LISA pathfinder micronewton cold gas thrusters: in-flight characterization

The LISA Pathfinder (LPF) mission has demonstrated the ability to limit and measure the fluctuations in acceleration between two free falling test masses down to sub-femto-g levels. One of the key elements to achieve such a level of residual acceleration is the drag free control. In this scheme the spacecraft is used as a shield against any external disturbances by adjusting its relative position to a reference test mass. The actuators used to move the spacecraft are cold gas micropropulsion thrusters. In this paper, we report in-flight characterization of these thrusters in term of noise and artefacts during science operations using all the metrology capabilities of LISA Pathfinder. Using the LISA Pathfinder test masses as an inertial reference frame, an average thruster noise of ~0.17¿¿µN/Hz is observed and decomposed into a common (coherent) and an uncorrelated component. The very low noise and stability of the onboard metrology system associated with the quietness of the space environment allowed the measurement of the thruster noise down to ~20¿¿µHz, more than an order of magnitude below any ground measurement. Spectral lines were observed around ~1.5¿¿mHz and its harmonics and around 55 and 70 mHz. They are associated with the cold gas system itself and possibly to a clock synchronization issue. The thruster noise-floor exhibits an excess of ~70% compared to characterization that have been made on ground on a single unit and without the feeding system. However this small excess has no impact on the LPF mission performance and is compatible with the noise budget for the upcoming LISA gravitational wave observatory. Over the whole mission, nominal, and extension, the thrusters showed remarkable stability for both the science operations and the different maneuvers necessary to maintain LPF on its orbit around L1. It is therefore concluded that a similar cold gas system would be a viable propulsion system for the future LISA mission.Peer ReviewedPostprint (author's final draft

Novel methods to measure the gravitational constant in space

We present two novel methods, tested by LISA Pathfinder, to measure the gravitational constant G for the first time in space. Experiment 1 uses electrostatic suspension forces to measure a change in acceleration of a test mass due to a displaced source mass. Experiment 2 measures a change in relative acceleration between two test masses due to a slowly varying fuel tank mass. Experiment 1 gave a value of G=6.71±0.42(×10-11)¿¿m3¿s-2¿kg-1 and experiment 2 gave 6.15±0.35(×10-11)¿¿m3¿s-2¿kg-1, both consistent with each other to 1s and with the CODATA 2014 recommended value of 6.67408±0.00031(×10-11)¿¿m3¿s-2¿kg-1 to 2s. We outline several ideas to improve the results for a future experiment, and we suggest that a measurement in space would isolate many terrestrial issues that could be responsible for the inconsistencies between recent measurements.Peer ReviewedPostprint (published version

Temperature stability in the sub-milliHertz band with LISA Pathfinder

This article has been accepted for publication in "Monthly notices of the royal astronomical society" published by Oxford University Press.LISA Pathfinder (LPF) was a technology pioneering mission designed to test key technologies required for gravitational wave detection in space. In the low frequency regime (milliHertz and below), where space-based gravitational wave observatories will operate, temperature fluctuations play a crucial role since they can couple into the interferometric measurement and the test masses’ free-fall accuracy in many ways. A dedicated temperature measurement subsystem, with noise levels in 10¿µK¿Hz-1/2 down to 1¿mHz was part of the diagnostics unit onboard LPF. In this paper we report on the temperature measurements throughout mission operations, characterize the thermal environment, estimate transfer functions between different locations, and report temperature stability (and its time evolution) at frequencies as low as 10¿µHz, where typically values around 1¿K¿Hz-1/2 were measured.Peer ReviewedPreprin

Estabilidad y funcionalidad de sellantes dentales en altas temperaturas ambientales

Los sellantes dentales son materiales que se emplean en estomatología para sellar las fosas y fisuras oclusales de los dientes y evitar la adherencia del estreptococus mutans agente que produce la caries dental. Estos materiales se suministran en dos partes que al mezclarse producen el endurecimiento de la resina. Sin embargo, estos productos presentan dificultades para su comercialización en los países tropicales, debido a que las altas temperaturas ambientales traen problemas en su manipulación y almacenamiento en lugares sin control de clima. En Cuba se desarrolló un sellante dental, CUBRIDEM, el cual cumple con las normativas internacionales y mantiene su estabilidad como mínimo por un año, entre 2 y 8 °C . El objetivo de este trabajo ha sido obtener una variante de CUBRIDEM más estable a mayores temperaturas y con tiempos de trabajo (TT) y de fraguado (TF) adecuados, cuando el producto se manipula en ambientes no climatizados. Se realizaron diseños experimentales factoriales 23 donde se estudió la influencia de la concentración de los componentes minoritarios: peróxido de benzoílo (PBO), N,N-dimetil p-toluidina (DMPT) y éter monometílico de la hidroquinona (MHQ), manteniendo invariable la composición de la mezcla monomérica Bis-GMA/Dimetacrilato de tetraetilenglicol: 1/1. El sellante, compuesto por un Diluyente que contiene 0.8 % de PBO y 0.05 % de MHQ y una Base con 0.8 % DMPT, manipulado a 30±2°C después de un almacenamiento por dos meses a la misma temperatura, permite obtener valores de TT y TF cercanos a los deseados. Por otra parte, el almacenamiento a 16±2°C y un contenido de 0,6 % de DMPT en la Base permiten lograr tiempos similares para almacenamientos más prolongados. Los resultados de las regresiones lineales sugieren que, para un almacenamiento a 16±2°C, contenidos de 0.7 %, tanto de PBO en Diluyente como de DMPT en Base, posibilitan alcanzar tiempos satisfactorios: TT=44 s y TF=113 s.Peer Reviewe

