Towards the Chalonge 16th Paris Cosmology Colloquium 2012: Highlights and Conclusions of the Chalonge 15th Paris Cosmology Colloquium 2011

The Chalonge 15th Paris Cosmology Colloquium 2011 was held on 20-22 July in the historic Paris Observatory's Perrault building, in the Chalonge School spirit combining real cosmological/astrophysical data and hard theory predictive approach connected to them in the Warm Dark Matter Standard Model of the Universe: News and reviews from Herschel, QUIET, Atacama Cosmology Telescope (ACT), South Pole Telescole (SPT), Planck, PIXIE, the JWST, UFFO, KATRIN and MARE experiments; astrophysics, particle and nuclear physics warm dark matter (DM) searches and galactic observations, related theory and simulations, with the aim of synthesis, progress and clarification. Philippe Andre, Peter Biermann, Pasquale Blasi, Daniel Boyanovsky, Carlo Burigana, Hector de Vega, Joanna Dunkley, Gerry Gilmore, Alexander Kashlinsky, Alan Kogut, Anthony Lasenby, John Mather, Norma Sanchez, Alexei Smirnov, Sylvaine Turck-Chieze present here their highlights of the Colloquium. Ayuki Kamada and Sinziana Paduroiu present here their poster highlights. LambdaWDM (Warm Dark Matter) is progressing impressively over LambdaCDM whose galactic scale crisis and decline are staggering. The International School Daniel Chalonge issued an statement of strong support to the James Webb Space Telescope (JSWT). The Daniel Chalonge Medal 2011 was awarded to John C. Mather, Science PI of the JWST. Summary and conclusions are presented by H. J. de Vega, M. C. Falvella and N. G. Sanchez. Overall, LambdaWDM and keV scale DM particles deserve dedicated astronomical and laboratory experimental searches, theoretical work and simulations. KATRIN experiment in the future could perhaps adapt its set-up to look to keV scale sterile neutrinos. It will be a a fantastic discovery to detect dark matter in a beta decay. Photos of the Colloquium are included. (Abridged)Comment: 65 pages, 21 figure

Towards the Chalonge 17th Paris Cosmology Colloquium 2013: highlights and conclusions of the Chalonge 16th Paris Cosmology Colloquium 2012

LWDM (Warm Dark Matter) is progressing impressively.The galactic scale crisis and decline of LCDM+baryons are staggering. The 16th Paris Chalonge Colloquium 2012 combined real cosmological/astrophysical data and hard theory predictive approach in the LWDM Standard Model. News and reviews from ACT,WMAP,SPT,QUIET,Planck,Herschel,JWST,UFFO,KATRIN and MARE experiments; astrophysics, particle and nuclear physics WDM searches, galactic observations, related theory and simulations, with the aim of synthesis and clarification. Here highlights by P Biermann, C Burigana, C Conselice, A Cooray, H de Vega, C Giunti & M Laveder, J Kormendi & K Freeman, E Ma, J Mather, L Page, G Smoot, N Sanchez. Summary and conclusions by de Vega, Falvella and Sanchez. Data confirm primordial CMB gaussianity. Effective (Ginsburg-Landau) Inflation theory predicts r about 0.04-0.05, negligeable running of ns, the inflation energy scale (GUT scale) and the set of CMB observables in agreement with the data. WMAP9 and Planck measurements are compatible with one or two Majorana sterile neutrinos in the eV mass scale. Cored (non cusped) DM halos and keV WDM are strongly favored by theory and observations, Wimps are strongly disfavoured. LambdaCDM with baryons do not work at small scales. Inside galaxy cores, quantum WDM effects are important. Quantum WDM calculations (Thomas-Fermi) provide galaxy masses, velocity dispersions and cored profiles and their sizes in agreement with observations. A WDM fermion of about 2 keV naturally reproduces galaxy, large scale and cosmological observations. WDM keV particles deserve dedicated astronomical and laboratory searches, theoretical work and numerical simulations. KATRIN can be adapted to look to keV scale sterile neutrinos. It will be a fantastic discovery to detect dark matter in beta decay. Photos of the Colloquium are includedComment: 58 pages, 15 figures. arXiv admin note: substantial text overlap with arXiv:1203.3562, arXiv:1305.7452, arXiv:1009.3494, arXiv:1304.075

