Nano-G research laboratory for a spacecraft

An acceleration free research laboratory is provided that is confined within a satellite but free of any physical engagement with the walls of the satellite, wherein the laboratory has adequate power, heating, cooling, and communications services to conduct basic research and development. An inner part containing the laboratory is positioned at the center-of-mass of a satellite within the satellite's outer shell. The satellite is then positioned such that its main axes are in a position parallel to its flight velocity vector or in the direction of the residual acceleration vector. When the satellite is in its desired orbit, the inner part is set free so as to follow that orbit without contacting the inside walls of the outer shell. Sensing means detect the position of the inner part with respect to the outer shell, and activate control rockets to move the outer shell; thereby, the inner part is repositioned such that it is correctly positioned at the center-of-mass of the satellite. As a consequence, all disturbing forces, such as drag forces, act on the outer shell, and the inner part containing the laboratory is shielded and is affected only by gravitational forces. Power is supplied to the inner part and to the laboratory by a balanced microwave/laser link which creates the kind of environment necessary for basic research to study critical phenomena such as the Lambda transition in helium and crystal growth, and to perform special metals and alloys research, etc

Packet Store-and-Forward Communications Satellites for Relief and Development

The early history of proposed small satellites in low earth orbit using store-and-forward digital technology for humanitarian relief and development work is reviewed. A description of the current status of the PACSAT project being developed jointly by SST Ltd and VITA is is provided. The need to decrease the turnaround period of time-dependent technical information to and from isolated regions of the world is described, as well as limitations to project success when the right information is not available at the right time. Major PACSAT applications areas in relief and development are presented, and a functional description of several tiers of PACSAT groundstations is given. Sociological and regulatory concerns are overviewed. The paper concludes that packet radio systems, in both terrestrial and space applications, have the potential to provide the missing link of reliable and inexpensive communication from isolated regions integrated into the existing international telecommunications infrastructure

Protonospheric electron concentration profiles Final report

Protonospheric electron concentration profiles based on Doppler and Faraday effect

An Exploration of the Availability and Implementation of Undergraduate Degrees in Conducting in the United States

The art of conducting musical ensembles has grown since conductors such as Louis Spohr, Carl Maria von Weber, Felix Mendelssohn, Richard Wagner, and Hector Berlioz popularized it in the classical and romantic eras of music history. However, there appear to be discrepancies between the prevalence of conducting throughout music history and the availability of bachelor’s degrees in music performance centered around conducting in the United States. Europe has a strong tradition of training conductors from a young age, and Asia is beginning to develop a strong tradition of its own. The United States is a worldwide leader in many degree programs and university activities, but the addition of undergraduate degrees in conducting may not be paramount to those university administrators and faculty who have the power to implement them. Many music performance majors are given the opportunity to pursue a degree and lessons in their instrument prior to the graduate level, but conductors are expected to learn their art throughout the course of their careers, often with only two or three courses in conducting where podium time in front of a live ensemble is limited. In this research, I will unveil some of the universities that offer undergraduate degrees in conducting performance in the United States and examine similar degree programs in Germany, Austria, and Korea

Composing, Remembering, and Performing Identity at Charles Towne Landing, 1966 through 1971: Rhetorical Identification as Defensive and Antagonistic Strategies

This dissertation contributes to the growing body of research in rhetorical studies of identity theory. In this dissertation, I look at alternative texts that seek to construct and forward communal identities. In particular, this dissertation investigates Charles Towne Landing, a historical state park in Charleston, South Carolina, to study the ways historical sites of public memory are sites of rhetorical identification. The State of South Carolina’s legislature authorized a body called the South Carolina Tricentennial Commission to plan and execute a celebration of South Carolina’s three-hundredth anniversary, which would take place in 1970. The commission planned and built three parks in South Carolina as exhibition sites for the Tricentennial Celebration. Charles Towne Landing is the only one that still exists. The commission intended Charles Towne Landing to represent colonial life in South Carolina, focusing on the years between 1670 and 1770. They decided to build Charles Towne Landing on a piece of land called “Old Town” in the West Ashley-are of Charleston on Highway 171. The chose this site because several historical documents suggested that it was the first British settlement in South Carolina. Upon breaking ground at the site in 1969, construction workers and archeologists discovered artifacts from the Kiawah who had originally lived at this site. This discovery caused a crisis about identity and memory that pervaded the local and state media. In this dissertation, I conduct archival research of official documents from and related to the South Carolina Tricentennial Commission (1966-1970) to compose a narrative of how the park was built. I then analyze these documents considering their rhetorical nature, focusing on the implicit and explicit arguments of identity. I also analyze photographs of historical performances and celebrations of historical memory. Using this park and the methods of identity construction that the commission used as a case study, I argue that to analyze rhetorics of identity, rhetoricians must acknowledge and study their inherently defensive and antagonistic natures

