A study of the accuracy of mobile technology for measuring urban noise pollution in large scale participatory sensing campaigns

The study reports on the relevancy and accuracy of using mobile phones in participatory noise pollution monitoring studies in an urban context. During one year, 60 participants used the same smartphone model to measure environmental noise at 28 different locations in Paris. All measurements were performed with the same calibrated application. The sound pressure level was recorded from the microphone every second during a 10-min period. The participants frequently measured the evolution of the sound level near two standard monitoring sound stations (in a square and near a boulevard), which enables the assessment of the accuracy and relevancy of collected acoustic measurements. The instantaneous A-weighting sound level, energy indicators such as L_A,eq, L_A10, L_A50 or L_A90 and event indicators such as the number of noise events exceeding a certain threshold L_α (NNEL ? L_α) were measured and compared with reference measurements. The results show that instantaneous sound levels measured with mobile phones correlate very well (r > 0.9, p < 0.05) with sound levels measured with a class 1 reference sound level meter with a root mean square error smaller than 3 dB(A). About 10% of the measurements for the boulevard location (respectively 20% for the square) were inaccurate (r < 0.3, p < 0.05). Nevertheless, mobile phone measurements are in agreement for the L_A50 and the L_A90 acoustic indicators with the fixed station (4-m high) measurements, with a median deviation smaller than 1.5 dB(A) for the boulevard (respectively 3 dB(A) for the square).     

Spin observables in small-angle elastic → d scattering with an L-type deuteron target at 800 MeV

We have measured spin correlation parameters that describe the elastic scattering of 800 MeV polarized protons from an L-type polarized deuteron target at laboratory angles below 20°. The measured parameters include the correlated analyzing powers A_SL, A_LL and A_NLL and the proton spin-transfer coefficients C_0L,S, C_0L,L, C_SL,N, C_NL,S, C_NL,L and C_LL,N. The results are compared with single-scattering predictions based on different phase-shift solutions for the nucleon-nucleon scattering matrix.     

Clustering coefficient and community structure of bipartite networks

Many real-world networks display natural bipartite structure, where the basic cycle is a square. In this paper, with the similar consideration of standard clustering coefficient in binary networks, a definition of the clustering coefficient for bipartite networks based on the fraction of squares is proposed. In order to detect community structures in bipartite networks, two different edge clustering coefficients LC₄ and LC₃ of bipartite networks are defined, which are based on squares and triples respectively. With the algorithm of cutting the edge with the least clustering coefficient, communities in artificial and real world networks are identified. The results reveal that investigating bipartite networks based on the original structure can show the detailed properties that is helpful to get deep understanding about the networks.     

Empirical revision of noise mapping

Following the Directive 2002/49/EC the European States shall apply the day–evening–night level, L_den, among others, for revision of the strategic noise mapping. Definition of L_den is based on A-weighted long term average sound levels, L_d, L_e, and L_n, which represent 365 days, evenings, and nights of a typical year. L_den approximation can be found from a few measurements of the A-weighted short term average sound levels, during the day-, evening-, and nights, L_di, L_ei, and L_ni, where i = 1, 2, … , m ? 365. The uncertainty of L_den approximation is calculated.     

On the Spectral Theory of Operator Pencils in a Hilbert Space

Abstract

Consider the operator pencil L _λ = A ? λB ? λ ² C, where A, B, and C are linear, in general unbounded and nonsymmetric, operators densely defined in a Hilbert space H. Sufficient conditions for the existence of the eigenvalues of L _λ are investigated in the case when A, B and C are K-positive and K-symmetric operators in H, and a method to bracket the eigenvalues of L _λ is developed by using a variational characterization of the problem (i) L _λ u = 0. The method generates a sequence of lower and upper bounds converging to the eigenvalues of L _λ and can be considered an extension of the Temple-Lehman method to quadratic eigenvalue problems (i).     

Structure of the Partition Function and Transfer Matrices for the Potts Model in a Magnetic Field on?Lattice Strips

