A charging model for three-axis stabilized spacecraft

A charging model was developed for geosynchronous, three-axis stabilized spacecraft when under the influence of a geomagnetic substorm. The differential charging potentials between the thermally coated or blanketed outer surfaces and metallic structure of a spacecraft were determined when the spacecraft was immersed in a dense plasma cloud of energetic particles. The spacecraft-to-environment interaction was determined by representing the charged particle environment by equivalent current source forcing functions and by representing the spacecraft by its electrically equivalent circuit with respect to the plasma charging phenomenon. The charging model included a sun/earth/spacecraft orbit model that simulated the sum illumination conditions of the spacecraft outer surfaces throughout the orbital flight on a diurnal as well as a seasonal basis. Transient and steady-state numerical results for a three-axis stabilized spacecraft are presented

Effects of alcohol on subjective ratings of prospective and everyday memory deficits

Background: Research has shown that heavy alcohol use has a detrimental effect on retrospective memory. Less is known about the effect of alcohol on everyday memory. Methods: This study examined self-ratings of two aspects of memory performance: prospective memory (for example, forgetting to pass on a message) and everyday memory (measured by cognitive failures, such as telling someone a joke that you have told them before). To ensure anonymity and expand on the numbers of participants used in previous studies, data were collected by using the Internet. Data from 763 participants remained after data screening. Results: After controlling for other drug and strategy use, there was clear evidence that differential use of alcohol was associated with impairments in the long-term aspect of prospective memory and with an increased number of cognitive failures. Conclusions: These results support and extend the findings of previous research: our findings are consistent with the idea that heavy use of alcohol does have a significant and negative effect on everyday cognitive performance. Possible causes of these impairments are discussed

Self-rated everyday prospective memory abilities of cigarette smokers and non-smokers: a web based study

The present study examined self-ratings of two aspects of everyday memory performance: long-term prospective memory—measured by the prospective memory questionnaire (PMQ), and everyday memory—measured by the everyday memory questionnaire (EMQ). Use of other substances was also measured and used as covariates in the study. To ensure confidentiality and to expand the numbers used in previous studies, an Internet study was carried out and data from 763 participants was gathered. After controlling for other drug use and strategy use, the data from the PMQ revealed that smokers reported a greater number of long-term prospective memory errors than non-smokers. There were also differences between light and heavier smokers in long-term prospective memory, suggesting that nicotine may have a dose-dependent impact upon long-term prospective memory performance. There was also a significant ANOVA group effect on the EMQ, although the trend for more memory errors amongst the heavier smokers was statistically only borderline (p = .057). These findings suggest there are selective memory deficits associated with smoking and that long-term prospective memory deficits should be added to the growing list of problems associated with cigarette use

Application of computational physics within Northrop

An overview of Northrop programs in computational physics is presented. These programs depend on access to today's supercomputers, such as the Numerical Aerodynamical Simulator (NAS), and future growth on the continuing evolution of computational engines. Descriptions here are concentrated on the following areas: computational fluid dynamics (CFD), computational electromagnetics (CEM), computer architectures, and expert systems. Current efforts and future directions in these areas are presented. The impact of advances in the CFD area is described, and parallels are drawn to analagous developments in CEM. The relationship between advances in these areas and the development of advances (parallel) architectures and expert systems is also presented

Bounces/Dyons in the Plane Wave Matrix Model and SU(N) Yang-Mills Theory

We consider SU(N) Yang-Mills theory on the space R^1\times S^3 with Minkowski signature (-+++). The condition of SO(4)-invariance imposed on gauge fields yields a bosonic matrix model which is a consistent truncation of the plane wave matrix model. For matrices parametrized by a scalar \phi, the Yang-Mills equations are reduced to the equation of a particle moving in the double-well potential. The classical solution is a bounce, i.e. a particle which begins at the saddle point \phi=0 of the potential, bounces off the potential wall and returns to \phi=0. The gauge field tensor components parametrized by \phi are smooth and for finite time both electric and magnetic fields are nonvanishing. The energy density of this non-Abelian dyon configuration does not depend on coordinates of R^1\times S^3 and the total energy is proportional to the inverse radius of S^3. We also describe similar bounce dyon solutions in SU(N) Yang-Mills theory on the space R^1\times S^2 with signature (-++). Their energy is proportional to the square of the inverse radius of S^2. From the viewpoint of Yang-Mills theory on R^{1,1}\times S^2 these solutions describe non-Abelian (dyonic) flux tubes extended along the x^3-axis.Comment: 11 pages; v2: one formula added, some coefficients correcte

