A Semicoarsening Multigrid Algorithm for SIMD Machines

A semicoarsening multigrid algorithm suitable for use on single instruction multiple data (SIMD) architectures has been implemented on the CM-2. The method performs well for strongly anisotropic problems and for problems with coefficients jumping by orders of magnitude across internal interfaces. The parallel efficiency of this method is analyzed, and its actual performance is compared with its performance on some other machines, both parallel and nonparallel

Simultaneous ion sputter polishing and deposition

Results of experiments to study ion beam sputter polishing in conjunction with simultaneous deposition as a mean of polishing copper surfaces are presented. Two types of simultaneous ion sputter polishing and deposition were used in these experiments. The first type utilized sputter polishing simultaneous with vapor deposition, and the second type utilized sputter polishing simultaneous with sputter deposition. The etch and deposition rates of both techniques were studied, as well as the surface morphology and surface roughness

A 100 GHz coplanar strip circuit tuned with a sliding planar backshort

A means of mechanically altering the electrical length of a planar transmission line would greatly enhance the use of integrated circuit technology at millimeter and submillimeter wavelengths. Such a mechanically adjustable planar RF tuning element, successfully demonstrated at 100 GHz, is described here. It consists of a thin metallic sheet, with appropriately sized and spaced holes, which slides along on top of a dielectric-coated coplanar-strip transmission line. Multiple RF reflections caused by this structure add constructively, resulting in a movable RF short circuit, with |s11|≫APX=/-0.3 dB, which can be used to vary the electrical length of a planar tuning stub. The sliding short is used here to produce a 2-dB improvement in the response of a diode detector. This tuning element can be integrated with planar circuits to compensate for the effect of parasitic reactance inherent in various devices including semiconductor diodes and superconductor-insulator-superconductor (SIS) junctions

The effect of atomic oxygen on polysiloxane-polyimide for spacecraft applications in low Earth orbit

Polysiloxane-polyimide films are of interest as a replacement for polyimide Kapton in the Space Station Freedom solar array blanket. The blanket provides the structural support for the solar cells as well as providing transport of heat away from the back of the cells. Polyimide Kapton would be an ideal material to use; however, its high rate of degradation due to attack by atomic oxygen in low Earth orbit, at the altitudes Space Station Freedom will fly, is of such magnitude that if left unprotected, the blanket will undergo structural failure in much less than the desired 15 year operating life. Polysiloxane-polyimide is of interest as a replacement material because it should from its own protective silicon dioxide coating upon exposure to atomic oxygen. Mass, optical, and photomicrographic data obtained in the evaluation of the durability of polysiloxane-polyimide to an atomic oxygen environment are presented

Social uncertainty is heterogeneous and sometimes valuable

To win friends, help the needy, avoid exploitation or influence strangers, people must make decisions that are inherently uncertain. In their compelling and insightful perspective on resolving social uncertainty1, FeldmanHall and Shenhav (henceforth F&S) join a growing movement combining computational approaches with social psychological theory. F&S identify a range of negative and positive aspects of social uncertainty. Here we offer additional ways to think about social uncertainty and suggest potential avenues for future research

Quiescent X-ray variability from the neutron star transient Aql X-1

A number of studies have revealed variability from neutron star low-mass X-ray binaries during quiescence. Such variability is not well characterised, or understood, but may be a common property that has been missed due to lack of multiple observations. One such source where variability has been observed is Aql X-1. Here, we analyse 14 Chandra and XMM-Newton observations of Aql X-1 in quiescence, covering a period of approximately 2 years. There is clear variability between the epochs, with the most striking feature being a flare-like increase in the flux by a factor of 5. Spectral fitting is inconclusive as to whether the power-law and/or thermal component is variable. We suggest that the variability and flare-like behaviour during quiescence is due to accretion at low rates which might reach the neutron star surface.Comment: 8 pages, 5 figures, accepted for publication in MNRA

An adjustable RF tuning element for microwave, millimeter wave, and submillimeter wave integrated circuits

Planar RF circuits are used in a wide range of applications from 1 GHz to 300 GHz, including radar, communications, commercial RF test instruments, and remote sensing radiometers. These circuits, however, provide only fixed tuning elements. This lack of adjustability puts severe demands on circuit design procedures and materials parameters. We have developed a novel tuning element which can be incorporated into the design of a planar circuit in order to allow active, post-fabrication tuning by varying the electrical length of a coplanar strip transmission line. It consists of a series of thin plates which can slide in unison along the transmission line, and the size and spacing of the plates are designed to provide a large reflection of RF power over a useful frequency bandwidth. Tests of this structure at 1 GHz to 3 Ghz showed that it produced a reflection coefficient greater than 0.90 over a 20 percent bandwidth. A 2 GHz circuit incorporating this tuning element was also tested to demonstrate practical tuning ranges. This structure can be fabricated for frequencies as high as 1000 GHz using existing micromachining techniques. Many commercial applications can benefit from this micromechanical RF tuning element, as it will aid in extending microwave integrated circuit technology into the high millimeter wave and submillimeter wave bands by easing constraints on circuit technology

Distribution of Spectral Characteristics and the Cosmological Evolution of GRBs

We investigate the cosmological evolution of GRBs, using the total gamma ray fluence as a measure of the burst strength. This involves an understanding of the distributions of the spectral parameters of GRBs as well as the total fluence distribution - both of which are subject to detector selection effects. We present new non-parametric statistical techniques to account for these effects, and use these methods to estimate the true distribution of the peak of the nu F_nu spectrum, E_p, from the raw distribution. The distributions are obtained from four channel data and therefore are rough estimates. Here, we emphasize the methods and present qualitative results. Given its spectral parameters, we then calculate the total fluence for each burst, and compute its cumulative and differential distributions. We use these distributions to estimate the cosmological rate evolution of GRBs, for three cosmological models. Our two main conclusions are the following: 1) Given our estimates of the spectral parameters, we find that there may exist a significant population of high E_p bursts that are not detected by BATSE, 2) We find a GRB co-moving rate density quite different from that of other extragalactic objects; in particular, it is different from the recently determined star formation rate.Comment: 20 pages, including 10 postscript figures. Submitted to Ap