23,161 research outputs found
Ubiquitous energy storage
This paper presents a vision of a future power system with "ubiquitous energy storage", where storage would be utilized at all levels of the electricity system. The growing requirement for storage is reviewed, driven by the expansion of distributed generation. The capabilities and existing applications of various storage technologies are presented, providing a useful review of the state of the art. Energy storage will have to be integrated with the power system and there are various ways in which this may be achieved. Some of these options are discussed, as are commercial and regulatory issues. In two case studies, the costs and benefits of some storage options are assessed. It is concluded that electrical storage is not cost effective but that thermal storage offers attractive opportunities
Coupling Non-Gravitational Fields with Simplicial Spacetimes
The inclusion of source terms in discrete gravity is a long-standing problem.
Providing a consistent coupling of source to the lattice in Regge Calculus (RC)
yields a robust unstructured spacetime mesh applicable to both numerical
relativity and quantum gravity. RC provides a particularly insightful approach
to this problem with its purely geometric representation of spacetime. The
simplicial building blocks of RC enable us to represent all matter and fields
in a coordinate-free manner. We provide an interpretation of RC as a discrete
exterior calculus framework into which non-gravitational fields naturally
couple with the simplicial lattice. Using this approach we obtain a consistent
mapping of the continuum action for non-gravitational fields to the Regge
lattice. In this paper we apply this framework to scalar, vector and tensor
fields. In particular we reconstruct the lattice action for (1) the scalar
field, (2) Maxwell field tensor and (3) Dirac particles. The straightforward
application of our discretization techniques to these three fields demonstrates
a universal implementation of coupling source to the lattice in Regge calculus.Comment: 10 pages, no figures, Latex, fixed typos and minor corrections
Interplanetary MeV electrons of Jovian origin
Observations of low energy electron increases observed in interplanetary space on Pioneer 10 are reported as it approached Jupiter. These discrete bursts were several hundred times the normal quiet-time electron flux, and became more frequent as one approached Jupiter resulting in the quasi-continuous presence of large fluxes of these electrons in interplanetary space. It is noted that the integrated flux from quiet-time electrons is comparable to the integrated ambient electron flux itself. In addition, the spectrum of electrons observed in Jupiter's magnetosphere, on Pioneer 10 in interplanetary space near Jupiter, for the quiet-time increases near the earth, and for the ambient electron spectrum are all remarkably similar. These two lines of evidence suggest the possibility that Jupiter could be the source of most of the ambient electrons at low energies
Jovian protons and electrons: Pioneer 11
A preliminary account of the Pioneer 11 passage through the Jovian magnetosphere as viewed by particle detector systems is presented. Emphasis is placed on the region well within the Jovian magnetosphere using data from the LET-II telescope, which measured the proton flux from 0.2 to 21.2 MeV in seven energy intervals and electrons from 0.1 to 2 MeV in four energy intervals. The relative trajectories of Pioneer 10 and 11 are discussed and indicate that Pioneer 11 was exposed to a much lower total radiation dose than Pioneer 10, largely as a result of the retrograde trajectory which approached and exited the inner region of the magnetosphere at high latitudes. Angular distributions, calculations from Pioneer 11 magnetic field data, and the low-energy nucleon component are included in the discussion
Quark-Lepton Symmetry In Five Dimensions
We construct a complete five dimensional Quark-Lepton symmetric model, with
all fields propagating in the bulk. The extra dimension forms an orbifold with the zero mode fermions corresponding to standard model
quarks localised at one fixed point. Zero modes corresponding to
left(right)-chiral leptons are localised at (near) the other fixed point. This
localisation pattern is motivated by the symmetries of the model. Shifting the
right-handed neutrinos and charged leptons slightly from the fixed point
provides a new mechanism for understanding the absence of relations of the type
or in Quark-Lepton symmetric models. Flavour changing
neutral currents resulting from Kaluza Klein gluon exchange, which typically
arise in the quark sector of split fermion models, are suppressed due to the
localisation of quarks at one point. The separation of quarks and leptons in
the compact extra dimension also acts to suppress the proton decay rate. This
permits the extra dimension to be much larger than that obtained in a previous
construct, with the bound TeV obtained.Comment: 12 pages, references added to match published versio
The Evolution of Circumstellar Disks in Ophiuchus Binaries
Four Ophiuchus binaries, two Class I systems and two Class II systems, with
separations of ~450-1100 AU, were observed with the Owens Valley Radio
Observatory (OVRO) millimeter interferometer. In each system, the 3 mm
continuum maps show dust emission at the location of the primary star, but no
emission at the position of the secondary. This result is different from
observations of less evolved Class 0 binaries, in which dust emission is
detected from both sources. The nondetection of secondary disks is, however,
similar to the dust distribution seen in wide Class II Taurus binaries. The
combined OVRO results from the Ophiuchus and Taurus binaries suggest that
secondary disk masses are significantly lower than primary disk masses by the
Class II stage, with initial evidence that massive secondary disks are reduced
by the Class I stage. Although some of the secondaries retain hot inner disk
material, the early dissipation of massive outer disks may negatively impact
planet formation around secondary stars. Masses for the circumprimary disks are
within the range of masses measured for disks around single T Tauri stars and,
in some cases, larger than the minimum mass solar nebula. More massive primary
disks are predicted by several formation models and are broadly consistent with
the observations. Combining the 3 mm data with previous 1.3 mm observations,
the dust opacity power-law index for each primary disk is estimated. The
opacity index values are all less than the scaling for interstellar dust,
possibly indicating grain growth within the circumprimary disks
Cold atom gravimetry with a Bose-Einstein Condensate
We present a cold atom gravimeter operating with a sample of Bose-condensed
Rubidium-87 atoms. Using a Mach-Zehnder configuration with the two arms
separated by a two-photon Bragg transition, we observe interference fringes
with a visibility of 83% at T=3 ms. We exploit large momentum transfer (LMT)
beam splitting to increase the enclosed space-time area of the interferometer
using higher-order Bragg transitions and Bloch oscillations. We also compare
fringes from condensed and thermal sources, and observe a reduced visibility of
58% for the thermal source. We suspect the loss in visibility is caused partly
by wavefront aberrations, to which the thermal source is more susceptible due
to its larger transverse momentum spread. Finally, we discuss briefly the
potential advantages of using a coherent atomic source for LMT, and present a
simple mean-field model to demonstrate that with currently available
experimental parameters, interaction-induced dephasing will not limit the
sensitivity of inertial measurements using freely-falling, coherent atomic
sources.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figures. Final version, published PR
Experimental study of ceramic coated tip seals for turbojet engines
Ceramic gas-path seals were fabricated and successfully operated over 1000 cycles from flight idle to maximum power in a small turboshaft engine. The seals were fabricated by plasma spraying zirconia over a NiCoCrAlX bond boat on the Haynes 25 substrate. Coolant-side substrate temperatures and related engine parameters were recorded. Post-test inspection revealed mudflat surface cracking with penetration to the ceramic bond-coat interface
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