Mathematical Model of Bridge-Linked Photovoltaic Arrays Operating Under Irregular Conditions

Este artículo presenta un procedimiento matemático para modelar un arreglo fotovoltaico (N filas y M columnas) en configuración puente-vinculado operando en condiciones regulares o irregulares. Dicho procedimiento usa el modelo ideal de un diodo para representar cada modulo fotovoltaico y la ecuación de Shockley para representar cada diodo de desviación. Para plantear el sistema de NxM ecuaciones no lineales requerido para obtener los voltajes de cada modulo, el modelo propuesto aplica la ley de corrientes de Kirchhoff a cada nodo interno del arreglo y la ley de voltajes de Kirchhoff a: cada lazo creado en la parte superior de una conexión entre dos columnas consecutivas y a cada columna con respecto al voltaje del arreglo. Además, el modelo provee un procedimiento para obtener la matriz Jacobiana para reducir el tiempo de solución del sistema de ecuaciones. El modelo circuital de dos arreglos (pequeño: 3x3 y mediano: 20x3) fue implementado en Simulink para validar el modelo. La exactitud y mejora en la velocidad de cálculo del modelo propuesto permite su uso para realizar evaluaciones energéticas de arreglos en puente vinculado o su comparación con otras configuraciones típicas, lo cual puede ser útil en el diseño de plantas fotovoltaica.This paper presents a mathematical procedure to model a photovoltaic array (N rows and M columns) in bridge-linked configuration operating under regular and irregular conditions. The proposed procedure uses the ideal single-diode model representation for each photovoltaic module and the Shockley equation to represent each bypass diode. To pose the system of NxM non-linear equations required to obtain the voltages of each module of the array, the proposed model apply the Kirchhoff current law to each internal node of the array and the Kirchhoff voltage law to: each loop created in the upper part of each connection of two consecutive strings and each string with respect to the output voltage of the array. Moreover, the model provide a procedure to obtain the Jacobian matrix to reduce the solution time of the equation system. The circuital model of two arrays (small: 3x3 and medium: 20x3) were implemented in Simulink to validate the proposed model. The accuracy and improved calculation speed of the proposed model allow its use to perform energetic evaluations of bridge-linked arrays or its comparison with other typical array configurations, which can be useful in the designing of photovoltaic plants

Amyloid beta and diabetic pathology cooperatively stimulate cytokine expression in an Alzheimer's mouse model

Background Diabetes is a risk factor for developing Alzheimer's disease (AD); however, the mechanism by which diabetes can promote AD pathology remains unknown. Diabetes results in diverse molecular changes in the brain, including dysregulation of glucose metabolism and loss of cerebrovascular homeostasis. Although these changes have been associated with increased A beta pathology and increased expression of glial activation markers in APPswe/PS1dE9 (APP/PS1) mice, there has been limited characterization, to date, of the neuroinflammatory changes associated with diabetic conditions. Methods To more fully elucidate neuroinflammatory changes associated with diabetes that may drive AD pathology, we combined the APP/PS1 mouse model with either high-fat diet (HFD, a model of pre-diabetes), the genetic db/db model of type 2 diabetes, or the streptozotocin (STZ) model of type 1 diabetes. We then used a multiplexed immunoassay to quantify cortical changes in cytokine proteins. Results Our analysis revealed that pathology associated with either db/db, HFD, or STZ models yielded upregulation of a broad profile of cytokines, including chemokines (e.g., MIP-1 alpha, MIP-1 beta, and MCP-1) and pro-inflammatory cytokines, including IL-1 alpha, IFN-gamma, and IL-3. Moreover, multivariate partial least squares regression analysis showed that combined diabetic-APP/PS1 models yielded cooperatively enhanced expression of the cytokine profile associated with each diabetic model alone. Finally, in APP/PS1xdb/db mice, we found that circulating levels of A beta 1-40, A beta 1-42, glucose, and insulin all correlated with cytokine expression in the brain, suggesting a strong relationship between peripheral changes and brain pathology. Conclusions Altogether, our multiplexed analysis of cytokines shows that Alzheimer's and diabetic pathologies cooperate to enhance profiles of cytokines reported to be involved in both diseases. Moreover, since many of the identified cytokines promote neuronal injury, A beta and tau pathology, and breakdown of the blood-brain barrier, our data suggest that neuroinflammation may mediate the effects of diabetes on AD pathogenesis. Therefore, strategies targeting neuroinflammatory signaling, as well as metabolic control, may provide a promising strategy for intervening in the development of diabetes-associated AD

