Multiple curved descending approaches and the air traffic control problem

A terminal area air traffic control simulation was designed to study ways of accommodating increased air traffic density. The concepts that were investigated assumed the availability of the microwave landing system and data link and included: (1) multiple curved descending final approaches; (2) parallel runways certified for independent and simultaneous operation under IFR conditions; (3) closer spacing between successive aircraft; and (4) a distributed management system between the air and ground. Three groups each consisting of three pilots and two air traffic controllers flew a combined total of 350 approaches. Piloted simulators were supplied with computer generated traffic situation displays and flight instruments. The controllers were supplied with a terminal area map and digital status information. Pilots and controllers also reported that the distributed management procedure was somewhat more safe and orderly than the centralized management procedure. Flying precision increased as the amount of turn required to intersect the outer mark decreased. Pilots reported that they preferred the alternative of multiple curved descending approaches with wider spacing between aircraft to closer spacing on single, straight in finals while controllers preferred the latter option. Both pilots and controllers felt that parallel runways are an acceptable way to accommodate increased traffic density safely and expeditiously

SHG microscopic observations of polar state in Li-doped KTaO3 under electric field

Incipient ferroelectric KTaO3 with off-center Li impurity of the critical concentration of 2.8 mol% was investigated in order to clarify the dipole glass state under electric field. Using optical second-harmonic generation (SHG) microscope, we observed a marked history dependence of SHG intensity through zero-field cooling (ZFC), zero-field heating (ZFH), field heating after ZFC (FH/ZFC) and FH after field cooling (FH/FC). These show different paths with respect to temperature: In the ZFC/ZFH process, weak SHG was observed at low temperature, while in the FH/ZFC process, relatively high SHG appears in a limited temperature range below TF depending on the field strength, and in the FC and FH/FC processes, the SHG exhibits ferroelectric-like temperature dependence: it appears at the freezing temperature of 50K, increases with decreasing temperature and has a tendency of saturation. These experimental results strongly suggest that dipole glass state or polar nano-clusters which gradually freezes with decreasing temperature is transformed into semi-macroscopic polar state under the electric field. However at sufficiently low temperature, the freezing is so strong that the electric field cannot enlarge the polar clusters. These experimental results show that the polar nano-cluster model similar to relaxors would be more relevant in KTaO3 doped with the critical concentration of Li. Further experiments on the anisotropy of SHG determine that the average symmetry of the field-induced polar phase is tetragonal 4mm or 4, which is also confirmed by the X-ray diffraction measurement.Comment: 26 pages, 8 figures, 1 tabl

First-principles study of the electrooptic effect in ferroelectric oxides

We present a method to compute the electrooptic tensor from first principles, explicitly taking into account the electronic, ionic and piezoelectric contributions. It allows us to study the non-linear optic behavior of three ferroelectric ABO_3 compounds : LiNbO_3, BaTiO_3 and PbTiO_3. Our calculations reveal the dominant contribution of the soft mode to the electrooptic coefficients in LiNbO_3 and BaTiO_3 and identify the coupling between the electric field and the polar atomic displacements along the B-O chains as the origin of the large electrooptic response in these compounds.Comment: accepted for publication in Phys. Rev. Let

Identifying the spatial pattern and importance of hydro-geomorphic drainage impairments on unpaved roads in the northeastern USA

Roads have been widely studied as sources of runoff and sediment and identified as pollutant production sources to receiving waters. Despite the wealth of research on logging roads in forested, upland settings, little work has been conducted to examine the role of extensive networks of rural, low-volume, unpaved roads on water quality degradation at the catchment scale. We studied a network of municipal unpaved roads in the northeastern US to identify the type and spatial extent of ‘hydro-geomorphic impairments’ to water quality. We mapped erosional and depositional features on roads to develop an estimate of pollutant production. We also mapped the type and location of design interventions or best management practices (BMPs) used to improve road drainage and mitigate water quality impairment. We used statistical analyses to identify key controls on the frequency and magnitude of erosional features on the road network, and GIS to scale up from the survey results to the catchment scale to identify the likely importance of unpaved roads as a pollutant source in this setting. An average of 21 hydro-geomorphic impairments were mapped per kilometer of road, averaging 0.3 m3 in volume. Road gradient and slope position were key controls on the occurrence of these features. The presence of BMPs effectively reduced erosion frequency. Scaled up to the watershed and using a conservative estimate of road–stream connectivity, our results for the Winooski River watershed in the northeastern US suggest that roughly 16% and 6% of the average annual sediment and phosphorus flux, respectively, of the Winooski River may be derived from unpaved roads. Our study identifies an under-appreciated source of water quality degradation in rural watersheds, provides insights into identifying ‘hot spots’ of pollutant production associated with these networks, and points to effectiveness of design interventions in mitigating these adverse impacts on water quality. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd

