Planetary Spectroscopy

The goal of this task is to acquire physical data on the atmospheres of the outer planets and Titan by means of ground-based spectroscopy, spectrophotometry, and spectral imaging at visible to near-infrared wavelengths (approximately 0.3 to 2.5 micrometer). These data constrain physical parameters which characterize properties and distribution of aerosols in the atmospheres of these bodies. Reduced spectral imaging of Neptune was accomplished. The data were analyzed in several ways. Direct inspection of images reveals the distribution of discrete clouds in the atmosphere, which indicate that the global distribution of clouds has changed since earlier imaging. Disk-integrated photometry obtained from the images demonstrates that the diurnal variability at methane-band wavelengths is caused by the presence of discrete clouds; short-term variability is also seen in the rotational light curve, providing evidence for modification of cloud structure on the planet. The center-to-limb brightness profiles of the equatorial region of Neptune were analyzed, which provided constraints on the location, albedos, and optical depths of aerosol scattering layers in the troposphere and lower stratosphere

AGRIBUSINESS AND EXTENSION: CHARACTERISTICS OF SUCCESSFUL PROGRAMS TO SERVE A RAPIDLY CHANGING CLIENTELE

The market for agribusiness extension activities and programming is diverse, intensely competitive, and national or international in scope. It is a market that agricultural economists cannot serve alone. Despite these complexities, a strong agribusiness extension effort is critical to the success of agribusiness research and teaching programs. Agribusiness extension opportunities include extending traditional agricultural economics research, small business management programs, economic/technical education programs, and management education. Keys for conducting successful agribusiness extension programs include understanding client needs, locating and employing the best instructional talent available, and flawless execution of the activity. Stimulating faculty interest in agribusiness extension is a major challenge. Most schools will have the opportunity to focus their traditional extension education efforts on the non-traditional agribusiness audience. A few schools will be successful in developing a new extension program emphasis in agribusiness management education. Both types of contradictions are important for the long-run viability of the profession.Agribusiness, Teaching/Communication/Extension/Profession,

ECONOMIC EVALUATION OF ALTERNATIVE SUPPLY CHAINS FOR SOYBEAN PEROXIDASE

Soybean peroxidase is an enzyme derived from soybean hulls. Peroxidase has much commercial potential as an ingredient in the manufacturer of polymers and specialty chemicals, as a dough conditioner, and as a component in medical test kits. Commodity soybean cultivars contain various amounts of active peroxidase enzyme. This study evaluates alternative supply chain arrangements for moving soybean hulls containing peroxidase from producer to processor. Results suggest at current peroxidase levels in soybeans, supply chain arrangements involving soybean segregation offer cost advantages over the standard commodity supply chain. In addition, a supply chain involving high peroxidase cultivars may offer enough cost savings over the commodity supply chain to justify full identity preservation of the high peroxidase soybeans from producer to processor.Agribusiness,

Crowding effects in vehicular traffic

While the impact of crowding on the diffusive transport of molecules within a cell is widely studied in biology, it has thus far been neglected in traffic systems where bulk behavior is the main concern. Here, we study the effects of crowding due to car density and driving fluctuations on the transport of vehicles. Using a microscopic model for traffic, we found that crowding can push car movement from a superballistic down to a subdiffusive state. The transition is also associated with a change in the shape of the probability distribution of positions from negatively-skewed normal to an exponential distribution. Moreover, crowding broadens the distribution of cars' trap times and cluster sizes. At steady state, the subdiffusive state persists only when there is a large variability in car speeds. We further relate our work to prior findings from random walk models of transport in cellular systems.Comment: 23 pages, 11 figures, accepted for publication in PLoS ON

Topologically protected surface Majorana arcs and bulk Weyl fermions in ferromagnetic superconductors

A number of ferromagnetic superconductors have been recently discovered which are believed to be in the so-called "equal spin pairing" (ESP) state. In the ESP state the Cooper pairs condense forming order parameters $\Delta_{\uparrow\uparrow}, \Delta_{\downarrow\downarrow}$ which are decoupled in the spin-sector. We show that these three-dimensional systems should generically support topologically protected surface Majorana arcs and bulk Weyl fermions as gapless excitations. Similar protected low-energy exotic quasiparticles should also appear in the recently discovered non-centrosymmteric superconductors in the presence of a Zeeman field. The protected surface arcs can be probed by angle-resolved photoemission (ARPES) as well as scanning tunneling microscope (STM) experiments.Comment: 5 pages and 2 figures; Figure 2 revised, typos correcte

