arXiv subjects

Ning Zhou

Publications and source records attributed to Ning Zhou.

At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources

arXiv2021

Results of Dark Matter Search using the Full PandaX-II Exposure

We report the dark matter search results obtained using the full 132 ton$\cdot$day exposure of the PandaX-II experiment, including all data from March 2016 to August 2018. No significant excess of events is identified above the expected background. Upper limits are set on the spin-independent dark matter-nucleon interactions. The lowest 90% confidence level exclusion on the spin-independent cross section is $2.2\times 10^{-46}$ cm$^2$ at a WIMP mass of 30 GeV/$c^2$.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2020

Distributed Formation Control of Multi-Robot Systems: A Fixed-Time Behavioral Approach

This paper investigates a distributed formation control problem for networked robots, with the global objective of achieving predefined time-varying formations in an environment with obstacles. A novel fixed-time behavioral approach is proposed to tackle the problem, where a global formation task is divided into two local prioritized subtasks, and each of them leads to a desired velocity that can achieve the individual task in a fixed time. Then, two desired velocities are combined via the framework of the null-space-based behavioral projection, leading to a desired merged velocity that guarantees the fixed-time convergence of task errors. Finally, the effectiveness of the proposed control method is demonstrated by simulation results.

math.OC↗

arXiv2020

Adaptive Fractional Dilated Convolution Network for Image Aesthetics Assessment

To leverage deep learning for image aesthetics assessment, one critical but unsolved issue is how to seamlessly incorporate the information of image aspect ratios to learn more robust models. In this paper, an adaptive fractional dilated convolution (AFDC), which is aspect-ratio-embedded, composition-preserving and parameter-free, is developed to tackle this issue natively in convolutional kernel level. Specifically, the fractional dilated kernel is adaptively constructed according to the image aspect ratios, where the interpolation of nearest two integers dilated kernels is used to cope with the misalignment of fractional sampling. Moreover, we provide a concise formulation for mini-batch training and utilize a grouping strategy to reduce computational overhead. As a result, it can be easily implemented by common deep learning libraries and plugged into popular CNN architectures in a computation-efficient manner. Our experimental results demonstrate that our proposed method achieves state-of-the-art performance on image aesthetics assessment over the AVA dataset.

cs.CV↗

arXiv2019

A Semantic Schema for Data Quality Management in a Multi-Tenant Data Platform

Schibsted Media Group is a global marketplace company with presence in more than 20 countries. It is undergoing a digital transformation to convert data silos to a multi-tenant system based on a common data platform. Good data quality based on a common schema on the semantic level is essential for building successful data-driven products across marketplaces. To solve this challenge, we developed the data quality tooling based on a semantic schema management system to support schema evolution with versioning, testing and transformation. It can monitor the data quality requirements for different applications and handle incoming data consisting of multiple schema versions. Today the system is operating in production and processes over one billion events per day for over 100 applications.

cs.SE↗

arXiv2019

An Improved Evaluation of the Neutron Background in the PandaX-II Experiment

In dark matter direct detection experiments, neutron is a serious source of background, which can mimic the dark matter-nucleus scattering signals. In this paper, we present an improved evaluation of the neutron background in the PandaX-II dark matter experiment by a novel approach. Instead of fully relying on the Monte Carlo simulation, the overall neutron background is determined from the neutron-induced high energy signals in the data. In addition, the probability of producing a dark-matter-like background per neutron is evaluated with a complete Monte Carlo generator, where the correlated emission of neutron(s) and $γ$(s) in the ($α$, n) reactions and spontaneous fissions is taken into consideration. With this method, the neutron backgrounds in the Run 9 (26-ton-day) and Run 10 (28-ton-day) data sets of PandaX-II are estimated to be 0.66$\pm$0.24 and 0.47$\pm$0.25 events, respectively.

hep-ex↗

arXiv2019

Searching for Neutrino-less Double Beta Decay of $^{136}$Xe with PandaX-II Liquid Xenon Detector

