Using advanced soft computing techniques for regional shoreline geoid model estimation and evaluation

This study aims at evaluating the global geoid model for a regional shoreline fitting using advanced soft computing techniques and global navigation satellite system/leveling measurements. Artificial neural networks, fuzzy logic, and least square support vector machine models are developed and used to fit the global geoid model for the north coastal Egyptian line. In addition, a novel estimation geoid model is designed and evaluated based on the latest global geoid models. The results of the three estimation models show that they can be used to correct the shoreline geoid model, in terms of root mean square error that ranges from 1.7 to 8.5?cm. Moreover, it is found that the least square vector machine model is a competitive approach with certain advantage in solving complex problems represented by missing data.     

Estimating average shock pressures recorded by impactite samples based on universal stage investigations of planar deformation features in quartz—Sources of error and recommendations

Planar deformation features (PDFs) in quartz are the most widely used indicator of shock metamorphism in terrestrial rocks. They can also be used for estimating average shock pressures that quartz-bearing rocks have been subjected to. Here we report on a number of observations and problems that we have encountered when performing universal stage measurements and crystallographically indexing of PDF orientations in quartz. These include a comparison between manual and automated methods of indexing PDFs, an evaluation of the new stereographic projection template, and observations regarding the PDF statistics related to the c-axis position and rhombohedral plane symmetry. We further discuss the implications that our findings have for shock barometry studies. Our study shows that the currently used stereographic projection template for indexing PDFs in quartz might induce an overestimation of rhombohedral planes with low Miller–Bravais indices. We suggest, based on a comparison of different shock barometry methods, that a unified method of assigning shock pressures to samples based on PDFs in quartz is necessary to allow comparison of data sets. This method needs to take into account not only the average number of PDF sets/grain but also the number of high Miller–Bravais index planes, both of which are important factors according to our study. Finally, we present a suggestion for such a method (which is valid for nonporous quartz-bearing rock types), which consists of assigning quartz grains into types (A–E) based on the PDF orientation pattern, and then calculation of a mean shock pressure for each sample.     

The characteristic pattern of multiple colored layers in coastal stratified lakes in the process of separation from the White Sea

An unusual feature of the saline stratified lakes that were formed due to ongoing postglacial uplift on the White Sea coast is the presence of several differently colored thin layers in the zone with sharp gradients. Colored layers in five lakes at various stages of separation from the sea were investigated using optical microscopy, spectrophotometry, spectrofluorimetry, and photobiology. The upper greenish colored layer located in the aerobic strata of all lakes near the compensation depth of 1% light penetration contains green algae. In the chemocline, another layer, brightly green, red or pink, is dominated by mixotrophic flagellates. Despite the very low light intensities and the presence of H 2 S, active photosynthesis by these algae appears to be occurring, as indicated by high values of the maximum quantum yield of primary photochemistry, electron transport activity, photosynthetic activity of photosystem II, the fraction of active centers, and low values of heat dissipation. In the reduced zone of the chemocline, a dense green or brown suspension of anoxygenic phototrophs(green sulfur bacteria) is located.     

