Bitcoin has gained widespread acceptance within the cryptocurrency community, and the Lightning network, an innovative and scalable extension of Bitcoin, is demonstrating remarkable advancements in electronic payments...Bitcoin has gained widespread acceptance within the cryptocurrency community, and the Lightning network, an innovative and scalable extension of Bitcoin, is demonstrating remarkable advancements in electronic payments. The Lightning network addresses the historical criticisms of Bitcoin by facilitating rapid transfers at reduced costs, addressing scalability concerns. However, despite its potential, integrating the Lightning network into diverse systems has proven challenging due to inherent system heterogeneity. This study seeks to overcome these challenges by contributing to the effective implementation of a micropayment system, specifically targeting microtransactions involving individuals outside developing countries, with a focus on the diaspora regularly transferring money to their loved ones. Our objective is to establish a decentralized microtransaction system in Burkina Faso, within the broader context of pursuing monetary independence. We have developed and implemented a prototype microtransaction system, leveraging a transfer application that combines the Lightning network blockchain and mobile money. This unique solution not only integrates local African currencies but also enables direct payments for services and goods at local establishments, fostering economic inclusivity and financial autonomy.展开更多
Based on lightning location data of lightning monitoring network in Guizhou Province in recent eight years,the effective detection radius of a station and the effective detection range of lightning monitoring network ...Based on lightning location data of lightning monitoring network in Guizhou Province in recent eight years,the effective detection radius of a station and the effective detection range of lightning monitoring network in Guizhou Province were analyzed. The results show that the effective detection radius of a lightning monitoring sub-station in Guizhou Province is 160 km; some counties in the southwest,northwest and northeast of Guizhou were not detected. To improve the detector efficiency of lightning monitoring network in Guizhou Province,it is suggested that nine sub-stations should be built in Weining,Shuicheng,Qinglong,Pingtang,Rongjiang,Yuping,Songtao,Tongren and Renhuai,so that the effective detection efficiency will reach more than 95%.展开更多
Electrical characteristics of an isolated supercell storm observed on 13 June 2014 over Beijing were investigated using lightning data obtained from the Beijing Lightning Network,radar reflectivity,and hydrometeor ret...Electrical characteristics of an isolated supercell storm observed on 13 June 2014 over Beijing were investigated using lightning data obtained from the Beijing Lightning Network,radar reflectivity,and hydrometeor retrievals during the 6-h lifetime.Positive cloud-to-ground(+CG)lightning took a high percentage of CG lightning.Before and during a hail event,+CG lightning was more frequent than negative cloud-to-ground(-CG)lightning,except that+CG lightning took a high percentage at the beginning and in the dissipating stage.After the hail event ended,-CG lightning dominated and reached its maximum value.An analysis of hydrometeors retrieved by X-band polarimetric radar revealed that the discharge concentrated in the convective region with graupel particles and hailstones,whereas graupel,snow and ice crystals in the stratiform region.Lightning radiation sources were located mainly in the convective region,some of which were distributed along a gradient of radar reflectivity from the convective region to the stratiform region.The indication is that the supercell demonstrated an inverted tripole charge structure before the hail event,which converted to a normal tripole structure after the hail event.展开更多
Visualizing lightning location data is necessary in analyzing and researching lightning activity patterns.This article uses C#and the cross-platform.NET framework to develop a lightning location data analysis class li...Visualizing lightning location data is necessary in analyzing and researching lightning activity patterns.This article uses C#and the cross-platform.NET framework to develop a lightning location data analysis class library and the data-driven client to help lightning researchers improve work efficiency by avoiding repeated wheel invention.Lightning Location System Data Analyzer(LLSDA)is a suite of software tools that includes a.NET class library for software developers and a desktop application for end users.It supports a wide range of lightning location data formats,such as the University of Washington Global Lightning Location System(WWLLN)and Beijing Huayun Dongfang ADTD Lightning Location System data format,and maintains scalability.The class library can easily read,parse,and analyze lightning location data,and combined with third-party frameworks can realize grid analysis.The desktop application can be combined with MeteoInfo(a GIS open-source project)for secondary development.展开更多