We determine the general structure of the partition function of the q-state Potts model in an external magnetic field, Z(G,q,v,w) for arbitrary q, temperature variable v, and magnetic field variable w, on cyclic, M?bius, and free strip graphs G of the square (sq), triangular (tri), and honeycomb (hc) lattices with width L _y and arbitrarily great length L _x . For the cyclic case we prove that the partition function has the form Z(L,L_y×L_x,q,v,w)=?_d=0^L_y[(c)\tilde]^(d)Tr[(T_Z,L,Ly,d)^m]Z(\Lambda,L_{y}\times L_{x},q,v,w)=\sum_{d=0}^{L_{y}}\tilde{c}^{(d)}\mathrm{Tr}[(T_{Z,\Lambda,L_{y},d})^{m}] , where Λ denotes the lattice type, [(c)\tilde]^(d)\tilde{c}^{(d)} are specified polynomials of degree d in q, T_Z,L,Ly,dT_{Z,\Lambda,L_{y},d} is the corresponding transfer matrix, and m=L _x (L _x /2) for Λ=sq,tri (hc), respectively. An analogous formula is given for M?bius strips, while only T_Z,L,Ly,d=0T_{Z,\Lambda,L_{y},d=0} appears for free strips. We exhibit a method for calculating T_Z,L,Ly,dT_{Z,\Lambda,L_{y},d} for arbitrary L _y and give illustrative examples. Explicit results for arbitrary L _y are presented for T_Z,L,Ly,dT_{Z,\Lambda,L_{y},d} with d=L _y and d=L _y −1. We find very simple formulas for the determinant det(T_Z,L,Ly,d)\mathrm{det}(T_{Z,\Lambda,L_{y},d}) . We also give results for self-dual cyclic strips of the square lattice.     

From independent particle towards collective motion for two polarized electrons on a square lattice

The two dimensional crossover from independent particle towards collective motion is studied using 2 polarized electrons (spinless fermions) interacting via a U/r Coulomb repulsion in a L×L square lattice with periodic boundary conditions and nearest neighbor hopping t. Three regimes characterize the ground state when U/t increases. Firstly, when the fluctuation Δr of the spacing r between the two particles is larger than the lattice spacing a, there is a scaling length L ₀ = π²(t/U) such that the relative fluctuation Δr/〈r〉 is a universal function of the dimensionless ratio L/L ₀, up to finite size corrections of order L^-2. L < L ₀ and L > L ₀ are respectively the limits of the free particle Fermi motion and of the correlated motion of a Wigner molecule. Secondly, when U/t exceeds a threshold U ^*(L)/t, Δr becomes smaller than a, giving rise to a correlated lattice regime where the previous scaling breaks down and analytical expansions in powers of t/U become valid. A weak random potential reduces the scaling length and favors the correlated motion. Received 28 March 2002 Published online 19 November 2002     

First-principles study of structural,elastic, electronic and thermodynamic properties of topological insulator Bi2Se3 under pressure

The structural, elastic, electronic and thermodynamic properties of the rhombohedral topological insulator Bi₂Se₃ are investigated by the generalized gradient approximation (GGA) with the Wu–Cohen (WC) exchange-correlation functional. The calculated lattice constants agree well with the available experimental and other theoretical data. Our GGA calculations indicate that Bi₂Se₃ is a 3D topological insulator with a band gap of 0.287 eV, which are well consistent with the experimental value of 0.3 eV. The pressure dependence of the elastic constants C_ij, bulk modulus B, shear modulus G, Young’s modulus E, and Poisson’s ratio σ of Bi₂Se₃ are also obtained successfully. The bulk modulus obtained from elastic constants is 53.5 GPa, which agrees well with the experimental value of 53 GPa. We also investigate the shear sound velocity V_S, longitudinal sound velocity V_L, and Debye temperature Θ_E from our elastic constants, as well as the thermodynamic properties from quasi-harmonic Debye model. We obtain that the heat capacity C_v and the thermal expansion coefficient α at 0 GPa and 300 K are 120.78 J mol^?1 K^?1 and 4.70 × 10^?5 K^?1, respectively.     

CARS spectral fitting with multiple resonant species using sparse libraries

The coherent anti‐Stokes Raman spectroscopy (CARS) technique is often used in the study of turbulent flames. Fast and accurate algorithms are needed for fitting CARS spectra for temperature and multiple chemical species. This paper describes the development of such an algorithm. The algorithm employs sparse libraries whose size grows more slowly with number of species than a regular library. It was demonstrated by fitting synthetic ‘experimental’ dual‐pump CARS spectra containing four resonant species (N₂, O₂, H₂ and CO₂), both with added noise and without it, and by fitting experimental spectra from a H₂ air flat flame produced by a Hencken burner. In the four‐species example, the library was nearly an order of magnitude smaller than the equivalent regular library (fitting times are correspondingly faster), and the fitting errors in the absence of added noise were negligible compared to the random errors associated with fitting noisy spectra. When fitting noisy spectra, weighted least squares fitting to signal intensity, as opposed to least squares fitting or least squares fitting to square root of intensity, minimized random and bias errors in fit parameters. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A Lagrangian stochastic model for tetrad dispersion