典型深街谷内树木空间配置对行人呼吸高度处气流的影响

为揭示树木的不同空间配植方案对行人呼吸高度气流的影响,本文将树木视为均匀多孔介质,通过附加源项法从空气动力学角度用CFD模拟了H/W=2的典型深街谷几何内4种树木配植情景,实验表明,不同空间配置下树木对街谷内行人呼吸高度处局地气流的影响强弱在空间分布模式上差异悬殊：① 均匀种植的树木对街谷内行人呼吸高度的气流起到阻碍作用,不均匀种植则有效提升街谷的整体流速。4种空间配植方案下树木对气流的影响程度不同,阻碍作用从大到小的顺序为均匀间距8 m（Spa8m）>均匀间距6 m（Spa6m）>均匀间距20 m（Spa20m）>不均匀配植（Non-uniform）;对应的平均气流增强指标顺序为$\bar{D}_{spa8}$（-19.31%）<$\bar{D}_{spa6}$（-16.14%）<$\bar{D}_{spa20}$（-10.73%）<$\bar{D}_{non-uniform}$（1.25%）。② 对比不均匀和均匀的种植方案,不均匀植树的街谷内部行人呼吸高度的气流流速比其对照案例（均匀植树Spa8m方案）整体增强了106.49%。街谷中部不种树,在街谷两端配置树木并预留足够的自由空间的不均匀植树方案,能够让角涡渗入街谷中部,促使街谷内部的垂直漩涡和两端的水平角涡运动,增强湍流和垂直交换,有效减少了街道两端“风口效应”和街道中部“风影效应”的区域,改善了整个街谷行人呼吸平面的风环境。④ 合理空间配置的树木能够改善街谷内部的行人风环境。街谷内行人呼吸高度处的气流对局地条件很敏感,树木的局部配置（空间簇集、密度）将引起强烈的空间变化。在既有城市建筑布局条件下,如何通过谨慎的景观设计,利用树木等城市绿化措施有效地改善城市的行人风环境,缓解污染扩散、疾病传播等问题,本文的方法可提供一定的参考。     

面向稀疏散布数据集的时空Kriging优化

时空Kriging法通过将变异函数向时空域进行扩展得到时空变异函数,有效地利用时空邻近的采样点综合进行插值,由于时空稀疏散布数据集具有单一时刻下样本点数量少以及时空分布不规律的特点,难以满足使用时空Kriging插值法的基本条件,导致插值精度不高,据此本文提出了优化方法：通过多时段叠置拟合空间变异函数的方法,综合利用时空邻域内的采样点以解决单一时刻下空间邻域内数量不足情况;控制时间变异对空间变异函数拟合的误差影响;采用积合式模型构建时空变异函数进行插值。最后使用Argo海温数据进行插值实验,在相同条件下与时空Kriging法以及时空权重法的交叉验证结果对比得出,该方法在保证拟合所需采样点数量要求的同时,有效削减了一般时空Kriging法中时间变异对空间变异函数拟合结果的干扰,插值结果的绝对误差均值从0.5降低至0.2以内,稳定性进一步增强,改善了时空Kriging法在稀疏散布数据条件下精度上的不足。     

Analysis of the exoplanet containing system Kepler-13

We have applied the close binary system analysis program WinFitter, with its physically detailed fitting function, to an intensive study of the complex multiple system Kepler-13 using photometry data from all 13 short cadence quarters downloaded from the NASA Exoplanet Archive (NEA) (http://exoplanetarchive.ipac.caltech.edu). The data-point error of our normalized, phase-sequenced and binned (380 points per bin: 0.00025 phase interval) flux values, at 14 ppm, allows the model’s specification for the mean reference flux level of the system to a precision better than 1 ppm. Our photometrically derived values for the mass and radius of KOI13.01 are \(6.8\pm0.6~\mbox{M}_{\mathrm{J}}\) and \(1.44\pm0.04~\mbox{R}_{\mathrm{J}}\). The star has a radius of \(1.67\pm0.05~\mbox{R}_{\odot}\). Our modelling sets the mean of the orbital inclination \(i\) at \(94.35\pm0.14^{\circ}\), with the star’s mean precession angle \(\phi_{p}\)—\(49.1\pm5.0^{\circ}\) and obliquity \(\theta_{o}\)\(67.9 \pm 3.0^{\circ}\), though there are known ambiguities about the sense in which such angles are measured.Our findings did not confirm secular variation in the transit modelling parameters greater than their full correlated errors, as argued by previous authors, when each quarter’s data was best-fitted with a determinable parameter set without prejudice. However, if we accept that most of the parameters remain the same for each transit, then we could confirm a small but steady diminution in the cosine of the orbital inclination over the 17 quarter timespan. This is accompanied by a slight increase of the star’s precession angle (less negative), but with no significant change in the obliquity of its spin axis. There are suggestions of a history of strong dynamical interaction with a highly distorted planet rotating in a 3:2 resonance with its revolution, together with a tidal lag of \(\sim30~\mbox{deg}\). The mean precessional period is derived to be about 1000 y, but at the present time the motion of the star’s rotation axis appears to be supporting the gravitational torque, rather than providing the balance against it that would be expected over long periods of time.The planet has a small but detectable backwarming effect on the star, which helps to explain the difference in brightness just after transit and just before occultation eclipses. In assessing these findings it is recognized that sources of uncertainty remain, notably with possible inherent micropulsational effects, variations from other components of the multiple star, stellar activity, differential rotation and the neglect of higher order terms (than \(r_{1}^{5}\)) in the fitting function, where \(r_{1}\) is the ratio of the radius of the star to the mean orbital separation of planet and host star.     

