8,883 research outputs found
Preliminary feasibility study of a multi-Phobos encounter experiment during the Viking extended mission
The Viking '75 Mission to Mars is reported which permits a truly unique opportunity to explore the natural satellite, Phobos, from distances measured in tens of kilometers. A preliminary feasibility study has been made which shows that a science mission involving a Phobos close encounter is technically feasible and within the capabilities of the current Viking design. For less than 20 m/s, the Viking Orbiter can provide approximately two 40-day periods of close observation of Phobos, with the first encounter period in January and the second in March, 1977. Multi-pass images of the entire satellite from nearly all aspect angles and with resolution on the order of 10 meters are possible. Close encounters will permit mass determinations to an accuracy of tens of percent. These experiments can be performed in series with the nominal mission; thus, providing complementary scientific information without compromising the original mission and science objectives
Hysteresis and competition between disorder and crystallization in sheared and vibrated granular flow
Experiments on spherical particles in a 3D Couette cell vibrated from below
and sheared from above show a hysteretic freezing/melting transition. Under
sufficient vibration a crystallized state is observed, which can be melted by
sufficient shear. The critical line for this transition coincides with equal
kinetic energies for vibration and shear. The force distribution is
double-peaked in the crystalline state and single-peaked with an approximately
exponential tail in the disordered state. A linear relation between pressure
and volume () exists for a continuum of partially and/or
intermittently melted states over a range of parameters
The little-known Fissidens axilliflorus Thwaites & Mitt. (Fissidentaceae: Bryophyta) - new to the moss flora of India
Fissidens axilliflorus, so far known from Sri Lanka and Laos, has been discovered in the Western Ghats in India. A description with line drawings, a photo plate and a key to distinguish F. axilliflorus from the similar F. crenulatus are provided
Localized transverse bursts in inclined layer convection
We investigate a novel bursting state in inclined layer thermal convection in
which convection rolls exhibit intermittent, localized, transverse bursts. With
increasing temperature difference, the bursts increase in duration and number
while exhibiting a characteristic wavenumber, magnitude, and size. We propose a
mechanism which describes the duration of the observed bursting intervals and
compare our results to bursting processes in other systems.Comment: 4 pages, 8 figure
Defect turbulence in inclined layer convection
We report experimental results on the defect turbulent state of undulation
chaos in inclined layer convection of a fluid withPrandtl number .
By measuring defect density and undulation wavenumber, we find that the onset
of undulation chaos coincides with the theoretically predicted onset for
stable, stationary undulations. At stronger driving, we observe a competition
between ordered undulations and undulation chaos, suggesting bistability
between a fixed-point attractor and spatiotemporal chaos. In the defect
turbulent regime, we measured the defect creation, annihilation, entering,
leaving, and rates. We show that entering and leaving rates through boundaries
must be considered in order to describe the observed statistics. We derive a
universal probability distribution function which agrees with the experimental
findings.Comment: 4 pages, 5 figure
Study of methane fuel for subsonic transport aircraft
The cost and performance were defined for commercial transport using liquid methane including its fuel system and the ground facility complex required for the processing and storage of methane. A cost and performance comparison was made with Jet A and hydrogen powered aircraft of the same payload and range capability. Extensive design work was done on cryogenic fuel tanks, insulation systems as well as the fuel system itself. Three candidate fuel tank locations were evaluated, i.e., fuselage tanks, wing tanks or external pylon tanks
Shear-driven size segregation of granular materials: modeling and experiment
Granular materials segregate by size under shear, and the ability to
quantitatively predict the time required to achieve complete segregation is a
key test of our understanding of the segregation process. In this paper, we
apply the Gray-Thornton model of segregation (developed for linear shear
profiles) to a granular flow with an exponential profile, and evaluate its
ability to describe the observed segregation dynamics. Our experiment is
conducted in an annular Couette cell with a moving lower boundary. The granular
material is initially prepared in an unstable configuration with a layer of
small particles above a layer of large particles. Under shear, the sample mixes
and then re-segregates so that the large particles are located in the top half
of the system in the final state. During this segregation process, we measure
the velocity profile and use the resulting exponential fit as input parameters
to the model. To make a direct comparison between the continuum model and the
observed segregation dynamics, we locally map the measured height of the
experimental sample (which indicates the degree of segregation) to the local
packing density. We observe that the model successfully captures the presence
of a fast mixing process and relatively slower re-segregation process, but the
model predicts a finite re-segregation time, while in the experiment
re-segregation occurs only exponentially in time
Cyberostracism and Social Monitoring: Social Anxiety\u27s Effects on Reactions to Exclusion and Inclusion Online
Previous research has shown that ostracism –the equivalence of exclusion in a social situation –improves social monitoring abilities – a natural practice by which individuals gather information through social cues about what is happening in their social worlds (Pickett, Gardner, & Knowles, 2004). Current knowledge on social anxiety, defined as a chronic fear of social situations that put one in the position of evaluation by others, describes hypersensitivity in those individuals in cases of social monitoring others (Barlow, 2002; Craske, 1999). The current study investigated how those two constructs interacted in a cyberostracism paradigm. After measuring their social anxiety levels, participants were placed in either an exclusion or inclusion situation modeled on the social networking website Facebook, a medium through which rejection is not only easily but also commonly executed. Following the manipulation, participants were tested on their social monitoring abilities, their mood, and their feelings of satisfaction in regards to Williams’ four fundamental needs – self-esteem, control, belonging, and meaningful existence. We hypothesized that individuals in the exclusion situation, in contrast to those in the inclusion situation, would show higher levels of social monitoring ability, lower mood, and fewer feelings of satisfaction in relation to Williams’ needs. We also predicted that individuals who were higher in social anxiety would show lower levels of social monitoring ability. Finally, we hypothesized that individuals both high in social anxiety and placed into the exclusion situation would show the lowest levels of social monitoring ability. Results showed that while participants with higher levels of social anxiety had stronger psychological reactions to be ostracized, they did not then show decreased social monitoring abilities. However, participants who were high in social anxiety and also in the exclusion situation made different kinds of social monitoring errors based on the affect and intensity of the social cue
Limitations in Predicting Radiation-Induced Pharmaceutical Instability during Long-Duration Spaceflight
As human spaceflight seeks to expand beyond low-Earth orbit, NASA and its
international partners face numerous challenges related to ensuring the safety
of their astronauts, including the need to provide a safe and effective
pharmacy for long-duration spaceflight. Historical missions have relied upon
frequent resupply of onboard pharmaceuticals; as a result, there has been
little study into the effects of long-term exposure of pharmaceuticals to the
space environment. Of particular concern are the long-term effects of space
radiation on drug stability, especially as missions venture away from the
protective proximity of the Earth. Here we highlight the risk of space
radiation to pharmaceuticals during exploration spaceflight, identifying the
limitations of current understanding. We further seek to identify ways in which
these limitations could be addressed through dedicated research efforts aimed
towards the rapid development of an effective pharmacy for future spaceflight
endeavors.Comment: in press, Nature Microgravit
Rediscovery of a long-lost moss Fissidens serratus var. serratus in the Western Ghats of India
Fissidens serratus, a long-lost liverwort, is rediscovered in the Indira Gandhi National Park in Anamalais in the Western Ghats in Peninsular India after nearly two centuries. Till now, the collection made by Perrottet between 1834 and 1839 in the Nilgiri Hills has been the only Indian representative of this species
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