5,694 research outputs found
Comparison of a linear and a nonlinear washout for motion simulators utilizing objective and subjective data from CTOL transport landing approaches
Objective and subjective data gathered in the processes of comparing a linear and a nonlinear washout for motion simulators reveal that there is no difference in the pilot performance measurements used during instrument landing system (ILS) approaches with a Boeing 737 conventional takeoff and landing (CTOL) airplane between fixed base, linear washout, and nonlinear washout operations. However, the subjective opinions of the pilots reveal an important advance in motion cue presentation. The advance is not in the increased cue available over a linear filter for the same amount of motion base travel but rather in the elimination of false rotational rate cues presented by linear filters
Evaluation of a linear washout for simulator motion cue presentation during landing approach
The comparison of a fixed-base versus a five-degree-of-freedom motion base simulation of a 737 conventional take-off and landing (CTOL) aircraft performing instrument landing system (ILS) landing approaches was used to evaluate a linear motion washout technique. The fact that the pilots felt that the addition of motion increased the pilot workload and this increase was not reflected in the objective data results, indicates that motion cues, as presented, are not a contributing factor to root-mean-square (rms) performance during the landing approach task. Subjective results from standard maneuvering about straight-and-level flight for specific motion cue evaluation revealed that the longitudinal channels (pitch and surge) possibly the yaw channel produce acceptable motions. The roll cue representation, involving both roll and sway channels, was found to be inadequate for large roll inputs, as used for example, in turn entries
Buoyancy Instabilities in Galaxy Clusters: Convection Due to Adiabatic Cosmic Rays and Anisotropic Thermal Conduction
Using a linear stability analysis and two and three-dimensional nonlinear
simulations, we study the physics of buoyancy instabilities in a combined
thermal and relativistic (cosmic ray) plasma, motivated by the application to
clusters of galaxies. We argue that cosmic ray diffusion is likely to be slow
compared to the buoyancy time on large length scales, so that cosmic rays are
effectively adiabatic. If the cosmic ray pressure is of
the thermal pressure, and the cosmic ray entropy (;
is the thermal plasma density) decreases outwards, cosmic rays drive an
adiabatic convective instability analogous to Schwarzschild convection in
stars. Global simulations of galaxy cluster cores show that this instability
saturates by reducing the cosmic ray entropy gradient and driving efficient
convection and turbulent mixing. At larger radii in cluster cores, the thermal
plasma is unstable to the heat flux-driven buoyancy instability (HBI), a
convective instability generated by anisotropic thermal conduction and a
background conductive heat flux. Cosmic-ray driven convection and the HBI may
contribute to redistributing metals produced by Type 1a supernovae in clusters.
Our calculations demonstrate that adiabatic simulations of galaxy clusters can
artificially suppress the mixing of thermal and relativistic plasma;
anisotropic thermal conduction allows more efficient mixing, which may
contribute to cosmic rays being distributed throughout the cluster volume.Comment: submitted to ApJ; 15 pages and 12 figures; abstract shortened to < 24
lines; for high resolution movies see
http://astro.berkeley.edu/~psharma/clustermovie.htm
Turbulence and Mixing in the Intracluster Medium
The intracluster medium (ICM) is stably stratified in the hydrodynamic sense
with the entropy increasing outwards. However, thermal conduction along
magnetic field lines fundamentally changes the stability of the ICM, leading to
the "heat-flux buoyancy instability" when and the "magnetothermal
instability" when . The ICM is thus buoyantly unstable regardless of
the signs of and . On the other hand, these
temperature-gradient-driven instabilities saturate by reorienting the magnetic
field (perpendicular to when and parallel to when ), without generating sustained convection. We show that
after an anisotropically conducting plasma reaches this nonlinearly stable
magnetic configuration, it experiences a buoyant restoring force that resists
further distortions of the magnetic field. This restoring force is analogous to
the buoyant restoring force experienced by a stably stratified adiabatic
plasma. We argue that in order for a driving mechanism (e.g, galaxy motions or
cosmic-ray buoyancy) to overcome this restoring force and generate turbulence
