Self Assessment-Based Decision Making for Multiagent Cooperative Search

This paper addresses a search problem with multiple limited capability search agents in a partially connected dynamical networked environment under different information structures. A self assessment-based decision-making scheme for multiple agents is proposed that uses a modified negotiation scheme with low communication overheads. The scheme has attractive features of fast decision-making and scalability to large number of agents without increasing the complexity of the algorithm. Two models of the self assessment schemes are developed to study the effect of increase in information exchange during decision-making. Some analytical results on the maximum number of self assessment cycles, effect of increasing communication range, completeness of the algorithm, lower bound and upper bound on the search time are also obtained. The performance of the various self assessment schemes in terms of total uncertainty reduction in the search region, using different information structures is studied. It is shown that the communication requirement for self assessment scheme is almost half of the negotiation schemes and its performance is close to the optimal solution. Comparisons with different sequential search schemes are also carried out. Note to Practitioners-In the futuristic military and civilian applications such as search and rescue, surveillance, patrol, oil spill, etc., a swarm of UAVs can be deployed to carry out the mission for information collection. These UAVs have limited sensor and communication ranges. In order to enhance the performance of the mission and to complete the mission quickly, cooperation between UAVs is important. Designing cooperative search strategies for multiple UAVs with these constraints is a difficult task. Apart from this, another requirement in the hostile territory is to minimize communication while making decisions. This adds further complexity to the decision-making algorithms. In this paper, a self-assessment-based decision-making scheme, for multiple UAVs performing a search mission, is proposed. The agents make their decisions based on the information acquired through their sensors and by cooperation with neighbors. The complexity of the decision-making scheme is very low. It can arrive at decisions fast with low communication overheads, while accommodating various information structures used for increasing the fidelity of the uncertainty maps. Theoretical results proving completeness of the algorithm and the lower and upper bounds on the search time are also provided.

Microstructure and compression behavior of chip consolidated magnesium

Chips produced by turning a commercial purity magnesium billet were cold compacted and then hot extruded at four different temperatures: 250, 300, 350, and 400 degrees C. Cast billets, of identical composition, were also extruded as reference material. Chip boundaries, visible even after 49: 1 extrusion at 400 degrees C, were observed to suppress grain coarsening. Although 250 degrees C extruded chip-consolidated product showed early onset of yielding and lower ductility, fully dense material (extruded at 400 degrees C) had nearly 40% reduction in grain size with 22% higher yield strength and comparable ductility as that of the reference. The study highlights the role of densification and grain refinement on the compression behavior of chip consolidated specimens.

Effect of Oxygen Pressure on Structural and Magnetic Properties of YIG Thin Films

The effect of oxygen pressure (P-O2) on the Yttrium Iron Garnet (YIG) thin films were grown on silicon substrate by rf sputtering method was studied. The as-deposited films at 300K were amorphous in nature. The crystallization of these films was achieved by annealing at a temperature of 800 degrees C/1hr in air. The structural, microstructural and magnetic properties were found to be dependent on P-O2.

Proposal for generalised supersymmetry Les Houches Accord for see-saw models and PDG numbering scheme

The SUSY Les Houches Accord (SLHA) 2 extended the first SLHA to include various generalisations of the Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model (MSSM) as well as its simplest next-to-minimal version. Here, we propose further extensions to it, to include the most general and well-established see-saw descriptions (types I/II/III, inverse, and linear) in both an effective and a simple gauged extension of the MSSM framework. In addition, we generalise the PDG numbering scheme to reflect the properties of the particles. (c) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Spatial Wavelet Approach to Local Matrix Crack Detection in Composite Beams with Ply Level Material Uncertainty

Wavelet coefficients based on spatial wavelets are used as damage indicators to identify the damage location as well as the size of the damage in a laminated composite beam with localized matrix cracks. A finite element model of the composite beam is used in conjunction with a matrix crack based damage model to simulate the damaged composite beam structure. The modes of vibration of the beam are analyzed using the wavelet transform in order to identify the location and the extent of the damage by sensing the local perturbations at the damage locations. The location of the damage is identified by a sudden change in spatial distribution of wavelet coefficients. Monte Carlo Simulations (MCS) are used to investigate the effect of ply level uncertainty in composite material properties such as ply longitudinal stiffness, transverse stiffness, shear modulus and Poisson's ratio on damage detection parameter, wavelet coefficient. In this study, numerical simulations are done for single and multiple damage cases. It is observed that spatial wavelets can be used as a reliable damage detection tool for composite beams with localized matrix cracks which can result from low velocity impact damage.

