An Overview of Scheduling Problems Arising in Satellite Communications

Satellite communications, like batches of work in a job shop, need to be scheduled in order to use their resources as efficiently as possible. The most common satellite communications system in use today is known as Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA), in which data from earth stations is buffered before being transmitted to the appropriate receiver on a satellite. Cycles of transmission are fixed for all stations. Since the same satellite will be used for routeing data in several different ways, a schedule must be devised to use the receivers, repeaters and transmitters on board to minimize the time needed for completion of a batch of work. This paper is a survey of current scheduling algorithms used for optimizing satellite communications resources. Apart from telecommunications, the methods presented here could be applied to more general scheduling problems with renewable resources but without precedence constraints.     

Properties of nonparametric estimators of autocovariance for stationary random fields

Summary We introduce nonparametric estimators of the autocovariance of a stationary random field. One of our estimators has the property that it is itself an autocovatiance. This feature enables the estimator to be used as the basis of simulation studies such as those which are necessary when constructing bootstrap confidence intervals for unknown parameters. Unlike estimators proposed recently by other authors, our own do not require assumptions such as isotropy or monotonicity. Indeed, like nonparametric function estimators considered more widely in the context of curve estimation, our approach demands only smoothness and tail conditions on the underlying curve or surface (here, the autocovariance), and moment and mixing conditions on the random field. We show that by imposing the condition that the estimator be a covariance function we actually reduce the numerical value of integrated squared error.     

Quantitative electron probe microanalysis for the characterization of thin carbon-boron layers in fusion devices

Summary The first wall of the fusion device TEXTOR at the Forschungszentrum Jülich has been coated in situ with an amorphous hydrogen rich carbon/boron film (a-C/B:H) which reduces plasma impurities caused by the plasma surface interaction. The results of the coating process of the 35 m² large inner wall surface have been controlled by a recently developed modification of the quantitative electron probe microanalysis, which has been applied to 12 samples from specified positions inside the tokamak. The quantification itself is based on a Monte Carlo simulation of electron trajectories providing very accurate results for X-ray intensities emitted by elements present in the electron bombarded sample. The Monte Carlo results are used in the present work to calibrate the measured X-ray intensities emitted by boron and carbon from the a-C/B:H layers deposited on pure silicon substrates. As a result the total deposited mass of the layer per area unit as well as the composition of the layers (except hydrogen) could be determined very accurately. The relative errors were less than 7%. The limit of detectability were found to be in the range of one monolayer for boron as well as for carbon.     

Calorimeter energy calibration using the energy conservation law

A new calorimeter energy calibration method was developed for the proposed ILC detectors. The method uses the center-of-mass energy of the accelerator as the reference. It has been shown that using the energy conservation law it is possible to make ECAL and HCAL cross calibration to reach a good energy resolution for the simple calorimeter energy sum.      

A possibility of parallel and anti-parallel diffraction measurements on neutron diffractometer employing bent perfect crystal monochromator at the monochromatic focusing condition

In a conventional diffractometer having single monochromator, only one position, parallel position, is used for the diffraction experiment (i.e. detection) because the resolution property of the other one, anti-parallel position, is very poor. However, a bent perfect crystal (BPC) monochromator at monochromatic focusing condition can provide a quite flat and equal resolution property at both parallel and anti-parallel positions and thus one can have a chance to use both sides for the diffraction experiment. From the data of the FWHM and the Δd/d measured on three diffraction geometries (symmetric, asymmetric compression and asymmetric expansion), we can conclude that the simultaneous diffraction measurement in both parallel and anti-parallel positions can be achieved.     

Electricity price forecasting through transfer function models

Forecasting electricity prices in presentday competitive electricity markets is a must for both producers and consumers because both need price estimates to develop their respective market bidding strategies. This paper proposes a transfer function model to predict electricity prices based on both past electricity prices and demands, and discuss the rationale to build it. The importance of electricity demand information is assessed. Appropriate metrics to appraise prediction quality are identified and used. Realistic and extensive simulations based on data from the PJM Interconnection for year 2003 are conducted. The proposed model is compared with naïve and other techniques.