Science opportunities and recommendations concerning optical/infrared polarimetry for the upcoming decade in the field of Galactic science. Community-based White Paper to Astro2010 in response to the call for such papers.
https://arxiv.org/abs/0902.4217
Cognitive processes in the brain, like learning, formation of memory, recovery of memorized images, classification of objects have two features: First, there is no supervisor in the brain who controls these processes. Second there is a hugh number of neurons (10^{6} to 10^{10}) involved in those cognitive tasks. For this reason, the search of understanding cognitive processes uses models built from a large number of neurons, but very much simplified neurons. The so-called neural networks have been quite successful in describing certain aspects of brain functions, like the mechanism of associative memory or recently the prediction of epileptic seizures. At hand of the Kohonen network we discuss the treatment of information in the brain, in particular how the brain organizes such information without supervisor. Recently, networks of small-world and scale-free architecture came into focus. There is evidence indicating that the brain (cat cortex, macaque cortex, human brain) uses such connectivity architecture. Tasks like treatment of information, learning and classification take advantage of such scale-free and small-world connectivity and thus play a potentially important role in self-organization of the brain.
https://arxiv.org/abs/0902.3418
Stanley Milgram’s small world experiment presents “six degrees of separation” of our world. One phenomenon of the experiment still puzzling us is that how individuals operating with the social network information with their characteristics can be very adept at finding the short chains. The previous works on this issue focus whether on the methods of navigation in a given network structure, or on the effects of additional information to the searching process. In this paper, we emphasize that the growth and shape of network architecture is tightly related to the individuals’ attributes. We introduce a method to reconstruct nodes’ intimacy degree based on local interaction. Then we provide an intimacy based approach for orientation in networks. We find that the basic reason of efficient search in social networks is that the degree of “intimacy” of each pair of nodes decays with the length of their shortest path exponentially. Meanwhile, the model can explain the hubs limitation which was observed in real-world experiment.
https://arxiv.org/abs/0902.3329
Local spheroids show a relation between their masses and those of the super-massive black holes (SMBH) at their centres, indicating a link between the major phases of spheroid growth and nuclear accretion. These phases may correspond to high-z submillimetre galaxies (SMGs) and QSOs, separate populations with surprisingly similar redshift distributions which may both be phases in the life cycle of individual galaxies, with SMGs evolving into QSOs. Here we briefly discuss our recent results in Coppin et al. (2008), where we have tested this connection by weighing the black holes and mapping CO in submm-detected QSOs, which may be transition objects between the two phases, and comparing their baryonic, dynamical and Halpha-derived SMBH masses to those of SMGs at the same epoch. [abridged]
https://arxiv.org/abs/0902.0370
In this paper, we propose a new approach for keypoint-based object detection. Traditional keypoint-based methods consist in classifying individual points and using pose estimation to discard misclassifications. Since a single point carries no relational features, such methods inherently restrict the usage of structural information to the pose estimation phase. Therefore, the classifier considers purely appearance-based feature vectors, thus requiring computationally expensive feature extraction or complex probabilistic modelling to achieve satisfactory robustness. In contrast, our approach consists in classifying graphs of keypoints, which incorporates structural information during the classification phase and allows the extraction of simpler feature vectors that are naturally robust. In the present work, 3-vertices graphs have been considered, though the methodology is general and larger order graphs may be adopted. Successful experimental results obtained for real-time object detection in video sequences are reported.
https://arxiv.org/abs/0901.4953
Maps are an important source of information in archaeology and other sciences. Users want to search for historical maps to determine recorded history of the political geography of regions at different eras, to find out where exactly archaeological artifacts were discovered, etc. Currently, they have to use a generic search engine and add the term map along with other keywords to search for maps. This crude method will generate a significant number of false positives that the user will need to cull through to get the desired results. To reduce their manual effort, we propose an automatic map identification, indexing, and retrieval system that enables users to search and retrieve maps appearing in a large corpus of digital documents using simple keyword queries. We identify features that can help in distinguishing maps from other figures in digital documents and show how a Support-Vector-Machine-based classifier can be used to identify maps. We propose map-level-metadata e.g., captions, references to the maps in text, etc. and document-level metadata, e.g., title, abstract, citations, how recent the publication is, etc. and show how they can be automatically extracted and indexed. Our novel ranking algorithm weights different metadata fields differently and also uses the document-level metadata to help rank retrieved maps. Empirical evaluations show which features should be selected and which metadata fields should be weighted more. We also demonstrate improved retrieval results in comparison to adaptations of existing methods for map retrieval. Our map search engine has been deployed in an online map-search system that is part of the Blind-Review digital library system.