Microwave Spectroscopy

Contains research objectives and reports on two research projects.U.S. Army Signal Corps under Contract DA36-039-sc-87376Lincoln Laboratory, Purchase Order DDL B-00306U. S. ArmyU. S. NavyU. S. Air Force under Air Force Contract AF19(604)-740

Microwave Spectroscopy

Contains reports on four research projects.United States Army Signal Corps (Contract DA36-039-sc-87376)Lincoln Laboratory (Purchase Order DDL B-00368)United States ArmyUnited States NavyUnited States Air Force (Contract AF19(604)-7400

Non-linear optical susceptibilities, Raman efficiencies and electrooptic tensors from first-principles density functional perturbation theory

The non-linear response of infinite periodic solids to homogenous electric fields and collective atomic displacements is discussed in the framework of density functional perturbation theory. The approach is based on the 2n + 1 theorem applied to an electric-field-dependent energy functional. We report the expressions for the calculation of the non-linear optical susceptibilities, Raman scattering efficiencies and electrooptic coefficients. Different formulations of third-order energy derivatives are examined and their convergence with respect to the k-point sampling is discussed. We apply our method to a few simple cases and compare our results to those obtained with distinct techniques. Finally, we discuss the effect of a scissors correction on the EO coefficients and non-linear optical susceptibilities

Spatial patterns of soil nitrification and nitrate export from forested headwaters in the northeastern United States

Nitrogen export from small forested watersheds is known to be affected by N deposition but with high regional variability. We studied 10 headwater catchments in the northeastern United States across a gradient of N deposition (5.4 - 9.4 kg ha-1 yr-1) to determine if soil nitrification rates could explain differences in stream water NO 3- export. Average annual export of two years (October 2002 through September 2004) varied from 0.1 kg NO3--N ha-1 yr-1 at Cone Pond watershed in New Hampshire to 5.1 kg ha-1 yr-1 at Buck Creek South in the western Adirondack Mountains of New York. Potential net nitrification rates and relative nitrification (fraction of inorganic N as NO3-) were measured in Oa or A soil horizons at 21-130 sampling points throughout each watershed. Stream NO3- export was positively related to nitrification rates (r2 = 0.34, p = 0.04) and the relative nitrification (r2 = 0.37, p = 0.04). These relationships were much improved by restricting consideration to the 6 watersheds with a higher number of rate measurements (59-130) taken in transects parallel to the streams (r 2 of 0.84 and 0.70 for the nitrification rate and relative nitrification, respectively). Potential nitrification rates were also a better predictor of NO3- export when data were limited to either the 6 sampling points closest to the watershed outlet (r2 = 0.75) or sampling points \u3c250 m from the watershed outlet (r2 = 0.68). The basal area of conifer species at the sampling plots was negatively related to NO3- export. These spatial relationships found here suggest a strong influence of near-stream and near-watershed-outlet soils on measured stream NO3- export. Copyright 2012 by the American Geophysical Union

First-principles design and subsequent synthesis of a material to search for the permanent electric dipole moment of the electron

We describe the first-principles design and subsequent synthesis of a new material with the specific functionalities required for a solid-state-based search for the permanent electric dipole moment of the electron. We show computationally that perovskite-structure europium barium titanate should exhibit the required large and pressure-dependent ferroelectric polarization, local magnetic moments, and absence of magnetic ordering even at liquid helium temperature. Subsequent synthesis and characterization of Eu$_{0.5}$Ba$_{0.5}$TiO$_3$ ceramics confirm the predicted desirable properties.Comment: Nature Materials, in pres

Strong-correlation effects in Born effective charges

Large values of Born effective charges are generally considered as reliable indicators of the genuine tendency of an insulator towards ferroelectric instability. However, these quantities can be very much influenced by strong electron correlation and metallic behavior, which are not exclusive properties of ferroelectric materials. In this paper we compare the Born effective charges of some prototypical ferroelectrics with those of magnetic, non-ferroelectric compounds using a novel, self-interaction free methodology that improves on the local-density approximation description of the electronic properties. We show that the inclusion of strong-correlation effects systermatically reduces the size of the Born effective charges and the electron localization lengths. Furthermore we give an interpretation of the Born effective charges in terms of band energy structure and orbital occupations which can be used as a guideline to rationalize their values in the general case.Comment: 10 pages, 4 postscript figure