Testing a social cognitive model of math/science career goals in low-income prospective first generation college students

Title from PDF of title page (University of Missouri--Columbia, viewed on October 26, 2012).The entire thesis text is included in the research.pdf file; the official abstract appears in the short.pdf file; a non-technical public abstract appears in the public.pdf file.Dissertation advisor: Dr. Lisa Y. FloresIncludes bibliographical references.Vita.Ph. D. University of Missouri-Columbia 2012."July, 2012"The present study used Social Cognitive Career Theory (SCCT; Lent, Brown, & Hackett, 1994) to examine the math/science career goals of a sample (N = 308) of low-income, prospective first generation college students. Specifically, the relations among contextual (i.e., parental support, intrinsic motivation for math/science, learning experiences, proximal supports) and social cognitive (math/science self-efficacy, outcome expectations, interests, and goals) factors were examined. Results of structural equation modeling analyses suggested significant relationships between variables, but poor fit of the SCCT model to the data. Mediation tests were statistically significant, but model-fit data suggested these results should be interpreted with caution. A moderation test was not statistically significant, indicating proximal supports did not moderate the relationship between math/science interests and goals. Findings are discussed in relation to implications for future research and practice.Includes bibliographical reference

High-frequency trading competition

We analyze trading dynamics as successive high-frequency trading (HFT) firms begin to trade stocks in an equity market. Entrants compete with incumbents for volume, and there is crowding out. Earlier entry is associated with larger effects. After Passive HFT entry, incumbent spreads tighten. After Aggressive HFT entry, incumbent order flow loses informedness. Revenue data suggest entry reduces the profitability of HFT activity. The results show that part of the value of HFT comes from its competitiveness.Les auteurs analysent la dynamique des échanges après que des entreprises qui font des transactions à haute fréquence eurent commencé successivement à négocier des titres sur le marché des actions. Les nouveaux venus rivalisent avec les acteurs déjà présents pour obtenir plus de volume, ce qui entraîne un effet d’éviction. Les effets exercés par les premiers entrants sont plus prononcés. L’entrée de participants passifs donne lieu à un resserrement de la fourchette de cotation pour les participants existants. Après l’arrivée de participants agressifs, le contenu informationnel du flux d’ordres des participants existants diminue. En outre, les données tendent à indiquer une baisse de rentabilité des transactions à haute fréquence. Les résultats de l’étude montrent que l’intérêt de la négociation à haute fréquence réside en partie dans la compétitivité de cette activité

The two-frequency, bistatic radar-occultation method for the study of planetary ionospheres scientific reports no. 1 and no. 7

Method for study of planetary ionospheres based on radio wave propagation between earth and spacecraf

The measurements of vehicle glow on the Space Shuttle

From the combined data set of glow observations on STS-3, STS-4 and STS-5 some of the properties of the shuttle glow were observed. Comparison of the STS-3 (240 km) and STS-5 (305 km) photographs show that the intensity of the glow is about a factor of 3.5 brighter on the low altitude (STS-3) flight. The orbiter was purposely rotated about the x axis in an experiment on STS-5 to observe the dependence of the intensity on the angle of incidence between the spacecraft surface normal and the velocity vector. For a relatively large angle between the velocity vector and the surface normal there is an appreciable glow, provided the surface is not shadowed by some other spacecraft structure. As the angle becomes less the glow intensifies. The grating experiments (STS-4 photography only, STS-5 image intensifier photography) provided a preliminary low resolution spectra of the spacecraft glow. Accurate wavelength calibrations of the STS-5 instrument permitted measuring of the spectrum and intensity of the Earth's airglow