地图是考古学和其他科学的重要信息来源。用户需要搜索历史地图，以确定不同时期地区政治地理的历史记录，找出究竟发生了哪些考古文物等等。目前，他们必须使用通用搜索引擎，并添加术语地图其他关键字来搜索地图。这种粗糙的方法将产生大量的误报，用户将需要剔除以获得期望的结果。为了减少他们的手工努力，我们提出了一个自动地图识别，索引和检索系统，使用户能够使用简单的关键字查询搜索和检索出现在数字文档的大型语料库中的地图。我们确定可以帮助区分地图和数字文档中其他图形的功能，并展示如何使用支持向量机分类器来识别地图。我们提出了地图级别的元数据，例如标题，文本中对地图的引用等等，以及文档级别的元数据，例如标题，摘要，引用，出版物的最近时间等，并显示如何自动提取并索引。我们的新颖的排名算法对不同的元数据字段进行不同的加权，并使用文档级元数据来帮助对检索到的地图进行排名实证评估显示应该选择哪些特征，哪些元数据域应该加权得更多。与适应现有的地图检索方法相比，我们还展示了改进的检索结果。我们的地图搜索引擎已经部署在盲检数字图书馆系统的在线地图搜索系统中。
https://arxiv.org/abs/0901.3939
The magnetism in 12.5% and 25% Mn delta-doped cubic GaN has been investigated using the density-functional theory calculations. The results show that the single-layer delta-doping and half-delta-doping structures show robust ground state half-metallic ferromagnetism (HMF), and the double-layer delta-doping structure shows robust ground state antiferromagnetism (AFM) with large spin-flip energy of 479.0 meV per Mn-Mn pair. The delta-doping structures show enhanced two-dimensional magnetism. We discuss the origin of the HMF using a simple crystal field model. Finally, we discuss the antiferromagnet/ferromagnet heterostructure based on Mn doped GaN.
https://arxiv.org/abs/0901.2820
We propose a transceiver architecture for automatic beamforming and instantaneous setup of a multigigabit-per-second wireless link between two millimeter wave radios. The retro-directive architecture eliminates necessity of slow and complex digital algorithms required for searching and tracking the directions of opposite end radios. Simulations predict <5 micro-seconds setup time for a 2-Gbps bidirectional 60-GHz communication link between two 10-meters apart radios. The radios have 4-element arrayed antennas, and use QPSK modulation with 1.5 GHz analog bandwidth.
https://arxiv.org/abs/0901.2771
(Abridged) We construct a catalog of radio sources detected by the GB6 (6 cm), FIRST and NVSS (20 cm), and WENSS (92 cm) radio surveys, and the SDSS optical survey. The 2.7 million entries in the publicly-available master catalog are comprised of the closest three FIRST to NVSS matches (within 30 arcsec) and vice-versa, and unmatched sources from each survey. Entries are supplemented by data from the other radio and optical surveys, where available. We perform data analysis a ~3000 deg^2 region of sky where the surveys overlap, which contains 140,000 NVSS-FIRST sources, of which 64,000 are detected by WENSS and 12,000 by GB6. About one third of each sample is detected by SDSS. An automated classification method based on 20 cm fluxes defines three radio morphology classes: complex, resolved, and compact. Radio color-magnitude- morphology diagrams for these classes show structure suggestive of strong underlying physical correlations. Complex and resolved sources tend to have a steep spectral slope (alpha ~ -0.8) that is nearly constant from 6 to 92 cm, while the compact class contains a significant number of flat-spectrum (alpha ~ 0) sources. In the optically-detected sample, quasars dominate the flat-spectrum compact sources while steep-spectrum and resolved objects contain substantial numbers of both quasars and galaxies. Differential radio counts of quasars and galaxies are similar at bright flux levels (>100 mJy at 20 cm), while at fainter levels the quasar counts are significantly reduced below galaxy counts. The optically-undetected sample is strongly biased toward steep-spectrum sources. In samples of quasars and galaxies with SDSS spectra, we find that radio properties such as spectral slope, morphology, and radio loudness are correlated with optical color and luminosity.
https://arxiv.org/abs/0806.0650
A very high energy (VHE) gamma-ray signal has been detected at the 5.4 sigma level from H1426+428, an x-ray selected BL Lacertae object at a redshift of 0.129. The object was monitored from 1995 - 1998 with the Whipple 10m imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescope as part of a general blazar survey; the results of these observations, although not statistically significant, were consistently positive. X-ray observations of H1426+428 during 1999 with the BeppoSAX instrument revealed that the peak of its synchrotron spectrum occurs at > 100 keV, leading to the prediction of observable TeV emission from this object. H1426+428 was monitored extensively at the Whipple Observatory during the 1999, 2000, and 2001 observing seasons. The strongest TeV signals were detected in 2000 and 2001. During 2001, an integral flux of 2.04 +/- 0.35 x10e-11 cm-2 s-1 above 280 GeV was recorded from H1426+428. The detection of H1426+428 supports the idea that, as also seen in Markarian 501 and 1ES2344+514, BL Lacertae objects with extremely high synchrotron peak frequencies produce gamma rays in the TeV range.
https://arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/0202185
We introduce a new adaptive and fully Bayesian grid-based method to model strong gravitational lenses with extended images. The primary goal of this method is to quantify the level of luminous and dark-mass substructure in massive galaxies, through their effect on highly-magnified arcs and Einstein rings. The method is adaptive on the source plane, where a Delaunay tessellation is defined according to the lens mapping of a regular grid onto the source plane. The Bayesian penalty function allows us to recover the best non-linear potential-model parameters and/or a grid-based potential correction and to objectively quantify the level of regularization for both the source and the potential. In addition, we implement a Nested-Sampling technique to quantify the errors on all non-linear mass model parameters – … – and allow an objective ranking of different potential models in terms of the marginalized evidence. In particular, we are interested in comparing very smooth lens mass models with ones that contain mass-substructures. The algorithm has been tested on a range of simulated data sets, created from a model of a realistic lens system. One of the lens systems is characterized by a smooth potential with a power-law density profile, twelve include a NFW dark-matter substructure of different masses and at different positions and one contains two NFW dark substructures with the same mass but with different positions. Reconstruction of the source and of the lens potential for all of these systems shows the method is able, in a realistic scenario, to identify perturbations with masses >=10^7 solar mass when located on the Einstein ring. For positions both inside and outside of the ring, masses of at least 10^9 solar mass are required (…).
