12,311 research outputs found
Two surveys of the needs of engineering schools in the field of biomechanical and human factors engineering education
Surveys of engineering school needs in field of biomechanical and human factors engineering educatio
Transient upsets in microprocessor controllers
The modeling and analysis of transient faults in microprocessor based controllers are discussed. Such controllers typically consist of a microprocessor, read only memory storing and application program, random access memory for data storage, and input/output devices for external communications. The effects of transient faults on the performance of the controller are reviewed. An instruction level perspective of performance is taken which is the basis of a useful high level program state description of the microprocessor controller. A transition matrix is defined which determines the controller's response to transient fault arrivals
Feasibility Study of a Satellite Solar Power Station
A feasibility study of a satellite solar power station (SSPS) was conducted to: (1) explore how an SSPS could be flown and controlled in orbit; (2) determine the techniques needed to avoid radio frequency interference (RFI); and (3) determine the key environmental, technological, and economic issues involved. Structural and dynamic analyses of the SSPS structure were performed, and deflections and internal member loads were determined. Desirable material characteristics were assessed and technology developments identified. Flight control performance of the SSPS baseline design was evaluated and parametric sizing studies were performed. The study of RFI avoidance techniques covered (1) optimization of the microwave transmission system; (2) device design and expected RFI; and (3) SSPS RFI effects. The identification of key issues involved (1) microwave generation, transmissions, and rectification and solar energy conversion; (2) environmental-ecological impact and biological effects; and (3) economic issues, i.e., costs and benefits associated with the SSPS. The feasibility of the SSPS based on the parameters of the study was established
Geodesics for Efficient Creation and Propagation of Order along Ising Spin Chains
Experiments in coherent nuclear and electron magnetic resonance, and optical
spectroscopy correspond to control of quantum mechanical ensembles, guiding
them from initial to final target states by unitary transformations. The
control inputs (pulse sequences) that accomplish these unitary transformations
should take as little time as possible so as to minimize the effects of
relaxation and decoherence and to optimize the sensitivity of the experiments.
Here we give efficient syntheses of various unitary transformations on Ising
spin chains of arbitrary length. The efficient realization of the unitary
transformations presented here is obtained by computing geodesics on a sphere
under a special metric. We show that contrary to the conventional belief, it is
possible to propagate a spin order along an Ising spin chain with coupling
strength J (in units of Hz), significantly faster than 1/(2J) per step. The
methods presented here are expected to be useful for immediate and future
applications involving control of spin dynamics in coherent spectroscopy and
quantum information processing
Vibration analysis of clustered launch vehicles
Vibration analysis of clustered launch vehicle
Assessment of economic factors affecting the satellite power system. Volume 2: The systems implications of rectenna siting issues
The feasibility was evaluated of finding potential sites for Solar Power Satellite (SPS) receiving antennas (rectennas) in the continental United States, in sufficient numbers to permit the SPS to make a major contribution to U.S. generating facilities, and to give statistical validity to an assessment of the characteristics of such sites and their implications for the design of the SPS system. It is found that the cost-optimum power output of the SPS does not depend on the particular value assigned to the cost per unit area of a rectenna and its site, as long as it is independent of rectenna area. Many characteristics of the sites chosen affect the optimum design of the rectenna itself
Elastic Behavior of a Two-dimensional Crystal near Melting
Using positional data from video-microscopy we determine the elastic moduli
of two-dimensional colloidal crystals as a function of temperature. The moduli
are extracted from the wave-vector-dependent normal mode spring constants in
the limit and are compared to the renormalized Young's modulus of the
KTHNY theory. An essential element of this theory is the universal prediction
that Young's modulus must approach at the melting temperature. This is
indeed observed in our experiment.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figure
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