Solid-state Isotopic Power Source for Computer Memory Chips

Recent developments in materials technology now make it possible to fabricate nonthermal thin-film radioisotopic energy converters (REC) with a specific power of 24 W/kg and a 10 year working life at 5 to 10 watts. This creates applications never before possible, such as placing the power supply directly on integrated circuit chips. The efficiency of the REC is about 25 percent which is two to three times greater than the 6 to 8 percent capabilities of current thermoelectric systems. Radio isotopic energy converters have the potential to meet many future space power requirements for a wide variety of applications with less mass, better efficiency, and less total area than other power conversion options. These benefits result in significant dollar savings over the projected mission lifetime

Variable ratio beam splitter for laser applications

Beam splitter employing birefringent optics provides either widely different or precisely equal beam ratios, it can be used with laser light source systems for interferometry of lossy media, holography, scattering measurements, and precise beam ratio applications

Abundance and Identification of the Leafmining Guild on Apple in the Mid-Atlantic States

The leafmining guild on apple in the northeastern United States was studied from 1983 to 1988. Ten species of leafminers, all Lepidoptera, were encountered during the sampling. Phyllonorycter spp. (P. blancardella and P. crataegella) were the most ubiquitous and most abundant throughout the region. Lyonetia speculella was also abundant in both managed and unmanaged orchards, indicating a potential to become a pest. Bucculatrix pomiloliella and Coptodisca splendorilerella were abundant in unmanaged orchards, but were only rarely found in managed orchards. Coleophora serratella, Stigmella pomivorella, Parornix geminatella, Tischeria malifoliella, and Recurvaria nanella were also found. A key to the most important leafminer species on apple in the mid-Atlantic states, based on leafmine characteristics, is presented