https://arxiv.org/abs/0805.0201
We present first-principles calculations of the impact ionization rate (IIR) in the $GW$ approximation ($GW$A) for semiconductors. The IIR is calculated from the quasiparticle (QP) width in the $GW$A, since it can be identified as the decay rate of a QP into lower energy QP plus an independent electron-hole pair. The quasiparticle self-consistent $GW$ method was used to generate the noninteracting hamiltonian the $GW$A requires as input. Small empirical corrections were added so as to reproduce experimental band gaps. Our results are in reasonable agreement with previous work, though we observe some discrepancy. In particular we find high IIR at low energy in the narrow gap semiconductor InAs.
https://arxiv.org/abs/0812.2923
In this paper, we present a new kind of learning implementation to recognize the patterns using the concept of Mirroring Neural Network (MNN) which can extract information from distinct sensory input patterns and perform pattern recognition tasks. It is also capable of being used as an advanced associative memory wherein image data is associated with voice inputs in an unsupervised manner. Since the architecture is hierarchical and modular it has the potential of being used to devise learning engines of ever increasing complexity.
https://arxiv.org/abs/0812.2535
The ion-sputtering (IS) process is active in many planetary environments in the Solar System where plasma precipitates directly on the surface (for instance, Mercury, Moon, Europa). In particular, solar-wind sputtering is one of the most important agents for the surface erosion of a Near-Earth Object (NEO), acting together with other surface release processes, such as Photon Stimulated Desorption (PSD), Thermal Desorption (TD) and Micrometeoroid Impact Vaporization (MIV). The energy distribution of the IS-released neutrals peaks at a few eVs and extends up to hundreds of eVs. Since all other release processes produce particles of lower energies, the presence of neutral atoms in the energy range above 10 eV and below a few keVs (Sputtered High-Energy Atoms - SHEA) identifies the IS process. SHEA easily escape from the NEO, due to NEO’s extremely weak gravity. Detection and analysis of SHEA will give important information on surface-loss processes as well as on surface elemental composition. The investigation of the active release processes, as a function of the external conditions and the NEO surface properties, is crucial for obtaining a clear view of the body’s present loss rate as well as for getting clues on its evolution, which depends significantly on space weather. In this work, an attempt to analyze the processes that take place on the surface of these small airless bodies, as a result of their exposure to the space environment, has been realized. For this reason a new space weathering model (Space Weathering on NEO - SPAWN), is presented. Moreover, an instrument concept of a neutral-particle analyzer specifically designed for the measurement of neutral density and the detection of SHEA from a NEO is proposed
https://arxiv.org/abs/0811.4727
In this work we present a comparison of multiband k.p-models, the effective bond-orbital approach, and an empirical tight-binding model to calculate the electronic structure for the example of a truncated pyramidal GaN/AlN self-assembled quantum dot with a zincblende structure. For the system under consideration, we find a very good agreement between the results of the microscopic models and the 8-band k.p-formalism, in contrast to a 6+2-band k.p-model, where conduction band and valence band are assumed to be decoupled. This indicates a surprisingly strong coupling between conduction and valence band states for the wide band gap materials GaN and AlN. Special attention is paid to the possible influence of the weak spin-orbit coupling on the localized single-particle wave functions of the investigated structure.
https://arxiv.org/abs/0811.1461
This paper presents the formulation of a combinatorial optimization problem with the following characteristics: i.the search space is the power set of a finite set structured as a Boolean lattice; ii.the cost function forms a U-shaped curve when applied to any lattice chain. This formulation applies for feature selection in the context of pattern recognition. The known approaches for this problem are branch-and-bound algorithms and heuristics, that explore partially the search space. Branch-and-bound algorithms are equivalent to the full search, while heuristics are not. This paper presents a branch-and-bound algorithm that differs from the others known by exploring the lattice structure and the U-shaped chain curves of the search space. The main contribution of this paper is the architecture of this algorithm that is based on the representation and exploration of the search space by new lattice properties proven here. Several experiments, with well known public data, indicate the superiority of the proposed method to SFFS, which is a popular heuristic that gives good results in very short computational time. In all experiments, the proposed method got better or equal results in similar or even smaller computational time.
https://arxiv.org/abs/0810.5573
We consider the problem of efficiently managing massive data in a large-scale distributed environment. We consider data strings of size in the order of Terabytes, shared and accessed by concurrent clients. On each individual access, a segment of a string, of the order of Megabytes, is read or modified. Our goal is to provide the clients with efficient fine-grain access the data string as concurrently as possible, without locking the string itself. This issue is crucial in the context of applications in the field of astronomy, databases, data mining and multimedia. We illustrate these requiremens with the case of an application for searching supernovae. Our solution relies on distributed, RAM-based data storage, while leveraging a DHT-based, parallel metadata management scheme. The proposed architecture and algorithms have been validated through a software prototype and evaluated in a cluster environment.
