LISA For Cosmologists: Calculating The Signal-To-Noise Ratio For Stochastic And Deterministic Sources

We present the steps to forecast the sensitivity of the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) to both a stochastic gravitational wave background and deterministic wave sources. We show how to use these expressions to estimate the precision with which LISA can determine parameters associated with these sources. Tools are included to enable easy calculation of the signal-to-noise ratio and draw sensitivity curves. Benchmark values are given for easy comparison and checking of methods in the case of three worked examples. The first benchmark is the threshold stochastic gravitational wave background ΩGWh2 that LISA can observe. The second is the signal-to-noise ratio that LISA would observe for a binary black hole system identical to GW150914, radiating four years before merger. The third is the case of a monotone source, such as a binary that is far from merger

‘Voyager’: An educational card game

‘Voyager’ is an educational card game involving scientific satellites, developed for use in schools with children aged 9 to 13 years. The idea of the game is to improve pupils’ knowledge about the large number of scientific satellites there are in space in a fun way, while also practising numeracy skills. Several copies of the game were produced using funding obtained from the Particle Physics and Astronomy Research Council (PPARC) as a Public Understanding of Science (PUS) award. These initial ‘trial’ versions of the game were taken to three different schools where feedback obtained from both pupils and staff was used to produce a final copy of the game that can be distributed to other schools along with a set of companion notes to form the basis of a science lesson. This article reports the findings of the school trials and indicates possible future developments of other scientific card games that could be beneficial to the classroom.http://www.iop.org/EJ/abstract/0031-9120/38/1/30

High temperature thermocouple research and development program summary report

High temperature thermocouple research and development program - thermocouples with thermochemically formed tungsten sheath and tungsten rhenium center conducto

Gene therapy:the potential applicability of gene transfer technology to the human germline

The theoretical possibility of applying gene transfer methodologies to the human germline is explored. Transgenic methods for genetically manipulating embryos may in principle be applied to humans. In particular, microinjection of retroviral vector appears to hold the greatest promise, with transgenic primates already obtained from this approach. Sperm-mediated gene transfer offers potentially the easiest route to the human germline, however the requisite methodology is presently underdeveloped. Nuclear transfer (cloning) offers an alternative approach to germline genetic modification, however there are major health concerns associated with current nuclear transfer methods. It is concluded that human germline gene therapy remains for all practical purposes a future possibility that must await significant and important advances in gene transfer technology

A theoretical model for determining turbine flowmeter sensitivity

Analytical model of turbine-type flowmeter guides in the selection of valid extrapolation of available calibration data. An expression for flowmeter performance is developed to include the effects of fluid friction, bearing drag, and magnetic drag upon helical rotor design