Artificial three-body equilibria for hybrid low-thrust propulsion

This paper proposes a new concept of creating artificial equilibrium points in the circular restricted three body problem, where the third body uses a hybrid of solar sail and solar electric propulsion. The work aims to investigate the use of a hybrid sail for artificial equilibrium points that are technologically di±cult with either of these propulsion systems alone. The hybrid sail has freedom in specifying the sail lightness number, then minimizing the required thrust acceleration from the solar electric propulsion thruster while satisfying the equilibrium condition. The stability analysis of such artificial equilibrium points by a linear method results in a linear time varying (mass) system. The freezing time method then provides unstable and marginally stable regions for hybrid solar sail artificial equilibria. We compare these propulsion systems with a given payload mass and mission life for a polar observation mission. For a near term sail assembly loading we find for the hybrid sail a substantially lower propellant mass compared to solar electric propulsion and lower sail length with respect to a solar sail, and a lower initial spacecraft mass

Numerical simulation of random paths with a curvature dependent action

We study an ensemble of closed random paths, embedded in R^3, with a curvature dependent action. Previous analytical results indicate that there is no crumpling transition for any finite value of the curvature coupling. Nevertheless, in a high statistics numerical simulation, we observe two different regimes for the specific heat separated by a rather smooth structure. The analysis of this fact warns us about the difficulties in the interpretation of numerical results obtained in cases where theoretical results are absent and a high statistics simulation is unreachable. This may be the case of random surfaces.Comment: 9 pages, LaTeX, 4 eps figures. Final version to appear in Mod. Phys. Lett.

Evaluation of accuracy of complete-arch multiple-unit abutment-level dental implant impressions using different impression and splinting materials.

Purpose: This in vitro study evaluated the accuracy of multiple-unit dental implant casts obtained from splinted or nonsplinted direct impression techniques using various splinting materials by comparing the casts to the reference models. The effect of two different impression materials on the accuracy of the implant casts was also evaluated for abutment-level impressions. Materials and Methods: A reference model with six internal-connection implant replicas placed in the completely edentulous mandibular arch and connected to multi-base abutments was fabricated from heat-curing acrylic resin. Forty impressions of the reference model were made, 20 each with polyether (PE) and polyvinylsiloxane (PVS) impression materials using the open tray technique. The PE and PVS groups were further subdivided into four subgroups of five each on the bases of splinting type: no splinting, bite registration PE, bite registration addition silicone, or autopolymerizing acrylic resin. The positional accuracy of the implant replica heads was measured on the poured casts using a coordinate measuring machine to assess linear differences in interimplant distances in all three axes. The collected data (linear and three-dimensional [3D] displacement values) were compared with the measurements calculated on the reference resin model and analyzed with nonparametric tests (Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney). Results: No significant differences were found between the various splinting groups for both PE and PVS impression materials in terms of linear and 3D distortions. However, small but significant differences were found between the two impression materials (PVS, 91 mu m; PE, 103 mu m) in terms of 3D discrepancies, irrespective of the splinting technique employed. Conclusions: Casts obtained from both impression materials exhibited differences from the reference model. The impression material influenced impression inaccuracy more than the splinting material for multiple-unit abutment-level impressions.Article Link : http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2427891

Monopole Percolation in pure gauge compact QED

The role of monopoles in quenched compact QED has been studied by measuring the cluster susceptibility and the order parameter $n_{max}/n_{tot}$ previously introduced by Hands and Wensley in the study of the percolation transition observed in non-compact QED. A correlation between these parameters and the energy (action) at the phase transition has been observed. We conclude that the order parameter $n_{max}/n_{tot}$ is a sensitive probe for studying the phase transition of pure gauge compact QED.Comment: LaTeX file + 4 PS figures, 12 pag., Pre-UAB-FT-308 ILL-(TH)-94-1

