Volume Fraction Determination in Cast Superalloys and DS Eutectic Alloys by a New Practice for Manual Point Counting

Volume fraction of a constituent or phase was estimated in six specimens of conventional and DS-eutectic superalloys, using ASTM E562-76, a new standard recommended practice for determining volume fraction by systematic manual point count. Volume fractions determined ranged from 0.086 to 0.36, and with one exception, the 95 percent relative confidence limits were approximately 10 percent of the determined volume fractions. Since the confidence-limit goal of 10 percent, which had been arbitrarily chosen previously, was achieved in all but one case, this application of the new practice was considered successful

Home equity release for long term care financing: an improved market structure and pricing approach

Home equity release products have been promoted as a potential solution to residential long term care costs for the elderly. Unexpectedly low utilization of home equity release loans has prompted efforts to better model and price the No-Negative-Equity-Guarantee (NNEG) built into the contracts, but loan rates are still widely perceived by homeowners as being unattractive.. We propose the introduction of a new adjustable rate loan based on a regional house price index, with the NNEG being borne by a specially created intermediary. The proposed approach allows us to directly address and separately price the basis risk between individual house price returns and index returns. Additionally, it offers the opportunity to create securities based on residential real estate that would be attractive to a wider class of investors. The alternative risk-sharing mechanism creates a more transparent and simple pricing structure for the loans. We then use house sales data to demonstrate the approach. We find in our sample that it would be possible to make higher loans than seen in previous literature using standard roll-up contracts. In the most favourable scenario for our simulations, the maximum loan is 89 per cent of the appraised home value if the loan is advanced as a lump sum and 95 per cent if the loan is advanced in instalments

Measuring viscoelastic properties using compliant systems

An analysis of a novel indentation model has been implemented to obtain master curves describing the optimal experimental parameters necessary to achieve the highest possible accuracy in the determination of viscoelastic properties of soft materials. The indentation model is a rigid indenter driven by a compliant measurement system, such as an atomic force microscope or optical tweezers, into a viscoelastic half space. The viscoelastic material is described as a multiple relaxation Prony series. The results have been extended via an application of a viscoelastic equivalence principle to other physical models such as poroelasticity. Optimisation of the indentation parameters has been conducted over many orders of magnitude of the velocity, viscoelastic moduli, spring stiffness, relaxation times and the duration of indentation resulting in a characteristic master curve. It is shown that using sub-optimal conditions gives the appearance of a more elastic material than is actually the case. For a two term Prony series the ideal ramp duration was found to be approximately one eighth of the relaxation. Also the ideal ramp duration for a three term Prony series was determined and shown to guarantee distinct relaxation times under specific conditions

Quantum channels in nonlinear optical processes

Quantum electrodynamics furnishes a new type of representation for the characterisation of nonlinear optical processes. The treatment elicits the detailed role and interplay of specific quantum channels, information that is not afforded by other methods. Following an illustrative application to the case of Rayleigh scattering, the method is applied to second and third harmonic generation. Derivations are given of parameters that quantify the various quantum channels and their interferences; the results are illustrated graphically. With given examples, it is shown in some systems that optical nonlinearity owes its origin to an isolated channel, or a small group of channels. © 2009 World Scientific Publishing Company

Application of the SEM to the measurement of solar cell parameters

Techniques are described which make use of the SEM to measure the minority carrier diffusion length and the metallurgical junction depth in silicon solar cells. The former technique permits the measurement of the true bulk diffusion length through the application of highly doped field layers to the back surfaces of the cells being investigated. It is shown that the secondary emission contrast observed in the SEM on a reverse-biased diode can depict the location of the metallurgical junction if the diode has been prepared with the proper beveled geometry. The SEM provides the required contrast and the option of high magnification, permitting the measurement of extremely shallow junction depths

System and method for moving a probe to follow movements of tissue

An apparatus is described for moving a probe that engages moving living tissue such as a heart or an artery that is penetrated by the probe, which moves the probe in synchronism with the tissue to maintain the probe at a constant location with respect to the tissue. The apparatus includes a servo positioner which moves a servo member to maintain a constant distance from a sensed object while applying very little force to the sensed object, and a follower having a stirrup at one end resting on a surface of the living tissue and another end carrying a sensed object adjacent to the servo member. A probe holder has one end mounted on the servo member and another end which holds the probe

Maximum Likelihood Estimation and Uniform Inference with Sporadic Identification Failure

This paper analyzes the properties of a class of estimators, tests, and confidence sets (CS's) when the parameters are not identified in parts of the parameter space. Specifically, we consider estimator criterion functions that are sample averages and are smooth functions of a parameter theta. This includes log likelihood, quasi-log likelihood, and least squares criterion functions. We determine the asymptotic distributions of estimators under lack of identification and under weak, semi-strong, and strong identification. We determine the asymptotic size (in a uniform sense) of standard t and quasi-likelihood ratio (QLR) tests and CS's. We provide methods of constructing QLR tests and CS's that are robust to the strength of identification. The results are applied to two examples: a nonlinear binary choice model and the smooth transition threshold autoregressive (STAR) model.Asymptotic size, Binary choice, Confidence set, Estimator, Identification, Likelihood, Nonlinear models, Test, Smooth transition threshold autoregression, Weak identification

Summary of XB-70 airplane cockpit environmental data

Thermal, acoustical, and acceleration environments of XB-70 airplane crew compartment in airworthiness test