Automatic building detection using the Dempster-Shafer algorithm

An approach and strategy for automatic detection of buildings from aerial images using combined image analysis and interpretation techniques is described in this paper. It is undertaken in several steps. A dense DSM is obtained by stereo image matching and then the results of multi-band classification, the DSM, and Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) are used to reveal preliminary building interest areas. From these areas, a shape modeling algorithm has been used to precisely delineate their boundaries. The Dempster-Shafer data fusion technique is then applied to detect buildings from the combination of three data sources by a statistically-based classification. A number of test areas, which include buildings of different sizes, shape, and roof color have been investigated. The tests are encouraging and demonstrate that all processes in this system are important for effective building detection.

Zero-thickness wideband antennas for small radio transceivers

The paper presents investigations into compact zero-thickness wideband antennas capable of operating in many frequency bands within 800-3000MHz. Multi-band operation of these antennas is accomplished by suitable meandering of conducting segments that may be supported by a thin dielectric film. The antennas are capable of operating with a very small ground plane formed by an adjacent conducting surface or a feeding transmission line. Because of the use of flexible materials, these antennas can be conformed to planar or cylindrical structures. Their operation is tested experimentally in stand-alone configurations as well as in the presence of enclosures.

Cost-effective broadband GaAs IQ modulator array for long-reach OFDM-PONs

A novel modulator array integrating eight GaAs electro-optic IQ modulators is characterized and tested over long-reach direct-detected multi-band OFDM-PONs. The GaAs IQ modulators present > 22 GHz bandwidth with 3V Vpi, being suitable for a 100-km 40-Gb/s OOFDM-PON supporting up to 1024 users.

An X-ray study of the SNR G344.7-0.1 and the central object CXOU J170357.8-414302

Aims. We report results of an X-ray study of the supernova remnant (SNR) G344.7-0.1 and the point-like X-ray source located at the geometrical center of the SNR radio structure. Methods. The morphology and spectral properties of the remnant and the central X-ray point-like source were studied using data from the XMM-Newton and Chandra satellites. Archival radio data and infrared Spitzer observations at 8 and 24 mu m were used to compare and study its multi-band properties at different wavelengths. Results. The XMM-Newton and Chandra observations reveal that the overall X-ray emission of G344.7-0.1 is extended and correlates very well with regions of bright radio and infrared emission. The X-ray spectrum is dominated by prominent atomic emission lines. These characteristics suggest that the X-ray emission originated in a thin thermal plasma, whose radiation is represented well by a plane-parallel shock plasma model (PSHOCK). Our study favors the scenario in which G344.7-0.1 is a 6 x 10^3 year old SNR expanding in a medium with a high density gradient and is most likely encountering a molecular cloud on the western side. In addition, we report the discovery of a soft point-like X-ray source located at the geometrical center of the radio SNR structure. The object presents some characteristics of the so-called compact central objects (CCO). However, its neutral hydrogen absorption column (N_H) is inconsistent with that of the SNR. Coincident with the position of the source, we found infrared and optical objects with typical early-K star characteristics. The X-ray source may be a foreground star or the CCO associated with the SNR. If this latter possibility were confirmed, the point-like source would be the farthest CCO detected so far and the eighth member of the new population of isolated and weakly magnetized neutron stars.

Design and implementation of generalized topologies of time-interleaved variable bandpass Σ−Δ modulators