Dynamics of prolate spheroidal mass distributions with varying eccentricity

In this paper we calculate the potential for a prolate spheroidal distribution as in a dark matter halo with a radially varying eccentricity. This is obtained by summing up the shell-by-shell contributions of isodensity surfaces, which are taken to be concentric and with a common polar axis and with an axis ratio that varies with radius. Interestingly, the constancy of potential inside a shell is shown to be a good approximation even when the isodensity contours are dissimilar spheroids, as long as the radial variation in eccentricity is small as seen in realistic systems. We consider three cases where the isodensity contours are more prolate at large radii, or are less prolate or have a constant eccentricity. Other relevant physical quantities like the rotation velocity, the net orbital and vertical frequency due to the halo and an exponential disc of finite thickness embedded in it are obtained. We apply this to the kinematical origin of Galactic warp, and show that a prolate-shaped halo is not conducive to making long-lived warps - contrary to what has been proposed in the literature. The results for a prolate mass distribution with a variable axis ratio obtained are general, and can be applied to other astrophysical systems, such as prolate bars, for a more realistic treatment.

Maximum magnitude estimation considering the regional rupture character

The main objective of the paper is to develop a new method to estimate the maximum magnitude (M (max)) considering the regional rupture character. The proposed method has been explained in detail and examined for both intraplate and active regions. Seismotectonic data has been collected for both the regions, and seismic study area (SSA) map was generated for radii of 150, 300, and 500 km. The regional rupture character was established by considering percentage fault rupture (PFR), which is the ratio of subsurface rupture length (RLD) to total fault length (TFL). PFR is used to arrive RLD and is further used for the estimation of maximum magnitude for each seismic source. Maximum magnitude for both the regions was estimated and compared with the existing methods for determining M (max) values. The proposed method gives similar M (max) value irrespective of SSA radius and seismicity. Further seismicity parameters such as magnitude of completeness (M (c) ), ``a'' and ``aEuro parts per thousand b `` parameters and maximum observed magnitude (M (max) (obs) ) were determined for each SSA and used to estimate M (max) by considering all the existing methods. It is observed from the study that existing deterministic and probabilistic M (max) estimation methods are sensitive to SSA radius, M (c) , a and b parameters and M (max) (obs) values. However, M (max) determined from the proposed method is a function of rupture character instead of the seismicity parameters. It was also observed that intraplate region has less PFR when compared to active seismic region.

Computation of Viscous Incompressible Flow using Pressure Correction Method on Unstructured Chimera Grid

In this paper, a pressure correction algorithm for computing incompressible flows is modified and implemented on unstructured Chimera grid. Schwarz method is used to couple the solutions of different sub-domains. A new interpolation to ensure consistency between primary variables and auxiliary variables is proposed. Other important issues such as global mass conservation and order of accuracy in the interpolations are also discussed. Two numerical simulations are successfully performed. They include one steady case, the lid-driven cavity and one unsteady case, the flow around a circular cylinder. The results demonstrate a very good performance of the proposed scheme on unstructured Chimera grids. It prevents the decoupling of pressure field in the overlapping region and requires only little modification to the existing unstructured Navier–Stokes (NS) solver. The numerical experiments show the reliability and potential of this method in applying to practical problems.

Uso eficiente del nitrógeno por cuatro variedades de sorgo granífero (Sorghum bicolor (L) Moench) en el municipio de San Ramón, Matagalpa