The frequency of planetary debris around young white dwarfs

(Abridged) We present the results of the first unbiased survey for metal pollution among H-atmosphere (DA) white dwarfs with cooling ages of 20-200 Myr and 17000K < Teff < 27000K, using HST COS in the far UV between 1130 and 1435 A. The atmospheric parameters and element abundances are determined using theoretical models, which include the effects of element stratification due to gravitational settling and radiative levitation. We find 48 of the 85 DA white dwarfs studied, or 56% show traces of metals. In 25 stars, the elements can be explained by radiative levitation alone, although we argue that accretion has very likely occurred recently. The remaining 23 white dwarfs (27%) must be currently accreting. Together with previous studies, we find no accretion rate trend in cooling age from ~40 Myr to ~2 Gyr. The median, main sequence progenitor of our sample corresponds to a star of ~2 Msun, and we find 13 of 23 white dwarfs descending from 2-3 Msun late B- and A-type stars to be currently accreting. Only one of 14 targets with Mwd > 0.8 Msun is found to be currently accreting, which suggests a large fraction are double-degenerate mergers, and the merger discs do not commonly reform large planetesimals or otherwise pollute the remnant. We reconfirm our previous finding that two white dwarf Hyads are currently accreting rocky debris. At least 27%, and possibly up to ~50%, of all white dwarfs with cooling ages 20-200 Myr are accreting planetary debris. At Teff > 23000K, the luminosity of white dwarfs is likely sufficient to vaporize circumstellar dust, and hence no stars with strong metal-pollution are found. However, planetesimal disruption events should occur in this cooling age and Teff range as well, and likely result in short phases of high mass transfer rates. It appears that the formation of rocky planetary material is common around 2-3 Msun late B- and A-type stars.Comment: Accepted by A&

Identification of high-level functional/system requirements for future civil transports

In order to accommodate the rapid growth in commercial aviation throughout the remainder of this century, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is faced with a formidable challenge to upgrade and/or modernize the National Airspace System (NAS) without compromising safety or efficiency. A recurring theme in both the Aviation System Capital Investment Plan (CIP), which has replaced the NAS Plan, and the new FAA Plan for Research, Engineering, and Development (RE&D) rely on the application of new technologies and a greater use of automation. Identifying the high-level functional and system impacts of such modernization efforts on future civil transport operational requirements, particularly in terms of cockpit functionality and information transfer, was the primary objective of this project. The FAA planning documents for the NAS of the 2005 era and beyond were surveyed; major aircraft functional capabilities and system components required for such an operating environment were identified. A hierarchical structured analysis of the information processing and flows emanating from such functional/system components were conducted and the results documented in graphical form depicting the relationships between functions and systems

High speed research system study. Advanced flight deck configuration effects

In mid-1991 NASA contracted with industry to study the high-speed civil transport (HSCT) flight deck challenges and assess the benefits, prior to initiating their High Speed Research Program (HSRP) Phase 2 efforts, then scheduled for FY-93. The results of this nine-month effort are presented, and a number of the most significant findings for the specified advanced concepts are highlighted: (1) a no nose-droop configuration; (2) a far forward cockpit location; and (3) advanced crew monitoring and control of complex systems. The results indicate that the no nose-droop configuration is critically dependent upon the design and development of a safe, reliable, and certifiable Synthetic Vision System (SVS). The droop-nose configuration would cause significant weight, performance, and cost penalties. The far forward cockpit location, with the conventional side-by-side seating provides little economic advantage; however, a configuration with a tandem seating arrangement provides a substantial increase in either additional payload (i.e., passengers) or potential downsizing of the vehicle with resulting increases in performance efficiencies and associated reductions in emissions. Without a droop nose, forward external visibility is negated and takeoff/landing guidance and control must rely on the use of the SVS. The technologies enabling such capabilities, which de facto provides for Category 3 all-weather operations on every flight independent of weather, represent a dramatic benefits multiplier in a 2005 global ATM network: both in terms of enhanced economic viability and environmental acceptability

Where Is My Mama

https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/mmb-vp/3431/thumbnail.jp