In this thesis, novel analog-to-digital and digital-to-analog generalized time-interleaved variable bandpass sigma-delta modulators are designed, analysed, evaluated and implemented that are suitable for high performance data conversion for a broad-spectrum of applications. These generalized time-interleaved variable bandpass sigma-delta modulators can perform noise-shaping for any centre frequency from DC to Nyquist. The proposed topologies are well-suited for Butterworth, Chebyshev, inverse-Chebyshev and elliptical filters, where designers have the flexibility of specifying the centre frequency, bandwidth as well as the passband and stopband attenuation parameters. The application of the time-interleaving approach, in combination with these bandpass loop-filters, not only overcomes the limitations that are associated with conventional and mid-band resonator-based bandpass sigma-delta modulators, but also offers an elegant means to increase the conversion bandwidth, thereby relaxing the need to use faster or higher-order sigma-delta modulators. A step-by-step design technique has been developed for the design of time-interleaved variable bandpass sigma-delta modulators. Using this technique, an assortment of lower- and higher-order single- and multi-path generalized A/D variable bandpass sigma-delta modulators were designed, evaluated and compared in terms of their signal-to-noise ratios, hardware complexity, stability, tonality and sensitivity for ideal and non-ideal topologies. Extensive behavioural-level simulations verified that one of the proposed topologies not only used fewer coefficients but also exhibited greater robustness to non-idealties. Furthermore, second-, fourth- and sixth-order single- and multi-path digital variable bandpass digital sigma-delta modulators are designed using this technique. The mathematical modelling and evaluation of tones caused by the finite wordlengths of these digital multi-path sigmadelta modulators, when excited by sinusoidal input signals, are also derived from first principles and verified using simulation and experimental results. The fourth-order digital variable-band sigma-delta modulator topologies are implemented in VHDL and synthesized on Xilinx® SpartanTM-3 Development Kit using fixed-point arithmetic. Circuit outputs were taken via RS232 connection provided on the FPGA board and evaluated using MATLAB routines developed by the author. These routines included the decimation process as well. The experiments undertaken by the author further validated the design methodology presented in the work. In addition, a novel tunable and reconfigurable second-order variable bandpass sigma-delta modulator has been designed and evaluated at the behavioural-level. This topology offers a flexible set of choices for designers and can operate either in single- or dual-mode enabling multi-band implementations on a single digital variable bandpass sigma-delta modulator. This work is also supported by a novel user-friendly design and evaluation tool that has been developed in MATLAB/Simulink that can speed-up the design, evaluation and comparison of analog and digital single-stage and time-interleaved variable bandpass sigma-delta modulators. This tool enables the user to specify the conversion type, topology, loop-filter type, path number and oversampling ratio.

Three-dimensional simulations of gravitationally confined detonations compared to observations of SN 1991T

The gravitationally confined detonation (GCD) model has been proposed as a possible explosion mechanism for Type Ia supernovae in the single-degenerate evolution channel. It starts with ignition of a deflagration in a single off-centre bubble in a near-Chandrasekhar-mass white dwarf. Driven by buoyancy, the deflagration flame rises in a narrow cone towards the surface. For the most part, the main component of the flow of the expanding ashes remains radial, but upon reaching the outer, low-pressure layers of the white dwarf, an additional lateral component develops. This causes the deflagration ashes to converge again at the opposite side, where the compression heats fuel and a detonation may be launched. We first performed five three-dimensional hydrodynamic simulations of the deflagration phase in 1.4 M⊙ carbon/oxygen white dwarfs at intermediate-resolution (2563computational zones). We confirm that the closer the initial deflagration is ignited to the centre, the slower the buoyant rise and the longer the deflagration ashes takes to break out and close in on the opposite pole to collide. To test the GCD explosion model, we then performed a high-resolution (5123 computational zones) simulation for a model with an ignition spot offset near the upper limit of what is still justifiable, 200 km. This high-resolution simulation met our deliberately optimistic detonation criteria, and we initiated a detonation. The detonation burned through the white dwarf and led to its complete disruption. For this model, we determined detailed nucleosynthetic yields by post-processing 106 tracer particles with a 384 nuclide reaction network, and we present multi-band light curves and time-dependent optical spectra. We find that our synthetic observables show a prominent viewing-angle sensitivity in ultraviolet and blue wavelength bands, which contradicts observed SNe Ia. The strong dependence on the viewing angle is caused by the asymmetric distribution of the deflagration ashes in the outer ejecta layers. Finally, we compared our model to SN 1991T. The overall flux level of the model is slightly too low, and the model predicts pre-maximum light spectral features due to Ca, S, and Si that are too strong. Furthermore, the model chemical abundance stratification qualitatively disagrees with recent abundance tomography results in two key areas: our model lacks low-velocity stable Fe and instead has copious amounts of high-velocity 56Ni and stable Fe. We therefore do not find good agreement of the model with SN 1991T.

