6,934 research outputs found
Novel conducting polymer current limiting devices for low cost surge protection applications
We report on the development of novel intrinsic conducting polymer two terminal surge protection devices. These resettable current limiting devices consist of polyaniline nanofibres doped with methane sulphonic acid electrochemically deposited between two 55 μm spaced gold electrodes. At normal applied voltages, the low resistance devices act as passive circuit elements, not affecting the current flow. However during a current surge the devices switch from ohmic to non-ohmic behaviour, limiting current through the device. After the current surge has passed, the devices reset back to their original state. Our studies show that a partial de-doping/re-doping process caused by the rapid diffusion of moisture out of or into the polymer film during joule heating/cooling is the underlying mechanism responsible
Coulomb tunneling for fusion reactions in dense matter: Path integral Monte Carlo versus mean field
We compare Path Integral Monte Carlo calculations by Militzer and Pollock
(Phys. Rev. B 71, 134303, 2005) of Coulomb tunneling in nuclear reactions in
dense matter to semiclassical calculations assuming WKB Coulomb barrier
penetration through the radial mean-field potential. We find a very good
agreement of two approaches at temperatures higher than ~1/5 of the ion plasma
temperature. We obtain a simple parameterization of the mean field potential
and of the respective reaction rates. We analyze Gamow-peak energies of
reacting ions in various reaction regimes and discuss theoretical uncertainties
of nuclear reaction rates taking carbon burning in dense stellar matter as an
example.Comment: 13 pages, 7 figures, to appear in Phys. Rev.
Beverly Matthews
This case describes the difficult challenges facing Beverly Matthews as she returned to the workforce after taking time from paid employment in order to spend time with her two children. She desired a workplace that would give her the flexibility to excel in both the work and family domains. Beverly specifically chose the organization because of its award-winning family-friendly reputation and the positive word of mouth from a friend who worked there. Unfortunately, she has encountered a supervisor whose values conflict with the values of Beverly and the organization. Beverly is contemplating her options as the status quo has become intolerable. Readers are also presented with a teaching note as an accompaniment to the case. Numerous options guide instructors on how to enhance student learning using this case study for theory application in organizational behavior and human resource management courses
Variable-Speed-of-Light Cosmology and Second Law of Thermodynamics
We examine whether the cosmologies with varying speed of light (VSL) are
compatible with the second law of thermodynamics. We find that the VSL
cosmology with varying fundamental constant is severely constrained by the
second law of thermodynamics, whereas the bimetric cosmological models are less
constrained.Comment: 15 pages, LaTeX, Revised version with minor corrections to appear in
Phys. Rev.
Test/score/report: Simulation techniques for automating the test process
A Test/Score/Report capability is currently being developed for the Transportable Payload Operations Control Center (TPOCC) Advanced Spacecraft Simulator (TASS) system which will automate testing of the Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) Payload Operations Control Center (POCC) and Mission Operations Center (MOC) software in three areas: telemetry decommutation, spacecraft command processing, and spacecraft memory load and dump processing. Automated computer control of the acceptance test process is one of the primary goals of a test team. With the proper simulation tools and user interface, the task of acceptance testing, regression testing, and repeatability of specific test procedures of a ground data system can be a simpler task. Ideally, the goal for complete automation would be to plug the operational deliverable into the simulator, press the start button, execute the test procedure, accumulate and analyze the data, score the results, and report the results to the test team along with a go/no recommendation to the test team. In practice, this may not be possible because of inadequate test tools, pressures of schedules, limited resources, etc. Most tests are accomplished using a certain degree of automation and test procedures that are labor intensive. This paper discusses some simulation techniques that can improve the automation of the test process. The TASS system tests the POCC/MOC software and provides a score based on the test results. The TASS system displays statistics on the success of the POCC/MOC system processing in each of the three areas as well as event messages pertaining to the Test/Score/Report processing. The TASS system also provides formatted reports documenting each step performed during the tests and the results of each step. A prototype of the Test/Score/Report capability is available and currently being used to test some POCC/MOC software deliveries. When this capability is fully operational it should greatly reduce the time necessary to test a POCC/MOC software delivery, as well as improve the quality of the test process
Photo-disintegration cross section measurements on W, Re and Os: Implications for the Re-Os cosmochronology
Cross sections of the W, Re, Os() reactions
were measured using quasi-monochromatic photon beams from laser Compton
scattering (LCS) with average energies from 7.3 to 10.9 MeV. The results are
compared with the predictions of Hauser-Feshbach statistical calculations using
four different sets of input parameters. In addition, the inverse neutron
capture cross sections were evaluated by constraining the model parameters,
especially the strength function, on the basis of the experimental data.
