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We present the radial velocities, metallicities and the K-band magnitudes of 74 RR Lyrae stars in the inner regions of the LMC. The intermediated resolution spectra and the infrared images were obtained with FORS1 at the ESO VLT and with the SOFI infrared imager at the ESO NTT. The best 43 RR Lyrae with measured velocities yield an observed velocity dispersion of {sigma}=61{+-} 7 km s{sup -1}. We obtain a true LMC RR Lyrae velocity dispersion of {sigma}=53 km s{sup -1}, which is higher than the velocity dispersion of any other LMC population previously measured. This is the first empirical evidence for a kinematically hot, metal-poor halo in the LMC as discussed in Minniti et al. (2003). Using Layden's (1994) modification for the {Delta}S method we measured the metallicity for 23 of our stars. The mean value is [Fe/H]=-1.46{+-}0.09 dex. The absolute magnitudes M{sub v} and M{sub K} of RR Lyrae stars are linear functions of metallicity. In the V band, our data agree with the Olech et al. (2003) relation, in the K band the slope is flatter. The average apparent V luminosity of 70 RR Lyrae stars is <V>=19.45{+-}0.04 and the average K luminosity of 37 RR Lyrae …

Information local to any one processor is insufficient to monitor the overall progress of most distributed computations. Typically, a second distributed computation for detecting termination of the main computation is necessary. In order to be a useful computational tool, the termination detection routine must operate concurrently with the main computation, adding minimal overhead, and it must promptly and correctly detect termination when it occurs. In this paper, we present a new algorithm for detecting the termination of a parallel computation on distributed-memory MIMD computers that satisfies all of those criteria. A variety of termination detection algorithms have been devised. Of these, the algorithm presented by Sinha, Kale, and Ramkumar (henceforth, the SKR algorithm) is unique in its ability to adapt to the load conditions of the system on which it runs, thereby minimizing the impact of termination detection on performance. Because their algorithm also detects termination quickly, we consider it to be the most efficient practical algorithm presently available. The termination detection algorithm presented here was developed for use in the PMESC programming library for distributed-memory MIMD computers. Like the SKR algorithm, our algorithm adapts to system loads and imposes little overhead. Also like the SKR algorithm, ours is tree-based, …

A stabilized equal-order velocity-pressure finite element algorithm is presented for the analysis of flow in porous media and in the solidification of binary alloys. The adopted governing macroscopic conservation equations of momentum, energy and species transport are derived from their microscopic counterparts using the volume-averaging method. The analysis is performed in a single domain with a fixed numerical grid. The fluid flow scheme developed includes SUPG (streamline-upwind/Petrov-Galerkin), PSPG (pressure stabilizing/Petrov-Galerkin) and DSPG (Darcy stabilizing/Petrov-Galerkin) stabilization terms in a variable porosity medium. For the energy and species equations a classical SUPG-based finite element method is employed. The developed algorithms were tested extensively with bilinear elements and were shown to perform stably and with nearly quadratic convergence in high Rayleigh number flows in varying porosity media. Examples are shown in natural and double diffusive convection in porous media and in the directional solidification of a binary-alloy.

We summarize Session F of the ECLOUD 04 workshop. This session was dedicated to beam instabilities driven by electron cloud. Specifically, we discuss the principal observations of electron-cloud instabilities, analytical models, simulation codes and the next steps that need to be taken to arrive at a predictive theory.

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Characterizing the nature and spatial distribution of the lensing objects that produce the observed microlensing optical depth toward the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) remains an open problem. They present an appraisal of the ability of the SuperMACHO Project, a next-generation microlensing survey pointed toward the LMC, to discriminate between various proposed lensing populations. they consider two scenarios: lensing by a uniform foreground screen of objects and self-lensing of LMC stars. The optical depth for ''screen-lensing'' is essentially constant across the face of the LMC; whereas, the optical depth for self-lensing shows a strong spatial dependence. they have carried out extensive simulations, based upon actual data obtained during the first year of the project, to assess the SuperMACHO survey's ability to discriminate between these two scenarios. In the simulations they predict the expected number of observed microlensing events for each of their fields by adding artificial stars to the images and estimating the spatial and temporal efficiency of detecting microlensing events using Monte-Carlo methods. They find that the event rate itself shows significant sensitivity to the choice of the LMC luminosity function shape and other parameters, limiting the conclusions which can be drawn from the absolute rate. By instead determining the …

