Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
History of the solar environment

Abstract Galactic cosmic rays (GCR) provide information on the solar neighborhood during the sun's motion in the galaxy. There is now considerable evidence for GCR acceleration by shock waves of supernova in active star-forming regions (OB associations) in the galactic spiral arms. During times of passage into star-forming regions increases in the GCR-flux are expected. Recent data from the Spitzer Space Telescope (SST) are shedding light on the structure of the Milky Way and of its star-forming-regions in spiral arms. Records of flux variations may be found in solar system detectors, and iron meteorites with GCR-exposure times of several hundred million years have long been considered to be potential detectors (Voshage, 1962). Variable concentration ratios of GCR-produced stable and radioactive nuclides, with varying half-lives and therefore integration times, were reported by Lavielle et al. (1999), indicating a recent 38% GCR-flux increase. Potential flux recorders consisting of different pairs of nuclides can measure average fluxes over different time scales (Lavielle et al., 2007; Mathew and Marti, 2008). Specific characteristics of two pairs of recorders (81Kr-Kr and 129I-129Xe) are the properties of self-correction for GCR-shielding (flux variability within meteorites of varying sizes). The 81Kr-Kr method (Marti, 1967) is based on Kr isotope ratios, while stable 129Xe is the decay product of the radionuclide 129I, which is produced by secondary neutron reactions on Te in troilites of iron meteorites. The two chronometers provide records of the average GCR flux over 1 and 100 million year time scales, respectively.
Many-body Effects in Anisotropic Dielectric Colloids: Polarization, Electrostatic Interactions, and Van der Waals Forces

We study the polarizability of colloidal particles, as well as their interparticle interactions in the presence or absence of an external electric field. To this end, we employ the Coupled Dipole Method (CDM), which models the particles as clusters of Lorentz atoms (i.e., inducible dipoles) and uses a Hamiltonian approach and large-matrix manipulation to account for all many-atom effects. In this way, we are able to numerically and, in some cases, analytically calculate London-Van der Waals forces, polarizability, orientational energy in an external electric field, and external electric field-induced interparticle interactions. We investigate the polarizability of cuboids, bowls and dumbbells and study their alignment properties in an external electric field. We also investigate the effect of the size and shape of the particles on their tendency to align. For spheres and cubes in an external electric field we study the local polarization in detail and compare the results from the CDM with those from continuum electrostatics to investigate the equivalence of the two approaches. We also study the pair interaction between various particles in an external electric field, taking into account the influence the particles have on each other's polarization and compare the CDM results with those given by techniques that model the particles as built up from permanent dipoles as opposed to induced ones. Using the CDM, we moreover study the London-Van der Waals interaction between various particle shapes in the absence of an external electric field, and whether many-body effects can account for experimentally observed spontaneous chain formation. Lastly, we study the density of states in a string of Lorentz atoms, the evolution of modes on a pair of squares of Lorentz atoms as a function of the gap between the squares, and the interaction of a rod with a conducting plate under the influence of an external electric field.
Modelling of bioimpedance measurements: unstructured mesh application to real human anatomy

Abstract A technology for high-resolution efficient numerical modelling of bioimpedance measurements is considered that includes 3D image segmentation, adaptive unstructured tetrahedral mesh generation, finite-element discretization, and analysis of simulation data. The first-order convergence of the proposed numerical methods on a series of unmatched meshes and roughly second-order convergence on a series of nested meshes are shown. The current, potential, and sensitivity field distributions are computed for conventional schemes of bioimpedance measurements using segmented geometrical torso model of the Visible Human Project (VHP) man. Use of the adaptive tetrahedral meshes reduces significantly the number of mesh elements and, hence, the associated computational cost compared to rectangular meshes while keeping the model accuracy.
Epitaxial lateral overgrowth of (112¯2) semipolar GaN on (11¯00) m-plane sapphire by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition

The authors report the growth of semipolar (112¯2) GaN films on nominally on-axis (101¯0) m-plane sapphire substrates using metal organic chemical vapor deposition. High-resolution x-ray diffraction (XRD) results indicate a preferred (112¯2) GaN orientation. Moreover, epitaxial lateral overgrowth (ELO) of GaN was carried out on the (112¯2) oriented GaN templates. When the ELO stripes were aligned along [112¯0]sapphire, the Ga-polar wings were inclined by 32° with respect to the substrate plane with smooth extended nonpolar a-plane GaN surfaces and polar c-plane GaN growth fronts. When compared with the template, the on-axis and off-axis XRD rocking curves indicated significant improvement in the crystalline quality by ELO for this mask orientation (on-axis 1700arcsec for the template, 380arcsec for the ELO sample, when rocked toward the GaN m axis), as verified by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). For growth mask stripes aligned along [0001]sapphire with GaN m-plane as growth fronts, the surface was.
Automatic detection of active sweat pores of fingerprint using highpass and correlation filtering

A new technique is introduced for the automatic extraction and location of active sweat pores in a fingertip image. The combined technique includes highpass filtering followed by correlation. Results are presented for a fingertip image obtained using a high-resolution micro-capture camera. This automated method of detecting active sweat pores will help to implement liveness detection in existing fingerprint sensors.
Experimental comparison of FORC and remanent Preisach diagrams

First-order reversal curve (FORC) and remanence-based Preisach diagrams are alternative ways of determining the Preisach distribution of a sample, which incorporates information about the coercivity spectrum and the distribution of interactions and self-demagnetizing fields. We compare results of the two methods for well-characterized synthetic and natural samples containing single-domain (SD) and pseudo-SD (PSD) magnetite, maghemite, titanomagnetite and titanomaghemite. The greater time requirements of remanence as opposed to in-field measurements limited our Preisach diagrams to a few hundred points, compared to several thousand points for the corresponding FORC diagrams. Only minimal smoothing could be applied in order to limit the regions near the axes of the diagrams in which function values must be extrapolated. In spite of these restrictions, we find excellent agreement between the essential features of the distributions determined by the two methods. The main features, the location and spreading of the distribution peak, are very consistent. However, the low-coercivity part of the Preisach distribution is sometimes poorly resolved or not imaged at all for remanence-only measurements. Features in this region can be diagnostic of PSD and multidomain (MD) grains. The essential agreement between our FORC and Preisach diagrams in the region where they overlap justifies using the much faster FORC routine instead of traditional remanence-based Preisach methods to determine the Preisach distribution of palaeomagnetic samples without strong interactions. We propose a symmetric FORC protocol that would permit separation of the irreversible and reversible parts of the Preisach distribution. The irreversible part is what is determined by remanence-only methods and what is desired for characterization of the remanence behaviour of palaeomagnetic samples. The reversible part is most significant in detecting MD behaviour and screening out samples containing large PSD and MD grains.
Refinements of the Ziegler-Nichols tuning formula

The accuracy of the Ziegler-Nichols tuning formula is reviewed in the context of PID and PI autotuning. For PID autotuning, it is shown that, for excessive overshoot in the set-point response, set-point weighting can reduce the overshoot to specified values, and the original Ziegler-Nichols tuning formula can be retained. It is also shown that set-point weighting is superior to the conventional solution of reducing large overshoot by gain detuning or set-point filtering. However, for excessive set-point undershoot, the tuning formula will have to be modified. For PI autotuning, it is shown that the Ziegler-Nichols tuning formula is inadequate and has to be completely revised. The application of set-point weighting and the modification of the tuning formula can be based simply on the knowledge of the normalised gain or normalised deadtime of the process. These heuristic refinements, when incorporated, will give appreciable improvement in the performance of autotuners. < >
A simple output-based stabilizing controller for attitude regulation of a rigid spacecraft with gas-jet actuators

