Selectively Electron-Transparent Microstamping Toward Concurrent Digital Image Correlation and High-Angular Resolution Electron Backscatter Diffraction (EBSD) Analysis

High resolution digital image correlation (HRDIC) and high resolution electron backscatter diffraction (HREBSD) provide valuable and complementary data concerning local deformation at the microscale. However, standard surface preparation techniques are mutually exclusive, which makes combining these techniques in situ impossible. This paper introduces a new method of applying surface patterning for HRDIC, namely a urethane rubber microstamp, that provides a pattern with enough contrast for HRDIC at low accelerating voltages, but is still virtually transparent at the higher voltages necessary for HREBSD and conventional electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) analysis. Furthermore, microstamping is inexpensive and repeatable, and is more amenable to application of patterns to complex surface geometries and larger surface areas than other patterning techniques

Development of a Data-Based Method for Performance Monitoring of Heat Exchangers

A multivariate analysis method is developed for processing measurements, and for detecting and isolating faults and monitoring performance degradation in heat exchanger control loops. A heat exchanger inside a typical temperature to flow cascade loop is considered. This system includes a constant speed pump with flow control valves, pressure and temperature measurement. A proportional-integral-differential (PID) controller is used to maintain a temperature set point for the exit flow on one side of the exchanger. A thermal-fluid model for the components in the system is developed. A Fault Detection and Isolation (FDI) rule-base is formulated from results of simulations performed using these models. Measurements from an installed laboratory heat exchanger control loop are also used. Faults simulated and induced on the physical heat exchanger loop include tube fouling, sensor drift, fluid leakage, unresponsive valves, plugged process lines, and controller errors. The rule base allows the identification of faults in a heat exchanger control loop given suitable process measurements

Recreational Marijuana Laws and Junk Food Consumption: Evidence Using Border Analysis and Retail Sales Data

We use retail scanner data on purchases of high calorie food to study the link between recreational marijuana laws (RMLs) and consumption of high calorie food. To do this we exploit differences in the timing of introduction of marijuana laws among states and find that they are complements. Specifically, in counties located in RML states, monthly sales of high calorie food increased by 3.1 percent for ice cream, 4.1 for cookies, and 5.3 percent for chips. Results are robust to including placebo effective dates for RMLs in treated states as well as when using synthetic control methods as an alternative methodology

Comparison of Dislocation Characterization by Electron Channeling Contrast Imaging and Cross-Correlation Electron Backscattered Diffraction

In this work, the relative capabilities and limitations of electron channeling contrast imaging (ECCI) and cross-correlation electron backscattered diffraction (CC-EBSD) have been assessed by studying the dislocation distributions resulting from nanoindentation in body centered cubic Ta. Qualitative comparison reveals very similar dislocation distributions between the CC-EBSD mapped GNDs and the ECC imaged dislocations. Approximate dislocation densities determined from ECC images compare well to those determined by CC-EBSD. Nevertheless, close examination reveals subtle differences in the details of the distributions mapped by these two approaches. The details of the dislocation Burgers vectors and line directions determined by ECCI have been compared to those determined using CC-EBSD and reveal good agreement

Strain Rate Dependence and Short-Term Relaxation Behavior of a Thermoset Polymer at Elevated Temperature: Experiment and Modeling,"

The inelastic deformation behavior of polymerization of monomeri

An introductory view on archaeoastronomy

Archaeoastronomy is still a marginalised topic in academia and is described by the Sophia Centre, the only UK institution offering a broader MA containing this field, as ‘the study of the incorporation of celestial orientation, alignments or symbolism in human monuments and architecture’. By many it is associated with investigating prehistoric monuments such as Stonehenge and combining astronomy and archaeology. The following will show that archaeoastronomy is far more than just an interdisciplinary field linking archaeology and astronomy. It merges aspects of anthropology, ethno-astronomy and even educational research, and is possibly better described as cultural astronomy. In the past decades it has stepped away from its quite speculative beginnings that have led to its complete rejection by the archaeology community. Overcoming these challenges it embraced full heartedly solid scientific and statistical methodology and achieved more credibility. However, in recent times the humanistic influences of a cultural context motivate a new generation of archaeoastronomers that are modernising this subject; and humanists might find it better described as post-modern archaeoastronomy embracing the pluralism of today’s academic approach to landscape and ancient people

Run 2 Upgrades to the CMS Level-1 Calorimeter Trigger

The CMS Level-1 calorimeter trigger is being upgraded in two stages to maintain performance as the LHC increases pile-up and instantaneous luminosity in its second run. In the first stage, improved algorithms including event-by-event pile-up corrections are used. New algorithms for heavy ion running have also been developed. In the second stage, higher granularity inputs and a time-multiplexed approach allow for improved position and energy resolution. Data processing in both stages of the upgrade is performed with new, Xilinx Virtex-7 based AMC cards.Comment: 10 pages, 7 figure