LISA pathfinder performance confirmed in an open-loop configuration: results from the free-fall actuation mode

We report on the results of the LISA Pathfinder (LPF) free-fall mode experiment, in which the control force needed to compensate the quasistatic differential force acting on two test masses is applied intermittently as a series of "impulse" forces lasting a few seconds and separated by roughly 350 s periods of true free fall. This represents an alternative to the normal LPF mode of operation in which this balancing force is applied continuously, with the advantage that the acceleration noise during free fall is measured in the absence of the actuation force, thus eliminating associated noise and force calibration errors. The differential acceleration noise measurement presented here with the free-fall mode agrees with noise measured with the continuous actuation scheme, representing an important and independent confirmation of the LPF result. An additional measurement with larger actuation forces also shows that the technique can be used to eliminate actuation noise when this is a dominant factor.Peer ReviewedPostprint (published version

LISA Pathfinder platform stability and drag-free performance

The science operations of the LISA Pathfinder mission have demonstrated the feasibility of sub-femto-g free fall of macroscopic test masses necessary to build a gravitational wave observatory in space such as LISA. While the main focus of interest, i.e., the optical axis or the x-axis, has been extensively studied, it is also of great importance to evaluate the stability of the spacecraft with respect to all the other degrees of freedom (d.o.f.). The current paper is dedicated to such a study: the exhaustive and quantitative evaluation of the imperfections and dynamical effects that impact the stability with respect to its local geodesic. A model of the complete closed-loop system provides a comprehensive understanding of each component of the in-loop coordinates spectral density. As will be presented, this model gives very good agreement with LISA Pathfinder flight data. It allows one to identify the noise source at the origin and the physical phenomena underlying the couplings. From this, the stability performance of the spacecraft with respect to its geodesic is extracted as a function of frequency. Close to 1 mHz, the stability of the spacecraft on the XSC, YSC and ZSC d.o.f. is shown to be of the order of 5.0×10-15¿¿m¿s-2¿Hz-1/2 for X, 6.0×10-14¿¿m¿s-2¿Hz-1/2 for Y, and 4.0×10-14¿¿m¿s-2¿Hz-1/2 for Z. For the angular d.o.f., the values are of the order of 3×10-12¿¿rad¿s-2¿¿Hz-1/2 for TSC, 5×10-13¿¿rad¿s-2¿¿Hz-1/2 for HSC, and 3×10-13¿¿rad¿s-2¿¿Hz-1/2 for FSC. Below 1 mHz, however, the stability performances are worsened significantly by the effect of the star tracker noise on the closed-loop system. It is worth noting that LISA is expected to be spared from such concerns, as differential wave-front sensing, an attitude sensor system of much higher precision, will be utilized for attitude control.Peer ReviewedPostprint (author's final draft

Problemas resueltos de análisis de riesgos en instalaciones

Enginyeria Industrial. 369: Seguretat i Anàlisi de RiscosBeing able to define which products are creative and which are not in a totally objective way with just one rater is of great importance. Accordingly, this study was conducted with the aim of identifying which methods of evaluating product creativity respond best to the requirements established for a method, namely, it must be useful, objective and simple to apply in enterprises. Likewise, this work also seeks to determine their shortcomings and the possible modifications or adaptations needed to correct them. To accomplish this goal, three known methods of evaluating creativity were analysed and applied to five products in order to determine their creative value, by means of a single rater. The findings are validated by evaluating creativity through questionnaires answered by experts in order to obtain a set of reference values for each parameter that creativity depends on. The analysis of the results, both graphically and numerically, reveals a tendency of the different metrics to display similar results, although they do not coincide in absolute terms due to the different scales and formats used for each metric. The conclusions show the most common shortcomings when it comes to evaluating creativity and, therefore, being able to propose global improvements that should be implemented in order to create a metric for objective creativity