Effects of Rotationally-Induced Mixing in Compact Binary Systems with Low-Mass Secondaries and in Single Solar-Type Stars

Many population synthesis and stellar evolution studies have addressed the evolution of close binary systems in which the primary is a compact remnant and the secondary is filling its Roche lobe, thus triggering mass transfer. Although tidal locking is expected in such systems, most studies have neglected the rotationally-induced mixing that may occur. Here we study the possible effects of mixing in the mass-losing stars for a range in secondary star masses and metallicities. We find that tidal locking can induce rotational mixing prior to contact and thus affect the evolution of the secondary star if the effects of the Spruit-Tayler dynamo are included both for angular momentum and chemical transport. Once contact is made, the effect of mass transfer tends to be more rapid than the evolutionary time scale, so the effects of mixing are no longer directly important, but the mass transfer strips matter to inner layers that may have been affected by the mixing. These effects are enhanced for secondaries of 1-1.2 Msun and for lower metallicities. We discuss the possible implications for the paucity of carbon in the secondaries of the cataclysmic variable SS Cyg and the black hole candidate XTE J1118+480 and for the progenitor evolution of Type Ia supernovae. We also address the issue of the origin of blue straggler stars in globular and open clusters. We find that for models that include rotation consistent with that observed for some blue straggler stars, evolution is chemically homogeneous. This leads to tracks in the HR diagram that are brighter and bluer than the non-rotating main-sequence turn-off point. Rotational mixing could thus be one of the factors that contribute to the formation of blue stragglers.Comment: 46 pages, 18 figure

Optimisation of Bluetooth wireless personal area networks

In recent years there has been a marked growth in the use of wireless cellular telephones, PCs and the Internet. This proliferation of information technology has hastened the advent of wireless networks which aim to increase the accessibility and reach of communications devices. Ambient Intelligence (Ami) is a vision of the future of computing in which all kinds of everyday objects will contain intelligence. To be effective, Ami requires Ubiquitous Computing and Communication, the latter being enabled by wireless networking. The IEEE's 802.11 task group has developed a series of radio based replacements for the familiar wired ethernet LAN. At the same time another IEEE standards task group, 802.15, together with a number of industry consortia, has introduced a new level of wireless networking based upon short range, ad-hoc connections. Currently, the most significant of these new Wireless Personal Area Network (WPAN) standards is Bluetooth, one of the first of the enabling technologies of Ami to be commercially available. Bluetooth operates in the internationally unlicensed Industrial, Scientific and Medical (ISM) band at 2.4 GHz. unfortunately, this spectrum is particularly crowded. It is also used by: WiFi (IEEE 802.11); a new WPAN standard called Zig- Bee; many types of simple devices such as garage door openers; and is polluted by unintentional radiators. The success of a radio specification for ubiquitous wireless communications is, therefore, dependant upon a robust tolerance to high levels of electromagnetic noise. This thesis addresses the optimisation of low power WPANs in this context, with particular reference to the physical layer radio specification of the Bluetooth system

Containerless low gravity processing of glass forming and immiscible alloys

Under normal one-g conditions immiscible alloys segregate extensively during solidification due to sedimentation of the more dense of the immiscible liquid phases. Immiscible (hypermonotectic) gold-rhodium alloys were processed in the 100 meter drop tube under low gravity, containerless conditions to determine the feasibility of producing dispersed structures. Three alloy compositions were utilized. Alloys containing 10 percent by volume of the gold-rich hypermonotectic phase exhibited a tendency for the gold-rich liquid to wet the outer surface of the samples. This wetting tendency led to extensive segregation in several cases. Alloys containing 80 and 90 percent by volume of the gold-rich phase possessed completely different microstructures from the 10 percent samples when processed under low-g, containerless conditions. Several samples exhibited microstructures consisting of well dispersed 2 to 3 microns diameter rhodium-rich spheres in a gold-rich matrix

Overview of Environmental Durability Coatings and Test Capabilities

Overview of LME organizations capabilities including the Analytical and experimental capabilities of the Environmental Effects and Coatings Branch (LME), Case Studies - Past Hypersonics related work, and current capabilities relevant for future hypersonic work with multi-layer coatings concepts and unique testing capabilities

An exploration of external environmental scanning and the strategy process

This thesis is concerned with ways in which organisations scan their external environments and how this scanning is related to the process by which they make and implement strategy. The aim of this thesis is to use a qualitative approach to elaborate on existing theory relating to external environmental scanning and to consider its relationship with the strategy process. Prior academic literature bases for strategy process and for environmental scanning were reviewed and synthesised. From this an integrated conceptual framework incorporating strategy process, environmental scanning and the external environment was proposed. Seven case studies, encompassing small, medium and large businesses, were selected for empirical study using a theoretical sampling approach. Qualitative data from interviews and secondary sources were collected and in-case analyses conducted for each organisation, the final outcome of which was a causal network of factors that resulted in scanning of the environment in each organisation. A validation exercise that involved feeding back parts of the analysis to selected respondents suggested that the analysis was robust. The cross-case analysis revealed that size of organisation had a significant impact on various aspects of scanning activity, including scope, mode and formality of scanning. The impact of perceived environmental uncertainty on scanning was affected by both company size and type of uncertainty. The research uncovered six drivers of scanning activity that were present in different ways depending on the strategic approach of the organisation. Finally, with the integrated conceptual framework as a foundation, a model of environmental scanning and the strategy process was developed using empirical evidence from the seven causal networks. This research contributes an understanding of how and why environmental scanning activity relates to the strategy process in organisations. In addition, this research contributes to knowledge of environmental scanning through its qualitative, multiplecase study approach and its perspective on scanning as an organisational rather than an individual activity

CAPTURING PANORAMA IMAGES

A panorama imaging system can be used to reduce parallax errors when capturing high quality panoramas. The panorama imaging system includes a panorama guidance apparatus and an image capturing device. A user of the system attaches the panorama guidance apparatus to the image capturing device and captures a panorama image with the image capturing device while maintaining a stable position of the panorama guidance apparatus

Representable distributive quasi relation algebras

We give a definition of representability for distributive quasi relation algebras (DqRAs). These algebras are a generalisation of relation algebras and were first described by Galatos and Jipsen (2013). Our definition uses a construction that starts with a poset. The algebra is concretely constructed as the lattice of upsets of a partially ordered equivalence relation. The key to defining the three negation-like unary operations is to impose certain symmetry requirements on the partial order. Our definition of representable distributive quasi relation algebras is easily seen to be a generalisation of the definition of representable relations algebras by Jonsson and Tarski (1948). We give examples of representable DqRAs and give a necessary condition for an algebra to be finitely representable. We leave open the questions of whether every DqRA is representable, and also whether the class of representable DqRAs forms a variety. Moreover, our definition provides many other opportunities for investigations in the spirit of those carried out for representable relation algebras

A representation of odd Sugihara chains via weakening relations

We present a relational representation of odd Sugihara chains. The elements of the algebra are represented as weakening relations over a particular poset which consists of two densely embedded copies of the rationals. Our construction mimics that of Maddux (2010) where a relational representation of the even Sugihara chains is given. An order automorphism between the two copies of the rationals is the key to ensuring that the identity element of the monoid is fixed by the involution.Comment: 14 pages, 1 figur