Population Synthesis of Normal Radio and Gamma-ray Pulsars Using Markov Chain Monte Carlo Techniques

We present preliminary results of a pulsar population synthesis of normal pulsars from the Galactic disk using a Markov Chain Monte Carlo method to better understand the parameter space of the assumed model. We use the Kuiper test, similar to the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test, to compare the cumulative distributions of chosen observables of detected radio pulsars with those simulated for various parameters. Our code simulates pulsars at birth using Monte Carlo techniques and evolves them to the present assuming initial spatial, kick velocity, magnetic field, and period distributions. Pulsars are spun down to the present, given radio and gamma-ray emission characteristics, filtered through ten selected radio surveys, and a {\it Fermi} all-sky threshold map. Each chain begins with a different random seed and searches a ten-dimensional parameter space for regions of high probability for a total of one thousand different simulations before ending. The code investigates both the "large world" as well as the "small world" of the parameter space. We apply the K-means clustering algorithm to verify if the chains reveal a single or multiple regions of significance. The outcome of the combined set of chains is the weighted average and deviation of each of the ten parameters describing the model. While the model reproduces reasonably well the detected distributions of normal radio pulsars, it does not replicate the predicted detected $\dot P - P$ distribution of {\it Fermi} pulsars. The simulations do not produce sufficient numbers of young, high-$\dot E$ pulsars in the Galactic plane.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figures, The proceedings from the Pulsar Conference: Electromagnetic Radiation from Pulsars and Magnetars will be published in the Astronomical Society of the Pacific Conference Serie

Relative Attractiveness of Sugar and Liver to Phormia regina Meigen

Behavior of insects in association with locating food, ovipositional sites, the opposite sex, as well as the discrimination of other insects, is accomplished through olfactory stimulations and other sense perceptions. Perception is an active organizing process involving conation, comparison, anticipation, and possibly purpose. If a piece of meat is placed in an accessable location, flies will, in a very short period of time, frequent it. If the same procedure is followed with sugar, more time is required before an equivalent number of flies is present. However, in both cases, extension of the mouth-part is observed; presumably for the purpose of feeding. Considering that no apparent restrictions upon the fly population are present, sense perceptions could stimulate behavior patterns to the piece of meat and sugar for such things as food value, ovipositional sites, or possibly the location of the opposite sex. The relative attractiveness of the meat and sugar as food could be ascertained with a known fly population; that is, of one species and an age group which would exclude sexually mature females

Measurement of electron density and temperature in plasmas

Application of two laser wavelengths passing through plasma measures electron density and temperature. Function depends on determining absorption of light at two wavelengths. Nature of reaction is explained and schematic diagram of equipment is included

Assessment of the Value, Impact, and Validity of the Jobs and Economic Development Impacts (JEDI) Suite of Models

The Jobs and Economic Development Impacts (JEDI) models, developed by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), use input-output methodology to estimate gross (not net) jobs and economic impacts of building and operating selected types of renewable electricity generation and fuel plants. This analysis provides the DOE with an assessment of the value, impact, and validity of the JEDI suite of models. While the models produce estimates of jobs, earnings, and economic output, this analysis focuses only on jobs estimates. This validation report includes an introduction to JEDI models, an analysis of the value and impact of the JEDI models, and an analysis of the validity of job estimates generated by JEDI model through comparison to other modeled estimates and comparison to empirical, observed jobs data as reported or estimated for a commercial project, a state, or a region

Population Synthesis of Radio and Gamma-ray Pulsars in the Fermi Era

We present results of our pulsar population synthesis of normal pulsars from the Galactic disk using our previously developed computer code. On the same footing, we use slot gap and outer gap models for gamma-ray emission from normal pulsars to obtain statistics of radio-loud and radio-quiet gamma-ray pulsars. From recently improved understanding of HII and star forming regions in the Galaxy, we develop a new surface density model of the birth location of neutron stars. We explore models of neutron star evolution with magnetic field-decay, and with different initial period and magnetic field distributions. We present preliminary results including simulated population statistics that are compared with recent detections by Fermi of normal, isolated pulsars.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures, to appear in the proceedings of the Pulsar 2010 Conference, Italy, 10 - 15 October 201

Western Region Renewable Energy Markets: Implications for the Bureau of Land Management

