Laser net - A concept for monitoring wingtip vortices on runways

Network of laser beams passes over runway to photodetectors on opposite side, magnitude of beam deflection indicates magnitude of density gradient encountered. Visual display of beam deflections affects go, no-go decision for takeoff and landing

Cockpit simulation study of use of flight path angle for instrument approaches

The results of a piloted simulation experiment to evaluate the effect of integrating flight path angle information into a typical transport electronic attitude director indicator display format for flight director instrument landing system approaches are presented. Three electronic display formats are evaluated during 3 deg straight-in approaches with wind shear and turbulence conditions. Flight path tracking data and pilot subjective comments are analyzed with regard to the pilot's tracking performance and workload for all three display formats

Polarisation-sensitive terahertz detection by multicontact photoconductive receivers

We have developed a terahertz radiation detector that measures both the amplitude and polarization of the electric field as a function of time. The device is a three-contact photoconductive receiver designed so that two orthogonal electric-field components of an arbitrary polarized electromagnetic wave may be detected simultaneously. The detector was fabricated on Fe+ ion-implanted InP. Polarization-sensitive detection is demonstrated with an extinction ratio better than 100:1. This type of device will have immediate application in studies of birefringent and optically active materials in the far-infrared region of the spectrum.Comment: 3 pages, 3 figure

Electrochemical deposition of silver crystals aboard Skylab 4

Silver crystals were grown aboard Skylab 4 by an electro-chemical reaction and subsequently returned to earth for comparison with crystals grown at 1- and 5-g. Both the Skylab and earth-grown crystals show a variety of structures. Certain tendencies in structure dependency on gravity level, however, can be discerned. In addition, downward growing dendrite streamers; upward growing chunky crystal streamers; growth along an air/liquid interface; and ribbon, film, and fiber crystal habits were observed in experiments conducted on the ground with solutions of varying concentrations. It was also observed that the crystal structures of space and ground electro-deposited silver crystals were very similar to the structures of germanium selenide and germanium telluride crystals grown in space and on the ground by a vapor transport technique. Consideration of the data leads to the conclusions that: (1) the rate of electrochemical displacement of silver ions from a 5 percent aqueous solution by copper is predominantly diffussion controlled in space and kinetically controlled in 1- and higher-g because of augmentation of mass transport by convection; (2) downward and upward crystal streamers are the result of gravity-driven convection, the flow patterns of which can be delineated. Lateral growths along an air/liquid interface are the result of surface-tension-driven convection, the pattern of which also can be delineated; (3) electrolysis in space or low-g environments can produce either dendritic crystals with more perfect microcrystalline structures or massive, single crystals with fewer defects than those grown on ground or at higher g-levels. Ribbons or films of space-grown silicon crystals would find a ready market for electronic substrate and photocell applications. Space-grown dendritic, metal crystals present the possibility of unique catalysts. Large perfect crystals of various materials are desired for a number of electronic and optical applications; and (4) vapor transport growth of germanium selenide and germanium telluride is affected by convection mechanisms similar to the mechanisms hypothesized for the electrochemical deposition of silver crystals. Evidence and considerations leading to the preceding summaries and conclusions are presented. The implications of the findings and conclusions for technological applications are discussed, and recommendations for further experiments are presented

Astronomy using basic Mark 2 very long baseline interferometry

Two experiments were performed in April and September 1976 to determine precise positions of radio sources using conventional Mark 2 VLBI techniques. Four stations in the continental United States observed at a wavelength of 18 cm. The recording bandwidth was 2 MHz. The preliminary results using analyses of fringe rate and delay are discussed and the source positions compared with the results of other measurements

Charge trapping in polymer transistors probed by terahertz spectroscopy and scanning probe potentiometry

Terahertz time-domain spectroscopy and scanning probe potentiometry were used to investigate charge trapping in polymer field-effect transistors fabricated on a silicon gate. The hole density in the transistor channel was determined from the reduction in the transmitted terahertz radiation under an applied gate voltage. Prolonged device operation creates an exponential decay in the differential terahertz transmission, compatible with an increase in the density of trapped holes in the polymer channel. Taken in combination with scanning probe potentionmetry measurements, these results indicate that device degradation is largely a consequence of hole trapping, rather than of changes to the mobility of free holes in the polymer.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figure

The dependence of intrinsic alignment of galaxies on wavelength using KiDS and GAMA

The outer regions of galaxies are more susceptible to the tidal interactions that lead to intrinsic alignments of galaxies. The resulting alignment signal may therefore depend on the passband if the colours of galaxies vary spatially. To quantify this, we measured the shapes of galaxies with spectroscopic redshifts from the GAMA survey using deep gri imaging data from the KiloDegree Survey. The performance of the moment-based shape measurement algorithm DEIMOS was assessed using dedicated image simulations, which showed that the ellipticities could be determined with an accuracy better than 1% in all bands. Additional tests for potential systematic errors did not reveal any issues. We measure a significant difference of the alignment signal between the g,r and i-band observations. This difference exceeds the amplitude of the linear alignment model on scales below 2 Mpc/h. Separating the sample into central/satellite and red/blue galaxies, we find that that the difference is dominated by red satellite galaxies.Comment: 16 pages, 13 figures, accepted, to appear in A&

Influence of surface passivation on ultrafast carrier dynamics and terahertz radiation generation in GaAs

The carrier dynamics of photoexcited electrons in the vicinity of the surface of (NH4)2S-passivated GaAs were studied via terahertz (THz) emission spectroscopy and optical-pump THz-probe spectroscopy. THz emission spectroscopy measurements, coupled with Monte Carlo simulations of THz emission, revealed that the surface electric field of GaAs reverses after passivation. The conductivity of photoexcited electrons was determined via optical-pump THz-probe spectroscopy, and was found to double after passivation. These experiments demonstrate that passivation significantly reduces the surface state density and surface recombination velocity of GaAs. Finally, we have demonstrated that passivation leads to an enhancement in the power radiated by photoconductive switch THz emitters, thereby showing the important influence of surface chemistry on the performance of ultrafast THz photonic devices.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures, to appear in Applied Physics Letter