Orbital-Hub DLR Vision 2025

In line with the space strategy of the German Government, ISS follow-on activities should comprise clear scientific objectives and key technological competences (e.g. robotic, internal and external structures, module/facility and experiment operations, interface systems (ATV)). In this way, DLR started to investigate future options by evaluating various LEO infrastructure concepts including opportunities for national realisation or international cooperation. A corresponding list of options can be found below. DLR scientists from various disciplines were asked to assess the usability of these options and design payloads based on their Mir and ISS experience and with respect to future scientific fundamental and technological research questions

Disentangling irregular cycles in economic time series

Cycles play an important role when analyzing market phenomena. In many markets, both overlaying (weekly, seasonal or business cycles) and time-varying cycles (e.g. asymmetric lengths of peak and off peak or variation of business cycle length) exist simultaneously. Identification of these market cycles is crucial and no standard detection procedure exists to disentangle them. We introduce and investigate an adaptation of an endogenous structural break test for detecting at the same time simultaneously overlaying as well as time-varying cycles. This is useful for growth or business cycle analysis as well as for analysis of complex strategic behavior and short-term dynamics

Real Time Airborne Monitoring for Disaster and Traffic Applications

Remote sensing applications like disaster or mass event monitoring need the acquired data and extracted information within a very short time span. Airborne sensors can acquire the data quickly and on-board processing combined with data downlink is the fastest possibility to achieve this requirement. For this purpose, a new low-cost airborne frame camera system has been developed at the German Aerospace Center (DLR) named 3K-camera. The pixel size and swath width range between 15 cm to 50 cm and 2.5 km to 8 km respectively. Within two minutes an area of approximately 10 km x 8 km can be monitored. Image data are processed onboard on five computers using data from a real time GPS/IMU system including direct georeferencing. Due to high frequency image acquisition (3 images/second) the monitoring of moving objects like vehicles and people is performed allowing wide area detailed traffic monitoring

Analyse abgestimmten Verhaltens in Tankstellenmärkten - Auswirkungen höherer Markttransparenz auf den Wettbewerb

Die Bundesregierung hat am 8. November 2012 die Einführung einer Markttransparenzstelle für Kraftstoffe beschlossen. Diese wurde im Herbst/Winter des Jahres 2013 vom Bundeskartellamt eingerichtet. Zahlreiche Beschwerden über nicht nachvollziehbare Preissetzungen und Oligopolmacht der großen Kraftstoffvertriebsunternehmen auf dem eng verflochtenen Kraftstoffvertriebsmarkt inklusive der Raffinerieebene hatten zur Einrichtung der Markttransparenzstelle geführt. Sie stellt den Autofahrern über Verbraucherinformationsdienste per Internet, Smartphone oder Navigationsgeräte im Minutentakt die aktuellen Kraftstoffpreise zur Verfügung. Das soll letztlich über mehr Transparenz zu niedrigeren Preisen an den Tankstellen führen. Dass dies nicht vollständig gelingt, zeigen die Ergebnisse der vorliegenden Studie

Enhanced temporal resolution in femtosecond dynamic-grating experiments

Recording of gratings by interference of two pump pulses and diffraction of a third probe pulse is useful for investigating ultrafast material phenomena. We demonstrate, in theory and experiment, that the temporal resolution in such configurations does not degrade appreciably even for large angular separation between the pump pulses. Transient Kerr gratings are generated inside calcium fluoride (CaF2) crystals by two interfering femtosecond (pump) pulses at 388 nm and read out by a Bragg-matched probe pulse at 776 nm. The solution to the relevant coupled-mode equations is well corroborated by the experimental results, yielding a value of the Kerr coefficient of ~ 4.4×10^(–7) cm^2/GW for CaF2

Sharing is not caring : backward integration of consumers

A new type of player occurs in the sharing economy: a vertically integrated consumer who owns production facilities and has direct market access, often termed “active prosumer”. The prosumer faces a trade-off between market transaction cost and substantial strategic potential to influence both market demand and supply by her decisions. We discuss optimal marketing and production decisions in light of this trade-off. An empirical application to the German-Austrian electricity market demonstrates substantial incentives for active market participation by recently added decentralized renewables production. Prosumers can achieve considerable profit increases by switching roles of net market supplier or customer

Inverse design in nuclear quantum optics: From artificial x-ray multi-level schemes to spectral observables

Ensembles of M\"ossbauer nuclei embedded in thin-film cavities form a promising platform for x-ray quantum optics. A key feature is that the joint nuclei-cavity system can be considered as an artificial x-ray multi-level scheme in the low-excitation regime. Using the cavity environment, the structure and parameters of such level schemes can be tailored beyond those offered by the bare nuclei. However, so far, the direct determination of a cavity structure providing a desired quantum optical functionality has remained an open challenge. Here, we address this challenge using an inverse design methodology. As a first qualitative result, we show that the established fitting approach based on scattering observables in general is not unique, since the analysis may lead to different multi-level systems for the same cavity if based on observables in different scattering channels. Motivated by this, we distinguish between scattering signatures and the microscopic level scheme as separate design objectives, with the latter being uniquely determined by an \textit{ab initio} approach. We find that both design objectives are of practical relevance and that they complement each other regarding potential applications. We demonstrate the inverse design for both objectives using example tasks, such as realising electromagnetically induced transparency. Our results pave the way for new applications in nuclear quantum optics involving more complex x-ray cavity designs.Comment: 27 pages, 18 figure

Interventional closure of RPA-to-LA communication in an oligosymptomatic neonate

Direct communication between the right pulmonary artery (RPA) and the left atrium (LA) is a very rare cardiac malformation. Clinical presentation of RPA-to-LA communication depends on the size of the communication, the amount of right-to-left shunt, the patient’s age, and pulmonary vascular resistance. Patients with small communications usually present oligosymptomatic and are diagnosed at an older age. A delay of diagnosis bears the risk of severe complications and needs to be prevented by proper work-up of oligosymptomatic neonates. Treatment of RPA-to-LA communications used to be performed by surgical closure, and the interventional approach has only been established as a less invasive alternative in recent years. Conclusion: Although patients with small RPA-to-LA communications usually present oligosymptomatic, early diagnosis and treatment is essential to prevent life-threatening complications