We present results for tetrad (four-particle) dispersion in homogeneous isotropic turbulence by means of a simple Lagrangian stochastic model with a focus on the inertial subrange. We show that for appropriate values of C ₀, the constant of proportionality in the second-order Lagrangian velocity structure function, the shape statistics agree well with equivalent results from a direct numerical simulation (DNS) of turbulence. Moreover, we show that the shape statistics are independent of C ₀ for a wide range of C ₀-values. We also show that the parameters which characterise the shape of the tetrads can be approximately related to appropriate ratios of the growth rates of the mean square separation, the mean square area and the mean square volume of the tetrads. By means of exit times, we are able to estimate the equivalent values for the DNS data. We also consider the statistics of four-point velocity differences (via a diffusion tensor) which agree well with the DNS. We show that the nature of the velocity field experienced by the tetrad varies significantly with C ₀.     

Superconductor-insulator transition in thin metallic films induced by interface-roughness scattering

Disorder due to small random variations of the width L of thin films leads to scattering for superconducting particles. It is shown for the first time that this disorder, interface-roughness scattering for bosons, gives rise to a superconductor-insulator transition, as observed for instance in amorphous Bi films. We present a model calculation of a disordered interacting Bose condensate in a quantum well of finite width L. Films with L < L _C are insulating, with L _C as the critical width, while films with L > L _C are superconducting. Disorder strongly reduces the critical temperature L _C of the superconducting phase and L _C vanishes at L _C . A phenomenological two-fluid model is also discussed.     

Lanczos Potential for the van Stockung Space-Time

The Lanczos Potential is a theoretical useful tool to find the conformal Weyl curvature tensor C _abcd of a given relativistic metric. In this paper we find the Lanczos potential L _abc for the van Stockung vacuum gravitational field. Also, we show how the wave equation can be combined with spinor methods in order to find this important three covariant index tensor.     

Correlations between potentials and observables in the NN interaction

We study the effects of the components of the soft-core and velocity-dependent Paris nucleon-nucleon potential on the scattering observables for laboratory energies, T_L, between 10 and 350 MeV. Knowledge of these correlations is useful to indicate constraints on components of the nucléon-nucléon force. The velocity-dependent component, attractive at low energy and repulsive at high energy, plays a role at all energies. The polarisation P, the depolarisation D and the parameters D_t, A, R, C_KP and C_NN are good tests for the tensor, spin-orbit and, to a smaller extent, quadratic spin-orbit forces. The isovector tensor force contribution is important at low energy and that of the isovector spin-orbit at high energy. The isoscalar tensor force effect is large at all energies and that of the isoscalar spin-orbit force rather small. The potential without quadratic spin-orbit term reproduces well the experimental data for T_L < 150 MeV.     

Symmetry-adapted linear combinations for the eigenvalues and eigenvectors of reciprocal graphs

ABSTRACT

Three classes of reciprocal graphs, viz. monocycle (G^C_n), linear chain (G^L_n) and star (G^K_n) with reciprocal pairs of eigenvalues (λ, 1/λ), are well known. Reciprocal graphs of monocycle (G^C_n) and linear chain (G^L_n) are obtained by putting a pendant vertex to each vertex of simple monocycle (C_n) and simple linear chain (L_n), respectively. A star graph of such kind is obtained by attaching a pendant vertex to the central vertex and to each of the (n ? 1) peripheral vertices of the star graph (K_{1, (n?1)}). An n-fold rotational axis of symmetry for G^C_n and (n ? 1)-fold rotational axis of symmetry for G^K_n have been exploited for obtaining their respective condensed graphs. The condensed graph for G^L_n has been generated from that of G^C_n incorporating proper boundary conditions. Condensed graphs are lower dimensional graphs and are capable of keeping all eigeninformation in condensed form. Thus the eigensolutions (i.e. the eigenvalues and the eigenvectors) in analytical forms for such graphs are obtained by solving 2 × 2 or 4 × 4 determinants that in turn result in the charge densities and bond orders of the corresponding molecules in analytical forms. Some mathematical properties of the eigenvalues of such graphs have also been explored.     

Detection of extraneous abnormal sounds affecting road traffic noise by use of a necessary condition method

When measuring and/or recording road traffic sound levels during a long time interval, extraneous abnormal sounds will inevitably affect the road traffic sound levels of interest. Such sounds include those produced by horns, sirens, animals, construction sites, and the like. The detection and elimination of such extraneous sound requires much time and effort, but are necessary if noise indices such as L_eq, L_max, and L₁₀ are to be properly estimated. This paper proposes a practical detection method of these extraneous interfering sounds by deriving a necessary condition that road traffic sound levels must satisfy. The necessary condition provides an easy method of identifying sound levels not satisfying the condition, and distinguishes them as extraneous abnormal sounds, even in a large volume of observed data. The validity and usefulness of this method are confirmed by application to actually observed data.     

