Method of fabricating a photovoltaic module of a substantially transparent construction

A method characterized by the steps of positioning a plurality of uniformly dimensioned photovoltaic cells in registered relation with a plurality of openings formed in a planar tool is disclosed. The method allows acess to the P contact surface of each of the cells. The steps of the method are: (1) connecting the N contact surface of alternate cells to the P contact surface of the cells interposed therebetween, (2) removing therefrom residue of solder flux, (3) applying to the N contact surfaces of the cells a transparent adhesive, (4) placing a common transparent cover plate in engaged relation with the adhesive, (5) placing a film over the circular openings for hermetically sealing the openings, and (6) establishing a vacuum between the film and the cover plate

A preface to Gutstein Generalized: A Philosophical Debate

The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) has taken a very firm stand on the issue of equity in mathematics education. Not only is equity incorporated in the Curriculum and Evaluation Standards for School Mathematics (1989) and Principles and Standards for School Mathematics (2000), equity is the first plank of NCTM’s legislative platform

STS Flight Experiments Database

In response to a request of the Space Station Task Force, a data base has been developed, utilizing experiment definitions from all NASA Centers, with emphasis on candidate STS flight experiments that relate to the development and operation of initial and growth versions of a Space Station. Experiments are also included for Shuttle enhancement, for servicing and operations of advanced vehicles such as OMV and OTV, for generic technology such as large structures, control and pointing, heat rejection, for life sciences and for physical sciences and applications. Criteria for selection activity are defined

Topology Change in (2+1)-Dimensional Gravity

In (2+1)-dimensional general relativity, the path integral for a manifold $M$ can be expressed in terms of a topological invariant, the Ray-Singer torsion of a flat bundle over $M$. For some manifolds, this makes an explicit computation of transition amplitudes possible. In this paper, we evaluate the amplitude for a simple topology-changing process. We show that certain amplitudes for spatial topology change are nonvanishing---in fact, they can be infrared divergent---but that they are infinitely suppressed relative to similar topology-preserving amplitudes.Comment: 19 pages of text plus 4 pages of figures, LaTeX (using epsf), UCD-11-9

Analytic Torsion on Hyperbolic Manifolds and the Semiclassical Approximation for Chern-Simons Theory

The invariant integration method for Chern-Simons theory for gauge group SU(2) and manifold \Gamma\H^3 is verified in the semiclassical approximation. The semiclassical limit for the partition function associated with a connected sum of hyperbolic 3-manifolds is presented. We discuss briefly L^2 - analytical and topological torsions of a manifold with boundary.Comment: 12 pages, LaTeX fil

Retardation of Particle Evaporation from Excited Nuclear Systems Due to Thermal Expansion

Particle evaporation rates from excited nuclear systems at equilibrium matter density are studied within the Harmonic-Interaction Fermi Gas Model (HIFGM) combined with Weisskopf's detailed balance approach. It is found that thermal expansion of a hot nucleus, as described quantitatively by HIFGM, leads to a significant retardation of particle emission, greatly extending the validity of Weisskopf's approach. The decay of such highly excited nuclei is strongly influenced by surface instabilities

Mountain Torques and Northern Hemisphere Low-Frequency Variability. Part I: Hemispheric Aspects

The NCEP–NCAR reanalysis dataset for 1958–97 is used to analyze intraseasonal variations in mountain torques and the large-scale atmospheric circulation patterns associated with them. Spectral analysis of the atmospheric angular momentum (AAM) budget shows that the dominant variations of mountain torque have periodicities near 30 days and shorter, while the dominant AAM variations occur in the 40–60-day band. This difference is due to the 40–60-day AAM variations being primarily related to equatorial processes, while mountain torque variations are associated mostly with extratropical processes. The Northern Hemisphere (NH) mountain torque has enhanced power and significant spectral peaks in the 20–30-day band. The signal in this band accounts for 33% of the NH mountain torque variance, once the seasonal cycle has been removed. Lag composites of the NH 700-hPa geopotential heights based on the 20–30-day mountain torque signal show the latter to be associated with coherent large-scale patterns that resemble low-frequency oscillations identified in this band by previous authors. The composite patterns that are in phase quadrature with the 20–30-day NH mountain torque have a pronounced zonally symmetric component. These patterns are associated with substantial AAM variations, arguably driven by the NH mountain torque in this band. Principal component (PC) analysis of the NH 700-hPa heights shows that, in the 20–30-day band, the mountain torque is also in phase quadrature with the two leading PCs; the first corresponds to changes in the midlatitude jet intensity near the subtropics, while the second corresponds to the Arctic Oscillation. The relationships with AAM of the latter essentially occurs through the mass term. Mountain torques are, furthermore, nearly in phase with dominant patterns of low-frequency variability that exhibit substantial pressure gradients across the Rockies and the Tibetan Plateau