Laser-induced fluorescence of phosphors for remote cryogenic thermometry

Remote cryogenic temperature measurements can be made by inducing fluorescence in phosphors with temperature-dependent emissions and measuring the emission lifetimes. The thermographic phosphor technique can be used for making precision, noncontact, cryogenic-temperature measurements in electrically hostile environments, such as high dc electric or magnetic fields. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is interested in using these thermographic phosphors for mapping hot spots on cryogenic tank walls. Europium-doped lanthanum oxysulfide (La2O2S:Eu) and magnesium fluorogermanate doped with manganese (Mg4FGeO6:Mn) are suitable for low-temperature surface thermometry. Several emission lines, excited by a 337-nm ultraviolet laser, provide fluorescence lifetimes having logarithmic dependence with temperature from 4 to above 125 K. A calibration curve for both La2O2S:Eu and Mg4FGeO6:Mn is presented, as well as emission spectra taken at room temperature and 11 K

Creation of Two Valid Scales: Willingness to Fly in an Aircraft and Willingness to Pilot an Aircraft

The purpose of the current study was to develop two scales that could be used concurrently or independently to measure passenger willingness to fly (WTF), and aviator willingness to pilot (WTP), respectively. This is especially useful to determine challenges involving acceptance of new aviation technology for both pilots and passengers. There were five stages in developing the WTF scale for passengers, following Hinkin’s scale development process. Cronbach’s Alpha and Guttmann’s Split Half tests were used to confirm high internal consistency and reliability, while factor analysis was used to confirm construct validity. The scale was tested in order to confirm sensitivity to differences in actual participant willingness to fly. After developing the WTF scale for passengers, researchers made minor lexical adjustments and created the WTP scale, calculating Cronbach’s Alpha, Guttmann’s Split Half test, and factor analysis; thus, ensuring high internal consistency, reliability and validity. These two scales may help provide researchers with a better applied understanding of applications within the aviation and consumer perceptions literature and also assist with pilot training and acceptance of new aviation technology

Power Moderates the Effects of Social Dominance Orientation on Punishment: An Experimental Analysis

In this study, it was hypothesized that experimentally manipulated levels of power would moderate the association of dispositional social dominance orientation (SDO) with preferences for harsh punishment. In particular, we expected to detect a stronger effect for dispositional SDO in the low-power condition, relying on the notion that low power enhances sensitivity to threats to the status quo, and that high SDO individuals are particularly motivated to enforce hierarchy-enhancing measures as punishment. SDO scores were measured two months prior to the experiment, and then immediately after the experimental session. As expected, preexperimental SDO interacted with the power manipulation. We found stronger preexperimental SDO effects on punishment among low-power participants. We also anticipated and found that individuals high in SDO increased further their postexperimental SDO scores if assigned to a high-power condition. The discussion focuses on the importance of SDO effects among low-status groups and on how situational roles shape dispositional self-descriptions

Anyonic behavior of quantum group gases

We first introduce and discuss the formalism of $SU_q(N)$-bosons and fermions and consider the simplest Hamiltonian involving these operators. We then calculate the grand partition function for these models and study the high temperature (low density) case of the corresponding gases for $N=2$. We show that quantum group gases exhibit anyonic behavior in $D=2$ and $D=3$ spatial dimensions. In particular, for a $SU_q(2)$ boson gas at $D=2$ the parameter $q$ interpolates within a wider range of attractive and repulsive systems than the anyon statistical parameter.Comment: LaTeX file, 19 pages, two figures ,uses epsf.st

The origin of mid-infrared emission in massive young stellar objects: multi-baseline VLTI observations of W33A