Spectral responses in granular compaction

The slow compaction of a gently tapped granular packing is reminiscent of the low-temperature dynamics of structural and spin glasses. Here, I probe the dynamical spectrum of granular compaction by measuring a complex (frequency-dependent) volumetric susceptibility $\tilde{\chi}_v$. While the packing density $\rho$ displays glass-like slow relaxations (aging) and history-dependence (memory) at low tapping amplitudes, the susceptibility $\tilde{\chi}_v$ displays very weak aging effects, and its spectrum shows no sign of a rapidly growing timescale. These features place $\tilde{\chi}_v$ in sharp contrast to its dielectric and magnetic counterparts in structural and spin glasses; instead, $\tilde\chi_v$ bears close similarities to the complex specific heat of spin glasses. This, I suggest, indicates the glass-like dynamics in granular compaction are governed by statistically rare relaxation processes that become increasingly separated in timescale from the typical relaxations of the system. Finally, I examine the effect of finite system size on the spectrum of compaction dynamics. Starting from the ansatz that low frequency processes correspond to large scale particle rearrangements, I suggest the observed finite size effects are consistent with the suppression of large-scale collective rearrangements in small systems.Comment: 18 pages, 17 figures. Submitted to PR

The Subaru/XMM-Newton Deep Survey (SXDS) -VII. Clustering Segregation with Ultraviolet and Optical Luminosities of Lyman-Break Galaxies at z~3

We investigate clustering properties of Lyman-break galaxies (LBGs) at z~3 based on deep multi-waveband imaging data from optical to near-infrared wavelengths in the Subaru/XMM-Newton Deep Field. The LBGs are selected by U-V and V-z' colors in one contiguous area of 561 arcmin^2 down to z'=25.5. We study the dependence of the clustering strength on rest-frame UV and optical magnitudes, which can be indicators of star formation rate and stellar mass, respectively. The correlation length is found to be a strong function of both UV and optical magnitudes with brighter galaxies being more clustered than faint ones in both cases. Furthermore, the correlation length is dependent on a combination of UV and optical magnitudes in the sense that galaxies bright in optical magnitude have large correlation lengths irrespective of UV magnitude, while galaxies faint in optical magnitude have correlation lengths decreasing with decreasing UV brightness. These results suggest that galaxies with large stellar masses always belong to massive halos in which they can have various star formation rates, while galaxies with small stellar masses reside in less massive halos only if they have low star formation rates. There appears to be an upper limit to the stellar mass and the star formation rate which is determined by the mass of hosting dark halos.Comment: 16 pages, 15 figures, accepted for publication in Ap

Analysis and control of bifurcation and chaos in averaged queue length in TCP/RED model

This paper studies the bifurcation and chaos phenomena in averaged queue length in a developed Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) model with Random Early Detection (RED) mechanism. Bifurcation and chaos phenomena are nonlinear behaviour in network systems that lead to degradation of the network performance. The TCP/RED model used is a model validated previously. In our study, only the average queue size k q − is considered, and the results are based on analytical model rather than actual measurements. The instabilities in the model are studied numerically using the conventional nonlinear bifurcation analysis. Extending from this bifurcation analysis, a modified RED algorithm is derived to prevent the observed bifurcation and chaos regardless of the selected parameters. Our modification is for the simple scenario of a single RED router carrying only TCP traffic. The algorithm neither compromises the throughput nor the average queuing delay of the system

A sequence motif conserved in diverse nuclear proteins identifies a protein interaction domain utilised for nuclear targeting by human TFIIS

The three structural domains of transcription elongation factor TFIIS are conserved from yeast to human. Although the N-terminal domain is not needed for transcriptional activity, a similar sequence has been identified previously in other transcription factors. We found this conserved sequence, the LW motif, in another three human proteins that are predominantly nuclear localized. We investigated two examples to determine whether the LW motif is actually a dedicated nuclear targeting signal. However, in one of the newly identified proteins, hIWS1 (human Iws1), a region containing classic nuclear localization signals (NLS) rather than the LW motif was necessary and sufficient for nuclear targeting in HeLa cells. In contrast, human TFIIS does not possess an NLS and only constructs containing the LW motif were efficiently targeted to nuclei. Moreover, mutations in the motif could cause cytoplasmic accumulation of TFIIS and enabled a structure/function assay for the domain based on the efficiency of nuclear targeting. Finally, GST pull-down assays showed that the LW motif is part of a protein-binding domain. We suggest that the targeting role the LW motif plays in TFIIS arises from its more general function as a protein interaction domain, enabling TFIIS to bind a carrier protein(s) that accomplishes nuclear import