Cascaded all-optical sub-channel add/drop multiplexing from a 1-Tb/s super-channel having 2-GHz guard-bands

We demonstrate cascaded 100-Gb/s sub-channel add/drop from a 1-Tb/s multi-band OFDM super-channel having 2-GHz inter-sub-channel guard-bands within a recirculating loop via a hierarchical ROADM using high-resolution filters, showcasing 1000-km transmission reach and five ROADM node passages for the add/drop sub-channel when hybrid Raman-EDFA is implemented.

Atmospheric calibration for sub-millimeter radio astronomy

This thesis is focused on improving the calibration accuracy of sub-millimeter astronomical observations. The wavelength range covered by observational radio astronomy has been extended to sub-millimeter and far infrared with the advancement of receiver technology in recent years. Sub-millimeter observations carried out with airborne and ground-based telescopes typically suffer from 10% to 90% attenuation of the astronomical source signals by the terrestrial atmosphere. The amount of attenuation can be derived from the measured brightness of the atmospheric emission. In order to do this, the knowledge of the atmospheric temperature and chemical composition, as well as the frequency-dependent optical depth at each place along the line of sight is required. The altitude-dependent air temperature and composition are estimated using a parametrized static atmospheric model, which is described in Chapter 2, because direct measurements are technically and financially infeasible. The frequency dependent optical depth of the atmosphere is computed with a radiative transfer model based on the theories of quantum mechanics and, in addition, some empirical formulae. The choice, application, and improvement of third party radiative transfer models are discussed in Chapter 3. The application of the calibration procedure, which is described in Chapter 4, to the astronomical data observed with the SubMillimeter Array Receiver for Two Frequencies (SMART), and the German REceiver for Astronomy at Terahertz Frequencies (GREAT), is presented in Chapters 5 and 6. The brightnesses of atmospheric emission were fitted consistently to the simultaneous multi-band observation data from GREAT at 1.2 ∼ 1.4 and 1.8 ∼ 1.9 THz with a single set of parameters of the static atmospheric model. On the other hand, the cause of the inconsistency between the model parameters fitted from the 490 and 810 GHz data of SMART is found to be the lack of calibration of the effective cold load temperature. Besides the correctness of atmospheric modeling, the stability of the receiver is also important to achieving optimal calibration accuracy. The stabilities of SMART and GREAT are analyzed with a special calibration procedure, namely the “load calibration". The effects of the drift and fluctuation of the receiver gain and noise temperature on calibration accuracy are discussed in Chapters 5 and 6. Alternative observing strategies are proposed to combat receiver instability. The methods and conclusions presented in this thesis are applicable to the atmospheric calibration of sub-millimeter astronomical observations up to at least 4.7 THz (the H channel frequency of GREAT) for observations carried out from ∼ 4 to 14 km altitude. The procedures for receiver gain calibration and stability test are applicable to other instruments using the same calibration approach as that for SMART and GREAT. The structure of the high performance, modular, and extensible calibration program used and further developed for this thesis work is presented in the Appendix C.

Multi-Port Network Approach for the Analysis of Dual Band Fractal Microstrip Antennas

The multiport network approach is extended to analyze the behavior of microstrip fractal antennas. The capacitively fedmicrostrip square ring antenna has the side opposite to the feed arm replaced with a fractal Minkowski geometry. Dual frequency operation is achieved by suitably choosing the indentation of this fractal geometry. The width of the two sides adjacent to this is increased to further control the resonant characteristics and the ratio of the two resonance frequencies of this antenna. The impedance matrix for the multiport network model of this antenna is simplified exploiting self-similarity of the geometry with greater accuracy and reduced analysis time. Experimentally validated results confirm utility of the approach in analyzing the input characteristics of similar multi-frequency fractal microstrip antennas with other fractal geometries.