Casimir Elements for Some Graded Lie Algebras and Superalgebras

We consider a class of Lie algebras L such that L admits a grading by a finite Abelian group so that each nontrivial homogeneous component is one-dimensional. In particular, this class contains simple Lie algebras of types A, C and D where in C and D cases the rank of L is a power of 2. We give a simple construction of a family of central elements of the universal enveloping algebra U(L). We show that for the A-type Lie algebras the elements coincide with the Gelfand invariants and thus generate the center of U(L). The construction can be extended to Lie superalgebras with the additional assumption that the group grading is compatible with the parity grading.     

Exact determination of the two-point cluster function for one-dimensional continuum percolation

The two-point cluster functionC ₂(r ₁,r ₂) provides a measure of clustering in continuum models of disordered many-particle systems and thus is a useful signature of the microstructure. For a two-phase disordered medium,C ₂(r ₁,r ₂) is defined to be the probability of finding two points at positionsr ₁ andr ₂ in thesame cluster of one of the phases. An exact analytical expression is found for the two-point cluster functionC ₂(r ₁,r ₂) of a one-dimensional continuumpercolation model of Poisson-distributed rods (for an arbitrary number density) using renewal theory. We also give asymptotic formulas for the tail probabilities. Along the way we find exact results for other cluster statistics of this continuum percolation model, such as the cluster size distribution, mean number of clusters, and two-point blocking function.     

Determining noise parameters of MESFET''s solely from their S parameters

A method for determining the noise parameters of MESFET's solely from their S parameters is presented in this paper. The enhanced Johnson noise, the diffusion noise, the thermal noise, the influences of bias condition, the effect of parastic resistances and the aftermath of package are all taken into consideration in the noise model. The calculating results of our method agree very well with the measured data. This method can be employed rapidly, conveniently, both at the wafer stage of device fabrication and to packaged devices.List of symbols a Thickness of the active layer - b Undepleted channel width - C, Cr Correlation coefficient - C_c Coupling capacitance - C_cg, C_cd, C_sg, C_sd Fringing capacitances - C_dc Drain-channel feedback capacitance - C_gs Gate-source capacitance - C_gd Gate-drain feedback capacitance - D The high field diffusion constant, =35cm²/sec - F_min Minimum noise figure - g_gn, g_dn Equivalent noise conductance - g_m Transconductance - I_ds Drain-to-source current - k Boltzmann's constant, =1.38×10^–23J/°K - L Gate length - L_dom Length of high-field domain - L_g, L_d, L_s Inductances of bond wire - N_D Doping density - q Electronic charge, =1.6×10^–19C - r_d Drain resistance - R_ds Output resistance of MESFET - R_g, R_d, R_s Resistances of bond wire - R_gs Ohmic resistance of a gate-source portion of a FET - R_n Equivalent noise resistance - S Scattering parameters - s Bias parameter, - S _io Spectral density - T Reference temperature - V_bl Built-in diffusion potential - V_ds Drain-source voltage - V_gs Gate-source voltage - V_nd Open-circuit noise voltage at drain - O _s Saturation velocity - W Gate width - x_i ith element of the equivalent circuit - Y_cor Correlation admittance - Y_i,j Four MESFET Y parameters corresponding to S parameters - Y_i,j MESFET Y parameters calculated from its equivalent circuit - Y_opt Optimum signal source admittance - _O Permittivity of free space - _r Realitive dielectric constant - Low field mobility - Transit time - f Narrow frequency interval Graduate student currently working toward the M.S. degree     

Influence of crystal structure,ligand environment and morphology on Co L‐edge XAS spectral characteristics in cobalt compounds

The electronic structure of a material plays an important role in its functionality for different applications which can be probed using synchrotron‐based spectroscopy techniques. Here, various cobalt‐based compounds, differing in crystal structure, ligands surrounding the central metal ion and morphology, have been studied by soft X‐ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) at the Co L‐edge in order to measure the effect of these parameters on the electronic structure. A careful qualitative analysis of the spectral branching ratio and relative intensities of the L₃ and L₂ peaks provide useful insight into the electronic properties of compounds such as CoO/Co(OH)₂, CoCl₂.6H₂O/CoF₂.4H₂O, CoCl₂/CoF₂, Co₃O₄ (bulk/nano/micro). For further detailed analysis of the XAS spectra, quantitative analysis has been performed by fitting the spectral profile with simulated spectra for a number of cobalt compounds using crystal field atomic multiplet calculations.