15,574 research outputs found
Space shuttle entry and landing navigation analysis
A navigation system for the entry phase of a Space Shuttle mission which is an aided-inertial system which uses a Kalman filter to mix IMU data with data derived from external navigation aids is evaluated. A drag pseudo-measurement used during radio blackout is treated as an additional external aid. A comprehensive truth model with 101 states is formulated and used to generate detailed error budgets at several significant time points -- end-of-blackout, start of final approach, over runway threshold, and touchdown. Sensitivity curves illustrating the effect of variations in the size of individual error sources on navigation accuracy are presented. The sensitivity of the navigation system performance to filter modifications is analyzed. The projected overall performance is shown in the form of time histories of position and velocity error components. The detailed results are summarized and interpreted, and suggestions are made concerning possible software improvements
Ethnic parity in labour market outcomes for benefit claimants
A significant gap exists in the UK between the employment rate for Ethnic Minorities and that for
Whites. From a policy perspective, it is important to know whether this gap is due to differences in
the characteristics of White and Ethnic Minority groups (which reduce the employability of Ethnic
Minority groups relative to Whites) or whether it results from some form of discriminatory behaviour
in the labour market. In this paper, we use administrative data to estimate ethnic differences in
employment and benefit receipt amongst individuals who began claiming a Jobcentre Plus benefit
in 2003. In contrast to much of the previous UK literature, we use a number of different quantitative
techniques to estimate this gap, and show that in a lot of cases the estimates obtained are very
sensitive to the techniques used. We argue that for the questions we are interested in and the data
we have, propensity score matching methods are the most robust approach to estimating ethnic
parity. We compare this preferred approach with estimates derived using alternative approaches
commonly used in the literature (generally regression-based techniques) to determine the extent to
which more straightforward methods are able to replicate those produced by matching. In many
cases, it turns out not to be possible to calculate satisfactory quantitative estimates even with
matching techniques: the characteristics of Whites and Ethnic Minorities are simply too different
before the Jobcentre Plus intervention to reliably estimate the parameters of interest. Moreover, for
a number of the groups, results seem to be very sensitive to the methodology used. This calls into
question previous results based on simple regression techniques, which are likely to hide the fact
that observationally different ethnic groups are de facto being compared on the basis of parametric
extrapolations. Two groups for which it was possible to calculate reasonably reliable results are
incapacity benefit (IB) and income support (IS). For these groups we find that large and significant
raw penalties almost always disappear once we appropriately control for pre-inflow background
and labour market characteristics. There is also a good degree of consistency across
methodologies
Optimization of the Ballistic Guide Design for the SNS FNPB 8.9 A Neutron Line
The optimization of the ballistic guide design for the SNS Fundamental
Neutron Physics Beamline 8.9 A line is described. With a careful tuning of the
shape of the curve for the tapered section and the width of the straight
section, this optimization resulted in more than 75% increase in the neutron
flux exiting the 33 m long guide over a straight m=3.5 guide with the same
length.Comment: 21 pages, 13 figures; added a paragraph on existing ballistic guides
to respond to referee comments; accepted for publication in Nuclear Inst. and
Methods in Physics Research,
Quenching of lamellar ordering in an n-alkane embedded in nanopores
We present an X-ray diffraction study of the normale alkane nonadecane
C_{19}H_{40} embedded in nanoporous Vycor glass. The confined molecular crystal
accomplishes a close-packed structure by alignment of the rod-like molecules
parallel to the pore axis while sacrificing one basic principle known from the
bulk state, i.e. the lamellar ordering of the molecules. Despite this disorder,
the phase transitions observed in the confined solid mimic the phase behavior
of the 3D unconfined crystal, though enriched by the appearance of a true
rotator phase known only from longer alkane chains.Comment: 7 pages, 3 figure
Generalized Advanced Propeller Analysis System (GAPAS). Volume 2: Computer program user manual
The Generalized Advanced Propeller Analysis System (GAPAS) computer code is described. GAPAS was developed to analyze advanced technology multi-bladed propellers which operate on aircraft with speeds up to Mach 0.8 and altitudes up to 40,000 feet. GAPAS includes technology for analyzing aerodynamic, structural, and acoustic performance of propellers. The computer code was developed for the CDC 7600 computer and is currently available for industrial use on the NASA Langley computer. A description of all the analytical models incorporated in GAPAS is included. Sample calculations are also described as well as users requirements for modifying the analysis system. Computer system core requirements and running times are also discussed
Multifrequency Radio Observations of a SNR in the LMC. The Case of SNR J0527-6549 (DEM l204)
We present a detailed study and results of new Australia Telescope Compact
Array (ATCA) observations of supernova remnant, SNR J0527-6549. This Large
Magellanic Cloud (LMC) ob ject follows a typical supernova remnant (SNR)
horseshoe morphology with a diameter of D=(66x58)+-1 pc which is among the
largest SNRs in the LMC. Its relatively large size indicates older age while a
steeper than expected radio spectral index of aplha=-0.92+-0.11 is more typical
for younger and energetic SNRs. Also, we report detections of regions with a
high order of polarization at a peak value of ~54+-17% at 6 cm.Comment: 9 Pages, 6 figures, accepted for publication in SA
Relativistic semiclassical approach in strong-field nonlinear photoionization
Nonlinear relativistic ionization phenomena induced by a strong laser
radiation with elliptically polarization are considered. The starting point is
the classical relativistic action for a free electron moving in the
electromagnetic field created by a strong laser beam. The application of the
relativistic action to the classical barrier-suppression ionization is briefly
discussed. Further the relativistic version of the Landau-Dykhne formula is
employed to consider the semiclassical sub-barrier ionization. Simple
analytical expressions have been found for: (i) the rates of the strong-field
nonlinear ionization including relativistic initial and final state effects;
(ii) the most probable value of the components of the photoelectron final state
momentum; (iii) the most probable direction of photoelectron emission and (iv)
the distribution of the photoelectron momentum near its maximum value.Comment: 13 pages, 3 figures, to be published in Phys. Rev.
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