19,855 research outputs found

    An example of active circulation control of the unsteady separated flow past a semi-infinite plate

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    Active circulation control of the two-dimensional unsteady separated flow past a semiinfinite plate with transverse motion is considered. The rolling-up of the separated shear layer is modelled by a point vortex whose time-dependent circulation is predicted by an unsteady Kutta condition. A suitable vortex shedding mechanism introduced. A control strategy able to maintain constant circulation when a vortex is present is derived. An exact solution for the nonlinear controller is then obtained. Dynamical systems analysis is used to explore the performance of the controlled system. The control strategy is applied to a class of flows and the results are discussed. A procedure to determine the position and the circulation of the vortex, knowing the velocity signature on the plate, is derived. Finally, a physical explanation of the control mechanism is presented

    Brands in international and multi‐platform expansion strategies: economic and management issues

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    Powerful media branding has historically facilitated successful international expansion on the part of magazine and other content forms including film and TV formats. Multi-platform expansion is now increasingly central to the strategies of media companies and, as this chapter argues, effective use of branding in order to engage audiences effectively and to secure a prominent presence across digital platforms forms a core part of this. Drawing on original research into the experience of UK media companies, this chapter highlights some of the key economic, management and socio-cultural issues raised by the ever-increasing role of brands and branding in the strategies of international and multi-platform expansion that are increasingly common- place across media

    A Prototype for the PASS Permanent All Sky Survey

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    A prototype system for the Permanent All Sky Survey (PASS) project is presented. PASS is a continuous photometric survey of the entire celestial sphere with a high temporal resolution. Its major objectives are the detection of all giant-planet transits (with periods up to some weeks) across stars up to mag 10.5, and to deliver continuously photometry that is useful for the study of any variable stars. The prototype is based on CCD cameras with short focal length optics on a fixed mount. A small dome to house it at Teide Observatory, Tenerife, is currently being constructed. A placement at the antarctic Dome C is also being considered. The prototype will be used for a feasibility study of PASS, to define the best observing strategies, and to perform a detailed characterization of the capabilities and scope of the survey. Afterwards, a first partial sky surveying will be started with it. That first survey may be able to detect transiting planets during its first few hundred hours of operation. It will also deliver a data set around which software modules dealing with the various scientific objectives of PASS will be developed. The PASS project is still in its early phase and teams interested in specific scientific objectives, in providing technical expertise, or in participating with own observations are invited to collaborate.Comment: Accepted for Astronomische Nachrichten (special issue for 3rd Potsdam Thinkshop 'Robotic Astronomy' in July 2004). 4 pages, 4 fig

    Intensity enhancement of O VI ultraviolet emission lines in solar spectra due to opacity

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    Opacity is a property of many plasmas, and it is normally expected that if an emission line in a plasma becomes optically thick, its intensity ratio to that of another transition that remains optically thin should decrease. However, radiative transfer calculations undertaken both by ourselves and others predict that under certain conditions the intensity ratio of an optically thick to thin line can show an increase over the optically thin value, indicating an enhancement in the former. These conditions include the geometry of the emitting plasma and its orientation to the observer. A similar effect can take place between lines of differing optical depth. Previous observational studies have focused on stellar point sources, and here we investigate the spatially-resolved solar atmosphere using measurements of the I(1032 A)/I(1038 A) intensity ratio of O VI in several regions obtained with the Solar Ultraviolet Measurements of Emitted Radiation (SUMER) instrument on board the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SoHO) satellite. We find several I(1032 A)/I(1038 A) ratios observed on the disk to be significantly larger than the optically thin value of 2.0, providing the first detection (to our knowledge) of intensity enhancement in the ratio arising from opacity effects in the solar atmosphere. Agreement between observation and theory is excellent, and confirms that the O VI emission originates from a slab-like geometry in the solar atmosphere, rather than from cylindrical structures.Comment: 17 pages, 4 figures, ApJ Letters, in pres

    First principles theory of chiral dichroism in electron microscopy applied to 3d ferromagnets

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    Recently it was demonstrated (Schattschneider et al., Nature 441 (2006), 486), that an analogue of the X-ray magnetic circular dichroism (XMCD) experiment can be performed with the transmission electron microscope (TEM). The new phenomenon has been named energy-loss magnetic chiral dichroism (EMCD). In this work we present a detailed ab initio study of the chiral dichroism in the Fe, Co and Ni transition elements. We discuss the methods used for the simulations together with the validity and accuracy of the treatment, which can, in principle, apply to any given crystalline specimen. The dependence of the dichroic signal on the sample thickness, accuracy of the detector position and the size of convergence and collection angles is calculated.Comment: 9 pages, 6 figures, submitted to Physical Review