We report the Neutrino-less Double Beta Decay (NLDBD) search results from PandaX-II dual-phase liquid xenon time projection chamber. The total live time used in this analysis is 403.1 days from June 2016 to August 2018. With NLDBD-optimized event selection criteria, we obtain a fiducial mass of 219 kg of natural xenon. The accumulated xenon exposure is 242 kg$\cdot$yr, or equivalently 22.2 kg$\cdot$yr of $^{136}$Xe exposure. At the region around $^{136}$Xe decay Q-value of 2458 keV, the energy resolution of PandaX-II is 4.2%. We find no evidence of NLDBD in PandaX-II and establish a lower limit for decay half-life of 2.4 $ \times 10^{23} $ yr at the 90% confidence level, which corresponds to an effective Majorana neutrino mass $m_{ββ} < (1.3 - 3.5)$ eV. This is the first NLDBD result reported from a dual-phase xenon experiment.

hep-ex↗

arXiv2019

PandaX-II Constraints on Spin-Dependent WIMP-Nucleon Effective Interactions

We present PandaX-II constraints on candidate WIMP-nucleon effective interactions involving the nucleon or WIMP spin, including, in addition to standard axial spin-dependent (SD) scattering, various couplings among vector and axial currents, magnetic and electric dipole moments, and tensor interactions. The data set corresponding to a total exposure of 54-ton-days is reanalyzed to determine constraints as a function of the WIMP mass and isospin coupling. We obtain WIMP-nucleon cross section bounds of $\rm 1.6 \times 10^{-41} cm^2$ and $\rm 9.0 \times 10^{-42} cm^2$ ($90\%$ c.l.) for neutron-only SD and tensor coupling, respectively, for a mass $M_\mathrm{WIMP} \sim {\rm 40~GeV}/c^2$. The SD limits are the best currently available for $M_\mathrm{WIMP} > {\rm 40~GeV}/c^2$. We show that PandaX-II has reached a sensitivity sufficient to probe a variety of other candidate spin-dependent interactions at the weak scale.

hep-ex↗

arXiv2019

Precision Higgs Physics at CEPC

The discovery of the Higgs boson with its mass around 125 GeV by the ATLAS and CMS Collaborations marked the beginning of a new era in high energy physics. The Higgs boson will be the subject of extensive studies of the ongoing LHC program. At the same time, lepton collider based Higgs factories have been proposed as a possible next step beyond the LHC, with its main goal to precisely measure the properties of the Higgs boson and probe potential new physics associated with the Higgs boson. The Circular Electron Positron Collider~(CEPC) is one of such proposed Higgs factories. The CEPC is an $e^+e^-$ circular collider proposed by and to be hosted in China. Located in a tunnel of approximately 100~km in circumference, it will operate at a center-of-mass energy of 240~GeV as the Higgs factory. In this paper, we present the first estimates on the precision of the Higgs boson property measurements achievable at the CEPC and discuss implications of these measurements.

hep-ex↗

arXiv2019

Electricity Consumption Forecasting for Smart Grid using the Multi-Factor Back-Propagation Neural Network

With the development of modern information technology (IT), a smart grid has become one of the major components of smart cities. To take full advantage of the smart grid, the capability of intelligent scheduling and planning of electricity delivery is essential. In practice, many factors have an impact on electricity consumption, which necessitates information fusion technologies for a thorough understanding. For this purpose, researchers have investigated methodologies for collecting electricity consumption related information and variant multi-factor power consumption forecasting models. In addition, conducting a comprehensive analysis and obtaining an accurate evaluation of power consumption are the premise and basis for a more robust and efficient power grid design and transformation. Therefore, it is meaningful to explore forecasting models that are able to reflect the power consumption changes and internal relations within fusional information effectively. Making electricity consumption forecasting based on the neural network has been a popular research topic in recent years, and the back-propagation neural network (BPNN) algorithm has been recognized as a mature and effective method. In this paper, BPNN is adopted to forecast the electricity consumption using Pecan Street, a community with a relatively large-scale smart grid, as a case study, and takes multiple factors into account, such as weather condition, weekend and holidays. The influences of each factor have been evaluated for a deeper insight. We hope this work will inspire more discussion and further study to guide the design of future smart grids.

