Shuttle Ku-band and S-band communications implementations study

The interfaces between the Ku-band system and the TDRSS, between the S-band system and the TDRSS, GSTDN and SGLS networks, and between the S-band payload communication equipment and the other Orbiter avionic equipment were investigated. The principal activities reported are: (1) performance analysis of the payload narrowband bent-pipe through the Ku-band communication system; (2) performance evaluation of the TDRSS user constraints placed on the S-band and Ku-band communication systems; (3) assessment of the shuttle-unique S-band TDRSS ground station false lock susceptibility; (4) development of procedure to make S-band antenna measurements during orbital flight; (5) development of procedure to make RFI measurements during orbital flight to assess the performance degradation to the TDRSS S-band communication link; and (6) analysis of the payload interface integration problem areas

Effect of Aqueous Ozone on the NF-κB System

Ozone has been proposed as an alternative oral antiseptic in dentistry, due to its antimicrobial power reported for gaseous and aqueous forms, the latter showing a high biocompatibility with mammalian cells. New therapeutic strategies for the treatment of periodontal disease and apical periodontitis should consider not only antibacterial effects, but also their influence on the host immune response. Therefore, our aim was to investigate the effect of aqueous ozone on the NF-κB system, a paradigm for inflammationassociated signaling/transcription. We showed that NF-κB activity in oral cells stimulated with TNF, and in periodontal ligament tissue from root surfaces of periodontally damaged teeth, was inhibited following incubation with ozonized medium. Under this treatment, IκBalpah proteolysis, cytokine expression, and κB-dependent transcription were prevented. Specific ozonized amino acids were shown to represent major inhibitory components of ozonized medium. In summary, our study establishes a condition under which aqueous ozone exerts inhibitory effects on the NF-κB system, suggesting that it has an antiinflammatory capacity

Shuttle Ku-band and S-band communications implementation study

Various aspects of the shuttle orbiter S-band network communication system, the S-band payload communication system, and the Ku-band communication system are considered. A method is proposed for obtaining more accurate S-band antenna patterns of the actual shuttle orbiter vehicle during flight because the preliminary antenna patterns using mock-ups are not realistic that they do not include the effects of additional appendages such as wings and tail structures. The Ku-band communication system is discussed especially the TDRS antenna pointing accuracy with respect to the orbiter and the modifications required and resulting performance characteristics of the convolutionally encoded high data rate return link to maintain bit synchronizer lock on the ground. The TDRS user constraints on data bit clock jitter and data asymmetry on unbalanced QPSK with noisy phase references are included. The S-band payload communication system study is outlined including the advantages and experimental results of a peak regulator design built and evaluated by Axiomatrix for the bent-pipe link versus the existing RMS-type regulator. The nominal sweep rate for the deep-space transponder of 250 Hz/s, and effects of phase noise on the performance of a communication system are analyzed

Shuttle orbiter Ku-band radar/communications system design evaluation

Tasks performed in an examination and critique of a Ku-band radar communications system for the shuttle orbiter are reported. Topics cover: (1) Ku-band high gain antenna/widebeam horn design evaluation; (2) evaluation of the Ku-band SPA and EA-1 LRU software; (3) system test evaluation; (4) critical design review and development test evaluation; (5) Ku-band bent pipe channel performance evaluation; (6) Ku-band LRU interchangeability analysis; and (7) deliverable test equipment evaluation. Where discrepancies were found, modifications and improvements to the Ku-band system and the associated test procedures are suggested

Quantum Number Density Asymmetries Within QCD Jets Correlated With Lambda Polarization

The observation of jets in a variety of hard-scattering processes has allowed the quantitative study of perturbative quantum chromodynamics (PQCD) by comparing detailed theoretical predictions with a wide range of experimental data. This paper examines how some important, nonperturbative, facets of QCD involving the internal dynamical structure of jets can be studied by measuring the spin orientation of Lambda particles produced in these jets. The measurement of the transverse polarization for an individual Lambda within a QCD jet permits the definition of spin-directed asymmetries in local quantum number densities in rapidity space (such as charge, strangeness and baryon number densities) involving neighboring hadrons in the jet. These asymmetries can only be generated by soft, nonperturbative dynamical mechanisms and such measurements can provide insight not otherwise accessible into the color rearrangement that occurs during the hadronization stage of the fragmentation process.Comment: The replacement manuscript contains a new abstract, five pages of additional material and a revised version of Fig.

