ALBERT

Description: This paper presents a Riemannian trust region algorithm for unconstrained optimization problems with locally Lipschitz objective functions defined on complete Riemannian manifolds. To this end we define a function $\Phi :TM\rightarrow \mathbb {R}$ on the tangent bundle $TM$ , and at the $k$ th iteration, using the restricted function $\Phi |_{T_{x_k}M}$ , where $T_{x_k}M$ is the tangent space at $x_k$ , a local model function $Q_k$ that carries both first- and second-order information for the locally Lipschitz objective function $f:M\rightarrow \mathbb {R}$ on a Riemannian manifold $M$ , is defined and minimized over a trust region. We establish the global convergence of the proposed algorithm. Moreover, using the Riemannian $\varepsilon $ -subdifferential, a suitable model function is defined. Numerical experiments illustrate our results.

Description: The application of a new modified Adomian decomposition method for obtaining the analytic solution of Lane-Emden type equations is investigated. The proposed method, called the spectral Adomian decomposition method, is based on a combination of spectral method and Adomian decomposition method. A comparative study between the proposed method and Adomian decomposition method is presented. The obtained result reveals that method is of higher efficiency, validity, and accuracy.

Description: The paper presents a circuit model for the computationally efficient design of a planar Short-Circuited Self-Excited EBG Resonator Antenna (SC SE-EBG-RA). To this purpose, the same circuit model previously presented for the Open-Circuited version of the antenna is modified to be applicable to the SC version. Detailed HFSS modeling and simulation corroborate the accuracy of the model in predicting the antenna resonance. The efficiency of the designed antenna is calculated by a simulated Wheeler Cap Method (WCM) and is compared with the standard efficiency given by the numerical analyzer. The EM modeling is arranged so as to incorporate the effects of the SMA connector, discontinuities, and the WC, emulating a real WC measurement and yielding a high degree of confidence in the results. Overall, a small antenna sized with 93% verified efficiency is achieved, which is also compiled with affordable manufacturing processes.

Description: Heterogeneous networks with dense deployment of small cells can employ cognitive features to efficiently utilize the available spectrum resources. Spectrum sensing is the key enabler for cognitive radio to detect the unoccupied channels for data transmission. In order to deal with shadowing and multipath fading in sensing channels, cooperative spectrum sensing is designed to increase the accuracy of the sensed signal. In this paper, an optimized local decision rule is implemented for the case that the received data from primary users are possibly correlated due to the sensing channel impairments. Since the prior information is unavailable in the real systems, Neyman-Pearson criterion is used as the cost function. Then, a discrete iterative algorithm based on Gauss-Seidel process is applied to optimize the local cognitive user decision rules under a fixed fusion rule. This method with low complexity can minimize the cost using the golden section search method in a finite number of iterations. ROC curves are depicted using the achieved probability of detection and false alarm by numerical examples to illustrate the efficiency of the proposed algorithm. Simulation results also confirm the superiority of the proposed method compared to the conventional topologies and decision rules.

Description: Biogas released from palm oil mill effluent (POME) could be a source of air pollution, which has illustrated negative effects on the global warming. To protect the environment from toxic emissions and use the energy of POME biogas, POME is conducted to the closed digestion systems and released biogas is captured. Since POME biogas upgrading is a complicated process, it is not economical and thus new combustion techniques should be examined. In this paper, POME biogas (40% CO2 and 60% CH4) has been utilized as a fuel in a lab-scale furnace. A computational approach by standard k-ε combustion and turbulence model is applied. Hydrogen is added to the biogas components and the impacts of hydrogen enrichment on the temperature distribution, flame stability, and pollutant formation are studied. The results confirm that adding hydrogen to the POME biogas content could improve low calorific value (LCV) of biogas and increases the stability of the POME biogas flame. Indeed, the biogas flame length rises and distribution of the temperature within the chamber is uniform when hydrogen is added to the POME biogas composition. Compared to the pure biogas combustion, thermal NOx formation increases in hydrogen-enriched POME biogas combustion due to the enhancement of the furnace temperature.

