3,822 research outputs found
A low noise, high thermal stability, 0.1 K test facility for the Planck HFI bolometers
We are developing a facility which will be used to characterize the bolometric detectors for Planck, an ESA mission to investigate the Cosmic Microwave Background. The bolometers operate at 0.1 K, employing neutron-transmutation doped (NTD) Ge thermistors with resistances of several megohms to achieve NEPs~1Ć10^(ā17) W Hz^(ā1/2). Characterization of the intrinsic noise of the bolometers at frequencies as low as 0.010 Hz dictates a test apparatus thermal stability of 40 nK Hz^(ā1/2) to that frequency. This temperature stability is achieved via a multi-stage isolation and control geometry with high resolution thermometry implemented with NTD Ge thermistors, JFET source followers, and dedicated lock-in amplifiers. The test facility accommodates 24 channels of differential signal readout, for measurement of bolometer V(I) characteristics and intrinsic noise. The test facility also provides for modulated radiation in the submillimeter band incident on the bolometers, for measurement of the optical speed-of-response; this illumination can be reduced below detectable limits without interrupting cryogenic operation. A commercial Oxford Instruments dilution refrigerator provides the cryogenic environment for the test facility
On BPS bounds in D=4 N=2 gauged supergravity II: general matter couplings and black hole masses
We continue the analysis of BPS bounds started in arXiv:1110.2688, extending
it to the full class of N=2 gauged supergravity theories with arbitrary vector
and hypermultiplets. We derive the general form of the asymptotic charges for
asymptotically flat (M_4), anti-de Sitter (AdS_4), and magnetic anti-de Sitter
(mAdS_4) spacetimes. Some particular examples from black hole physics are given
to explicitly demonstrate how AdS and mAdS masses differ when solutions with
non-trivial scalar profiles are considered.Comment: 21 pages; v2 added reference, published version; v3 minor correction
Does distributed leadership have a place in destination management organisations? A policy-makers perspective
Within an increasingly networked environment and recent transitions in the landscape of funding for destination management organisations (DMOs) and destinations, pooling knowledge and resources may well be seen as a prerequisite to ensuring the long-term sustainability of reshaped, yet financially constrained DMOs facing severe challenges to deliver value to destinations, visitors and member organisations. Distributed Leadership (DL) is a recent paradigm gaining momentum in destination research as a promising response to these challenges. Building on the scarce literature on DL in a DMO context, this paper provides a policy-makersā perspective into the place of DL in reshaped DMOs and DMOs undergoing transformation and explores current challenges and opportunities to the enactment and practice of DL. The underpinned investigation used in-depth, semi-structured interviews with policy-makers from VisitEngland following an interview agenda based on the DMO Leadership Cycle. Policy-makers within VisitEngland saw a multitude of opportunities for DMOs with regards to DL, but equally, they emphasised challenges acting as barriers to realising the potential benefits of introducing a DL model to DMOs as a response to uncertainty in the funding landscape
Spatial and Temporal Stability of Airglow Measured in the Meinel Band Window at 1191.3 nm
We report on the temporal and spatial fluctuations in the atmospheric
brightness in the narrow band between Meinel emission lines at 1191.3 nm using
an R=320 near-infrared instrument. We present the instrument design and
implementation, followed by a detailed analysis of data taken over the course
of a night from Table Mountain Observatory. The absolute sky brightness at this
wavelength is found to be 5330 +/- 30 nW m^-2 sr^-1, consistent with previous
measurements of the inter-band airglow at these wavelengths. This amplitude is
larger than simple models of the continuum component of the airglow emission at
these wavelengths, confirming that an extra emissive or scattering component is
required to explain the observations. We perform a detailed investigation of
the noise properties of the data and find no evidence for a noise component
associated with temporal instability in the inter-line continuum. This result
demonstrates that in several hours of ~100s integrations the noise performance
of the instrument does not appear to significantly degrade from expectations,
giving a proof of concept that near-IR line intensity mapping may be feasible
from ground-based sites.Comment: 15 figures, submitted to PAS
An Inverse Stefan Problem Relevant to Boilover: Heat Balance Integral Solutions and Analysis
Stefan problems relevant to burning oil-water systems are formulated. Two
moving boundary sub-problems are defined: burning liquid surface and
formation of a distillation (āhot zoneā) layer beneath it. The basic model