https://arxiv.org/abs/0810.2226
Wide bandgap semiconductors are attractive candidates for polariton-based devices operating at room temperature. We present numerical simulations of reflectivity, transmission and absorption spectra of bulk GaAs, GaN and ZnO microcavities, in order to compare the particularities of the strong coupling regime in each system. Indeed the intrinsic properties of the excitons in these materials result in a different hierarchy of energies between the valence-band splitting, the effective Rydberg and the Rabi energy, defining the characteristics of the exciton-polariton states independently of the quality factor of the cavity. The knowledge of the composition of the polariton eigenstates is central to optimize such systems. We demonstrate that, in ZnO bulk microcavities, only the lower polaritons are good eigenstates and all other resonances are damped, whereas upper polaritons can be properly defined in GaAs and GaN microcavities.
https://arxiv.org/abs/0810.1811
We propose to apply an object point process to automatically delineate filaments of the large-scale structure in redshift catalogues. We illustrate the feasibility of the idea on an example of the recent 2dF Galaxy Redshift Survey, describe the procedure, and characterise the results.
https://arxiv.org/abs/0809.4358
With the fantastic growth of Internet usage, information search in documents of a special type called a “wiki page” that is written using a simple markup language, has become an important problem. This paper describes the software architectural model for indexing wiki texts in three languages (Russian, English, and German) and the interaction between the software components (GATE, Lemmatizer, and Synarcher). The inverted file index database was designed using visual tool DBDesigner. The rules for parsing Wikipedia texts are illustrated by examples. Two index databases of Russian Wikipedia (RW) and Simple English Wikipedia (SEW) are built and compared. The size of RW is by order of magnitude higher than SEW (number of words, lexemes), though the growth rate of number of pages in SEW was found to be 14% higher than in Russian, and the rate of acquisition of new words in SEW lexicon was 7% higher during a period of five months (from September 2007 to February 2008). The Zipf’s law was tested with both Russian and Simple Wikipedias. The entire source code of the indexing software and the generated index databases are freely available under GPL (GNU General Public License).
https://arxiv.org/abs/0808.1753
We study theoretically the electronic properties of $c$-plane GaN/AlN quantum dots (QDs) with focus on their potential as sources of single polarized photons for future quantum communication systems. Within the framework of eight-band k.p theory we calculate the optical interband transitions of the QDs and their polarization properties. We show that an anisotropy of the QD confinement potential in the basal plane (e.g. QD elongation or strain anisotropy) leads to a pronounced linear polarization of the ground state and excited state transitions. An externally applied uniaxial stress can be used to either induce a linear polarization of the ground-state transition for emission of single polarized photons or even to compensate the polarization induced by the structural elongation.
https://arxiv.org/abs/0807.5024
Using group theory and Kane-like $\mathbf{k\cdot p}$ model together with the Löwdining partition method, we derive the expressions of spin-orbit coupling of electrons and holes, including the linear-$k$ Rashba term due to the intrinsic structure inversion asymmetry and the cubic-$k$ Dresselhaus term due to the bulk inversion asymmetry in wurtzite semiconductors. The coefficients of the electron and hole Dresselhaus terms of ZnO and GaN in wurtzite structure and GaN in zinc-blende structure are calculated using the nearest-neighbor $sp^3$ and $sp^3s^\ast$ tight-binding models separately.
https://arxiv.org/abs/0805.1577
We present the first results of AKARI Infrared Camera near-infrared spec- troscopic survey of the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC). We detected absorption features of the H2O ice 3.05 um and the CO2 ice 4.27 um stretching mode toward seven massive young stellar objects (YSOs). These samples are for the first time spectroscopically confirmed to be YSOs. We used a curve-of-growth method to evaluate the column densities of the ices and derived the CO2/H2O ratio to be 0.45 pm 0.17. This is clearly higher than that seen in Galactic massive YSOs (0.17 pm 0.03). We suggest that the strong ultraviolet radiation field and/or the high dust temperature in the LMC may be responsible for the observed high CO2 ice abundance.
https://arxiv.org/abs/0809.3073
The resonant circular photogalvanic effect is observed in wurtzite (0001)-oriented GaN low-dimensional structures excited by infrared radiation. The current is induced by angular momentum transfer of photons to the photoexcited electrons at resonant inter-subband optical transitions in a GaN/AlGaN heterojunction. The signal reverses upon the reversal of the radiation helicity or, at fixed helicity, when the propagation direction of the photons is reversed. Making use of the tunability of the free-electron laser FELIX we demonstrate that the current direction changes by sweeping the photon energy through the intersubband resonance condition, in agreement with theoretical considerations.
https://arxiv.org/abs/0809.2718
Rating-based collaborative filtering is the process of predicting how a user would rate a given item from other user ratings. We propose three related slope one schemes with predictors of the form f(x) = x + b, which precompute the average difference between the ratings of one item and another for users who rated both. Slope one algorithms are easy to implement, efficient to query, reasonably accurate, and they support both online queries and dynamic updates, which makes them good candidates for real-world systems. The basic slope one scheme is suggested as a new reference scheme for collaborative filtering. By factoring in items that a user liked separately from items that a user disliked, we achieve results competitive with slower memory-based schemes over the standard benchmark EachMovie and Movielens data sets while better fulfilling the desiderata of CF applications.
