Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Afci Quarterly Input – Unlv October Through December, 2004, Harry Reid Center For Environmental Studies. Nuclear Science And Technology Division

Transmutation Research Program Reports (TRP)

Quarterly report highlighting research projects, activities and objectives of the Transmutation Research Program at the Nuclear Science & Technology Division, Harry Reid Research Center.

The University of Nevada, Las Vegas supports the AFCI through research and development of technologies for economic and environmentally sound refinement of spent nuclear fuel. The UNLV program has four components: infrastructure, international collaboration, student-based research, and management and program support. Management and program support highlights are the following: the UNLV TRP hosted the Eighth Annual IAEA Actinide and Fission Product Partitioning & Transmutation Information Exchange Meeting (Nov. 9 – 11). 120 people from 22 countries …

Agenda: Introduction To The Legal Foundation Of Federal Land Management, University Of Colorado Boulder. Natural Resources Law Center

Introduction to the Legal Foundation of Federal Land Management (December 1-3)

Materials prepared for the course held at the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colorado on December 1-3, 2004

Course instructors: Charles Wilkinson; Sarah Krakoff; Kathryn Mutz; Ann Morgan; Maggie Fox

Contents:

Introduction -- Agenda -- Summaries of laws -- Case studies. Travel management; Oil and gas development; Timber/fuels reduction -- How to influence agency decision makers -- Natural resource related legal and policy resources for the non-legal professional

Introduction To The Legal Foundation Of Federal Land Management, University Of Colorado Boulder. Natural Resources Law Center

Introduction to the Legal Foundation of Federal Land Management (December 1-3)

1 v. (various pagings) : ill., maps ; 28 cm

Materials prepared for the course held at the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colorado on December 1-3, 2004

Course instructors: Charles Wilkinson; Sarah Krakoff; Kathryn Mutz; Ann Morgan; Maggie Fox

Contents:

Introduction -- Agenda -- Summaries of laws -- Case studies. Travel management; Oil and gas development; Timber/fuels reduction -- How to influence agency decision makers -- Natural resource related legal and policy resources for the non-legal professional

Fundamental Investigations And Analysis Of Chiral Matter Using Simple Spectroscopic Techniques, Rodney Jamel Sullivan

Doctoral Dissertations

Fundamental investigations of circular dichroism were performed on (R)-(+)-3- methylcyclopentanone, (R)-(-)-2-butylamine, and (S)-(+)-2-butylamine in the liquid and vapor phase to show that solvents often have a structure-masking effect on the circular dichroism for a given molecule. Also, the solid state circular dichroism of cubic sodium chlorate crystals was successfully measured in the midst of adverse experimental circumstances. With these single photon circular dichroism studies at hand, a new technique for measuring circular dichroism was introduced for an advanced investigation of (R)-(+)-3-methylcyclopentanone. The resonance enhanced multiphoton ionization of (R)-(+)-3-methylcyclopentanone was performed …

Com- Putational Subset Model Selection Algorithms And Applications, Xinli Bao

Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation develops new computationally e±cient algorithms for identifying the subset of variables that minimizes any desired information criteria in model selection.

In recent years, the statistical literature has placed more and more empha- sis on information theoretic model selection criteria. A model selection crite- rion chooses model that \closely" approximates the true underlying model. Recent years have also seen many exciting developments in the model se- lection techniques. As demand increases for data mining of massive data sets with many variables, the demand for model selection techniques are be- coming much stronger and needed. To this end, we introduce …

Newton, Maclaurin, And The Authority Of Mathematics, Judith V. Grabiner

Pitzer Faculty Publications and Research

Sir Isaac Newton revolutionized physics and astronomy in his Principia. How did he do it? Would his method work on any area of inquiry, not only in science, but also about society and religion? We look at how some Newtonians, most notably Colin Maclaurin, combined sophisticated mathematical modeling and empirical data in what has come to be called the "Newtonian Style." We argue that this style was responsible not only for Maclaurin’s scientific success but for his ability to solve problems ranging from taxation to insurance to theology. We show how Maclaurin’s work strengthened the prestige of Newtonianism and …

