Spacelab interface development tests. Software description

The software requirements for the Spacelab Interface Development Tests are described. The software operates in two modes. The multiplexer-demultiplexer mode transmits operator-controlled information to the Spacelab. The pulse coded modulation (PCM) mode records and displays operator selected PCM data for visual analysis

Space Launch System Mobile Launcher Modal Pretest Analysis

NASA is developing an expendable heavy lift launch vehicle capability, the Space Launch System, to support lunar and deep space exploration. To support this capability, an updated ground infrastructure is required including modifying an existing Mobile Launcher system. The Mobile Launcher is a very large heavy beam/truss steel structure designed to support the Space Launch System during its buildup and integration in the Vehicle Assembly Building, transportation from the Vehicle Assembly Building out to the launch pad, and provides the launch platform at the launch pad. The previous Saturn/Apollo and Space Shuttle programs had integrated vehicle ground vibration tests of their integrated launch vehicles performed with simulated free-free boundary conditions to experimentally anchor and validate structural and flight controls analysis models. For the Space Launch System program, the Mobile Launcher will be used as the modal test fixture for the ground vibration test of the first Space Launch System flight vehicle, Exploration Mission ? 1( now referred to as Artemis 1), programmatically referred to as the Integrated vehicle modal test. The Integrated vehicle modal test of the Exploration Mission - 1 integrated launch vehicle will have its core and second stages unfueled while mounted to the ML while inside the Vehicle Assembly Building, which is currently scheduled for the late spring or early summer of 2020. The Space Launch System program has implemented a building block approach for dynamic model validation. The modal test of the Mobile Launcher is an important part of this building block approach in supporting the integrated vehicle modal test since the Mobile Launcher will serve as a structurally dynamic test fixture whose modes will couple with the modes of the Exploration Mission ? 1 test vehicle. The Mobile Launcher modal test will further support understanding the structural dynamics of the Mobile Launcher and SLS during rollout to the launch pad, which will play a key role in better understanding and prediction of the rollout forces acting on the launch vehicle. The Mobile Launcher modal test is currently scheduled for the summer of 2019. Due to a very tight modal testing schedule, this Mobile Launcher modal pretest analysis has been performed to ensure there is a high likelihood of being able to successfully complete the modal test (i.e. identify the primary target modes) using the planned instrumentation, shakers, and excitation types. This paper will discuss this Mobile Launcher modal pretest analysis and the unique challenges faced due to the Mobile Launcher's size and weight, which are typically not faced when modal testing aerospace structures

Space Launch System Mobile Launcher Modal Pretest Analysis

NASA is developing an expendable heavy lift launch vehicle capability, the Space Launch System, to support lunar and deep space exploration. To support this capability, an updated ground infrastructure is required including modifying an existing Mobile Launcher system. The Mobile Launcher is a very large heavy beam/truss steel structure designed to support the Space Launch System during its buildup and integration in the Vehicle Assembly Building, transportation from the Vehicle Assembly Building out to the launch pad, and provides the launch platform at the launch pad. The previous Saturn/Apollo and Space Shuttle programs had integrated vehicle ground vibration tests of their integrated launch vehicles performed with simulated free-free boundary conditions to experimentally anchor and validate structural and flight controls analysis models. For the Space Launch System program, the Mobile Launcher will be used as the modal test fixture for the ground vibration test of the first Space Launch System flight vehicle, Artemis 1, programmatically referred to as the integrated vehicle modal test. The integrated vehicle modal test of the Artemis 1 integrated launch vehicle will have its core and second stages unfueled while mounted to the Mobile Launcher while inside the Vehicle Assembly Building, which is currently scheduled for the summer of 2020. The Space Launch System program has implemented a building block approach for dynamic model validation. The modal test of the Mobile Launcher is an important part of this building block approach in supporting the integrated vehicle modal test since the Mobile Launcher will serve as a structurally dynamic test fixture whose modes will couple with the modes of the Artemis 1 integrated vehicle. The Mobile Launcher modal test will further support understanding the structural dynamics of the Mobile Launcher and Space Launch System during rollout to the launch pad, which will play a key role in better understanding and prediction of the rollout forces acting on the launch vehicle. The Mobile Launcher modal test is currently scheduled for the summer of 2019. Due to a very tight modal testing schedule, this independent Mobile Launcher modal pretest analysis has been performed to ensure there is a high likelihood of successfully completing the modal test (i.e. identify the primary target modes) using the planned instrumentation, shakers, and excitation types. This paper will discuss this Mobile Launcher modal pretest analysis for its three test configurations and the unique challenges faced due to the Mobile Launchers size and weight, which are typically not faced when modal testing aerospace structures

‘‘There’s so much more to it than what I initially thought’’: Stepping into researchers’ shoes with a class activity in a first year psychology survey course

In psychology, it is widely agreed that research methods, although central to the discipline, are particularly challenging to learn and teach, particularly at introductory level. This pilot study explored the potential of embedding a student-conducted research activity in a one-semester undergraduate Introduction to Psychology survey course, with the aims of (a) engaging students with the topic of research methods; (b) developing students’ comprehension and application of research methods concepts; and (c) building students’ ability to link research with theory. The research activity explored shoe ownership, examining gender differences and relationships with age, and linking to theories of gender difference and of consumer identity. The process of carrying out the research and reflecting on it created a contextualized, active learning environment in which students themselves raised many issues that research methods lectures seek to cover. Students also wrote richer assignments than standard first year mid-term essay