Payment Channel Networks(PCNs)are a promising alternative to improve the scalability of a blockchain network.A PCN employs off-chain micropayment channels that do not need a global block confirmation procedure,thereby...Payment Channel Networks(PCNs)are a promising alternative to improve the scalability of a blockchain network.A PCN employs off-chain micropayment channels that do not need a global block confirmation procedure,thereby sacrificing the ability to confirm transactions instantaneously.PCN uses a routing algorithm to identify a path between two users who do not have a direct channel between them to settle a transaction.The performance of most of the existing centralized path-finding algorithms does not scale with network size.The rapid growth of Bitcoin PCN necessitates considering distributed algorithms.However,the existing decentralized algorithms suffer from resource underutilization.We present a decentralized routing algorithm,Swift,focusing on fee optimization.The concept of a secret path is used to reduce the path length between a sender and a receiver to optimize the fees.Furthermore,we reduce a network structure into combinations of cycles to theoretically study fee optimization with changes in cloud size.The secret path also helps in edge load sharing,which results in an improvement of throughput.Swift routing achieves up to 21%and 63%in fee and throughput optimization,respectively.The results from the simulations follow the trends identified in the theoretical analysis.展开更多
New blockchain platforms are launching at a high cadence,each fighting for attention,adoption,and infrastructure resources.Several studies have measured the peer-to-peer(P2P)network decentralisation of Bitcoin and Eth...New blockchain platforms are launching at a high cadence,each fighting for attention,adoption,and infrastructure resources.Several studies have measured the peer-to-peer(P2P)network decentralisation of Bitcoin and Ethereum(i.e.,two of the largest used platforms).However,with the increasing demand for blockchain infrastructure,it is important to study node decentralisation across multiple blockchain networks,especially those containing a small number of nodes.In this paper,we propose NodeMaps,a data processing framework to capture,analyse,and visualise data from several popular P2P blockchain platforms,such as Cosmos,Stellar,Bitcoin,and Lightning Network.We compare and contrast the geographic distribution,the hosting provider diversity,and the software client variance in each of these platforms.Through our comparative analysis of node data,we found that Bitcoin and its Lightning Network Layer 2 protocol are widely decentralised P2P blockchain platforms,with the largest geographical reach and a high proportion of nodes operating on The Onion Router(TOR)privacy-focused network.Cosmos and Stellar blockchains have reduced node participation,with nodes predominantly operating in large cloud providers or well-known data centres.展开更多
文摘Bitcoin has gained widespread acceptance within the cryptocurrency community, and the Lightning network, an innovative and scalable extension of Bitcoin, is demonstrating remarkable advancements in electronic payments. The Lightning network addresses the historical criticisms of Bitcoin by facilitating rapid transfers at reduced costs, addressing scalability concerns. However, despite its potential, integrating the Lightning network into diverse systems has proven challenging due to inherent system heterogeneity. This study seeks to overcome these challenges by contributing to the effective implementation of a micropayment system, specifically targeting microtransactions involving individuals outside developing countries, with a focus on the diaspora regularly transferring money to their loved ones. Our objective is to establish a decentralized microtransaction system in Burkina Faso, within the broader context of pursuing monetary independence. We have developed and implemented a prototype microtransaction system, leveraging a transfer application that combines the Lightning network blockchain and mobile money. This unique solution not only integrates local African currencies but also enables direct payments for services and goods at local establishments, fostering economic inclusivity and financial autonomy.