Nichtmonotone, Neuro-Symbolische Und Begriffliche Wissensverarbeitung, Pascal Hitzler

Computer Science and Engineering Faculty Publications

Diese Schrift dient dem Bericht uber die Hauptaspekte meiner Forschertatigkeit an der TU Dresden seit der Promotion. In diesen dreieinhalb Jahren war es mein Bestreben, selbststandig aktuelle, theoretisch fundierte und anwendungsbezogene Fragestellungen zu entwickeln und zu verfolgen.

Naturgemaß war meine Forschung in dieser Zeit vor allem zu Anfang sehr explorativ. Meine Suche konzentrierte sich dabei auf das Herausarbeiten theoretischer Zusammenhange. Ob ich einen Ansatz dann weiterverfolgte entschied sich anschließend aufgrund einer Evaluation aus angewandter Sicht.

Die in dieser Schrift dargestellten Forschungsansatze gedenke ich in Zukunft fortzufuhren. Sie bilden die Keimzellen fur langfristig angelegte angewandte und theoretische Untersuchungen. Ich werde in …

Discrete-Time Fractional Differentiation From Integer Derivatives, Hany Farid

Computer Science Technical Reports

Discrete-time fractional derivative filters (1-D and 2-D) are shown to be well approximated from a small set of integer derivatives. A fractional derivative of arbitrary order (and, in 2-D, of arbitrary orientation) can therefore be efficiently computed from a linear combination of integer derivatives of the underlying signal or image.

Self‐Consistent Diffusive Lifetimes Of Weibel Magnetic Fields In Gamma‐Ray Bursts, C. H. Jaroschek, H. Lesch, R. A. Treumann

Dartmouth Scholarship

Weibel filamentation in relativistic plasma shell collisions has been demonstrated as an efficient and fast mechanism for the generation of near-equipartition magnetic fields in self-consistent particle-in-cell (PIC) simulations. In generic γ-ray burst (GRB) models with kinetically dominated plasma outflow, sufficient strength and lifetime of magnetic fields are essential to validate synchrotron emission as the source of radiative outbursts. In this article we report on self-consistent PIC simulations of pair-plasma shell collisions in the highly relativistic regime with particle ensembles up to 5 × 10⁸. Energy dependence of magnetic field generation in the Weibel process is discussed, and for …

Discovery Of The Near-Ir Afterglow And Of The Host Of Grb 030528, A. Rau, J. Greiner, S. Klose, M. Salvato, J. M. Castro Cerón, Dieter H. Hartmann, A. Fruchter, A. Levan, N. R. Tanvir, J. Gorosabel

Publications

The rapid dissemination of an arcmin-sized HETE-2 localization of the long-duration X-ray flash GRB 030528 led to a ground-based multi-observatory follow-up campaign. We report the discovery of the near-IR afterglow, and also describe the detection of the underlying host galaxy in the optical and near-IR bands. The afterglow is classified as “optically dark” as it was not detected in the optical band. The K-band photometry presented here suggests that the lack of optical detection was simply the result of observational limitations (lack of rapid and deep observations plus high foreground extinction). Simple power law fits to the afterglow in the …

Discovery Of Co Gas In The Inner Disk Of Tw Hydrae, Terrence W. Rettig, Joe Haywood, Theodore Simon, Sean D. Brittain, Erika Gibb

Publications

We report the detection of rovibrationally excited CO emission from the inner disk of the classical T Tauri star (cTTS) TW Hya. We observe ~6 × 1021 g of CO gas with a rotational temperature of 430 ± 40 K. The linearity of the excitation plot suggests that the CO is optically thin. Atypical for cTTSs, hot CO was not detected, implying that TW Hya has cleared its inner disk region out to a radial distance of ~0.5 AU. We discuss implications for the structure of the disk as it relates to replenishment and planet formation.

