DSIF station schedules

System manages Deep Space Instrumentation Facilities /DSIF/ equipment construction and modification planning. Versatile program applies to such tasks as employee time and task schedules, pay schedules, operations schedules, and plant and equipment procurement, construction, modification or service

Advanced indium antimonide monolithic charge coupled infrared imaging arrays

The continued process development of SiO2 insulators for use in advanced InSb monolithic charge coupled infrared imaging arrays is described. Specific investigations into the use of plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposited (PECVD) SiO2 as a gate insulator for InSb charge coupled devices is discussed, as are investigations of other chemical vapor deposited SiO2 materials

Analysis of vortex-lifting surface interactions

The interaction of a vortex with a lifting surface occurs in many aerodynamic systems, and can induce significant airloads and radiate impulsive noise. Yet due to their complex nature, the ability to accurately model the important flow physics and noise radiation characteristics of these interactions in realistic situations has remained elusive. This work examines two cases of vortex-lifting surface interactions by enhancing the capabilities of a high fidelity flow solver. This flow solver utilises high spatial discretisation accuracy with a 5th order accurate WENO scheme, and overset meshes to accurately resolve the formation, evolution and interaction of a tip vortex using an inviscid approximation of the fluid. An existing computational infrastructure is further developed and applied to analyse blade-vortex interactions that occur on a helicopter rotor. An idealised interaction is studied, where an independently generated vortex interacts with a rotor. It is found that through the employment of adequate spatial and temporal resolution, the current methodology is capable of resolving the important details of the interaction over a range of vortex-blade miss distances. A careful study of the spatial and temporal resolution requirements is conducted to ensure that the computed results converge to the correct physical solution. It is also demonstrated that a linear acoustic analysis can accurately predict the acoustic energy propagated from these interactions to the far-field, provided the blade surface pressures are accurately computed. The methodology is then used to study an idealised propeller wake-wing interaction, which occur behind a tractor mounted turboprop. A computationally efficient method of modelling the wake-wing interaction is developed and the computed surface pressures of the interaction are confirmed to agree well with the experimental data. The analysis is coupled to an optimisation algorithm to determine a novel wing design, and it is found that significant drag reductions can be achieved with small changes in the twist distribution of the wing. This work confirms that by using a combination of strategies including efficient grids, high order accurate numerical discretisations and a flexible software infrastructure, high fidelity methods can indeed be used to accurately resolve practical cases of vortex-lifting surface interactions in detail while being feasible in a design setting. The airloads and aeroacoustics from these interactions can be accurately predicted, thus confirming that with the modern advances in computing and algorithms, high fidelity methodologies such as those presented in this thesis are in a position to be used to gain a deep understanding of the relevant flow physics and noise radiation patterns, and their impact on aircraft design

The Hodge ring of Kaehler manifolds

We determine the structure of the Hodge ring, a natural object encoding the Hodge numbers of all compact Kaehler manifolds. As a consequence of this structure, there are no unexpected relations among the Hodge numbers, and no essential differences between the Hodge numbers of smooth complex projective varieties and those of arbitrary Kaehler manifolds. The consideration of certain natural ideals in the Hodge ring allows us to determine exactly which linear combinations of Hodge numbers are birationally invariant, and which are topological invariants. Combining the Hodge and unitary bordism rings, we are also able to treat linear combinations of Hodge and Chern numbers. In particular, this leads to a complete solution of a classical problem of Hirzebruch's.Comment: Dedicated to the memory of F. Hirzebruch. To appear in Compositio Mat

InSb charge coupled infrared imaging device: The 20 element linear imager

The design and fabrication of the 8585 InSb charge coupled infrared imaging device (CCIRID) chip are reported. The InSb material characteristics are described along with mask and process modifications. Test results for the 2- and 20-element CCIRID's are discussed, including gate oxide characteristics, charge transfer efficiency, optical mode of operation, and development of the surface potential diagram

Two Suns in The Sky: Stellar Multiplicity in Exoplanet Systems

We present results of a reconnaissance for stellar companions to all 131 radial-velocity-detected candidate extrasolar planetary systems known as of July 1, 2005. CPM companions were investigated using the multi-epoch DSS images, and confirmed by matching the trigonometric parallax distances of the primaries to companion distances estimated photometrically. We also attempt to confirm or refute companions listed in the Washington Double Star Catalog, the Catalogs of Nearby Stars, in Hipparcos results, and in Duquennoy & Mayor (1991). Our findings indicate that a lower limit of 30 (23%) of the 131 exoplanet systems have stellar companions. We report new stellar companions to HD 38529 and HD 188015, and a new candidate companion to HD 169830. We confirm many previously reported stellar companions, including six stars in five systems that are recognized for the first time as companions to exoplanet hosts. We have found evidence that 20 entries in the Washington Double Star Catalog are not gravitationally bound companions. At least three, and possibly five, of the exoplanet systems reside in triple star systems. Three exoplanet systems have potentially close-in stellar companions ~ 20 AU away from the primary. Finally, two of the exoplanet systems contain white dwarf companions. This comprehensive assessment of exoplanet systems indicates that solar systems are found in a variety of stellar multiplicity environments - singles, binaries, and triples; and that planets survive the post-main-sequence evolution of companion stars.Comment: 52 pages, 7 figures, Accepted for publication in Ap

Antitrust (Over-?) Confidence

On October 5, 2007, a group of antitrust scholars convened on Chicago\u27s Near North Side to discuss monopolization law. In the course of their freewheeling but fascinating conversation, a number of broad themes emerged. Those themes can best be understood in contrast to a body of antitrust scholarship that was born six miles to the south, at the University of Chicago. Most notably, the North Side discussants demonstrate a hearty confidence in the antitrust enterprise - a confidence that is not shared by Chicago School scholars, who generally advocate a more modest antitrust. As scholars who are more sympathetic to Chicago School views, we are somewhat skeptical. While we applaud many the of the insights and inquiries raised during the conversation, and certainly this sort of discussion in general, our task in this article is to draft a critical analysis of the October 5 conversation. In particular, we critique the North Side discussants\u27 vision of a big antitrust that would place equal emphasis on Sections 1 and 2 of the Sherman Act and would expand private enforcement of Section 2