A figure-of-merit approach to extraterrestrial resource utilization

A concept is developed for interrelated optimizations in space missions that utilize extraterrestrial resources. It is shown that isolated (component) optimizations may not result in the best mission. It is shown that substantial benefits can be had through less than the best propellants, propellant combinations, propulsion hardware, and actually, some waste in the traditional sense. One ready example is the possibility of discarding hydrogen produced extraterrestrially by water splitting and using only the oxygen to burn storable fuels. The gains in refrigeration and leak-proof equipment mass (elimination) outweigh the loss in specific impulse. After a brief discussion of this concept, the synthesis of the four major components of any future space mission is developed. The four components are: orbital mechanics of the transportation; performance of the rocket motor; support systems that include power; thermal and process controls, and instruments; and in situ resource utilization plant equipment. This paper's main aim is to develop the concept of a figure-of-merit for the mission. The Mars Sample Return Mission is used to illustrate the new concept. At this time, a popular spreadsheet is used to quantitatively indicate the interdependent nature of the mission optimization. Future prospects are outlined that promise great economy through extraterrestrial resource utilization and a technique for quickly evaluating the same

Interdependent figure-of-merit software development

This program was undertaken in order to understand the complex nature of interdependent performance in space missions. At the first step in a planned sequence of progress, a spread sheet program was developed to evaluate different fuel/oxidizer combinations for a specific Martian mission. This program is to be linked with output attained using sophisticated software produced by Gordon and McBride. The programming to date makes use of 11 independent parameters. Optimization is essential when faced with the incredible magnitude of costs, risks, and benefits involved with space exploration. A system of weights needs to be devised on which to measure the options. It was the goal to devise a Figure of Merit (FoM) on which different choices can be presented and made. The plan was to model typical missions to Mars, identify the parameters, and vary them until the best one is found. Initially, most of the focus was placed on propellant selection

Flow tracing fidelity of scattering aerosol in laser Doppler velocimetry

An experimental method for determinating the flow tracing fidelity of a scattering aerosol used in laser Doppler velocimeters was developed with particular reference to the subsonic turbulence measurements. The method employs the measurement of the dynamic response of a flow seeding aerosol excited by acoustic waves. The amplitude and frequency of excitation were controlled to simulate the corresponding values of fluid turbulence components. Experimental results are presented on the dynamic response of aerosols over the size range from 0.1 to 2.0 microns in diameter and over the frequency range 100 Hz to 100 kHz. It was observed that unit density spherical scatterers with diameters of 0.2 microns followed subsonic air turbulence frequency components up to 100 kHz with 98 percent fidelity

Dance training shapes action perception and its neural implementation within the young and older adult brain

How we perceive others in action is shaped by our prior experience. Many factors influence brain responses when observing others in action, including training in a particular physical skill, such as sport or dance, and also general development and aging processes. Here, we investigate how learning a complex motor skill shapes neural and behavioural responses among a dance-naïve sample of 20 young and 19 older adults. Across four days, participants physically rehearsed one set of dance sequences, observed a second set, and a third set remained untrained. Functional MRI was obtained prior to and immediately following training. Participants’ behavioural performance on motor and visual tasks improved across the training period, with younger adults showing steeper performance gains than older adults. At the brain level, both age groups demonstrated decreased sensorimotor cortical engagement after physical training, with younger adults showing more pronounced decreases in inferior parietal activity compared to older adults. Neural decoding results demonstrate that among both age groups, visual and motor regions contain experience-specific representations of new motor learning. By combining behavioural measures of performance with univariate and multivariate measures of brain activity, we can start to build a more complete picture of age-related changes in experience-dependent plasticity

Spectral gap of segments of periodic waveguides

We consider a periodic strip in the plane and the associated quantum waveguide with Dirichlet boundary conditions. We analyse finite segments of the waveguide consisting of $L$ periodicity cells, equipped with periodic boundary conditions at the ``new'' boundaries. Our main result is that the distance between the first and second eigenvalue of such a finite segment behaves like $L^{-2}$.Comment: 3 page