A Statistical Study Of The Global Structure Of The Ring Current, A. M. Jorgensen, Harlan E. Spence, W. J. Hughes, H. J. Singer

Physics & Astronomy

[1] In this paper we derive the average configuration of the ring current as a function of the state of the magnetosphere as indicated by the Dst index. We sort magnetic field data from the Combined Release and Radiation Effects Satellite (CRRES) by spatial location and by the Dst index in order to produce magnetic field maps. From these maps we calculate local current systems by taking the curl of the magnetic field. We find both the westward (outer) and the eastward (inner) components of the ring current. We find that the ring current intensity varies linearly with Dst as …

Accuracy Limitations Introduced By Digital Projection Sources In Profilometric Optical Metrology Systems, Matthew J. Baker, Joe F. Chicharo, Jiangtao Xi, Enbang Li

Faculty of Informatics - Papers (Archive)

The accuracy of profilometric optical metrology systems utilising Digital Fringe Projection (DFP) is analysed. An analytical model to describe theoretical accuracy limitation is derived and given as a function of object distance from the projector, projector resolution, projection angle and also object gradient. Associated limitations of the model are also discussed and analysed. The validity of the new model is demonstrated through practical experimentation.

Measuring Multiple Parameters In A Self-Mixing Optical Feedback System, Yanguang Yu, Jiangtao Xi, Enbang Li, Joe F. Chicharo, Thierry Bosch

Faculty of Informatics - Papers (Archive)

We propose a new approach that yields the values of multiple parameters at the same time for self-mixing optical feedback interferometric systems. These parameters are the linewidth enhancement factor of Semiconductor Lasers, the optical feedback level factor as well as vibration information of a target including the frequency and the amplitude. The method is based on optical feedback interferometry. Its effectiveness has been confirmed by computer simulations and experiments.

Robust And Distributed Computation Of Aggregates In Wireless Sensor Networks, Jen-Yeu Chen, Gopal Pandurangan, Dongyan Xu

Department of Computer Science Technical Reports

No abstract provided.

Unstructured Peer-To-Peer Networks For Sharing Processor Cycles, Asad Awan, Ronaldo A. Ferreira, Suresh Jagannathan, Ananth Y. Grama

Department of Computer Science Technical Reports

No abstract provided.

Weighted Canonical Forms Of Nonlinear Single-Input Control Systems With Noncontrollable Linearization, Issa Amadou Tall, Witold Respondek

Miscellaneous (presentations, translations, interviews, etc)

We propose a weighted canonical form for single-input systems with noncontrollable first order approximation under the action of formal feedback transformations. This weighted canonical form is based on associating different weights to the linearly controllable and linearly noncontrollable parts of the system. We prove that two systems are formally feedback equivalent if and only if their weighted canonical forms coincide up to a diffeomorphism whose restriction to the linearly controllable part is identity.

A Tga/Ftir And Mass Spectral Study On The Thermal Degradation Of Bisphenol A Polycarbonate, Bok Nam Jang, Charles A. Wilkie

Chemistry Faculty Research and Publications

The thermal degradation of polycarbonate under nitrogen was studied using TGA/FTIR, GC/MS and LC/MS as a function of mass loss. The gases evolved during degradation were inspected by in situ FTIR and then the evolved products were collected and analysed using FTIR, GC–MS and LC–MS. The structures of the evolved products are assigned on the basis of FTIR and GC/MS results. The main thermal degradation pathways follow chain scission of the isopropylidene linkage, and hydrolysis/alcoholysis and rearrangement of carbonate linkages. In the case of chain scission, it was proposed that methyl scission of isopropylidene occurs first, according to the bond …

Annotation Manager: An Automated Web-Based Content Management System For Digital Libraries With Annotated Bibliographies, Frenny Thomas