We present a simple control scheme for attitude regulation of a rigid spacecraft actuated by gas-jet systems. It is shown that a simple output-based controller stabilizes the highly-nonlinear system under consideration. The controller is based on measurements of rotation angles only, and hence noisy signals associated with measurements of velocity variables are not involved in the control process. Provided the location of the center of mass is known, the controller is independent of the system parameters. The problem resulting from the singular points of the selected transformation that yields the required kinematic representation, is considered.
PARAMETER IDENTIFICATION APPROACHES TO FRACTAL MODEL OF MASS TRANSPORT FOR UNSATURATED SOILS

Modeling flow and solute transport in the unsaturated zone requires specifying values for soil hydraulic conductivity. Fractal models describe hierarchical systems and are suitable to model soil structure and soil hydraulic properties. The objectives of the paper are to propose a parameter identification approach and to determine hydraulic parameters using inverse modeling. The inverse problem of parameter identification is formulated as an optimization problem. In order to identify hydraulic parameters of soils efficiently and in a robust manner, the genetic algorithm is presented for the parameter identification of the fractal models. The investigation shows that the proposed inversion procedure is more superior for applying to parameter identification of fractal model of mass transport for unsaturated soils.
Coupled Aeroheating/Ablation Analysis for Missile Configurations

A method for high-fidelity surface temperature and thermal transient calculations for missile configurations is described. The key technical requirements for these predictions are accurate heat transfer coefficient distributions as functions of time and a coupled, transient thermal solution. These requirements have been met by integrating the capabilities of two computer codes. The Maneuvering Aerotherm Shape Change Code is used to determine the convective boundary conditions based on a prescribed trajectory. At each time step, these boundary conditions are applied to the surface nodes. The Charring Material Thermal Response and Ablation Program is used to determine the conduction of heat into the body, the charring of the materials, and ablation from the surface during the time step. This explicit coupling is continued throughout the entire flight. The methodology is verified with comparisons to the arc heater and flight-test data. A final demonstration of the code's capability is shown with a lethality sled test on an airframe prototype subjected to multiple environmental mediums (air/helium).
THE WEYL CALCULUS: FINITE DIMENSIONAL ASPECTS

The Weyl calculus for a pair A = (Αχ, A2) of self-adjoint (η χ n)-matrices, due to H. Weyl, associates a matrix Wa(/) to each smooth function / defined on R2 in a linear but typically not multiplicative way. Letting ca(A) := det((Ai Αχ/)2 + (A2 λ2Ι)2) for Ael2 denote the joint characteristic polynomial of the pair A, it is known, for η 4. Our aim here is to pursue two new approaches: the role of the canonical order structure for self-adjoint matrices; and topological invariants arising from continuity properties of the non-linear map (A,f)~WA(f).
Device for measuring the force and separation between two surfaces down to molecular separations

We present an apparatus for measuring the force as a function of distance between surfaces at separations down to the order of molecular dimensions. The device is a simplified yet improved version of the surface force apparatus first developed by Israelachvili and Adams [J. Chem. Soc. Faraday Trans. 1, 74, 975 (1978)]. It gives the same measurement resolution and has the same possibilities of studying various phenomena in thin films such as friction, viscosity, adhesion, and phase transitions. It offers improved performance with regard to control of surface separation and increased versatility by virtue of variable chamber dimensions and geometry.
Impact of changes to the radiation transfer parameterizations plus cloud optical properties in the ECMWF model

Abstract A new radiation package, shown to correct most of the systematic errors of the operational ECMWF radiation scheme, has been extensively tested in the ECMWF forecast model. Improvements in the clear-sky fluxes and radiative heating/cooling rate profiles mainly stem from a better representation of the transmission functions. New cloud optical properties have been set from detailed narrowband calculations for a more realistic model cloud. Results indicate a greater overall sensitivity of the model to cloud-radiation interactions. Radiative cooling in the subtropics is increased. A decreased radiative cooling in the higher layers of the tropics is caused by larger longwave impact of the high level clouds. An increase in the radiative energy available at the surface and an overall cooling of the troposphere generate larger turbulent heal fluxes. All these changes contribute to a higher level of convective activity, resulting in a more energetic hydrological cycle and a more active model with higher le.
The Cepheid Distance to NGC 5236 (M83) with the ESO Very Large Telescope

