Object classification at the Nearby Supernova Factory

We present the results of applying new object classification techniques to the supernova search of the Nearby Supernova Factory. In comparison to simple threshold cuts, more sophisticated methods such as boosted decision trees, random forests, and support vector machines provide dramatically better object discrimination: we reduced the number of nonsupernova candidates by a factor of 10 while increasing our supernova identification efficiency. Methods such as these will be crucial for maintaining a reasonable false positive rate in the automated transient alert pipelines of upcoming large optical surveys. (© 2008 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Molecular line mapping of the giant molecular cloud associated with RCW 106 – II. Column density and dynamical state of the clumps

We present a fully sampled C¹⁸O (1–0) map towards the southern giant molecular cloud (GMC) associated with the H  ii region RCW 106, and use it in combination with previous ¹³CO (1–0) mapping to estimate the gas column density as a function of position and velocity. We find localized regions of significant ¹³CO optical depth in the northern part of the cloud, with several of the high-opacity clouds in this region likely associated with a limb-brightened shell around the H  ii region G333.6−0.2. Optical depth corrections broaden the distribution of column densities in the cloud, yielding a lognormal distribution as predicted by simulations of turbulence. Decomposing the ¹³CO and C¹⁸O data cubes into clumps, we find relatively weak correlations between size and linewidth, and a more sensitive dependence of luminosity on size than would be predicted by a constant average column density. The clump mass spectrum has a slope near −1.7, consistent with previous studies. The most massive clumps appear to have gravitational binding energies well in excess of virial equilibrium; we discuss possible explanations, which include magnetic support and neglect of time-varying surface terms in the virial theorem. Unlike molecular clouds as a whole, the clumps within the RCW 106 GMC, while elongated, appear to show random orientations with respect to the Galactic plane.     

The Canadian Meteor Orbit Radar Meteor Stream Catalogue

The Canadian Meteor Orbit Radar is a multi-frequency backscatter radar which has been in routine operation since 1999, with an orbit measurement capability since 2002. In total, CMOR has measured over 2 million orbits of meteoroids with masses greater than 10 μg, while recording more than 18 million meteor echoes in total. We have applied a two stage comparative technique for identifying meteor streams in this dataset by making use of clustering in radiants and velocities without employing orbital element comparisons directly. From the large dataset of single station echoes, combined radiant activity maps have been constructed by binning and then stacking each years data per degree of solar longitude. Using the single-station mapping technique described in Jones and Jones (Mon Not R Astron Soc 367:1050–1056, 2006) we have identified probable streams from these single station observations. Additionally, using individual radiant and velocity data from the multi-station velocity determination routines, we have utilized a wavelet search algorithm in radiant and velocity space to construct a list of probable streams. These two lists were then compared and only streams detected by both techniques, on multiple frequencies and in multiple years were assigned stream status. From this analysis we have identified 45 annual minor and major streams with high reliability.     

The coating hypothesis for ammonia ice particles in Jupiter: Laboratory experiments and optical modeling

We report laboratory experiments and modeling calculations investigating the effect of a hydrocarbon coating on ammonia ice spectral signatures. Observational evidence and thermochemical models indicate an abundance of ammonia ice clouds in Jupiter's atmosphere. However, spectrally identifiable ammonia ice clouds are found covering less than 1% of Jupiter's atmosphere, notably in areas of strong vertical transport, indicating a short lifetime for the signature of ammonia absorption on condensed ammonia particles [Baines, K.H., Carlson, R.W., Kamp, L.W., 2002. Icarus 159, 74-94]. Current literature has suggested coating of ammonia ice particles by a hydrocarbon haze as a possible explanation for this paradox. The work presented here supports the inference of a coating effect that can alter or suppress ammonia absorption features. In the experiments, thin films of ammonia ices are deposited in a cryogenic apparatus, coated with hydrocarbons, and characterized by reflection-absorption infrared spectroscopy. We have observed the effects on the ammonia ice absorption features near 3 and 9 μm with coverage by thin layers of hydrocarbons. Modeling calculations of these multilayer thin films assist in the interpretation of the experimental results and reveal the important role of optical interference in altering the aforementioned ammonia spectral features. Mie and T-matrix scattering calculations demonstrate analogous effects for ammonia ice particles and investigate the relative effects of ammonia ice particle size, shape, and coating layer thickness on the ice particle spectral signatures.     

Fracture grouting and geonails for soft soil tunnelling

To stabilise the tunnel faces and slopes in soft clay for the Airport Link construction in Australia, fracture grouting and glass fibre-reinforced plastic (GFRP) soil nails are proposed for the soil improvement as well as ease of handling. The compensation caused by the fracture grouting and the gain in strength due to consolidation as well as the geonail have stabilised the soft clay during construction. Only a small amount of ground settlement during soft clay box-jacking operation is generated so that the railway traffic above the embankment can be maintained without interference. The design method of the fracture grouting ground improvement study for this difficult project is discussed in this paper. Extensive laboratory and field tests were employed to verify the design assumptions and to fine-tune the ground improvement studies. The success of this project in poor ground conditions results from combined efforts of extensive field tests, an improved ground improvement design method and a realistic numerical analysis to assess the unstable/highly stressed zones for the placement of soil reinforcement.     

