Experimental and analytical studies of a true airspeed sensor

A true airspeed sensor based on the precession of a vortex whistle for sensing airspeeds up to 321.9 km/hr (200 mph). In an attempt to model the complicated fluid mechanics of the vortex precession, three dimensional, inviscid, unsteady, incompressible fluid flow was studied by using the hydrodynamical linearized stability theory. The temporal stability approach was used to derive the relationship between the true airspeed and frequency response. The results show that the frequency response is linearly proportional to the airspeed. A computer program was developed to obtain the numerical solution. Computational results for various parameters were obtained. The designed sensor basically consisted of a vortex tube, a swirler, and a transducer system. A microphone converted the audible tone to an electronic frequency signal. Measurements for both the closed conduit tests and wind tunnel tests were recorded. For a specific flow rate or airspeed, larger exit swirler angles produced higher frequencies. For a smaller cross sectional area in the precessional flow region, the frequency was higher. It was observed that as the airspeed was increased the Strouhal number remained constant

Superconducting Gap Anisotropy in Nd1.85_{1.85}Ce0.15_{0.15}CuO4_4: Results from Photoemission

We have performed angle resolved photoelectron spectroscopy on the electron doped cuprate superconductor Nd$_{1.85}$Ce$_{0.15}$CuO$_4$. A comparison of the leading edge midpoints between the superconducting and normal states reveals a small, but finite shift of 1.5-2 meV near the ($\pi$,0) position, but no observable shift along the zone diagonal near ($\pi$/2,$\pi$/2). This is interpreted as evidence for an anisotropic superconducting gap in the electron doped materials, which is consistent with the presence of d-wave superconducting order in this cuprate superconductor.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figures, RevTex, to be published in Phys. Rev. Let

Light Fan Driven by a Relativistic Laser Pulse

When a relativistic laser pulse with a high photon density interacts with a specially tailored thin foil target, a strong torque is exerted on the resulting spiral-shaped foil plasma, or “light fan.” Because of its structure, the latter can gain significant orbital angular momentum (OAM), and the opposite OAM is imparted to the reflected light, creating a twisted relativistic light pulse. Such an interaction scenario is demonstrated by particle-in-cell simulation as well as analytical modeling, and should be easily verifiable in the laboratory. As an important characteristic, the twisted relativistic light pulse has a strong torque and ultrahigh OAM density