Description: The 2003 Bam, Iran, earthquake ( M w  = 6.6) was recorded by the BAM accelerometer station. Since the causative fault was located just below the city, the accelerometer recorded the main shock, a foreshock and several local aftershocks. To study the scenario of rupturing, we simulated all components of the observed main shock waveform via the empirical Green's function method. 28 selected aftershocks and the single foreshock are used to simulate the main shock in the frequency range of 0.5–5 Hz. Since the events were very close to the station, some small events may not have similar path effects to the main shock. Therefore, it is essential to employ some appropriate changes to the waveforms to alleviate path difference effects. The starting point of the rupture is identified in the centre of the strong motion generation area and is located approximately 5 km south of the BAM station and in depth of about 7 km. The horizontal simulated components imply that the main shock was located west of the BAM station. In contrast, significant variation in the ratio of amplitudes in EW and NS components may be used to discuss the possibility of dissimilarity in the focal mechanism of the small events. Most aftershocks with similar mechanisms to the main shock, that is similar EW/NS maximum amplitude ratio, have capacity to simulate certain peaks of their horizontal components. However, some small events with different mechanisms are only able to simulate the peaks of up to one horizontal component. Some changes were applied to the empirical Green's function method to incorporate two small events by using a combined fault model. While the two aftershocks have different mechanisms, some combinations may improve simulations. The rupture initiating point at the middle of the fault plane and improved simulations by combination of two fault surfaces with different focal mechanisms may suggest a bilateral rupture and combination of two focal mechanisms for the main shock of the Bam earthquake.

Description: A considerable difference between experimental and theoretical results has been observed in the studies of segmented thermoelectric generators (STEGs). Because of simplicity, the approximate methods are widely used for design and optimization of the STEGs. This study is focused on employment of exact method for design and optimization of STEGs and comparison of exact and approximate results. Thus, using new highly efficient thermoelectric materials, four STEGs are proposed to operate in the temperature range of 300 to 1300 kelvins. The proposed STEGs are optimally designed to achieve maximum efficiency. Design and performance characteristics of the optimized generators including maximum conversion efficiency and length of elements are calculated through both exact and approximate methods. The comparison indicates that the approximate method can cause a difference up to 20% in calculation of some design characteristics despite its appropriate results in efficiency calculation. The results also show that the maximum theoretical efficiency of 23.08% is achievable using the new proposed STEGs. Compatibility factor of the selected materials for the proposed STEGs is also calculated using both exact and approximate methods. The comparison indicates a negligible difference in calculation of compatibility factor, despite the considerable difference in calculation of reduced efficiency (temperature independence efficiency).

Description: 〈span〉〈div〉Summary〈/div〉In global-scale seismic tomography, teleseismic P- and PP-waves mainly constrain structures in the upper two thirds of the mantle, whereas core-diffracted waves (Pdiff) constrain the lower third. This study is the first to invert a very large data set of Pdiff waves, up to the highest possible frequencies. This results in tomographic resolution matching and exceeding that of global S-wave tomographies, which have long been the models of choice for interpreting lowermost mantle structure. We present three new global tomography models of 3-D isotropic P-wave velocity in the earth’s mantle. Multi-frequency cross-correlation traveltimes are measured on all phases in passbands from 30 s dominant period to the highest frequencies that produce satisfactory fits (≈ 3 s). Model DETOX-P1 fits ≈ 2.5M traveltimes from teleseismic P waves. DETOX-P2 fits the same data, plus novel measurements of ≈ 1.4M traveltimes of Pdiff waves. DETOX-P3 fits the same data as DETOX-P2, plus ≈ 1.2M PP traveltimes. Synthetics up to 1 s dominant period are computed by full wave propagation in a spherically symmetric earth using the spectral-element method AxiSEM. Traveltimes are linked to 3-D velocity perturbations (〈span〉dVp〈/span〉/〈span〉Vp〈/span〉) by finite-frequency Fréchet kernels, parameterized on an adaptive tetrahedral grid of ≈400, 000 vertices spaced by ≈ 80 km in the best-sampled regions. To complete spatial coverage, the waveform cross-correlation measurements are augmented by ≈ 5.7 million analyst-picked, teleseismic P arrival times. P, Pdiff and PP traveltimes are jointly inverted for 3-D isotropic P-velocity anomalies in the mantle and for events corrections, by least squares solution of an explicit matrix-vector equation. Inclusion of Pdiff traveltimes (in DETOX-P2, -P3) improves the spatial sampling of the lowermost mantle 100 to 1000-fold compared to teleseismic P-waves (DETOX-P1). Below ≈2400 km depth, seismically slow anomalies are clustered at southern and equatorial latitudes, in a dozen or more intensely slow patches of 600-1400 km diameter. These features had long been classed into two Large Low Shear Velocity Provinces, which now appears questionable. Instead, patches of intensely slow anomalies in the lowermost mantle seem to form a nearly continuous, globe-spanning chain beneath the southern hemisphere, according to our increased resolution of LLVP-internal subdivisions and newly imaged patches beneath South America. Our tomography also supports the existence of whole-mantle plumes beneath Iceland, Ascension, Afar, Kerguelen, Canary, Azores, Easter, Galapagos, Hawaii, French Polynesia, and the Marquesas. Seismically fast structure in the lowermost mantle is imaged as narrowly elongated belts under Eastern Asia and the Americas, presumably reflecting the paleo-trench geometries of subduction zones and arcs that assembled Eastern Asia and the American Cordilleras in Paleozoic and early Mesozoic times. Mid-mantle structure is primarily constrained by teleseismic P waves, but Pdiff data have a stabilizing effect, e.g., sharpening the geometries of subducted slabs under the Americas, Eurasia and the Northern Pacific in the upper 2000 km. PP traveltimes contribute complementary constraints in the upper and mid mantle, but they also introduce low-velocity artifacts beneath the oceans, through downward smearing of lithospheric structure. Our three new global P-wave models can be accessed and interactively visualized through the SubMachine web portal (〈a href="http://submachine.earth.ox.ac.uk/"〉http://submachine.earth.ox.ac.uk/〈/a〉).〈/span〉

