Mode Fluctuation Distribution for Spectra of Superconducting Microwave Billiards

High resolution eigenvalue spectra of several two- and three-dimensional superconducting microwave cavities have been measured in the frequency range below 20 GHz and analyzed using a statistical measure which is given by the distribution of the normalized mode fluctuations. For chaotic systems the limit distribution is conjectured to show a universal Gaussian, whereas integrable systems should exhibit a non-Gaussian limit distribution. For the investigated Bunimovich stadium and the 3D-Sinai billiard we find that the distribution is in good agreement with this prediction. We study members of the family of limacon billiards, having mixed dynamics. It turns out that in this case the number of approximately 1000 eigenvalues for each billiard does not allow to observe significant deviations from a Gaussian, whereas an also measured circular billiard with regular dynamics shows the expected difference from a Gaussian.Comment: 7 pages, RevTex, 5 postscript figure, to be published in Phys. Rev. E. In case of any problems contact A. Baecker ([email protected]) or H. Rehfeld ([email protected]

Anderson Localization in a String of Microwave Cavities

The field distributions and eigenfrequencies of a microwave resonator which is composed of 20 identical cells have been measured. With external screws the periodicity of the cavity can be perturbed arbitrarily. If the perturbation is increased a transition from extended to localized field distributions is observed. For very large perturbations the field distributions show signatures of Anderson localization, while for smaller perturbations the field distribution is extended or weakly localized. The localization length of a strongly localized field distribution can be varied by adjusting the penetration depth of the screws. Shifts in the frequency spectrum of the resonator provide further evidence for Anderson localization.Comment: 7 pages RevTex, to be published in Phys. Rev.

Experimental vs. Numerical Eigenvalues of a Bunimovich Stadium Billiard -- A Comparison

We compare the statistical properties of eigenvalue sequences for a gamma=1 Bunimovich stadium billiard. The eigenvalues have been obtained by two ways: one set results from a measurement of the eigenfrequencies of a superconducting microwave resonator (real system) and the other set is calculated numerically (ideal system). The influence of the mechanical imperfections of the real system in the analysis of the spectral fluctuations and in the length spectra compared to the exact data of the ideal system are shown. We also discuss the influence of a family of marginally stable orbits, the bouncing ball orbits, in two microwave stadium billiards with different geometrical dimensions.Comment: RevTex, 8 pages, 8 figures (postscript), to be published in Phys. Rev.

Wave Dynamical Chaos in a Superconducting Three-Dimensional Sinai Billiard

Based on very accurate measurements performed on a superconducting microwave resonator shaped like a desymmetrized three-dimensional (3D) Sinai billiard, we investigate for the first time spectral properties of the vectorial Helmholtz, i.e. non-quantum wave equation for a classically totally chaotic and theoretically precisely studied system. We are thereby able to generalize some aspects of quantum chaos and present some results which are consequences of the polarization features of the electromagnetic waves.Comment: 4 pages RevTex; 4 postscript figures; to be published in Phys. Rev. Lett.; Info: [email protected]

'Word from the street' : when non-electoral representative claims meet electoral representation in the United Kingdom

Taking the specific case of street protests in the UK – the ‘word from the street’– this article examines recent (re)conceptualizations of political representation, most particularly Saward’s notion of ‘representative claim’. The specific example of nonelectoral claims articulated by protestors and demonstrators in the UK is used to illustrate: the processes of making, constituting, evaluating and accepting claims for and by constituencies and audiences; and the continuing distinctiveness of claims based upon electoral representation. Two basic questions structure the analysis: first, why would the political representative claims of elected representatives trump the nonelectoral claims of mass demonstrators and, second, in what ways does the ‘perceived legitimacy’ of the former differ from the latter

Synthetic and Enhanced Vision Systems for NextGen (SEVS) Simulation and Flight Test Performance Evaluation

The Synthetic and Enhanced Vision Systems for NextGen (SEVS) simulation and flight tests are jointly sponsored by NASA's Aviation Safety Program, Vehicle Systems Safety Technology project and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The flight tests were conducted by a team of Honeywell, Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation and NASA personnel with the goal of obtaining pilot-in-the-loop test data for flight validation, verification, and demonstration of selected SEVS operational and system-level performance capabilities. Nine test flights (38 flight hours) were conducted over the summer and fall of 2011. The evaluations were flown in Gulfstream.s G450 flight test aircraft outfitted with the SEVS technology under very low visibility instrument meteorological conditions. Evaluation pilots flew 108 approaches in low visibility weather conditions (600 ft to 2400 ft visibility) into various airports from Louisiana to Maine. In-situ flight performance and subjective workload and acceptability data were collected in collaboration with ground simulation studies at LaRC.s Research Flight Deck simulator

Coupled Microwave Billiards as a Model for Symmetry Breaking

Two superconducting microwave billiards have been electromagnetically coupled in a variable way. The spectrum of the entire system has been measured and the spectral statistics analyzed as a function of the coupling strength. It is shown that the results can be understood in terms of a random matrix model of quantum mechanical symmetry breaking -- as e.g. the violation of parity or isospin in nuclear physics.Comment: 4 pages, 5 figure

Estimation of sedimentary proxy records together with associated uncertainty

Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Motion-Base Simulator Evaluation of an Aircraft Using an External Vision System

Twelve air transport-rated pilots participated as subjects in a motion-base simulation experiment to evaluate the use of eXternal Vision Systems (XVS) as enabling technologies for future supersonic aircraft without forward facing windows. Three head-up flight display concepts were evaluated -a monochromatic, collimated Head-up Display (HUD) and a color, non-collimated XVS display with a field-of-view (FOV) equal to and also, one significantly larger than the collimated HUD. Approach, landing, departure, and surface operations were conducted. Additionally, the apparent angle-of-attack (AOA) was varied (high/low) to investigate the vertical field-of-view display requirements and peripheral, side window visibility was experimentally varied. The data showed that lateral approach tracking performance and lateral landing position were excellent regardless of AOA, display FOV, display collimation or whether peripheral cues were present. However, the data showed glide slope approach tracking appears to be affected by display size (i.e., FOV) and collimation. The monochrome, collimated HUD and color, uncollimated XVS with Full FOV display had (statistically equivalent) glide path performance improvements over the XVS with HUD FOV display. Approach path performance results indicated that collimation may not be a requirement for an XVS display if the XVS display is large enough and employs color. Subjective assessments of mental workload and situation awareness also indicated that an uncollimated XVS display may be feasible. Motion cueing appears to have improved localizer tracking and touchdown sink rate across all displays

First Experimental Evidence for Chaos-Assisted Tunneling in a Microwave Annular Billiard

We report on first experimental signatures for chaos-assisted tunneling in a two-dimensional annular billiard. Measurements of microwave spectra from a superconducting cavity with high frequency resolution are combined with electromagnetic field distributions experimentally determined from a normal conducting twin cavity with high spatial resolution to resolve eigenmodes with properly identified quantum numbers. Distributions of so-called quasi-doublet splittings serve as basic observables for the tunneling between whispering gallery type modes localized to congruent, but distinct tori which are coupled weakly to irregular eigenstates associated with the chaotic region in phase space.Comment: 5 pages RevTex, 5 low-resolution figures (high-resolution figures: http://linac.ikp.physik.tu-darmstadt.de/heiko/chaospub.html, to be published in Phys. Rev. Let