Theses and Dissertations

With the expansion of the World Wide Web in the 90s, individuals (especially students) are always on a quest for information resources especially in the form of Web sites. Yet many of them are overwhelmed when faced with deciding which site will best suit their research needs. As a result, these individuals may select a resource for less than optimal reasons. To ease some of the burden, libraries have made great advances to provide a place to organize information resources. Such places are called library portals, and they typically provide a gateway to web resources by categorizing and annotating them …

Hydrogeologic Model Of A Leachate Plume In An Unconfined Coastal Plain Aquifer And Chemical Transport Mechanisms Of Metals And Dense Non-Aqueous Phase Liquids, Thomas Lindblad

Theses and Dissertations

Groundwater contamination is of increasing environmental concern as many aquifers across the globe have experienced a decrease in water quality in recent time. The growth of the world's population over the last couple of decades has caused a dramatic increase in the rate of groundwater use. One potential source of groundwater contamination is waste material in landfills. The 1 st Division Road Sanitary landfill at Fort Benning Military Reservation was studied to evaluate the potential effect on local groundwater and a leachate plume was recognized using data from 16 groundwater monitoring wells located around the facility. The study site is …

On The Design Of Efficient Priority Rules For Secured Creditors: Empirical Evidence From A Change In Law, Clas Bergström, Theodore Eisenberg, Stefan Sundgren

Cornell Law Faculty Publications

This article assesses the effect of a reduction in secured creditor priority on distributions and administrative costs in liquidating bankruptcy cases by reporting the first empirical study of the effect of a priority change. Priority reform had redistributive effects in liquidating bankruptcy. As expected, average payments to general unsecured creditors were significantly higher after the reform than before the reform and payments to secured creditors decreased. Reform did not increase the size of the pie to be distributed in bankruptcy. Nor did it increase the direct costs of bankruptcy.

Niel Calculations For High-Energy Heavy Ions, John W. Wilson, I. Jun, M. A. Xapsos, E. A. Burke, F. F. Badavi, L. W. Townsend

Nuclear Engineering and Radiation Science Faculty Research & Creative Works

Calculations of NIEL are reported for heavy ions prominent in the space environment for energies ranging from 200 MeV per nucleon to 2 GeV per nucleon.

A Calibration Approach For Decoupling Colour Cross-Talk Using Nonlinear Blind Signal Separation Network, Y. Hu, Jiangtao Xi, Enbang Li, Joe F. Chicharo, Zongkai Yang, Yuanguang Yu

Faculty of Informatics - Papers (Archive)

We present a calibration approach to invert the nonlinear mixing process of colour cross-talk in multi-channel profilometry systems. Parameters of the inverse network are determined by a nonlinear blind signal separation algorithm. Experimental and simulation results demonstrate that proposed approach can effectively reduce colour leakages and improve the measurement accuracy.

A Credit-Based Distributed Protocol For Long-Term Fairness In Ieee 802.11 Single-Hop Networks, Yan Wu, Sonia Fahmy

Department of Computer Science Technical Reports

No abstract provided.

Evidence For Microbial Enhanced Electrical Conductivity In Hydrocarbon-Contaminated Sediments, Estella A. Atekwana, Eliot A. Atekwana, D. Dale Werkema, Jonathan P. Allen, Laura A. Smart, Joseph W. Duris, Daniel P. Cassidy, William A. Sauck, Silvia Rossbach

Geosciences and Geological and Petroleum Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Bulk electrical conductivity of sediments during microbial mineralization of diesel was investigated in a mesoscale laboratory experiment consisting of biotic contaminated and uncontaminated columns. Population numbers of oil degrading microorganisms increased with a clear pattern of depth zonation within the contaminated column not observed in the uncontaminated column. Microbial community structure determined from ribosomal DNA intergenic spacer analysis showed a highly specialized microbial community in the contaminated column. The contaminated column showed temporal increases in bulk conductivity, dissolved inorganic carbon, and calcium, suggesting that the high bulk conductivity is due to enhanced mineral weathering from microbial activity. The greatest change …

