Resolution limits in signal recovery

Resolution analysis for the problem of signal recovery from finitely many linear measurements is the subject of this paper. The classical Rayleigh limit serves only as a lower bound on resolution since it does not assume any recovery strategy and is based only on observed data. We show that details finer than the Rayleigh limit can be recovered by simple linear processing that incorporates prior information. We first define a measure of resolution based on allowable levels of error that is more appropriate for current signal recovery strategies than the Rayleigh definition. In the practical situation in which only finitely many noisy observations are available, we have to restrict the class of signals in order to make the resolution measure meaningful. We consider the set of bandlimited and essentially timelimited signals since it describes most signals encountered in practice. For this set, we show how to precompute resolution limits from knowledge of measurement functionals, signal-to-noise ratio, passband, energy concentration regions, energy concentration factor, and a prescribed level of error tolerance. In the process, we also derive an algorithm for high-resolution signal recovery. We illustrate the results with examples in one and two dimensions     

Formation of M23C6 type carbides in heat-treated extra low carbon Mn-Si and Mn-Si-Nb high strength low alloy “mar” steels

Structural investigations in extra low carbon mar steels with nominal compositions A1 (4 Mn-1.0 Si), A2 (4 Mn-1.0 Si – 0.042 Nb), A3 (～ 5 Mn-1.5 Si), A4 (2.6 Mn-1.0 Si) and A5 (～ 5 Mn-2.5 Si) in the heat treated condition by X-ray diffraction technique (Debye-Scherrer method) for identifying strengthening mechanisms. Results on the formation of M₂₃C₆ type carbide either singly (in most cases) or in combination with austenite. Discussion pertaining to 1. identification of factors promoting the structural changes and, 2. their likely effect on mechanical properties.     

An amorphous silicon thin film transistor: Theory and experiment

The volt-ampere characteristics for a thin film transistor fabricated with vacuum deposited amorphous silicon as the semiconductor is presented. The substrate is single crystalline silicon with a 3000 Å layer of thermally grown silicon dioxide as the insulator. The gate is a buried N⁺ phosphorus diffused region while the source and drain contacts are interdigited fingers of aluminum. By using the Cohen-Fritzsche-Ovshinsky model for the density of localized states in the mobility gap, the V_G vs I_D characteristic at small values of V_D is predicted and experimentally verified. This characteristic is used to theoretically predict the family of I_D curves for the TFT over a range of V_G and V_D. The theory and experiment agree exceptionally well below the gate-drain pinch-off, thereby verifying the theory of a TFT with a uniform distribution of traps in the band-gap.     

Theory of back surface field silicon solar cells

Back surface field silicon solar cells with n⁺pp⁺ (or sometimes p⁺nn⁺) structures are found to have better characteristics than the conventional solar cells. The existing theories have not been able to satisfactorily predict the experimentally observed parameters on these cells. A theory, based on the transport of both minority and majority carriers under the charge neutrality condition, has been developed in the present paper which explains the behavior of the back surface field solar cells. Good agreement is achieved between the results obtained by using this theory and the experimental observations of earlier workers.     

EvIA - Evidential Interval Algebra and Heuristic Backtrack-Free Algorithm

The Interval Algebra (IA) framework for temporal reasoning encodes indefinite knowledge in terms of disjunctions of relations. Many problems arising in practice can have evidences from past or from other external sources to indicate that some relations in a disjunction may be more probable than others. IA framework is inadequate to encode this information. The aim of the present study is two fold. First, to extend IA framework by associating numeric weights to the relations for capturing additional information and provide a reasoning methodology for the extended framework. Second, to apply the extended framework for developing a heuristic algorithm which finds a solution of the conventional IA network problem without backtrack. We make use of well-known evidential reasoning techniques to develop the new framework, Evidential Interval Algebra (EvIA). EvIA is an augmentation of interval algebra with evidential techniques. The constraint, constraint operators namely converse, composition and intersection, and path consistency algorithm of interval algebra are overlayed by evidential function and evidential operations to get enhanced expressiveness and efficient reasoning capability. The efficiency of the EvIA framework is demonstrated in the form of a heuristic which finds a solution of the interval algebra network without backtrack. Experimental results of the heuristic algorithm reveal that the algorithm is sound and for some specific types of the problems, the success of finding a solution is more than 90 percent. The results also show that the algorithm is efficient in terms of runtime when compared with a backtrack search algorithm.     

