How integrative modelling can break down disciplinary silos

This paper has been published in a peer-reviewed journal as: Kragt, M.E., Robson, B.J. & Macleod, C.J.A. (2013) Modellers’ roles in structuring integrative research projects. Environmental Modelling & Software, 39(1): 322-330. DOI: 10.1016/j.envsoft.2012.06.015Environmental modelling, Interdisciplinary research, Transdisciplinarity, Integration, Research Methods/ Statistical Methods, Q57, Y80, Z19,

Antenna Arrangement Verification for Low Sidelobe Levels

Space-to-earth Wireless Power Transfer (WPT) in large scale will not be allowed unless the side lobe levels (SLL) can be reduced many orders of magnitude lower than the current technology allows. In particular, high SLL could potentially interfere with aircraft communications around the beam, while the area inside the beam would necessarily be a no-fly zone, similar as over nuclear power plants. To overcome this, the transmitting antenna must be cleverly designed and controlled. In this work, independent validation of the layout, spacing, and envelope arrangement of a design first proposed in 2016 is performed and presented. This design involves a hexagonal design with a triangular antenna element arrangement and a spacing of 0.8 wavelengths using the Dolph-Chebychev beam profile. While this has been shown to produce -240 dB SLL in the AWR Design Environment already, it will now be analyzed using the MATLAB Phased Array System Toolbox. The design will also be investigated on a smaller scale, with the potential for use in other applications, including the powering of low orbit weather balloons or unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). The possibility of very low SLL would be transformational in these and other WPT applications, including space solar power, and could greatly benefit humanity and the environment

Gender Roles and Behavior in Social Dilemmas: Are there Sex Differences in Cooperation and in its Justification?

10 pagesData from two experimental social dilemmas-a set of 66 nine-person dilemmas and a set of 64 seven-person dilemmas-were used to examine sex differences in cooperation. Women were only slightly more likely than men to cooperate with others, and variables related to the experimental setting were much more important influences on behavior than sex. Whether or not the women cooperated, they were more likely than men to justify their behavior as being altruistic and principled, to believe that they were more oriented toward harmonious group relations, and to be less nervous and upset at the end of the experiment. It is suggested that those who speculate on sex differences in cooperation may have overstated these differences and that the relationship between self-schema and behavior may vary depending on the extent to which the attributes studied relate to gender identity

Spacetenna Flatness and Error Correction

Wireless Power Transfer (WPT) from space-to-earth at a large scale will not be possible until the Side Lobe Levels (SLL) are reduced many orders of magnitude from the current technology available today. To accomplish this, careful design of the transmitting antenna (spacetenna) is imperative. Any module failures or errors in connectivity, including askew angles between adjacent sandwich modules, reduce the effectiveness of the antenna design and thereby increase SLL. This work examines two interrelated issues; error detection and repair, and spacetenna flatness correction. Multiple different designs of sandwich module mechanical connections, wiring, and control are examined. The results of the analysis and best options are presented in order to facilitate for ultra-low SLL for use in Space Solar Power for the benefit of humanity and the environment

HARPS3 for a Roboticized Isaac Newton Telescope

We present a description of a new instrument development, HARPS3, planned to be installed on an upgraded and roboticized Isaac Newton Telescope by end-2018. HARPS3 will be a high resolution (R = 115,000) echelle spectrograph with a wavelength range from 380-690 nm. It is being built as part of the Terra Hunting Experiment - a future 10 year radial velocity measurement programme to discover Earth-like exoplanets. The instrument design is based on the successful HARPS spectrograph on the 3.6m ESO telescope and HARPS-N on the TNG telescope. The main changes to the design in HARPS3 will be: a customised fibre adapter at the Cassegrain focus providing a stabilised beam feed and on-sky fibre diameter ~ 1.4 arcsec, the implementation of a new continuous flow cryostat to keep the CCD temperature very stable, detailed characterisation of the HARPS3 CCD to map the effective pixel positions and thus provide an improved accuracy wavelength solution, an optimised integrated polarimeter and the instrument integrated into a robotic operation. The robotic operation will optimise our programme which requires our target stars to be measured on a nightly basis. We present an overview of the entire project, including a description of our anticipated robotic operation.Comment: 13 pages, 8 figures, SPIE conference proceeding

Performance Estimates for a Fuel-Free Stationary Platform in the Stratosphere

High-altitude pseudo-satellites (HAPS) may be kept aloft indefinitely with station-keeping provided by plasma air thrusters (PAT) using wireless power transfer (WPT) from a terrestrial phased array antenna (PAA). One example is the patented “Sitallite” superpressure balloon with a rectifying antenna (rectenna) covering its underside, with thrusters around the periphery. Such a stationary platform can provide continuous observation and communications capabilities covering vast areas for a fraction of the cost required for an orbiting satellite. This work builds upon the design and safety study published elsewhere to provide performance estimates for a long-duration, persistent HAPS powered by electronically-steerable microwave beams. Newly-derived efficiency equations are used to provide accurate estimates of free-space WPT transfer efficiency based on the dimensions of the ground-based PAA and the rectenna. Calculations of air drag for a spheroidal bouyant shape are used to derive PAT power requirements, and these, together with power conversion circuitry, are used to size the overall system. Accurate estimates of cost are derived. These performance estimates can be used to help make economic and logistic decisions, as a fuel-free HAPS with PAT and powered by WPT can be lofted in less time, and with lower risk, than an orbital satellite of comparable capabilities

Wireless Power Transfer to Sitallite Stratospheric Platform

The following topics are dealt with: artificial satellites; ionospheric electromagnetic wave propagation; Global Positioning System; satellite navigation; ionospheric techniques; radiowave propagation; space vehicle electronics; ionospheric disturbances; total electron content (atmosphere); and magnetic storms