Cathodoluminescence and electron microscopy of red quantum dots used for display applications

Cathodoluminescent imaging of the visible light emitted from quantum dots is reported. The shape and uniformity of individual particles is observed in the STEM electron image and the image of the particles created from their visible light collected simultaneously is shown. Visible light images of the 13nm sized particles are reported for clusters of particles. Emission spectra collected from a small clusters of QDs are also reported

Bearing optimization for SSME HPOTP application

The space shuttle main engine (SSME) high-pressure oxygen turbopumps (HPOTP) have not experienced the service life required of them. To improve the life of the existing turbopump bearings, modifications to the bearings that could be retrofitted into the present bearing cavity are being investigated. Several bearing parameters were optimized using the computer program SHABERTH, which performs a thermomechanical simulation of a load support system. The computer analysis showed that improved bearing performance is feasible if low friction coefficients can be attained. Bearing geometries were optimized considering heat generation, equilibrium temperatures, and relative life. Two sets of curvatures were selected from the optimization: an inner-raceway curvature of 0.54, an outer-raceway curvature of 0.52, and an inner-raceway curvature of 0.55, an outer-raceway curvature of 0.53. A contact angle of 16 deg was also selected. Thermal gradients through the bearings were found to be lower with liquid lubrication than with solid film lubrication. As the coolant flowrate through the bearing increased, the ball temperature decreased but at a continuously decreasing rate. The optimum flowrate was approximately 4 kg/s. The analytical modeling used to determine these feasible modifications to improve bearing performance is described

Geometry induced entanglement transitions in nanostructures

We model quantum dot nanostructures using a one-dimensional system of two interacting electrons. We show that strong and rapid variations may be induced in the spatial entanglement by varying the nanostructure geometry. We investigate the position-space information entropy as an indicator of the entanglement in this system. We also consider the expectation value of the Coulomb interaction and the ratio of this expectation to the expectation of the confining potential and their link to the entanglement. We look at the first derivative of the entanglement and the position-space information entropy to infer information about a possible quantum phase transition.Comment: 3 pages, 2 figures, to appear in Journal of Applied Physic

Long-term Properties of Accretion Disks in X-ray Binaries: II. Stability of Radiation-Driven Warping

A significant number of X-ray binaries are now known to exhibit long-term ``superorbital'' periodicities on timescales of $\sim$ 10 - 100 days. Several physical mechanisms have been proposed that give rise to such periodicities, in particular warping and/or precession of the accretion disk. Recent theoretical work predicts the stability to disk warping of X-ray binaries as a function of the mass ratio, binary radius, viscosity and accretion efficiency, and here we examine the constraints that can be placed on such models by current observations. In paper I we used a dynamic power spectrum (DPS) analysis of long-term X-ray datasets (CGRO, RXTE), focusing on the remarkable, smooth variations in the superorbital period exhibited by SMC X-1. Here we use a similar DPS analysis to investigate the stability of the superorbital periodicities in the neutron star X-ray binaries Cyg X-2, LMC X-4 and Her X-1, and thereby confront stability predictions with observation. We find that the period and nature of superorbital variations in these sources is consistent with the predictions of warping theory. We also use a dynamic lightcurve analysis to examine the behaviour of Her X-1 as it enters and leaves the 1999 Anomalous Low State (ALS). This reveals a significant phase shift some 15 cycles before the ALS, which indicates a change in the disk structure or profile leading into the ALS.Comment: 12 pages, 14 figures, Re-submitted to MNRAS after referee's comment

Low-speed aerodynamic characteristics of a highly swept, untwisted uncambered arrow wing

An investigation was conducted in the Langley 4- by 7-Meter Tunnel to provide a detailed study of wing pressure distributions and forces and moments acting on a highly swept arrow-wing model at low Mach numbers (0.25). A limited investigation of the effect of spoilers at several locations was also conducted. Analysis of the pressure data shows that for the configuration with undeflected leading edges, vortex separation occurs on the outboard wing panel for angles of attack on the order of only 3 deg, whereas conventional leading-edge separation occurs at a nondimensional semispan station of 0.654 for the same incidence angle. The pressure data further show that vortex separation exists at wing stations more inboard for angles of attack on the order of 7 deg and that these vortices move inboard and forward with increasing angle of attack. The force and moment data show the expected nonlinear increments in lift and pitching moment and the increased drag associated with the vortex separation. The pressure data and corresponding force and moment data confirm that deflecting the entire wing leading edge uniformly to 30 deg is effective in forestalling the onset of flow separation to angles of attack greater than 8.6 deg; however, the inboard portion of the leading edge is overdeflected. The investigation further identifies the contribution of the trailing-edge flap deflection to the leading-edge upwash fields

Two-Dimensional, Pyrazine-Based Nonlinear Optical Chromophores with Ruthenium(II) Ammine Electron Donors

Six new nonlinear optical (NLO) chromophores with pyrazinyl-pyridinium electron acceptors have been synthesized by complexing a known pro-ligand with electron donating {Ru^(II)(NH_3)_5}^(2+) or trans-{Ru^(II)(NH_3)_4(py)}^(2+) (py = pyridine) centers. These cationic complexes have been characterized as their PF_6^− salts by using various techniques including electronic absorption spectroscopy and cyclic voltammetry. The visible d → π* metal-to-ligand charge-transfer (MLCT) absorptions gain intensity on increasing the number of Ru^(II) centers from one to two, but remain at constant energy. One or two Ru^(III/II) redox processes are observed which are reversible, quasi-reversible, or irreversible, while all of the ligand-based reductions are irreversible. Molecular first hyperpolarizabilities β have been determined by using hyper-Rayleigh scattering (HRS) at 1064 nm, and depolarization studies show that the NLO responses of the symmetric species are strongly two-dimensional (2D) in character, with dominant “off-diagonal” β_(zyy) components. Stark (electroabsorption) spectroscopic measurements on the MLCT bands also allow the indirect determination of estimated static first hyperpolarizabilities β_0. Both the HRS and the Stark-derived β_0 values increase on moving from mono- to bimetallic complexes, and substantial enhancements in NLO response are achieved when compared with one-dimensional (1D) and 2D monometallic Ru^(II) ammine complexes reported previously

Should Individual Investors Use Technical Trading Rules to Attempt to Beat the Market?

Problem statement: Despite widespread academic acceptance of the Efficient Markets Hypothesis, some stock traders still use technical trading rules in an attempt to beat the market. Approach: This study looked at four trading rules, namely, the arithmetic moving average, the relative strength index, a stochastic oscillator and its moving average. These trading rules compare the relationship of current prices to past price patterns to generate a signal when to buy and sell stocks. The trading rules were tested over the years 2000-2009, a period of time that exhibited bull and bear markets, to determine if traders could actively trade a stock and beat a passive investment strategy. Results: We tested the four trading rules against the 576 stocks that comprise the S&P 100, the NASDAQ 100 and the S&P Midcap 400. The results proved discouraging to that strategy, in that no one trading rule consistently beat the market. Conclusion/Recommendations: Since technical trading rules cannot be used to consistently beat a long-term buy and hold strategy, we recommend that investors first use fundamental analysis to select stocks and then apply a technical trading rule to enhance potential trading gains