Analysis of the trajectory, loads and heating experienced by a body passing through a supersonic flow field

Analytical methods for determination of trajectories, loads, and heating experienced by spacecraft passing through rocket exhaust fiel

Large magnetoresistance in bcc Co/MgO/Co and FeCo/MgO/FeCo tunneling junctions

By use of first-principles electronic structure calculations, we predict that the magnetoresistance of the bcc Co(100)/MgO(100)/bcc Co(100) and FeCo(100)/MgO(100)/FeCo(100) tunneling junctions can be several times larger than the very large magnetoresistance predicted for the Fe(100)/MgO(100)/Fe(100) system. The origin of this large magnetoresistance can be understood using simple physical arguments by considering the electrons at the Fermi energy travelling perpendicular to the interfaces. For the minority spins there is no state with $\Delta_1$ symmetry whereas for the majority spins there is only a $\Delta_1$ state. The $\Delta_1$ state decays much more slowly than the other states within the MgO barrier. In the absence of scattering which breaks the conservation of momentum parallel to the interfaces, the electrons travelling perpendicular to the interfaces undergo total reflection if the moments of the electrodes are anti-parallel. These arguments apply equally well to systems with other well ordered tunnel barriers and for which the most slowly decaying complex energy band in the barrier has $\Delta_1$ symmetry. Examples include systems with (100) layers constructed from Fe, bcc Co, or bcc FeCo electrodes and Ge, GaAs, or ZnSe barriers.Comment: 8 figure files in eps forma

Perceptual bias, more than age, impacts on eye movements during face processing

Consistent with the right hemispheric dominance for face processing, a left perceptual bias (LPB) is typically demonstrated by younger adults viewing faces and a left eye movement bias has also been revealed. Hemispheric asymmetry is predicted to reduce with age and older adults have demonstrated a weaker LPB, particularly when viewing time is restricted. What is currently unclear is whether age also weakens the left eye movement bias. Additionally, a right perceptual bias (RPB) for facial judgments has less frequently been demonstrated, but whether this is accompanied by a right eye movement bias has not been investigated. To address these issues older and younger adults’ eye movements and gender judgments of chimeric faces were recorded in two time conditions. Age did not significantly weaken the LPB or eye movement bias; both groups looked initially to the left side of the face and made more fixations when the gender judgment was based on the left side. A positive association was found between LPB and initial saccades in the freeview condition and with all eye movements (initial saccades, number and duration of fixations) when time was restricted. The accompanying eye movement bias revealed by LPB participants contrasted with RPB participants who demonstrated no eye movement bias in either time condition. Consequently, increased age is not clearly associated with weakened perceptual and eye movement biases. Instead an eye movement bias accompanies an LPB (particularly under restricted viewing time conditions) but not an RPB

Aerobrake assembly with minimum Space Station accommodation

The minimum Space Station Freedom accommodations required for initial assembly, repair, and refurbishment of the Lunar aerobrake were investigated. Baseline Space Station Freedom support services were assumed, as well as reasonable earth-to-orbit possibilities. A set of three aerobrake configurations representative of the major themes in aerobraking were developed. Structural assembly concepts, along with on-orbit assembly and refurbishment scenarios were created. The scenarios were exercised to identify required Space Station Freedom accommodations. Finally, important areas for follow-on study were also identified

Tracking sand-fairways through a deformed turbidite system : the Numidian (Miocene) of Central Sicily, Italy

The research presented here is funded by BG Group in partnership with CNPq-Brazil (National Council for Scientific and Technological Development). Rosanna Maniscalco acknowledges a FIR 2014 grant awarded from the University of Catania. We thank Christian Haug Eide, David Hodgson and Enrico Tavarnelli for constructive and thorough reviews on an earlier draft that have greatly improved this contribution.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Syn-kinematic sedimentary systems as constraints on the structural response of thrust belts : re-examining the structural style of the Maghrebian thrust belt of Eastern Sicily

We are indebted to the generosity of the late Fabio Lentini. While he may not have agreed with our findings, he nevertheless openly and cheerfully shared his mapping and insight of Sicilian geology. This work also builds upon many years’ collaboration between us, initiated by the late Mario Grasso (the Pantagruelian Master of Speranza et alii, 2018). The mapping of Lentini, Grasso and colleagues represents a remarkable resource for future geologists. We dedicate this contribution to their memory. We thank Sveva Corrado and an anonymous referee for constructive comments on an earlier draft of this paper. Butler’s Sicilian field research has been variously funded by the UK’s Natural Environment Research Council and the Royal Society. Maniscalco acknowledges “Fondi per la Ricerca di AteneoPiano per la Ricerca 2016/2018”. Pinter was supported through a PhD grant funded by the BG Group (now Shell) and Brazil’s National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq).Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Splitting The Gluon?

In the strongly correlated environment of high-temperature cuprate superconductors, the spin and charge degrees of freedom of an electron seem to separate from each other. A similar phenomenon may be present in the strong coupling phase of Yang-Mills theories, where a separation between the color charge and the spin of a gluon could play a role in a mass gap formation. Here we study the phase structure of a decomposed SU(2) Yang-Mills theory in a mean field approximation, by inspecting quantum fluctuations in the condensate which is formed by the color charge component of the gluon field. Our results suggest that the decomposed theory has an involved phase structure. In particular, there appears to be a phase which is quite reminiscent of the superconducting phase in cuprates. We also find evidence that this phase is separated from the asymptotically free theory by an intermediate pseudogap phase.Comment: Improved discussion of magnetic nature of phases; removed unsubstantiated speculation about color confinemen

Calculating the output distribution of stack filters that are erosion-dilation cascades, in particular LULU-filters

Original article available at http://arxiv.org/ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Two procedures to compute the output distribution 0S of certain stack filters S (so called erosion-dilation cascades) are given. One rests on the disjunctive normal form of S and also yields the rank selection probabilities. The other is based on inclusion-exclusion and e.g. yields 0S for some important LULU-operators S. Properties of 0S can be used to characterize smoothing properties.Preprin