Confusion Noise Level Due to Galactic and Extragalactic Binaries

We have revised our earlier rough estimate of the combined galactic and extragalactic binary confusion noise level curve for gravitational waves. This was done to correct some numerical errors and to allow for roughly three frequency bins worth of information about weaker sources being lost for each galactic binary signal that is removed from the data. The results are still based on the spectral amplitude estimates for different types of galactic binaries reported by Hils et al in 1990, and assume that the gravitational wave power spectral densities for other galaxies are proportional to the optical luminosities. The estimated confusion noise level drops to the LISA instrumental noise level at between roughly 3 and 8 MHz

Adapting Columbus Operations and Providing a Basis for Future Endeavours

On 15th December 2015, Timothy Peake – the 4th ESA astronaut in 20 months – headed into orbit for a 6-month stay on the ISS. The British astronaut's "Principia" mission holds many interesting tasks, not only for Tim Peake himself (he performed an EVA on 15th January 2016) but also for the teams on the ground. One of the most exciting activities was the second session of the Airway Monitoring experiment, which again included an experiment run in the US airlock under coordination of the Columbus Control Centre (Col-CC). Besides that, there were many other experiments, such as EML, PK4, DOSIS and Meteron, and also the transition to new NASA tools (e.g. WebAD) was done in this period. Since the establishment of ESA's new setup in July 2015, Col-CC has been working together with all its partners to define the new interfaces, exploit new possibilities, and define in detail the tasks for the operations teams. Besides the ongoing work to monitor and command Columbus, support the ESA experiments on the ISS, as well as supporting the ESA astronaut himself, Col-CC is looking forward towards potential future tasks and challenges. Based on many years of experience in human space flight, an initial study was launched to investigate some of the challenges of human space flight activities beyond Earth orbit. One of these challenges is the delay of communication transmissions experienced over long distances. Until now, all our human space flight operations have been based on (near) real-time communications to monitor and control the spacecraft. This paper describes the results of our study investigating the necessary changes to current operations in the case of long-distance communications. Example procedures are assessed on their reliance on real-time communications and thus how current operations would be impacted by transmission delays. Methods are proposed to make the procedures tolerant to delays, and enable operations to use these procedures for deep space missions

Mutations and amplification of oncogenes in endometrial cancer

Alterations in oncogenes are critical steps in the development of endometrial cancer. To investigate the potential clinical relevance of the amplification of the oncogenes c-erbB2, c-myc, and int-2 and the mutation of K-ras in endometrial cancer, 112 tumors were examined using PCR-based fluorescent DNA technology. Amplification of the three oncogenes and the mutation of K-ras were correlated with age, tumor size, lymph node status, metastases, stage, histological types, grade, steroid hormone receptor expression (estrogen receptor, ER; progesterone receptor, PgR), family history of cancer, previous history of cancer or precursor lesions, and previous history of hormone replacement therapy. Oncogene amplification of c-erbB2 was detected in 18.9%, of c-myc in 2.7% and of int-2 in 4.2%, and K-ras mutation in 11.6%. No significant correlations could be detected between amplification of c-erbB2 and any of the other parameters. Mutation of K-ras is associated with positive expression of PgR. This might indicate that mutation and activation of K-ras are involved in the development of hormonal independence in endometrial cancer

Electric conductivity and thermopower of quasi one-dimensional (perylene)2(AsF6)0.75(PF6)0.35•0.85CH2Cl2 crystals

The temperature dependence of the conductivity parallel and perpendicular to the stack axis as well as of the thermopower S of (pe)2(AsF6)0.75(PF6)0.35.0.BSCH2Cl2 crystals is reported

Organic metals from simple aromatic hydrocarbons: perylene radical salts

Crystal structures, temperature dependent thermopower and conductivity measurements of several metallic perylene radical salt phases are discussed

