The pest phenomenon in intermetallics Quarterly report

Single crystal boules of molybdenum disilicide for performing static fatigue test

Bankruptcy and Small Firms' Access to Credit

In this paper, we investigate how personal bankruptcy law affects small firms' access to credit. When a firm is unincorporated, its debts are personal liabilities of the firm's owner, so that lending to the firm is legally equivalent to lending to its owner. If the firm fails, the owner has an incentive to file for personal bankruptcy, since the firm's debts will be discharged and the owner is only obliged to use assets above an exemption level to repay creditors. The higher the exemption level, the greater is the incentive to file for bankruptcy. We show that supply of credit falls and demand for credit rises when non-corporate firms are located in states with higher bankruptcy exemptions. We test the model and find that, if small firms are located in states with unlimited rather than low homestead exemptions, they are more likely to be denied credit, they receive smaller loans and interest rates are higher. Results for non-corporate versus corporate firms suggest that lenders often disregard small firms' organizational status in making loan decisions.

HASA: Hypersonic Aerospace Sizing Analysis for the Preliminary Design of Aerospace Vehicles

A review of the hypersonic literature indicated that a general weight and sizing analysis was not available for hypersonic orbital, transport, and fighter vehicles. The objective here is to develop such a method for the preliminary design of aerospace vehicles. This report describes the developed methodology and provides examples to illustrate the model, entitled the Hypersonic Aerospace Sizing Analysis (HASA). It can be used to predict the size and weight of hypersonic single-stage and two-stage-to-orbit vehicles and transports, and is also relevant for supersonic transports. HASA is a sizing analysis that determines vehicle length and volume, consistent with body, fuel, structural, and payload weights. The vehicle component weights are obtained from statistical equations for the body, wing, tail, thermal protection system, landing gear, thrust structure, engine, fuel tank, hydraulic system, avionics, electral system, equipment payload, and propellant. Sample size and weight predictions are given for the Space Shuttle orbiter and other proposed vehicles, including four hypersonic transports, a Mach 6 fighter, a supersonic transport (SST), a single-stage-to-orbit (SSTO) vehicle, a two-stage Space Shuttle with a booster and an orbiter, and two methane-fueled vehicles

Application of yttrium coatings on chromium- base alloys by metalliding Final report

Electroplating and vacuum evaporation of yttrium oxide-chromium oxide coating of chromium alloys for nitrogen embrittlement protectio

Conceptual design of thermal energy storage systems for near term electric utility applications. Volume 2: Appendices - screening of concepts

Volume 2 of this 2 volume report is represented. This volume contains three appendices: (1) bibliography and cross references; (2) taxonomy - proponents and sources; and (3) concept definitions

Conceptual design of thermal energy storage systems for near term electric utility applications. Volume 1: Screening of concepts

Over forty thermal energy storage (TES) concepts gathered from the literature and personal contacts were studied for their suitability for the electric utility application of storing energy off-peak discharge during peak hours. Twelve selections were derived from the concepts for screening; they used as storage media high temperature water (HTW), hot oil, molten salts, and packed beds of solids such as rock. HTW required pressure containment by prestressed cast-iron or concrete vessels, or lined underground cavities. Both steam generation from storage and feedwater heating from storage were studied. Four choices were made for further study during the project. Economic comparison by electric utility standard cost practices, and near-term availability (low technical risk) were principal criteria but suitability for utility use, conservation potential, and environmental hazards were considered

Soviet Naval Spetsnaz Forces

Special operations forces can have strategic value as a military instrument used against an adversary with a preponderance of forces. But they tend to have their greatest strategic impact in a military campaign when there is a balance of forces

Vacuum-ultraviolet frequency-modulation spectroscopy

Frequency-modulation (FM) spectroscopy has been extended to the vacuum-ultraviolet (VUV) range of the electromagnetic spectrum. Coherent VUV laser radiation is produced by resonance-enhanced sum-frequency mixing ($\nu_{\mathrm{VUV}}=2\nu_{\mathrm{UV}}+\nu_2$) in Kr and Xe using two near-Fourier-transform-limited laser pulses of frequencies $\nu_{\mathrm{UV}}$ and $\nu_2$. Sidebands generated in the output of the second laser ($\nu_2$) using an electro-optical modulator operating at the frequency $\nu_{\mathrm{mod}}$ are directly transfered to the VUV and used to record FM spectra. Demodulation is demonstrated both at $\nu_{\mathrm{mod}}$ and $2\nu_{\mathrm{mod}}$. The main advantages of the method are that its sensitivity is not reduced by pulse-to-pulse fluctuations of the VUV laser intensity, compared to VUV absorption spectroscopy is its background-free nature, the fact that its implementation using table-top laser equipment is straightforward and that it can be used to record VUV absorption spectra of cold samples in skimmed supersonic beams simultaneously with laser-induced-fluorescence and photoionization spectra. To illustrate these advantages we present VUV FM spectra of Ar, Kr, and N$_2$ in selected regions between 105000cm$^{-1}$ and 122000cm$^{-1}$.Comment: 23 pages, 10 figure