DELINEATION OF TRACKS OF HEAVY COSMIC RAYS AND NUCLEAR PROCESSES WITHIN LARGE SILVER CHLORIDE CRYSTALS

Delineation of tracks of heavy cosmic rays and nuclear processes with in large silver chloride crystal

A high-Reynolds-number seal test facility: Facility description and preliminary test data

A facility has been developed for testing the leakage and rotordynamic characteristics of interstage-seal configurations for the HPFTP (High Pressure Fuel Turbopump) of the SSME (Space Shuttle Main Engine). Axial Reynolds numbers on the order of 400,000 are realized in the test facility by using a Dupont freon fluid called Halon (CBrF3). The kinematic viscosity of Halon is of the same order as the liquid hydrogen used in the HPFTP. Initial testing has focused on the current flight configurations (a three-segment, stepped unit) and a convergent-taper candidate

Passive particle dosimetry

Present methods of dosimetry are reviewed with emphasis on the processes using silver chloride crystals for ionizing particle dosimetry. Differences between the ability of various crystals to record ionizing particle paths are directly related to impurities in the range of a few ppm (parts per million). To understand the roles of these impurities in the process, a method for consistent production of high purity silver chloride, and silver bromide was developed which yields silver halides with detectable impurity content less than 1 ppm. This high purity silver chloride was used in growing crystals with controlled doping. Crystals were grown by both the Czochalski method and the Bridgman method, and the Bridgman grown crystals were used for the experiments discussed. The distribution coefficients of ten divalent cations were determined for the Bridgman crystals. The best dosimeters were made with silver chloride crystals containing 5 to 10 ppm of lead; other impurities tested did not produce proper dosimeters

Optimizing the discrete time quantum walk using a SU(2) coin

We present a generalized version of the discrete time quantum walk, using the SU(2) operation as the quantum coin. By varying the coin parameters, the quantum walk can be optimized for maximum variance subject to the functional form $\sigma^2 \approx N^2$ and the probability distribution in the position space can be biased. We also discuss the variation in measurement entropy with the variation of the parameters in the SU(2) coin. Exploiting this we show how quantum walk can be optimized for improving mixing time in an $n$-cycle and for quantum walk search.Comment: 6 pages, 6 figure

Mentoring Youth: A Service-Learning Course Within a College of Nursing

Faculty at the University of Southern Maine College of Nursing and Health Care Professions developed a service-learning course that connected students and faculty with at-risk children in a local community. Nursing students, with faculty supervision and support, developed, implemented, and evaluated interventions to reduce risk factors and increase protective factors to build and strengthen the participants\u27 resiliency. Students enrolled in the service-learning course worked in the community where they gained an understanding of what it was like for children and adolescents to live in an impoverished community setting with disorganized family units and weak community support. The students learned to collaborate with police, schools, public health nurses, and churches, as well as students in other major programs. The benefits of this course for students and the community were far reaching and even life changing

Current Range in Lightning Return Strokes

In our investigation of breakdown waves, we use a one-dimensional, steady-state, constant velocity fluid model. This investigation involves breakdown waves for which the electric field force on electrons is in the opposite direction of wave propagation. The waves are considered to be shock fronted and the electron gas partial pressure is large enough to sustain the wave propagation. Our basic set of electron fluid-dynamical equations is composed of the equations for conservation of mass, momentum and energy, coupled with Poisson’s equation. This investigation involves breakdown waves for which a large current exists behind the shock front. The current behind the shock front alters the set of electron fluid-dynamical equations as well as the boundary conditions at the shock front. For the range of reported experimental current values (Wang et al. 1999), we have been able to solve the electron fluid dynamical equations within the dynamical transition region of the wave. Wave profile for electric field and electron velocity, number density and temperature within the dynamical transition region of the wave will be presente

Applications of active microwave imagery

The following topics were discussed in reference to active microwave applications: (1) Use of imaging radar to improve the data collection/analysis process; (2) Data collection tasks for radar that other systems will not perform; (3) Data reduction concepts; and (4) System and vehicle parameters: aircraft and spacecraft

Design of a five-axis ultra-precision micro-milling machine—UltraMill. Part 2: Integrated dynamic modelling, design optimisation and analysis

Using computer models to predict the dynamic performance of ultra-precision machine tools can help manufacturers to substantially reduce the lead time and cost of developing new machines. However, the use of electronic drives on such machines is becoming widespread, the machine dynamic performance depending not only on the mechanical structure and components but also on the control system and electronic drives. Bench-top ultra-precision machine tools are highly desirable for the micro-manufacturing of high-accuracy micro-mechanical components. However, the development is still at the nascent stage and hence lacks standardised guidelines. Part 2 of this two-part paper proposes an integrated approach, which permits analysis and optimisation of the entire machine dynamic performance at the early design stage. Based on the proposed approach, the modelling and simulation process of a novel five-axis bench-top ultra-precision micro-milling machine tool—UltraMill—is presented. The modelling and simulation cover the dynamics of the machine structure, the moving components, the control system and the machining process and are used to predict the entire machine performance of two typical configurations

Dual captures of Colorado rodents: implications for transmission of hantaviruses.

We analyzed dual-capture data collected during longitudinal studies monitoring transmission and persistence of Sin Nombre virus in rodents in Colorado. Our data indicate that multiple captures (two or more rodents captured in a single trap) may not be random, as indicated by previous studies, but rather the result of underlying, species-specific social behavior or cohesiveness. In the pairs we captured, most often, rodents were of the same species, were male, and could be recaptured as pairs. Therefore, dual captures of rodents, which are unusual but not rare, tend to occur among certain species, and appear to be nonrandom, group-foraging encounters. These demographic and ecologic characteristics may have implications for the study of the transmission of hantaviruses

Exact sampling from non-attractive distributions using summary states

Propp and Wilson's method of coupling from the past allows one to efficiently generate exact samples from attractive statistical distributions (e.g., the ferromagnetic Ising model). This method may be generalized to non-attractive distributions by the use of summary states, as first described by Huber. Using this method, we present exact samples from a frustrated antiferromagnetic triangular Ising model and the antiferromagnetic q=3 Potts model. We discuss the advantages and limitations of the method of summary states for practical sampling, paying particular attention to the slowing down of the algorithm at low temperature. In particular, we show that such a slowing down can occur in the absence of a physical phase transition.Comment: 5 pages, 6 EPS figures, REVTeX; additional information at http://wol.ra.phy.cam.ac.uk/mackay/exac