Optimal Masks for Low-Degree Solar Acoustic Modes

We suggest a solution to an important problem of observational helioseismology of the separation of lines of solar acoustic (p) modes of low angular degree in oscillation power spectra by constructing optimal masks for Doppler images of the Sun. Accurate measurements of oscillation frequencies of low-degree modes are essential for the determination of the structure and rotation of the solar core. However, these measurements for a particular mode are often affected by leakage of other p modes arising when the Doppler images are projected on to spherical-harmonics masks. The leakage results in overlaping peaks corresponding to different oscillation modes in the power spectra. In this paper we present a method for calculating optimal masks for a given (target) mode by minimizing the signals of other modes appearing in its vicinity. We apply this method to time series of 2 years obtained from Michelson Doppler Imager (MDI) instrument on board SOHO space mission and demonstrate its ability to reduce efficiently the mode leakage.Comment: to be published in Astrophys.J. Letter

Light Quark Masses with an O(a)-Improved Action

We present the recent Fermilab calculations of the masses of the light quarks, using tadpole-improved Sheikholeslami-Wohlert (SW) quarks. Various sources of systematic errors are studied. Our final result for the average light quark mass in the quenched approximation evaluated in the $\bar{MS}$ scheme is $\bar{m}_q(\mu=2 GeV;n_f=0)= (m_u+m_d)/2=3.6 \pm 0.6 MeV$.Comment: 3 pgs. 3 figures. espcrc2.sty included. Talk presented at LATTICE96(phenomenology

Teaching Information Systems to the Visually Handicapped — A Case History

This paper outlines a number of issues to be addressed in teaching information systems to visually handicapped students. It is a case history in that it draws on the authors’ experience of teaching a multiply handicapped student over a three year period. Its particular emphasis is on the need for early preparation, in advance of the student\u27s arrival and then throughout the teaching process. It points to the type of support facilities required. Although all the main headings would need to be considered in the teaching of any subject to visually handicapped students there are several that have added importance in the teaching of information systems. The paper is an attempt to share experience rather than make a case for tackling the issues raised in one particular way

Emergency escape system uses self-braking mechanism on fixed cable

Slide-wire system with a twist level slide device incorporates automatic descent and braking for the safe and rapid evacuation of personnel from tall structures. This device is used on any tall structure that might require emergency evacuation. It is also used to transfer materials and equipment

Global shallow water magnetohydrodynamic waves in the solar tachocline

We derive analytical solutions and dispersion relations of global magnetic Poincar\'e (magneto-gravity) and magnetic Rossby waves in the approximation of shallow water magnetohydrodynamics. The solutions are obtained in a rotating spherical coordinate system for strongly and weakly stable stratification separately in the presence of toroidal magnetic field. In both cases magnetic Rossby waves split into fast and slow magnetic Rossby modes. In the case of strongly stable stratification (valid in the radiative part of the tachocline) all waves are slightly affected by the layer thickness and the toroidal magnetic field, while in the case of weakly stable stratification (valid in the upper overshoot layer of the tachocline) magnetic Poincar\'e and fast magnetic Rossby waves are found to be concentrated near the solar equator, leading to equatorially trapped waves. However, slow magnetic Rossby waves tend to concentrate near the poles, leading to polar trapped waves. The frequencies of all waves are smaller in the upper weakly stable stratification region than in the lower strongly stable stratification one

Probing Solar Convection

In the solar convection zone acoustic waves are scattered by turbulent sound speed fluctuations. In this paper the scattering of waves by convective cells is treated using Rytov's technique. Particular care is taken to include diffraction effects which are important especially for high-degree modes that are confined to the surface layers of the Sun. The scattering leads to damping of the waves and causes a phase shift. Damping manifests itself in the width of the spectral peak of p-mode eigenfrequencies. The contribution of scattering to the line widths is estimated and the sensitivity of the results on the assumed spectrum of the turbulence is studied. Finally the theoretical predictions are compared with recently measured line widths of high-degree modes.Comment: 26 pages, 7 figures, accepted by MNRA

Data base management system analysis and performance testing with respect to NASA requirements

Several candidate Data Base Management Systems (DBM's) that could support the NASA End-to-End Data System's Integrated Data Base Management System (IDBMS) Project, later rescoped and renamed the Packet Management System (PMS) were evaluated. The candidate DBMS systems which had to run on the Digital Equipment Corporation VAX 11/780 computer system were ORACLE, SEED and RIM. Oracle and RIM are both based on the relational data base model while SEED employs a CODASYL network approach. A single data base application which managed stratospheric temperature profiles was studied. The primary reasons for using this application were an insufficient volume of available PMS-like data, a mandate to use actual rather than simulated data, and the abundance of available temperature profile data