Flow direction measurement with fixed probes

Fixed-position probes for determination of flow direction in one and two planes are tested over a wide range of Reynolds numbers and Mach numbers. The work is limited to tests of a single probe design for two dimensional flow and a single design for three dimensional flow

Total-pressure measurement in pulsating flows

Pneumatic-type probe was used as comparison instrument with total pressure tubes to determine true average pressure and, thus, to determine if nonlinear averaging effects were significant. Since pneumatic probe is more complicated to use than a total-pressure tube, it is used only as a comparison instrument to determine extent of averaging effects

Breakdown of Angular Momentum Selection Rules in High Pressure Optical Pumping Experiments

We present measurements, using two complementary methods, of the breakdown of atomic angular momentum selection rules in He-broadened Rb vapor. Atomic dark states are rendered weakly absorbing due to fine-structure mixing during Rb-He collisions. The effect substantially increases the photon demand for optical pumping of dense vapors

Reciprocal relationships in collective flights of homing pigeons

Collective motion of bird flocks can be explained via the hypothesis of many wrongs, and/or, a structured leadership mechanism. In pigeons, previous studies have shown that there is a well-defined hierarchical structure and certain specific individuals occupy more dominant positions --- suggesting that leadership by the few individuals drives the behavior of the collective. Conversely, by analyzing the same data-sets, we uncover a more egalitarian mechanism. We show that both reciprocal relationships and a stratified hierarchical leadership are important and necessary in the collective movements of pigeon flocks. Rather than birds adopting either exclusive averaging or leadership strategies, our experimental results show that it is an integrated combination of both compromise and leadership which drives the group's movement decisions.Comment: 7 pages, 5 figure

Leading SU(3)-breaking corrections to the baryon magnetic moments in Chiral Perturbation Theory

We calculate the baryon magnetic moments using covariant Chiral Perturbation Theory ($\chi$PT) within the Extended-on-mass-shell (EOMS) renormalization scheme. By fitting the two available low-energy constants (LECs), we improve the Coleman-Glashow description of the data when we include the leading SU(3) breaking effects coming from the lowest-order loops. This success is in dramatic contrast with previous attempts at the same order using Heavy Baryon (HB) $\chi$PT and covariant Infrared (IR) $\chi$PT. We also analyze the source of this improvement with particular attention on the comparison between the covariant results.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figures, accepted for publication in PR

Large-Amplitude, Pair-Creating Oscillations in Pulsar and Black Hole Magnetospheres

A time-dependent model for pair creation in a pulsar magnetosphere is developed. It is argued that the parallel electric field that develops in a charge-starved region (a gap) of a pulsar magnetosphere oscillates with large amplitude. Electrons and positrons are accelerated periodically and the amplitude of the oscillations is assumed large enough to cause creation of upgoing and downgoing pairs at different phases of the oscillation. With a charge-starved initial condition, we find that the oscillations result in bursts of pair creation in which the pair density rises exponentially with time. The pair density saturates at $N_\pm\simeq E_{0}^2/(8\pi m_ec^2\Gamma_{\rm thr})$, where $E_0$ is the parallel electric field in the charge-starved initial state, and $\Gamma_{\rm thr}$ is the Lorentz factor for effec tive pair creation. The frequency of oscillations following the pair creation burst is given roughly by $\omega_{\rm osc}=eE_0/(8m_ec\Gamma_{\rm thr})$. A positive feedback keeps the system stable, such that the average pair creation rate balances the loss rate due to pairs escaping the magnetosphere.Comment: 21 pages, 6 figures, ApJ submitte

Electroweak Fermion-loop Contributions to the Muon Anomalous Magnetic Moment

The two-loop electroweak corrections to the anomalous magnetic moment of the muon, generated by fermionic loops, are calculated. An interesting role of the top quark in the anomaly cancellation is observed. New corrections, including terms of order $G_\mu \alpha m_t^2$, are computed and a class of diagrams previously thought to vanish are found to be important. The total fermionic correction is $-(23\pm 3) \times 10^{-11}$ which decreases the electroweak effects on $g-2$, predicted from one-loop calculations, by 12\%. We give an updated theoretical prediction for $g-2$ of the muon.Comment: Corrected versio

Intrinsic peculiarities of real material realizations of a spin-1/2 kagome lattice

Spin-1/2 magnets with kagome geometry, being for years a generic object of theoretical investigations, have few real material realizations. Recently, a DFT-based microscopic model for two such materials, kapellasite Cu3Zn(OH)6Cl2 and haydeeite Cu3Mg(OH)6Cl2, was presented [O. Janson, J. Richter and H. Rosner, arXiv:0806.1592]. Here, we focus on the intrinsic properties of real spin-1/2 kagome materials having influence on the magnetic ground state and the low-temperature excitations. We find that the values of exchange integrals are strongly dependent on O--H distance inside the hydroxyl groups, present in most spin-1/2 kagome compounds up to date. Besides the original kagome model, considering only the nearest neighbour exchange, we emphasize the crucial role of the exchange along the diagonals of the kagome lattice.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures. A paper for the proceedings of the HFM 2008 conferenc

Wind measurement system

A system for remotely measuring vertical and horizontal winds present in discrete volumes of air at selected locations above the ground is described. A laser beam is optically focused in range by a telescope, and the output beam is conically scanned at an angle about a vertical axis. The backscatter, or reflected light, from the ambient particulates in a volume of air, the focal volume, is detected for shifts in wavelength, and from these, horizontal and vertical wind components are computed

Thermophysical and chemical characterization of charring ablative materials Final report

Thermophysical and chemical properties of charring ablative material