8,469 research outputs found
RF performance measurement of the DSS-14 70-meter antenna at C-band/L-band
The calibration of the 70-meter antenna at C-band (5.01 GHz) and L-band (1.668 GHz) is described. This calibration comes after a modification to an existing L-band feed to include the C-band frequencies. The test technique employs noise-adding radiometers and associated equipment running simultaneously at both frequencies. The test procedure is described including block diagrams, and results are presented for efficiency, system temperature, and pointing
Sintered silicon nitrode recuperator fabrication
The preliminary design and a demonstration of the feasibility of fabricating submodules of an automotive Stirling engine recuperator for waste heat recovery at 370 C are described. Sinterable silicon nitride (Sialon) tubing and plates were fabricated by extrusion and hydrostatic pressing, respectively, suitable for demonstrating a potential method of constructing ceramic recuperator-type heat exchangers. These components were fired in nitrogen atmosphere to 1800 C without significant scale formation so that they can be used in the as-fired condition. A refractory glass composition (Al2O3 x 4.5 CaO.MgO x 11SiO2) was used to join and seal component parts by a brazing technique which formed strong recuperator submodules capable of withstanding repeated thermal cycling to 1370 C. The corrosion resistance of these materials to Na2SO4 + NaCl carbon mixtures was also assessed in atmospheres of air, hydrogen and CO2-N2-H2O mixtures at both 870 C and 1370 C for times to 1000 hours. No significant reaction was observed under any of these test conditions
High-sensitivity imaging with multi-mode twin beams
Twin entangled beams produced by single-pass parametric down-conversion (PDC)
offer the opportunity to detect weak amount of absorption with an improved
sensitivity with respect to standard techniques which make use of classical
light sources. We propose a differential measurement scheme which exploits the
spatial quantum correlation of type II PDC to image a weak amplitude object
with a sensitivity beyond the standard quantum limit imposed by shot-noise.Comment: 13 pages, 8 figure
Normalized ghost imaging
We present an experimental comparison between different iterative ghost imaging algorithms. Our experimental setup utilizes a spatial light modulator for generating known random light fields to illuminate a partially-transmissive object. We adapt the weighting factor used in the traditional ghost imaging algorithm to account for changes in the efficiency of the generated light field. We show that our normalized weighting algorithm can match the performance of differential ghost imaging
The 32-GHz performance of the DSS-14 70-meter antenna: 1989 configuration
The results of preliminary 32 GHz calibrations of the 70 meter antenna at Goldstone are presented. Measurements were done between March and July 1989 using Virgo A and Venus as the primary efficiency calibrators. The flux densites of theses radio sources at 32 GHz are not known with high accuracy, but were extrapolated from calibrated data at lower frequencies. The measured value of efficiency (0.35) agreed closely with the predicted value (0.32), and the results are very repeatable. Flux densities of secondary sources used in the observations were subsequently derived. These measurements were performed using a beamswitching radiometer that employed an uncooled high-electron mobility transistor (HEMT) low-noise amplifier. This system was installed primarily to determine the performance of the antenna in its 1989 configuration, but the experience will also aid in successful future calibration of the Deep Space Network (DSN) at this frequency
A robot-based burr measurement system for the automotive industry
Burrs are often difficult to detect and measure because of their intrinsic variability in shape and dimension. No automotive standard had been established about their acceptable dimensions and measurement techniques for sheet steel products. For the automotive industry, even burrs of the size of 100 μm are perceived as damaging because of their dramatic impact upon panel corrosion resistance and assembly performance. It is critical to measure burrs during panel manufacture in order to control the process. The characterization of the typical burr produced has been carried out employing 3D measurements with a surface profilometer and a SEM. This analysis has shown a typical triangular burr shape and some characteristic dimensions. A contact method and two laser-triangulation systems have been developed. The instrument accuracy was analyzed, based upon a full factorial experimentation over a set of typical panels edges
Multi-mode TES bolometer optimization for the LSPE-SWIPE instrument
In this paper we explore the possibility of using transition edge sensor
(TES) detectors in multi-mode configuration in the focal plane of the Short
Wavelength Instrument for the Polarization Explorer (SWIPE) of the
balloon-borne polarimeter Large Scale Polarization Explorer (LSPE) for the
Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) polarization. This study is motivated by the
fact that maximizing the sensitivity of TES bolometers, under the augmented
background due to the multi-mode design, requires a non trivial choice of
detector parameters. We evaluate the best parameter combination taking into
account scanning strategy, noise constraints, saturation power and operating
temperature of the cryostat during the flight.Comment: in Journal of Low Temperature Physics, 05 January 201
The Timing Counter of the MEG experiment: calibration and performance
The MEG detector is designed to test Lepton Flavor Violation in the
decay down to a Branching Ratio of a few
. The decay topology consists in the coincident emission of a
monochromatic photon in direction opposite to a monochromatic positron. A
precise measurement of the relative time is crucial to suppress
the background. The Timing Counter (TC) is designed to precisely measure the
time of arrival of the and to provide information to the trigger system.
It consists of two sectors up and down stream the decay target, each consisting
of two layers. The outer one made of scintillating bars and the inner one of
scintillating fibers. Their design criteria and performances are described.Comment: Presented at the 12th Topical Seminar on Innovative Particle and
Radiation Detectors (IPRD10) 7 - 10 June 2010, Siena. Accepted by Nuclear
Physics B (Proceedings Supplements) (2011)tal
Detection of sub-shot-noise spatial correlation in high-gain parametric down-conversion
Using a 1GW-1ps pump laser pulse in high gain parametric down-conversion
allows us to detect sub-shot-noise spatial quantum correlation with up to one
hundred photoelectrons per mode, by means of a high efficiency CCD. The
statistics is performed in single-shot over independent spatial replica of the
system. The paper highlights the evidence of quantum correlation between
symmetrical signal and idler spatial areas in the far field, in the high gain
regime. In accordance with the predictions of numerical calculations the
observed transition from the quantum to the classical regime is interpreted as
a consequence of the narrowing of the down-converted beams in the very high
gain regime.Comment: 4,2 pages, 4 figure
Effect of long-term abandonment and spring grazing on floristic and functional composition of dry grasslands in a central Apennine farmland
Semi-natural dry grasslands host some of the most valuable habitats in Europe, due to their biodiversity heritage. Nevertheless, a strong decline in their extension, due to the cessation of traditional management, has been observed in the last decades. The aim of the study was to assess plant community changes due to abandonment and the effect of spring grazing in sub-Mediterranean dry grasslands, focusing on the plant functional traits involved in this turnover. The study area is located in the central Apennines (Italy), where grasslands were grazed by sheep in late winter and spring until 1980 and are nowadays abandoned. Relevés sampled (using the Braun-Blanquet method) in different years, namely in 1976–1980 (grazed pasture) and again in 2010 (abandoned pasture) were compared. Results indicated that abandonment leads to the increase of species richness. Traits and strategies indicator sets were: therophyte for the grazed pasture; geophytes, flower palatability, early flowering strategy, clonal ability and presence of storage organs for the abandoned ones. Traits related to low levels of stress (tolerance strategies) are heavily reduced in grazed systems, and thus the functional composition of plant community is mostly characterised by traits promoting avoidance strategies. In abandoned conditions a higher number of species can co-exist thanks to the micro-scale variation of soil features and niche diversification. The research findings also revealed grazing timing as a key factor for understanding changes of plant functional trait patterns and spring grazing as a threat for orchid species
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