The present experiment helps to further constrain the correction factor
for the neutron capture on the 9.75 keV state in Os.
Implications of to the Re-Os cosmochronology are discussed with a
focus on the uncertainty in the estimate of the age of the Galaxy.Comment: 11 page
The Dynamical Instability of Static, Spherically Symmetric Solutions in Nonsymmetric Gravitational Theories
We consider the dynamical stability of a class of static,
spherically-symmetric solutions of the nonsymmetric gravitational theory. We
numerically reproduce the Wyman solution and generate new solutions for the
case where the theory has a nontrivial fundamental length scale \mu^{-1}. By
considering spherically symmetric perturbations of these solutions we show that
the Wyman solutions are generically unstable.Comment: 13 pages, uses amslatex, graphicx and subfigure package
The relationship between blood lead, blood pressure, stroke, and heart attacks in middle-aged British men.
The relationship between blood lead concentration and blood pressure is examined in a survey of 7371 men aged 40 to 59 from 24 British towns. After allowance for relevant confounding variables, including town of residence and alcohol consumption, there exists a very weak but statistically significant positive association between blood lead and both systolic and diastolic blood pressure. These cross-sectional data indicate that an estimated mean increase of 1.45 mm Hg in systolic blood pressure occurs for every doubling of blood lead concentration with a 95% confidence interval of 0.47 to 2.43 mm Hg. After 6 years of follow-up, 316 of these men had major ischemic heart disease, and 66 had a stroke. After allowance for the confounding effects of cigarette smoking and town of residence there is no evidence that blood lead is a risk factor for these cardiovascular events. However, as the blood lead-blood pressure association is so weak, it is unlikely that any consequent association between lead and cardiovascular disease could be demonstrated from prospective epidemiological studies. An overview of data from this and other large epidemiological surveys provides reasonably consistent evidence on lead and blood pressure. While NHANES II data on 2254 U.S. men indicate a slightly stronger association between blood lead and systolic blood pressure, data from two Welsh studies on over 2000 men did not show a statistically significant association. However, the overlapping confidence limits for all these studies suggest that there may be a weak positive statistical association whereby systolic blood pressure is increased by about 1 mm Hg for every doubling of blood lead concentration.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS
Properties of active galactic star-forming regions probed by imaging spectroscopy with the Fourier transform spectrometer (FTS) onboard AKARI
We investigate the structure of the interstellar medium (ISM) and identify
the location of possible embedded excitation sources from far-infrared (FIR)
line and mid-infrared continuum emission maps. We carried out imaging
spectroscopic observations of four giant Galactic star-forming regions with the
Fourier Transform Spectrometer (FTS) onboard AKARI. We obtained [OIII] 88
micron and [CII] 158 micron line intensity maps of all the regions:
G3.270-0.101, G333.6-0.2, NGC3603, and M17. For G3.270-0.101, we obtained
high-spatial-resolution [OIII] 88 micron line-emission maps and a FIR continuum
map for the first time, which imply that [OIII] 88 micron emission identifies
the excitation sources more clearly than the radio continuum emission. In
G333.6-0.2, we found a local [OIII] 88 micron emission peak, which is
indicative of an excitation source. This is supported by the 18 micron
continuum emission, which is considered to trace the hot dust distribution. For
all regions, the [CII] 158 micron emission is distributed widely as suggested
by previous observations of star-forming regions. We conclude that [OIII] 88
micron emission traces the excitation sources more accurately than the radio
continuum emission, especially where there is a high density and/or column
density gradient. The FIR spectroscopy provides a promising means of
understanding the nature of star-forming regions.Comment: 14 pages with 15 figures, accepted for publication in Astronomy and
Astrophysic
Large dopant dependence of the current limiting properties of intrinsic conducting polymer surge protection devices
New two terminal surge protection devices based on intrinsic conducting polymers are demonstrated to be strongly affected by the dopant molecule type. Thermogravimetric analysis combined with current–voltage studies show a causal link between the dopant molecule, moisture content and the current limiting capability of the devices. Polyaniline thin-films with high moisture content produce devices with current saturation and foldback effects at high applied voltages while low moisture content films exhibit no current rectification and instead demonstrate decreasing resistivity with increasing voltage. Polyaniline doped with sulfuric acid (H2SO4) exhibited the largest moisture content and surge protection devices built with this material produced for the first time negative differential resistance under ambient conditions. A further improvement was made upon this through surface engineering of the interface between the polymer and electrodes using self-assembled monolayers
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