The circumstellar structure on 100 AU scales of the massive young stellar object W33A is probed using the VLTI and the MIDI instrument. N-band visibilities on 4 baselines are presented which are inconsistent with a spherically symmetric geometry. The visibility spectra and SED are simultaneously compared to 2D axi-symmetric dust radiative transfer models with a geometry including a rotationally flattened envelope and outflow cavities. We assume an O7.5 ZAMS star as the central source, consistent with the observed bolometric luminosity. The observations are also compared to models with and without (dusty and gaseous) accretion disks. A satisfactory model is constructed which reproduces the visibility spectra for each (u,v) point. It fits the silicate absorption, the mid-IR slope, the far-infrared peak, and the (sub)mm of the SED. It produces a 350 micron morphology consistent with observations. The 10 micron emission on 100 AU scales is dominated by the irradiated walls of the cavity sculpted by the outflow. The visibilities rule out the presence of dust disks with total (gas and dust) masses more than 0.01 Msun. However, optically thick accretion disks, interior to the dust sublimation radius, are allowed to accrete at rates equalling the envelope's mass infall rate (up to 10^(-3) Msun/yr) without substantially affecting the visibilities due to the extinction by the extremely massive envelope of W33A.Comment: Accepted for publication in A&

Astroparticle Physics with a Customized Low-Background Broad Energy Germanium Detector

The MAJORANA Collaboration is building the MAJORANA DEMONSTRATOR, a 60 kg array of high purity germanium detectors housed in an ultra-low background shield at the Sanford Underground Laboratory in Lead, SD. The MAJORANA DEMONSTRATOR will search for neutrinoless double-beta decay of 76Ge while demonstrating the feasibility of a tonne-scale experiment. It may also carry out a dark matter search in the 1-10 GeV/c^2 mass range. We have found that customized Broad Energy Germanium (BEGe) detectors produced by Canberra have several desirable features for a neutrinoless double-beta decay experiment, including low electronic noise, excellent pulse shape analysis capabilities, and simple fabrication. We have deployed a customized BEGe, the MAJORANA Low-Background BEGe at Kimballton (MALBEK), in a low-background cryostat and shield at the Kimballton Underground Research Facility in Virginia. This paper will focus on the detector characteristics and measurements that can be performed with such a radiation detector in a low-background environment.Comment: Submitted to NIMA Proceedings, SORMA XII. 9 pages, 4 figure

Integrin-Associated Protein Association With Src Homology 2 Domain Containing Tyrosine Phosphatase Substrate 1 Regulates IGF-I Signaling In Vivo

OBJECTIVE—Smooth muscle cell (SMC) maintained in medium containing normal levels of glucose do not proliferate in response to IGF-I, whereas cells maintained in medium containing 25 mmol/l glucose can respond. The aim of this study was to determine whether signaling events that have been shown to be required for stimulation of SMC growth were regulated by glucose concentrations in vivo

Report of the 4th World Climate Research Programme International Conference on Reanalyses

The 4th WCRP International Conference on Reanalyses provided an opportunity for the international community to review and discuss the observational and modelling research, as well as process studies and uncertainties associated with reanalysis of the Earth System and its components. Characterizing the uncertainty and quality of reanalyses is a task that reaches far beyond the international community of producers, and into the interdisciplinary research community, especially those using reanalysis products in their research and applications. Reanalyses have progressed greatly even in the last 5 years, and newer ideas, projects and data are coming forward. While reanalysis has typically been carried out for the individual domains of atmosphere, ocean and land, it is now moving towards coupling using Earth system models. Observations are being reprocessed and they are providing improved quality for use in reanalysis. New applications are being investigated, and the need for climate reanalyses is as strong as ever. At the heart of it all, new investigators are exploring the possibilities for reanalysis, and developing new ideas in research and applications. Given the many centres creating reanalyses products (e.g. ocean, land and cryosphere research centres as well as NWP and atmospheric centers), and the development of new ideas (e.g. families of reanalyses), the total number of reanalyses is increasing greatly, with new and innovative diagnostics and output data. The need for reanalysis data is growing steadily, and likewise, the need for open discussion and comment on the data. The 4th Conference was convened to provide a forum for constructive discussion on the objectives, strengths and weaknesses of reanalyses, indicating potential development paths for the future