https://arxiv.org/abs/cs/0702144
In this work we study, analytically and employing Monte Carlo simulations, the influence of the competition between several activity-dependent synaptic processes, such as short-term synaptic facilitation and depression, on the maximum memory storage capacity in a neural network. In contrast with the case of synaptic depression, which drastically reduces the capacity of the network to store and retrieve “static” activity patterns, synaptic facilitation enhances the storage capacity in different contexts. In particular, we found optimal values of the relevant synaptic parameters (such as the neurotransmitter release probability or the characteristic facilitation time constant) for which the storage capacity can be maximal and similar to the one obtained with static synapses, that is, without activity-dependent processes. We conclude that depressing synapses with a certain level of facilitation allow to recover the good retrieval properties of networks with static synapses while maintaining the nonlinear characteristics of dynamic synapses, convenient for information processing and coding.
https://arxiv.org/abs/0809.2010
In this paper we describe the design and implementation of the Prolog interface to the Unstructured Information Management Architecture (UIMA) and some of its applications in natural language processing. The UIMA Prolog interface translates unstructured data and the UIMA Common Analysis Structure (CAS) into a Prolog knowledge base, over which, the developers write rules and use resolution theorem proving to search and generate new annotations over the unstructured data. These rules can explore all the previous UIMA annotations (such as, the syntactic structure, parsing statistics) and external Prolog knowledge bases (such as, Prolog WordNet and Extended WordNet) to implement a variety of tasks for the natural language analysis. We also describe applications of this logic programming interface in question analysis (such as, focus detection, answer-type and other constraints detection), shallow parsing (such as, relations in the syntactic structure), and answer selection.
https://arxiv.org/abs/0809.0680
A new fast Bayesian approach is introduced for the detection of discrete objects immersed in a diffuse background. This new method, called PowellSnakes, speeds up traditional Bayesian techniques by: i) replacing the standard form of the likelihood for the parameters characterizing the discrete objects by an alternative exact form that is much quicker to evaluate; ii) using a simultaneous multiple minimization code based on Powell’s direction set algorithm to locate rapidly the local maxima in the posterior; and iii) deciding whether each located posterior peak corresponds to a real object by performing a Bayesian model selection using an approximate evidence value based on a local Gaussian approximation to the peak. The construction of this Gaussian approximation also provides the covariance matrix of the uncertainties in the derived parameter values for the object in question. This new approach provides a speed up in performance by a factor of `hundreds’ as compared to existing Bayesian source extraction methods that use MCMC to explore the parameter space, such as that presented by Hobson & McLachlan. We illustrate the capabilities of the method by applying to some simplified toy models. Furthermore PowellSnakes has the advantage of consistently defining the threshold for acceptance/rejection based on priors which cannot be said of the frequentist methods. We present here the first implementation of this technique (Version-I). Further improvements to this implementation are currently under investigation and will be published shortly. The application of the method to realistic simulated Planck observations will be presented in a forthcoming publication.
https://arxiv.org/abs/0802.3916
Scalable quantum information processing critically depends on the capability of storage of a quantum state. In particular, a long-lived storable and retrievable quantum memory for single excitations is of crucial importance to the atomic-ensemble-based long-distance quantum communication. Although atomic memories for classical lights and continuous variables have been demonstrated with milliseconds storage time, there is no equal advance in the development of quantum memory for single excitations, where only around 10 $\mu$s storage time was achieved. Here we report our experimental investigations on extending the storage time of quantum memory for single excitations. We isolate and identify distinct mechanisms for the decoherence of spin wave (SW) in atomic ensemble quantum memories. By exploiting the magnetic field insensitive state, ``clock state”, and generating a long-wavelength SW to suppress the dephasing, we succeed in extending the storage time of the quantum memory to 1 ms. Our result represents a substantial progress towards long-distance quantum communication and enables a realistic avenue for large-scale quantum information processing.
https://arxiv.org/abs/0807.5064
We derive an energy-dependent decay-time distribution function from the multi-exponential decay of the ensemble photoluminescence (PL) of InGaN/GaN quantum dots (QDs), which agrees well with recently published single-QD time-resolved PL measurements. Using eight-band k.p modelling, we show that the built-in piezo- and pyroelectric fields within the QDs cause a sensitive dependence of the radiative lifetimes on the exact QD geometry and composition. Moreover, the radiative lifetimes also depend heavily on the composition of the direct surrounding of the QDs. A broad lifetime distribution occurs even for moderate variations of the QD structure. Thus, for unscreened fields a multi-exponential decay of the ensemble PL is generally expected in this material system.
https://arxiv.org/abs/0807.5056
We report micro-photoluminescence studies of single GaN/AlN quantum dots grown along the (0001) crystal axis by molecular beam epitaxy on Si(111) substrates. The emission lines exhibit a linear polarization along the growth plane, but with varying magnitudes of the polarization degree and with principal polarization axes that do not necessarily correspond to crystallographic directions. Moreover, we could not observe any splitting of polarized emission lines, at least within the spectral resolution of our setup (1 meV). We propose a model based on the joint effects of electron-hole exchange interaction and in-plane anisotropy of strain and/or quantum dot shape, in order to explain the quantitative differences between our observations and those previously reported on, e.g. CdTe- or InAs-based quantum dots.
