11,511 research outputs found
Atmospheric refraction correction for Ka-band blind pointing on the DSS-13 beam waveguide antenna
An analysis of the atmospheric refraction corrections at the DSS-13 34-m diameter beam waveguide (BWG) antenna for the period Jul. - Dec. 1990 is presented. The current Deep Space Network (DSN) atmospheric refraction model and its sensitivity with respect to sensor accuracy are reviewed. Refraction corrections based on actual atmospheric parameters are compared with the DSS-13 station default corrections for the six-month period. Average blind-pointing improvement during the worst month would have amounted to 5 mdeg at 10 deg elevation using actual surface weather values. This would have resulted in an average gain improvement of 1.1 dB
Source energy spectra from demodulation of solar particle data by interplanetary and coronal transport
The data on source energy spectra of solar cosmic rays (SCR), i.e. the data on the spectrum form and on the absolute SCR are of interest for three reasons: (1) the SCR contain the energy comparable to the total energy of electromagnetic flare radiation (less than or equal to 10 to the 32nd power ergs); (2) the source spectrum form indicates a possible acceleration mechanism (or mechanism); and (3) the accelerated particles are efficiently involved in nuclear electromagnetic and plasma processes in the solar atmosphere. Therefore, the data on SCR source spectra are necessary for a theoretical description of the processes mentioned and for the formulation of the consistent flare model. Below it is attempted to sound solar particle sources by means of SCR energy spectrum obtained near the Sun, at the level of the roots of the interplanetary field lines in the upper solar corona. Data from approx. 60 solar proton events (SPE) between 1956-1981. These data were obtained mainly by the interplanetary demodulation of observed fluxes near the Earth. Further, a model of coronal azimuthal transport is used to demodulate those spectra, and to obtain the source energy spectra
Discovery of a wide companion near the deuterium burning mass limit in the Upper Scorpius association
We present the discovery of a companion near the deuterium burning mass limit
located at a very wide distance, at an angular separation of 4.6+/-0.1 arcsec
(projected distance of ~ 670 AU) from UScoCTIO108, a brown dwarf of the very
young Upper Scorpius association. Optical and near-infrared photometry and
spectroscopy confirm the cool nature of both objects, with spectral types of M7
and M9.5, respectively, and that they are bona fide members of the association,
showing low gravity and features of youth. Their masses, estimated from the
comparison of their bolometric luminosities and theoretical models for the age
range of the association, are 60+/-20 and 14^{+2}_{-8} MJup, respectively. The
existence of this object around a brown dwarf at this wide orbit suggests that
the companion is unlikely to have formed in a disk based on current planet
formation models. Because this system is rather weakly bound, they did not
probably form through dynamical ejection of stellar embryos.Comment: 10 pages, including 4 figures and 2 table
Trapping tetracycline-loaded nanoparticles into polycaprolactone fiber networks for periodontal regeneration therapy
The controlled delivery of antibiotics, anti-inflammatory agents, or chemotherapeutic agents to
the periodontal site is a recognized strategy to improve the efficiency of regenerative processes of
hard tissues. A novel approach based on the trapping of tetracycline hydrochloride–loaded particles
in polycaprolactone nanofibers was used to guide the regeneration processes of periodontal
tissue at the gum interface. Chitosan nanoparticles loaded with different levels of tetracycline
hydrochloride (up to 5% wt) were prepared by solution nebulization induced by electrical forces
(i.e. electrospraying). The fine tuning of process parameters allows to obtain nanoparticles with
tailored sizes ranging from 0.485 ± 0.147 μm to 0.639 ± 0.154 μm. The tetracycline hydrochloride
release profile had a predominant burst effect for the first 70% of release followed by a relatively
slow release over 24 h, which is promising for oral drug delivery. We also demonstrated that
trapping tetracycline hydrochloride–loaded particles with submicrometer diameters into a
polycaprolactone fiber network contributed to slowing the release of tetracycline hydrochloride
from the nanoparticles, thus providing a more prolonged release in the periodontal pocket during
clinical therapy. Preliminary studies on human mesenchymal stem cells confirm the viability of
cells up to 5 days after culture, and thereby, validate the use of nanoparticle-/nanofiber-integrated
systems in periodontal therapie
Visible and near-infrared observations of asteroid 2012 DA14 during its closest approach of February 15, 2013
Near-Earth asteroid 2012 DA14 made its closest approach on February 15, 2013,
when it passed at a distance of 27,700 km from the Earth's surface. It was the
first time an asteroid of moderate size was predicted to approach that close to
the Earth, becoming bright enough to permit a detailed study from ground-based
telescopes. Asteroid 2012 DA14 was poorly characterized before its closest
approach. We acquired data using several telescopes on four Spanish
observatories: the 10.4m Gran Telescopio Canarias (GTC) and the 3.6m Telescopio
Nazionale Galileo (TNG), both in the El Roque de los Muchachos Observatory
(ORM, La Palma); the 2.2m CAHA telescope, in the Calar Alto Observatory
(Almeria); the f/3 0.77m telescope in the La Hita Observatory (Toledo); and the
f/8 1.5m telescope in the Sierra Nevada Observatory (OSN, Granada). We obtained
visible and near-infrared color photometry, visible spectra and time-series
photometry. Visible spectra together with color photometry of 2012 DA14 show
that it can be classified as an L-type asteroid, a rare spectral type with a
composition similar to that of carbonaceous chondrites. The time-series
photometry provides a rotational period of 8.95 +- 0.08 hours after the closest
approach, and there are indications that the object suffered a spin-up during
this event. The large amplitude of the light curve suggests that the object is
very elongated and irregular, with an equivalent diameter of around 18m. We
obtain an absolute magnitude of H_R = 24.5 +- 0.2, corresponding to H_V = 25.0
+- 0.2. The GTC photometry also gives H_V = 25.29 +- 0.14. Both values agree
with the value listed at the Minor Planet Center shortly after discovery. From
the absolute photometry, together with some constraints on size and shape, we
compute a geometric albedo of p_V = 0.44 +- 0.20, which is slightly above the
range of albedos known for L-type asteroids (0.082 - 0.405).Comment: 7 pages, 4 figures, 1 table. Accepted in A&A (June 17 2013
Comparative analysis for the assessment of restoration treatments on stone material from the roman theater of Merida (Spain)
The overall goal of the project is the study of effects of conservation treatments
applied
on
stone material from archaeological sites, i
n terms of superficial changes, effectiveness and
durability. In this sense, one of the first premises is characterize the surface of the treated and
untreated material in order to determine changes in physical and chemical properties
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