Measurement of radiative lifetimes and determination of transition probabilities of astrophysical interest in Ho iii

Lifetimes of six levels belonging to the 4f¹⁰6p configuration of Ho  iii have been measured for the first time using the time-resolved laser-induced fluorescence method. They are compared with multiconfigurational pseudo-relativistic Hartree–Fock calculations. A very good agreement is found. Using the experimental lifetimes and theoretical branching fractions, a first set of transition probabilities of astrophysical interest has been obtained for this ion.     

喀斯特生态脆弱区猫跳河流域土地利用/覆被变化研究

LUCC是当前国际全球变化研究的前沿和热点领域,喀斯特生态脆弱区的土地利用/覆被变化是国际LUCC研究中的薄弱环节。以贵州中部的典型喀斯特流域——猫跳河流域为例,通过详实的地面调查,以1973年的Landsat-MSS影像、1990年和2002年的Landsat-TM影像为数据源,在RS、G IS、GPS为核心的"三S"集成技术支撑下,应用单一土地利用动态度、单一土地利用转入率和转出率、综合土地利用动态度、土地利用度以及土地覆被变化空间指数等指标,定量研究了该流域在过去30 a间的土地利用/覆被的变化特征。研究表明:(1)研究区的土地覆被类型主要以耕地、灌草地、灌木林以及有林地为主;(2)1970年代以来,土地利用/覆被变化剧烈,各地类之间的变化幅度存在较大差别,水田、灌木林、其他林地、灌草地等地类先减后增,旱地和裸岩地先增后减,有林地、水域、城镇建设用地、农村居民点、交通工矿用地等持续增加;⑶1973~1990年的土地利用动态度和土地利用度均比1990~2002年大,前一时期的裸岩地明显增加,土地利用具有明显的不可持续性,进入1990年后,裸岩地缩减,流域生态环境质量趋于好转;⑷伴随着分布面积在平面空间上的张缩,各地类的平均分布高程和坡度在垂直方向上也出现了相应的变化。     

The Sloan Digital Sky Survey monitor telescope pipeline

The photometric calibration of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) is a multi‐step process which involves data from three different telescopes: the 1.0‐m telescope at the US Naval Observatory (USNO), Flagstaff Station, Arizona (which was used to establish the SDSS standard star network); the SDSS 0.5‐m Photometric Telescope (PT) at the Apache Point Observatory (APO), NewMexico (which calculates nightly extinctions and calibrates secondary patch transfer fields); and the SDSS 2.5‐m telescope at APO (which obtains the imaging data for the SDSS proper). In this paper, we describe the Monitor Telescope Pipeline, MTPIPE, the software pipeline used in processing the data from the single‐CCD telescopes used in the photometric calibration of the SDSS (i.e., the USNO 1.0‐m and the PT). We also describe transformation equations that convert photometry on the USNO‐1.0m u ′g ′r ′i ′z ′ system to photometry the SDSS 2.5m ugriz system and the results of various validation tests of the MTPIPE software. Further, we discuss the semi‐automated PT factory, which runs MTPIPE in the day‐to‐day standard SDSS operations at Fermilab. Finally, we discuss the use of MTPIPE in current SDSS‐related projects, including the Southern u ′g ′r ′i ′z ′ Standard Star project, the u ′g ′r ′i ′z ′ Open Star Clusters project, and the SDSS extension (SDSS‐II). (© 2006 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Approximation of Gaussian spatial autoregressive models for massive regular square tessellation data

Most of the literature to date proposes approximations to the determinant of a positive definite n × n spatial covariance matrix (the Jacobian term) for Gaussian spatial autoregressive models that fail to support the analysis of massive georeferenced data sets. This paper briefly surveys this literature, recalls and refines much simpler Jacobian approximations, presents selected eigenvalue estimation techniques, summarizes validation results (for estimated eigenvalues, Jacobian approximations, and estimation of a spatial autocorrelation parameter), and illustrates the estimation of the spatial autocorrelation parameter in a spatial autoregressive model specification for cases as large as n = 37,214,101. The principal contribution of this paper is to the implementation of spatial autoregressive model specifications for any size of georeferenced data set. Its specific additions to the literature include (1) new, more efficient estimation algorithms; (2) an approximation of the Jacobian term for remotely sensed data forming incomplete rectangular regions; (3) issues of inference; and (4) timing results.     

Historical development in soil micromorphological imaging

The book ＂micropedolog＂ by Kubieana and a large number of publications has induced many people to practice soil micromorphology. Quantification of the soil fabric and its components was a major challenge. The use of the image analyses in soil science was a breakthrough. Attempts to make soil thin sections go back to the beginning of the 2oth century. Microscopic techniques and recently high resolution electron microscope and use of computer assisted imaging techniques enabled the in vitro study of soils in three dimensional levels. It is now possible to store and process massive amounts of data. Micro- morphological concepts and techniques are applied in paleopedological, ecological, and archaeological studies. The aim of this work was to examine soil micromorphological imaging in historical perspective.     

Applied hydrodynamic wave-resistance computation by Fourier transform

An applied Fourier transform computation for the hydrodynamic wave-resistance coefficient is shown, oriented to potential flows with a free surface and infinity depth. The presence of a ship-like body is simulated by its equivalent pressure disturbance imposed on the un-perturbed free surface, where a linearized free surface condition is used. The wave-resistance coefficient is obtained from the wave-height downstream. Two examples with closed solutions are considered: a submerged dipole, as a test-case, and a parabolic pressure distribution of compact support. In the three dimensional case, a dispersion relation is included which is a key resource for an inexpensive computation of the wave pattern far downstream like fifteen ship-lengths.     

Wavelet domain Bayesian denoising of string signal in the cosmic microwave background

An algorithm is proposed for denoising the signal induced by cosmic strings in the cosmic microwave background. A Bayesian approach is taken, based on modelling the string signal in the wavelet domain with generalized Gaussian distributions. Good performance of the algorithm is demonstrated by simulated experiments at arcminute resolution under noise conditions including primary and secondary cosmic microwave background anisotropies, as well as instrumental noise.