A VLSI compatible conducting polymer composite based "electronic nose" chip

The focus of this work would be to exploit the vapor detection technology developed recently at Caltech that forms the basis for a low power, simple "electronic nose". In this work we have integrated the sensors, signal preprocessing, signal processing, and data analysis functions into a single, low power, low cost, "nose chip". Such a device could be implantable covertly or overtly onto suspect sites, deployable through remote delivery methods, worn by soldiers for CW alerts and in principle for IFF or military/nonmilitary identification purposes, and for other areas of national security where low power, lightweight, small, chemical sensing is of importance

Interior and its implications for the atmosphere

The bulk composition and interior structure of Titan required to explain the presence of a substantial methane atmosphere are shown to imply the presence of solid CH4 - 7H2O in Titan's primitive material. Consideration of the possible composition and structure of the present atmosphere shows plausible grounds for considering models with total atmospheric pressures ranging from approximately 20 mb up to approximately 1 kb. Expectations regarding the physical state of the surface and its chemical composition are strongly conditioned by the mass of atmosphere believed to be present. A surface of solid CH4, liquid CH4 solid, CH4 hydrate, H2O ice, aqueous NH3 solution, or even a non-surface of supercritical H2O-NH3-CH4 fluid could be rationalized

Extraction of volatile and metals from extraterrestrial materials

Since March 1, 1989, attention was concentrated on the extraction of ilmenite from extraterrestrial materials and on the planning and development of laboratory facilities for carbonyl extraction of ferrous metal alloys. Work under three subcontracts was administered by this project: (1) electrolytic production of oxygen from molten lunar materials; (2) microwave processing of lunar materials; and (3) production of a resource-oriented space science data base

Singlet Model Interference Effects with High Scale UV Physics

One of the simplest extensions of the Standard Model (SM) is the addition of a scalar gauge singlet, S. If S is not forbidden by a symmetry from mixing with the Standard Model Higgs boson, the mixing will generate non-SM rates for Higgs production and decays. In general, there could also be unknown high energy physics that generates additional effective low energy interactions. We show that interference effects between the scalar resonance of the singlet model and the effective field theory (EFT) operators can have significant effects in the Higgs sector. We examine a non-$Z_2$ symmetric scalar singlet model and demonstrate that a fit to the 125 GeV Higgs boson couplings and to limits on high mass resonances, S, exhibit an interesting structure and possible large cancellations of effects between the resonance contribution and the new EFT interactions, that invalidate conclusions based on the renormalizable singlet model alone.Comment: 18 pages, 7 figures; revised to emphasize the points of general interest for heavy resonance searches at the LH

Origin and evolution of planetary atmospheres

This report concerns several research tasks related to the origin and evolution of planetary atmospheres and the large-scale distribution of volatile elements in the Solar System. These tasks and their present status are as follows: (1) we have conducted an analysis of the volatility and condensation behavior of compounds of iron, aluminum, and phosphorus in the atmosphere of Venus in response to publish interpretations of the Soviet Venera probe XRF experiment data, to investigate the chemistry of volcanic gases, injection of volatiles by cometary and asteroidal impactors, and reactions in the troposphere; (2) we have completed and are now writing up our research on condensation-accretion modeling of the terrestrial planets; (3) we have laid the groundwork for a detailed study of the effects of water transport in the solar nebula on the bulk composition, oxidation state, and volatile content of preplanetary solids; (4) we have completed an extensive laboratory study of cryovolcanic materials in the outer solar system; (5) we have begun to study the impact erosion and shock alteration of the atmosphere of Mars resulting from cometary and asteroidal bombardment; and (6) we have developed a new Monte Carlo model of the cometary and asteroidal bombardment flux on the terrestrial planets, including all relevant chemical and physical processes associated with atmospheric entry and impact, to assess both the hazards posed by this bombardment to life on Earth and the degree of cross-correlation between the various phenomena (NO(x) production, explosive yield, crater production, iridium signature, etc.) that characterize this bombardment. The purpose of these investigations has been to contribute to the developing understanding of both the dynamics of long-term planetary atmosphere evolution and the short-term stability of planetary surface environments

Asteroid resources

There are three types of possible asteroidal materials that appear to be attractive for exploitation: (1) volatiles, (2) free metals, and (3) bulk dirt. Because some of the near-Earth asteroids are energetically more accessible than the Moon (require a round-trip total change in velocity less than 9 km/sec, though the trip time would be measured in years not days), such an asteroid might be chosen as the source of any useful material, even if that material was also available on the Moon. Provided that the asteroid was minable, it might therefore be chosen as the source of bulk dirt needed for shielding in low Earth orbit (LEO) or elsewhere in near-Earth space. And the near-Earth asteroids may offer materials that are rare or absent on the surface of the Moon. The relationship between asteroids and meteorites is discussed. A brief overview of the entire range of meteorite compositions, with emphasis on the occurrence of interesting resources is presented. Focus is on materials useful in space, especially volatiles, metals, and raw dirt. Those few materials that may have sufficiently high market value to be worth returning to Earth will be mentioned

The Organization of Production and Economic Development

A formalization of the Coase-Williamson-Cheung theory of the firm is used to examine the trade-off between the firm and the market as institutions for organizing production in a dynamic, general equilibrium model with increasing returns to labor specialization. The model considers the interaction of internal and external transaction costs and the gains to labor specialization in determining important aspects of the organization of production including the degree of labor specialization, the size and specialization of firms and the pattern of interfirm trade. Endogenous growth is driven by capital accumulation and the division of labor. The evolution of economic organization is characterized by increases in labor specialization, interfirm trade, firm specialization (vertical disintegration) and firm employment.development; endogenous growth; labor specialization; dynamic model; institutions; division of labor; growth; transactions costs; coordination; coordination costs; contract enforcement; organization; neoinstitutionalism; traditional economy; interpersonal exchange; theory of the firm; interpersonal exchange

Extraction of volatiles and metals from extraterrestrial materials

Recent progress in defining the physical, orbital, and chemical properties of the Earth-crossing asteroid and comet population was integrated into an elaborate Monte Carlo model of the fluxes of bodies in the inner Solar System. This model is of use in projecting flight opportunities to as-yet undiscovered near-Earth objects and in assessing the impact hazard to life on Earth and the evolutionary consequences of impacts on the other terrestrial planets. Further progress was made in defining desirable transportation system architectures for the use of non-terrestrial volatiles and metals, including the delivery of propellants to near-Earth space for fueling of space exploration initiative (SEI) type expeditions, the construction and resupply of Solar Power Satellite constellations in various Earth orbits (including geosynchronous earth orbit (GEO) and Highly Eccentric Earth Orbit (HEEO)), and retrieval of He-3 for use as a clean fusion fuel on Earth. These studies suggest a greater future role for SERC in the exploration of space energy sources to meet Earth's 21st-century energy requirements. Laboratory studies of volatilization and deposition of ferrous metal alloys demonstrated deposition of strong iron films from carbonyl chemical vapor deposition (CVD), showing the crucial role of additive gases in governing the CVD process, and pointing the way to specific experiments on extraction and deposition of ferrous metals from nonterrestrial materials