Performance of efficient Q-switched diode-laser-pumped Nd:YAG and Ho:YLF lasers for space applications

Solid-state lasers pumped by continuous-wave diode lasers can be Q-switched to obtain high peak power output pulses. The dependence of laser-pulse energy, average output power, peak power, and pulse width on pulse-repetition frequency in Q-switched Nd:YAG and Ho:YLF lasers is determined and compared. At low pulse repetition rates, the much longer upper-stage lifetime in Ho:YLF gives a distinct advantage. At higher pulse rates, the overall laser efficiency and the stimulated emission cross section are more important parameters, leading to an advantage for Nd:YAG. The results are of significance for designing lasers for use in space optical communications and remote sensing systems

Use of ordination and classification procedures to evaluate phytoplankton communities during Superflux II

Cluster analysis and an ordination procedure were performed on two data matrices to investigate real and environmental spatial relationships. Multiple regression analysis was used to relate the measured environmental variables to the phytoplankton community changes. Qualitative type phytoplankton data proved to be less structured in both of these spaces, relative to the biomass data. The salinity gradients of the northern transects covaried significantly with the phytoplankton association changes. In the southern transects the light variable was most important in explaining the variance in the ordination axes. These data suggest the close relationships between phytoplankton community changes and the physical hydrology of the area

Numerical Studies of the Compressible Ising Spin Glass

We study a two-dimensional compressible Ising spin glass at constant volume. The spin interactions are coupled to the distance between neighboring particles in the Edwards-Anderson model with +/- J interactions. We find that the energy of a given spin configuration is shifted from its incompressible value, E_0, by an amount quadratic in E_0 and proportional to the coupling strength. We then construct a simple model expressed only in terms of spin variables that predicts the existence of a critical value of the coupling above which the spin-glass transition disappears.Comment: REVTeX, 4 pages, 4 figures. Submitted to Phys. Rev. Let

X-ray Emission from the 3C 273 Jet

We present results from four recent Chandra monitoring observations of the jet in 3C 273 using the ACIS detector, obtained between November 2003 and July 2004. We find that the X-ray emission comes in two components: unresolved knots that are smaller than the corresponding optically emitting knots and a broad channel that is about the same width as the optical interknot region. We compute the jet speed under the assumption that the X-ray emission is due to inverse Compton scattering of the cosmic microwave background, finding that the dimming of the jet X-ray emission to the jet termination relative to the radio emission may be due to bulk deceleration.Comment: 2 pages, 2 figures, to appear in the proceedings of "The X-ray Universe 2005", San Lorenzo de El Escorial (Spain), 26-30 September 200

Snowex 2017 Community Snow Depth Measurements: A Quality-Controlled, Georeferenced Product

Snow depth was one of the core ground measurements required to validate remotely-sensed data collected during SnowEx Year 1, which occurred in Colorado. The use of a single, common protocol was fundamental to produce a community reference dataset of high quality. Most of the nearly 100 Grand Mesa and Senator Beck Basin SnowEx ground crew participants contributed to this crucial dataset during 6-25 February 2017. Snow depths were measured along ~300 m transects, whose locations were determined according to a random-stratified approach using snowfall and tree-density gradients. Two-person teams used snowmobiles, skis, or snowshoes to travel to staked transect locations and to conduct measurements. Depths were measured with a 1-cm incremented probe every 3 meters along transects. In shallow areas of Grand Mesa, depth measurements were also collected with GPS snow-depth probes (a.k.a. MagnaProbes) at ~1-m intervals. During summer 2017, all reference stake positions were surveyed with <10 cm accuracy to improve overall snow depth location accuracy. During the campaign, 193 transects were measured over three weeks at Grand Mesa and 40 were collected over two weeks in Senator Beck Basin, representing more than 27,000 depth values. Each day of the campaign depth measurements were written in waterproof field books and photographed by National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC) participants. The data were later transcribed and prepared for extensive quality assessment and control. Common issues such as protocol errors (e.g., survey in reverse direction), notebook image issues (e.g., halo in the center of digitized picture), and data-entry errors (sloppy writing and transcription errors) were identified and fixed on a point-by-point basis. In addition, we strove to produce a georeferenced product of fine quality, so we calculated and interpolated coordinates for every depth measurement based on surveyed stakes and the number of measurements made per transect. The product has been submitted to NSIDC in csv format. To educate data users, we present the study design and processing steps that have improved the quality and usability of this product. Also, we will address measurement and design uncertainties, which are different in open vs. forest areas

