From an axiological standpoint

I maintain that intrinsic value is the fundamental concept of axiology. Many contemporary philosophers disagree; they say the proper object of value theory is final value. I examine three accounts of the nature of final value: the first claims that final value is non‐instrumental value; the second claims that final value is the value a thing has as an end; the third claims that final value is ultimate or non‐derivative value. In each case, I argue that the concept of final value described is either identical with the classical notion of intrinsic value or is not a plausible candidate for the primary concept of axiology

Correlating simulated surface marks with near-surface tornado structure

Tornadoes often leave behind patterns of debris deposition, or surface marks , which provide a direct signature of their near surface winds. The intent of this thesis is to investigate what can be learned about near-surface tornado structure and intensity through the properties of surface marks generated by simulated, debris-laden tornadoes. Earlier work showed through numerical simulations that the tornado\u27s structure and intensity is highly sensitive to properties of the near-surface flow and can change rapidly in time for some conditions. The strongest winds often occur within tens of meters of the surface where the threat to human life and property is highest, and factors such as massive debris loadings and asymmetry of the main vortex have proven to be critical complications in some regimes. However, studying this portion of the flow in the field is problematic; while Doppler radar provides the best tornado wind field measurements, it cannot probe below about 20 m, and interpretation of Doppler data requires assumptions about tornado symmetry, steadiness in time, and correlation between scatterer and air velocities that are more uncertain near the surface.;As early as 1967, Fujita proposed estimating tornado wind speeds from analysis of aerial photography and ground documentation of surface marks. A handful of studies followed but were limited by difficulties in interpreting physical origins of the marks, and little scientific attention has been paid to them since. Here, Fujita\u27s original idea is revisited in the context of three-dimensional, large-eddy simulations of tornadoes with fully-coupled debris.;In this thesis, the origins of the most prominent simulated marks are determined and compared with historical interpretations of real marks. The earlier hypothesis that cycloidal surface marks were directly correlated with the paths of individual vortices (either the main vortex or its secondary vortices, when present) is unsupported by the simulation results. Cycloids in the simulations arise from debris deposited beneath the central annular updraft that has converged from a much larger area and are modulated by turbulent fluctuations in debris amount. Other classes of marks noted in the literature such as lineation and scalloping are also reinterpreted. Variations in the shapes, sizes, and spacings of surface marks with the most critical dimensionless parameters characterizing near-surface and debris cloud structure are explored. Analysis techniques are presented to capture the geometric properties of marks in some regimes, and possibilities for inferring near-surface vortex flow scales from mark properties are discussed. The prospects are promising enough to warrant documentation of surface marks when available (likely through aerial photography), particularly for cases where useful Doppler measurements have been gathered

A long constraint length VLSI Viterbi decoder for the DSN

A Viterbi decoder, capable of decoding convolutional codes with constraint lengths up to 15, is under development for the Deep Space Network (DSN). The objective is to complete a prototype of this decoder by late 1990, and demonstrate its performance using the (15, 1/4) encoder in Galileo. The decoder is expected to provide 1 to 2 dB improvement in bit SNR, compared to the present (7, 1/2) code and existing Maximum Likelihood Convolutional Decoder (MCD). The decoder will be fully programmable for any code up to constraint length 15, and code rate 1/2 to 1/6. The decoder architecture and top-level design are described

Journal Staff

Electrical properties and strain gauge factor of Cr/SiOx cermet films with compositions 50/50 and 70/30 wt% were investigated in order to evaluate their use in strain gauge devices. The films were deposited by flash evaporation. The microstructures and resulting phases were characterized by electron diffraction and electron microscopy. The influence of the thickness and deposition rate on the sheet resistance, the temperature coefficient of resistance and the gauge factor were investigated. The results are consistent with a mixed conduction mechanism with metallic and a thermally activated tunneling components, between interconnected and discrete conductive phases, respectively.Se investigaron las propiedades eléctricas y el factor extensométrico de películas del cermet- Cr/SiOx en composiciones 50/50 y 70/30 % en peso, para evaluar su uso en dispositivos "strain gauge". Las películas fueron depositadas por evaporación "flash". Las estructuras y fases resultantes fueron caracterizadas por microscopía y difracción de electrones. Se estudió la influencia del espesor y la velocidad del depósito sobre la resistencia laminar, el coeficiente térmico de resistencia y el factor extensométrico. Los resultados son consistentes con un mecanismo de conducción mixto, con una componente metálica y otra por efecto túnel térmicamente activado, entre fases conductoras interconectadas y discretas, respectivamente

Development of a battery status monitor

A prototype battery status monitor system has been developed. The functions of the system are: (1) to provide the energy status of the battery, (2) to measure and transmit basic battery parameters, (3) to process these measurements required to determine abnormal functioning of the battery, and (4) to transmit warning signals of the abnormal condition along with a go/no go signal. The system was developed for use with the space shuttle