19,527 research outputs found
The Viking rocket: A memoir
The development and testing of the Viking rocket series is reviewed. These twelve sounding rockets were launched from 1949 to 1954
Vortex ratchet reversal: The role of interstitial vortices
Triangular arrays of Ni nanotriangles embedded in superconducting Nb films
exhibit unexpected dynamical vortex effects. Collective pinning with a vortex
lattice configuration different from the expected fundamental triangular
"Abrikosov state" is found. The vortex motion which prevails against the
triangular periodic potential is produced by channelling effects between
triangles. Interstitial vortices coexisting with pinned vortices in this
asymmetric potential, lead to ratchet reversal, i.e. a DC output voltage which
changes sign with the amplitude of an applied alternating drive current. In
this landscape, ratchet reversal is always observed at all magnetic fields (all
numbers of vortices) and at different temperatures. The ratchet reversal is
unambiguously connected to the presence of two locations for the vortices:
interstitial and above the artificial pinning sites.Comment: 21 pages, 4 figures, 1 Tabl
A Pulsational Model for the Orthogonal Polarization Modes in Radio Pulsars
In an earlier paper, we introduced a model for pulsars in which non-radial
oscillations of high spherical degree (\el) aligned to the magnetic axis of a
spinning neutron star were able to reproduce subpulses like those observed in
single-pulse measurements of pulsar intensity. The model did not address
polarization, which is an integral part of pulsar emission. Observations show
that many pulsars emit radio waves that appear to be the superposition of two
linearly polarized emission modes with orthogonal polarization angles. In this
paper, we extend our model to incorporate linear polarization. As before, we
propose that pulsational displacements of stellar material modulate the pulsar
emission, but now we apply this modulation to a linearly-polarized mode of
emission, as might be produced by curvature radiation. We further introduce a
second polarization mode, orthogonal to the first, that is modulated by
pulsational velocities. We combine these modes in superposition to model the
observed Stokes parameters in radio pulsars.Comment: 19 pages, 4 figures accepted Ap
Searching for the MSW Enhancement
We point out that the length scale associated with the MSW effect is the
radius of the Earth. Therefore to verify matter enhancement of neutrino
oscillations, it will be necessary to study neutrinos passing through the
Earth. For the parameters of MSW solutions to the solar neutrino problem, the
only detectable effects occur in a narrow band of energies from 5 to 10 MeV. We
propose that serious consideration be given to mounting an experiment at a
location within 9.5 degrees of the equator.Comment: 10 pages, RevTe
Stable isotope evidence of meat eating and hunting specialization in adult male chimpanzees
Observations of hunting and meat eating in our closest living relatives, chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes), suggest that among primates, regular inclusion of meat in the diet is not a characteristic unique to Homo. Wild chimpanzees are known to consume vertebrate meat, but its actual dietary contribution is, depending on the study population, often either unknown or minimal. Constraints on continual direct observation throughout the entire hunting season mean that behavioral observations are limited in their ability to accurately quantify meat consumption. Here we present direct stable isotope evidence supporting behavioral observations of frequent meat eating among wild adult male chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes verus) in Taï National Park, Côte d’Ivoire. Meat eating among some of the male chimpanzees is significant enough to result in a marked isotope signal detectable on a short-term basis in their hair keratin and long-term in their bone collagen. Although both adult males and females and juveniles derive their dietary protein largely from daily fruit and seasonal nut consumption, our data indicate that some adult males also derive a large amount of dietary protein from hunted meat. Our results reinforce behavioral observations of male-dominated hunting and meat eating in adult Taï chimpanzees, suggesting that sex differences in food acquisition and consumption may have persisted throughout hominin evolution, rather than being a recent development in the human lineage
Charge-Focusing Readout of Time Projection Chambers
Time projection chambers (TPCs) have found a wide range of applications in
particle physics, nuclear physics, and homeland security. For TPCs with
high-resolution readout, the readout electronics often dominate the price of
the final detector. We have developed a novel method which could be used to
build large-scale detectors while limiting the necessary readout area. By
focusing the drift charge with static electric fields, we would allow a small
area of electronics to be sensitive to particle detection for a much larger
detector volume. The resulting cost reduction could be important in areas of
research which demand large-scale detectors, including dark matter searches and
detection of special nuclear material. We present simulations made using the
software package Garfield of a focusing structure to be used with a prototype
TPC with pixel readout. This design should enable significant focusing while
retaining directional sensitivity to incoming particles. We also present first
experimental results and compare them with simulation.Comment: 5 pages, 17 figures, Presented at IEEE Nuclear Science Symposium 201
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