A multi-layer ultra wide band power splitter

This paper presents analysis and design of multilayer ultra wide band (UWB) power splitter suitable for wireless communications. An UWB power splitter is designed in suspended substrate stripline medium. The quarter wave transformer in the conventional Wilkinson power divider is replaced by broadside coupled lines to achieve tight coupling for broadband operation. The UWB power splitter is analyzed using circuit models of coupled lines and full wave simulator. Experimental results of 3dB power splitter designed using the proposed structure have been verified against the results from circuit simulation and full wave simulation. The return loss is better than 12 dB across the band 3.1GHz to 10.6GHz. Size of the power splitter is 30mm× 20mm×6.38mm.

Multi-port network modeling of stub loaded Microstrip ring antenna for dual-band operations

A square ring microstrip antenna can be modified for dual-band operations by appropriately attaching an open ended stub. The input impedance of this antenna is analyzed here using multi-port network modeling (MNM) approach. The coupled feed is included by defining additional terms in the model. A prototype antenna is fabricated and tested to validate these computations.

Multi-walled carbon nanotube conductivity enhancement and band gap widening via rapid pulsed thermal annealing

Herein we report on the transport characteristics of rapid pulsed vacuum-arc thermally annealed, individual and network multi-walled carbon nanotubes. Substantially reduced defect densities (by at least an order of magnitude), measured by micro-Raman spectroscopy, and were achieved by partial reconstruction of the bamboo-type defects during thermal pulsing compared with more traditional single-pulse thermal annealing. Rapid pulsed annealed processed networks and individual multi-walled nanotubes showed a consistent increase in conductivity (of over a factor of five at room temperature), attributed to the reduced number density of resistive axial interfaces and, in the case of network samples, the possible formation of structural bonds between crossed nanotubes. Compared to the highly defective as-grown nanotubes, the pulsed annealed samples exhibited reduced temperature sensitivity in their transport characteristics signifying the dominance of scattering events from structural defects. Transport measurements in the annealed multi-walled nanotubes deviated from linear Ohmic, typically metallic, behavior to an increasingly semiconducting-like behavior attributed to thermally induced axial strains. Rapid pulsed annealed networks had an estimated band gap of 11.26 meV (as-grown; 6.17 meV), and this observed band gap enhancement was inherently more pronounced for individual nanotubes compared with the networks most likely attributed to mechanical pinning effect of the probing electrodes which possibly amplifies the strain induced band gap. In all instances the estimated room temperature band gaps increased by a factor of two. The gating performance of back-gated thin-film transistor structures verified that the observed weak semiconductivity (p-type) inferred from the transport characteristic at room temperature. © 2014 Copyright Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.

Multi-quasiparticle gamma-band structure in neutron-deficient Ce and Nd isotopes

The newly developed multi-quasiparticle triaxial projected shell model approach is employed to study the high-spin band structures in neutron-deficient even-even Ce- and Nd-isotopes. It is observed that gamma-bands are built on each intrinsic configuration of the triaxial mean-field deformation. Due to the fact that a triaxial configuration is a superposition of several K-states, the projection from these states results in several low-lying bands originating from the same intrinsic configuration. This generalizes the well-known concept of the surface gamma-oscillation in deformed nuclei based on the ground-state to gamma-bands built on multi-quasiparticle configurations. This new feature provides an alternative explanation on the observation of two I = 10 aligning states in Ce-134 and both exhibiting a neutron character. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A dual-band antenna enabling improved quality of service in multi-radio wireless sensor applications in indoor environments

Science Foundation Ireland (CSET - Centre for Science, Engineering and Technology, Grant No. 07/CE/11147)