Quasiperiodic function

Abstract: We present a new technique for isolating climate signals in time series with a characteristic ‘red’ noise background which arises from temporal persistence. This background is estimated by a ‘robust’ procedure that, unlike conventional techniques, is largely unbiased by the presence of signals immersed in the noise. Making use of multiple-taper spectral analysis methods, the technique further provides for a distinction between purely harmonic (periodic) signals, and broader-band (‘quasiperiodic’) signals. The effectiveness of our signal detection procedure is demonstrated with synthetic examples that simulate a variety of possible periodic and quasiperiodic signals immersed in red noise. We apply our methodology to historical climate and paleoclimate time series examples. Analysis of a ≈ 3 million year sediment core reveals significant periodic components at known astronomical forcing periodicities and a significant quasiperiodic 100 year peak. Analysis of a roughly 1500 year tree-ring reconstruction of Scandinavian summer temperatures suggests significant quasiperiodic signals on a near-century timescale, an interdecadal 16–18 year timescale, within the interannual El Nino/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) band, and on a quasibiennial timescale. Analysis of the 144 year record of Great Salt Lake monthly volume change reveals a significant broad band of significant interdecadal variability, ENSO-timescale peaks, an annual cycle and its harmonics. Focusing in detail on the historical estimated global-average surface temperature record, we find a highly significant secular trend relative to the estimated red noise background, and weakly significant quasiperiodic signals within the ENSO band. Decadal and quasibiennial signals are marginally significant in this series.

Abstract: A one-dimensional Schr\"odinger equation in a discontinuous quasiperiodic potential is reduced to a recursion relation for transfer matrices and then to one for traces of these matrices. When the potential is periodic, the bandwidth goes to zero as an algebraic function of the period with a critical index which depends upon the potential strength. This critical index is also evaluated as the solution to an escape-rate problem for the recursion relations.

Abstract: I. Metrically Transitive Operators.- 1 Basic Definitions and Examples.- 1.A Random Variables, Functions and Fields.- 1.B Random Vectors and Operators.- l.C Metrically Transitive Random Fields.- l.D Metrically Transitive Operators.- 2 Simple Spectral Properties of Metrically Transitive Operators.- 2.A Deficiency Indices.- 2.B Nonrandomnessofthe Spectrum and of its Components.- 2.C Nonrandomness of Multiplicities.- Problems.- II. Asymptotic Properties of Metrically Transitive Matrix and Differential Operators.- 3 Review of Basic Results.- 4 Matrix Operators on ?2 (Zd).- 4.A Essential Self-Adjointness.- 4.B Existence of the Integrated Density of States and Other Ergodic Properties.- 4.C Simple Properties of the Integrated Density of States and of the Spectra of Metrically Transitive Matrix Operators.- 4.D Location of the Spectrum.- 5 Schrodinger Operators and Elliptic Differential Operators on L2(Rd).- 5.A Criteria for Essential Self-Adjointness.- 5.B Ergodic Properties.- 5.C Some Properties of the Integrated Density of States.- 5.D Location of the Spectrum of a Metrically Transitive Schrodinger Operator.- Problems.- III. Integrated Density of States in One-Dimensional Problems of Second Order.- 6 The Oscillation Theorem and the Integrated Density of States.- 6. A The Phase and the Existence of the Integrated Density of States.- 6.B Simplest Asymptotics of the Integrated Density of States at the Edges of the Spectrum.- 6.C Schrodinger Operator with Markov Potential.- 6.D The Brownian Motion Model.- 6.E Jacobi Matrices with Independent and Markov Coefficients.- 6.F Smoothness of N (?) Special Energies.- 7 Examples of Calculation of the Integrated Density of States.- 7.A The Kronig-Penny Stochastic Model.- 7.B Random Jacobi Matrices.- Problems.- IV. Asymptotic Behavior of the Integrated Density of States at Spectral Boundaries in Multidimensional Problems.- 8 Stable Boundaries.- 9 Fluctuation Boundaries: General Discussion and Classical Asymptotics.- 9.A Introduction and Heuristic Discussion.- 9.B Simplest Bounds. Gaussian and Negative Poisson Potentials.- 9.C Generalized Poisson Potential.- 10 Fluctuation Boundaries: Quantum Asymptotics.- 10.A The Lifshitz Exponent.- 10.B Generalized Poisson Potential with a Nonnegative, Rapidly Decreasing Function.- 10.C Smoothed Square of a Gaussian Random Field.- Problems.- V. Lyapunov Exponents and the Spectrum in One Dimension.- 11 Existence and Properties of Lyapunov Exponents.- 11.A The Multiplicative Ergodic Theorem and the Existence of Lyapunov Exponents.- 11.B The Lyapunov Exponent and the Integrated Density of States.- 11.C Simplest Asymptotic Formulas and Estimates for Lyapunov Exponents.- 12 Lyapunov Exponents and the Absolutely Continuous Spectrum.- 12.A Basic Facts About the Spectrum of One-Dimensional Operators of the Second Order.- 12.B Lyapunov Exponents and the Absolutely Continuous Spectrum.- 12.C Multiplicity of the Spectrum.- 12.D Deterministic Potentials.- 12.E Some Inverse Problems.- 13 Lyapunov Exponents and the Point Spectrum.- 13.A Heuristic Discussion.- 13.B Conditions for Positive Lyapunov Exponents to Imply a Pure Point Spectrum.- Problems.- VI. Random Operators.- 14 The Lyapunov Exponent of Random Operators in One Dimension.- 14.A Positiveness of the Lyapunov Exponent.- 14.B Asymptotic Formulas for the Lyapunov Exponent.- 15 The Point Spectrum of Random Operators.- 15.A The Pure Point Spectrum in One Dimension.- 15.B Other One-Dimensional Results.- 15.C The Point Spectrum in Multidimensional Problems.- Problems.- VII. Almost-Periodic Operators.- 16 Smooth Quasi-Periodic Potentials.- 16.A The Integrated Density of States and the Gap Labeling Theorem.- 16.B Absolutely Continuous Spectrum.- 16.C Lower Bounds of Solutions and Absence of a Point Spectrum.- 16.D Lower Bounds for the Lyapunov Exponent and Absence of an Absolutely Continuous Spectrum in the Discrete Case.- 16.E Point Spectrum of Almost-Periodic Operators.- 16.F The Almost-Mathieu Operator.- 17 Limit-Periodic Potentials.- 17.A Basic Results.- 17.B Spectral Data for Periodic Potentials of Increasing Period.- 17.C Proof of the Main Theorems.- 18 Unbounded Quasiperiodic Potentials.- 18.A General Results and the Integrated Density of States.- 18.B The Case of Strongly Incommensurate Frequencies.- 18.C The One-Dimensional Case.- 18.D The Schrodinger Operator with a Nonlocal Quasiperiodic Potential.- Problems.- Appendix A: Nevanlinna Functions.- Appendix B: Distribution of Eigenvalues of Large Random Matrices.- List of Symbols.

Abstract: We report the first realization of a quasiperiodic (incommensurate) superlattice. The sample, grown by molecular-beam epitaxy, consists of alternating layers of GaAs and AlAs to form a Fibonacci sequence in which the ratio of incommensurate periods is equal to the golden mean $\ensuremath{\tau}$. X-ray and Raman scattering measurements are presented that reveal some of the unique properties of these novel structures.