Analysis of planetary evolution with emphasis on differentiation and dynamics

In order to address the early stages of nebula evolution, a three-dimensional collapse code which includes not only hydrodynamics and radiative transfer, but also the effects of ionization and, possibly, magnetic fields is being addressed. As part of the examination of solar system evolution, an N-body code was developed which describes the latter stages of planet formation from the accretion of planetesimals. To test the code for accuracy and run-time efficiency, and to develop a stronger theoretical foundation, problems were studied in orbital dynamics. A regional analysis of the correlation in the gravity and topography fields of Venus was performed in order to determine the small and intermediate scale subsurface structure

Observations of stratospheric temperature changes coincident with the recent Antarctic ozone depletions

A high degree of correlation between the recent decline in Antarctic total ozone and cooling of the stratosphere during Austral spring has been noted in several recent studies (e.g., Sekiguchi, 1986; Angel, 1986). This study analyzes the observed temperature trends in detail, focusing on the spatial and temporal aspects of the observed cooling. Ozone losses and stratospheric cooling can be correlated for several reasons: (1) ozone losses (from an unspecified cause) will directly reduce temperatures due to decreased solar ultraviolet absorption (Shine, 1986), and/or (2) changes in both ozone and temperature structure due to modification of stratospheric circulation patterns (Mahlman and Fels, 1986). In order to scrutinize various ozone depletion scenarios, detailed information on the observed temperature changes is necessary; the goal is to provide such data. The data used are National Meteorological Center (NMC) Climate Analysis Center (CAC) derived temperatures, covering 1000 to 1 mb (0 to 48 km), for the period 1979 to 1987. Discussions on data origin and quality (assessed by extensive comparisons with radiosonde observations), along with other details of these observations, can be found in Newman and Randel (1988)

Teaching Design in visual basic programming environments using the NEADT 3 rapid application design tool

Although program design and documentation tools have existed for over 30 years, virtually no tools other than the Task-Object-Event (TOE) chart have been created for teaching program design in the event-driven object-oriented language environment. This paper discusses the NEADT3 (Newman-Ekedahl Application Development tool) applied to the Visual Basic 6.0 language. NEADT 3 Significantly extends the commonly used TOE model in teaching programming by providing more concise and correct design and documentation of Rapid Application Development (RAD) student programs

The Proposed Housing Consolidation and Simplification Act of 1971

This note will describe the operation of selected housing programs and suggest some of the difficulties posed by the current statutory bases for these programs. It will then evaluate the effectiveness of the modifications contained in the proposed bill

Calderon and Aquinas

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Boston University, 1956A considerable portion of the literary output of Pedro Calderon de la Barca (1600-1681) consisted of religious plays, comedias de santos and autos sacramentales. The former are plays dealing with religious themes, pious legends, lives of saints, conversions of pagans, etc., whereas the latter are one-act allegories, written especially for the feast of Corpus Christi and commemorating Christ's institution of the Holy Eucharist. In this religious drama Calderon serves as a champion for the Catholicism of the Counter-Reformation period, reemphasizing the doctrines which had been placed under attack by the Protestant Reformers. Throughout these dramatic works Calderon makes frequent references to the philosophical, theological and liturgical writings of Saint Thomas Aquinas. All during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries the works of the great Italian saint have been revived in Spain. They were adopted as the standard texts of instruction in philosophy and theology. The University of Salamanca, where Calderon pursued his theological studies, became the center of the neo-Thomist movement

Biofuel production and testing opportunities

Biofuels stand at the forefront of the United States’ energy independence efforts and are the renewable fuels most likely to be used to bridge the growing gap between fossil fuel’s cost effective availability and America’s needs. With a known domestic commercial production capability, many economic, environmental, and geo-political benefits, and an ability to be used in our current transportation infrastructure biodiesel has emerged as the most credible near term alternative energy fuel. The Senior Honors Project described herein in many ways has been an exercise in applied research. Although at first the project focused on the chemical evaluation of reactants and products involved in biodiesel production efforts, it eventually turned to applying the knowledge gained, by in depth review and those chemical evaluations, into concrete suggestions for protocols, procedures and inventions that might improve some of the nation’s biodiesel production and testing effort. To be widely accepted and commercially effective biodiesel must be processed to meet certain known standards published by the American Society for Testing and Materials [ASTM]. An ultimate goal of the research of this Honors Thesis is the establishment at James Madison University, and in accordance with ASTM standards, of an ability to efficiently utilize gas chromatography and specific analysis column to test for glycerin and other reactants in the production of biodiesel. A more immediate goal of the research is to create and demonstrate an ability to perform to ASTM standards the most pertinent of the required small batch biodiesel tests. The ability to improve the reactions involved in the ASTM testing methodology and/or the protocols and procedures acceptable to meet ASTM standards could have great impact on 8 biodiesel production in general and small batch bio-fuel operations such as James Madison University’s [JMU] specifically. After a thorough campus and laboratory inventory was performed, an equipment review was accomplished and a methodology agreement reached. Following an exhaustive literature and JMU project review the necessary laboratory equipment, chemicals, and reactants were identified and assembled. The equipment repair-laboratory assembly process is ongoing. Laboratory protocols and baselines were established and trial experiments were performed to help establish laboratory standards. Acceptable biodiesel samples were obtained and established experimental protocols are currently being performed in the hope of obtaining repeatable results. New protocols and processes have been offered to test for biodiesel and an invention to improve the transesterfication reaction has been proposed. More specifically, the author has proposed the invention of a solid-state, heterogeneous catalyst, embedded onto a static mixer, to improve the necessary biodiesel transesterfication reaction, and not currently ASTM-approved biofuel production and quality testing procedures. A catalyst such as proposed, possibly working in even non-critical laboratory environments, could effectively and efficiently improve the biodiesel ASTM testing protocols

An experimental display programming language for the PDP-10 computer

technical reportAn experimental language for display programming, called DIAL, has been developed for the PDP-10 and the UNIVAC 1559 display. It is experimental in the sense that it was originally conceived as a means of testing out some ideas, and the best way to test them seemed to be to produce a language that others could use. The language is a subset of ALGOL (hence the name: Display Algol), with additional facilities for graphical input and output. It cannot deal with floating - point numbers and can only handle strings in a limited fashion. Also, it lacks any facilities for rotating pictures or for displaying three-dimensional objects. On the other hand, it does include features which may make it easier to develop display programs. The principal distinguishing feature of Dial is the ability to defined is play procedures. These are identical in almost every respect to ordinary procedures, but serve the additional purpose of defining the structure of the picture on the screen. In this respect they take the place of the traditional structured display file, which in Dial does not exist. The only display file created by Dial programs is a linear list of vectors which is sent to the display. The chief difference between display procedures and other Dial procedures lies in the way they are called. A typical display procedure call might be: CAPAC AT 100, 200 SIZE 20; Display procedures may be defined in terms of basic graphical primitive (lines, points, etc.) or by means of calls to other display procedures. Also included in Dial are statements for defining the interactive processes with in the program. Dial does not permit a very, high degree of graphical interaction: it is not possible to program operations like drawing rubber-band lines or dragging objects around the screen. It i s not clear whether this necessarily means that Dial programs are less efficient interactively; in any case, Dial is designed to function under a time-sharing environment where it is difficult to create continuously changing pictures