Precision Quartz Oscillators and Their Use in Small Satellites

Space-qualified precision quartz oscillators are ideal instruments for use aboard small satellites as the heart of the spacecraft navigation system as well as for other applications such as radio science experiments, pseudorandom communications, and altimetry. This paper provides information on the history of precision quartz oscillator use aboard small satellites and discusses potential applications and design tradeoffs. The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory pioneered the use of precision quartz oscillators in small satellites in 1958. Current performance parameters of oscillators designed by the Applied Physics Laboratory will be presented along with mass and power considerations

Evidence for large superhumps in TX Col and V4742 Sgr

Since the discovery of the largest positive superhump period in TV Col, we have started a program to search for superhumps in CVs with large orbital periods. Here, we summarize preliminary results of TX Col and V4742 Sgr. TX Col is an intermediate polar with a 5.7-h orbital period. V4742 Sgr is a recent nova with no known periods. CCD unfiltered continuous photometry of these 2 objects was carried out during 56 nights in 2002-3. In TX Col, in addition to the orbital period of 5.7 h, we found peaks at 7.1 h and 5.0 h. These are interpreted as positive and negative superhumps correspondingly, although the effects of the quasi-periodic oscillations at about 2 h were not taken into consideration. In the light curve of V4742 Sgr 2 long periods are detected -- 6.1 and 5.4 h as well as a short-term period at 1.6 h. This result suggests that V4742 Sgr is an intermediate polar candidate and a permanent superhump system with a large orbital period (5.4 h) and a superhump period excess of 13 percent. If these results are confirmed, TX Col, V4742 Sgr and TV Col form a group of intermediate polars with extremely large superhump periods. There seems to be now growing evidence that superhumps can occur in intermediate polars with long orbital periods, which is very likely inconsistent with the theoretical prediction that superhumps can only occur in systems with mass ratios below 0.33. Alternatively, if the mass ratio in these systems is nevertheless below the theoretical limit, they should harbour undermassive secondaries and massive white dwarfs, near the Chandrasekhar limit, which would make them excellent candidates for progenitors of supernovae type Ia.Comment: 9 pages, 8 figures, 3 sty files, To appear in the proceedings of IAU JD5, `White Dwarfs: Galactic and Cosmological Probes', eds. Ed Sion, Stephane Vennes and Harry Shipman, Full abstract in pape

Transcriptional analysis of Foxp3+ Tregs and functions of two identified molecules during resolution of ALI

Recovery from acute lung injury (ALI) is an active process. Foxp3+ Tregs contribute to recovery from ALI through modulating immune responses and enhancing alveolar epithelial proliferation and tissue repair. The current study investigates Treg transcriptional profiles during resolution of ALI in mice. Tregs from either lung or splenic tissue were isolated from uninjured mice or mice recovering from ALI and then examined for differential gene expression between these conditions. In mice with ALI, Tregs isolated from the lungs had hundreds of differentially expressed transcripts compared with those from the spleen, indicating that organ specificity and microenvironment are critical in Treg function. These regulated transcripts suggest which intracellular signaling pathways modulate Treg behavior. Interestingly, several transcripts having no prior recognized function in Tregs were differentially expressed by lung Tregs during resolution. Further investigation into 2 identified transcripts, Mmp12 and Sik1, revealed that Treg-specific expression of each plays a role in Treg-promoted ALI resolution. This study provides potentially novel information describing the signals that may expand resident Tregs, recruit or retain them to the lung during ALI, and modulate their function. The results provide insight into both tissue- and immune microenvironment–specific transcriptional differences through which Tregs direct their effects

Direct observation by resonant tunneling of the B^+ level in a delta-doped silicon barrier

We observe a resonance in the conductance of silicon tunneling devices with a delta-doped barrier. The position of the resonance indicates that it arises from tunneling through the B^+ state of the boron atoms of the delta-layer. Since the emitter Fermi level in our devices is a field-independent reference energy, we are able to directly observe the diamagnetic shift of the B^+ level. This is contrary to the situation in magneto-optical spectroscopy, where the shift is absorbed in the measured ionization energy.Comment: submitted to PR

Optical Detection of a Single Nuclear Spin

We propose a method to optically detect the spin state of a 31-P nucleus embedded in a 28-Si matrix. The nuclear-electron hyperfine splitting of the 31-P neutral-donor ground state can be resolved via a direct frequency discrimination measurement of the 31-P bound exciton photoluminescence using single photon detectors. The measurement time is expected to be shorter than the lifetime of the nuclear spin at 4 K and 10 T.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figure

Properties of high-frequency wave power halos around active regions: an analysis of multi-height data from HMI and AIA onboard SDO