https://arxiv.org/abs/0803.0899
Density functional calculations are performed to investigate the room temperature ferromagnetism in GaN:Cu nanowires (NWs). Our results indicate that two Cu dopants are most stable when they are near each other. Compared to bulk GaN:Cu, we find that magnetization and ferromagnetism in Cu doped NWs is strongly enhanced because the band width of the Cu td band is reduced due to the 1D nature of the NW. The surface passivation is shown to be crucial to sustain the ferromagnetism in GaN:Cu NWs. These findings are in good agreement with experimental observations and indicate that ferromagnetism in this type of systems can be tuned by controlling the size or shape of the host materials.
https://arxiv.org/abs/0807.0918
We have theoretically studied exciton states and photoluminescence spectra of strained wurtzite AlGaN/GaN quantum-well heterostructures. The electron and hole energy spectra are obtained by numerically solving the Schrödinger equation, both for a single-band Hamiltonian and for a non-symmetrical 6-band Hamiltonian. The deformation potential and spin-orbit interaction are taken into account. For increasing built-in field, generated by the piezoelectric polarization and by the spontaneous polarization, the energy of size quantization rises and the number of size quantized electron and hole levels in a quantum well decreases. The exciton energy spectrum is obtained using electron and hole wave functions and two-dimensional Coulomb wave functions as a basis. We have calculated the exciton oscillator strengths and identified the exciton states active in optical absorption. For different values of the Al content x, a quantitative interpretation, in a good agreement with experiment, is provided for (i) the red shift of the zero-phonon photoluminescence peaks for increasing the quantum-well width, (ii) the relative intensities of the zero-phonon and one-phonon photoluminescence peaks, found within the non-adiabatic approach, and (iii) the values of the photoluminescence decay time as a function of the quantum-well width.
https://arxiv.org/abs/0805.4602
By way of explaining how a brain works logically, human associative memory is modeled with logical and memory neurons, corresponding to standard digital circuits. The resulting cognitive architecture incorporates basic psychological elements such as short term and long term memory. Novel to the architecture are memory searches using cues chosen pseudorandomly from short term memory. Recalls alternated with sensory images, many tens per second, are analyzed subliminally as an ongoing process, to determine a direction of attention in short term memory.
https://arxiv.org/abs/0805.3126
The optical properties of bulk $\lambda/2$ GaN microcavities working in the strong light-matter coupling regime are investigated using angle-dependent reflectivity and photoluminescence at 5 K and 300 K. The structures have an Al${0.2}$Ga${0.8}$N/AlN distributed Bragg reflector as the bottom mirror and either an aluminium mirror or a dielectric Bragg mirror as the top one. First, the influence of the number of pairs of the bottom mirror on the Rabi splitting is studied. The increase of the mirror penetration depth is correlated with a reduction of the Rabi splitting. Second, the emission of the lower polariton branch is observed at low temperature in a microcavity containing two Bragg mirrors and exibiting a quality factor of 190. Our simulations using the transfer-matrix formalism, taking into account the real structure of the samples investigated are in good agreement with experimental results.
https://arxiv.org/abs/0805.3090
Photogalvanic effects are observed and investigated in wurtzite (0001)-oriented GaN/AlGaN low-dimensional structures excited by terahertz radiation. The structures are shown to represent linear quantum ratchets. Experimental and theoretical analysis exhibits that the observed photocurrents are related to the lack of an inversion center in the GaN-based heterojunctions.
https://arxiv.org/abs/0804.0342
We report recrystallization of epitaxial (epi-) GaN(0001) film under indentation.Hardness value is measured close to 10 GPa, using a Berkovich indenter. Pop-in burst in the loading line indicates nucleation of dislocations setting in plastic motion of lattice atoms under stress field for the recrystallization process. Micro-Raman studies are used to identify the recrystallization process. Raman area mapping indicates the crystallized region. Phonon mode corresponding to E2(high) close to 570 cm-1 in the as-grown epi-GaN is redshifted to stress free value close to 567 cm-1 in the indented region. Evolution of A1(TO) and E1(TO) phonon modes are also reported to signify the recrystallization process.
https://arxiv.org/abs/0804.1824
The recent improvements of graphics processing units (GPU) offer to the computer vision community a powerful processing platform. Indeed, a lot of highly-parallelizable computer vision problems can be significantly accelerated using GPU architecture. Among these algorithms, the k nearest neighbor search (KNN) is a well-known problem linked with many applications such as classification, estimation of statistical properties, etc. The main drawback of this task lies in its computation burden, as it grows polynomially with the data size. In this paper, we show that the use of the NVIDIA CUDA API accelerates the search for the KNN up to a factor of 120.
https://arxiv.org/abs/0804.1448
We present the SAMMI lightweight object detection method which has a high level of accuracy and robustness, and which is able to operate in an environment with a large number of cameras. Background modeling is based on DCT coefficients provided by cameras. Foreground detection uses similarity in temporal characteristics of adjacent blocks of pixels, which is a computationally inexpensive way to make use of object coherence. Scene model updating uses the approximated median method for improved performance. Evaluation at pixel level and application level shows that SAMMI object detection performs better and faster than the conventional Mixture of Gaussians method.
