58,433 research outputs found
An Optics Field Site for Auroral Studies
The earlier orbits and ephemerides for the Soviet satellites were not sufficiently
accurate to be very useful in making observations in Alaska. Extrapolations
from our own observations gave better predictions. This merely pointed out the fact
that rough observations of meridian transits at high latitudes will give better values
of the inclination of the orbit than precision observations at low latitudes. Hence,
it was decided to observe visually the meridian transits estimating the altitude by
noting the position with respect to the stars or using crude alidade measurements.
The times of the earlier observations were observed on a watch or clock and the clock
correction obtained from WWV. Later the times were determined with the aid of stop
watches, taking time intervals from WWV signals.
This rather meager program of optical observations of the Soviet satellites was
undertaken to give supplementary data for use of the radio observations, and particularly
to assist in the prediction of position of the satellite so that the 61-foot
radar of Stanford Research Institute could be set accurately enough to observe it
(the beam width at the half-power points is about 3°).
This report contains primarily the visual observations made at the Geophysical
Institute by various members of the staff, and a series of observations by Olaf
Halverson at Nome, Alaska. In addition there is a short discussion of the geometry
of the trajectory, the illumination of a circumpolar satellite, and a note on the
evaluation of Brouwer's moment factors.IGY Project No. 1.14
NSF Grant No. Y/1.14/1771. Introduction -- 2. General Construction -- [3. Operation of Instruments] 3.1 Sky view and location -- 3.2 Supports for instruments -- 3.3 Facilities for each major instrument : a) Hunten scanning spectrometer ; b) IGY patrol spectrograph ; c) College meridian mirror spectrograph ; d) Huet prism spectrograph ; e) Roach scanning photometer ; f) All-sky camera ; g) Future installations -- 4. Auxiliary Facilities : 4.1 Electric power; circuit details ; 4.2 Other services -- 5. SummaryYe
Light transport and general aviation aircraft icing research requirements
A short term and a long term icing research and technology program plan was drafted for NASA LeRC based on 33 separate research items. The specific items listed resulted from a comprehensive literature search, organized and assisted by a computer management file and an industry/Government agency survey. Assessment of the current facilities and icing technology was accomplished by presenting summaries of ice sensitive components and protection methods; and assessments of penalty evaluation, the experimental data base, ice accretion prediction methods, research facilities, new protection methods, ice protection requirements, and icing instrumentation. The intent of the research plan was to determine what icing research NASA LeRC must do or sponsor to ultimately provide for increased utilization and safety of light transport and general aviation aircraft
Functional analysis of the Bunyamwera orthobunyavirus Gc glycoprotein
The virion glycoproteins Gn and Gc of Bunyamwera orthobunyavirus (family Bunyaviridae) are encoded by the M RNA genome segment and have roles in both viral attachment and membrane fusion. To investigate further the structure and function of the Gc protein in viral replication, we generated 12 mutants that contain truncations from the N terminus. The effects of these deletions were analysed with regard to Golgi targeting, low pH-dependent membrane fusion, infectious virus-like particle (VLP) formation and virus infectivity. Our results show that the N-terminal half (453 residues) of the Gc ectodomain (909 residues in total) is dispensable for Golgi trafficking and cell fusion. However, deletions in this region resulted in a significant reduction in VLP formation. Four mutant viruses that contained N-terminal deletions in their Gc proteins were rescued, and found to be attenuated to different degrees in BHK-21 cells. Taken together, our data indicate that the N-terminal half of the Gc ectodomain is dispensable for replication in cell culture, whereas the C-terminal half is required to mediate cell fusion. A model for the domain structure of the Gc ectodomain is proposed
H-NMR spin-echo measurements of the static and dynamic spin properties in -(BETS)FeCl
H-NMR spin-echo measurements of the spin-echo decay with a
decay rate 1/ and the frequency shift under applied
magnetic field = 9 T along the a-axis over a temperature
range 2.0180 K are reported for a single crystal of the organic conductor
-(BETS)FeCl. It provides the spin dynamic and static
properties in the paramagnetic metal (PM) and antiferromagnetic insulator (AFI)
states as well as across the PMAFI phase transition. A large slow beat
structure in the spin-echo decay is observed with a typical beat frequency of
7 kHz and it varies across the spectrum. Its origin is attributed to
the HH dipole interactions rather than to the much larger
dipolar field contribution from the Fe electrons (spin = 5/2). A
simple phenomenological model provides an excellent fit to the data. The
dominant H-NMR frequency shift comes from the dipolar field from the 3d
Fe ions, and the Fe Fe exchange interactions ()
( includes the dd exchange interactions through the electrons)
have a substantial effect to the local field at the proton sites expecially at
low temperatures. A good fit is obtained with = - 1.7 K. The data of
the spin-echo decay rate 1/ indicates that there is a significant change
in the slow fluctuations of the local magnetic field at the H-sites on
traversing the PM to AFI phase. This evidence supports earlier reports that the
PMAFI phase transition in -(BETS)FeCl is driven
magnetically and first order.Comment: 9 pages, 10 figures, resubmitted to Phys. Rev. B in response to
comments of Editor and reviewers on March 23, 200
Pulsed electromagnetic gas acceleration
