1,899 research outputs found
Design considerations for large space electric power systems
As power levels of spacecraft rise to the 50 to 100 kW range, it becomes apparent that low voltage (28 V) dc power distribution and management systems will not operate efficiently at these higher power levels. The concept of transforming a solar array voltage at 150 V dc into a 1000 V ac distribution system operating at 20 kHz is examined. The transformation is accomplished with series-resonant inverter by using a rotary transformer to isolate the solar array from the spacecraft. The power can then be distributed in any desired method such as three phase delta to delta. The distribution voltage can be easily transformed to any desired load voltage and operating frequency. The reasons for the voltage limitations on the solar array due to plasma interactions and the many advantages of a high voltage, high frequency at distribution system are discussed
Network synchronization of groups
In this paper we study synchronized motions in complex networks in which
there are distinct groups of nodes where the dynamical systems on each node
within a group are the same but are different for nodes in different groups.
Both continuous time and discrete time systems are considered. We initially
focus on the case where two groups are present and the network has bipartite
topology (i.e., links exist between nodes in different groups but not between
nodes in the same group). We also show that group synchronous motions are
compatible with more general network topologies, where there are also
connections within the groups
Enhancing the activity of oxygen-evolution and chlorine-evolution electrocatalysts by atomic layer deposition of TiOâ
We report that TiOâ coatings formed via atomic layer deposition (ALD) may tune the activity of IrOâ, RuOâ, and FTO for the oxygen-evolution and chlorine-evolution reactions (OER and CER). Electrocatalysts exposed to âŒ3â30 ALD cycles of TiOâ exhibited overpotentials at 10 mA cmâ»ÂČ of geometric current density that were several hundred millivolts lower than uncoated catalysts, with correspondingly higher specific activities. For example, the deposition of TiOâ onto IrOâ yielded a 9-fold increase in the OER-specific activity in 1.0 M HâSOâ (0.1 to 0.9 mA cm_(ECSA)â»ÂČ at 350 mV overpotential). The oxidation state of titanium and the potential of zero charge were also a function of the number of ALD cycles, indicating a correlation between oxidation state, potential of zero charge, and activity of the tuned electrocatalysts
Previous Experiences with Epilepsy and Effectiveness of Information to Change Public Perception of Epilepsy
Differences with regard to the effectiveness of health information and attitude change are suggested between people with direct, behavioral experiences with a health topic and people with indirect, nonbehavioral experiences. The effects of three different methods of health education about epilepsy, frequently used in health education practice, are assessed in a pretest posttest design with control groups, controlling for experiences with epilepsy. Subjects were 132 students from teacher-training colleges. After all treatments, attitudes, and knowledge about epilepsy were changed in a positive way. Treatments were found to be equally effective. Before treatment, direct behavioral experiences were related to knowledge and a more positive attitude towards epilepsy. After treatment, subjects with direct behavioral experiences with epilepsy showed less change of attitude and knowledge as compared with subjects with indirect experiences. Direct experiences appear to restrain the processing of new information and attitude change
SimProp: a Simulation Code for Ultra High Energy Cosmic Ray Propagation
A new Monte Carlo simulation code for the propagation of Ultra High Energy
Cosmic Rays is presented. The results of this simulation scheme are tested by
comparison with results of another Monte Carlo computation as well as with the
results obtained by directly solving the kinetic equation for the propagation
of Ultra High Energy Cosmic Rays. A short comparison with the latest flux
published by the Pierre Auger collaboration is also presented.Comment: 19 pages, 12 eps figures, version accepted for publication in JCA
Unusual Flaring Activity in the Blazar PKS 1424-418 during 2008-2011
Context. Blazars are a subset of active galactic nuclei (AGN) with jets that
are oriented along our line of sight. Variability and spectral energy
distribution (SED) studies are crucial tools for understanding the physical
processes responsible for observed AGN emission.
Aims. We report peculiar behaviour in the bright gamma-ray blazar PKS
1424-418 and use its strong variability to reveal information about the
particle acceleration and interactions in the jet. Methods. Correlation
analysis of the extensive optical coverage by the ATOM telescope and nearly
continuous gamma-ray coverage by the Fermi Large Area Telescope is combined
with broadband, time-dependent modeling of the SED incorporating supplemental
information from radio and X-ray observations of this blazar.
