19,303 research outputs found
Control of virtual environments for young people with learning difficulties
Purpose: The objective of this research is to identify the requirements for the selection or development of usable virtual environment (VE) interface devices for young people with learning disabilities. Method: a user-centred design methodology was employed, to produce a design specification for usable VE interface devices. Details of the users' cognitive, physical and perceptual abilities were obtained through observation and normative assessment tests. Conclusions : A review of computer interface technology, including virtual reality and assistive devices, was conducted. As there were no devices identified that met all the requirements of the design specification, it was concluded that there is a need for the design and development of new concepts. Future research will involve concept and prototype development and user-based evaluation of the prototypes
Impact of low gravity on water electrolysis operation
Advanced space missions will require oxygen and hydrogen utilities for several important operations including the following: (1) propulsion; (2) electrical power generation and storage; (3) environmental control and life support; (4) extravehicular activity; (5) in-space manufacturing and (6) in-space science activities. An experiment suited to a Space Shuttle standard middeck payload has been designed for the Static Feed Water Electrolysis technology which has been viewed as being capable of efficient, reliable oxygen and hydrogen generation with few subsystem components. The program included: end use design requirements, phenomena to be studied, Space Shuttle Orbiter experiment constraints, experiment design and data requirements, and test hardware requirements. The objectives are to obtain scientific and engineering data for future research and development and to focus on demonstrating and monitoring for safety of a standard middeck payload
Comparison of the phase diagram of the half-filled layered organic superconductors with the phase diagram of the RVB theory of the Hubbard-Heisenberg model
We present an resonating valence bond (RVB) theory of superconductivity for
the Hubbard--Heisenberg model on an anisotropic triangular lattice. We show
that these calculations are consistent with the observed phase diagram of the
half-filled layered organic superconductors, such as the beta, beta', kappa and
lambda phases of (BEDT-TTF)_2X [bis(ethylenedithio)tetrathiafulvalene] and
(BETS)_2X [bis(ethylenedithio)tetraselenafulvalene]. We find a first order
transition from a Mott insulator to a d_{x^2-y^2} superconductor with a small
superfluid stiffness and a pseudogap with d_{x^2-y^2} symmetry. The
Mott--Hubbard transition can be driven either by increasing the on-site Coulomb
repulsion, U, or by changing the anisotropy of the two hopping integrals, t'/t.
Our results suggest that the ratio t'/t plays an important role in determining
the phase diagram of the organic superconductors.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figur
First-principle density-functional calculation of the Raman spectra of BEDT-TTF
We present a first-principles density-functional calculation for the Raman
spectra of a neutral BEDT-TTF molecule. Our results are in excellent agreement
with experimental results. We show that a planar structure is not a stable
state of a neutral BEDT-TTF molecule. We consider three possible conformations
and discuss their relation to disorder in these systems.Comment: 3 pages, 2 figures, submitted to the proceedings of ISCOM 200
Fabrication and test of a space power boiler feed electromagnetic pump. Part 1: Design and manufacture of pump
A three-phase helical induction electromagnetic (EM) pump has been designed and built. This pump was designed for use as the boiler-feed pump of a potassium Rankine-cycle space electric power system. The pump is constructed of high temperature materials including a T-111 duct, Hiperco 27 magnetic material, nickel clad silver conductor wire, and a completely inorganic insulation system. The pump is designed to deliver 3.25 lb/sec potassium at 1000 F with a developed head of 240 psi while being cooled by 800 F NaK. At these conditions, the overall pump efficiency is expected to be 18%
Diet Effects on Dairy Manure Nitrogen Excretion and Cycling
The amount and forms of (nitrogen) N excreted by ruminant livestock and post excretion manure N cycling are highly influenced by what is fed. For example, the relative amount of urinary N, faecal endogenous N of microbial and gut origin, and faecal undigested feed N is affected by how much dietary fibre and secondary compounds (e.g., tannins, polyphneolics) are consumed. Each manure N component has a different propensity for loss; for example via ammonia (NH3) volatilisation (Misselbrook et al., 2004), leaching, and cycles differently in the soil-plant continuum (Powell, 2003). We evaluated dairy diet effects on amount and forms of manure N excreted and post excretion cycling of manure N from different diets after application to soil
Implementing Quantum Gates by Optimal Control with Doubly Exponential Convergence
We introduce a novel algorithm for the task of coherently controlling a
quantum mechanical system to implement any chosen unitary dynamics. It performs
faster than existing state of the art methods by one to three orders of
magnitude (depending on which one we compare to), particularly for quantum
information processing purposes. This substantially enhances the ability to
both study the control capabilities of physical systems within their coherence
times, and constrain solutions for control tasks to lie within experimentally
feasible regions. Natural extensions of the algorithm are also discussed.Comment: 4+2 figures; to appear in PR
Electronic and magnetic properties of the ionic Hubbard model on the striped triangular lattice at 3/4 filling
We report a detailed study of a model Hamiltonian which exhibits a rich
interplay of geometrical spin frustration, strong electronic correlations, and
charge ordering. The character of the insulating phase depends on the magnitude
of Delta/|t| and on the sign of t. We find a Mott insulator for Delta >> U >>
|t|; a charge transfer insulator for U >> \Delta >> |t|; and a correlated
covalent insulator for U >> \Delta ~ |t|. The charge transfer insulating state
is investigated using a strong coupling expansion. The frustration of the
triangular lattice can lead to antiferromagnetism or ferromagnetism depending
on the sign of the hopping matrix element, t. We identify the "ring" exchange
process around a triangular plaquette which determines the sign of the magnetic
interactions. Exact diagonalization calculations are performed on the model for
a wide range of parameters and compared to the strong coupling expansion. The
regime U >> \Delta ~ |t| and t<0 is relevant to Na05CoO2. The calculated
optical conductivity and the spectral density are discussed in the light of
recent experiments on Na05CoO2.Comment: 15 pages, 15 figure
Antiferromagnetic Spin Fluctuations in the Metallic Phase of Quasi-Two-Dimensional Organic Superconductors
We give a quantitative analysis of the previously published nuclear magnetic
resonance (NMR) experiments in the k-(ET)2X family of organic charge transfer
salts by using the phenomenological spin fluctuation model of Moriya, and
Millis, Monien and Pines (M-MMP). For temperatures above T_nmr ~ 50 K, the
model gives a good quantitative description of the data in the metallic phases
of several k-(ET)2X materials. These materials display antiferromagnetic
correlation lengths which increase with decreasing temperature and grow to
several lattice constants by T_nmr. It is shown that the fact that the
dimensionless Korringa ratio is much larger than unity is inconsistent with a
broad class of theoretical models (such as dynamical mean-field theory) which
neglects spatial correlations and/or vertex corrections. For materials close to
the Mott insulating phase the nuclear spin relaxation rate, the Knight shift
and the Korringa ratio all decrease significantly with decreasing temperature
below T_nmr. This cannot be described by the M-MMP model and the most natural
explanation is that a pseudogap, similar to that observed in the underdoped
cuprate superconductors, opens up in the density of states below T_nmr. Such a
pseudogap has recently been predicted to occur in the dimerised organic charge
transfer salts materials by the resonating valence bond (RVB) theory. We
propose specific new experiments on organic superconductors to elucidate these
issues. For example, measurements to see if high magnetic fields or high
pressures can be used to close the pseudogap would be extremely valuable.Comment: 11 pages, 2 figures. Accepted for publication in Phys. Rev.
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