62,254 research outputs found
Cork-resin ablative insulation for complex surfaces and method for applying the same
A method of applying cork-resin ablative insulation material to complex curved surfaces is disclosed. The material is prepared by mixing finely divided cork with a B-stage curable thermosetting resin, forming the resulting mixture into a block, B-stage curing the resin-containing block, and slicing the block into sheets. The B-stage cured sheet is shaped to conform to the surface being insulated, and further curing is then performed. Curing of the resins only to B-stage before shaping enables application of sheet material to complex curved surfaces and avoids limitations and disadvantages presented in handling of fully cured sheet material
Space environmental work simulator Patent
Space environmental work simulator with portions of space suit mounted to vacuum chamber wal
Photoproduction of K^+ Mesons in Hydrogen
The photoproduction of K^+ mesons in hydrogen has been measured with the purpose of extending the previous CalTech measurements to smaller angles, and obtaining better absolute values for the cross sections. The technique of Donoho and Walker, using a magnetic spectrometer and a time-of-flight measurement to detect the K^+ mesons, was modified so as to achieve a better discrimination against pions and scattered protons. The results obtained are in fairly good agreement with the more extensive measurements made at Cornell by a somewhat different method
The Living ROMP of trans-Cyclooctene
The living ring-opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP) of trans-cyclooctene (tCO) was investigated. ROMP of tCO in the presence of PPh_3 in THF leads to the formation of narrowly dispersed polycyclooctene (PCO). The presence of PPh3 as an additive and the use of THF as a solvent were demonstrated to be necessary to suppress competing secondary metathesis processes in the ROMP of tCO. Under optimal conditions, narrowly dispersed PCO was achieved without high molecular weight contaminates. The PCO was then hydrogenated to form linear, narrowly dispersed polyethylene with a melting temperature of 139 °C. Protected, hydroxy-functionalized tCO was polymerized by this method to afford narrowly dispersed, hydroxylated PCO. Block copolymers containing polynorbornene and PCO or containing differentially functionalized PCO were also synthesized and hydrogenated to form block copolymers containing blocks of linear, narrowly dispersed polyethylene
Evaluation of the InDUCKtion project at UCL
Executive summary: There is evidence that a good induction to university life can help with student retention; however, there is also a danger of overwhelming students during the intense period of fresherâs week. Under the auspices of a small grant from the Higher Education Academyâs âChanging the Learning Landscapeâ funding stream, staff at two universities (University College London and Southampton Solent University) collaborated to produce an innovative and engaging induction project entitled âInDUCKtionâ, based on the idea of an induction duck being a fun character for students to interact with. At UCL, the InDUCKtion duck existed in the form of a physical plastic duck included in international postgraduate student induction packs, and they were encouraged to take photos of themselves in and around UCL and London as part of a photo challenge using social media. It was anticipated that this would enable students to familiarise themselves with the locale, make friends and have fun at the same time. The InDUCKtion duck was also evident on flyers and posters with QR codes advertising an online tour to enable students to gain an accelerated familiarisation with the campus and its facilities. Within UCL, the project was a collaborative, cross-departmental venture instigated by members of UCLâs E-Learning Environments (ELE) working in partnership with the Centre for the Advancement of Learning and Teaching (CALT) and Student Support and Wellbeing (SSW). The logistics of the project meant that the team members also had to liaise with a number of other individuals and departments around UCL, to help promote and implement the project. Despite a rapid following on Twitter in a relatively short period, a reasonable hit rate on the QR code for the main page of the online tour resource, and some engagement with the photo challenges using social media, participation in the project was lower than anticipated. Lessons learned from an evaluation perspective revealed that adding another activity to an already overwhelming fresherâs week was problematic, despite its innovative and interactive nature. The use of QR codes was problematic for a number of reasons, and the project needed more buy-in from student representatives and academics to provide institutional endorsement. Recommendations for future instances of the project include securing student representation and academic endorsement, integrating the activity with parallel induction activities â particularly with academic departments, replacing QR codes with an alternative technology-enhanced learning approach and optimising the learning design to better motivate students and promote groupwork
Evidence from the Very Long Baseline Array that J1502SE/SW are Double Hotspots, not a Supermassive Binary Black Hole
SDSS J150243.09+111557.3 is a merging system at z = 0.39 that hosts two
confirmed AGN, one unobscured and one dust-obscured, offset by several
kiloparsecs. Deane et al. recently reported evidence from the European VLBI
Network (EVN) that the dust-obscured AGN exhibits two flat-spectrum radio
sources, J1502SE/SW, offset by 26 mas (140 pc), with each source being
energized by its own supermassive black hole (BH). This intriguing
interpretation of a close binary BH was reached after ruling out a
double-hotspot scenario, wherein both hotspots are energized by a single,
central BH, a configuration occuring in the well-studied Compact Symmetric
Objects. When observed with sufficient sensitivity and resolution, an object
with double hotspots should have an edge-brightened structure. We report
evidence from the Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA) for just such a structure in
an image of the obscured AGN with higher sensitivity and resolution than the
EVN images. We thus conclude that a double-hotspot scenario should be
reconsidered as a viable interpretation for J1502SE/SW, and suggest further
VLBA tests of that scenario. A double-hotspot scenario could have broad
implications for feedback in obscured AGNs. We also report a VLBA detection of
high-brightness-temperature emssion from the unobscured AGN that is offset
several kiloparsecs from J1502SE/SW.Comment: 12 pages, 1 figure, accepted by ApJL on 2014 July 2
Understanding the different rotational behaviors of No and No
Total Routhian surface calculations have been performed to investigate
rapidly rotating transfermium nuclei, the heaviest nuclei accessible by
detailed spectroscopy experiments. The observed fast alignment in No
and slow alignment in No are well reproduced by the calculations
incorporating high-order deformations. The different rotational behaviors of
No and No can be understood for the first time in terms of
deformation that decreases the energies of the
intruder orbitals below the N=152 gap. Our investigations reveal the importance
of high-order deformation in describing not only the multi-quasiparticle states
but also the rotational spectra, both providing probes of the single-particle
structure concerning the expected doubly-magic superheavy nuclei.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figures, the version accepted for publication in Phys.
Rev.
National counter-terrorism (C-T) policies and challenges to human rights and civil liberties: Case study of United Kingdom
In the UK the rise post-2005 in âhome-grownâ terrorism, relying to a significant extent on strikes on soft targets by âself-starters,â means that the search for effective preventive measures remains a continuing concern. Below a number of the preventive counter-terror measures adopted post-9/11, and incrementally strengthened in response to the current threat, are found to fall into three categories and represent interventions at the stages in the path toward attacks. This chapter focuses on selected examples of these preventive measures. In terms of three key stages, firstly, there is the attempt to prevent radicalization, under the âPreventâ strategy. A second strategy relies on taking certain measures to control the activities of those considered likely â on the balance of probabilities â to engage in terrorist-related activity. A third preventive strategy relies on the special terrorism offences under the Terrorism Acts 2000 and 2006, as amended, intended to allow for intervention at a very early stage in terrorist plots and in preparing or instigating terrorist acts (âprecursorâ offences)
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