Design considerations for the airframe-integrated scramjet

Research programs at the NASA Langley Research Center on the development of airframe-integrated scramjet concepts (supersonic combustion ramjet) are reviewed briefly. The design and performance of a specific scramjet configuration are examined analytically by use of recently developed and substantiated techniques on boundary-layer development, heat transfer, fuel-air mixing, heat-release rates, and engine-cycle analysis. These studies indicate that the fixed-geometry scramjet module will provide practical levels of thrust performance with low cooling requirements. Areas which need particular emphasis in further development work are the combustor design for low speeds and the integrated nozzle design

Oscillator strengths for OII ions

Oscillator strengths between various doublet states of OII ions are calculated in which extensive multi-configuration wave functions are used. The lower levels for the transitions are of the 2p(3) D(2)o and 2p(3) 2po states, and the upper levels are 2p(4), 3s, and 3d states. The results, which are estimated to have errors of less than 10% for individual transitions, agree quite well with the beam foil experiments, as well as with the calculations by use of the non-closed shell many electron theory (NCMET). The agreement with the rocket measurements is also good except for the 538/581 A pair, in which the 538 A line is believed to be blend with the other stronger quartet line. However, a comparison with the recent branching ratio measurement indicates that discrepances between the present calculation and th experiment do exist for certain transistions

Shifting of the magnetic resonance peak to lower energy in the superconducting state of underdoped YBa_2Cu_3O_{6.8}

Inelastic neutron scattering has been used to determine the dynamic spin fluctuations in an underdoped high temperature superconductor YBCO_{6.8} single crystal. The magnetic resonance, that occurs around 40 meV in overdoped samples, is shifted to a lower energy, E_r= 34 meV. A constant ratio, $E_r/ k_B T_C= 4.9 \pm 0.2$, almost independent of the doping level, is found. According to numerous theoretical approaches, this finding supports the idea that the resonance energy is proportional (approximately twice) to the superconducting gap.Comment: 8 pages, 3 figures, accepted in Europhysics Lette

Voltage-controlled inversion of tunnel magnetoresistance in epitaxial Nickel/Graphene/MgO/Cobalt junctions

We report on the fabrication and characterization of vertical spin-valve structures using a thick epitaxial MgO barrier as spacer layer and a graphene-passivated Ni film as bottom ferromagnetic electrode. The devices show robust and scalable tunnel magnetoresistance, with several changes of sign upon varying the applied bias voltage. These findings are explained by a model of phonon-assisted transport mechanisms that relies on the peculiarity of the band structure and spin density of states at the hybrid graphene|Ni interface

Distortion of the Stoner-Wohlfarth astroid by a spin-polarized current

The Stoner-Wohlfarth astroid is a fundamental object in magnetism. It separates regions of the magnetic field space with two stable magnetization equilibria from those with only one stable equilibrium and it characterizes the magnetization reversal of nano-magnets induced by applied magnetic fields. On the other hand, it was recently demonstrated that transfer of spin angular momentum from a spin-polarized current provides an alternative way of switching the magnetization. Here, we examine the astroid of a nano-magnet with uniaxial magnetic anisotropy under the combined influence of applied fields and spin-transfer torques. We find that spin-transfer is most efficient at modifying the astroid when the external field is applied along the easy-axis of magnetization. On departing from this situation, a threshold current appears below which spin-transfer becomes ineffective yielding a current-induced dip in the astroid along the easy-axis direction. An extension of the Stoner-Wohlfarth model is outlined which accounts for this phenomenon.Comment: 8 pages, 6 figure

Lensing Effects on the Protogalaxy Candidate cB58 and their Implications for the Cosmological Constant

The amplification of the protogalaxy candidate cB58 due to gravitational lensing by the foreground cluster of galaxies MS1512.4+3647 is quantified based on recent ROSAT and ASCA X-ray observations. It is found that the amplification is at most 25 for any reasonable cosmological model with or without cosmological constant. It is also argued that the system may be used to place new constraints on the value of the cosmological constant. The gas mass fraction for this cluster is found to be about 0.2.Comment: LaTex, 9 pages, 9 figures, uses aas2pp4.sty, Accepted for publication in Ap

Waiting to Copy: On the Dynamics of the Market for Technology

Preliminary Version We examine the appropriability problem of an inventor who brings to the market a successful innovation that can be legally copied. We study this problem in a dynamic model in which imitators can “enter ” the market either by copying the invention at a cost or by buying knowledge (a license) from the inventor. The …rst imitator to enter the market can then resell his acquired knowledge to the remaining imitators. This dynamic interaction in the licensing market dramatically a¤ects the conventional wisdom on the need for intellectual property rights. Our main result reveals that, in equilibrium, imitators delay their entry into the market and thus the inventor retains monopoly rents for some time. Second, we show that the innovator strictly prefers to o¤er non-exclusive rather than exclusive licenses which would forbid reselling by the imitators. Last, we prove that when the innovator faces a large number of imitators, her equilibrium reward converges to monopoly pro…ts

The Solar Neighborhood. XXVI. AP Col: The Closest (8.4 pc) Pre-Main-Sequence Star

We present the results of a multi-technique investigation of the M4.5Ve flare star AP Col, which we discover to be the nearest pre-main-sequence star. These include astrometric data from the CTIO 0.9m, from which we derive a proper motion of 342.0+/-0.5 mas yr^-1, a trigonometric parallax of 119.21+/-0.98 mas (8.39+/-0.07 pc), and photometry and photometric variability at optical wavelengths. We also provide spectroscopic data, including radial velocity (22.4+/-0.3 km s^-1), lithium Equivalent Width (EW) (0.28+/-0.02 A), H-alpha EW (-6.0 to -35 A), {\it vsini} (11+/-1 km s^-1), and gravity indicators from the Siding Spring 2.3-m WiFeS, Lick 3-m Hamilton echelle, and Keck-I HIRES echelle spectrographs. The combined observations demonstrate that AP Col is the closer of only two known systems within 10 pc of the Sun younger than 100 Myr. Given its space motion and apparent age of 12-50 Myr, AP Col is likely a member of the recently proposed ~40 Myr old Argus/IC 2391 association.Comment: 31 pages, 11 figure

Gaussian Optical Ising Machines

It has recently been shown that optical parametric oscillator (OPO) Ising machines, consisting of coupled optical pulses circulating in a cavity with parametric gain, can be used to probabilistically find low-energy states of Ising spin systems. In this work, we study optical Ising machines that operate under simplified Gaussian dynamics. We show that these dynamics are sufficient for reaching probabilities of success comparable to previous work. Based on this result, we propose modified optical Ising machines with simpler designs that do not use parametric gain yet achieve similar performance, thus suggesting a route to building much larger systems.Comment: 6 page