34,475 research outputs found
Calibration of Viking imaging system pointing, image extraction, and optical navigation measure
Pointing control and knowledge accuracy of Viking Orbiter science instruments is controlled by the scan platform. Calibration of the scan platform and the imaging system was accomplished through mathematical models. The calibration procedure and results obtained for the two Viking spacecraft are described. Included are both ground and in-flight scan platform calibrations, and the additional calibrations unique to optical navigation
Caldolysin, a highly active protease from an extremely Thermophilic Bacterium
Proteases comprise a significant proportion of those proteins which have been subject to detailed characterisation (amino acid sequence and high resolution crystallographic analysis). The extent of research interest in proteolytic enzymes reflects both their historical status, and the practical advantages of proteases as research subjects (available in quantity, extracellular etc.) widely occurring
The industrial potential of enzymes from extremely thermophilic bacteria
The thermal regions of the central North Island of New Zealand are some of the most extensive in the world. In addition, they are readily accessible and contain a diversity of ecological habitats, including a large number at 100°C. These areas are regarded as an important tourist attraction, and as a source of geothermal power, It is now clear that they also contain an important and unique genetic resource
Hydrazine electrolysis for spacecraft propulsion. Analysis and test of a dual-mode gas and liquid system Final report
Dual-mode hydrazine electrolysis for spacecraft propulsion syste
Radioisotope thermal photovoltaic application of the GaSb solar cell
An examination of a RTVP (radioisotopic thermophotovoltaic) conceptual design has shown a high potential for power densities well above those achievable with radioisotopic thermoelectric generator (RTG) systems. An efficiency of 14.4 percent and system specific power of 9.25 watts/kg were predicted for a system with sixteen GPHS (general purpose heat source) sources operating at 1100 C. The models also showed a 500 watt system power by the strontium-90 isotope at 1200 C at an efficiency of 17.0 percent and a system specific power of 11.8 watts/kg. The key to this level of performance is a high-quality photovoltaic cell with narrow bandgap and a reflective rear contact. Recent work at Boeing on GaSb cells and transparent back GaAs cells indicate that such a cell is well within reach
Transport properties of annealed CdSe nanocrystal solids
Transport properties of artificial solids composed of colloidal CdSe
nanocrystals (NCs) are studied from 6 K to 250 K, before and after annealing.
Annealing results in greatly enhanced dark and photocurrent in NC solids, while
transmission electron microscopy (TEM) micrographs show that the inter-dot
separation decreases. The increased current can be attributed to the
enhancement of inter-dot tunneling caused by the decreased separation between
NCs and by chemical changes in their organic cap. In addition, the absorption
spectra of annealed solids are slightly red-shifted and broadened. These
red-shifts may result from the change of the dielectric environment around the
NCs. Our measurements also indicate that Coulomb interactions between charges
on neighboring NCs play an important role in the tunneling current.Comment: 24 pages,4 figures, 1 tabl
Isolation of anaerobic, extremely thermophilic, sulphur metabolising archaebacteria from New Zealand hot springs
Enrichments of New Zealand geo-thermal samples, initiated in anaerobic sulphur-containing media and incubated at temperatures above 85°C, yielded rod and coccal shaped organisms which possessed archaebacterial characteristics. Pure cultures were isolated and characterised. Five of the seven isolates, which were rod-shaped organisms and did not have an obligate requirement for sulphur respiration, were similar to Ther-moproteus sp. but had more neutral pH optima for growth. Three of these five Thermoproteus sp. were obligate heterotrophs, which has not previously been reported. The two coccal isolates had an obligate requirement for sulphur as an electron acceptor and were similar to Desulfurococcus sp. but again with more neutral pH optima for growth
Cellulases from extremely thermophilic bacteria
Cellulose is the most abundant biopolymer on earth, and is the major component of urban waste. Thus cellulose must be seen as a very significant renewable source of chemical foodstocks when fossil fuels become restricted
Birefringent Electroweak Textures
The behaviour of electromagnetic waves propagating through an electroweak
homilia string network is examined. This string network is topologically stable
as a cosmic texture, and is characterized by the spatial variation of the
isospin rotation of the Higgs field. As a consequence the photon field couples
to the intermediate vector bosons, producing a finite range electromagnetic
field. It is found that the propagation speed of the photon depends on its
polarization vector, whence an homilia string network acts as a birefringent
medium. We estimate the birefringent scale for this texture and show that it
depends on the frequency of the electromagnetic wave and the length scale of
the homilia string network.Comment: 10 page
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