considers a heat transfer equation with internal heat generation due to radiation flux absorbed in the fuel depth. Inverse Stefan problem corresponding
to the first case solved by the heat balance integral method and
dimensionless scaling of semi-analytical solutions are at issue
BICEP3: a 95GHz refracting telescope for degree-scale CMB polarization
Bicep3 is a 550 mm-aperture refracting telescope for polarimetry of radiation in the cosmic microwave background at 95 GHz. It adopts the methodology of Bicep1, Bicep2 and the Keck Array experiments | it possesses sufficient resolution to search for signatures of the inflation-induced cosmic gravitational-wave background while utilizing a compact design for ease of construction and to facilitate the characterization and mitigation of systematics. However, Bicep3 represents a significant breakthrough in per-receiver sensitivity, with a focal plane area 5x larger than a Bicep2/Keck Array receiver and faster optics (f=1:6 vs. f=2:4). Large-aperture infrared-reflective metal-mesh filters and infrared-absorptive cold alumina filters and lenses were developed and implemented for its optics. The camera consists of 1280 dual-polarization pixels; each is a pair of orthogonal antenna arrays coupled to transition-edge sensor bolometers and read out by multiplexed SQUIDs. Upon deployment at the South Pole during the 2014-15 season, Bicep3 will have survey speed comparable to Keck Array 150 GHz (2013), and will signifcantly enhance spectral separation of primordial B-mode power from that of possible galactic dust contamination in the Bicep2 observation patch
How Do Tiger Moths Jam Bat Sonar?
The tiger moth Bertholdia trigona is the only animal in nature known to defend itself by jamming the sonar of its predators ā bats. In this study we analyzed the three-dimensional flight paths and echolocation behavior of big brown bats (Eptesicus fuscus) attacking B. trigona in a flight room over seven consecutive nights to determine the acoustic mechanism of the sonar-jamming defense. Three mechanisms have been proposed: (1) the phantom echo hypothesis, which states that bats misinterpret moth clicks as echoes; (2) the ranging interference hypothesis, which states that moth clicks degrade the bats\u27 precision in determining target distance; and (3) the masking hypothesis, which states that moth clicks mask the moth echoes entirely, making the moth temporarily invisible. On nights one and two of the experiment, the bats appeared startled by the clicks; however, on nights three through seven, the bats frequently missed their prey by a distance predicted by the ranging interference hypothesis (ā¼15ā20 cm). Three-dimensional simulations show that bats did not avoid phantom targets, and the bats\u27 ability to track clicking prey contradicts the predictions of the masking hypothesis. The moth clicks also forced the bats to reverse their stereotyped pattern of echolocation emissions during attack, even while bats continued pursuit of the moths. This likely further hinders the bats\u27 ability to track prey. These results have implications for the evolution of sonar jamming in tiger moths, and we suggest evolutionary pathways by which sonar jamming may have evolved from other tiger moth defense mechanisms
A Millimeter-wave Galactic Plane Survey with the BICEP Polarimeter
In order to study inflationary cosmology and the Milky Way Galaxy's composition and magnetic field structure, Stokes I, Q, and U maps of the Galactic plane covering the Galactic longitude range 260Ā° < ā < 340Ā° in three atmospheric transmission windows centered on 100, 150, and 220 GHz are presented. The maps sample an optical depth 1 ā¾ AV ā¾ 30, and are consistent with previous characterizations of the Galactic millimeter-wave frequency spectrum and the large-scale magnetic field structure permeating the interstellar medium. The polarization angles in all three bands are generally perpendicular to those measured by starlight polarimetry as expected and show changes in the structure of the Galactic magnetic field on the scale of 60Ā°. The frequency spectrum of degree-scale Galactic emission is plotted between 23 and 220 GHz (including WMAP data) and is fit to a two-component (synchrotron and dust) model showing that the higher frequency BICEP data are necessary to tightly constrain the amplitude and spectral index of Galactic dust. Polarized emission is detected over the entire region within two degrees of the Galactic plane, indicating the large-scale magnetic field is oriented parallel to the plane of the Galaxy. A trend of decreasing polarization fraction with increasing total intensity is observed, ruling out the simplest model of a constant Galactic magnetic field orientation along the line of sight in the Galactic plane. A generally increasing trend of polarization fraction with electromagnetic frequency is found, varying from 0.5%-1.5% at frequencies below 50 GHz to 2.5%-3.5% above 90 GHz. The effort to extend the capabilities of BICEP by installing 220 GHz band hardware is described along with analysis of the new band
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