Apparatus for applying simulator g-forces to an arm of an aircraft simulator pilot

A device to be used with an aircraft simulator to apply positive and negative g forces to the pilot's arm is described. An arm harness fits around the arm which the pilot uses to operate the throttle. The device allows the harness to track intentional arm movements without exerting any restraining forces, and at the same time, applies g forces to to the pilots arm which are recorded by the aircraft simulator computer

Comparison of simulator fidelity model predictions with in-simulator evaluation data

A full factorial in simulator experiment of a single axis, multiloop, compensatory pitch tracking task is described. The experiment was conducted to provide data to validate extensions to an analytic, closed loop model of a real time digital simulation facility. The results of the experiment encompassing various simulation fidelity factors, such as visual delay, digital integration algorithms, computer iteration rates, control loading bandwidths and proprioceptive cues, and g-seat kinesthetic cues, are compared with predictions obtained from the analytic model incorporating an optimal control model of the human pilot. The in-simulator results demonstrate more sensitivity to the g-seat and to the control loader conditions than were predicted by the model. However, the model predictions are generally upheld, although the predicted magnitudes of the states and of the error terms are sometimes off considerably. Of particular concern is the large sensitivity difference for one control loader condition, as well as the model/in-simulator mismatch in the magnitude of the plant states when the other states match

Effects of motion base and g-seat cueing of simulator pilot performance

In order to measure and analyze the effects of a motion plus g-seat cueing system, a manned-flight-simulation experiment was conducted utilizing a pursuit tracking task and an F-16 simulation model in the NASA Langley visual/motion simulator. This experiment provided the information necessary to determine whether motion and g-seat cues have an additive effect on the performance of this task. With respect to the lateral tracking error and roll-control stick force, the answer is affirmative. It is shown that presenting the two cues simultaneously caused significant reductions in lateral tracking error and that using the g-seat and motion base separately provided essentially equal reductions in the pilot's lateral tracking error

Stabilization and precise calibration of a continuous-wave difference frequency spectrometer by use of a simple transfer cavity

A novel, simple, and inexpensive calibration scheme for a continuous-wave difference frequency spectrometer is presented, based on the stabilization of an open transfer cavity by locking onto the output of a polarization stabilized HeNe laser. High frequency, acoustic fluctuations of the transfer cavity length are compensated with a piezoelectric transducer mounted mirror, while long term drift in cavity length is controlled by thermal feedback. A single mode Ar+ laser, used with a single mode ring dye laser in the difference frequency generation of 2–4 µm light, is then locked onto a suitable fringe of this stable cavity, achieving a very small long term drift and furthermore reducing the free running Ar+ linewidth to about 1 MHz. The dye laser scan provides tunability in the difference frequency mixing process, and is calibrated by marker fringes with the same stable cavity. Due to the absolute stability of the marker cavity, precise frequency determination of near infrared molecular transitions is achieved via interpolation between these marker fringes. It is shown theoretically that the residual error of this scheme due to the dispersion of air in the transfer cavity is quite small, and experimentally that a frequency precision on the order of 1 MHz per hour is routinely obtained with respect to molecular transitions. Review of Scientific Instruments is copyrighted by The American Institute of Physics

Magneto-optical characteristics of magnetic nanowire arrays in anodic aluminium oxide templates

Nanocomposite films consisting of regularly ordered iron nanowires embedded in anodic aluminum oxide templates have been fabricated and their magneto-optical properties studied by determining the four Stokes parameters of the transmitted laser beam (λ=670 nm), originally linearly polarized and at normal incidence to the film surfaces. The results of the nanowire arrays are found to be considerably different from that of bulk iron. While an increase in diameter of the nanowire leads to a substantial increase in the values of the Faraday rotation angles per unit length at a fixed value of the magnetic fields, they are substantially less than that of bulk iron, indicating that the effective media theory may not be directly applicable

Phylogenetic Relationships in Phoradendreae (Viscaceae) Inferred from Three Regions of the Nuclear Ribosomal Cistron. II. The North American Species of Phoradendron

A parsimony analysis based on sequences from the ITS region and two partitions of the 26S subunit of nuclear ribosomal DNA was used to infer phylogenetic relationships among the North American species of Phoradendron. A strongly supported clade united all but one of the species typically lacking cataphylls, a character used previously to distinguish the northern species from those of Central and South America. The divergent placement of P. californicum relative to the members of this northern clade confirmed the hypothesis that species lacking cataphylls are polyphyletic. Four of five species parasitic on conifers formed a well-supported clade. However, a strongly supported relationship between P. rhipsalinum and P. brachystachyum, the former a parasite of conifers, renders conifer parasitism homoplastic. A sister group relationship between these two species is not apparent from morphological evidence. A clade uniting P. serotinum, P. tomentosum, and P. velutinum was strongly supported. A broad host range characterized two of the three lineages of the basal tritomy in the northern clade, whereas the third line age united species specialized in parasitism of oaks or conifers

Probing the electron EDM with cold molecules

We present progress towards a new measurement of the electron electric dipole moment using a cold supersonic beam of YbF molecules. Data are currently being taken with a sensitivity of $10^{-27}\textrm{e.cm}/\sqrt{\textrm{day}}$. We therefore expect to make an improvement over the Tl experiment of Commins' group, which currently gives the most precise result. We discuss the systematic and statistical errors and comment on the future prospect of making a measurement at the level of $10^{-29}\textrm{e.cm}/\sqrt{\textrm{day}}$.Comment: 8 pages, 6 figures, proceedings of ICAP 200