Virtual Environments. Seminar - Sommersemester 2003

Dieser Bericht stellt die Ergebnisse des Seminars Virtual Environments (VE) zusammen. Ein wichtiges Ziel von VE ist die Immersion, die Einbindung des Benutzers als aktiven Teilnehmer in eine computergenerierte Welt. Voraussetzung dafür sind Techniken zur Simulation von Lebendigen virtuellen Welten, also zur Simulation von 3D-Szenen mit realistischem Verhalten. Es geht dabei um Kollisionserkennungsalgorithmen, haptisches Rendering, Navigations- und Interaktionstechniken, programmierbare Grafik-Hardware, verteilte virtuelle Welten bis hin zur Modellierung und Simulation von virtuellen Menschen. Die virtuelle Realität hat sich inzwischen in verschiedenen Anwendungsbereichen durchgesetzt und wird auch im Rahmen des SFB 588 Humanoide Roboter - Lernende und kooperierende multimodale Roboter für die Simulation des humanoiden Roboters und die Evaluierung der Mensch-Roboter-Schnittstelle eingesetzt

Urban Climate Under Change [UC]2 – A National Research Programme for Developing a Building-Resolving Atmospheric Model for Entire City Regions

Large cities and urban regions are confronted with rising pressure by environmental pollution, impacts of climate change, as well as natural and health hazards. They are characterised by heterogeneous mosaics of urban structures, causing modifications of atmospheric processes on different temporal and spatial scales. Planning authorities need reliable, locally relevant information on urban atmospheric processes, providing fine spatial resolutions in city quarters or street canyons, as well as projections of future climates, specifically downscaled to individual cities. Therefore, building-resolving urban climate models for entire city regions are required as tool for urban development and planning, air quality control, as well as for design of actions for climate change mitigation and adaptation. To date, building-resolving atmospheric models covering entire large cities are mostly missing. The German research programme “Urban Climate Under Change” ([UC]2) aims at developing a new urban climate model, to acquire three-dimensional observational data for model testing and validation, and to test its practicability and usability in collaboration with relevant stakeholders to provide a scientifically sound and practicable instrument to address the above mentioned challenges. This article provides an outline of the collaborative activities of the [UC]2 research programme

Synthesis, structure and physical properties of a two-dimensional organic metal, di[bis(ethylenedithiolo)tetrathiofulvalene] triiodide, (BEDT-TTF)2+I3-

Electrical oxidation of bis(ethylenedithiolo)tetrathiofulvalene (BEDT-TTF) 1 in a nitrogen saturated tetrahydrofurane solution containing (n-C4H10)4N+I3 as electrolyte results in the deposition of crystal plates of (BEDT-TTF)+2I3 (C10H8S8)2I3. These two dimensional crystals are triclinic, space group P1, a = 9.211(2), b=10.850(4), c = 17.488(5) Aring, agr=96.95(2), β = 97.97(2), γ = 90.75(2)°, V = 1717 Aring3, Mr = 1150.01, Z=2, Dx =2.22 g cm-3. Rw = 0.037 for 2462 observed reflections. Sheets of alternating cations and anions occur in the compound. The most prominent intermolecular S-S contacts (∼3.5Aring) are found between the stacks of BEDT-TTF. The stacking of the molecules and the interstack contacts give the compound a two-dimensional character which influences the physical properties

Refined Partition Functions for Open Superstrings with 4, 8 and 16 Supercharges

We analyse the perturbative massive open string spectrum of even dimensional superstring compactifications with four, eight and sixteen supercharges. In each of such cases, we focus on universal states that exist independently on the internal geometry and other compatification details. We analytically compute refined partition functions that count these states at each mass level. Such refined partition functions are written in a super-Poincare covariant form, providing information on how supermultiplets transform under the little group and the R symmetry. Various asymptotic limits of the partition functions and their associated quantities, such as the leading and subleading Regge trajectories, are studied empirically and analytically. In the phenomenologically relevant case of four supercharges, the partition function can be cast into the most compact form and the asymptotic formula in the large spin limit is derived explicitly.Comment: 65 pages (with 26 pages of appendices) and 7 figure