49,447 research outputs found
Solar cell angular position transducer
An angular position transducer utilizing photocells and a light source is disclosed. The device uses a fully rotatable baffle which is connected via an actuator shaft to the body whose rotational displacement is to be measured. The baffle blocks the light path between the light source and the photocells so that a constant semicircular beam of light reaches the photocells. The current produced by the photocells is fed through a resistor, a differential amplifier measures the voltage drop across the resistor which indicates the angular position of the actuator shaft and hence of the object
Radiation Transfer in the Cavity and Shell of Planetary Nebulae
We develop an approximate analytical solution for the transfer of
line-averaged radiation in the hydrogen recombination lines for the ionized
cavity and molecular shell of a spherically symmetric planetary nebula. The
scattering problem is treated as a perturbation, using a mean intensity derived
from a scattering-free solution. The analytical function was fitted to Halpha
and Hbeta data from the planetary nebula NGC6537. The position of the maximum
in the intensity profile produced consistent values for the radius of the
cavity as a fraction of the radius of the dusty nebula: 0.21 for Halpha and
0.20 for Hbeta. Recovered optical depths were broadly consistent with observed
optical extinction in the nebula, but the range of fit parameters in this case
is evidence for a clumpy distribution of dust.Comment: MNRAS accepted; 10 Fig
Prevention of arthritis by interleukin 10-producing B cells
In this study we have shown that activation of arthritogenic splenocytes with antigen and agonistic anti-CD40 gives raise to a B cell population that produce high levels of interleukin (IL)-10 and low levels of interferon (IFN)-{gamma}. Transfer of these B cells into DBA/1-TcR-ß-Tg mice, immunized with bovine collagen (CII) emulsified in complete Freund's adjuvant inhibited T helper type 1 differentiation, prevented arthritis development, and was also effective in ameliorating established disease. IL-10 is essential for the regulatory function of this subset of B cells, as the B cells population isolated from IL-10 knockout mice failed to mediate this protective function. Furthermore, B cells isolated from arthritogenic splenocytes treated in vitro with anti–IL-10/anti–IL-10R were unable to protect recipient mice from developing arthritis. Our results suggest a new role of a subset of B cells in controlling T cell differentiation and autoimmune disorders
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Identifying sources of error in cross-national questionnaires: Application of an error source typology to cognitive interview data
This article evaluates a Cross National Error Source Typology that was developed as a tool for making cross-national questionnaire design more effective. Cross-national questionnaire design has a number of potential error sources that are either not present or are less common in single nation studies. Tools that help to identify these error sources better inform the survey researcher when improving a source questionnaire that serves as the basis for translation. This article outlines the theoretical and practical development of the typology and evaluates an attempt to apply it to cross-national cognitive interviewing findings from the European Social Survey
ITOS VHRR on-board data compression study
Data compression methods for ITOS VHRR data were studied for a tape recorder record-and playback application. A playback period of 9 minutes was assumed with a nominal 18 minute record period for a 2-to-1 compression ratio. Both analog and digital methods were considered with the conclusion that digital methods should be used. Two system designs were prepared. One is a PCM system and the other is an entropy-coded predictive-quantization, sometimes called entropy-coded DPCM or just DPCM, system. Both systems use data management principles to transmit only the necessary data. Both systems use a medium capacity standard tape recorder from specifications provided by the technical officer. The 10 to the 9th power bit capacity of the recorder is the basic limitation on the compression ratio. Both systems achieve the minimum desired 2 to 1 compression ratio. A slower playback rate can be used with the DPCM system due to a higher compression factor for better link performance at a given CNR in terms of bandwidth utilization and error rate. The report is divided into two parts. The first part summarizes the theoretical conclusions of the second part and presents the system diagrams. The second part is a detailed analysis based upon an empirically derived random process model arrived at from specifications and measured data provided by the technical officer
A quantum mechanical approach to establishing the magnetic field orientation from a maser Zeeman profile
Recent comparisons of magnetic field directions derived from maser Zeeman
splitting with those derived from continuum source rotation measures have
prompted new analysis of the propagation of the Zeeman split components, and
the inferred field orientation. In order to do this, we first review differing
electric field polarization conventions used in past studies. With these
clearly and consistently defined, we then show that for a given Zeeman
splitting spectrum, the magnetic field direction is fully determined and
predictable on theoretical grounds: when a magnetic field is oriented away from
the observer, the left-hand circular polarization is observed at higher
frequency and the right-hand polarization at lower frequency. This is
consistent with classical Lorentzian derivations. The consequent interpretation
of recent measurements then raises the possibility of a reversal between the
large-scale field (traced by rotation measures) and the small-scale field
(traced by maser Zeeman splitting).Comment: 10 pages, 5 Figures, accepted for publication in MNRA
Early Results on Radioactive Background Characterization for Sanford Laboratory and DUSEL Experiments
Measuring external sources of background for a deep underground laboratory at
the Homestake Mine is an important step for the planned low-background
experiments. The naturally occurring -ray fluxes at different levels in
the Homestake Mine are studied using NaI detectors and Monte Carlo simulations.
A simple algorithm is developed to convert the measured -ray rates into
-ray fluxes. A good agreement between the measured and simulated
-ray fluxes is achieved with the knowledge of the chemical composition
and radioactivity levels in the rock. The neutron fluxes and -ray
fluxes are predicted by Monte Carlo simulations for different levels including
inaccessible levels that are under construction for the planned low background
experiments.Comment: 16 pages, 2 figures, and 9 table
Preliminary design study - Oxidizer tank helium pressure regulator, Flox-Atlas, airborne Final report
Oxidizer tank helium pressure regulator compatible with fluorine-liquid oxyge
Maser Flare Simulations from Oblate and Prolate Clouds
We investigated, through numerical models, the flaring variability that may
arise from the rotation of maser clouds of approximately spheroidal geometry,
ranging from strongly oblate to strongly prolate examples. Inversion solutions
were obtained for each of these examples over a range of saturation levels from
unsaturated to highly saturated. Formal solutions were computed for rotating
clouds with many randomly chosen rotation axes, and corresponding averaged
maser light curves plotted with statistical information. The dependence of
results on the level of saturation and on the degree of deformation from the
spherical case were investigated in terms of a variability index and duty
cycle. It may be possible to distinguish observationally between flares from
oblate and prolate objects. Maser flares from rotation are limited to long
timescales (at least a few years) and modest values of the variability index
(), and can be aperiodic or quasi-periodic. Rotation is therefore
not a good model for HO variability on timescales of weeks to months, or of
truly periodic flares.Comment: 11 pages, 12 figures, accepted for publication in MNRA
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