Technique for extending the frequency range of digital dividers

A technique for extending the frequency range of a presettable digital divider is described. The conventional digital divider consists of several counter stages with the count of each stage compared to a preselected number. When the counts for all stages are equal to the preselected numbers, an output pulse is generated and all stages are reset. For high input frequencies, the least significant stage of the divider has to be reset in a very short time. This limits the frequency that can be handled by the conventional digital divider. This invention provides a technique in which the second least significant and higher stages are reset and the least significant stage is permitted to free-run. Hence, the time in which the reset operation can be performed is increased thereby extending the frequency range of the divider

The effects of centrifuge radius on the performance of entry tasks

Effects of centrifuge radius on entry task performance - discrete response task, tracking task, and transfer of training effect

Crew Motion and the Dynamic Environment of Spaceborne Experiments

Analytical study of crew motion on dynamic environment of orbiting laboratorie

P3_6 Cavorite Pt 2: the Gravity of the Situation

We continue to explore the gravitational and atmospheric effects of Cavorite, a fictional material that is “opaque to gravitation”, by attempting to form a simplified gravitational model of the situation. This gravitational model was found to define the range at which gravitational acceleration will return to near normal as between 0.02 and 12 m. Further research is required to truly model the gravitational acceleration due to Cavorite

P3_3 On the Atmospheric Effects of Cavorite

We estimate the gravitational and atmospheric effects of a fictional substance known as Cavorite, a material proposed by H.G. Wells that is “opaque to gravitation”. We conclude that for a Cavorite sheet of radius 1 m the impact on the gravitational acceleration is only meaningful at less than 12 m above the plate, and is insignificant at heights greater than this. Therefore, the atmosphere is unlikely to vent away as claimed

P3_4 Elysium: Where'd the Atmosphere Go?

This paper determines whether the Elysium space station, from the 2013 film Elysium[1], could maintain an atmosphere. We found that Elysium, with a radius of 20 km[2], would not hold onto its atmosphere unless high wind speeds (183 ms^-1, 324 ms^-1, and 443 ms^-1; for the atmospheric rotations tested) are to be endured by its inhabitants

P3_9 Scooby and Shaggy: Metabolic Miracles

In the cartoon `What's New Scooby-Doo?' the characters Shaggy and Scooby are seen to eat large volumesof food without gaining any weight. Their effective temperatures in order to radiate away the excess energywere calculated to be T_Sh ~ 97 ± 033 °C for Shaggy, and T_Sc ~ 140 ± 43 °C for Scooby. It was concludedthat under normal circumstances, the subjects would perish of extreme hyperthermia. It was also notedthat Shaggy could survive if he was able to sweat continuously at the maximum rate for a human

P3_1 On the feasibility of neutrino sails

In this paper we consider whether a neutrino sail, a sheet of material absorbing neutrinos and gaining thrust from their momentum change, is a viable method of spacecraft propulsion. We calculate the thrust that could be achieved per unit area and compare this to that possible using a photon solar sail. We also calculate the thickness of sail necessary assuming that there are no special conditions under which the cross section for neutrino interactions with nuclei can be increased. We find that a thickness of 34000 light years would be necessary if a sheet of osmium were used, whereas neutron star matter could achieve this at 189 km thickness. We conclude that a neutrino sail is not a practical method of propulsion

P3_7 Cavorite Pt 3: Varying the Size of the Sheet

A continuation of The Cavorite Series, in which we explore the effects of a fictional substance which is “opaque to gravitation”. In this paper we examine the effects of varying the radius of the Cavorite sheet. As expected, the point at which the g experienced by a test particle returns to close to normal Earth g increases with the radius of the Cavorite. However, we found that even a Cavorite sheet of 1 km radius would not be enough to vent the atmosphere