Field Evidence For Geophysical Detection Of Subsurface Zones Of Enhanced Microbial Activity, Eliot A. Atekwana, Estella A. Atekwana, Franklyn D. Legall, R. V. Krishnamurthy

Geosciences and Geological and Petroleum Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Geochemical data from closely spaced vertical intervals in a hydrocarbon-impacted aquifer were used to assess the relationship between bulk conductivity and zones of enhanced microbial activity. The bulk conductivity was measured using in situ vertical resistivity probes. Microbial activity was verified using terminal electron acceptors (nitrate, sulfate, iron, and manganese), dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC), and major ion chemistry. Peaks in bulk conductivity in the aquifer overlapped with zones where nitrates and sulfates were depleted, total petroleum hydrocarbon, iron, manganese, dissolved ions, and DIC were elevated, suggesting a link between higher electrical conductivity and zones of enhanced microbial activity stimulated by …

Chemical And Toxicological Characterization Of The Upper York River, Virginia The Mattaponi And Pamunkey Rivers, Morris H. Roberts Jr., Mark Richards, Peter F. Delisle

Reports

This study describes the most extensive effort to characterize the chemistry, toxicology and community of the sediments of the Mattaponi and Pamunkey Rivers. This was accomplished using a study design modified to expand the number of stations occupied by reducing the cost of analyses by compositing replicate samples collected from each study site rather than performing toxicity tests on these samples individually. In previous studies, the variability in field replicate samples was equivalent to the variability in laboratory replicates. This design has long been used to analyze samples for various chemical contaminants as a cost savings endeavor. More ....

High Performance P300 Speller For Brain-Computer Interface, Cuntai Guan, Manoj Thulasidas, Jiankang Wu

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

P300 speller is a communication tool with which one can input texts or commands to a computer by thought. The amplitude of the P300 evoked potential is inversely proportional to the probability of infrequent or task-related stimulus. In existing P300 spellers, rows and columns of a matrix are intensified successively and randomly, resulting in a stimulus frequency of 1/N (N is the number of rows or columns of the matrix). We propose a new paradigm to display each single character randomly and individually (therefore reducing the stimulus frequency to 1/(N*N)). On-line experiments showed that this new speller significantly improved the …

Emit: An Apparatus To Test Time Reversal Invariance In Polarized Neutron Decay, H. P. Mumm, A. Garcia, L. Grout, M. Howe, L. P. Parazzoli, R. G. H. Robertson, K. M. Sundqvist, J. F. Wilkerson, S. J. Freedman, B. K. Fujikawa, L. J. Lising, M. S. Dewey, J. S. Nico, A. K. Thompson, T. E. Chupp, R. L. Cooper, K. P. Coulter, S. R. Hwang, R. C. Welsh, L. J. Broussard, C. A. Trull, F. E. Wietfeldt, Gordon L. Jones

Articles

We describe an apparatus used to measure the triple-correlation term (D (σ) over cap (n).p(e)xp(nu)) in the beta decay of polarized neutrons. The D coefficient is sensitive to possible violations of time reversal invariance. The detector has an octagonal symmetry that optimizes electron-proton coincidence rates and reduces systematic effects. A beam of longitudinally polarized cold neutrons passes through the detector chamber, where a small fraction undergo beta decay. The final-state protons are accelerated and focused onto arrays of cooled semiconductor diodes, while the coincident electrons are detected using panels of plastic scintillator. Details regarding the design and performance of the …

Weir River Estuary: Land Protection Plan, Chantal Lefebvre, Michelle Portman

Urban Harbors Institute Publications

If economic growth were the only measure of a community’s health and vitality, then the communities of Cohasset, Hingham, and Hull are fairing well. But this economic success is generally accompanied by changes in the physical landscape that can be unsettling for residents, especially when it means more development and expansion at the expense of culturally and socially important open space areas such as parks, woods, and marshes. The rapid pace and fragmented nature of such sprawling development gives communities little opportunity to come to terms with the long-term impacts, which in turn can lead to a sense of powerlessness …