The effective Hamiltonian in curved quantum waveguides under mild regularity assumptions

The Dirichlet Laplacian in a curved three-dimensional tube built along a spatial (bounded or unbounded) curve is investigated in the limit when the uniform cross-section of the tube diminishes. Both deformations due to bending and twisting of the tube are considered. We show that the Laplacian converges in a norm-resolvent sense to the well known one-dimensional Schroedinger operator whose potential is expressed in terms of the curvature of the reference curve, the twisting angle and a constant measuring the asymmetry of the cross-section. Contrary to previous results, we allow the reference curves to have non-continuous and possibly vanishing curvature. For such curves, the distinguished Frenet frame standardly used to define the tube need not exist and, moreover, the known approaches to prove the result for unbounded tubes do not work. Our main ideas how to establish the norm-resolvent convergence under the minimal regularity assumptions are to use an alternative frame defined by a parallel transport along the curve and a refined smoothing of the curvature via the Steklov approximation.Comment: 29 pages, 6 figure

An expert system based software sizing tool, phase 2

A software tool was developed for predicting the size of a future computer program at an early stage in its development. The system is intended to enable a user who is not expert in Software Engineering to estimate software size in lines of source code with an accuracy similar to that of an expert, based on the program's functional specifications. The project was planned as a knowledge based system with a field prototype as the goal of Phase 2 and a commercial system planned for Phase 3. The researchers used techniques from Artificial Intelligence and knowledge from human experts and existing software from NASA's COSMIC database. They devised a classification scheme for the software specifications, and a small set of generic software components that represent complexity and apply to large classes of programs. The specifications are converted to generic components by a set of rules and the generic components are input to a nonlinear sizing function which makes the final prediction. The system developed for this project predicted code sizes from the database with a bias factor of 1.06 and a fluctuation factor of 1.77, an accuracy similar to that of human experts but without their significant optimistic bias

Comparative Analysis of the Major Polypeptides from Liver Gap Junctions and Lens Fiber Junctions

Gap junctions from rat liver and fiber junctions from bovine lens have similar septilaminar profiles when examined by thin-section electron microscopy and differ only slightly with respect to the packing of intramembrane particles in freeze-fracture images. These similarities have often led to lens fiber junctions being referred to as gap junctions. Junctions from both sources were isolated as enriched subcellular fractions and their major polypeptide components compared biochemically and immunochemically. The major liver gap junction polypeptide has an apparent molecular weight of 27,000, while a 25,000-dalton polypeptide is the major component of lens fiber junctions. The two polypeptides are not homologous when compared by partial peptide mapping in SDS. In addition, there is not detectable antigenic similarity between the two polypeptides by immunochemical criteria using antibodies to the 25,000-dalton lens fiber junction polypeptide. Thus, in spite of the ultrastructural similarities, the gap junction and the lens fiber junction are comprised of distinctly different polypeptides, suggesting that the lens fiber junction contains a unique gene product and potentially different physiological properties

Using Numerical Simulations to Explore Top-Mounted Propulsion on a Conceptual Commercial Supersonic Transport Aircraft

Reynolds Averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) simulations were performed on an N+2 conceptual commercial supersonic transport aircraft to explore the possibility of relocating the engines from below the wings to above the wings in order to capitalize upon potential noise shielding benefits. The simulations focused on the feasibility of the top-mounted propulsion configuration in terms of inlet performance and flow separation around the nacelles at climbout conditions for both 0deg and 8deg angle of attack. The results showed overall good inlet performance and little separation around the nacelles. The results were comparable to the engines in their original underwing configuration

Using Numerical Simulations to Explore Top-Mounted Propulsion on a Conceptual Commercial Supersonic Transport Aircraft

Reynolds Averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) simulations were performed on an N+2 conceptual commercial supersonic transport aircraft to explore the possibility of relocating the engines from below the wings to above the wings in order to capitalize upon potential noise shielding benefits. The simulations focused on the feasibility of the top-mounted propulsion configuration in terms of inlet performance and flow separation around the nacelles at take-off conditions for both 0deg and 8deg angle of attack. The results showed overall good inlet performance and little separation around the nacelles. The results were comparable to the engines in their original underwing configuration

Impact of hatchery releases on the recreational fishery for Pacific threadfin (Polydactylus sexfilis) in Hawaii