Cepheids have been observed in NGC 5236 (M83) using the Antu (Unit Telescope 1) 8.2 m telescope of the ESO Very Large Telescope with the Focal Reducer/Low Dispersion Spectrograph 1. Repeated imaging observations have been made between 2000 January and 2001 July. Images were obtained in 34 epochs in the V band and in six epochs in the I band. The photometry was made with the ROMAFOT reduction package and checked independently with DoPHOT and a modified version of HSTPHOT. Twelve Cepheid candidates have periods ranging between 12 and 55 days. The dereddened distance modulus is adopted to be (m - M)0 = 28.25 ± 0.15, which corresponds to a distance of 4.5 ± 0.3 Mpc. The Cepheid distance of NGC 5253 has been rediscussed and strengthened by its SN 1972E. The mean distance of (m - M)0 = 28.01 ± 0.15 (based on SN 1972E) shows the galaxy to be a close neighbor of M83, suggesting that the two galaxies may have interacted in the past and thus possibly explaining the amorphous morphology of NGC 5253. The distance difference between M83 and NGC 5253 is only 0.5 ± 0.4 Mpc. The projected distance is only ~ 0.15 Mpc. M83 is the principal member of the nearby M83 group containing also, besides NGC 5253, several dwarf members, for five of which tip of the red giant branch distances are available. The adopted group distance of (m - M)0 = 28.28 ± 0.10 (4.5 ± 0.2 Mpc), together with its mean recession velocity of vLG = 249 ± 42 km s-1, shows again the extreme quietness of the local (1-10 Mpc) expansion field. M83 fits onto the local mean Hubble flow line of the velocity-distance relation (with H0~ 60) with no significant deviation, supporting the earlier conclusion that the local velocity expansion field is remarkably cold on a scale of 10 Mpc, contrary to the predictions of the simplest cold dark matter model for large-scale structure. The role of a cosmological constant has been invoked as a possible solution in providing a nearly uniform force field everywhere in the presence of a lumpy galaxy distribution.
Fairness and Rejection in the Ultimatum Bargaining Game

The ultimatum game is a standard instrument for laboratory experimentalists. It has been replicated in a large number of environments and points to special considerations for fairness. Although it has been popular in the experimental community, researchers have not harnessed all the statistical power they should to evaluate the dynamics at work in this type of a bargaining game. This research uses two planned treatments, the first involving a signaling condition concerning a subject's “type”, and the second a price effect built into the structure of the game. We find that there are no significant main effects as a result of the signaling condition of a subject's type, but that there are strong effects as a result of the different payoff parameters. Using a variety of multivariate models we find important, nonobvious interactions with the gender of the subjects. The lesson that we take away from this research is that experimentalists can learn more from data collected in the tightly controlled laboratory environment by using statistical techniques that complement their research designs.
Strategic Votes and Sincere Counterfactuals

The random utility model (RUM) of voting behavior can account for strategic voting by making use of proxy indicators that measure voter incentives to vote strategically. The contribution of this article is to propose a new method to estimate the RUM in the presence of strategic voters, without having to construct proxy measures of strategic voting incentives. Our method can be used to infer the counterfactual sincere vote of those who vote strategically and provides an estimate of the size of strategic voting. We illustrate the procedure using post-electoral survey data from Spain. Our calculations indicate that strategic voting in Spain is about 2.19%.
Determination of the gravitational coefficient of the Earth from near‐Earth satellites