Terminal voltage measurements with long cathodes in a high power, quasi-steady MPD discharge show that the critical current for the onset of voltage fluctuations, which was previously shown to be a function of cathode area, approaches an asymptote for cathodes of very large surface area. Floating potential measurements and photographs of the discharge luminosity indicate that the fluctuations are confined to the vicinity of the cathode and hence reflect a cathode emission process rather than a fundamental limit on MPD performance. Photoelectric measurements of particular argon neutral and ion transitions show that the higher electronic states are populated more heavily than would be calculated on the basis of Saha-Boltzmann equilibrium at the local electron temperature and number density. Preliminary optical depth measurements show that for a current of 4 kA and an argon mass flow of 12 g/sec, a population inversion exists between the upper and lower states of the 4880 A argon ion transition
Probing the circulation of ring-shaped Bose-Einstein condensates
This paper reports the results of a theoretical and experimental study of how
the initial circulation of ring-shaped Bose-Einstein condensates (BECs) can be
probed by time-of-flight (TOF) images. We have studied theoretically the
dynamics of a BEC after release from a toroidal trap potential by solving the
3D Gross-Pitaevskii (GP) equation. The trap and condensate characteristics
matched those of a recent experiment. The circulation, experimentally imparted
to the condensate by stirring, was simulated theoretically by imprinting a
linear azimuthal phase on the initial condensate wave function. The theoretical
TOF images were in good agreement with the experimental data. We find that upon
release the dynamics of the ring--shaped condensate proceeds in two distinct
phases. First, the condensate expands rapidly inward, filling in the initial
hole until it reaches a minimum radius that depends on the initial circulation.
In the second phase, the density at the inner radius increases to a maximum
after which the hole radius begins slowly to expand. During this second phase a
series of concentric rings appears due to the interference of ingoing and
outgoing matter waves from the inner radius. The results of the GP equation
predict that the hole area is a quadratic function of the initial circulation
when the condensate is released directly from the trap in which it was stirred
and is a linear function of the circulation if the trap is relaxed before
release. These scalings matched the data. Thus, hole size after TOF can be used
as a reliable probe of initial condensate circulation. This connection between
circulation and hole size after TOF will facilitate future studies of
atomtronic systems that are implemented in ultracold quantum gases.Comment: 9 pages, 9 figure
Pulsed electromagnetic gas acceleration
Detailed measurements of the axial velocity profile and electromagnetic structure of a high power, quasi-steady MPD discharge are used to formulate a gasdynamic model of the acceleration process. Conceptually dividing the accelerated plasma into an inner flow and an outer flow, it is found that more than two-thirds of the total power in the plasma is deposited in the inner flow, accelerating it to an exhaust velocity of 12.5 km/sec. The outer flow, which is accelerated to a velocity of only 6.2 km/sec, appears to provide a current conduction path between the inner flow and the anode. Related cathode studies have shown that the critical current for the onset of terminal voltage fluctuations, which was recently shown to be a function of the cathode area, appears to reach an asymptote for cathodes of very large surface area. Detailed floating potential measurements show that the fluctuations are confined to the vicinity of the cathode and hence reflect a cathode emission process rather than a fundamental limit on MPD performance
Pulsed electromagnetic gas acceleration
Experimental data were combined with one-dimensional conservation relations to yield information on the energy deposition ratio in a parallel-plate accelerator, where the downstream flow was confined to a constant area channel. Approximately 70% of the total input power was detected in the exhaust flow, of which only about 20% appeared as directed kinetic energy, thus implying that a downstream expansion to convert chamber enthalpy into kinetic energy must be an important aspect of conventional high power MPD arcs. Spectroscopic experiments on a quasi-steady MPD argon accelerator verified the presence of A(III) and the absence of A(I), and indicated an azimuthal structure in the jet related to the mass injection locations. Measurements of pressure in the arc chamber and impact pressure in the exhaust jet using a piezocrystal backed by a Plexiglas rod were in good agreement with the electromagnetic thrust model
Pulsed electromagnetic gas acceleration
Terminal voltage measurements with various cathodes and anodes in a high power, quasi-steady magnetoplasmadynamic (MPD) are discussed. The magnitude of the current at the onset of voltage fluctuations is shown to be an increasing function of cathode area and a weaker decreasing function of anode area. Tests with a fluted cathode indicated that the fluctuations originate in the plasma adjacent to the cathode rather than at the cathode surface. Measurements of radiative output from an optical cavity aligned to examine the current-carrying portion of a two-dimensional, 56 kA magnetoplasmadynamic discharge reveal no lasing in that region, consistent with calculations of electron excitation and resonance radiation trapping. A voltage-swept double probe technique allows single-shot determination of electron temperature and electron number density in the recombining MPD exhaust flow. Current distributions within the cavity of MPD hollow cathodes for various static prefills with no injected mass flow are examined
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