880 research outputs found
STS-3 Snowflake study
Videotape recordings were made of particles observed being released from the orbiter and image processing techniques were used to reduce the data in order to obtain sources and sizes. Results show that a significant number of 1 mm to 1 cm diameter particles were in the vicinity of STS-3. Their origin may be near the aft end of the orbiter; however, 19 of the 33 examined trajectories show that the origin was definitely forward of the aft end of the bay. There may be larger particles near the aft end of the orbiter. Most particles move generally rearward with respect to the orbiter (+X direction)
Preliminary analysis of the fauna from Buffalo Cave, northern Transvaal, South Africa
Main articleSystematic excavations at Buffalo Cave in the Makapan Valley were begun in October 1993.
This paper presents our preliminary analysis of the faunal assemblage from this site, including
new in situ fossils and the collections which have been housed at the Bernard Price Institute,
Palaeontology since the 1940's. Our palaeoecological reconstruction suggests that the local
environment at Buffalo Cave at the time of deposition was an open country grassland or savanna,
including a high proportion of alcelaphine bovids and other grazing fauna. However, the presence
of other taxa, particularly of tragelaphines, hippotragines, and reduncines, may indicate that a
more wooded habitat including a local water source, could also have been part of the Buffalo Cave
environment during some part of its depositional history. The fauna overall indicates that
deposition occurred during the Pleistocene, rather than the Pliocene. Thus, the environmental and
temporal information presently available suggests that the Buffalo Cave fauna represents an
environment and time period distinct from other sites in the Makapansgat Valley (i.e., the
Limeworks and Cave of Hearths).FRD Core Programme grant and a University of the Witwatersrand Research
Committee Gran
Cover Crop Impacts on Soil Water Status
Water is a primary concern for producers in the Great Plains; as such, research is warranted to quantify how much cover crops affect the amount of soil water available to subsequent cash crops. Cover crop mixes have been marketed as a means to conserve water in no-till cropping systems following winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) harvest. The objectives of this study are to quantify changes in soil profile water content in the presence of different cover crops and mixtures of increasing species complexity, to quantify their biomass productivity and quality, and to quantify the impact of cover crops on subsequent corn (Zea mays L.) yields. We hypothesized the change in soil water brought on by the cover crop treatments would be correlated to the quantity of biomass produced and the species composition, rather than mixture complexity. Soil moisture was measured using a neutron probe to a depth of 9 ft. Results from 2013–14 showed no difference in water use between cover crop mixtures and single species. Cover crops depleted the soil profile by a maximum of 3.5 in. during growth, but fallow was able to gain 0.75 in. of water during the same period. At the time of corn planting, soil moisture under all cover crops had replenished to levels at cover crop emergence, except for the brassicas, which had extracted water from deeper in the profile. Corn yields were reduced following the grass cover crops and the six-species mix. Corn yields were more closely related to the carbon:nitrogen (C:N) ratio of the cover crop residue than to profile soil moisture at corn emergence. The fact that yields were similar for corn after fallow and for corn after brassica cover crops implied that water was not the cause of yield reductions after the other cover crops
Electrical Properties of Carbon Fiber Support Systems
Carbon fiber support structures have become common elements of detector
designs for high energy physics experiments. Carbon fiber has many mechanical
advantages but it is also characterized by high conductivity, particularly at
high frequency, with associated design issues. This paper discusses the
elements required for sound electrical performance of silicon detectors
employing carbon fiber support elements. Tests on carbon fiber structures are
presented indicating that carbon fiber must be regarded as a conductor for the
frequency region of 10 to 100 MHz. The general principles of grounding
configurations involving carbon fiber structures will be discussed. To
illustrate the design requirements, measurements performed with a silicon
detector on a carbon fiber support structure at small radius are presented. A
grounding scheme employing copper-kapton mesh circuits is described and shown
to provide adequate and robust detector performance.Comment: 20 pages, 11 figures, submitted to NI
The MATHUSLA Test Stand
The rate of muons from LHC collisions reaching the surface above the
ATLAS interaction point is measured and compared with expected rates from
decays of and bosons and - and -quark jets. In addition, data
collected during periods without beams circulating in the LHC provide a
measurement of the background from cosmic ray inelastic backscattering that is
compared to simulation predictions. Data were recorded during 2018 in a 2.5
2.5 6.5~ active volume MATHUSLA test stand detector
unit consisting of two scintillator planes, one at the top and one at the
bottom, which defined the trigger, and six layers of RPCs between them, grouped
into three -measuring layers separated by 1.74 m from each other.
Triggers selecting both upward-going tracks and downward-going tracks were
used.Comment: 18 pages, 11 figures, 1 tabl
Lithographically defined synthesis of transition metal dichalcogenides
Transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) promise to revolutionize optoelectronic applications. While monolayer exfoliation and vapor phase growth produce extremely high quality 2D materials, direct fabrication at wafer scale remains a significant challenge. Here, we present a method that we call ‘lateral conversion’, which enables the synthesis of patterned TMD structures, with control over the thickness down to a few layers, at lithographically predefined locations. In this method, chemical conversion of a metal-oxide film to TMD layers proceeds by diffusion of precursor propagating laterally between silica layers, resulting in structures where delicate chalcogenide films are protected from contamination or oxidation. Lithographically patterned WS2 structures were synthesized by lateral conversion and analyzed in detail by hyperspectral Raman imaging, scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. The rate of conversion was investigated as a function of time, temperature, and thickness of the converted film. In addition, the process was extended to grow patterned MoS2, WSe2, MoSe2 structures, and to demonstrate unique WS2/SiO2 multilayer structures. We believe this method will be applicable to a variety of additional chalcogenide materials, and enable their incorporation into novel architectures and devices
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