A first experimental test of de Broglie-Bohm theory against standard quantum mechanics

De Broglie - Bohm (dBB) theory is a deterministic theory, built for reproducing almost all Quantum Mechanics (QM) predictions, where position plays the role of a hidden variable. It was recently shown that different coincidence patterns are predicted by QM and dBB when a double slit experiment is realised under specific conditions and, therefore, an experiment can test the two theories. In this letter we present the first realisation of such a double slit experiment by using correlated photons produced in type I Parametric Down Conversion. Our results confirm QM contradicting dBB predictions

Duplex process for production of low carbon ferrochrome

The Duplex Process for the production of low carbon ferro chrome has been highlighted and its advantage over Perrin process has been brought cut. The production of Low Carbon Ferro-chrome in Perrin process demands rigid operating conditions compared to the Duplex process. The life of the refractories in the Duplex process are also longer compared to Perrin process and the specific raw material consumption and energy are comparable. The demand for Low catbon Ferrochrome is reducing due to adoption of V. 0. D. and A. 0. D. process in India by the major stainless steel manufacturers. However, the import-ance of Low Carbon Ferrochrome will continue for a few years till the new process of stainless steel manufacture are adopted by all

Extension of Information Geometry to Non-statistical Systems: Some Examples

Our goal is to extend information geometry to situations where statistical modeling is not obvious. The setting is that of modeling experimental data. Quite often the data are not of a statistical nature. Sometimes also the model is not a statistical manifold. An example of the former is the description of the Bose gas in the grand canonical ensemble. An example of the latter is the modeling of quantum systems with density matrices. Conditional expectations in the quantum context are reviewed. The border problem is discussed: through conditioning the model point shifts to the border of the differentiable manifold.Comment: 8 pages, to be published in the proceedings of GSI2015, Lecture Notes in Computer Science, Springe

Effect of LEO Exposure on Aromatic Polymers Containing Phenylphosphine Oxide Groups

As part of the Materials on The International Space Station Experiment (MISSE), aromatic polymers containing phenylphosphine oxide groups were exposed to low Earth orbit (LEO) for approximately 4 years. All of the aromatic polymers containing phenylphosphine oxide groups survived the exposure despite the high fluence of atomic oxygen that completely eroded other polymer films such as Kapton and Mylar of comparable or greater thickness. The samples consisted of a colorless polyimide film and a poly(arylene ether benzimidazole) film and thread. The samples were characterized for changes in physical properties, thermal/optical properties (i.e. solar absorptivity and thermal emissivity), surface chemistry (X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy), and surface topography (atomic force microscopy). The data from the polymer samples on MISSE were compared to samples from the same batch of material stored under ambient conditions on Earth. In addition, comparisons were made between the MISSE samples and those subjected to shorter term space flight exposures. The results of these analyses will be presented

GNSS Spoofing Detection via Opportunistic IRIDIUM Signals

In this paper, we study the privately-own IRIDIUM satellite constellation, to provide a location service that is independent of the GNSS. In particular, we apply our findings to propose a new GNSS spoofing detection solution, exploiting unencrypted IRIDIUM Ring Alert (IRA) messages that are broadcast by IRIDIUM satellites. We firstly reverse-engineer many parameters of the IRIDIUM satellite constellation, such as the satellites speed, packet interarrival times, maximum satellite coverage, satellite pass duration, and the satellite beam constellation, to name a few. Later, we adopt the aforementioned statistics to create a detailed model of the satellite network. Subsequently, we propose a solution to detect unintended deviations of a target user from his path, due to GNSS spoofing attacks. We show that our solution can be used efficiently and effectively to verify the position estimated from standard GNSS satellite constellation, and we provide constraints and parameters to fit several application scenarios. All the results reported in this paper, while showing the quality and viability of our proposal, are supported by real data. In particular, we have collected and analyzed hundreds of thousands of IRA messages, thanks to a measurement campaign lasting several days. All the collected data ($1000+$ hours) have been made available to the research community. Our solution is particularly suitable for unattended scenarios such as deserts, rural areas, or open seas, where standard spoofing detection techniques resorting to crowd-sourcing cannot be used due to deployment limitations. Moreover, contrary to competing solutions, our approach does not resort to physical-layer information, dedicated hardware, or multiple receiving stations, while exploiting only a single receiving antenna and publicly-available IRIDIUM transmissions. Finally, novel research directions are also highlighted.Comment: Accepted for the 13th Conference on Security and Privacy in Wireless and Mobile Networks (WISEC), 202

Improvement of Eye Alignment in Adult Strabismic Monkeys by Sustained IGF-1 Treatment

Purpose: The goal of this study was to determine if continuous application of insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) could improve eye alignment of adult strabismic nonhuman primates and to assess possible mechanisms of effect. Methods: A continuous release pellet of IGF-1 was placed on one medial rectus muscle in two adult nonhuman primates (M1, M2) rendered exotropic by the alternating monocular occlusion method during the first months of life. Eye alignment and eye movements were recorded for 3 months, after which M1 was euthanized, and the lateral and medial rectus muscles were removed for morphometric analysis of fiber size, nerve, and neuromuscular density. Results: Monkey 1 showed a 40% reduction in strabismus angle, a reduction of exotropia of approximately 11° to 14° after 3 months. Monkey 2 showed a 15% improvement, with a reduction of its exotropia by approximately 3°. The treated medial rectus muscle of M1 showed increased mean myofiber cross-sectional areas. Increases in myofiber size also were seen in the contralateral medial rectus and lateral rectus muscles. Similarly, nerve density increased in the contralateral medial rectus and yoked lateral rectus. Conclusions: This study demonstrates that in adult nonhuman primates with a sensory-induced exotropia in infancy, continuous IGF-1 treatment improves eye alignment, resulting in muscle fiber enlargement and altered innervational density that includes the untreated muscles. This supports the view that there is sufficient plasticity in the adult ocular motor system to allow continuous IGF-1 treatment over months to produce improvement in eye alignment in early-onset strabismus

Thermal Conductivity of Copoly(ethylene vinyl acetate)/Nano-Filler Blends

The development of flexible, thermally conductive fabrics and plastic tubes for the Liquid Cooling and Ventilation Garment (LCVG) are needed to reduce weight and improve the mobility, comfort, and performance of future spacesuits. Such improvements would allow astronauts to operate more efficiently and safely for extended extravehicular activities. As a continuation of our work on the improvement of thermal conductivity (TC) of polymeric materials, nanocomposites were prepared from copoly(ethylene vinyl acetate), trade name Elvax 260TradeMark), metallized carbon nanofibers (CNFs), nickel (Ni) nanostrands, boron nitride both alone and as mixtures with aluminum powder. The nanocomposites were prepared by melt mixing at various loading levels and subsequently fabricated into several material forms (i.e., ribbons, tubes, and compression molded plaques) for analysis. Ribbons and tubes were extruded to form samples in which the nanoparticles were aligned in the direction of flow. The degree of dispersion and alignment of the nanoparticles were investigated using high-resolution scanning electron microscopy. Tensile properties of the aligned samples were determined at room temperature. TC measurements were performed using a laser flash (Nanoflash(TradeMark) technique. The TC of the samples was measured in both the direction of alignment as well as transverse. Tubing of comparable dimensions to that used in the LCVG was extruded from select compositions and the thermal conductivities of the tubes measured