Performance Verification of the FlashCam Prototype Camera for the Cherenkov Telescope Array

The Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA) is a future gamma-ray observatory that is planned to significantly improve upon the sensitivity and precision of the current generation of Cherenkov telescopes. The observatory will consist of several dozens of telescopes with different sizes and equipped with different types of cameras. Of these, the FlashCam camera system is the first to implement a fully digital signal processing chain which allows for a traceable, configurable trigger scheme and flexible signal reconstruction. As of autumn 2016, a prototype FlashCam camera for the medium-sized telescopes of CTA nears completion. First results of the ongoing system tests demonstrate that the signal chain and the readout system surpass CTA requirements. The stability of the system is shown using long-term temperature cycling.Comment: 5 pages, 13 figures, Proceedings of the 9th International Workshop on Ring Imaging Cherenkov Detectors (RICH 2016), Lake Bled, Sloveni

FlashCam: a fully-digital camera for the medium-sized telescopes of the Cherenkov Telescope Array

The FlashCam group is currently preparing photomultiplier-tube based cameras proposed for the medium-sized telescopes (MST) of the Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA). The cameras are designed around the FlashCam readout concept which is the first fully-digital readout system for Cherenkov cameras, based on commercial FADCs and FPGAs as key components for the front-end electronics modules and a high performance camera server as back-end. This contribution describes the progress of the full-scale FlashCam camera prototype currently under construction, as well as performance results also obtained with earlier demonstrator setups. Plans towards the production and implementation of FlashCams on site are also briefly presented.Comment: 8 pages, 6 figures. In Proceedings of the 34th International Cosmic Ray Conference (ICRC2015), The Hague, The Netherlands. All CTA contributions at arXiv:1508.0589

A Geologic Play Book for Utica Shale Appalachian Basin Exploration

This “Geologic Play Book for Utica Shale Appalachian Basin Exploration” (hereafter referred to as the “Utica Shale Play Book Study” or simply “Study”) represents the results of a two-year research effort by workers in five different states with the financial support of fifteen oil and gas industry partners. The Study was made possible through a coordinated effort between the Appalachian Basin Oil & Natural Gas Research Consortium (AONGRC) and the West Virginia University Shale Research, Education, Policy and Economic Development Center

The plausibility of a role for mercury in the etiology of autism: a cellular perspective

Autism is defined by a behavioral set of stereotypic and repetitious behavioral patterns in combination with social and communication deficits. There is emerging evidence supporting the hypothesis that autism may result from a combination of genetic susceptibility and exposure to environmental toxins at critical moments in development. Mercury (Hg) is recognized as a ubiquitous environmental neurotoxin and there is mounting evidence linking it to neurodevelopmental disorders, including autism. Of course, the evidence is not derived from experimental trials with humans but rather from methods focusing on biomarkers of Hg damage, measurements of Hg exposure, epidemiological data, and animal studies. For ethical reasons, controlled Hg exposure in humans will never be conducted. Therefore, to properly evaluate the Hg-autism etiological hypothesis, it is essential to first establish the biological plausibility of the hypothesis. This review examines the plausibility of Hg as the primary etiological agent driving the cellular mechanisms by which Hg-induced neurotoxicity may result in the physiological attributes of autism. Key areas of focus include: (1) route and cellular mechanisms of Hg exposure in autism; (2) current research and examples of possible genetic variables that are linked to both Hg sensitivity and autism; (3) the role Hg may play as an environmental toxin fueling the oxidative stress found in autism; (4) role of mitochondrial dysfunction; and (5) possible role of Hg in abnormal neuroexcitory and excitotoxity that may play a role in the immune dysregulation found in autism. Future research directions that would assist in addressing the gaps in our knowledge are proposed

Steigerung der Tragfähigkeit für das Deutsch-Chinesische Haus der EXPO 2010 durch Optimierung des Bambus-Beton-Verbundes

Das Deutsch-Chinesische Haus der EXPO 2010 in Shanghai aus Bambus und Membran zeigt eindrucksvoll, wie traditionelle und moderne Baustoffe eine Einheit bilden können und dabei Neuartiges entsteht. Das leichte, innovative Tragwerk verursacht bei der Herstellung geringe CO2-Emissionen, da als Haupttragstruktur ein Fachwerk aus Bambusrohren von bis zu 8 m Länge und bis zu 20 cm Durchmessern gewählt wurde. In dem vorliegenden Artikel wird ein neuartiges Verfahren zur Einleitung von Lasten in Knotenanschlüsse für Bambusrohre vorgestellt, denn die Fügetechnik von Bambusrohren ist aufgrund der Eigenschaften des Bambus (Rohrquerschnitt und glatte Oberfläche) schwierig. Bei dem Verfahren werden die Bambusrohre lokal an ihren Enden mit Beton verfüllt und Stahlelemente einbetoniert, die über klassische Verbindungsmittel (z.B. Stahlschrauben) verbunden werden können. Für einen dauerhaften Verbund zwischen Bambus und Beton spielen die Oberflächenvorbehandlung und Betonrezeptur eine entscheidende Rolle; mit der hier gewählten Konfiguration können Bemessungskräfte Rd von über 50 kN auf Zug und über 150 kN auf Druck in Bambusrohrknoten eingeleitet werden