The Nature of Heavy Quasiparticles in Magnetically Ordered Heavy Fermions

The optical conductivity of the heavy fermions UPd2Al3 and UPt3 has been measured in the frequency range from 10 GHz to 1.2 THz (0.04 meV to 5 meV) at temperatures 1 K < T < 300 K. In both compounds a well pronounced pseudogap of less than a meV develops in the optical response at low temperatures; we relate this to the antiferromagnetic ordering. From the energy dependence of the effective electronic mass and scattering rate we derive the energies essential for the heavy quasiparticle. We find that the enhancement of the mass mainly occurs below the energy which is related to magnetic correlations between the local magnetic moments and the itinerant electrons. This implies that the magnetic order in these compounds is the pre-requisite to the formation of the heavy quasiparticle and eventually of superconductivity.Comment: RevTeX, 4 pages, 3 figures, email: [email protected]

A new charge-transfer complex in UHV co-deposited tetramethoxypyrene and tetracyanoquinodimethane

UHV-deposited films of the mixed phase of tetramethoxypyrene and tetracyanoquinodimethane (TMP1-TCNQ1) on gold have been studied using ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy (UPS), X-ray-diffraction (XRD), infrared (IR) spectroscopy and scanning tunnelling spectroscopy (STS). The formation of an intermolecular charge-transfer (CT) compound is evident from the appearance of new reflexes in XRD (d1= 0.894 nm, d2= 0.677 nm). A softening of the CN stretching vibration (red-shift by 7 cm-1) of TCNQ is visible in the IR spectra, being indicative of a CT of the order of 0.3e from TMP to TCNQ in the complex. Characteristic shifts of the electronic level positions occur in UPS and STS that are in reasonable agreement with the prediction of from DFT calculations (Gaussian03 with hybrid functional B3LYP). STS reveals a HOMO-LUMO gap of the CT complex of about 1.25 eV being much smaller than the gaps (>3.0 eV) of the pure moieties. The electron-injection and hole-injection barriers are 0.3 eV and 0.5 eV, respectively. Systematic differences in the positions of the HOMOs determined by UPS and STS are discussed in terms of the different information content of the two methods.Comment: 20 pages, 6 figure

Transient electrical conductivity of W-based electron beam induced deposits during growth, irradiation and exposure to air

W-based granular metals have been prepared by electron beam induced deposition from the tungsten-hexacarbonyl W(CO)6 precursor. In situ electrical conductivity measurements have been performed to monitor the growth process and to investigate the behavior of the deposit under electron beam post irradiation and by exposure to air. During the first part of the growth process, the electrical conductivity grows non-linearly, independent of the electron beam parameters. This behavior is interpreted as the result of the increase of the W-particles diameter. Once the growth process is terminated, the electrical conductivity decreases with the logarithm of time, sigma ln(t). Temperature-dependent conductivity measurements of the deposits reveal that the electrical transport takes place by means of electron tunneling either between W-metal grains or between grains and trap sites in the matrix. After venting the electron microscope the electrical conductivity of the deposits shows a degradation behavior, which depends on the composition. Electron post-irradiation increases the electrical conductivity of the deposits

SEM-EDS analyses of small craters in stardust aluminium foils: implications for the Wild-2 dust distribution

Implications for the Wild-2 dust distribution of the statistical results obtained by SEM-EDS from nearly 300 impact craters on aluminium foils of the Stardust sample tray assembly

Pseudogap in the Optical Spectra of UPd_2Al_3

The in-plane optical conductivity of UPd_2Al_3 was measured at temperatures $2 {\rm K}<T<300$ K in the spectral range from 1 cm^{-1} to 40 cm^{-1} (0.14 meV to 5 meV). As the temperature decreases below 25 K a well pronounced pseudogap of 0.2 meV develops in the optical response. In addition we observe a narrow conductivity peak at zero frequency which at 2 K is less than 1 cm^{-1} wide but which contains only a fraction of the delocalized carriers. The gap in the electronic excitations might be an inherent feature of the heavy fermioin ground state.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures (submitted to Phys. Rev. Lett.