Vibrational transfer functions for base excited systems

Computer program GD203 develops transfer functions to compute governing vibration environment for complex structures subjected to a base motion

Turning the Quantum Group Invariant XXZ Spin-Chain Hermitian: A Conjecture on the Invariant Product

This is a continuation of a previous joint work with Robert Weston on the quantum group invariant XXZ spin-chain (math-ph/0703085). The previous results on quasi-Hermiticity of this integrable model are briefly reviewed and then connected with a new construction of an inner product with respect to which the Hamiltonian and the representation of the Temperley-Lieb algebra become Hermitian. The approach is purely algebraic, one starts with the definition of a positive functional over the Temperley-Lieb algebra whose values can be computed graphically. Employing the Gel'fand-Naimark-Segal (GNS) construction for C*-algebras a self-adjoint representation of the Temperley-Lieb algebra is constructed when the deformation parameter q lies in a special section of the unit circle. The main conjecture of the paper is the unitary equivalence of this GNS representation with the representation obtained in the previous paper employing the ideas of PT-symmetry and quasi-Hermiticity. An explicit example is presented.Comment: 12 page

Planck pre-launch status: High Frequency Instrument polarization calibration

The High Frequency Instrument of Planck will map the entire sky in the millimeter and sub-millimeter domain from 100 to 857 GHz with unprecedented sensitivity to polarization (ΔP/T_(cmb) ~ 4 × 10^(-6) for P either Q or U and T_(cmb) ≃ 2.7 K) at 100, 143, 217 and 353 GHz. It will lead to major improvements in our understanding of the cosmic microwave background anisotropies and polarized foreground signals. Planck will make high resolution measurements of the E-mode spectrum (up to l ~ 1500) and will also play a prominent role in the search for the faint imprint of primordial gravitational waves on the CMB polarization. This paper addresses the effects of calibration of both temperature (gain) and polarization (polarization efficiency and detector orientation) on polarization measurements. The specific requirements on the polarization parameters of the instrument are set and we report on their pre-flight measurement on HFI bolometers. We present a semi-analytical method that exactly accounts for the scanning strategy of the instrument as well as the combination of different detectors. We use this method to propagate errors through to the CMB angular power spectra in the particular case of Planck-HFI, and to derive constraints on polarization parameters. We show that in order to limit the systematic error to 10% of the cosmic variance of the E-mode power spectrum, uncertainties in gain, polarization efficiency and detector orientation must be below 0.15%, 0.3% and 1° respectively. Pre-launch ground measurements reported in this paper already fulfill these requirements

Powder Bed Fusion Additive Manufacturing of JBK-75

JBK-75 is an iron-nickel derivative alloy of A-286 that has been of interest to NASAs propulsion community for use in fuel injectors and other components that are used in hot, corrosive environments. To enable the rapid production of these components in JBK-75, Marshall Space Flight Center has developed parameters for manufacturing fully dense JBK-75 components using powder bed fusion additive manufacturing (PBFAM). These parameters were developed in a two-step development. First, the depth of laser penetration in the powdered material was measured across a spectrum of laser powers to determine the optimal power necessary for generating the desired meltpool depth. The parameter sets vector-to-vector spacing was then then tailored to guarantee the full densification of the desired area. The results of this development was a readily implementable parameter that produced 99.6% dense material when using a 147W power running at 600mm/s with a 85m(32%) vector-to-vector spacing

Nature of fault planes in solid neutron star matter

The properties of tectonic earthquake sources are compared with those deduced here for fault planes in solid neutron-star matter. The conclusion that neutron-star matter cannot exhibit brittle fracture at any temperature or magnetic field is significant for current theories of pulsar glitches, and of the anomalous X-ray pulsars and soft-gamma repeaters.Comment: 5 AAS LaTeX pages 1 eps figur

Adjustable mount for electro-optic transducers in an evacuated cryogenic system

The invention is an adjustable mount for positioning an electro-optic transducer in an evacuated cryogenic environment. Electro-optic transducers are used in this manner as high sensitivity detectors of gas emission lines of spectroscopic analysis. The mount is made up of an adjusting mechanism and a transducer mount. The adjusting mechanism provided five degrees of freedom, linear adjustments and angular adjustments. The mount allows the use of an internal lens to focus energy on the transducer element thereby improving the efficiency of the detection device. Further, the transducer mount, although attached to the adjusting mechanism, is isolated thermally such that a cryogenic environment can be maintained at the transducer while the adjusting mechanism remains at room temperature. Radiation shields also are incorporated to further reduce heat flow to the transducer location

Modulation of endoglin expression in islets of langerhans by VEGF reveals a novel regulator of islet endothelial cell function

BACKGROUND: Endoglin/CD105 is an auxiliary receptor for transforming growth factor-β with established roles in vascular remodelling. It has recently been shown that heterozygous endoglin deficiency in mice decreases insulin secretion in an animal model of obesity, highlighting a potential role for endoglin in the regulation of islet function. We have previously identified two different populations of endoglin expressing cells in human and mouse islets which are: (i) endothelial cells (ECs) and (ii) islet mesenchymal stromal cells. The contribution of islet EC endoglin expression to islet development and sensitivity to VEGF is unknown and is the focus of this study. RESULTS: In vitro culture of mouse islets with VEGF164 for 48 h increased endoglin mRNA levels above untreated controls but VEGF did not modulate VEGFR2, CD31 or CD34 mRNA expression or islet viability. Removal of EC-endoglin expression in vivo reduced islet EC area but had no apparent effect on islet size or architecture. CONCLUSION: EC-specific endoglin expression in islets is sensitive to VEGF and plays partial roles in driving islet vascular development, however such regulation appears to be distinct to mechanisms required to modulate islet viability and size