Integrated Urban River Corridors:

This thesis focuses on Urban River Corridors (URCs) as spaces of social-ecological integration par excellence—that is, spaces where the interaction between the urban systems (carrying the ‘social-’) and the river system (carrying the ‘-ecological’) is (potentially) the most intense. The general hypothesis is that with an integrated spatial understanding, planning and design of rivers and the urban fabric surrounding them, cities could become more resilient, not just to flood-related disturbances, but to general chronic stresses as well. Hence, the thesis addresses a number of spatial problems arising from the loss of synergy between the natural dynamics of rivers and the spatial configuration and composition of urban areas that they cross, namely: the relationship between fluvial geomorphology and urban morphology weakened by river-taming operations; the physical barrier caused by riverside vehicular traffic; the latent flood risk built up through resistance-based flood-protection measures; the diminished capacity of urban rivers to provide ecosystem services; and the reduced scalar, (and implicitly) social and ecological complexity of urban rivers after rationalisation. Drawing on theories of social-ecological resilience and urban form resilience, on conceptual and analytical tools from the fields of spatial morphology and landscape ecology, and on explorations through urban river design projects, the thesis departs from the research question “How can social-ecological integration be spatially defined, assessed and designed in Urban River Corridors?” Accordingly, it constructs a theory of social-ecologically integrated Urban River Corridors, in which it proposes a spatial-morphological definition, an assessment framework, and a set of design principles and design instruments. These three components of the theory represent the descriptive, analytical, and normative claims advanced in the research, respectively. The thesis employs a mixed methods research strategy that combines methods of both quantitative and qualitative nature as part of a transdisciplinary design study approach. As the object of the design study, the case of Bucharest crossed by URC Dâmbovița and URC Colentina is used to contextualise the spatial-morphological definition, and to demonstrate, develop and test the proposed assessment framework and design principles, with a distinct set of methods in each of the three parts of the thesis. The first part places URCs in a wider theoretical and empirical context. A transdisciplinary literature review is carried out to distil environmental-ecological, social-economic, planning-governance and spatial-morphological knowledge into four key properties of URCs—connectivity, open space amenity, integration and multiscalarity—and to adopt a method of URC delineation. A historical overview of Bucharest’s URCs and a qualitative data analysis of 22 expert interviews is conducted to describe the past dynamics and the current state of URC Dâmbovița and URC Colentina. The history of the two rivers shows a process of radical transformation from a flooding and dynamic river valley to a canalised stream and cramped urban space (River Dâmbovița) and from a pestilential wetland to a succession of lakes and parks designated as a metropolitan recreational area (River Colentina). In the expert interviews addressing the current state of the two URCs, Dâmbovița was described as inaccessible, disruptive, unattractive and artificial from both social and ecological point of view, but also, in terms of potentials, as a major axis of urban development and potentially the largest public space of the city. URC Colentina, as revealed in the analysis of the expert interviews, is currently inaccessible and fragmented by lakeside privatisation and it lacks cohesion due to contrasting social and spatial peripheral conditions. Yet, most experts considered that it is potentially