Designing an augmented reality exhibition: Leonardo's Impossible Machines

This paper discusses the origins, development and results of the animated and augmented reality aspects of the exhibition ‘Leonardo’s Impossible Machines’ that was developed at Ravensbourne University London and Birkbeck, University of London, with support from the Museo Galileo. The exhibition included novel reconstructions and visualisations of Leonardo’s perpetual motion machines from the Codex Forster, and the process is explained here, along with the challenges of mounting a combined physical and AR show

Emergence of hexatic and long-range herringbone order in two-dimensional smectic liquid crystals : A Monte Carlo study

Using a high resolution Monte Carlo simulation technique based on multi-histogram method and cluster-algorithm, we have investigated critical properties of a coupled XY model, consists of a six-fold symmetric hexatic and a three-fold symmetric herringbone field, in two dimensions. The simulation results demonstrate a series of novel continues transitions, in which both long-range hexatic and herringbone orderings are established simultaneously. It is found that the specific-heat anomaly exponents for some regions in coupling constants space are in excellent agreement with the experimentally measured exponents extracted from heat-capacity data near the smecticA-hexaticB transition of two-layer free standing film

Results of the Mariner 6 and 7 Mars occultation experiments

Final profiles of temperature, pressure, and electron density on Mars were obtained for the Mariner 6 and 7 entry and exit cases, and results are presented for both the lower atmosphere and ionosphere. The results of an analysis of the systematic and formal errors introduced at each stage of the data-reduction process are also included. At all four occulation points, the lapse rate of temperature was subdadiabatic up to altitudes in excess of 20 km. A pronounced temperature inversion was present above the surface at the Mariner 6 exit point. All four profiles exhibit a sharp, superadiabatic drop in temperature at high altitudes, with temperatures falling below the frost point of CO2. These results give a strong indication of frozen CO2 in the middle atmosphere of Mars

Precarious Rock Methodology for Seismic Hazard: Physical Testing, Numerical Modeling, and Coherence Studies

The precarious rock methodology used for seismic hazard assessment includes location, age dating, field measurements of the quasi-static toppling acceleration of balanced rocks, and study of their dynamic response to realistic strong motion seismograms using numerical modeling. The work scope is contained in the task description issued by the DOE to the Seismology Laboratory of the University of Nevada, Reno and is itemized in section 2.3 below. In addition, measurement of the coherence of seismic energy at high frequencies, critical to the understanding of the variability of high frequency ground motions at the repository level, will be estimated based on data collected in limited scope portable instrument deployments. Existing high-frequency geophones that remain in place from earlier geophysical experiments will be used

Applicability of organic carbonates as green solvents for membrane preparation

Common polar aprotic solvents, like N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF), 1,4-dioxane, N,N-dimethylacetamide (DMA) and tetrahydrofuran (THF), are excellent for membrane preparation. However, due to their toxicity or volatile nature, it would be useful to replace them by “greener” solvents for environmental and health reasons. In this work, organic carbonates, obtainable through carbon dioxide fixation, were selected as green solvents to find possible use in membrane preparation. Polymer solubility experiments were performed to screen their applicability in the phase inversion process to create porous membrane with appropriate structures and selectivities. Hansen solubility parameters were used to rationalize the solubility results. Membrane morphology and pore structure were characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), while the performance of the membrane was determined by applying a 35 μM aqueous feed solution of rose bengal (RB, MW = 1017 Da) to screen the potential of these polymer/organic carbonate systems toward nanofiltration application