山西夏季不同等级降水时空演变特征及其影响要素研究

基于1961—2018年降水观测资料,应用经验正交函数分解（EOF）、大气诊断等方法对山西夏季不同等级降水时空演变特征及其影响要素进行分析。结果表明：① 山西夏季降水量主要由大雨贡献（51.9%）,但在降水频次上以小雨为主。山西大雨与小雨事件存在显著差异。小雨多年平均雨量由南至北递增,而大雨却由南至北递减。此外,EOF表明全区一致型均是不同等级降水中的主空间模态,但在小雨和大雨中高载荷区存在明显差异。② ENSO在影响山西降水特别是大雨中占据主导,而NAO在小雨中作用更为突出。对大气环流异常结构的诊断分析表明,冷（暖）ENSO位相时,源于热带西太平洋并经由南海北上的季风水汽输送增强（减弱）,同时在ENSO和中高纬度大气活动联动调控下,在东亚地区建立的异常反气旋（气旋）可通过其西支南（北）风气流引导（抑制）季风水汽向山西进一步纵深推进,两者共同调配使得山西大雨事件增多（减少）;NAO主要通过一条沿西欧?东欧?乌拉尔山?蒙古高原的高纬度路径对降水施加影响,NAO正（负）位相时,在蒙古高原甚至山西建立的深厚异常（反）气旋通过其南支西（东）风一方面阻挡低纬度季风水汽进入山西,另一方面增强（减弱）山西有限的内陆水汽供应,从而引起山西小雨事件的增多（减少）。     

An integrated web-based air pollution decision support system – a prototype

To efficiently and effectively monitor and mitigate air pollution in the urban environment, it is of paramount importance to integrate into a unified whole air pollutant concentration databases coming from different sources including the ground-based stations, mobile sensors, remote sensing, atmospheric-chemical-transport models and social media for the analysis and unraveling of the complex air pollution processes in space and time. This study constructs and implements for the first time a prototype of the fully integrated air pollution decision support system (APDSS) that put together in an integrated manner all relevant multi-scale, multi-type and multi-source data for decision-making on urban air pollution. The prototype contains the main system that handles the multi-source, multi-type and multi-scale databases, queries, visualization and data mining algorithms and the integrated modules that individually and holistically capitalize on the power of the ground-based stations, ground and aerial mobile sensors, satellite-borne remote-sensing technologies, atmospheric-chemical-transport models and social media. It renders a solid scientific foundation and system development methodology for the study of the spatiotemporal air pollution profiles crucial to the mitigation of urban air pollution. Real-life applications of the prototype are employed to illustrate the functionality of the APDSS.     

2016年夏季DOGRAFS系统站点24h降水量级预报检验

随着精细化降水预报的要求和发展,模式对站点定量降水预报已成为天气预报业务的主要参考依据之一。本文对乌鲁木齐区域数值天气预报系统DOGRAFS v1.0在2016年夏季全疆105个站点的24h累积降水量的预报性能进行统计检验。结果表明：(1)除山区外,全疆晴天预报准确率达到85%以上,其中南疆盆地、吐鄯托盆地晴天预报准确率达到95%以上。(2)对于小雨出现较多的站点,预报准确率达到55%以上、部分站点达到70%,同时上述区域存在15%左右的报强率;对于降水较少的南疆盆地和吐鄯托盆地整体以漏报为主,漏报率在80%以上。(3)北疆大部分地区和南疆西部山区的中雨预报准确率整体在30%左右;中雨日数较多的中天山及其两侧预报准确率约60%,该区域也存在20%左右的报强率;其他地区预报降水较实况以偏弱为主。(4)大雨及以上量级降水,模式预报整体表现为偏弱,对于大降水出现较多的地区预报平均准确率为25-30%。     

关于带有协作/竞争机制时变积分器网络一致性的收敛速率

本文探讨了时变无向网络达到状态一致过程中的收敛速率问题.首先基于一般的时变无向网络展开研究,证明了其收敛速率随耦合权重的增加而提高.同时,给出了收敛速率的明确下界,并指出这个下界是耦合权重的线性函数.基于这些结论,本文研究了带符号网络的收敛速率问题,发现只要带有正权值的边具有（δ,T）连通性,就可以增大这些边的权重而保持其余边（带有负权值）不变,使一致性以指数的速率达到.本文的证明过程主要基于完全一致可观这一概念.另外,本文也得到了这样的结论：一致性误差值可以从系统一段时间内的相对状态值中重建.这对于分布式网络中滤波器的状态估计有一定的借鉴意义.     

基于PSR模型的浙江望东垟亚高山湿地生态安全评价

以浙江景宁望东垟亚高山湿地为研究对象,对其生态安全状况进行评价,旨在有效指导湿地保护与利用的尺度和方向。根据压力-状态-响应(PSR)模型,结合望东垟生态环境自身的特点,选取能反映亚高山湿地生态安全的18项指标,建立了望东垟湿地生态安全评价指标体系。利用层次分析法(AHP法)和定性分析法确定各项指标的权重,并利用综合指数法对湿地生态系统安全状况进行综合评价,得出望东垟亚高山湿地的生态安全综合指数为4.3702,生态安全处于"一般"状态。