Results. We analyse in detail four bright phases at optical-GeV energies.
These flares of PKS 1424-418 show high correlation between these energy ranges,
with the exception of one large optical flare that coincides with relatively
low gamma-ray activity. Although the optical/gamma-ray behaviour of PKS
1424-418 shows variety, the multiwavelength modeling indicates that these
differences can largely be explained by changes in the flux and energy spectrum
of the electrons in the jet that are radiating. We find that for all flares the
SED is adequately represented by a leptonic model that includes inverse Compton
emission from external radiation fields with similar parameters.
Conclusions. Detailed studies of individual blazars like PKS 1424-418 during
periods of enhanced activity in different wavebands are helping us identify
underlying patterns in the physical parameters in this class of AGN.Comment: accepted for publication in A&
A new derivation of the Hubble constant from -ray attenuation using improved optical depths for the Fermi and CTA era
We present -ray optical-depth calculations from a recently published
extragalactic background light (EBL) model built from multiwavelength galaxy
data from the Hubble Space Telescope Cosmic Assembly Near-Infrared Deep
Extragalactic Legacy Survey (HST/CANDELS). CANDELS gathers one of the deepest
and most complete observations of stellar and dust emissions in galaxies. This
model resulted in a robust derivation of the evolving EBL spectral energy
distribution up to , including the far-infrared peak. Therefore, the
optical depths derived from this model will be useful for determining the
attenuation of -ray photons coming from high-redshift sources, such as
those detected by the Large Area Telescope on board the Fermi Gamma-ray Space
Telescope, and for multi-TeV photons that will be detected from nearby sources
by the future Cherenkov Telescope Array. From these newly calculated optical
depths, we derive the cosmic -ray horizon and also measure the
expansion rate and matter content of the Universe including an assessment of
the impact of the EBL uncertainties. We find km
s Mpc when fixing , and
km s Mpc and , when
exploring these two parameters simultaneously.Comment: 11 pages, 8 figures, 1 tables; Accepted by MNRA
Poly(alkyl methacrylate) tooth coatings for dental care: evaluation of the demineralisation-protection benefit using a time-resolved in vitro method
An in vitro method for the time-resolved quantification of acid-mediated tooth demineralisation has been developed and evaluated against putative non-permanent protective formulations based on a series of poly(alkyl methacrylate)s. Using a thermostatted carousel, dentally relevant substrates consisting of hydroxyapatite discs or sections of bovine teeth have been exposed to aqueous citric acid under controlled conditions, before and after being treated with the polymeric coatings. The dissolution of phosphate was monitored by the determination of 31P by Inductively Coupled PlasmaâMass Spectrometry and by the spectrophotometric phosphovanadomolybdate method. Dose-response plots constructed for both groups of treated substrates have revealed that the coatings significantly reduce erosion rates but are less effective at inhibiting tooth demineralisation than the standard fluoride treatment. The approach has enabled an evaluation of the erosion-protection efficiency of each coating
Signatures of photon and axion-like particle mixing in the gamma-ray burst jet
Photons couple to Axion-Like Particles (ALPs) or more generally to any pseudo
Nambu-Goldstone boson in the presence of an external electromagnetic field.
Mixing between photons and ALPs in the strong magnetic field of a Gamma-Ray
Burst (GRB) jet during the prompt emission phase can leave observable imprints
on the gamma-ray polarization and spectrum. Mixing in the intergalactic medium
is not expected to modify these signatures for ALP mass > 10^(-14) eV and/or
for < nG magnetic field. We show that the depletion of photons due to
conversion to ALPs changes the linear degree of polarization from the values
predicted by the synchrotron model of gamma ray emission. We also show that
when the magnetic field orientation in the propagation region is perpendicular
to the field orientation in the production region, the observed synchrotron
spectrum becomes steeper than the theoretical prediction and as detected in a
sizable fraction of GRB sample. Detection of the correlated polarization and
spectral signatures from these steep-spectrum GRBs by gamma-ray polarimeters
can be a very powerful probe to discover ALPs. Measurement of gamma-ray
polarization from GRBs in general, with high statistics, can also be useful to
search for ALPs.Comment: 17 pages, 3 figures. Accepted for publication in JCAP with minor
change
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