eess.SP↗

arXiv2019

PReS: Power Peak Reduction by Real-time Scheduling for Urban Railway Transit

Railway transportation is one of the most popular options for Urban Massive Transportation Systems (UMTS) because of many attractive features. A robust electric power supply is essential to enable normal operation. However, the power peaks appearing at the start time of the vehicles put heavy pressure on the power grid. Reduction of the power peak is a key issue in improving urban railway transit's power efficiency. Researchers have tried to address this problem by making a delicate timetable, but this method often failed to serve the purpose because of the punctuality problem. In this work, taking advantage of real-time estimation of the single train's power consumption, an online Power peak Reduction by real-time Scheduling (PReS) solution for trains' departure is proposed. Particularly, a Binary Integer Programming (BIP) model is introduced that is able to avoid power consumption peak caused by multiple trains departure simultaneously. The simulation result verified that the proposed real-time scheduling approach can effectively reduce the occurrences of power peak without bringing in additional train travel delay.

eess.SP↗

arXiv2018

Five lessons from building a deep neural network recommender

Recommendation algorithms are widely adopted in marketplaces to help users find the items they are looking for. The sparsity of the items by user matrix and the cold-start issue in marketplaces pose challenges for the off-the-shelf matrix factorization based recommender systems. To understand user intent and tailor recommendations to their needs, we use deep learning to explore various heterogeneous data available in marketplaces. This paper summarizes five lessons we learned from experimenting with state-of-the-art deep learning recommenders at the leading Norwegian marketplace FINN.no. We design a hybrid recommender system that takes the user-generated contents of a marketplace (including text, images and meta attributes) and combines them with user behavior data such as page views and messages to provide recommendations for marketplace items. Among various tactics we experimented with, the following five show the best impact: staged training instead of end-to-end training, leveraging rich user behaviors beyond page views, using user behaviors as noisy labels to train embeddings, using transfer learning to solve the unbalanced data problem, and using attention mechanisms in the hybrid model. This system is currently running with around 20% click-through-rate in production at FINN.no and serves over one million visitors everyday.

cs.IR↗

arXiv2018

Deep neural network marketplace recommenders in online experiments

Recommendations are broadly used in marketplaces to match users with items relevant to their interests and needs. To understand user intent and tailor recommendations to their needs, we use deep learning to explore various heterogeneous data available in marketplaces. This paper focuses on the challenge of measuring recommender performance and summarizes the online experiment results with several promising types of deep neural network recommenders - hybrid item representation models combining features from user engagement and content, sequence-based models, and multi-armed bandit models that optimize user engagement by re-ranking proposals from multiple submodels. The recommenders are currently running in production at the leading Norwegian marketplace FINN.no and serves over one million visitors everyday.

cs.IR↗

arXiv2018

Constraining Dark Matter Models with a Light Mediator from PandaX-II Experiment

We search for nuclear recoil signals of dark matter models with a light mediator in PandaX-II, a direct detection experiment in China Jinping underground Laboratory. Using data collected in 2016 and 2017 runs, corresponding to a total exposure of 54 ton day, we set upper limits on the zero-momentum dark matter-nucleon cross section. These limits have a strong dependence on the mediator mass when it is comparable to or below the typical momentum transfer. We apply our results to constrain self-interacting dark matter models with a light mediator mixing with standard model particles, and set strong limits on the model parameter space for the dark matter mass ranging from $5~{\rm GeV}$ to $10~{\rm TeV}$.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2018

