Modified algesimeter provides accurate depth measurements

Algesimeter which incorporates a standard sensory needle with a sensitive micrometer, measures needle point depth penetration in pain tolerance research. This algesimeter provides an inexpensive, precise instrument with assured validity of recordings in those biomedical areas with a requirement for repeated pain detection or ascertaining pain sensitivity

The development of the sporozoite of Plasmodium gallinaceum (Apicomplexa Haemosporina)

Imperial Users onl

Alessi 95 and the short period Cepheid SU Cassiopeiae

The parameters for the newly-discovered open cluster Alessi 95 are established on the basis of available photometric and spectroscopic data, in conjunction with new observations. Colour excesses for spectroscopically-observed B and A-type stars near SU Cas follow a reddening relation described by E(U-B)/E(B-V)=0.83+0.02*E(B-V), implying a value of R=Av/E(B-V)~2.8 for the associated dust. Alessi 95 has a mean reddening of E(B-V)_(B0)=0.35+-0.02 s.e., an intrinsic distance modulus of Vo-Mv=8.16+-0.04 s.e. (+-0.21 s.d.), d=429+-8 pc, and an estimated age of 10^8.2 yr from ZAMS fitting of available UBV, CCD BV, NOMAD, and 2MASS JHKs observations of cluster stars. SU Cas is a likely cluster member, with an inferred space reddening of E(B-V)=0.33+-0.02 and a luminosity of =-3.15+-0.07 s.e., consistent with overtone pulsation (P_FM=2.75 d), as also implied by the Cepheid's light curve parameters, rate of period increase, and Hipparcos parallaxes for cluster stars. There is excellent agreement of the distance estimates for SU Cas inferred from cluster ZAMS fitting, its pulsation parallax derived from the infrared surface brightness technique, and Hipparcos parallaxes, which all agree to within a few percent.Comment: Accepted for Publication (MNRAS

Continuously observing a dynamically decoupled spin-1 quantum gas

We continuously observe dynamical decoupling in a spin-1 quantum gas using a weak optical measurement of spin precession. Continuous dynamical decoupling aims to dramatically modify the character and energy spectrum of spin states to render them insensitive to parasitic fluctuations. Continuous observation measures this new spectrum in a single-preparation of the quantum gas. The measured time-series contains seven tones, which spectrogram analysis parses as splittings, coherences, and coupling strengths between the decoupled states in real-time. With this we locate a regime where a transition between two states is decoupled from magnetic field instabilities up to fourth order, complementary to the parallel work at higher fields by Trypogeorgos et al. (arXiv:1706.07876). The decoupled microscale quantum gas offers magnetic sensitivity in a tunable band, persistent over many milliseconds: the length scales, frequencies, and durations relevant to many applications, including sensing biomagnetic phenomena such as neural spike trains.Comment: 5+ pages, 4 figures, 1 table; revised citation of Trypogeorgos et al. (2017

Suspending test masses in terrestrial millihertz gravitational-wave detectors: a case study with a magnetic assisted torsion pendulum

Current terrestrial gravitational-wave detectors operate at frequencies above 10 Hz. There is strong astrophysical motivation to construct low-frequency gravitational-wave detectors capable of observing 10 mHz - 10Hz signals. While space-based detectors provide one means of achieving this end, one may also consider terretrial detectors. However, there are numerous technological challenges. In particular, it is difficult to isolate test masses so that they are both seismically isolated and freely falling under the influence of gravity at millihertz frequencies. We investigate the challenges of low-frequency suspension in a hypothetical terrestrial detector. As a case study, we consider a Magnetically Assisted Gravitational-wave Pendulum Intorsion (MAGPI) suspension design. We construct a noise budget to estimate some of the required specifications. In doing so, we identify what are likely to be a number of generic limiting noise sources for terrestrial millihertz gravitational-wave suspension systems (as well as some peculiar to the MAGPI design). We highlight significant experimental challenges in order to argue that the development of millihertz suspensions will be a daunting task. Any system that relies on magnets faces even greater challenges. Entirely mechanical designs such as Zollner pendulums may provide the best path forward.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figure

Scalar Field as Dark Matter in the Universe

We investigate the hypothesis that the scalar field is the dark matter and the dark energy in the Cosmos, wich comprises about 95% of the matter of the Universe. We show that this hypothesis explains quite well the recent observations on type Ia supernovae.Comment: 4 pages REVTeX, 1 eps figure. Minor changes. To appear in Classical and Quantum Gravit

An order (n) algorithm for the dynamics simulation of robotic systems

The formulation of an Order (n) algorithm for DISCOS (Dynamics Interaction Simulation of Controls and Structures), which is an industry-standard software package for simulation and analysis of flexible multibody systems is presented. For systems involving many bodies, the new Order (n) version of DISCOS is much faster than the current version. Results of the experimental validation of the dynamics software are also presented. The experiment is carried out on a seven-joint robot arm at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center. The algorithm used in the current version of DISCOS requires the inverse of a matrix whose dimension is equal to the number of constraints in the system. Generally, the number of constraints in a system is roughly proportional to the number of bodies in the system, and matrix inversion requires O(p exp 3) operations, where p is the dimension of the matrix. The current version of DISCOS is therefore considered an Order (n exp 3) algorithm. In contrast, the Order (n) algorithm requires inversion of matrices which are small, and the number of matrices to be inverted increases only linearly with the number of bodies. The newly-developed Order (n) DISCOS is currently capable of handling chain and tree topologies as well as multiple closed loops. Continuing development will extend the capability of the software to deal with typical robotics applications such as put-and-place, multi-arm hand-off and surface sliding

Light forces in ultracold photoassociation

We study the time-resolved photoassociation of ultracold sodium in an optical dipole trap. The photoassociation laser excites pairs of atoms to molecular states of large total angular momentum at high intensities (above 20 kW/cm$^{2}$). Such transitions are generally suppressed at ultracold temperatures by the centrifugal barriers for high partial waves. Time-resolved ionization measurements reveal that the atoms are accelerated by the dipole potential of the photoassociation beam. We change the collision energy by varying the potential depth, and observe a strong variation of the photoassociation rate. These results demonstrate the important role of light forces in cw photoassociation at high intensities.Comment: 7 pages, 3 figure