Effects of argon ion injections in the plasmasphere

In lifting massive space power system payloads from low Earth orbit to geosynchronous Earth orbit, Cargo Orbit Transfer (COTV) using ion propulsion will inject energetic beams of argon ions into the plasmasphere. The relationship of the beam velocity to Alfven and thermal velocities as a function of radial distance in the plasmasphere is given for positions near the Earth's equatorial plane. A beam sheath loss model is used which results in a deposition of argon ions and hence energy in the plasmasphere which is much less than that in models calling for clouds or plasma instabilities to rapidly stop the beam. A comparison is given of the cumulative fractional mass loss of an ion beam injected at 1.5 R for the ion cloud and the ion beam sheath loss process. The integrated difference of these two deposition models is shown for the construction of one SPS

Changes in the terrestrial atmosphere-ionosphere-magnetosphere system due to ion propulsion for solar power satellite placement

Preliminary estimates of the effects massive Ar(+) injections on the ionosphere-plasmasphere system with specific emphasis on potential communications disruptions are given. The effects stem from direct Ar(+) precipitation into the atmosphere and from Ar(+) beam induced precipitation of MeV radiation belt protons. These injections result from the construction of Solar Power Satellites using earth-based materials in which sections of a satellite must be lifted from low earth to geosynchronous orbit by means of ion propulsion based on the relatively abundant terrestrial atmospheric component, Ar. The total amount of Ar(+) injected in transporting the components for each Solar Power Satellite is comparable to the total ion content of the ionosphere-plasmasphere system while the total energy injected is larger than that of this system. It is suggested that such effects may be largely eliminated by using lunar-based rather than earth-based satellite construction materials

The Adoption and Management of Soil Conservation Practices in Haiti: The Case of Rock Walls

Farmers are usually reluctant to adopt measures to reduce the toll of soil erosion; and even when soil conservation structures are adopted, farmers fail to manage them. This study investigates factors that influence adoption and management of soil conservation structures in Fort-Jacques, Haiti. The results show that personal characteristics of farmers, institutional factors, such as local group membership, training in soil conservation, per capita income and size of farm influence soil conservation adoption in Forte-Jacques. Age, education, per capita household income, participation in local groups, the interaction of per capita household income and farmers’ age influence rock wall management.Resource /Energy Economics and Policy,

Production of Z' and W' via Drell-Yan processes in the 4D Composite Higgs Model at the LHC

We present an analysis of both the Neutral Current (NC) and Charged Current (CC) Drell-Yan processes at the LHC within a 4 Dimensional realization of a Composite Higgs model studying the cross sections and taking into account the possible impact of the extra fermions present in the spectrum.Comment: Conference proceeding, XII IFAE Edition, 3-5 April 2013, Cagliari. 2 pages, 2 figures; v2 typo correcte

Calibration of Computational Models with Categorical Parameters and Correlated Outputs via Bayesian Smoothing Spline ANOVA

It has become commonplace to use complex computer models to predict outcomes in regions where data does not exist. Typically these models need to be calibrated and validated using some experimental data, which often consists of multiple correlated outcomes. In addition, some of the model parameters may be categorical in nature, such as a pointer variable to alternate models (or submodels) for some of the physics of the system. Here we present a general approach for calibration in such situations where an emulator of the computationally demanding models and a discrepancy term from the model to reality are represented within a Bayesian Smoothing Spline (BSS) ANOVA framework. The BSS-ANOVA framework has several advantages over the traditional Gaussian Process, including ease of handling categorical inputs and correlated outputs, and improved computational efficiency. Finally this framework is then applied to the problem that motivated its design; a calibration of a computational fluid dynamics model of a bubbling fluidized which is used as an absorber in a CO2 capture system

Higgs Boson in the 4DCHM: LHC phenomenology

Composite Higgs models provide an elegant solution to the hierarchy problem present in the Standard Model (SM) and give an alternative pattern leading to the mechanism of Electro-Weak Symmetry Breaking (EWSB). We present an analysis of the Higgs boson production and decay within a recently proposed realistic realization of this general idea: the 4D Composite Higgs Model (4DCHM). Comparing our results with the latest Large Hadron Collider (LHC) data we show that the 4DCHM could provide an alternative explanation with respect to the SM of the LHC results pointing to the discovery of a Higgs-like particle at 125 GeV.Comment: Conference proceeding, EPS-HEP 2013, 18-24 July 2013, Stockholm. 3 pages, 2 figures, typo correcte

Microfabricated high-finesse optical cavity with open access and small volume

We present a microfabricated optical cavity, which combines a very small mode volume with high finesse. In contrast to other micro-resonators, such as microspheres, the structure we have built gives atoms and molecules direct access to the high-intensity part of the field mode, enabling them to interact strongly with photons in the cavity for the purposes of detection and quantum-coherent manipulation. Light couples directly in and out of the resonator through an optical fiber, avoiding the need for sensitive coupling optics. This renders the cavity particularly attractive as a component of a lab-on-a-chip, and as a node in a quantum network

Experimental recovery of a qubit from partial collapse

We describe and implement a method to restore the state of a single qubit, in principle perfectly, after it has partially collapsed. The method resembles the classical Hahn spin-echo, but works on a wider class of relaxation processes, in which the quantum state partially leaves the computational Hilbert space. It is not guaranteed to work every time, but successful outcomes are heralded. We demonstrate using a single trapped ion better performance from this recovery method than can be obtained employing projection and post-selection alone. The demonstration features a novel qubit implementation that permits both partial collapse and coherent manipulations with high fidelity.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figure