Explicit stress–strain equations for modeling frictional materials

In this paper, a comprehensive study on simulating the shearing behavior of frictional materials is performed. A set of two explicit equations, describing the relationship among the shear stress ratio and the distortional strain and the volumetric strain, are formulated independently. The equations contain three stress parameters and three strain parameters and another parameter representing the nonuniformity of stress and strain during softening. All the parameters have clear physical significance and can be determined experimentally. It is demonstrated that the proposed equations have the capacity of simulating the complicated shearing behavior of many types of frictional materials including geomaterials. The proposed equations are used to simulate the stress–strain behavior for 27 frictional materials with 98 tests. These materials include soft and stiff clays in both reconstituted and structured states, silicon sands and calcareous sands, silts, compacted fill materials, volcanic soils, decomposed granite soils, cemented soils (both artificially and naturally cemented), partially saturated soils, ballast, rocks, reinforced soils, tire chips, sugar, wheat, and rapeseed. It has been demonstrated that the proposed explicit constitutive equations have the capacity to capture accurately the shearing behavior of frictional materials both qualitatively and quantitatively. A study on model parameters has been performed.     

涉密矢量数字地图中敏感要素几何信息量的测度方法

涉密矢量数字地图中敏感要素几何信息的定量测度,是实现定量化密级评定的基础和前提。如何进行敏感要素几何信息量的计算,目前尚缺乏相关研究。在现有地图信息论研究成果的基础上,论文主要开展了3方面的研究工作：首先,从地理对象的敏感性入手,探讨了地图要素敏感性的定义与要素集合的敏感性表征指标;然后,基于任意发生元的Voronoi构建方法,实现了对点要素集、线要素集、部分覆盖面要素集及综合要素集的信息单元自动化剖分;最后,基于长度系数、面积系数和角度系数,提出了线、面要素图形复杂度的计算方法,并在此基础上形成了涉密矢量数字地图中敏感几何信息量的测度方法。实验表明,该方法的计算结果遵循了信息量的非负性、连续性、可加性等特点,较为合理地反映了相关因素（地图比例尺、要素空间分布、要素图形复杂度、要素敏感系数等）对计算结果的影响。相关成果将支持矢量数字地图的定量化密级评定,并有助于完善地理信息安全监管的理论和方法体系。     

Exact solution of anisotropic compact stars via mass function

Studying relativistic compact objects is important in modern astrophysics to understand several astrophysical issues. It is therefore natural to ask for an internal structure and physical properties of specific classes of compact stars from astrophysical observations. We obtain a class of new relativistic solutions with anisotropic distribution of matter for compact stars. More specifically, stellar models, described by an anisotropic fluid, establishing a relation between metric potentials and generating a specific form of mass function, are explicitly constructed within the framework of General Relativity. New solutions can be used to model compact objects, which adequately describe compact strange star candidates like SMC X-1, Her X-1 and 4U 1538-52, with observational data taken from Gangopadhyay et al. (Mon. Not. R. Astron. Soc. 431:3216, 2013). As a possible astrophysical application the obtained solutions could explain the physics of selfgravitating objects, and might be useful for strong-field regimes where data are currently inadequate.