Kinetics of the reaction of nitric oxide with hydrogen

Mixtures of NO and H2 diluted in argon or krypton were heated by incident shock waves, and the infrared emission from the fundamental vibration-rotation band of NO at 5.3 microns was used to monitor the time-varying NO concentration. The reaction kinetics were studied in the temperature range 2400-4500 K using a shock-tube technique. The decomposition of nitric oxide behind the shock was found to be modeled well by a fifteen-reaction system. A principle result of the study was the determination of the rate constant for the reaction H + NO yields N + OH, which may be the rate-limiting step for NO removal in some combustion systems. Experimental values of k sub 1 were obtained for each test through comparisons of measured and numerically predicted NO profiles

Evaluation of a wind-tunnel gust response technique including correlations with analytical and flight test results

A wind tunnel technique for obtaining gust frequency response functions for use in predicting the response of flexible aircraft to atmospheric turbulence is evaluated. The tunnel test results for a dynamically scaled cable supported aeroelastic model are compared with analytical and flight data. The wind tunnel technique, which employs oscillating vanes in the tunnel throat section to generate a sinusoidally varying flow field around the model, was evaluated by use of a 1/30 scale model of the B-52E airplane. Correlation between the wind tunnel results, flight test results, and analytical predictions for response in the short period and wing first elastic modes of motion are presented

Control and coherence of the optical transition of single defect centers in diamond

We demonstrate coherent control of the optical transition of single Nitrogen-Vacancy defect centers in diamond. On applying short resonant laser pulses, we observe optical Rabi oscillations with a half-period as short as 1 nanosecond, an order of magnitude shorter than the spontaneous emission time. By studying the decay of Rabi oscillations, we find that the decoherence is dominated by laser-induced spectral jumps. By using a low-power probe pulse as a detuning sensor and applying post-selection, we demonstrate that spectral diffusion can be overcome in this system to generate coherent photons.Comment: 5 pages,4 figure

Promoting international collaboration on ocean acidification data management. Ocean Acidification International Coordination Centre Workshop; Monaco, 23-24 April 2014

Ocean acidification, often referred to as “the other carbon dioxide problem,” is the progressive increase in ocean acidity that has taken place since the onset of the industrial revolution. Biological and ecological studies of ocean acidification impacts only began in the late 1990s, but the field has evolved rapidly, with exponential growth in the past decade. For example, 374 papers on this subject were published in 2013, compared with only 18 in 2004 (see http://tinyurl.com/oaicc-biblio)

The relationships between high latitude convection reversals and the energetic particle morphology observed by the Atmosphere Explorer

Simultaneous measurements of the auroral zone particle precipitation and the ion convection velocity by Atmosphere Explorer show a consistent difference between the location of the poleward boundary of the auroral particle precipitation and the ion convection reversal. The difference of about 1.5 degrees of invariant latitude is such that some part of the antisunward convection lies wholly within the auroral particle precipitation region. The nature of the convection reversals within the precipitation region suggests that in this region the convection electric field is generated on closed field lines that connect in the magnetosphere to the low latitude boundary layer

Decomposition of NO studied by infrared emission and CO laser absorption

A diagnostic technique for monitoring the concentration of NO using absorption of CO laser radiation was developed and applied in a study of the decomposition kinetics of NO. Simultaneous measurements of infrared emission by NO at 5.3 microns were also made to validate the laser absorption technique. The data were obtained behind incident shocks in NO-N2O-Ar (or Kr) mixtures, with temperatures in the range 2400-4100 K. Rate constants for dominant reactions were inferred from comparisons with computer simulations of the reactive flow

Corporate Psychopaths in Public Agencies?

Corporate leaders with psychopathic traits are the subject of a growing scientific literature. Recently, scholars have begun to examine such personalities in public agencies. In this article, we relate psychopathic public leaders to research on toxic and destructive leadership, leader personality disorder, and the Dark Triad/Tetrad of psychopathic, narcissistic, Machiavellian, and sadistic personalities. Via a brief scenario, we illustrate how the term “corporate psychopath” might be used by lay employees lacking psychiatric expertise as a catchall term for any one of the four dark types in a leadership role. We argue that dark personalities are found in public agency leadership and could perhaps be increasing in numbers. We highlight their prejudice toward immigrants and implications for public policy affecting minority groups. After outlining organizational responses discussed in the literature, we consider servant leadership as a screening strategy to help select constructive public leaders. Some areas for future research are suggested

Spin filling of a quantum dot derived from excited-state spectroscopy

We study the spin filling of a semiconductor quantum dot using excited-state spectroscopy in a strong magnetic field. The field is oriented in the plane of the two-dimensional electron gas in which the dot is electrostatically defined. By combining the observation of Zeeman splitting with our knowledge of the absolute number of electrons, we are able to determine the ground state spin configuration for one to five electrons occupying the dot. For four electrons, we find a ground state spin configuration with total spin S=1, in agreement with Hund's first rule. The electron g-factor is observed to be independent of magnetic field and electron number.Comment: 11 pages, 7 figures, submitted to New Journal of Physics, focus issue on Solid State Quantum Informatio

Feasibility study - 30 watt per pound roll-up solar array Quarterly technical report, 1 Jul. - 30 Sep. 1967

Configuration, rod tradeoff, and deployment parameter studies for design of solar panel arra