Octave-tunable miniature RF resonators

The development and testing of a miniaturized, high-Q, broadly tunable resonator is described. An exemplary device, with a center frequency that is continuously tunable from 1.2 to 2.6 GHz, was tested in detail. Experimental results demonstrated a resonator Q of up to 380, and typical insertion loss of -1.9 dB for a 25 MHz 3-dB bandwidth. These resonators have been used to stabilize a broadly-tunable oscillator with phase noise of -132 dBc/Hz at 100-kHz offset, with a center frequency tunable from 1.2-2.6 GHz, and a tuning speed of 1 GHz/ms

Development and testing of a unique carousel wind tunnel to experimentally determine the effect of gravity and the interparticle force on the physics of wind-blown particles

In the study of planetary aeolian processes the effect of gravity is not readily modeled. Gravity appears in the equations of particle motion along with the interparticle forces but the two are not separable. A wind tunnel that perimits multiphase flow experiments with wind blown particles at variable gravity was built and experiments were conducted at reduced gravity. The equations of particle motion initiation (saltation threshold) with variable gravity were experimentally verified and the interparticle force was separated. A uniquely design Carousel Wind Tunnel (CWT) allows for the long flow distance in a small sized tunnel since the test section if a continuous loop and develops the required turbulent boundary layer. A prototype model of the tunnel where only the inner drum rotates was built and tested in the KC-135 Weightless Wonder 4 zero-g aircraft. Future work includes further experiments with walnut shell in the KC-135 which sharply graded particles of widely varying median sizes including very small particles to see how interparticle force varies with particle size, and also experiments with other aeolian material

Aeolian processes aboard a Space Station: Saltation and particle trajectory analysis

The Carousel Wind Tunnel (CWT) proposed to study aeolian processes aboard a Space Station consists of two concentric rotating drums. The space between the two drums comprises the wind tunnel section. Differential rates of rotation of the two drums would provide a wind velocity with respect to either drum surface. Preliminary results of measured velocity profiles made in a CWT prototype indicate that the wall bounded boundary layer profiles are suitable to simuate flat plate turbulent boundary layer flow. The two dimensional flate plate Cartesian coordinate equations of motion of a particle moving through the air are explained. In order to assess the suitability of CWT in the analysis of the trajectories of windblown particles, a series of calculations were conducted comparing cases for gravity with those of zero gravity. Results from the calculations demonstrate that a wind tunnel of the carousel design could be fabricated to operate in a space station environment and that experiments could be conducted which would yield significant results contributing to the understanding of the physics of particle dynamics

Vendor and Professional Certification Where is it Headed?

Trade journals and magazines define three categories of computer certification: professional, industry, and vendor. The purpose of this study was to compare Information Systems IS) professionals\u27 value of professional and vendor certification types in relation to technical and management positions in IS. It appears that IS professionals value both certification types equally when not considering job position. Findings suggest technical and managerial IS professionals value the two types of certifications differently when job position is considered. Future research is warranted to determine why the respondents considered these two certifications differently for both technical (programmers and analysts) and managerial positions

Experimental And Theoretical Study Of The Sign Preference In The Nucleation Of Water Vapor

The nucleation of water vapor on ions in atmospheres of helium and argon was studied using an expansion type cloud chamber. Separation of the positive and negative ions was achieved so that the nucleation could be studied as a function of both the sign of the ionic charge and the supersaturation. A semiphenominological theory was developed as an extension of the classical liquid drop theory to include the effects of the ionic charge on the nucleation process. The theoretical model of the prenucleation embryo was assumed to possess an oriented dipole surface layer with the direction of orientation dependent on the sign of the ionic charge. The theory predicts not only the increase in the nucleation rate compared to that for homogeneous nucleation and a difference in rate between positive and negative ions, the negative ions having the higher nucleation rate, but also predicts a correction term to the classical theory of homogeneous nucleation for polar molecules which exhibit an electrical double layer at the liquid surface. Comparison of the theoretical and experimental results for nucleation on both positive and negative ions yields good agreement and indicates the prenucleation embryo is probably a tightly bonded highly structured cluster possessing an oriented dipole surface layer. © 1971