CDEV-NT: Porting the Control Device Interface to Windows NT

In recent years the rapid increase in processing power of the personal computer has made it a significant competitor to high-end workstations for accelerator control and experimental physics applications. When the decreasing price of the PC and the availability of inexpensive commercial software is also considered, NT becomes a very attractive alternative to traditional UNIX systems. In order to simplify the integration of Personal Computers into our operating environment, we have ported the Control Device (CDEV) Interface to Windows NT. By supporting CDEV on this platform, we can provide routine access to our existing control system. Additionally, CDEV allows us to create an interface from our UNIX workstations to Windows NT applications (such as databases) that are significantly less expensive on the PC. This paper details the pitfalls we encountered during the software migration and will provide a direct comparison between the performance of CDEV applications on UNIX and NT. P articular attention is paid to network performance, which represents most of the overhead of this transition

Evaluation of a Method for Remote Detection of Fuel Relocation Outside the Original Core Volumes of Fukushima Reactor Units 1-3

This paper presents the results of a study to evaluate the feasibility of remotely detecting and quantifying fuel relocation from the core to the lower head, and to regions outside the reactor vessel primary containment of the Fukushima 1-3 reactors. The goals of this study were to determine measurement conditions and requirements, and to perform initial radiation transport sensitivity analyses for several potential measurement locations inside the reactor building. The radiation transport sensitivity analyses were performed based on reactor design information for boiling water reactors (BWRs) similar to the Fukushima reactors, ORIGEN2 analyses of 3-cycle BWR fuel inventories, and data on previously molten fuel characteristics from TMI- 2. A 100 kg mass of previously molten fuel material located on the lower head of the reactor vessel was chosen as a fuel interrogation sensitivity target. Two measurement locations were chosen for the transport analyses, one inside the drywell and one outside the concrete biological shield surrounding the drywell. Results of these initial radiation transport analyses indicate that the 100 kg of previously molten fuel material may be detectable at the measurement location inside the drywell, but that it is highly unlikely that any amount of fuel material inside the RPV will be detectable from a location outside the concrete biological shield surrounding the drywell. Three additional fuel relocation scenarios were also analyzed to assess detection sensitivity for varying amount of relocated material in the lower head of the reactor vessel, in the control rods perpendicular to the detector system, and on the lower head of the drywell. Results of these analyses along with an assessment of background radiation effects and a discussion of measurement issues, such as the detector/collimator design, are included in the paper

Using an Experiential Learning Design to Teach Photography in Agricultural Communications

Photography is an important competency of agricultural communications graduates and is a core skill taught in the discipline’s curriculum. The [department] at [university] offers an undergraduate photography course twice yearly in two semester formats: a traditional spring semester where photography principles are taught in the classroom and a 12-day experiential intersession semester that allows for flexibility in how and where the course is taught. Both semesters utilize the same instructor, assignments, and grading rubric. While much agricultural communications research has focused on photography as a needed skill, few studies examine photography teaching methods. The purpose of this study was to compare student performance in an agricultural communications digital photography course taught with an experiential learning approach to a traditional classroom approach during the 2016 and 2017 academic calendar years. Kolb’s (1984) experiential learning theory was used as the theoretical framework for this study. Independent-samples t-tests were conducted to compare students’ cumulative mean assignment scores, individual assignment mean scores, and rubric criteria mean scores within the two instruction formats. The results suggest instruction method has an effect on student performance in agricultural communications digital photography courses. Students in the experiential intersession course had significantly higher mean cumulative assignment scores compared to students in the traditional course. While individual assignment performance was less affected by instruction format, students’ understanding of specific photography skills (rubric criteria), especially composition and clarity was higher when in the experiential intersession format

Induced Positron Annihiliation Investigation of Cadmium Zinc Telluride Crystal Microstructures

Cadmium-Zinc-Telluride (CZT) crystals are used in semiconductor radiation detectors for the detection of x-ray and gamma radiation. However, production of detector grade crystals is difficult as small variations in compositional uniformity and primarily the zinc content can significantly affect the ability of the CZT crystal to function as a radiation detector. Currently there are no known nondestructive methods that can be used to identify detector grade crystals. The current test method is to fabricate and test the detector to determine if the crystal is sufficiently uniform and of the correct composition to be considered a detector grade crystal. Consequently, nondestructive detection methods are needed to identify detector grade crystals prior to the fabrication process. The purpose of this feasibility study was to perform a preliminary assessment of the ability of several new, nondestructive technologies based on Induced Positron Annihilation (IPA) to determine if detector grade CZT crystals can be identified. Results of measurements performed on specimens from Fisk University and EV Products, Inc. indicate that both the near surface Distributed Source Positron Annihilation (up to 3 mm penetration) and the volumetric Photon Induced Positron Annihilation methods may be suitable for determining CZT crystal quality. Further work on CZT crystals with a broader range of compositions and detector characteristics is needed to provide a well defined, calibrated, method for assessing CZT crystal quality

Physics development of web-based tools for use in hardware clusters doing lattice physics

Jefferson Lab and MIT are developing a set of web-based tools within the Lattice Hadron Physics Collaboration to allow lattice QCD theorists to treat the computational facilities located at the two sites as a single meta-facility. The prototype Lattice Portal provides researchers the ability to submit jobs to the cluster, browse data caches, and transfer files between cache and off-line storage. The user can view the configuration of the PBS servers and to monitor both the status of all batch queues as well as the jobs in each queue. Work is starting on expanding the present system to include job submissions at the meta-facility level (shared queue), as well as multi-site file transfers and enhanced policy-based data management capabilities