https://arxiv.org/abs/0803.1586
The saturation-based reasoning methods are among the most theoretically developed ones and are used by most of the state-of-the-art first-order logic reasoners. In the last decade there was a sharp increase in performance of such systems, which I attribute to the use of advanced calculi and the intensified research in implementation techniques. However, nowadays we are witnessing a slowdown in performance progress, which may be considered as a sign that the saturation-based technology is reaching its inherent limits. The position I am trying to put forward in this paper is that such scepticism is premature and a sharp improvement in performance may potentially be reached by adopting new architectural principles for saturation. The top-level algorithms and corresponding designs used in the state-of-the-art saturation-based theorem provers have (at least) two inherent drawbacks: the insufficient flexibility of the used inference selection mechanisms and the lack of means for intelligent prioritising of search directions. In this position paper I analyse these drawbacks and present two ideas on how they could be overcome. In particular, I propose a flexible low-cost high-precision mechanism for inference selection, intended to overcome problems associated with the currently used instances of clause selection-based procedures. I also outline a method for intelligent prioritising of search directions, based on probing the search space by exploring generalised search directions. I discuss some technical issues related to implementation of the proposed architectural principles and outline possible solutions.
https://arxiv.org/abs/0802.2127
We present the SCUBA Legacy Catalogues, two comprehensive sets of continuum maps (and catalogues) using data at 850 microns and 450 microns of the various astronomical objects obtained with the Submillimetre Common User Bolometer Array (SCUBA). The Fundamental Map Dataset contains data only where superior atmospheric opacity calibration data were available. The Extended Map Dataset is comprised of data regardless of the quality of the opacity calibration. Each Dataset contains 1.2 degree x 1.2 degree maps at locations where data existed in the JCMT archive, imaged using the matrix inversion method. The Fundamental Dataset is comprised of 1423 maps at 850 microns and 1357 maps at 450 microns. The Extended Dataset is comprised of 1547 maps at 850 microns. Neither Dataset includes high sensitivity, single chop SCUBA maps of “cosmological fields” nor solar system objects. Each Dataset was used to determine a respective Object Catalogue, consisting of objects identified within the respective 850 micron maps using an automated identification algorithm. The Fundamental and Extended Map Object Catalogues contain 5061 and 6118 objects respectively. Objects are named based on their respective J2000 position of peak 850 micron intensity. The Catalogues provide for each object the respective maximum 850 micron intensity, estimates of total 850 micron flux and size, and tentative identifications from the SIMBAD Database. Where possible, the Catalogues als provide for each object its maximum 450 micron intensity and total 450 micron flux, and flux ratios. Data products, machine-readable tables and a full version of the paper can be retrieved at this http URL .
https://arxiv.org/abs/0801.2595
The classical forms of knowledge representation fail when a strong dynamical interconnection between system and environment comes into play. We propose here a model of information retrieval derived from the Kintsch-Ericsson scheme, based upon a long term memory (LTM) associative net whose structure changes in time according to the textual content of the analyzed documents. Both the theoretical analysis carried out by using simple statistical tools and the tests show the appearing of typical power-laws and the net configuration as a scale-free graph. The information retrieval from LTM shows that the entire system can be considered to be an information amplifier which leads to the emergence of new cognitive structures. It has to be underlined that the expanding of the semantic domain regards the user-network as a whole system.
https://arxiv.org/abs/0801.0887
We have derived consistent sets of band parameters (band gaps, crystal field-splittings, band gap deformation potentials, effective masses, Luttinger and EP parameters) for AlN, GaN, and InN in the zinc-blende and wurtzite phases employing many-body perturbation theory in the G0W0 approximation. The G0W0 method has been combined with density-functional theory (DFT) calculations in the exact-exchange optimized effective potential approach (OEPx) to overcome the limitations of local-density or gradient-corrected DFT functionals (LDA and GGA). The band structures in the vicinity of the Gamma-point have been used to directly parameterize a 4x4 k.p Hamiltonian to capture non-parabolicities in the conduction bands and the more complex valence-band structure of the wurtzite phases. We demonstrate that the band parameters derived in this fashion are in very good agreement with the available experimental data and provide reliable predictions for all parameters which have not been determined experimentally so far.
https://arxiv.org/abs/0801.0421
We present interferometric observations resolving the CO emission in the four gas-rich lenticular galaxies NGC 3032, NGC 4150, NGC 4459, and NGC 4526, and we compare the CO distribution and kinematics to those of the stars and ionized gas. Counterrotation documents an external origin for the gas in at least one case (NGC 3032), and the comparisons to stellar and ionized gas substructures in all four galaxies offer insights into their formation histories. The molecular gas is found in kpc-scale disks with mostly regular kinematics and average surface densities of 100 to 200 \msunsqpc. The disks are well aligned with the stellar photometric and kinematic axes. In the two more luminous Virgo Cluster members NGC 4459 and NGC 4526 the molecular gas shows excellent agreement with circular velocities derived independently from detailed modeling of stellar kinematic data. There are also two puzzling instances of disagreements between stellar kinematics and gas kinematics on sub-kpc scales. In the inner arcseconds of NGC 3032 the CO velocities are significantly lower than the inferred circular velocities, and the reasons may possibly be related to the external origin of the gas but are not well understood. In addition, the very young population of stars in the core of NGC 4150 appears to have the opposite sense of rotation from the molecular gas.
