10,965 research outputs found
Failure rate analysis of Goddard Space Flight Center spacecraft performance during orbital life
Space life performance data on 57 Goddard Space Flight Center spacecraft are analyzed from the standpoint of determining an appropriate reliability model and the associated reliability parameters. Data from published NASA reports, which cover the space performance of GSFC spacecraft launched in the 1960-1970 decade, form the basis of the analyses. The results of the analyses show that the time distribution of 449 malfunctions, of which 248 were classified as failures (not necessarily catastrophic), follow a reliability growth pattern that can be described with either the Duane model or a Weibull distribution. The advantages of both mathematical models are used in order to: identify space failure rates, observe chronological trends, and compare failure rates with those experienced during the prelaunch environmental tests of the flight model spacecraft
Atom detection in a two-mode optical cavity with intermediate coupling: Autocorrelation studies
We use an optical cavity in the regime of intermediate coupling between atom
and cavity mode to detect single moving atoms. Degenerate polarization modes
allow excitation of the atoms in one mode and collection of spontaneous
emission in the other, while keeping separate the two sources of light; we
obtain a higher confidence and efficiency of detection by adding
cavity-enhanced Faraday rotation. Both methods greatly benefit from coincidence
detection of photons, attaining fidelities in excess of 99% in less than 1
microsecond. Detailed studies of the second-order intensity autocorrelation
function of light from the signal mode reveal evidence of antibunched photon
emissions and the dynamics of single-atom transits.Comment: 10 pages, 10 figures, to be published in Phys. Rev.
The life and health challenges of young Malaysian couples: results from a stakeholder consensus and engagement study to support non-communicable disease prevention
BACKGROUND: Malaysia faces burgeoning obesity and diabetes epidemics with a 250% and 88% increase respectively between 1996 and 2006. Identifying the health challenges of young adults in Malaysia, who constitute 27.5 % of the population, is critical for NCD prevention. The aim of the study was two-fold: (1) to achieve consensus amongst stakeholders on the most important challenge impacting the health of young adults, and (2) to engage with stakeholders to formulate a NCD prevention framework.METHODS: The Delphi Technique was utilised to achieve group consensus around the most important life and health challenges that young adults face in Malaysia. Subsequently, the results of the consensus component were shared with the stakeholders in an engagement workshop to obtain input on a NCD prevention framework.RESULTS: We found that life stress was a significant concern. It would seem that the apathy towards pursuing or maintaining a healthy lifestyle among young adults may be significantly influenced by the broader distal determinant of life stress. The high cost of living is suggested to be the main push factor for young working adults towards attaining better financial security to improve their livelihood. In turn, this leads to a more stressful lifestyle with less time to focus on healthier lifestyle choices.CONCLUSIONS: The findings highlight a pivotal barrier to healthier lifestyles. By assisting young adults to cope with daily living coupled with realistic opportunities to make healthier dietary choices, be more active, and less sedentary could assist in the development of NCD health promotion strategies<br/
The ATLAS-SPT Radio Survey of Cluster Galaxies
Using a high-performance computing cluster to mosaic 4,787 pointings, we have
imaged the 100 sq. deg. South Pole Telescope (SPT) deep-field at 2.1 GHz using
the Australian Telescope Compact Array to an rms of 80 Jy and a resolution
of 8". Our goal is to generate an independent sample of radio-selected galaxy
clusters to study how the radio properties compare with cluster properties at
other wavelengths, over a wide range of redshifts in order to construct a
timeline of their evolution out to . A preliminary analysis of the
source catalogue suggests there is no spatial correlation between the clusters
identified in the SPT-SZ catalogue and our wide-angle tail galaxies.Comment: 9 pages, 4 figures. Submitted to Proceedings of Science for "The many
facets of extragalactic radio surveys: towards new scientific challenges",
Bologna, Italy 20-23 October 2015 (EXTRA-RADSUR2015
Observation of ground-state quantum beats in atomic spontaneous emission
We report ground-state quantum beats in spontaneous emission from a
continuously driven atomic ensemble. Beats are visible only in an intensity
autocorrelation and evidence spontaneously generated coherence in radiative
decay. Our measurement realizes a quantum eraser where a first photon detection
prepares a superposition and a second erases the "which-path" information in
the intermediate state.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures, to appear in Phys. Rev. Letter
From quantum feedback to probabilistic error correction: Manipulation of quantum beats in cavity QED
It is shown how to implement quantum feedback and probabilistic error
correction in an open quantum system consisting of a single atom, with ground-
and excited-state Zeeman structure, in a driven two-mode optical cavity. The
ground state superposition is manipulated and controlled through conditional
measurements and external fields, which shield the coherence and correct
quantum errors. Modeling of an experimentally realistic situation demonstrates
the robustness of the proposal for realization in the laboratory
Elastic moduli approximation of higher symmetry for the acoustical properties of an anisotropic material
The issue of how to define and determine an optimal acoustical fit to a set
of anisotropic elastic constants is addressed. The optimal moduli are defined
as those which minimize the mean squared difference in the acoustical tensors
between the given moduli and all possible moduli of a chosen higher material
symmetry. The solution is shown to be identical to minimizing a Euclidean
distance function, or equivalently, projecting the tensor of elastic stiffness
onto the appropriate symmetry. This has implications for how to best select
anisotropic constants to acoustically model complex materials.Comment: 20 page
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