the largest recreational space and green corridor in the metropolitan area of Bucharest. Based on the spatial-morphological definition of URCs and on existing approaches to assessing urban rivers, the second part of the thesis develops an assessment framework, that is, a structured indicator system and a method for the assessment of social-ecological integration. The indicator system is structured in a hierarchy of social and ecological categories under connectivity (longitudinal, lateral, and vertical connectivity) and spatial capacity (spatial diversity, quality and composition). The method of assessment confronts values given by indicators from corresponding categories (e.g. social lateral connectivity with ecological lateral connectivity) in a mirrored social-ecological assessment chart and highlights areas of potential for improved social-ecological integration on the scales of the corridor and the corridor segment. Informed by the key problems and potentials derived from the analysis of the expert interviews, a complete assessment is carried out on URC Dâmbovița and a demonstration of wider application is given on URC Colentina. Corridor-segment assessment shows that URC Dâmbovița currently has a high-to-medium longitudinal connectivity, medium-to-low lateral connectivity and low vertical connectivity, as well as a medium spatial diversity and quality, and a medium-to-high spatial composition. The social-ecological profile of URC Dâmbovița highlights potential improvements on the ecological dimension for centrally located corridor segments and a potential increase in spatial diversity and composition on the social dimension in peripheral segments. The application of the assessment framework to different site conditions is briefly demonstrated on URC Colentina with an indicator of street network accessibility (also used in the assessment of URC Dâmbovița) and green space coverage (specific to URC Colentina). Building on principles of urban and landscape design and informed by design explorations through four urban river projects carried out by the author, the last part of the thesis develops four design principles, namely Interconnectedness, Absorptive Capacity, Social-Ecological Integration, and Interscalarity, derived from the key properties specified in the spatial-morphological definition of URCs. Interconnectedness and Absorptive Capacity are principles that guide the design of elements found in the networks and open spaces of the URC, while Social-Ecological Integration and Interscalarity reveal systemic and scalar relations among those elements. Finally, the design principles are translated into four corresponding design instruments—the Connector, the Sponge, the Integrator and the Scaler—, meant to aid designers in building social-ecologically integrated URCs. A design workshop organised in Bucharest is employed to demonstrate and test the use of the design instruments in the design process and their impact on the design projects. The workshop participants evaluated the design instruments as overall useful and easy to use, but also gave valuable suggestions for improvements in their application in the design process. The thesis concludes with a reflection on theoretical, methodological and practical implications of the research. By drawing parallels between the spatial-morphological definition, assessment and design of URCs, on the one hand, and the spatial properties and models of social-ecological resilience, on the other hand, it argues that social-ecologically integrated URCs have a potentially positive impact on general urban resilience. This last part discusses challenges and opportunities of the transdisciplinary design study approach and the mixed methodology, gives possible usage scenarios for the assessment framework and design instruments, and reflects on the wider applicability of the research for urban and landscape design beyond the case of Bucharest.   &nbsp