The purpose of this analysis is to provide the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) with an overview of renewable energy (RE) generation markets, transmission planning efforts, and the ongoing role of the BLM RE projects in the electricity markets of the 11 states (Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming) that comprise the Western Electricity Coordinating Council (WECC) Region. This analysis focuses on the status of, and projections for, likely development of non-hydroelectric renewable electricity from solar (including photovoltaic [PV] and concentrating solar power [CSP]), wind, biomass and geothermal resources in these states. Absent new policy drivers and without the extension of the DOE loan guarantee program and Treasury's 1603 program, state RPS requirements are likely to remain a primary driver for new RE deployment in the western United States. Assuming no additional policy incentives are implemented, projected RE demand for the WECC states by 2020 is 134,000 GWh. Installed capacity to meet that demand will need to be within the range of 28,000-46,000 MW

Novel substrates for Helium adsorption: Graphane and Graphene-Fluoride

The discovery of fullerenes has stimulated extensive exploration of the resulting behavior of adsorbed films. Our study addresses the planar substrates graphene-fluoride (GF) and graphane (GH) in comparison to graphene. We present initial results concerning the potential energy, energy bands and low density behavior of 4He and 3He films on such different surfaces. For example, while graphene presents an adsorption potential that is qualitatively similar to that on graphite, GF and GH yield potentials with different symmetry, a number of adsorption sites double that on graphene/graphite and a larger corrugation for the adatom. In the case of GF, the lowest energy band width is similar to that on graphite but the He atom has a significantly larger effective mass and the adsorption energy is about three time that on graphite. Implications concerning the monolayer phase diagram of 4He are explored with the exact path integral ground state method. A commensurate ordered state similar to the sqrt{3} x sqrt{3} R30^o state on graphite is found the be unstable both on GF and on GH. The ground states of submonolayer 4He on both GF and GH are superfluids with a Bose Einstein condensate fraction of about 10%.Comment: 6 pages, 3 figures, LT26 proceedings, accepted for publication in Journal of Physics: Conference Serie

Large scale prop-fan structural design study. Volume 1: Initial concepts

In recent years, considerable attention has been directed toward improving aircraft fuel consumption. Studies have shown that the inherent efficiency advantage that turboprop propulsion systems have demonstrated at lower cruise speeds may now be extended to the higher speeds of today's turbofan and turbojet-powered aircraft. To achieve this goal, new propeller designs will require features such as thin, high speed airfoils and aerodynamic sweep, features currently found only in wing designs for high speed aircraft. This is Volume 1 of a 2 volume study to establish structural concepts for such advanced propeller blades, to define their structural properties, to identify any new design, analysis, or fabrication techniques which were required, and to determine the structural tradeoffs involved with several blade shapes selected primarily on the basis of aero/acoustic design considerations. The feasibility of fabricating and testing dynamically scaled models of these blades for aeroelastic testing was also established. The preliminary design of a blade suitable for flight use in a testbed advanced turboprop was conducted and is described in Volume 2

Renewable Energy: Ready to Meet Its Promise?

This paper will briefly review the technical status, cost, and applications of major renewable energy technologies in 1998, and also discuss some of the socioeconomic impacts of wide-scale adoption of renewables

Effects of Fish Restoration Practices on Amphibians in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming

Throughout the Western United States, fisheries managers are attempting to restore native cutthroat trout (Onchorynchus clarkii) populations by removing nonnative fish species. A new formulation of the EPA approved piscicide rotenone (CFT Legumine) is increasingly being used as a method to accomplish this removal. Because fish restoration projects bring about an abrupt change to aquatic environments, it is important to consider their immediate and long-term effects on non-target species, such as amphibians. We assessed the effects of fish removal on amphibians in Yellowstone National Park (YNP) by investigating the toxicity of rotenone to and the long-term impacts of removing fish on local amphibian populations. CFT Legumine (5% rotenone) was applied to High Lake in YNP (2006) to remove stocked Yellowstone cutthroat trout (O. c. bouvieri). To determine toxicity, amphibian surveys were conducted immediately prior to the treatment to obtain pre-treatment tadpole population estimates. Post-treatment surveys were conducted both immediately, for assessing treatment-related mortality (during and after application), and 1, 2, and 3 years following to obtain tadpole abundance estimates in the years after application and to address the long-term effects of fish removal and reintroduction. The results of the toxicity trials revealed that in the 24 hrs following application, rotenone was lethal to gill-breathing amphibian tadpoles and nonlethal to non-gill breathing metamorphs, juveniles, and adults. In the years following, tadpole repopulation occurred at levels above the pre-treatment abundance estimate, though both tadpole abundance and distribution appeared correlated with fish presence