基金Supported by the Foundation for Young Scholars of Guizhou Meteorological Bureau,China(QN[2012]13)
文摘Based on lightning location data of lightning monitoring network in Guizhou Province in recent eight years,the effective detection radius of a station and the effective detection range of lightning monitoring network in Guizhou Province were analyzed. The results show that the effective detection radius of a lightning monitoring sub-station in Guizhou Province is 160 km; some counties in the southwest,northwest and northeast of Guizhou were not detected. To improve the detector efficiency of lightning monitoring network in Guizhou Province,it is suggested that nine sub-stations should be built in Weining,Shuicheng,Qinglong,Pingtang,Rongjiang,Yuping,Songtao,Tongren and Renhuai,so that the effective detection efficiency will reach more than 95%.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.41875007 and 41630425)the Special Fund for Meteorology-Scientific Research in the Public Interest(Grant No.GYHY201506004)the 2018 Open Research Program of the State Key Laboratory of Severe Weather(Grant No.2018LASWB06)。
文摘Electrical characteristics of an isolated supercell storm observed on 13 June 2014 over Beijing were investigated using lightning data obtained from the Beijing Lightning Network,radar reflectivity,and hydrometeor retrievals during the 6-h lifetime.Positive cloud-to-ground(+CG)lightning took a high percentage of CG lightning.Before and during a hail event,+CG lightning was more frequent than negative cloud-to-ground(-CG)lightning,except that+CG lightning took a high percentage at the beginning and in the dissipating stage.After the hail event ended,-CG lightning dominated and reached its maximum value.An analysis of hydrometeors retrieved by X-band polarimetric radar revealed that the discharge concentrated in the convective region with graupel particles and hailstones,whereas graupel,snow and ice crystals in the stratiform region.Lightning radiation sources were located mainly in the convective region,some of which were distributed along a gradient of radar reflectivity from the convective region to the stratiform region.The indication is that the supercell demonstrated an inverted tripole charge structure before the hail event,which converted to a normal tripole structure after the hail event.
文摘Visualizing lightning location data is necessary in analyzing and researching lightning activity patterns.This article uses C#and the cross-platform.NET framework to develop a lightning location data analysis class library and the data-driven client to help lightning researchers improve work efficiency by avoiding repeated wheel invention.Lightning Location System Data Analyzer(LLSDA)is a suite of software tools that includes a.NET class library for software developers and a desktop application for end users.It supports a wide range of lightning location data formats,such as the University of Washington Global Lightning Location System(WWLLN)and Beijing Huayun Dongfang ADTD Lightning Location System data format,and maintains scalability.The class library can easily read,parse,and analyze lightning location data,and combined with third-party frameworks can realize grid analysis.The desktop application can be combined with MeteoInfo(a GIS open-source project)for secondary development.
文摘Payment Channel Networks(PCNs)are a promising alternative to improve the scalability of a blockchain network.A PCN employs off-chain micropayment channels that do not need a global block confirmation procedure,thereby sacrificing the ability to confirm transactions instantaneously.PCN uses a routing algorithm to identify a path between two users who do not have a direct channel between them to settle a transaction.The performance of most of the existing centralized path-finding algorithms does not scale with network size.The rapid growth of Bitcoin PCN necessitates considering distributed algorithms.However,the existing decentralized algorithms suffer from resource underutilization.We present a decentralized routing algorithm,Swift,focusing on fee optimization.The concept of a secret path is used to reduce the path length between a sender and a receiver to optimize the fees.Furthermore,we reduce a network structure into combinations of cycles to theoretically study fee optimization with changes in cloud size.The secret path also helps in edge load sharing,which results in an improvement of throughput.Swift routing achieves up to 21%and 63%in fee and throughput optimization,respectively.The results from the simulations follow the trends identified in the theoretical analysis.
基金supported in part by the Science Foundation Ireland grants 13/RC/2094_P2(Lero)and 13/RC/2106_P2(Adapt).
文摘New blockchain platforms are launching at a high cadence,each fighting for attention,adoption,and infrastructure resources.Several studies have measured the peer-to-peer(P2P)network decentralisation of Bitcoin and Ethereum(i.e.,two of the largest used platforms).However,with the increasing demand for blockchain infrastructure,it is important to study node decentralisation across multiple blockchain networks,especially those containing a small number of nodes.In this paper,we propose NodeMaps,a data processing framework to capture,analyse,and visualise data from several popular P2P blockchain platforms,such as Cosmos,Stellar,Bitcoin,and Lightning Network.We compare and contrast the geographic distribution,the hosting provider diversity,and the software client variance in each of these platforms.Through our comparative analysis of node data,we found that Bitcoin and its Lightning Network Layer 2 protocol are widely decentralised P2P blockchain platforms,with the largest geographical reach and a high proportion of nodes operating on The Onion Router(TOR)privacy-focused network.Cosmos and Stellar blockchains have reduced node participation,with nodes predominantly operating in large cloud providers or well-known data centres.