We study properties of waves of frequencies above the photospheric acoustic cut-off of $\approx$5.3 mHz, around four active regions, through spatial maps of their power estimated using data from Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager (HMI) and Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA) onboard Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO). The wavelength channels 1600 {\AA} and 1700 {\AA} from AIA are now known to capture clear oscillation signals due to helioseismic p modes as well as waves propagating up through to the chromosphere. Here we study in detail, in comparison with HMI Doppler data, properties of the power maps, especially the so called 'acoustic halos' seen around active regions, as a function of wave frequencies, inclination and strength of magnetic field (derived from the vector field observations by HMI) and observation height. We infer possible signatures of (magneto-)acoustic wave refraction from the observation height dependent changes, and hence due to changing magnetic strength and geometry, in the dependences of power maps on the photospheric magnetic quantities. We discuss the implications for theories of p mode absorption and mode conversions by the magnetic field.Comment: 22 pages, 12 figures, Accepted by journal Solar Physic

Temperature and Frequency Dependence of Complex Conductance of Ultrathin YBa2Cu3O7-x Films: A Study of Vortex-Antivortex Pair Unbinding

We have studied the temperature dependencies of the complex sheet conductance of 1-3 unit cell (UC) thick YBa2Cu3O7-x films sandwiched between semiconducting Pr0.6Y0.4Ba2Cu3O7-x layers at high frequencies. Experiments have been carried out in a frequency range between: 2 - 30 MHz with one-spiral coil technique, 100 MHz - 1 GHz frequency range with a new technique using the spiral coil cavity and at 30 GHz by aid of a resonant cavity technique. The real and imaginary parts of the mutual-inductance between a coil and a film were measured and converted to complex conductivity by aid of the inversion procedure. We have found a quadratic temperature dependence of the kinetic inductance, L_k^-1(T), at low temperatures independent of frequency, with a break in slope at T^dc_BKT, the maximum of real part of conductance and a large shift of the break temperature and the maximum position to higher temperatures with increasing frequency. We obtain from these data the universal ratio T^dc_BKT/L_k^-1(T^dc_BKT) = 25, 25, and 17 nHK for 1-, 2- and 3UC films, respectively in close agreement with theoretical prediction of 12 nHK for vortex-antivortex unbinding transition. The activated temperature dependence of the vortex diffusion constant was observed and discussed in the framework of vortex-antivortex pair pinning. PACS numbers: 74.80.Dm, 74.25.Nf, 74.72.Bk, 74.76.BzComment: PDF file, 10 pages, 6 figures, to be published in J. Low Temp. Phys.; Proc. of NATO ARW: VORTEX 200

An aggravated trajectory of depression and anxiety co-morbid with hepatitis C: : A 21 to 62 month follow-up study in 61 South Australian outpatients

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to explore the course of depression and anxiety in chronic hepatitis C patients. METHODS:   Data were combined from two studies: (1) Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) scores in 395 consecutive Australian outpatients from 2006 to 2010 formed the baseline measurement; and (2) Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS) scores in a survey of a sub-sample of these patients in 2011 formed the follow-up measurement. After converting DASS to HADS scores, changes in symptom scores and rates of case-ness (≥8), and predictors of follow-up symptoms were assessed. RESULTS:   Follow-up data were available for 61 patients (70.5% male) whose age ranged from 24.5 to 74.6 years (M=45.6). The time to follow-up ranged from 20.7 to 61.9 months (M=43.8). Baseline rates of depression (32.8%) and anxiety (44.3%) increased to 62.3% and 67.2%, respectively. These findings were confirmed, independent of the conversion, by comparing baseline HADS and follow-up DASS scores with British community norms. Baseline anxiety and younger age predicted depression, while baseline anxiety, high school non-completion, and single relationship status predicted anxiety. CONCLUSION:  This study demonstrated a worsening trajectory of depression and anxiety. Further controlled and prospective research in a larger sample is required to confirm these findings

Observation of the rare decay K_S -> pi^0mu^+mu^-

A search for the decay K_S -> pi^0mu^+mu^- has been made by the NA48/1 Collaboration at the CERN SPS accelerator. The data were collected during 2002 with a high-intensity K_S beam. Six events were found with a background expectation of 0.22^+0.18_-0.11 event. Using a vector matrix element and unit form factor, the measured branching ratio is B(K_S -> pi^0mu^+mu^-)=[2.9^+1.5_-1.2(stat)+/-0.2(syst)]x10^{-9}.Comment: 19 pages, 8 figures, 4 tables. To be published in Physics Letters

First Observation and Measurement of the Decay K+- -> pi+- e+ e- gamma

Using the full data set of the NA48/2 experiment, the decay K+- -> pi+- e+ e- gamma is observed for the first time, selecting 120 candidates with 7.3 +- 1.7 estimated background events. With K+- -> pi+- pi0D as normalisation channel, the branching ratio is determined in a model-independent way to be Br(K+- -> pi+- e+ e- gamma, m_eegamma > 260 MeV/c^2) = (1.19 +- 0.12_stat +- 0.04_syst) x 10^-8. This measured value and the spectrum of the e+ e- gamma invariant mass allow a comparison with predictions of Chiral Perturbation Theory.Comment: 13 pages, 3 figures. Accepted for publication in Phys.Lett.