    Giant Quantum Reflection of Neon Atoms from a Ridged Silicon Surface

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    The specular reflectivity of slow, metastable neon atoms from a silicon surface was found to increase markedly when the flat surface was replaced by a grating structure with parallel narrow ridges. For a surface with ridges that have a sufficiently narrow top, the reflectivity was found to increase more than two orders of magnitude at the incident angle of 10 mRad from the surface. The slope of the reflectivity vs the incident angle near zero was found to be nearly an order of magnitude smaller than that of a flat surface. A grating with 6.5% efficiency for the first-order diffraction was fabricated by using the ridged surface structure.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figures. To be published in J. Phys. Soc. Jp

    The Effects of Olympic Weightlifting Derivatives on Muay Thai Roundhouse Kicking Performance

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    The purpose of this study was to identify performance measures in roundhouse striking, by the implementation of Olympic Weightlifting Derivatives (OWLD) with Muay Thai fighters. Forty male subjects were recruited, with twenty male subjects placed in the experimental group (EG)and twenty male subjects in the control group (CG) and were randomly assigned to their groups. Mean 26 years 3 (± 3.2), weight and height 82.4 kg (± 12.2), and 180.7cm (± 3). Pre- and post-intervention and control group testing included roundhouse strike impact power, measured using the PowerKubeTM, a dynamometer that identifies the impact power used to produce striking potential. Countermovement jumps were recorded using a single PASCO force platform one axis PS2141. The EG subjects were prescribed an eight-week training programme that was carried out prior to their sparring with twenty minutes rest to recover. The control group were instructed to carry out traditional training that involved the same volume of sparring, cardiovascular fitness, and circuit training as the EG. Within-group post test results showed the EG and CG group demonstrated significantly different results in RHK performance (p ≤ 0.01); however, no significant differences were observed between groups. Results in the countermovement jump were, however, highly significant (p ≤ 0.01) in the EG (within group), but not significant in the CG (p ≥ 0.05); again, no significant differences were observed between groups. Meaningful differences were seen in the EG with a 7.41% increase in roundhouse kicking performance and 7.54% in countermovement jump height, compared to the CG that elicited negligible differences of only 1.56% in the roundhouse kicking performance and 0.33% in countermovement jumper, demonstrating OWLD would improve the performance of the Muay Thai fighter

    NIKEL: Electronics and data acquisition for kilopixels kinetic inductance camera

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    A prototype of digital frequency multiplexing electronics allowing the real time monitoring of microwave kinetic inductance detector (MKIDs) arrays for mm-wave astronomy has been developed. Thanks to the frequency multiplexing, it can monitor simultaneously 400 pixels over a 500 MHz bandwidth and requires only two coaxial cables for instrumenting such a large array. The chosen solution and the performances achieved are presented in this paper.Comment: 21 pages, 14 figure

    Development of Lumped Element Kinetic Inductance Detectors for NIKA

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    Lumped-element kinetic inductance detectors(LEKIDs) have recently shown considerable promise as direct absorption mm-wavelength detectors for astronomical applications. One major research thrust within the N\'eel Iram Kids Array (NIKA) collaboration has been to investigate the suitability of these detectors for deployment at the 30-meter IRAM telescope located on Pico Veleta in Spain. Compared to microwave kinetic inductance detectors (MKID), using quarter wavelength resonators, the resonant circuit of a LEKID consists of a discrete inductance and capacitance coupled to a feedline. A high and constant current density distribution in the inductive part of these resonators makes them very sensitive. Due to only one metal layer on a silicon substrate, the fabrication is relatively easy. In order to optimize the LEKIDs for this application, we have recently probed a wide variety of individual resonator and array parameters through simulation and physical testing. This included determining the optimal feed-line coupling, pixel geometry, resonator distribution within an array (in order to minimize pixel cross-talk), and resonator frequency spacing. Based on these results, a 144-pixel Aluminum array was fabricated and tested in a dilution fridge with optical access, yielding an average optical NEP of ~2E-16 W/Hz^1/2 (best pixels showed NEP = 6E-17 W/Hz^1/2 under 4-8 pW loading per pixel). In October 2010 the second prototype of LEKIDs has been tested at the IRAM 30 m telescope. A new LEKID geometry for 2 polarizations will be presented. Also first optical measurements of a titanium nitride array will be discussed.Comment: 5 pages, 12 figures; ISSTT 2011 Worksho
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