Laser range, doppler and altimeter data collected from 14 near-Earth satellites have been combined to determine the value of the geocentric gravitational coefficient (GM) of the Earth. A long-arc solution using 3 years of laser range data to Lageos was used in a separate determination in which the effects of general relativity were investigated. The value of GM (including the mass of the atmosphere) was determined to be 398600.4405 km³/sec² when all corrections for general relativity are taken into account. The uncertainty (1-σ) in the value of GM is estimated to be 0.001 km³/sec².
Energy Redistribution Between the Mean and Pulsating Flow Field in a Separated Flow Region

One of the main features of the backward-facing step (BFS) low frequency pulsatile flow is the unsteadiness due to the convection of vortical (coherent) structures, which characterize the flow dynamics in the shear layer. The physics of the flow field is analyzed by looking at energy redistribution between the mean and pulsating flow field obtained via a particle image velocimeter (PIV) using the concept of a triple decomposition. The total fluctuating kinetic budget is calculated and discussed for a mean Reynolds number of 100 and for 0.035 ≤ St ≤ 2.19. The effects that these coherent structures have on the fluctuating kinetic energy production, dissipation, and transport mechanism are examined. The results provide insight into the physics of the flow and suggest reasons for vortex growth and decay. Fluctuating kinetic energy is generally produced at the separated shear layers and transported towards the core flow and then to the upper and lower walls where viscosity dissipates the energy. The remaining energy is transported streamwise and decays as it is convected downstream (St = 0.4 and 1 cases). It was also found that the pressure-velocity correlation diffusion plays a significant role in the transport of kinetic energy and Reynolds stresses, especially in the separated shear layer. More energy was dissipated at the walls for the high Strouhal number case St = 2.19 due to the transverse pressure diffusion term being increasingly dominant. This could be the reason why the convected primary vortices were much smaller in size and weaker with no upper wall vortices formed at this pulsation Strouhal number. The shear production for St = 0.035 was very minimal; thus, the vortices died down quickly even before the shedding could happen. Finally, the pressure-strain correlation term was found to be significant in redistributing the kinetic energy from u-component to v-component.
Some Observations of Shock-induced Turbulent Separation on Supersonic Diffusers

A survey of experimental data at supersonic speed indicated that shock-induced separation of a turbulent boundary layer will result for Mach numbers of approximately 1.33 or greater when a theoretical stream static-pressure-rise ratio of approximately 1.89 occurs across a shock interacting with the boundary layer. The significance of this tentative criterion for turbulent boundary-layer separation is discussed with respect to the design of supersonic diffusers.
A study of the behaviour of a thin sheet of moving liquid

An investigation has been carried out on the behaviour of a thin sheet of liquid in connexion with the new method of lacquer application known as ’curtain coating’. A method is described for measuring the velocity of the sheet and an equation deduced for calculating this for a liquid of any viscosity. The minimum liquid flow rate required to maintain a stable sheet is discussed, and some effects of the impingement of the sheet on a rapidly moving surface are described.
PH-sensitive fluorescence detection by diffuse fluorescence tomography

The importance of cellular pH has been shown clearly in the study of cell activity, pathological feature, drug metabolism, etc. Monitoring pH changes of living cells and imaging the regions with abnormal pH values in vivo could provide the physiologic and pathologic information for the research of the cell biology, pharmacokinetics, diagnostics and therapeutics of certain diseases such as cancer. Thus, pH-sensitive fluorescence imaging of bulk tissues has been attracting great attention in the regime of near-infrared diffuse fluorescence tomography (DFT), an efficient small-animal imaging tool. In this paper, the feasibility of quantifying pH-sensitive fluorescence targets in turbid medium is investigated using both time-domain and steady-state DFT methods. By use of the specifically designed time-domain and continuous-wave systems and the previously proposed image reconstruction scheme, we validate the method through 2-dimensional imaging experiments on a small-animal-sized phantom with multiply targets of distinct pH values. The results show that the approach can localize the targets with reasonable accuracy and achieve quantitative reconstruction of the pH-sensitive fluorescent yield.