Integrated Urban River Corridors:

This thesis focuses on Urban River Corridors (URCs) as spaces of social-ecological integration par excellence—that is, spaces where the interaction between the urban systems (carrying the ‘social-’) and the river system (carrying the ‘-ecological’) is (potentially) the most intense. The general hypothesis is that with an integrated spatial understanding, planning and design of rivers and the urban fabric surrounding them, cities could become more resilient, not just to flood-related disturbances, but to general chronic stresses as well. Hence, the thesis addresses a number of spatial problems arising from the loss of synergy between the natural dynamics of rivers and the spatial configuration and composition of urban areas that they cross, namely: the relationship between fluvial geomorphology and urban morphology weakened by river-taming operations; the physical barrier caused by riverside vehicular traffic; the latent flood risk built up through resistance-based flood-protection measures; the diminished capacity of urban rivers to provide ecosystem services; and the reduced scalar, (and implicitly) social and ecological complexity of urban rivers after rationalisation. Drawing on theories of social-ecological resilience and urban form resilience, on conceptual and analytical tools from the fields of spatial morphology and landscape ecology, and on explorations through urban river design projects, the thesis departs from the research question “How can social-ecological integration be spatially defined, assessed and designed in Urban River Corridors?” Accordingly, it constructs a theory of social-ecologically integrated Urban River Corridors, in which it proposes a spatial-morphological definition, an assessment framework, and a set of design principles and design instruments. These three components of the theory represent the descriptive, analytical, and normative claims advanced in the research, respectively. The thesis employs a mixed methods research strategy that combines methods of both quantitative and qualitative nature as part of a transdisciplinary design study approach. As the object of the design study, the case of Bucharest crossed by URC Dâmbovița and URC Colentina is used to contextualise the spatial-morphological definition, and to demonstrate, develop and test the proposed assessment framework and design principles, with a distinct set of methods in each of the three parts of the thesis. The first part places URCs in a wider theoretical and empirical context. A transdisciplinary literature review is carried out to distil environmental-ecological, social-economic, planning-governance and spatial-morphological knowledge into four key properties of URCs—connectivity, open space amenity, integration and multiscalarity—and to adopt a method of URC delineation. A historical overview of Bucharest’s URCs and a qualitative data analysis of 22 expert interviews is conducted to describe the past dynamics and the current state of URC Dâmbovița and URC Colentina. The history of the two rivers shows a process of radical transformation from a flooding and dynamic river valley to a canalised stream and cramped urban space (River Dâmbovița) and from a pestilential wetland to a succession of lakes and parks designated as a metropolitan recreational area (River Colentina). In the expert interviews addressing the current state of the two URCs, Dâmbovița was described as inaccessible, disruptive, unattractive and artificial from both social and ecological point of view, but also, in terms of potentials, as a major axis of urban development and potentially the largest public space of the city. URC Colentina, as revealed in the analysis of the expert interviews, is currently inaccessible and fragmented by lakeside privatisation and it lacks cohesion due to contrasting social and spatial peripheral conditions. Yet, most experts considered that it is potentially the largest recreational space and green corridor in the metropolitan area of Bucharest. Based on the spatial-morphological definition of URCs and on existing approaches to assessing urban rivers, the second part of the thesis develops an assessment framework, that is, a structured indicator system and a method for the assessment of social-ecological integration. The indicator system is structured in a hierarchy of social and ecological categories under connectivity (longitudinal, lateral, and vertical connectivity) and spatial capacity (spatial diversity, quality and composition). The method of assessment confronts values given by indicators from corresponding categories (e.g. social lateral connectivity with ecological lateral connectivity) in a mirrored social-ecological assessment chart and highlights areas of potential for improved social-ecological integration on the scales of the corridor and the corridor segment. Informed by the key problems and potentials derived from the analysis of the expert interviews, a complete assessment is carried out on URC Dâmbovița and a demonstration of wider application is given on URC Colentina. Corridor-segment assessment shows that URC Dâmbovița currently has a high-to-medium longitudinal connectivity, medium-to-low lateral connectivity and low vertical connectivity, as well as a medium spatial diversity and quality, and a medium-to-high spatial composition. The social-ecological profile of URC Dâmbovița highlights potential improvements on the ecological dimension for centrally located corridor segments and a potential increase in spatial diversity and composition on the social dimension in peripheral segments. The application of the assessment framework to different site conditions is briefly demonstrated on URC Colentina with an indicator of street network accessibility (also used in the assessment of URC Dâmbovița) and green space coverage (specific to URC Colentina). Building on principles of urban and landscape design and informed by design explorations through four urban river projects carried out by the author, the last part of the thesis develops four design principles, namely Interconnectedness, Absorptive Capacity, Social-Ecological Integration, and Interscalarity, derived from the key properties specified in the spatial-morphological definition of URCs. Interconnectedness and Absorptive Capacity are principles that guide the design of elements found in the networks and open spaces of the URC, while Social-Ecological Integration and Interscalarity reveal systemic and scalar relations among those elements. Finally, the design principles are translated into four corresponding design instruments—the Connector, the Sponge, the Integrator and the Scaler—, meant to aid designers in building social-ecologically integrated URCs. A design workshop organised in Bucharest is employed to demonstrate and test the use of the design instruments in the design process and their impact on the design projects. The workshop participants evaluated the design instruments as overall useful and easy to use, but also gave valuable suggestions for improvements in their application in the design process. The thesis concludes with a reflection on theoretical, methodological and practical implications of the research. By drawing parallels between the spatial-morphological definition, assessment and design of URCs, on the one hand, and the spatial properties and models of social-ecological resilience, on the other hand, it argues that social-ecologically integrated URCs have a potentially positive impact on general urban resilience. This last part discusses challenges and opportunities of the transdisciplinary design study approach and the mixed methodology, gives possible usage scenarios for the assessment framework and design instruments, and reflects on the wider applicability of the research for urban and landscape design beyond the case of Bucharest

