Space Shuttle Lightning Protection

The technology for lightning protection of even the most advanced spacecraft is available and can be applied through cost-effective hardware designs and design-verification techniques. In this paper, the evolution of the Space Shuttle Lightning Protection Program is discussed, including the general types of protection, testing, and anlayses being performed to assess the lightning-transient-damage susceptibility of solid-state electronics

Automated method for study of drug metabolism

Commercially available equipment can be modified to provide automated system for assaying drug metabolism by continuous flow-through. System includes steps and devices for mixing drug with enzyme and cofactor in the presence of pure oxygen, dialyzing resulting metabolite against buffer, and determining amount of metabolite by colorimetric method

Data retrieval system provides unlimited hardware design information

Data is input to magnetic tape on a single format card that specifies the system, location, and component, the test point identification number, the operators initial, the date, a data code, and the data itself. This method is efficient for large volume data storage and retrieval, and permits output variations without continuous program modifications

Chrysler improved numerical differencing analyzer for third generation computers CINDA-3G

New and versatile method has been developed to supplement or replace use of original CINDA thermal analyzer program in order to take advantage of improved systems software and machine speeds of third generation computers. CINDA-3G program options offer variety of methods for solution of thermal analog models presented in network format

Relativistic magnetohydrodynamics in one dimension

We derive a number of solution for one-dimensional dynamics of relativistic magnetized plasma that can be used as benchmark estimates in relativistic hydrodynamic and magnetohydrodynamic numerical codes. First, we analyze the properties of simple waves of fast modes propagating orthogonally to the magnetic field in relativistically hot plasma. The magnetic and kinetic pressures obey different equations of state, so that the system behaves as a mixture of gases with different polytropic indices. We find the self-similar solutions for the expansion of hot strongly magnetized plasma into vacuum. Second, we derive linear hodograph and Darboux equations for the relativistic Khalatnikov potential, which describe arbitrary one-dimensional isentropic relativistic motion of cold magnetized plasma and find their general and particular solutions. The obtained hodograph and Darboux equations are very powerful: system of highly non-linear, relativistic, time dependent equations describing arbitrary (not necessarily self-similar) dynamics of highly magnetized plasma reduces to a single linear differential equation.Comment: accepted by Phys. Rev.

The energy partitioning of non-thermal particles in a plasma: or the Coulomb logarithm revisited

The charged particle stopping power in a highly ionized and weakly to moderately coupled plasma has been calculated to leading and next-to-leading order by Brown, Preston, and Singleton (BPS). After reviewing the main ideas behind this calculation, we use a Fokker-Planck equation derived by BPS to compute the electron-ion energy partitioning of a charged particle traversing a plasma. The motivation for this application is ignition for inertial confinement fusion -- more energy delivered to the ions means a better chance of ignition, and conversely. It is therefore important to calculate the fractional energy loss to electrons and ions as accurately as possible, as this could have implications for the Laser Megajoule (LMJ) facility in France and the National Ignition Facility (NIF) in the United States. The traditional method by which one calculates the electron-ion energy splitting of a charged particle traversing a plasma involves integrating the stopping power dE/dx. However, as the charged particle slows down and becomes thermalized into the background plasma, this method of calculating the electron-ion energy splitting breaks down. As a result, the method suffers a systematic error of order T/E0, where T is the plasma temperature and E0 is the initial energy of the charged particle. In the case of DT fusion, for example, this can lead to uncertainties as high as 10% or so. The formalism presented here is designed to account for the thermalization process, and in contrast, it provides results that are near-exact.Comment: 10 pages, 3 figures, invited talk at the 35th European Physical Society meeting on plasma physic

Airship economics

Projected operating and manufacturing costs of a large airship design which are considered practical with today's technology and environment are discussed. Data and information developed during an 18-month study on the question of feasibility, engineering, economics and production problems related to a large metalclad type airship are considered. An overview of other classic airship designs are provided, and why metalclad was selected as the most prudent and most economic design to be considered in the 1970-80 era is explained. Crew operation, ATC and enroute requirements are covered along with the question of handling, maintenance and application of systems to the large airship

An assessment of J/Psi formation in the light of initial RHIC data

Predictions of J/Psi formation at RHIC via "off-diagonal" combinations of charm and anticharm quarks in a region of color deconfinement are confronted with initial data from the PHENIX collaboration. We find that the measured centrality behavior places significant constraints on the various parameters which control model calculations of J/Psi formation. Within present statistical and systematic uncertainties, one can map out a region of parameter space within which the contribution of formation in a deconfined phase is allowed. As these uncertainties decrease and new data from d-Au interactions becomes available, it is expected that definitive tests for the presence of this formation mechanism will be possible. We anticipate that the rapidity and transverse momentum spectra will prove decisive for a final determination.Comment: 6 pages, 5 figures, presented at SQM2003, March 12-17, 2003. To be published in J. Phys.