https://arxiv.org/abs/0712.4189
Knowledge of the Kuiper Belt is currently limited to those objects that can be detected directly. Objects with diameters less than $\sim$10km reflect too little light to be detected. These smaller bodies could contain most of the mass in the Kuiper Belt while the abundance of these bodies may constrain the distribution of mass. The overall size distribution of bodies within the Kuiper Belt can also be inferred from the relative abundances of sub-km and larger bodies. Stellar occultations are already used to study dark objects in the Solar System, such as asteroids or planetary rings. Occultation by a KBO of a size comparable to, or larger than, that of the Fresnel Scale will result in Fresnel diffraction. Detection of diffraction effects requires fast multiple-star photometry, which will be conducted in July 2007 using the Orthogonal Parallel Transfer Imaging Camera (OPTIC) mounted on the University of Hawaii 2.2m telescope on Mauna Kea. This paper details how knowledge of the mass and structure of the outer Solar System may be obtained through the detection of serendipitous stellar occultations.
https://arxiv.org/abs/0712.1550
The optical orientation of the exciton spin in an ensemble of self-organized cubic GaN/AlN quantum dots is studied by time-resolved photoluminescence. Under a polarized quasi-resonant excitation, the luminescence linear polarization exhibits no temporal decay, even at room temperature. This demonstrates the robustness of the exciton spin polarization in these cubic nitride nanostructures, with characteristic decay times longer than 10 ns.
https://arxiv.org/abs/0711.4535
We report on a strong delay in light propagation through bulk GaN, detected by time-of-flight spectroscopy. The delay increases resonantly as the photon energy approaches the energy of a neutral-donor bound exciton (BX), resulting in a velocity of light as low as 2100 km/s. In the close vicinity of the BX resonance, the transmitted light contains both ballistic and diffusive components. This phenomenon is quantitatively explained in terms of optical dispersion in a medium where resonant light scattering by the BX resonance takes place in addition to the polariton propagation.
https://arxiv.org/abs/0711.3981
We present a study of the polarization properties of emission lines from single InGaN/GaN quantum dots (QDs). The QDs, formed by spinodal decomposition within ultra-thin InGaN quantum wells, are investigated using single-QD cathodoluminescence (CL). The emission lines exhibit a systematic linear polarization in the orthogonal crystal directions [1 1 -2 0] and [-1 1 0 0]–a symmetry that is non-native to hexagonal crystals. Eight-band k.p calculations reveal a mechanism that can explain the observed polarizations: The character of the hole(s) in an excitonic complex determines the polarization direction of the respective emission if the QD is slightly elongated. Transitions involving A-band holes are polarized parallel to the elongation; transitions involving B-type holes are polarized in the orthogonal direction. The energetic separation of both hole states is smaller than 10 meV. The mechanism leading to the linear polarizations is not restricted to InGaN QDs, but should occur in other wurtzite-nitride QDs and in materials with similar valence band structure.
https://arxiv.org/abs/0711.3381
To date, two planetary systems have been discovered with close-in, terrestrial-mass planets (< 5-10 Earth masses). Many more such discoveries are anticipated in the coming years with radial velocity and transit searches. Here we investigate the different mechanisms that could form “hot Earths” and their observable predictions. Models include: 1) in situ accretion; 2) formation at larger orbital distance followed by inward “type 1” migration; 3) formation from material being “shepherded” inward by a migrating gas giant planet; 4) formation from material being shepherded by moving secular resonances during dispersal of the protoplanetary disk; 5) tidal circularization of eccentric terrestrial planets with close-in perihelion distances; and 6) photo-evaporative mass loss of a close-in giant planet. Models 1-4 have been validated in previous work. We show that tidal circularization can form hot Earths, but only for relatively massive planets (> 5 Earth masses) with very close-in perihelion distances (< 0.025 AU), and even then the net inward movement in orbital distance is at most only 0.1-0.15 AU. For planets of less than about 70 Earth masses, photo-evaporation can remove the planet’s envelope and leave behind the solid core on a Gyr timescale, but only for planets inside 0.025-0.05 AU. Using two quantities that are observable by current and upcoming missions, we show that these models each produce unique signatures, and can be observationally distinguished. These observables are the planetary system architecture (detectable with radial velocities, transits and transit-timing) and the bulk composition of transiting close-in terrestrial planets (measured by transits via the planet’s radius).
https://arxiv.org/abs/0711.2015
The MAGIC telescope has observed very-high energy gamma-ray emission from the BL Lac object PG 1553+113 in 2005 and 2006 at an overall significance is 8.8 sigma. The light curve shows no significant flux variations on a daily timescale. The flux level during 2005 was, however, significantly higher as compared to 2006. The differential energy spectrum between approx. 90 GeV and 500 GeV is well described by a power law with a spectral index of -4.2+-0.3. The photon energy spectrum and spectral modeling allow to pose upper limits of z=0.74 and z=0.56, respectively, on the yet undetermined redshift of PG 1553+113. Recent VLT observations of this blazar show featureless spectra in the near-IR, thus no direct redshift could be determined from these measurements.
https://arxiv.org/abs/0711.1586