Integrated Urban River Corridors

The issue of urban resilience concerns a multitude of urban systems and spaces. This thesis focuses on Urban River Corridors (URCs)—that is, urban spaces where the overlap between the urban systems (carrying the ’social-‘) and the river system (carrying the ‘-ecological’) is at the highest intensity—as strategic spaces with a potentially high contribution to urban resilience. The general hypothesis is that with an integrated spatial understanding, planning and design of rivers and the urban fabric surrounding them, cities could become more resilient not just to flood-related disturbances, but to general chronic stresses as well. Hence, the thesis addresses four spatial problems arising from the loss of synergy between the natural dynamics of rivers and the spatial configuration and composition of urban areas that they cross: (1) river-taming operations combined with riverside traffic corridors have weakened the relationship between fluvial geomorphology and urban morphology, transforming rivers into physical barriers; (2) flood-protection measures aiming for resistance to water dynamics have led to a latent flood risk; (3) the capacity of urban rivers to deliver ecosystem services has been diminished; and (4) rationalisations of the river system have reduced the scalar, (and implicitly) social and ecological complexity of urban rivers. Drawing on theories of social-ecological resilience and urban form resilience, on conceptual and analytical tools from spatial morphology and landscape ecology, and on practical experience in urban river design projects, the thesis constructs a theory of social-ecologically integrated Urban River Corridors, in which it proposes a spatial-morphological definition, an assessment framework, and a set of design principles and design instruments. Framed as a transdisciplinary design study, the thesis integrates knowledge from various disciplines dealing with the problematique of urban rivers and employs a design-driven methodology that includes design explorations and design testing in the research process. The case of Bucharest crossed by URC Dâmbovița and URC Colentina is used to contextualise the spatial-morphological definition, and to demonstrate, develop and test the proposed assessment framework, design principles, and design instruments with a distinct set of methods in each of the three parts of the thesis. In addition to a transdisciplinary literature review of URCs, and a historical review of Bucharest’s URCs, Part 1 presents a qualitative data analysis of 22 expert interviews, used to determine the current state of URC Dâmbovița and URC Colentina. Based on four key properties of URCs identified in the literature, Part 2 develops an indicator system and a method for the assessment of social-ecological integration. Informed by key problems and potentials identified by the local experts, the assessment framework is then applied on the two URCs of Bucharest. In the last part, design applications, including urban river projects carried out by the author on other rivers and a design workshop in Bucharest, are used to demonstrate and test the design principles through design instruments

ALS-NSCORT 2005 Annual Report

An overview of the ALS-NSCORT projects for the year 2005. 169 pages

The 30/20 GHz flight experiment system, phase 2. Volume 2: Experiment system description

A detailed technical description of the 30/20 GHz flight experiment system is presented. The overall communication system is described with performance analyses, communication operations, and experiment plans. Hardware descriptions of the payload are given with the tradeoff studies that led to the final design. The spacecraft bus which carries the payload is discussed and its interface with the launch vehicle system is described. Finally, the hardwares and the operations of the terrestrial segment are presented

Astronautics and aeronautics, 1971: Chronology on science, technology, and policy

A comprehensive chronological reference of world wide aerospace events is presented. Policy statements, comments on the impact of technology, social concern, and biographical notes are included

Proceedings of the Fifth International Mobile Satellite Conference 1997

Satellite-based mobile communications systems provide voice and data communications to users over a vast geographic area. The users may communicate via mobile or hand-held terminals, which may also provide access to terrestrial communications services. While previous International Mobile Satellite Conferences have concentrated on technical advances and the increasing worldwide commercial activities, this conference focuses on the next generation of mobile satellite services. The approximately 80 papers included here cover sessions in the following areas: networking and protocols; code division multiple access technologies; demand, economics and technology issues; current and planned systems; propagation; terminal technology; modulation and coding advances; spacecraft technology; advanced systems; and applications and experiments

Astronautics and aeronautics, 1969 Chronology on science, technology, and policy

Statistical mechanics for wall shear turbulence in Couette flow based on Brownian motion and comparison with stochastic theory based on Navier-Stokes equatio