Two New Genera of Hemisarcoptidae (Acari: Astigmata) From the Huron Mountains of Northern Michigan

Two new genera and species of Hemisarcoptidae, Superioropus huronmontanus and Huronopus michiganensis are described from deutonymphs phoretic on ichneumonid wasps from the Huron Mountains, Marquette County, Michigan

Geometric efficiency of an electroformed nickel solar concentrator

Geometric efficiency of electroformed paraboloidal nickel solar energy concentrator calculated from optical ray trace dat

A superconducting qubit with Purcell protection and tunable coupling

We present a superconducting qubit for the circuit quantum electrodynamics architecture that has a tunable coupling strength g. We show that this coupling strength can be tuned from zero to values that are comparable with other superconducting qubits. At g = 0 the qubit is in a decoherence free subspace with respect to spontaneous emission induced by the Purcell effect. Furthermore we show that in the decoherence free subspace the state of the qubit can still be measured by either a dispersive shift on the resonance frequency of the resonator or by a cycling-type measurement.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figure

Simulation study of intracity helicopter operations under instrument conditions to category 1 minimums

A fixed-base simulator study was conducted to define pilot workload and task performance associated with instrument flight operations for an intracity helicopter passenger service. Displays considered necessary to provide a minimal capability under Instrument Flight Rules conditions were used to fly a representative commercial helicopter route structure in the New York area, with each terminal assumed to be equipped with a precision approach guidance system. A cross section of pilots participated as test subjects, and despite the high workload level, the results indicated that for the assumptions employed, minimums of 61 m (200 ft) ceiling and 805 m (0.5 mile) visibility were feasible

Beyond XSPEC: Towards Highly Configurable Analysis

We present a quantitative comparison between software features of the defacto standard X-ray spectral analysis tool, XSPEC, and ISIS, the Interactive Spectral Interpretation System. Our emphasis is on customized analysis, with ISIS offered as a strong example of configurable software. While noting that XSPEC has been of immense value to astronomers, and that its scientific core is moderately extensible--most commonly via the inclusion of user contributed "local models"--we identify a series of limitations with its use beyond conventional spectral modeling. We argue that from the viewpoint of the astronomical user, the XSPEC internal structure presents a Black Box Problem, with many of its important features hidden from the top-level interface, thus discouraging user customization. Drawing from examples in custom modeling, numerical analysis, parallel computation, visualization, data management, and automated code generation, we show how a numerically scriptable, modular, and extensible analysis platform such as ISIS facilitates many forms of advanced astrophysical inquiry.Comment: Accepted by PASP, for July 2008 (15 pages

Interacting Qubit-Photon Bound States with Superconducting Circuits

Qubits strongly coupled to a photonic crystal give rise to many exotic physical scenarios, beginning with single and multi-excitation qubit-photon dressed bound states comprising induced spatially localized photonic modes, centered around the qubits, and the qubits themselves. The localization of these states changes with qubit detuning from the band-edge, offering an avenue of in situ control of bound state interaction. Here, we present experimental results from a device with two qubits coupled to a superconducting microwave photonic crystal and realize tunable on-site and inter-bound state interactions. We observe a fourth-order two photon virtual process between bound states indicating strong coupling between the photonic crystal and qubits. Due to their localization-dependent interaction, these states offer the ability to create one-dimensional chains of bound states with tunable and potentially long-range interactions that preserve the qubits' spatial organization, a key criterion for realization of certain quantum many-body models. The widely tunable, strong and robust interactions demonstrated with this system are promising benchmarks towards realizing larger, more complex systems of bound states