Gathering identical autonomous systems on a circle using stigmergy

In this paper we provide a protocol solving the problem of gathering of identical autonomous systems (aka ants) on a circle. In our biologically inspired model the autonomous systems are unable to communicate directly, instead they employ the mechanism of pheromone marking. The gathering on a circle is not always solvable, however our protocol will terminate in finite time if ants are in a general initial position. Since the gathering problem on a line is unsolvable for obvious reasons for any non-degenerate initial position, this implies that if the ants are in generic initial position they will be able to decide in finite time whether they are on a line or on a circle. We give asymptotic bounds for the time our protocol needs to terminate, and show that for fixed number of ants, the termination time of any protocol can be arbitrarily long. Finally, our protocol may be adopted to the case of asynchronous drop-downs and starting times of the autonomous systems.     

Decladding of Irradiated Fuel Elements

The results of investigations of the leading operation of a nonaqueous technology for reprocessing fuel elements from nuclear reactors — dissolution of fuel claddings in a zinc-based melt — are presented. Data obtained in experiments on simulators and samples of irradiated fuel elements in standard BOR-60 and SM-2 packages with different burnup and holding time are presented. In the experiments, the metallic melt was separated from the fuel by filtering through a mesh and regenerated by vacuum distillation for reuse. The uranium and plutonium extraction was 99.99%. The behavior of individual radionuclides is described. __________ Translated from Atomnaya Energiya, Vol. 99, No. 4, pp. 273–276, October, 2005.     

Linear color segmentation and its implementation

A framework for color image segmentation is presented, which combines color histogram analysis and region merging approach. Its main goal is to segment an image at material boundaries (i.e., discontinuities of reflectance properties) while ignoring spatial color inhomogeneities of uniformly pigmented (colored) objects, caused by accidents of illumination and viewing geometry. Theoretical examination of light spectrum transformations upon light reflection from material surfaces and upon interaction with a sensor system shows that in a wide variety of viewed scenes (even containing interreflections and highlight areas) uniformly pigmented objects are projected to the color space of the sensor as planar, linear, or point-like clusters, depending on lighting and viewing conditions and object geometry. To detect such clusters in the color space, three methods are suggested: Generalized Hough Transform method, gradient descent method, and eigenvectors method. A framework algorithm of color segmentation based on region merging approach is developed, which can use any of these methods. Testing this algorithm with both artificially generated and real images shows quite reliable results.     

Multi-Agent Dynamic Logics with Informational Test

This paper investigates a family of logics for reasoning about the dynamic activities and informational attitudes of agents, namely the agents' beliefs and knowledge. The logics are based on a new formalisation and semantics of the test operator of propositional dynamic logic and a representation of actions which distinguishes abstract actions from concrete actions. The new test operator, called informational test, can be used to formalise the beliefs and knowledge of particular agents as dynamic modalities. This approach is consistent with the formalisation of the agents' beliefs and knowledge as K(D)45 and S5 modalities. Properties concerning informativeness, truthfulness and preservation of beliefs are proved for a derivative of the informational test operator. It is shown that common belief and common knowledge can be expressed in the considered logics. This means, the logics are more expressive than propositional dynamic logic with an extra modality for belief or knowledge. The logics remain decidable and belong to 2EXPTIME. Versions of the considered logics express natural additional properties of beliefs or knowledge and interaction of beliefs or knowledge with actions. It is shown that a simulation of PDL can be constructed in one of these extensions.     

Coercive-force and eddy-current testing of the abrasive wear resistance of quenched and tempered hypereutectoid carbon steels: II. Steels subjected to different quenching regimes,subzero treatment,and tempering after high-temperature quenching

The effects of the carbon concentration in martensite from 0.70 to 1.35 wt %, the presence of up to 70 vol % residual austenite, the degree of coagulation, and the volume fraction of tempering carbides on the specific features of the application of eddy-current and magnetic methods for testing abrasive wear resistance are studied. The case of high-carbon (0.83–1.53 wt % C) steels quenched from 790–1200° C, treated with cold at ?196°C, and tempered in the temperature range 75–700°C is considered.     

Application of magnetic and electromagnetic-acoustic methods for assessing plastic deformations under cyclic loading of annealed intermediate-carbon steel

The influence of cyclic loading of annealed steel 45 during low-cycle fatigue on changes in its magnetic characteristics, in particular, the coercive force and the residual magnetic induction, for the major and minor magnetic-hysteresis loops and on changes in the propagation velocity of a longitudinal acoustic wave is studied. The sensitivity of the considered physical characteristics to the value of plastic deformation stored under cyclic loading in the region of both large and small strains is determined. The residual mechanical properties displayed after cyclic loading are determined, and the steady-state correlations between the coercive force measured on minor hysteresis loops in weak fields (the Rayleigh region) and the remanent clongation are obtained. The possibility of monitoring the stored plastic deformation and assessing the residual life of a material during its cyclic loading from the values of its magnetic parameters is shown.     

Obtaining a proton beam with 5-mA current in a tandem accelerator with vacuum insulation

Suppression of parasitic electron flows and positive ions formed in the beam tract of a tandem accelerator with vacuum insulation allowed a more than threefold increase (from 1.6 to 5 mA) in the current of accelerated 2-MeV protons. Details of the modification are described. Results of experimental investigation of the suppression of secondary charged particles and data on the characteristics of accelerated proton beam with increased current are presented.     

Geometry control of the junction between two fractal curves

The general objective of our work is to create a geometric modeller based on iterative processes. With this objective in mind, we have to provide tools that work with fractal objects in the same manner as with objects of classical topology. In this article we focus on the constructing of an intermediate curve between two other curves defined by different iterative construction processes. A similar problem often arises with subdivision surfaces, when the goal is to connect two surfaces with different subdivision masks. We start by dealing with curves, willing to later generalise our approach to surfaces. We formalise the problem with the Boundary Controlled Iterated Function System model. Then we deduct the conditions that guarantees continuity of the intermediate curve. These conditions determine the structure of subdivision matrices. By studying the eigenvalues of the subdivision operators, we characterise the differential behaviour at the connection points between the curves and the intermediate one. This behaviour depends on the nature of the initial curves and coefficients of the subdivision matrices. We also suggest a method to control the differential behaviour by adding intermediate control points.