Thermoelectric Outer Planets Spacecraft (TOPS) electronic packaging and cabling development summary report

Electronic packaging and cabling activities performed in support of the Thermoelectric Outer Planets Spacecraft (TOPS) Advanced Systems Technology (AST) project are detailed. It describes new electronic compartment, electronic assembly, and module concepts, and a new high-density, planar interconnection technique called discrete multilayer (DML). Development and qualification of high density cabling techniques, using small gage wire and microminiature connectors, are also reported

Transformation of National Defense Business Management: Current Initiatives and Future Challenges

The major transformational challenge facing DOD in the period 2005-2008 is how to continue to re-capitalize and modernize the fighting forces while also pushing the pace of business transformation to increase efficiency. This must be accomplished while continuing to pay the high price of waging the war on terrorism. In essence, what DOD must fund and support in the short-term must be traded-off against longer-term investments to improve efficiency and force readiness

Noncommutative geometry, topology and the standard model vacuum

As a ramification of a motivational discussion for previous joint work, in which equations of motion for the finite spectral action of the Standard Model were derived, we provide a new analysis of the results of the calculations herein, switching from the perspective of Spectral triple to that of Fredholm module and thus from the analogy with Riemannian geometry to the pre-metrical structure of the Noncommutative geometry. Using a suggested Noncommutative version of Morse theory together with algebraic $K$-theory to analyse the vacuum solutions, the first two summands of the algebra for the finite triple of the Standard Model arise up to Morita equivalence. We also demonstrate a new vacuum solution whose features are compatible with the physical mass matrix.Comment: 24 page