4,485 research outputs found
Cockpit weather radar display demonstrator and ground-to-air sferics telemetry system
The results of two methods of obtaining timely and accurate severe weather presentations in the cockpit are detailed. The first method described is a course up display of uplinked weather radar data. This involves the construction of a demonstrator that will show the feasibility of producing a course up display in the cockpit of the NASA simulator at Langley. A set of software algorithms was designed that could easily be implemented, along with data tapes generated to provide the cockpit simulation. The second method described involves the uplinking of sferic data from a ground based 3M-Ryan Stormscope. The technique involves transfer of the data on the CRT of the Stormscope to a remote CRT. This sferic uplink and display could also be included in an implementation on the NASA cockpit simulator, allowing evaluation of pilot responses based on real Stormscope data
Long-life mission reliability for outer planet atmospheric entry probes
The results of a literature analysis on the effects of prolonged exposure to deep space environment on the properties of outer planet atmospheric entry probe components are presented. Materials considered included elastomers and plastics, pyrotechnic devices, thermal control components, metal springs and electronic components. The rates of degradation of each component were determined and extrapolation techniques were used to predict the effects of exposure for up to eight years to deep space. Pyrotechnic devices were aged under accelerated conditions to an equivalent of eight years in space and functionally tested. Results of the literature analysis of the selected components and testing of the devices indicated that no severe degradation should be expected during an eight year space mission
Room-Temperature Continuous-Wave Vertical-Cavity Single-Quantum-Well Microlaser Diodes
Room-temperature continuous and pulsed lasing of vertical-cavity, single-quantum-well, surface-emitting microlasers is achieved at ~983nm. The active Ga[sub][0-8]In[sub][0-2]As single quantum well is 100 [angstroms] thick. These microlasers have the smallest gain medium volumes among lasers ever built. The entire laser structure is grown by molecular beam epitaxy and the microlasers are formed by chemically assisted ion-beam etching. The microlasers are 3-50-ÎŒm across. The minimum threshold currents are 1.1 mA (pulsed) and 1.5 mA (CW)
Low-Threshold Electrically Pumps Vertical-Cavity Surface-Emitting Microlasers
Vertical-cavity electrically driven lasers with three GaInAs
quantum wells and diameters of several ÎŒm exhibit room-temperature pulsed current thresholds as low as 1.3mA with 958 nm output wavelength
Stress relaxation in F-actin solutions by severing
Networks of filamentous actin (F-actin) are important for the mechanics of
most animal cells. These cytoskeletal networks are highly dynamic, with a
variety of actin-associated proteins that control cross-linking, polymerization
and force generation in the cytoskeleton. Inspired by recent rheological
experiments on reconstituted solutions of dynamic actin filaments, we report a
theoretical model that describes stress relaxation behavior of these solutions
in the presence of severing proteins. We show that depending on the kinetic
rates of assembly, disassembly, and severing, one can observe both
length-dependent and length-independent relaxation behavior
Draft Genome Sequences of Staphylococcus sp. Strain CWZ226, of Unknown Origin, and Pseudomonas sp. Strain CVAP#3, Antagonistic to Strain CWZ226
Many Staphylococcus and Pseudomonas species, such as Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, are opportunistic human pathogens. However, Pseudomonas species are also known to produce bioactive compounds. Here, we report on the genome sequences of a Pseudomonas isolate and a Staphylococcus species of unknown origin that it inhibits
Polarimetry of the Type Ia Supernova SN 1996X
We present broad-band and spectropolarimetry of the Type Ia SN 1996X obtained
on April 14, 1996 (UT), and broad-band polarimetry of SN 1996X on May 22,1996,
when the supernova was about a week before and 4 weeks after optical maximum,
respectively. The Stokes parameters derived from the broad-band polarimetry are
consistent with zero polarization. The spectropolarimetry, however, shows broad
spectral features which are due intrinsically to an asymmetric SN atmosphere.
The spectral features in the flux spectrum and the polarization spectrum show
correlations in the wavelength range from 4900 AA up to 5500 AA. The degree of
this intrinsic component is low (<0.3 %). Theoretical polarization spectra have
been calculated. It is shown that the polarization spectra are governed by line
blending. Consequently, for similar geometrical distortions, the residual
polarization is smaller by about a factor of 2 to 3 compared to the less
blended Type II atmosphere, making it intrinsically harder to detect
asphericities in SNIa. Comparison with theoretical model polarization spectra
shows a resemblance to the observations. Taken literally, this implies an
asphericity of about 11 % in the chemical distribution in the region of partial
burning. This may not imperil the use of Type Ia supernovae as standard candles
for distance determination, but nontheless poses a source of uncertainty. SN
1996X is the first Type Ia supernova for which spectropolarimetry revealed a
polarized component intrinsic to the supernova and the first Type Ia with
spectropolarimetry well prior to optical maximum.Comment: 7 pages, 5 figures, macros 'aas2pp4.sty,psfig.tex'. LaTeX Style.
Astrophysical Journal Letters, submitted September 199
Strongly Localized State of a Photon at the Intersection of the Phase Slips in 2D Photonic Crystal with Low Contrast of Dielectric Constant
Two-dimensional photonic crystal with a rectangular symmetry and low contrast
(< 1) of the dielectric constant is considered. We demonstrate that, despite
the {\em absence} of a bandgap, strong localization of a photon can be achieved
for certain ``magic'' geometries of a unit cell by introducing two
phase slips along the major axes. Long-living photon mode is bound to the
intersection of the phase slips. We calculate analytically the lifetime of this
mode for the simplest geometry -- a square lattice of cylinders of a radius,
. We find the magic radius, , of a cylinder to be 43.10 percent of the
lattice constant. For this value of , the quality factor of the bound mode
exceeds . Small () deviation of from results in a
drastic damping of the bound mode.Comment: 6 pages, 2 figure
Massive creation of entangled exciton states in semiconductor quantum dots
An intense laser pulse propagating in a medium of inhomogeneously broadened
quantum dots massively creates entangled exciton states. After passage of the
pulse all single-exciton states remain unpopulated (self-induced transparency)
whereas biexciton coherence (exciton entanglement) is generated through
two-photon transitions. We propose several experimental techniques for the
observation of such unexpected behavior
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