Applicability of 100kWe-class of space reactor power systems to NASA manned space station missions

An assessment is made of a manned space station operating with sufficiently high power demands to require a multihundred kilowatt range electrical power system. The nuclear reactor is a competitor for supplying this power level. Load levels were selected at 150kWe and 300kWe. Interactions among the reactor electrical power system, the manned space station, the space transportation system, and the mission were evaluated. The reactor shield and the conversion equipment were assumed to be in different positions with respect to the station; on board, tethered, and on a free flyer platform. Mission analyses showed that the free flyer concept resulted in unacceptable costs and technical problems. The tethered reactor providing power to an electrolyzer for regenerative fuel cells on the space station, results in a minimum weight shield and can be designed to release the reactor power section so that it moves to a high altitude orbit where the decay period is at least 300 years. Placing the reactor on the station, on a structural boom is an attractive design, but heavier than the long tethered reactor design because of the shield weight for manned activity near the reactor

Intersubband gain in a Bloch oscillator and Quantum cascade laser

The link between the inversion gain of quantum cascade structures and the Bloch gain in periodic superlattices is presented. The proposed theoretical model based on the density matrix formalism is able to treat the gain mechanism of the Bloch oscillator and Quantum cascade laser on the same footing by taking into account in-plane momentum relaxation. The model predicts a dispersive contribution in addition to the (usual) population-inversion-dependent intersubband gain in quantum cascade structures and - in the absence of inversion - provides the quantum mechanical description for the dispersive gain in superlattices. It corroborates the predictions of the semi-classical miniband picture, according to which gain is predicted for photon energies lower than the Bloch oscillation frequency, whereas net absorption is expected at higher photon energies, as a description which is valid in the high-temperature limit. A red-shift of the amplified emission with respect to the resonant transition energy results from the dispersive gain contribution in any intersubband transition, for which the population inversion is small.Comment: 10 pages, 6 figure

On the Response of an OST to a Point-like Heat Source

A new technique of superconducting cavity diagnostics has been introduced by D. Hartrill at Cornell University, Ithaca, USA. Oscillating Superleak Transducers (OST) detect the heat transferred from a cavity's quench point via "Second Sound" through the superfluid He bath, needed to cool the superconducting cavity. The observed response of an OST is a complex, but reproducible pattern of oscillations. A small helium evaporation cryostat was built which allows the investigation of the response of an OST in greater detail. The distance between a point-like electrical heater and the OST can be varied. The OST can be mounted either parallel or perpendicular to the plate, housing the heat source. If the artificial quench-point releases an amount of energy compatible to a real quench spot on a cavity's surface, the OST signal starts with a negative pulse, which is usually strong enough to allow automatic detection. Furthermore, the reflection of the Second Sound on the wall is observed. A reflection coefficient R = 0.39 +- 0.05 of the glass wall is measured. This excludes a strong influence of multiple reflections in the complex OST response. Fourier analyses show three main frequencies, found in all OST spectra. They can be interpreted as modes of an oscillating circular membrane.Comment: 10 pages, 16 figure

Luttinger-Liquid Behavior in the Alternating Spin-Chain System Copper Nitrate

We determine the phase diagram of copper nitrate Cu(NO$_3$)$_2\cdot$2.5D$_2$O in the context of quantum phase transitions and novel states of matter. We establish this compound as an ideal candidate to study quasi-1D Luttinger liquids, 3D Bose-Einstein-Condensation of triplons, and the crossover between 1D and 3D physics. Magnetocaloric effect, magnetization, and neutron scattering data provide clear evidence for transitions into a Luttinger liquid regime and a 3D long-range ordered phase as function of field and temperature. Theoretical simulations of this model material allow us to fully establish the phase diagram and to discuss it in the context of dimerized spin systems.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figure

Incidence of unintended pregnancy among female sex workers in low-income and middle-income countries: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Objectives: To determine the incidence of unintended pregnancy among female sex workers (FSWs) in lowincome and middle-income countries (LMICs). Design: We searched MEDLINE, PsychInfo, Embase and Popline for papers published in English between January 2000 and January 2016, and Web of Science and Proquest for conference abstracts. Meta-analysis was performed on the primary outcomes using random effects models, with subgroup analysis used to explore heterogeneity. Participants: Eligible studies targeted FSWs aged 15–49 years living or working in an LMIC. Outcome measures: Studies were eligible if they provided data on one of two primary outcomes: incidence of unintended pregnancy and incidence of pregnancy where intention is undefined. Secondary outcomes were also extracted when they were reported in included studies: incidence of induced abortion; incidence of birth; and correlates/predictors of pregnancy or unintended pregnancy. Results: Twenty-five eligible studies were identified from 3866 articles. Methodological quality was low overall. Unintended pregnancy incidence showed high heterogeneity (I²\u3e95%), ranging from 7.2 to 59.6 per 100 person-years across 10 studies. Study design and duration were found to account for heterogeneity. On subgroup analysis, the three cohort studies in which no intervention was introduced had a pooled incidence of 27.1 per 100 person-years (95% CI 24.4 to 29.8; I2 =0%). Incidence of pregnancy (intention undefined) was also highly heterogeneous, ranging from 2.0 to 23.4 per 100 personyears (15 studies). Conclusions: Of the many studies examining FSWs’ sexual and reproductive health in LMICs, very few measured pregnancy and fewer assessed pregnancy intention. Incidence varied widely, likely due to differences in study design, duration and baseline population risk, but was high in most studies, representing a considerable concern for this key population. Evidence-based approaches that place greater importance on unintended pregnancy prevention need to be incorporated into existing sexual and reproductive health programmes for FSWs

Gain without inversion in a biased superlattice

Intersubband transitions in a superlattice under homogeneous electric field is studied within the tight-binding approximation. Since the levels are equi-populated, the non-zero response appears beyond the Born approximation. Calculations are performed in the resonant approximation with scattering processes exactly taken into account. The absorption coefficient is equal zero for the resonant excitation while a negative absorption (gain without inversion) takes place below the resonance. A detectable gain in the THz spectral region is obtained for the low-doped $GaAs$-based superlattice and spectral dependencies are analyzed taking into account the interplay between homogeneous and inhomogeneous mechanisms of broadening.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figure

Field induced phases in UPt2Si2

The tetragonal compound UPt2Si2 has been characterised as a moderately mass enhanced system with an antiferromagnetic ground state below T_N = 32 K. Here, we present an extensive study of the behavior in high magnetic fields. We have performed pulsed field magnetization and static field resistivity measurements on single crystalline samples UPt2Si2. Along the crystallographic a axis, at low temperatures, we find a metamagnetic-like transition in fields of the order 40 T, possibly indicating a first order transition. Along the crystallographic c axis, in magnetic fields of B>= ~24 T, we find distinct anomalies in both properties. From our analysis of the data we can distinguish new high field phases above the AFM ground state. We discuss the emergence of these new phases in the context of Fermi surface effects and the possible occurrence of a Lifshitz or electronic topological transition, this in contrast to previous modellings of UPt2Si2 based on crystal electric field effects.Comment: 10 pages, submitted to PR