1,999 research outputs found
Development of a carbon fibre composite active mirror: Design and testing
Carbon fibre composite technology for lightweight mirrors is gaining
increasing interest in the space- and ground-based astronomical communities for
its low weight, ease of manufacturing, excellent thermal qualities and
robustness. We present here first results of a project to design and produce a
27 cm diameter deformable carbon fibre composite mirror. The aim was to produce
a high surface form accuracy as well as low surface roughness. As part of this
programme, a passive mirror was developed to investigate stability and coating
issues. Results from the manufacturing and polishing process are reported here.
We also present results of a mechanical and thermal finite element analysis, as
well as early experimental findings of the deformable mirror. Possible
applications and future work are discussed.Comment: Accepted by Optical Engineering. Figures 1-7 on
http://www.star.ucl.ac.uk/~sk/OEpaper_files
How host larval age, and nutrition and density of the parasitoid Dinarmus basalis (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae) influence control of Acanthoscelides obtectus (Coleoptera: Bruchidae)
Choice of the targeted host developmental stage, regulation of parasitoid numbers released and introduction of food supplements are operational factors with a potential to influence the level of biological control. In a closed laboratory storage system maintained over two generations of the host, the impact of these three parameters on the control potential of the parasitoid Dinarmus basalis Rondani was investigated for high populations of larvae of Acanthoscelides obtectus (Say) feeding inside dry common bean seeds Phaseolus vulgaris. The beans were already infested with immature bruchids at the beginning of the storage period to simulate harvest conditions, characterized in a previous study. Treatments resulted in a reduction of 48-75% of the bruchid population within 16 weeks of storage. The best timing of parasitoid release was at the simulated harvest, as later releases reduced the bruchid population only by about half this percentage. Host feeding is postulated to be the key factor involved in the observed difference. The effect of increasing the number of parasitoids strongly depended on host age and food supplement. Addition of vials with honey had no direct effect on the bruchid population or on the parasitoid progeny. The ecological significance of these findings and implications for biological control are discusse
Spin transition in GdN@C, detected by low-temperature on-chip SQUID technique
We present a magnetic study of the GdN@C molecule, consisting of a
Gd-trimer via a Nitrogen atom, encapsulated in a C cage. This molecular
system can be an efficient contrast agent for Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)
applications. We used a low-temperature technique able to detect small magnetic
signals by placing the sample in the vicinity of an on-chip SQUID. The
technique implemented at NHMFL has the particularity to operate in high
magnetic fields of up to 7 T. The GdN@C shows a paramagnetic
behavior and we find a spin transition of the GdN structure at 1.2 K. We
perform quantum mechanical simulations, which indicate that one of the Gd ions
changes from a state () to a state (), likely due to a charge transfer between the C cage and the ion
Field Infestation of Phaseolus vulgaris by Acanthoscelides obtectus (Coleoptera: Bruchidae), Parasitoid Abundance, and Consequences for Storage Pest Control
Over a period of 3 yr we collected 19 samples (1 kg each) of recently harvested beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) from eight small-scale farms in Restrepo, Valle de Cauca, Colombia. Initial infestation by Acanthoscelides obtectus (Say) was low, but frequent. At harvest, 90% of the bean samples were infested by the weevil. The average level of infestation was 16 weevils per 1,000 beans, with a maximum of 55 weevils. Infested beans usually carried multiple larvae with a maximum of 13 larvae per bean. Emergence data indicate that oviposition by A. obtectus in the field is confined to a very short period before harvest. This relatively narrow time window can be exploited for proper timing of control measures. Only one species of parasitoid, Horismenus ashmeadii (Dalla Torre) (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae), was recorded, emerging from 21% of the samples. Samples with parasitoids had an average of five parasitoids per 1,000 beans, with a maximum of 12 parasitoids. This represented a parasitization level of 18%. During the 16 wk of storage, two weevil generations emerged, which caused visible damage in 0.5 and 34% of the beans (average of 14%). Although H. ashmeadii was successful in attacking the first generation of A. obtectus in the field, it failed to attack or develop under storage conditions. This indivates H. ashmeadii cannot serve as a postharvest control agen
Quantum-Gravitational Diffusion and Stochastic Fluctuations in the Velocity of Light
We argue that quantum-gravitational fluctuations in the space-time background
give the vacuum non-trivial optical properties that include diffusion and
consequent uncertainties in the arrival times of photons, causing stochastic
fluctuations in the velocity of light ``in vacuo''. Our proposal is motivated
within a Liouville string formulation of quantum gravity that also suggests a
frequency-dependent refractive index of the particle vacuum. We construct an
explicit realization by treating photon propagation through quantum excitations
of -brane fluctuations in the space-time foam. These are described by
higher-genus string effects, that lead to stochastic fluctuations in couplings,
and hence in the velocity of light. We discuss the possibilities of
constraining or measuring photon diffusion ``in vacuo'' via -ray
observations of distant astrophysical sources.Comment: 17 pages LATEX, uses axodraw style fil
The Spatial String Tension, Thermal Phase Transition, and AdS/QCD
We present results of modeling the temperature dependence of the spatial
string tension and thermal phase transition in a five-dimensional framework
nowadays known as AdS/QCD. For temperatures close to the critical one we find a
behaviour remarkably consistent with the lattice results.Comment: 8 pages, 4 figure
Evaluating the performance of ionic liquid coatings for mitigation of spacecraft surface charges
To reduce the impact of charging effects on satellites, cheap and lightweight
conductive coatings are desirable. We mimic space-like charging environments in
ultra-high vacuum (UHV) chambers during deposition of charges via the electron
beam of a scanning electron microscope (SEM). We use the charge induced
signatures in SEM images of a thin ionic liquid (IL) film on insulating
surfaces such as glass, to assess the general performance of such coatings. In
order to get a reference structure in SEM, the samples were structured by
nanosphere lithography and coated with IL. The IL film (we choose BMP DCA, due
to its beneficial physical properties) was applied ex situ and a thickness of
10 to 30 nm was determined by reflectometry. Such an IL film is stable under
vacuum conditions. It would also only lead to additional mass of below 20
mg/m. At about 5 A/m e/(sm), a typical
sample charging rate in SEM, imaging is possible with no noticeable contrast
changes over many hours; this electron current density is already 6 orders of
magnitudes higher than "worst case geosynchronous environments" of
A/m. Measurements of the surface potential are used for
further insights in the reaction of IL films to the electron beam of a SEM.
Participating mechanisms such as polarization or reorientation will are
discussed.Comment: Submitted to Proceedings of the 14th IAA Symposium on Small
Satellites for Earth System Observatio
Bulk correlation functions in 2D quantum gravity
We compute bulk 3- and 4-point tachyon correlators in the 2d Liouville
gravity with non-rational matter central charge c<1, following and comparing
two approaches. The continuous CFT approach exploits the action on the tachyons
of the ground ring generators deformed by Liouville and matter ``screening
charges''. A by-product general formula for the matter 3-point OPE structure
constants is derived. We also consider a ``diagonal'' CFT of 2D quantum
gravity, in which the degenerate fields are restricted to the diagonal of the
semi-infinite Kac table. The discrete formulation of the theory is a
generalization of the ADE string theories, in which the target space is the
semi-infinite chain of points.Comment: 14 pages, 2 figure
Gravitino Propagator in anti de Sitter space
We construct the gauge invariant part of the propagator for the massless
gravitino in AdS(d+1) by coupling it to a conserved current. We also derive the
propagator for the massive gravitino.Comment: 24 pages; LaTe
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