Fe Kα\alpha Profiles from Simulations of Accreting Black Holes

We present first results from a new technique for the prediction of Fe K$\alpha$ profiles directly from general relativistic magnetohydrodynamic (GRMHD) simulations. Data from a GRMHD simulation are processed by a Monte Carlo global radiation transport code, which determines the X-ray flux irradiating the disk surface and the coronal electron temperature self-consistently. With that irradiating flux and the disk's density structure drawn from the simulation, we determine the reprocessed Fe K$\alpha$ emission from photoionization equilibrium and solution of the radiation transfer equation. We produce maps of the surface brightness of Fe K$\alpha$ emission over the disk surface, which---for our example of a $10 M_\odot$, Schwarzschild black hole accreting at $1\%$ the Eddington value---rises steeply one gravitational radius outside the radius of the innermost stable circular orbit and then falls $\propto r^{-2}$ at larger radii. We explain these features of the Fe K$\alpha$ radial surface brightness profile as consequences of the disk's ionization structure and an extended coronal geometry, respectively. We also present the corresponding Fe K$\alpha$ line profiles as would be seen by distant observers at several inclinations. Both the shapes of the line profiles and the equivalent widths of our predicted K$\alpha$ lines are qualitatively similar to those typically observed from accreting black holes. Most importantly, this work represents a direct link between theory and observation: in a fully self-consistent way, we produce observable results---iron fluorescence line profiles---from the theory of black hole accretion with almost no phenomenological assumptions.Comment: 27 pages, 13 figure

Calibration Methodology for the Scripps 13C/12C and 18O/16O stable Isotope program 1992-2018

This report details calibration method for measurements of 13C/12C and 18O/16O ratios of atmospheric CO2 by the Scripps CO2 program from 1992-2018.  The method depends principally on repeat analysis of CO2 derived from a suite of high-pressure gas cylinders filled with compressed natural air pumped at La Jolla.  The first set of three cylinders were given isotopic assignments in 1994 based on comparisons with material artifacts NBS16, NBS17, and NBS19.  Six cylinders subsequently brought into service were assigned values by comparing directly or indirectly with this first set.  A tenth cylinder with natural CO2 in air was obtained from MPI Jena.  Aliquots of CO2 from these cylinders, which serve as secondary standards, were extracted into heat-sealed glass ampoules (“flame-off tubes”) before introduction into the mass spectrometer.  Some of these ampoules have been stored for many years before analysis, allowing long-term isotopic drift of the cylinders to be quantified.  All secondary standards contain natural levels of N2O.  The method corrects for any detected drift, while also applying corrections for N2O interference, for isobaric interferences (“Craig correction”) and for an inter-lab offset identified in early comparisons with the isotope lab at the University of Groningen.  The Jena cylinder was found to be drifting upwards in δ18O at a rate of +0.10 ‰ per decade.  Five of the other nine cylinders were found to be drifting downwards in δ18O, δ13C, or both, at rates of up to -0.11‰ per decade.  The secondary standards were applied uniformly across a transition to a new mass spectrometer in 2000, thereby establishing continuity across this transition.  Results are presented also for instrumental precision based on replicate analyses of standards.  Drift-corrected analyses of the Jena cylinder establishes offsets of +0.037 ‰ in δ13C and +0.041 ‰ in δ18O between the Scripps and JRAS isotopic scales (Scripps more positive)

Management of Mechanical Ventilation in Decompensated Heart Failure.

Mechanical ventilation (MV) is a life-saving intervention for respiratory failure, including decompensated congestive heart failure. MV can reduce ventricular preload and afterload, decrease extra-vascular lung water, and decrease the work of breathing in heart failure. The advantages of positive pressure ventilation must be balanced with potential harm from MV: volutrauma, hyperoxia-induced injury, and difficulty assessing readiness for liberation. In this review, we will focus on cardiac, pulmonary, and broader effects of MV on patients with decompensated HF, focusing on practical considerations for management and supporting evidence

High-fidelity Multipoint Aerostructural Optimization of a High Aspect Ratio Tow-steered Composite Wing

Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/143091/1/6.2017-1350.pd

Developing Mutually Beneficial Relationships between Researchers and Organizations

[Excerpt] The keys to organizational success are constantly changing. As the global economy evolves in the direction of knowledge-based enterprise, the ability to create and manage information is essential. The decisions that managers make have large operational and financial implications. However, managers often lack the information needed to make sound decisions. When faced with challenges in their organizations they may rely too heavily on personal experience or obsolete knowledge. Often, they turn to consultants for assistance. There are a large number of academics who study issues important to managers, yet the results of their work are often not communicated effectively to the practitioner audience. In addition, academics often find it difficult to gain access to organizations to obtain the data necessary to conduct high quality research. In short, there seems to be a ‘‘disconnect’’ between the needs of the business community and academic research. Though numerous calls for more academic/ practitioner collaboration have been made, there has been relatively little progress in achieving it

An Analog VLSI Saccadic Eye Movement System

In an effort to understand saccadic eye movements and their relation to visual attention and other forms of eye movements, we - in collaboration with a number of other laboratories - are carrying out a large-scale effort to design and build a complete primate oculomotor system using analog CMOS VLSI technology. Using this technology, a low power, compact, multi-chip system has been built which works in real-time using real-world visual inputs. We describe in this paper the performance of an early version of such a system including a 1-D array of photoreceptors mimicking the retina, a circuit computing the mean location of activity representing the superior colliculus, a saccadic burst generator, and a one degree-of-freedom rotational platform which models the dynamic properties of the primate oculomotor plant

Early Japanese Urbanism: A Study of the Urbanism of Proto-historic Japan and Continuities from the Yayoi to the Asuka Periods.

The way in which Japanese archaeologists and historians see their past has created two separate systems of periodization causing many issues for dating certain material of the same age. As a consequence of the retro-projection of present day social and political perspectives onto the past, the sequence has become fragmented. Part of the issue lies in assumptions about the nature of urbanism and the state, stemming from the Japanese model of urbanism. This is tied directly to the influence of Chinese grid style cities used as capital cities from the late 7th century onwards. Before this, other different forms of "capital" can be identified, for example in the Asuka and Naniwa areas, associated with the initial formation of the state. The Asuka area in particular was the residence of elites and the location of local crafts, associated with shrine and tombs spread out over a wide area. This may therefore be an example of a low-density dispersed urban environment. The thesis aims to demonstrate that this is the case

Building Information Modeling: Beyond Design, Commissioning and Construction

Building Information Modeling (BIM) is continuing to grow in popularity among contractors and more recently among owners as the complexity and usefulness of models are improved. Many construction firms have used BIM or adopted it in their practices to some degree. However, while it is growing in popularity, its use in facility management by the owner is still lagging. This research examines how construction processes can be better organized to supply the owner a BIM that would be useful for facility management activities. The research was conducted to identify successful post-construction BIM implementation practices and the ways in which contractors supported these processes. The research found trends among BIM execution practices of advanced contractors and owners. A common obstacle to contractors\u27 ability to provide owners with useful models was uncovered, leading to the creation of a proposed process for creating a model that meets the needs of facility management activities. The research utilized case studies to identify the BIM creation processes used by advanced BIM users. In-depth interviews focused on the processes used by the BIM professional to create owner-inspired models suitable for facility management purposes. The interviews verify that construction firms are faced with challenges when attempting to meet the needs of facility owners. This thesis presents the obstacles that industry professionals are facing in meeting client needs in respect to BIM for use during facility management. This thesis also discusses processes that firms are using to turn over models to owners and outlines a purposed process for the creation of owner-inspired models by contractors

Passive Aeroelastic Tailoring

The Passive Aeroelastic Tailoring (PAT) project was tasked with investigating novel methods to achieve passive aeroelastic tailoring on high aspect ratio wings. The goal of the project was to identify structural designs or topologies that can improve performance and/or reduce structural weight for high-aspect ratio wings. This project considered two unique approaches, which were pursued in parallel: through-thickness topology optimization and composite tow-steering