

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sarmento, Patricia; Almeida, Katia; Rauktis, Mary Elizabeth; Bernardo, Susana

2008-01-01

Trilhos Alternativos (Alternative Paths) is a community-based program that aims to integrate African-Portuguese urban youth from low-income families into Portuguese society. This article describes the first year of the program and presents formative data about effectiveness of the program. The motivation system seems to be an indirect variable…

Social Cognitive Model of College Satisfaction: A Test of Measurement and Path Models

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Feldt, Ronald C.

2012-01-01

The study examined a model that integrates social-cognitive and trait-personality constructs to examine two domains of college satisfaction. Direct and indirect effects were observed for conscientiousness, perception of institutional resources, self-efficacy, and goal progress. Paths differed for personal and institutional satisfaction. Most…

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Rhinefrank, Kenneth E.; Lenee-Bluhm, Pukha; Prudell, Joseph H.

The most prudent path to a full-scale design, build and deployment of a wave energy conversion (WEC) system involves establishment of validated numerical models using physical experiments in a methodical scaling program. This Project provides essential additional rounds of wave tank testing at 1:33 scale and ocean/bay testing at a 1:7 scale, necessary to validate numerical modeling that is essential to a utility-scale WEC design and associated certification.

A variational dynamic programming approach to robot-path planning with a distance-safety criterion

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Suh, Suk-Hwan; Shin, Kang G.

1988-01-01

An approach to robot-path planning is developed by considering both the traveling distance and the safety of the robot. A computationally-efficient algorithm is developed to find a near-optimal path with a weighted distance-safety criterion by using a variational calculus and dynamic programming (VCDP) method. The algorithm is readily applicable to any factory environment by representing the free workspace as channels. A method for deriving these channels is also proposed. Although it is developed mainly for two-dimensional problems, this method can be easily extended to a class of three-dimensional problems. Numerical examples are presented to demonstrate the utility and power of this method.

Backscattering enhancement factor dependence of a Laguerre-Gaussian laser beam propagating on the location path in the atmosphere on optical turbulence intensity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rytchkov, D. S.

2017-11-01

The paper presents the results of a study of the backscattering enhancement factor (BSE) dependence of vortex LaguerreGaussian beams propagating on monostatic location paths in the atmosphere on optical turbulence intensity. The numeric simulation split-step method of laser beam propagation was used to obtain BSE factor values of a laser beam propagated on monostatic location path in the turbulent atmosphere and reflected from a diffuse target. It is shown that BSE factor of the averaged intensity of a backscattered vortex laser beam of any topological charge is less than BSE factor values of backscattered Gaussian beam in arbitrary turbulent conditions.

Time-periodic solutions of the Benjamin-Ono equation

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ambrose , D.M.; Wilkening, Jon

2008-04-01

We present a spectrally accurate numerical method for finding non-trivial time-periodic solutions of non-linear partial differential equations. The method is based on minimizing a functional (of the initial condition and the period) that is positive unless the solution is periodic, in which case it is zero. We solve an adjoint PDE to compute the gradient of this functional with respect to the initial condition. We include additional terms in the functional to specify the free parameters, which, in the case of the Benjamin-Ono equation, are the mean, a spatial phase, a temporal phase and the real part of one ofmore » the Fourier modes at t = 0. We use our method to study global paths of non-trivial time-periodic solutions connecting stationary and traveling waves of the Benjamin-Ono equation. As a starting guess for each path, we compute periodic solutions of the linearized problem by solving an infinite dimensional eigenvalue problem in closed form. We then use our numerical method to continue these solutions beyond the realm of linear theory until another traveling wave is reached (or until the solution blows up). By experimentation with data fitting, we identify the analytical form of the solutions on the path connecting the one-hump stationary solution to the two-hump traveling wave. We then derive exact formulas for these solutions by explicitly solving the system of ODE's governing the evolution of solitons using the ansatz suggested by the numerical simulations.« less

Sources of Individual Differences in Emerging Competence With Numeration Understanding Versus Multidigit Calculation Skill

PubMed Central

Fuchs, Lynn S.; Geary, David C.; Fuchs, Douglas; Compton, Donald L.; Hamlett, Carol L.

2014-01-01

This study investigated contributions of general cognitive abilities and foundational mathematical competencies to numeration understanding (i.e., base-10 structure) versus multidigit calculation skill. Children (n = 394, M = 6.5 years) were assessed on general cognitive abilities and foundational numerical competencies at start of 1st grade; on the same numerical competencies, multidigit calculation skill, and numeration understanding at end of 2nd grade; and on multidigit calculation skill and numeration understanding at end of 3rd grade. Path-analytic mediation analysis revealed that general cognitive predictors exerted more direct and more substantial effects on numeration understanding than on multidigit calculations. Foundational mathematics competencies contributed to both outcomes, but largely via 2nd-grade mathematics achievement, and results suggest a mutually supportive role between numeration understanding and multidigit calculations. PMID:25284885