1,660 research outputs found
Space Shuttle Lightning Protection
The technology for lightning protection of even the most advanced spacecraft is available and can be applied through cost-effective hardware designs and design-verification techniques. In this paper, the evolution of the Space Shuttle Lightning Protection Program is discussed, including the general types of protection, testing, and anlayses being performed to assess the lightning-transient-damage susceptibility of solid-state electronics
ASTP simulated lightning test report
A simulated lightning test was conducted on the backup spacecraft for the Apollo Soyuz Test Project mission (CSM-119) to determine the susceptibility of the Apollo spacecraft to damage from the indirect effects of lightning. It is demonstrated that induced lightning effects from low-level injected currents can be scaled linearly to those which are obtained in a full threat lightning stroke. Test results indicate that: (1) many of the power and signal critical circuits would fail if subjected to full-threat lightning, (2) pyrotechnic circuits are safe for full-threat lightning, and (3) common-mode voltages exceeded the failure criteria level for all but three of the circuits tested
A priori Wannier functions from modified Hartree-Fock and Kohn-Sham equations
The Hartree-Fock equations are modified to directly yield Wannier functions
following a proposal of Shukla et al. [Chem. Phys. Lett. 262, 213-218 (1996)].
This approach circumvents the a posteriori application of the Wannier
transformation to Bloch functions. I give a novel and rigorous derivation of
the relevant equations by introducing an orthogonalizing potential to ensure
the orthogonality among the resulting functions. The properties of these,
so-called a priori Wannier functions, are analyzed and the relation of the
modified Hartree-Fock equations to the conventional, Bloch-function-based
equations is elucidated. It is pointed out that the modified equations offer a
different route to maximally localized Wannier functions. Their computational
solution is found to involve an effort that is comparable to the effort for the
solution of the conventional equations. Above all, I show how a priori Wannier
functions can be obtained by a modification of the Kohn-Sham equations of
density-functional theory.Comment: 7 pages, RevTeX4, revise
Topological Insulators with Inversion Symmetry
Topological insulators are materials with a bulk excitation gap generated by
the spin orbit interaction, and which are different from conventional
insulators. This distinction is characterized by Z_2 topological invariants,
which characterize the groundstate. In two dimensions there is a single Z_2
invariant which distinguishes the ordinary insulator from the quantum spin Hall
phase. In three dimensions there are four Z_2 invariants, which distinguish the
ordinary insulator from "weak" and "strong" topological insulators. These
phases are characterized by the presence of gapless surface (or edge) states.
In the 2D quantum spin Hall phase and the 3D strong topological insulator these
states are robust and are insensitive to weak disorder and interactions. In
this paper we show that the presence of inversion symmetry greatly simplifies
the problem of evaluating the Z_2 invariants. We show that the invariants can
be determined from the knowledge of the parity of the occupied Bloch
wavefunctions at the time reversal invariant points in the Brillouin zone.
Using this approach, we predict a number of specific materials are strong
topological insulators, including the semiconducting alloy Bi_{1-x} Sb_x as
well as \alpha-Sn and HgTe under uniaxial strain. This paper also includes an
expanded discussion of our formulation of the topological insulators in both
two and three dimensions, as well as implications for experiments.Comment: 16 pages, 7 figures; published versio
Transport and the Order Parameter of Superconducting UPt3
We calculate the ultrasonic absorption and the thermal conductivity in the
superconducting state of UPt as functions of temperature and direction of
propagation and polarization. Two leading candidates for the superconducting
order parameter are considered: the and representations. Both
can fit the data except for the ultrasonic absorption in the phase. To do
that, it is necessary to suppose that the system has only a single domain, and
that must be chosen as the most favorable one. However, the theory
requires fine-tuning of parameters to fit the low temperature thermal
conductivity. Thus, transport data favor the theory. Measurements of
the thermal conductivity as a function of pressure at low temperature could
help to further distinguish the two theories.Comment: 7 pages, 4 figure
Ubiquitination directly enhances activity of the deubiquitinating enzyme ataxinâ3
Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/102210/1/emboj2008289-sup-0001.pdfhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/102210/2/emboj2008289.pd
Approaches toward Sustainable Forage-Livestock Systems: Strip-Planting a Legume into a Warm-Season Perennial Grass Pasture
Despite the demonstrated potential of rhizoma peanut (Arachis glabrata Benth.; RP) for grazing in the southeastern USA (Ortega-S. et al. 1992), high establishment cost and removal of land from production during establishment have limited its use to primarily hay production systems. The premise of this experiment is that strip-planting RP in existing bahiagrass (Paspalum notatum FlĂŒgge) pastures offers the opportunity to use grass forage during the legume establishment phase so that land need not be totally removed from grazing, while allowing successful establishment of the legume
Urinary Acrylonitrile Metabolite Concentrations Before and after Smoked, Vaporized, and Oral Cannabis in Frequent and Occasional Cannabis Users.
Cannabis use through smoking, vaping, or ingestion is increasing, but only limited studies have investigated the resulting exposure to harmful chemicals. N-acetyl-S-(2-cyanoethyl)-L-cysteine (2CYEMA), a urinary metabolite of acrylonitrile, a possible carcinogen, is elevated in the urine of past-30-day cannabis users compared to non-cannabis users. Five frequent and five occasional cannabis users smoked and vaped cannabis on separate days; one also consumed cannabis orally. Urine samples were collected before and up to 72 h post dose and urinary 2CYEMA was quantified. We compared 2CYEMA pre-exposure levels, maximum concentration, time at maximum concentration for occasional versus frequent users following different exposure routes, and measured half-life of elimination. Smoking cannabis joints rapidly (within 10 min) increased 2CYEMA in the urine of occasional cannabis users, but not in frequent users. Urine 2CYEMA did not consistently increase following vaping or ingestion in either study group. Cigarette smokers had high pre-exposure concentrations of 2CYEMA. Following cannabis smoking, the half-lives of 2CYEMA ranged from 2.5 to 9.0 h. 2CYEMA is an effective biomarker of cannabis smoke exposure, including smoke from a single cannabis joint, however, not from vaping or when consumed orally. When using 2CYEMA to evaluate exposure in cannabis users, investigators should collect the details about tobacco smoking, route of consumption, and time since last use as possible covariates
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