In support of the design of the Hanford Waste Treatment Plant, the Savannah River Technology Center has conducted crossflow ultrafiltration tests on the bench scale with both a radioactive sample and simulants and at pilot scale with simulants. The waste tested was from Tank 241-AN-102, which underwent isotopic dilution with strontium nitrate to reduce the soluble (superscript 90)Sr concentration, and sodium permanganate precipitation to remove selected transuranic species. Experimental work validated the use of a simulant by comparison of bench scale simulant filtration data with radioactive filtration test data. Tests on a pilot scale were also conducted and showed that the filtration flux in the pilot unit was consistently lower than in the bench scale unit. An alternative precipitation method resulted in less filterable slurries. Several possible explanations for the differences in flux were proposed, including differences in particle size distribution and slurry viscosity (th e term viscosity will be used, although consistency is more correct for non-Newtonian fluids). The experimental data was also fit to an empirical model and several filtration models. The trends in the data generally followed the predictions of the filtration models. Differences in flux between the bench and pilot scales could not be accounted for …

In segmentation of remotely sensed images, the number of pixel classes and their spectral representations are often unknown a priori. Even with prior knowledge, pixels with spectral components from multiple classes lead to classification errors and undesired small region artifacts. Coarseness regulation for segmented images is proposed as an efficient novel technique for handling these problems. Beginning with an over-segmented image, perceptually similar connected regions are iteratively merged using a method reminiscent of region growing, except the primitives are regions, not pixels. Interactive coarseness regulation is achieved by specifying the area {alpha} of the largest region eligible for merging. A region with area less than {alpha} is merged with the most spectrally similar connected region, unless the regions are perceived as spectrally dissimilar. In convergent coarseness regulation, which requires no user interaction, {alpha} is specified as the total number of pixels in the image, and the coarseness regulation output converges to a steady-state segmentation that remains unchanged as {alpha} is further increased. By applying convergent coarseness regulation to AVIRIS, IKONOS and DigitalGlobe images, and quantitatively comparing computer-generated segmentations to segmentations generated manually by a human analyst, it was found that the quality of the input segmentations was consistently and dramatically …

We report the results of a search in the MACHO light-curve database aiming to find new cataclysmic variables. The targets were selected from variables toward the Magellanic Clouds and Galactic bulge using as main criteria the amplitude of photometric variability and color indices. These criteria provided a total of 3720 variables, which were visually inspected for novae, recurrent novae or dwarf novae eruptions. Dwarf novae type outbursts were recognized in 28 objects while a second sample of 38 less probable candidates was also selected. Some characteristics of the light curves of the cataclysmic variables identified are described and, when possible, a classification in a subtype is assigned to the system. The coordinates of each selected target were cross correlated against X-ray survey databases in order to search for possible point source identifications. The detected dwarf novae in the direction of the bulge are probable members of the Galactic disk population.

A crucial issue for the viability of the fast ignition approach to inertial fusion energy is the transport of the ignition pulse energy from the critical surface to the high-density compressed fuel. Experiments have characterized this transport through the interaction of short pulse, high intensity lasers with solid-density targets containing thin K{sub alpha} fluorescence layers. These experiments show a reasonably well-collimated beam, although with a significantly larger radius than the incident laser beam. We report on LSP calculations of these experiments, which show reasonable agreement with the experimental observations.

The autonomous pathogen detection system (APDS) is an automated, podium-sized instrument that continuously monitors the air for biological threat agents (bacteria, viruses, and toxins). The system has been developed to warn of a biological attack in critical or high-traffic facilities and at special events. The APDS performs continuous aerosol collection, sample preparation, and detection using multiplexed immunoassay followed by confirmatory PCR using real-time TaqMan assays. We have integrated completely reusable flow-through devices that perform DNA extraction and PCR amplification. The fully integrated system was challenged with aerosolized Bacillus anthracis, Yersinia pestis, Bacillus globigii and botulinum toxoid. By coupling highly selective antibody and DNA based assays, the probability of an APDS reporting a false positive is extremely low.