The Pacific threadfin (Polydactylus sexfilis) is considered one of the premier Hawaiian food fishes but even with catch limits, seasonal closures, and size limits, catches have declined dramatically since the 1960s. It was identified as the top candidate species for stock enhancement in Hawaii, based on the decline in stocks, high market value, and importance of the fishery. In the stock enhancement program for Pacific threadfin, over 430,000 fingerlings of various sizes were implanted with coded wire tags and released in nursery habitats along the windward coast of Oahu between 1993 and 1998. Because few Pacific threadfin were present in creel surveys conducted between 1994 and 1998, Oahu fishermen were offered a $10 reward for each threadfin that was caught (for both hatchery-reared and wild fish). A total of 1882 Pacific threadfin were recovered from the reward program between March 1998 and May 1999, including 163 hatchery-reared fish, an overall contribution of 8.7% to the fishery. Hatchery-reared fish accounted for as high as 71% of returns in the release areas. Hatchery-reared fish were recovered on average 11.5 km (SD=9.8 km) from the release site, although some had moved as far away as 42 km. Average age for recovered hatchery-reared fish was 495 days; the oldest was 1021 days. Cultured Pacific threadfin juveniles survived and recruited successfully to the recreational fishery, accounting for 10% of fishermen’s catches on the windward side of Oahu. Recruitment to the fishery was highest for the 1997 release year; few juveniles from earlier releases were observed. Presence of a few large, fully developed females in the recreational fishery suggested that hatchery-reared fish can survive, grow, and reproductively contribute to the population. Implementation of an enhancement program that is focused on juveniles and perhaps large females, as part of an integrated fishery management strategy, could speed the recovery of this fish population

Computational Fluid Dynamics Modeling of a Supersonic Nozzle and Integration into a Variable Cycle Engine Model

This paper covers the development of an integrated nonlinear dynamic simulation for a variable cycle turbofan engine and nozzle that can be integrated with an overall vehicle Aero-Propulso-Servo-Elastic (APSE) model. A previously developed variable cycle turbofan engine model is used for this study and is enhanced here to include variable guide vanes allowing for operation across the supersonic flight regime. The primary focus of this study is to improve the fidelity of the model's thrust response by replacing the simple choked flow equation convergent-divergent nozzle model with a MacCormack method based quasi-1D model. The dynamic response of the nozzle model using the MacCormack method is verified by comparing it against a model of the nozzle using the conservation element/solution element method. A methodology is also presented for the integration of the MacCormack nozzle model with the variable cycle engine

Computational Fluid Dynamics Modeling of a Supersonic Nozzle and Integration into a Variable Cycle Engine Model

This paper covers the development of an integrated nonlinear dynamic simulation for a variable cycle turbofan engine and nozzle that can be integrated with an overall vehicle Aero-Propulso-Servo-Elastic (APSE) model. A previously developed variable cycle turbofan engine model is used for this study and is enhanced here to include variable guide vanes allowing for operation across the supersonic flight regime. The primary focus of this study is to improve the fidelity of the model's thrust response by replacing the simple choked flow equation convergent-divergent nozzle model with a MacCormack method based quasi-1D model. The dynamic response of the nozzle model using the MacCormack method is verified by comparing it against a model of the nozzle using the conservation element/solution element method. A methodology is also presented for the integration of the MacCormack nozzle model with the variable cycle engine

An Exploratory Statistical Analysis of a Planet Approach-Phase Guidance Scheme Using Angular Measurements with Significant Error

An exploratory analysis of vehicle guidance during the approach to a target planet is presented. The objective of the guidance maneuver is to guide the vehicle to a specific perigee distance with a high degree of accuracy and minimum corrective velocity expenditure. The guidance maneuver is simulated by considering the random sampling of real measurements with significant error and reducing this information to prescribe appropriate corrective action. The instrumentation system assumed includes optical and/or infrared devices to indicate range and a reference angle in the trajectory plane. Statistical results are obtained by Monte-Carlo techniques and are shown as the expectation of guidance accuracy and velocity-increment requirements. Results are nondimensional and applicable to any planet within limits of two-body assumptions. The problem of determining how many corrections to make and when to make them is a consequence of the conflicting requirement of accurate trajectory determination and propulsion. Optimum values were found for a vehicle approaching a planet along a parabolic trajectory with an initial perigee distance of 5 radii and a target perigee of 1.02 radii. In this example measurement errors were less than i minute of arc. Results indicate that four corrections applied in the vicinity of 50, 16, 15, and 1.5 radii, respectively, yield minimum velocity-increment requirements. Thrust devices capable of producing a large variation of velocity-increment size are required. For a vehicle approaching the earth, miss distances within 32 miles are obtained with 90-percent probability. Total velocity increments used in guidance are less than 3300 feet per second with 90-percent probability. It is noted that the above representative results are valid only for the particular guidance scheme hypothesized in this analysis. A parametric study is presented which indicates the effects of measurement error size, initial perigee, and initial energy on the guidance requirements. Measurement error size significantly affects both guidance accuracy and velocity-increment expenditure. The initial trajectory, as given by its perigee and energy, affects the velocity-increment expenditure but not final guidance accuracy