20,749 research outputs found
Manufacture of DPFC-DMS polymer in the SKG range
BPFC-DMS block copolymers were synthesized on a pre-pilot scale (i.e., to 5 Kg lots) and subsequently fabricated into clear, colorless films. Details of the synthesis procedures, property determinations, and film casting techniques are presented. Solubility, viscosity and molecular weight characteristics of the resulting product are reported
A geostationary imaging spectrometer TOMS instrument
One design for a geostationary Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer (TOMS) with many desirable features is an imaging spectrometer. A preliminary study makes use of a 0.25 m Czerny-Turner spectrometer with which the Earth is imaged on a charge-coupled device (CCD) in dispersed light. The wavelength is determined by a movable grating which can be set arbitrarily by ground control. The signal integration time depends on wavelength but this system allows arbitrary timing by command. Special circumstances such as a requirement to track a low-lying sulfur dioxide cloud or a need to discriminate high level ozone from total ozone at midlatitudes could be obtained by adding a particular wavelength to the normally pre-programmed time sequence. The incident solar irradiance is measured by deploying a diffuser plate in the field of view. Individual detector elements correspond to scene elements in which the several wavelengths are serially sampled and the Earth radiance is compared to the incident sunlight. Thus the problem of uncorrelated drift of multiple detectors is removed
Start to end simulations of the ERL prototype at Daresbury Laboratory
Daresbury Laboratory is currently building an Energy Recovery Linac Prototype (ERLP) that will serve as a research and development facility for the study of beam dynamics and accelerator technology important to the design and construction of the proposed 4th Generation Light Source (4GLS) project. Two major objectives of the ERLP are the demonstration of energy recovery and of energy recovery from a beam disrupted by an FEL interaction as supplied by an infrared oscillator system. In this paper we present start-to-end simulations of the ERLP including such an FEL interaction. The beam dynamics in the highbrightness injector, which consists of a DC photocathode Gun and a superconducting booster, have been modelled using the particle tracking code ASTRA. After the booster the particles have been tracked with the code elegant. The 3D code GENESIS 1.3 was used to model the FEL interaction with the electron beam at 35 MeV. A brief summary of impedance and wakefield calculations for the whole machine is also given
Liquid drop stability for protein crystal growth in microgravity
It is possible to grow protein crystals for biomedical research in microgravity by deploying a protein-rich solution from a syringe, forming a drop in which crystallization can occur with the proper degree of supersaturation. Drop stability is critical to the success of this research, due to the large drop sizes which can be achieved in space. In order to determine the type of syringe tips most suitable to support these large drops, tests were performed during brief periods of weightlessness onboard the NASA KC-135 low-gravity simulation aircraft. The drops were analyzed using three simple models in which the samples were approximated by modified pendulum and spring systems. It was concluded that the higher frequency systems were the most stable, indicating that of the syringes utilized, a disk-shaped configuration provided the most stable environment of low-gravity protein crystal growth
Optimal randomized multilevel algorithms for infinite-dimensional integration on function spaces with ANOVA-type decomposition
In this paper, we consider the infinite-dimensional integration problem on
weighted reproducing kernel Hilbert spaces with norms induced by an underlying
function space decomposition of ANOVA-type. The weights model the relative
importance of different groups of variables. We present new randomized
multilevel algorithms to tackle this integration problem and prove upper bounds
for their randomized error. Furthermore, we provide in this setting the first
non-trivial lower error bounds for general randomized algorithms, which, in
particular, may be adaptive or non-linear. These lower bounds show that our
multilevel algorithms are optimal. Our analysis refines and extends the
analysis provided in [F. J. Hickernell, T. M\"uller-Gronbach, B. Niu, K.
