Seasonal variability of cloud optical depth over northwestern China derived from CERES/MODIS satellite measurements

The seasonal variability of cloud optical depth over northwestern China derived from Clouds and the Earth＇s Radiant Energy System （CERES） Single Scanner Footprint （SSF） Aqua Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer （MODIS） Edition IB data from July 2002 to June 2004 is presented. The regions of interest are those with Asia monsoon influence, the Tianshan and Qilian Mountains, and the Taklimakan Desert. The results show that the instantaneous measurements presented here are much higher than the previous results derived from International Satellite Cloud Climatology Project （ISCCP） D2 monthly mean data. Generally the measurements of cloud optical depth are the highest in summer and the lowest in winter, however, Taklimakan Desert has the lowest measurements in autumn. The regional variation is quite significant over northwestern China.     

The effect of a surface energy term on the distribution of phases in an elastic medium with a two‐well elastic potential

We consider the problem of minimizing among functions u:?^d?Ω→?^d, u_∣?Ω=0, and measurable subsets E of Ω. Here f_h⁺, f^? denote quadratic potentials defined on Ω¯×{symmetric d×d matrices}, h is the minimum energy of f_h⁺ and ε(u) is the symmetric gradient of the displacement field u. An equilibrium state û, Ê of J(u,E) is called one‐phase if E=?? or E=Ω, two‐phase otherwise. For two‐phase states, σ∣?E∩Ω∣ measures the effect of the separating surface, and we investigate the way in which the distribution of phases is affected by the choice of the parameters h??, σ>0. Additional results concern the smoothness of two‐phase equilibrium states and the behaviour of inf J(u,E) in the limit σ↓0. Moreover, we discuss the case of additional volume force potentials, and extend the previous results to non‐zero boundary values. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

On a Property of Subexponential Distributions

Let F be a distribution function (d.f.) on [0, ) with finite first moment m >0. We define the integrated tail distribution function F ₁ of F by F ₁(t)=m^-1 ₀ ^t (1- F(u))du, t0. In this paper, we obtain sufficient conditions under which implications FSF ₁S and F ₁S FS hold, where S is the class of subexponential distributions.     

On pointwise convergence of Fourier series of radial functions in several variables

We prove the pointwise convergence of the Fourier series for radial functions in several variables, which in the case is the Dirichlet-Jordan theorem itself. In our proof the method for the case of the indicator function of the ball is very useful.

     

Neighboring extremals of dynamic optimization problems with path equality constraints

Neighboring extremals of dynamic optimization problems with path equality constraints and with an unknown parameter vector are considered in this paper. With some simplifications, the problem is reduced to solving a linear, time-varying two-point boundary-value problem with integral path equality constraints. A modified backward sweep method is used to solve this problem. Two example problems are solved to illustrate the validity and usefulness of the solution technique. This research was supported in part by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration under NASA Grant No. NCC-2-106. The author is indebted to Professor A. E. Bryson, Jr., Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Stanford University, for many stimulating discussions.     

Volume variation of nuclear Grüneisen parameter for equation of state studies

The method of first principle pseudopotential is used to simulate the volume variation of nuclear Grüneisen parameter. The elements Al and Be, for which Neal’s experimental data exist are investigated. The nuclear Grüneisen obtained from the details of phonon frequencies are in better agreement with the experimental data as compared to those obtained from approximate Slater and Dugdale-MacDonald methods, often used in shock wave studies.     

Collisions and Fracture: a 1-D Theory. How to Tear off a Chandelier from the Ceiling

When a plate falls on the ground, it breaks. We study this phenomenon at the macroscopic level. We restrict ourselves to 1-D problems and illustrate the theory with a chandelier to which a falling stone is tied. The collisions are assumed instantaneous. Percussions are introduced at the unknown fracture points. Equations of motion and constitutive laws give a set of differential equations, whose corresponding variational problem may be solved in SBV (special functions of bounded variation). The example shows how the theory applies and gives realistic results.     

Two-Parametric Compound Binomial Approximations

We consider two-parametric compound binomial approximation of the generalized Poisson binomial distribution. We show that the accuracy of approximation essentially depends on the symmetry or shifting of distributions and construct asymptotic expansions. For the proofs, we combine the properties of norms with the results for convolutions of symmetric and shifted distributions. In the lattice case, we use the characteristic function method. In the case of almost binomial approximation, we apply Steins method.__________Published in Lietuvos Matematikos Rinkinys, Vol. 44, No. 4, pp. 443–466, October–December, 2004.     

On the invariance of classes under composition

The necessary and sufficient condition for to be in the class for every of that class whose range is in the domain of is that be in .

     

Non-contemporaneous variations and Hölder’s principle

In the process of deducing the Hölder principle, a key step is to use the concept of non-contemporaneous variations. In this paper, whether starting from analytic method or from graphic solution method, the authors prove that the expression formula of non-contemporaneous variations is incorrect when the variable functions have zero-order nearness degree, and obtain a new expression. From the view of calculus of variations and differential calculus, the non-contemporaneous variations are studied. The study result shows that the concept of non-contemporaneous variations is a combination of the concept of variations and the concept of differentiation. The authors prove that the new expression is correct and obtain an equivalent expression of it. By means of this equivalent expression, this paper proves that the above expression formula of non-contemporaneous variations is correct when the variable functions have one-order nearness degree. Further study shows that, in the process of deducing Hölder’s principle, there is an implicit expression. Whether starting from analytic method or from graphic solution method, the authors discovered that the implicit expression of non-contemporaneous variations is incorrect when the variable functions have zero-order nearness degree and have one-order nearness degree. This paper proves that the implicit expression of non-contemporaneous variations is correct when the variable functions have two-order nearness degree. Further study shows that Hölder’s principle is tenable when the variable functions have two-order nearness degree.