El presente trabajo se realizó en la finca del señor Catalino Figueroa, ubicado en la comunidad Guadalupe del municipio de San Ramón-Matagalpa, en época de postrera (Septiembre a Diciembre) del 2002, con el propósito de determinar el uso eficiente del nitrógeno por cuatro variedades de sorgo granífero (Pinolero-1, Tortillero precoz, CNIA-INTA y CENTA-RCV), aplicando tres niveles de nitrógeno (53, 82 y 112 kg N. ha-1), con un testigo (cero aplicación) y determinar la influencia de estos factores en estudio en el rendimiento de grano. El diseño utilizado fue de parcelas divididas con arreglos de tratamientos en bloques completos al azar (BCA), con cuatro repeticiones. Los resultados provenientes del análisis estadístico y la prueba de rangos múltiples (separación de medias) de Tukey al 95 % de confiabilidad realizados por separado en los factores A (variedades) y B (fertilización) indican que los tratamientos del factor A mostraron diferencias altamente significativa entre ellas, en todas las variables evaluadas, mientras que los tratamientos del factor B mostraron alta significancia estadística en las variables altura de planta, rendimiento de grano, materia seca producida, concentración de nitrógeno en la materia seca y en la concentración de nitrógeno en el grano. El efecto de interacción entre los factores se observó únicamente en las variables rendimiento de grano y producción de materia seca. El mayor rendimiento de grano se obtuvo con la variedad CNIA-INTA, con la aplicación de 112 kg N. ha-1 con una producción de 5,295.25 kg.ha-1, mientras que en la producción de materia seca sobresalió la variedad Tortillero precoz cuando se le aplico 112 kg N. ha-1 con una producción de 9,719.25 kg.ha-1. El análisis de uso eficiente del nitrógeno, muestra que existe efecto positivo en el incremento del rendimiento de las variedades de sorgo, al aumentar las cantidades de nitrógeno aplicado, destacándose las variedades CNIA-INTA y Pinolero-1, las cuales indican alto coeficiente de utilización de este elemento. La variedad Tortillero precoz extrajo mayor cantidad del nitrógeno aplicado.

Características de los patrones de lluvia y su relación con los índices de erosividad para predecir erosión hídrica en tres municipios de Boaco, Nicaragua

Los patrones de la lluvia en el departamento de Boaco y específicamente en los municipios de San José de los Remates, Boaco y Santa Lucía, fueron registrados desde 2006–2008 en intervalos de 10, 20 y 30 minutos, con el propósito de lograr caracterizar un Índice de erosividad que se ajustara a los diferentes sitios de estudios, utilizando como herramienta metodológica el cálculo del Índice de erosividad propuesto por Wischmeier et al. 1978. Los eventos promedio para el municipio de San José de los Remates fue de 155 evento/a los cuales alcanzan una precipitación anual de 916mm un valor de energía cinética de 166.98 Mj/ha.mm y un índice de erosividad de 3,978.19 Mj.mm/ha.h siendo este el municipio que presenta los niveles más alto de erosividad. Seguido por el municipio de Santa Lucia que presento una cantidad de 110 eventos una lamina precipitada de 804.7 mm/a una energía cinética de 151.71 Mj/ha.mm y un índice de erosividad de 2,463.09 Mj.mm/ha.h y por ultimo encontramos el municipio de Boaco con un promedio de 141 eventos sumando una precipitación de 719.49mm/a un valor de energía cinética de 131.71Mj/ha.mm y un índice de erosividad de 3,065.94 todos estos datos calculado en intensidades de 30 minutos (I30) debido a que nuestro análisis de correlación de los patrones de la lluvia evaluados, nos indica que es el índice que mejor se ajusta a nuestra área de estudio a como lo establece Wischmeier en su investigación de más de 30 años. El área que presenta los mayores índices de riesgo de erosión potencial es el municipio de Santa lucia debido a que es el área más susceptible a la erosión por presentar los mayores valores de Erodabilidad y por ser la zona más accidentada.

太阳活动22周峰年日地系统整体行为研究计划

<正> 在1985年,中国科学院计划局成立天文、空间科学和地球科学综合发展战略研究组。经过一年多的工作,该组的专家们提出进行日地系统整体行为研究的建议,该建议得到了太阳物理、空间物理及地球科学领域广大科技工作者的支持,中科院机关的许多管理专家也表示赞成。中科院院长周光召教授建议加强在太阳峰年期间的跨学科相关研究。太阳活动22周日地系统整体行为研究被列为中国科学院“七•五”重点项目之一,

支板凹腔一体化超燃冲压发动机实验研究

本文针对以凹腔支板一体化燃烧室为基本结构的超燃冲压模型发动机在自由射流风洞中的性能，主要研究了燃料在不同位置喷入时，燃烧室几何结构／气动性能／燃料混合及燃烧特性的相互耦合，以及对发动机推力性能的影响。结果表明支板与凹腔的一体化在合理配置燃料分布情况下可以获得较好的发动机性能。