Dark matter direct search sensitivity of the PandaX-4T experiment

The PandaX-4T experiment, a four-ton scale dark matter direct detection experiment, is being planned at the China Jinping Underground Laboratory. In this paper we present a simulation study of the expected background in this experiment. In a 2.8-ton fiducial mass and the signal region between 1 to 10 keV electron equivalent energy, the total electron recoil background is found to be 4.9x10^{-5} /(kg day keV). The nuclear recoil background in the same region is 2.8x10^{-7}/(kg day keV). With an exposure of 5.6 ton-years, the sensitivity of PandaX-4T could reach a minimum spin-independent dark matter-nucleon cross section of 6x10^{-48} cm^{2} at a dark matter mass of 40 GeV/c^{2}.

physics.ins-det↗

arXiv2018

A Novel PMU Fog based Early Anomaly Detection for an Efficient Wide Area PMU Network

Based on phasor measurement units (PMUs), a synchronphasor system is widely recognized as a promising smart grid measurement system. It is able to provide high-frequency, high-accuracy phasor measurements sampling for Wide Area Monitoring and Control (WAMC) applications. However, the high sampling frequency of measurement data under strict latency constraints introduces new challenges for real time communication. It would be very helpful if the collected data can be prioritized according to its importance such that the existing quality of service (QoS) mechanisms in the communication networks can be leveraged. To achieve this goal, certain anomaly detection functions should be conducted by the PMUs. Inspired by the recent emerging edge-fog-cloud computing hierarchical architecture, which allows computing tasks to be conducted at the network edge, a novel PMU fog is proposed in this paper. Two anomaly detection approaches, Singular Spectrum Analysis (SSA) and K-Nearest Neighbors (KNN), are evaluated in the PMU fog using the IEEE 16-machine 68-bus system. The simulation experiments based on Riverbed Modeler demonstrate that the proposed PMU fog can effectively reduce the data flow end-to-end (ETE) delay without sacrificing data completeness.

cs.NI↗

arXiv2017

Exploring the dark matter inelastic frontier with 79.6 days of PandaX-II data

We report here the results of searching for inelastic scattering of dark matter (initial and final state dark matter particles differ by a small mass splitting) with nucleon with the first 79.6-day of PandaX-II data (Run 9). We set the upper limits for the spin independent WIMP-nucleon scattering cross section up to a mass splitting of 300 keV/c$^2$ at two benchmark dark matter masses of 1 and 10 TeV/c$^2$.

hep-ex↗

arXiv2017

Limits on Axion Couplings from the first 80-day data of PandaX-II Experiment

We report new searches for the solar axions and galactic axion-like dark matter particles, using the first low-background data from PandaX-II experiment at China Jinping Underground Laboratory, corresponding to a total exposure of about $2.7\times 10^4$ kg$\cdot$day. No solar axion or galactic axion-like dark matter particle candidate has been identified. The upper limit on the axion-electron coupling ($g_{Ae}$) from the solar flux is found to be about $4.35 \times 10^{-12}$ in mass range from $10^{-5}$ to 1 keV/$c^2$ with 90\% confidence level, similar to the recent LUX result. We also report a new best limit from the $^{57}$Fe de-excitation. On the other hand, the upper limit from the galactic axions is on the order of $10^{-13}$ in the mass range from 1 keV/$c^2$ to 10 keV/$c^2$ with 90\% confidence level, slightly improved compared with the LUX.

hep-ex↗

arXiv2017

Weather Forecasting Error in Solar Energy Forecasting

As renewable distributed energy resources (DERs) penetrate the power grid at an accelerating speed, it is essential for operators to have accurate solar photovoltaic (PV) energy forecasting for efficient operations and planning. Generally, observed weather data are applied in the solar PV generation forecasting model while in practice the energy forecasting is based on forecasted weather data. In this paper, a study on the uncertainty in weather forecasting for the most commonly used weather variables is presented. The forecasted weather data for six days ahead is compared with the observed data and the results of analysis are quantified by statistical metrics. In addition, the most influential weather predictors in energy forecasting model are selected. The performance of historical and observed weather data errors is assessed using a solar PV generation forecasting model. Finally, a sensitivity test is performed to identify the influential weather variables whose accurate values can significantly improve the results of energy forecasting.

stat.ML↗