in the ICM, the strength of the driving must exceed a threshold, corresponding
to turbulent velocities . For weaker driving, the ICM
remains in its nonlinearly stable magnetic configuration, and turbulent mixing
is effectively absent. We discuss the implications of these findings for the
turbulent diffusion of metals and heat in the ICM.Comment: 8 pages, 2 figs., submitted to the conference proceedings of "The
Monster's Fiery Breath;" a follow up of arXiv:0901.4786 focusing on the
general mixing properties of the IC
Motion software for a synergistic six-degree-of-freedom motion base
Computer software for the conversion of fixed-base simulations into moving-base simulations utilizing a synergistic six-degree-of-freedom motion simulator has been developed. This software includes an actuator extension transformation, inverse actuator extension transformation, a centroid transformation, and a washout circuit. Particular emphasis is placed upon the washout circuitry as adapted to fit the synergistic motion simulator. The description of the washout circuitry and illustration by means of a sample flight emphasize that translational cue representation may be of good fidelity, but care in the selection of parameters is very necessary, particularly in regard to anomalous rotational cues
Cosmological MHD simulations of cluster formation with anisotropic thermal conduction
(abridged) The ICM has been suggested to be buoyantly unstable in the
presence of magnetic field and anisotropic thermal conduction. We perform first
cosmological simulations of galaxy cluster formation that simultaneously
include magnetic fields, radiative cooling and anisotropic thermal conduction.
In isolated and idealized cluster models, the magnetothermal instability (MTI)
tends to reorient the magnetic fields radially. Using cosmological simulations
of the Santa Barbara cluster we detect radial bias in the velocity and magnetic
fields. Such radial bias is consistent with either the inhomogeneous radial gas
flows due to substructures or residual MTI-driven field rearangements that are
expected even in the presence of turbulence. Although disentangling the two
scenarios is challenging, we do not detect excess bias in the runs that include
anisotropic thermal conduction. The anisotropy effect is potentially detectable
via radio polarization measurements with LOFAR and SKA and future X-ray
spectroscopic studies with the IXO. We demonstrate that radiative cooling
boosts the amplification of the magnetic field by about two orders of magnitude
beyond what is expected in the non-radiative cases. At z=0 the field is
amplified by a factor of about 10^6 compared to the uniform magnetic field
evolved due to the universal expansion alone. Interestingly, the runs that
include both radiative cooling and anisotropic thermal conduction exhibit
stronger magnetic field amplification than purely radiative runs at the
off-center locations. In these runs, shallow temperature gradients away from
the cluster center make the ICM neutrally buoyant. The ICM is more easily mixed
in these regions and the winding up of the frozen-in magnetic field is more
efficient resulting in stronger magnetic field amplification.Comment: submitted to ApJ, higher resolution figures available at:
http://www.astro.lsa.umich.edu/~mateuszr
Empirical comparison of a fixed-base and a moving-base simulation of a helicopter engaged in visually conducted slalom runs
Combined visual, motion, and aural cues for a helicopter engaged in visually conducted slalom runs at low altitude were studied. The evaluation of the visual and aural cues was subjective, whereas the motion cues were evaluated both subjectively and objectively. Subjective and objective results coincided in the area of control activity. Generally, less control activity is present under motion conditions than under fixed-base conditions, a fact attributed subjectively to the feeling of realistic limitations of a machine (helicopter) given by the addition of motion cues. The objective data also revealed that the slalom runs were conducted at significantly higher altitudes under motion conditions than under fixed-base conditions
InSb charge coupled infrared imaging device: The 20 element linear imager
The design and fabrication of the 8585 InSb charge coupled infrared imaging device (CCIRID) chip are reported. The InSb material characteristics are described along with mask and process modifications. Test results for the 2- and 20-element CCIRID's are discussed, including gate oxide characteristics, charge transfer efficiency, optical mode of operation, and development of the surface potential diagram
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