Light levitated geostationary cylindrical orbits are feasible

This paper discusses a new family of non-Keplerian orbits for solar sail spacecraft displaced above or below the Earth's equatorial plane. The work aims to prove the assertion in the literature that displaced geostationary orbits exist, possibly to increase the number of available slots for geostationary communications satellites. The existence of displaced non-Keplerian periodic orbits is ¯rst shown analytically by linearization of the solar sail dynamics around a geostationary point. The full displaced periodic solution of the non-linear equations of motion is then obtained using a Hermite-Simpson collocation method with inequality path constraints. The initial guess to the collocation method is given by the linearized solution and the inequality path constraints are enforced as a box around the linearized solution. The linear and nonlinear displaced periodic orbits are also obtained for the worst-case Sun-sail orientation at the solstices. Near-term and high-performance sails can be displaced between 10 km and 25 km above the Earth's equatorial plane during the summer solstice, while a perforated sail can be displaced above the usual station-keeping box (75 £ 75 km) of nominal geostationary satellites. Light-levitated orbit applications to Space Solar Power are also considered

ABO and Rh Blood Group Distribution Among Kunbis (Maratha) population of Amravati District, Maharashtra

The present study reports the distribution of ABO and Rh blood groups among the Kunbis (Maratha) population of Amravati district. The phenotypic frequency of blood group B is observed highest (33.06) percent, O (31.04), A (27.02) and AB is lowest (08.33) percent. The phenotypic frequency of Rh negative is (04.26) percent. TheKunbis (Maratha) population shows close genetic relationship with the Gujratis

Scaling laws for the 2d 8-state Potts model with Fixed Boundary Conditions

We study the effects of frozen boundaries in a Monte Carlo simulation near a first order phase transition. Recent theoretical analysis of the dynamics of first order phase transitions has enabled to state the scaling laws governing the critical regime of the transition. We check these new scaling laws performing a Monte Carlo simulation of the 2d, 8-state spin Potts model. In particular, our results support a pseudo-critical beta finite-size scaling of the form beta(infinity) + a/L + b/L^2, instead of beta(infinity) + c/L^d + d/L^{2d}. Moreover, our value for the latent heat is 0.294(11), which does not coincide with the latent heat analytically derived for the same model if periodic boundary conditions are assumed, which is 0.486358...Comment: 10 pages, 3 postscript figure

An Experiment to Evaluate Skylab Earth Resources Sensors for Detection of the Gulf Stream

The author has identified the following significant results. An experiment to evaluate the Skylab earth resources package for observing ocean currents was performed in the Straits of Florida in January 1974. Data from the S190 photographic facility, S191 spectroradiometer and S192 multispectral scanner, were compared with surface observations. The anticyclonic edge of the Gulf Stream could be identified in the Skylab S190A and B photographs, but the cyclonic edge was obscured by clouds. The aircraft photographs were judged not useful for spectral analysis because vignetting caused the blue/green ratios to be dependent on the position in the photograph. The spectral measurement technique could not identify the anticyclonic front, but mass of Florida Bay water which was in the process of flowing into the Straits could be identified and classified. Monte Carlo simulations of the visible spectrum showed that the aerosol concentration could be estimated and a correction technique was devised

Finite-Size analysis of the 4-d abelian surface gauge model

We present the results of a finite-size analysis of the four dimensional abelian surface gauge model. This model is defined assigning abelian variables to the plaquettes of an hypercubical lattice, and is dual to the four dimensional Ising model. This last model is known to present a second order phase transition with mean field critical exponents. We have performed Monte Carlo simulations on several lattice sizes and high statistics. The analysis of the partition function zeroes and the specific heat scaling behaviour allowed us to estimate the critical coupling $\beta_c$ as well as the critical exponents $\nu$ and $\alpha$. Our results are consistent with the second order critical exponents $\nu = 1/2$ and $\alpha = 0$. The $\beta_c$ value is in perfect agreement with duality predictions from the 4-d Ising model. Nevertheless, the energy histograms show a seemingly non-vanishing double peak structure. The interface tension analysis suggests that this may be a finite size effect.Comment: 16p