Shuttle passenger couch

Conceptual design and fabrication of a full scale shuttle passenger couch engineering model are reported. The model was utilized to verify anthropometric dimensions, reach dimensions, ingress/egress, couch operation, storage space, restraint locations, and crew acceptability. These data were then incorported in the design of the passenger couch verification model that underwent performance tests

Neutral buoyancy testing of a shuttle orbiter crew compartment

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Collision-Induced Non-Adiabatic Transitions Between The Ion-Pair States Of Molecular Iodine: A Challenge For Experiment And Theory

The ion-pair states of molecular iodine provide a unique system for studying the efficiency, selectivity, and mechanisms of collision-induced non-adiabatic transitions. Non-adiabatic transitions between the first-tier ion-pair states in collisions with molecular partners and rare gases are analyzed and discussed. The qualitative features of the rate constants and product state distributions under single collision conditions are summarized and interpreted in terms of appropriate theoretical approaches. Two mechanisms for the non-adiabatic transitions are clearly identified. The first, operative for collisions involving molecular partners possessing permanent or transition electrostatic moments, is highly selective. It connects the initially prepared level in the E 0(g)(+) electronic state with the near-resonant vibronic level of the D 0(u)(+) state with a minimum change of the total angular momentum. In an extreme quasi-resonant case when the gap between initial and final rovibronic level is less than 1 cm(-1), this mechanism has a giant cross section, 40 times that of a gas kinetic collision. An electrostatic model, which includes the coupling of the giant E-D transition dipole moment with a moment of the colliding partner and the semiclassical Born approximation, provides a plausible interpretation of this mechanism. A second mechanism is shown to govern collisions with rare gas atoms. It results in population of several ion-pair states and broad distributions over rovibronic levels. This mechanism is successfully interpreted by quantum scattering calculations based on the diatomics-in-molecule diabatic potential energy surfaces and coupling matrix elements. The calculations provide good agreement with experimental measurements and reveal different mechanisms for the population of different electronic states. Unexplained features of the non-adiabatic dynamics and directions of future work are outlined

From Perturbation Theory to Confinement: How the String Tension is built up

We study the spatial volume dependence of electric flux energies for SU(2) Yang-Mills fields on the torus with twisted boundary conditions. The results approach smoothly the rotational invariant Confinement regime. The would-be string tension is very close to the infinite volume result already for volumes of $(1.2 \ {\rm fm.})^3$. We speculate on the consequences of our result for the Confinement mechanism.Comment: 6p, ps-file (uuencoded). Contribution to Lattice'93 Conference (Dallas, 1993). Preprint INLO-PUB 18/93, FTUAM-93/4

Radio Images of 3C 58: Expansion and Motion of its Wisp

New 1.4 GHz VLA observations of the pulsar-powered supernova remnant 3C 58 have resulted in the highest-quality radio images of this object to date. The images show filamentary structure over the body of the nebula. The present observations were combined with earlier ones from 1984 and 1991 to investigate the variability of the radio emission on a variety of time-scales. No significant changes are seen over a 110 day interval. In particular, the upper limit on the apparent projected velocity of the wisp is 0.05c. The expansion rate of the radio nebula was determined between 1984 and 2004, and is 0.014+/-0.003%/year, corresponding to a velocity of 630+/-70 km/s along the major axis. If 3C 58 is the remnant of SN 1181, it must have been strongly decelerated, which is unlikely given the absence of emission from the supernova shell. Alternatively, the low expansion speed and a number of other arguments suggest that 3C 58 may be several thousand years old and not be the remnant of SN 1181.Comment: 12 pages; accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journa

Theoretical And Experimental Studies Of Collision-Induced Electronic Energy Transfer From v=0-3 Of The E(0g+) Ion-Pair State Of Br2: Collisions With He And Ar

Collisions of Br(2), prepared in the E(0(g)(+)) ion-pair (IP) electronic state, with He or Ar result in electronic energy transfer to the D, D(\u27), and beta IP states. These events have been examined in experimental and theoretical investigations. Experimentally, analysis of the wavelength resolved emission spectra reveals the distribution of population in the vibrational levels of the final electronic states and the relative efficiencies of He and Ar collisions in promoting a specific electronic energy transfer channel. Theoretically, semiempirical rare gas-Br(2) potential energy surfaces and diabatic couplings are used in quantum scattering calculations of the state-to-state rate constants for electronic energy transfer and distributions of population in the final electronic state vibrational levels. Agreement between theory and experiment is excellent. Comparison of the results with those obtained for similar processes in the IP excited I(2) molecule points to the general importance of Franck-Condon effects in determining vibrational populations, although this effect is more important for He collisions than for Ar collisions

Scaling of Non-Perturbatively O(a) Improved Wilson Fermions: Hadron Spectrum, Quark Masses and Decay Constants

We compute the hadron mass spectrum, the quark masses and the meson decay constants in quenched lattice QCD with non-perturbatively $O(a)$ improved Wilson fermions. The calculations are done for two values of the coupling constant, $\beta = 6.0$ and 6.2, and the results are compared with the predictions of ordinary Wilson fermions. We find that the improved action reduces lattice artifacts as expected

Architectural/Environmental Handbook for Extraterrestrial Design

Handbook on environmental and space utilization criteria for design of extraterrestrial manned spacecraft and shelter