Description: The lower third of the mantle is sampled extensively by body waves that diffract around the earth's core (Pdiff and Sdiff phases), which could deliver highly resolved tomographic images of this poorly understood region. But core-diffracted waves—especially Pdiff waves—are not often used in tomography because they are difficult to model adequately. Our aim is to make core-diffracted body waves usable for global waveform tomography, across their entire frequency range. Here we present the data processing part of this effort. A method is demonstrated that routinely calculates finite-frequency traveltimes of Pdiff waves by cross-correlating large quantities of waveform data with synthetic seismograms, in frequency passbands ranging from 30.0 to 2.7 s dominant period. Green's functions for 1857 earthquakes, typically comprising thousands of seismograms, are calculated by theoretically exact wave propagation through a spherically symmetric earth model, up to 1 Hz dominant period. Out of 418 226 candidates, 165 651 (39.6 per cent) source–receiver pairs yielded at least one successful passband measurement of a Pdiff traveltime anomaly, for a total of 479 559 traveltimes in the eight passbands considered. Measurements of teleseismic P waves yielded 448 178 usable source–receiver paths from 613 057 candidates (73.1 per cent success rate), for a total of 2 306 755 usable teleseismic dT in eight passbands. Observed and predicted characteristics of Pdiff traveltimes are discussed and compared to teleseismic P for this very large data set. Pdiff measurements are noise-limited due to severe wave attenuation with epicentral distance and frequency. Measurement success drops from 40–60 per cent at 80° distance, to 5–10 per cent at 140°. Frequency has a 2–3 times stronger influence on measurement success for Pdiff than for P . The fewest usable dT measurements are obtained in the microseismic noise band, whereas the fewest usable teleseismic P measurements occur at the highest frequencies. dT anomalies are larger for Pdiff than for P , and frequency dependence of dT due to 3-D heterogeneity (rather than just diffraction) is larger for Pdiff as well. Projecting the Pdiff traveltime anomalies on their core-grazing segments, we retrieve well-known, large-scale structural heterogeneities of the lowermost mantle, such as the two Large Low Shear Velocity Provinces, an Ultra-Low Velocity Zone west of Hawaii, and subducted slab accumulations under East Asia and Central America.

Description: Research has shown that the soundboard plays an increasingly important role compared to the sound hole, back plate, and the bridge at high frequencies. The frequency spectrum of investigation can be extended to 5 kHz. Design of bracings and their placements on the soundboard increase its structural stiffness as well as redistributing its deflection to nonbraced regions and affecting its loudness as well as its response at low and high frequencies. This paper attempts to present a review of the current state of the art in guitar research and to propose viable alternatives that will ultimately result in a louder and better sounding instrument. Current research is an attempt to increase the sound level with bracing designs and their placements, control of natural frequencies using scalloped braces, as well as improve the acoustic radiation of this instrument at higher frequencies by deliberately inducing asymmetric modes in the soundboard using the concept of “splitting board.” Various mathematical methods are available for analysing the soundboard based on the theory of thin plates. Discrete models of the instrument up to 4 degrees of freedom are also presented. Results from finite element analysis can be utilized for the evaluation of acoustic radiation.