Evaluation of a spacecraft nitrogen generator

A research and development program was successfully completed towards the development of a method of generating nitrogen for cabin leakage makeup aboard space vehicles. The nitrogen generation concept used liquid hydrazine as the stored form of nitrogen. This reduced tankage and expendables weight associated with high pressure gaseous and cryogenic liquid nitrogen storage. The hydrazine was catalytically dissociated to yield a mixture of nitrogen and hydrogen. The latter was separated to provide the makeup nitrogen. The hydrogen will be used in the reduction of metabolic carbon dioxide

Search for the Standard Model Higgs Boson in the Diphoton Decay Channel with 4.9 fb^(-1) of pp Collision Data at √s = 7 TeV with ATLAS

A search for the standard model Higgs boson is performed in the diphoton decay channel. The data used correspond to an integrated luminosity of 4.9  fb^(-1) collected with the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider in proton-proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of √s = 7  TeV. In the diphoton mass range 110–150 GeV, the largest excess with respect to the background-only hypothesis is observed at 126.5 GeV, with a local significance of 2.8 standard deviations. Taking the look-elsewhere effect into account in the range 110–150 GeV, this significance becomes 1.5 standard deviations. The standard model Higgs boson is excluded at 95% confidence level in the mass ranges of 113–115 GeV and 134.5–136 GeV

Measurement of the W →τν_τ cross section in pp collisions at √s = 7 TeV with the ATLAS experiment

The cross section for the production of W bosons with subsequent decay W→τν_τ is measured with the ATLAS detector at the LHC. The analysis is based on a data sample that was recorded in 2010 at a proton–proton center-of-mass energy of √s = 7TeV and corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 34 pb^(−1). The cross section is measured in a region of high detector acceptance and then extrapolated to the full phase space. The product of the total W production cross section and the W→τν_τ branching ratio is measured to be σ^(tot) _(W→τντ) = 11.1±0.3 (stat)±1.7 (syst)±0.4 (lumi) nb

Measurement of the W^±Z production cross section and limits on anomalous triple gauge couplings in proton–proton collisions at √s = 7 TeV with the ATLAS detector

This Letter presents a measurement of W^± Z production in 1.02 fb^(−1) of pp collision data at √s = 7 TeV collected by the ATLAS experiment in 2011. Doubly leptonic decay events are selected with electrons, muons and missing transverse momentum in the final state. In total 71 candidates are observed, with a background expectation of 12.1 ± 1.4(stat.)^(+4.1)_(−2.0)(syst.) events. The total cross section for W^± Z production for Z/γ^∗ masses within the range 66 GeV to 116 GeV is determined to be σ^(tot)_(WZ) = 20.5^(+3.1)_(−2.8)(stat.)^(+1.4)_(−1.3)(syst.)^(+0.9)_(−0.8)(lumi.) pb, which is consistent with the Standard Model expectation of 17.3^(+1.3) _(0.8) pb. Limits on anomalous triple gauge boson couplings are extracted

Search for a Light Higgs Boson Decaying to Long-Lived Weakly Interacting Particles in Proton-Proton Collisions at √s = 7 TeV with the ATLAS Detector

A search for the decay of a light Higgs boson (120–140 GeV) to a pair of weakly interacting, long-lived particles in 1.94  fb^(-1) of proton-proton collisions at √s=7  TeV recorded in 2011 by the ATLAS detector is presented. The search strategy requires that both long-lived particles decay inside the muon spectrometer. No excess of events is observed above the expected background and limits on the Higgs boson production times branching ratio to weakly interacting, long-lived particles are derived as a function of the particle proper decay length