Lifshitz Tails in Constant Magnetic Fields

We consider the 2D Landau Hamiltonian $H$ perturbed by a random alloy-type potential, and investigate the Lifshitz tails, i.e. the asymptotic behavior of the corresponding integrated density of states (IDS) near the edges in the spectrum of $H$. If a given edge coincides with a Landau level, we obtain different asymptotic formulae for power-like, exponential sub-Gaussian, and super-Gaussian decay of the one-site potential. If the edge is away from the Landau levels, we impose a rational-flux assumption on the magnetic field, consider compactly supported one-site potentials, and formulate a theorem which is analogous to a result obtained in the case of a vanishing magnetic field

Dance experience sculpts aesthetic perception and related brain circuits

Contains fulltext : 140255.pdf (publisher's version ) (Open Access)Previous research on aesthetic preferences demonstrates that people are more likely to judge a stimulus as pleasing if it is familiar. Although general familiarity and liking are related, it is less clear how motor familiarity, or embodiment, relates to a viewer's aesthetic appraisal. This study directly compared how learning to embody an action impacts the neural response when watching and aesthetically evaluating the same action. Twenty-two participants trained for 4 days on dance sequences. Each day they physically rehearsed one set of sequences, passively watched a second set, listened to the music of a third set, and a fourth set remained untrained. Functional MRI was obtained prior to and immediately following the training period, as were affective and physical ability ratings for each dance sequence. This approach enabled precise comparison of self-report methods of embodiment with nonbiased, empirical measures of action performance. Results suggest that after experience, participants most enjoy watching those dance sequences they danced or observed. Moreover, brain regions involved in mediating the aesthetic response shift from subcortical regions associated with dopaminergic reward processing to posterior temporal regions involved in processing multisensory integration, emotion, and biological motion

Cytogenetic studies of PCB77 on brown trout (<i>Salmo trutta fario</i>) using the micronucleus test and the alkaline comet assay

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are stable pollutants, which can be found in almost every compartment of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. They are very lipophilic and therefore have the potency of accumulating in the fat stores of animals. The mechanisms by which PCBs exert their adverse effects are still unclear. It is known that PCBs induce some important biotransformation enzymes, but their mutagenic properties are still controversial. The DNA breakage and clastogenic potency of a planar PCB77 (3,3',4,4'-tetrachlorobiphenyl) was determined in vivo in fish, using the single cell gel electrophoresis or comet assay and the micronucleus test, on erythrocytes of the brown trout exposed for 3, 9 and 14 days to initial PCB concentrations of 780 and 918 pg/ml, dissolved in the water, Blood was taken by a caudal puncture and the erythrocytes were either deposited in an agarose gel (0.6%) for the comet assay or smeared directly on slides for the micronucleus test. Five fish were studied per treatment and 50 and 2000 erythrocytes per concentration and per animal were analysed for the comet assay and the micronucleus test respectively. ethyl methanesulphonate (EMS) at a concentration of 25 mg/l water was used as a positive control. Although EMS induced a statistically significant increase of single strand breaks in the comet assay, in neither of the two tests used, were mutagenic effects due to PCB exposure observed

The Slow X-Ray Expansion of the Northwestern Rim of the Supernova Remnant RX J0852.0-4622

The detection of radioactive decay line of 44Ti provides a unique evidence that the gamma-ray source is a young (< 1,000 yr) supernova remnant because of its short lifetime of about 90 yr. Only two Galactic remnants, Cassiopeia A and RX J0852.0-4622, are hitherto reported to be the 44Ti line emitter, although the detection from the latter has been debated. Here we report on an expansion measurement of the northwestern rim of RX J0852.0-4622 obtained with X-ray observations separated by 6.5 yr. The expansion rate is derived to be 0.023+/-0.006% that is about five times lower than those of young historical remnants. Such a slow expansion suggests that RX J0852.0-4622 is not a young remnant as has been expected. We estimate the age of 1,700-4,300 yr of this remnant depending on its evolutionary stage. Assuming a high shock speed of about 3000 km/sec, which is suggested by the detection of non-thermal X-ray radiation, the distance of about 750 pc to this remnant is also derived.Comment: 12 pages, 3 figures, Accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journal Letter