Analysis and design of solid-state circuits utilizing the NASA analysis computer program Annual report

Network Analysis for Systems Application Program /NASAP/ applicable in analysis and design of solid state circuit

Solar System Escape Trajectories Using Solar Sails

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/76979/1/AIAA-2354-496.pd

The origin of hydrogen generated from formaldehyde in basic solutions

The isotopic composition of dihydrogen generated from formaldehyde in highly basic solutions has been investigated. It is shown that two pathways contribute to the generation of dihydrogen. In the first pathway, one hydrogen atom originates from water and the other from formaldehyde. In the second pathway both hydrogen atoms originate from the methylene moiety of the formaldehyde. For production of dihydrogen from glyoxylate only the first pathway is observed

Validity of numerical trajectories in the synchronization transition of complex systems

We investigate the relationship between the loss of synchronization and the onset of shadowing breakdown {\it via} unstable dimension variability in complex systems. In the neighborhood of the critical transition to strongly non-hyperbolic behavior, the system undergoes on-off intermittency with respect to the synchronization state. There are potentially severe consequences of these facts on the validity of the computer-generated trajectories obtained from dynamical systems whose synchronization manifolds share the same non-hyperbolic properties.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure

Ground state cooling in a bad cavity

We study the mechanical effects of light on an atom trapped in a harmonic potential when an atomic dipole transition is driven by a laser and it is strongly coupled to a mode of an optical resonator. We investigate the cooling dynamics in the bad cavity limit, focussing on the case in which the effective transition linewidth is smaller than the trap frequency, hence when sideband cooling could be implemented. We show that quantum correlations between the mechanical actions of laser and cavity field can lead to an enhancement of the cooling efficiency with respect to sideband cooling. Such interference effects are found when the resonator losses prevail over spontaneous decay and over the rates of the coherent processes characterizing the dynamics.Comment: 6 pages, 5 figures; J. Mod. Opt. (2007

Survey of highly non-Keplerian orbits with low-thrust propulsion

Celestial mechanics has traditionally been concerned with orbital motion under the action of a conservative gravitational potential. In particular, the inverse square gravitational force due to the potential of a uniform, spherical mass leads to a family of conic section orbits, as determined by Isaac Newton, who showed that Kepler‟s laws were derivable from his theory of gravitation. While orbital motion under the action of a conservative gravitational potential leads to an array of problems with often complex and interesting solutions, the addition of non-conservative forces offers new avenues of investigation. In particular, non-conservative forces lead to a rich diversity of problems associated with the existence, stability and control of families of highly non-Keplerian orbits generated by a gravitational potential and a non-conservative force. Highly non-Keplerian orbits can potentially have a broad range of practical applications across a number of different disciplines. This review aims to summarize the combined wealth of literature concerned with the dynamics, stability and control of highly non-Keplerian orbits for various low thrust propulsion devices, and to demonstrate some of these potential applications

Knowledge, attitudes and practice of healthcare ethics and law among doctors and nurses in Barbados

BACKGROUND: The aim of the study is to assess the knowledge, attitudes and practices among healthcare professionals in Barbados in relation to healthcare ethics and law in an attempt to assist in guiding their professional conduct and aid in curriculum development. METHODS: A self-administered structured questionnaire about knowledge of healthcare ethics, law and the role of an Ethics Committee in the healthcare system was devised, tested and distributed to all levels of staff at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Barbados (a tertiary care teaching hospital) during April and May 2003. RESULTS: The paper analyses 159 responses from doctors and nurses comprising junior doctors, consultants, staff nurses and sisters-in-charge. The frequency with which the respondents encountered ethical or legal problems varied widely from 'daily' to 'yearly'. 52% of senior medical staff and 20% of senior nursing staff knew little of the law pertinent to their work. 11% of the doctors did not know the contents of the Hippocratic Oath whilst a quarter of nurses did not know the Nurses Code. Nuremberg Code and Helsinki Code were known only to a few individuals. 29% of doctors and 37% of nurses had no knowledge of an existing hospital ethics committee. Physicians had a stronger opinion than nurses regarding practice of ethics such as adherence to patients' wishes, confidentiality, paternalism, consent for procedures and treating violent/non-compliant patients (p = 0.01) CONCLUSION: The study highlights the need to identify professionals in the workforce who appear to be indifferent to ethical and legal issues, to devise means to sensitize them to these issues and appropriately training them