A Circularly Polarized Stacked Patch Aperture Coupled Microstrip Antenna for 2.6 GHz Band

A circularly polarized stacked patch microstrip antenna and a 2?×?2 subarray for circular polarization are proposed in this paper. The proposed design has the input impedance bandwidth and axial ratio bandwidth of about 10% and 4.7% respectively. Circular polarization is obtained with the help of slits cut in the patch. A size reduction of around 37% is also achieved with the help of the slits. A subarray based on sequentially rotated feeding technique for circular polarization is also presented in this paper. Array element was deigned using a high dielectric constant laminate for feed network. In addition to low boresight axial-ratio, the subarray has impedance and 3-dB axial-ratio bandwidths of 12% and 8% respectively.     

Indigenous design and development of a micro-pulse lidar for atmospheric studies

A sophisticated micro-pulse lidar (MPL) has been designed and developed for the study of the atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) and clouds. The developed MPL uses a low energy pico-second pulsed Nd:YAG laser at 532 nm. The conventional receiver optic is used along with a photomultiplier tube in single photon detection mode. Stanford Research Systems' multi-channel scalar (MCS) is used with a personal computer for data acquisition. Due to the short laser pulse and a fast MCS, a spatial resolution of 0.75 m has been achieved. The control circuit has been designed to sense telescope cover status (open or closed) to avoid any mistakes in dark count and background data acquisition. The complete control software and Graphical User Interface (GUI) has been developed in Visual Basic. The lidar system has been tested both for its functionality to detect the variation in ABL and cloud height and also for its capability to acquire continuous night-time data without user interaction. In this article the design details and some preliminary results are discussed.     

Aerosol and Precipitation Chemistry at a Remote Himalayan Site in Nepal

As a part of a year long aerosol measurement program in the Nepal Himalayas, a series of 12 h samples of aerosol and event-based samples of precipitation were collected in postmonsoon, 1996; premonsoon, 1997; and monsoon, 1997. Results show that diurnal variations in the regional valley wind system are responsible for variations in the major ion (Na + , NH 4 + , K + , Mg 2+ , Ca 2+ , Cl - , NO 3 - , and SO 4 -2 ) concentrations in the aerosol. On time scales greater than a day, changes in atmospheric circulation and associated changes in the precipitation regime have an important effect on aerosol ion concentrations. Periods of high major ion concentration in the aerosol generally coincide with similar periods in precipitation chemistry, although a linear relationship between concentrations in these 2 media is not robust due to limited data. High scavenging ratio values are found for all species except SO 4 2- . Nitrate, Cl - , and NH 4 + are enriched in the precipitation compared to the aerosol, implying the presence of gaseous acidic species (HNO 3 and HCl) and gaseous NH 3 in the air. Ammonium was also enriched with respect to SO 4 2- in aerosol during a dry episode in the monsoon season. This may represent relatively local sources of NH 3 (from neighboring villages) and was not scavenged due to the lack of precipitation. Empirical orthogonal function (EOF) analysis clearly shows the presence of 2 dominant pollutant transport mechanisms for the premonsoon and monsoon seasons (i.e., valley wind system and monsoon circulation). Although physically different, these 2 transport mechanisms follow similar transport pathways and transport aerosol into the Himalayas from similar source regions. Further, EOF analysis suggests a southerly maritime signal in the aerosol during monsoon and a more distant westerly maritime signal during premonsoon. Our results support the potential for using glaciochemical records from the Himalayas to investigate variations in the strength of past monsoon circulation and westerly disturbances.