Ritter, J. Complexity 26 (2010), 229-254], and our error bounds improve
substantially on the error bounds presented there. As an illustrative example,
we discuss the unanchored Sobolev space and employ randomized quasi-Monte Carlo
multilevel algorithms based on scrambled polynomial lattice rules.Comment: 31 pages, 0 figure
Degeneracy measures for the algebraic classification of numerical spacetimes
We study the issue of algebraic classification of the Weyl curvature tensor,
with a particular focus on numerical relativity simulations. The spacetimes of
interest in this context, binary black hole mergers, and the ringdowns that
follow them, present subtleties in that they are generically, strictly
speaking, Type I, but in many regions approximately, in some sense, Type D. To
provide meaning to any claims of "approximate" Petrov class, one must define a
measure of degeneracy on the space of null rays at a point. We will investigate
such a measure, used recently to argue that certain binary black hole merger
simulations ring down to the Kerr geometry, after hanging up for some time in
Petrov Type II. In particular, we argue that this hangup in Petrov Type II is
an artefact of the particular measure being used, and that a geometrically
better-motivated measure shows a black hole merger produced by our group
settling directly to Petrov Type D.Comment: 14 pages, 7 figures. Version 2 adds two references
Low voltage control of ferromagnetism in a semiconductor p-n junction
The concept of low-voltage depletion and accumulation of electron charge in
semiconductors, utilized in field-effect transistors (FETs), is one of the
cornerstones of current information processing technologies. Spintronics which
is based on manipulating the collective state of electron spins in a
ferromagnet provides complementary technologies for reading magnetic bits or
for the solid-state memories. The integration of these two distinct areas of
microelectronics in one physical element, with a potentially major impact on
the power consumption and scalability of future devices, requires to find
efficient means for controlling magnetization electrically. Current induced
magnetization switching phenomena represent a promising step towards this goal,
however, they relay on relatively large current densities. The direct approach
of controlling the magnetization by low-voltage charge depletion effects is
seemingly unfeasible as the two worlds of semiconductors and metal ferromagnets
are separated by many orders of magnitude in their typical carrier
concentrations. Here we demonstrate that this concept is viable by reporting
persistent magnetization switchings induced by short electrical pulses of a few
volts in an all-semiconductor, ferromagnetic p-n junction.Comment: 11 pages, 4 figure
A Comprehensive Radio and Optical Study of Abell 2256: Activity from an Infalling Group
Abell 2256 is a nearby (z~0.06), rich cluster of galaxies with fascinating
observed properties across a range of wavelengths. Long believed to represent a
cluster merger, recent X-ray and optical results have suggested that in
addition to the primary cluster and subcluster there is evidence for a third,
poorer system. We present wide-field, high sensitivity 1.4 GHz VLA radio
observations of Abell 2256 in conjunction with optical imaging and additional
spectroscopy. Over 40 cluster radio galaxies are identified, with optical
spectroscopy indicating the emission source (star formation or AGN) for most of
them. While the overall fraction of galaxies exhibiting radio emission is
consistent with a large sample of other nearby clusters, we find an increase in
the activity level of galaxies belonging to the third system (hereafter, the
``Group''). Specifically, the Group has relatively more star formation than
both the primary cluster and main subcluster. The position of the Group is also
coincident with the observed cluster radio relic. We suggest that the Group
recently (~0.3 Gyr) merged with the primary cluster and that this merger, not
the ongoing merger of the primary and the main subcluster, might be responsible
for many of the unusual radio properties of Abell 2256. Furthermore, the
greater star formation activity of the Group suggests that the infall of groups
is an important driver of galaxy evolution in clusters.Comment: 21 pages plus 13 JPEG figures; to appear in the Astronomical Journa
Targeted searches for gravitational waves from radio pulsars
An overview of the searches for gravitational waves from radio pulsars with
LIGO and GEO is given. We give a brief description of the algorithm used in
these targeted searches and provide end-to-end validation of the technique
through hardware injections. We report on some aspects of the recent S3/S4 LIGO
and GEO search for signals from several pulsars. The gaussianity of narrow
frequency bands of S3/S4 LIGO data, where pulsar signals are expected, is
assessed with Kolmogorov-Smirnov tests. Preliminary results from the S3 run
with a network of four detectors are given for pulsar J1939+2134
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