An experimental investigation of high amplitude panel flutter

Aluminum panel flutter tests at supersonic Mach number

A method for predicting the panel flutter fatigue life of Saturn 5 panels

Development of method for predicting fatigue life of panels under flutter conditions with application to Saturn 5 launch vehicle structure

Contribution of thermal noise to the line width of Josephson radiation from superconducting point contacts

Contribution of thermal noise to line width of Josephson radiation from superconducting point contact

Coal-shale interface detection system

A coal-shale interface detection system for use with coal cutting equipment consists of a reciprocating hammer on which an accelerometer is mounted to measure the impact of the hammer as it penetrates the ceiling or floor surface of a mine. A pair of reflectometers simultaneously view the same surface. The outputs of the accelerometer and reflectometers are detected and jointly registered to determine when an interface between coal and shale is being cut through

A search for 183-GHz emission from water in late-type stars

A search was made for 183 GHz line emission from water vapor in the direction of twelve Mira and two semiregular variables. Upper limits to the emission are in the range of 2000 to 5000 Jy. It is estimated that thermal emission from the inner regions of late type stellar envelopes will be on the order of ten Jy. Maser emission, according to one model, would be an order of magnitude stronger. From the limited set sampled, the possibility of very strong maser emission at 183 GHz cannot yet be ruled out

Adaptive Signatures in Thermal Performance of the Temperate Coral Astrangia poculata

Variation in environmental characteristics and divergent selection pressures can drive adaptive differentiation across a species\u27 range. Astrangia poculata is a temperate scleractinian coral that provides unique opportunities to understand the roles of phenotypic plasticity and evolutionary adaptation in coral physiological tolerance limits. A. poculata inhabits hard bottom ecosystems from the northwestern Atlantic to the Gulf of Mexico and withstands an annual temperature range up to 20° C. Additionally, A. poculata is facultatively symbiotic and co-occurs in both symbiotic ( brown ) and aposymbiotic ( white ) states. Here, brown and white A. poculata were collected from Virginia (VA) and Rhode Island (RI), USA and exposed to heat (18-32° C) and cold (18-6° C) temperatures during which respiration (R) of the coral host along with photosynthesis (P) and photochemical efficiency (Fv /Fm) of Breviolum psygmophilum photosymbionts were measured. Thermal performance curves (TPCs) of respiration revealed a pattern of countergradient variation with RI corals exhibiting higher respiration rates overall, and specifically at 6, 15, 18, 22, and 26°C. Additionally, thermal optimum (Topt) analyses show a 3.8° C (brown) and 6.9° C (white) higher Topt in the VA population, corresponding to the warmer in situ thermal environment in VA. In contrast to respiration, no origin effect was detected in photosynthesis rates or Fv/Fm, suggesting a possible host-only signature of adaptation. This study is the first to consider A. poculata\u27s response to both heat and cold stress across symbiotic states and geography and provides insight into the potential evolutionary mechanisms behind the success of this species along the East Coast of the US

Self-Regulation in a Web-Based Course: A Case Study

Little is known about how successful students in Web-based courses self-regulate their learning. This descriptive case study used a social cognitive model of self-regulated learning (SRL) to investigate how six graduate students used and adapted traditional SRL strategies to complete tasks and cope with challenges in a Web-based technology course; it also explored motivational and environmental influences on strategy use. Primary data sources were three transcribed interviews with each of the students over the course of the semester, a transcribed interview with the course instructor, and the students’ reflective journals. Archived course documents, including transcripts of threaded discussions and student Web pages, were secondary data sources. Content analysis of the data indicated that these students used many traditional SRL strategies, but they also adapted planning, organization, environmental structuring, help seeking, monitoring, record keeping, and self-reflection strategies in ways that were unique to the Web-based learning environment. The data also suggested that important motivational influences on SRL strategy use—self-efficacy, goal orientation, interest, and attributions—were shaped largely by student successes in managing the technical and social environment of the course. Important environmental influences on SRL strategy use included instructor support, peer support, and course design. Implications for online course instructors and designers, and suggestions for future research are offered

Space Station Freedom automation and robotics: An assessment of the potential for increased productivity

This report presents the results of a study performed in support of the Space Station Freedom Advanced Development Program, under the sponsorship of the Space Station Engineering (Code MT), Office of Space Flight. The study consisted of the collection, compilation, and analysis of lessons learned, crew time requirements, and other factors influencing the application of advanced automation and robotics, with emphasis on potential improvements in productivity. The lessons learned data collected were based primarily on Skylab, Spacelab, and other Space Shuttle experiences, consisting principally of interviews with current and former crew members and other NASA personnel with relevant experience. The objectives of this report are to present a summary of this data and its analysis, and to present conclusions regarding promising areas for the application of advanced automation and robotics technology to the Space Station Freedom and the potential benefits in terms of increased productivity. In this study, primary emphasis was placed on advanced automation technology because of its fairly extensive utilization within private industry including the aerospace sector. In contrast, other than the Remote Manipulator System (RMS), there has been relatively limited experience with advanced robotics technology applicable to the Space Station. This report should be used as a guide and is not intended to be used as a substitute for official Astronaut Office crew positions on specific issues

Optical and Infrared Spectroscopy

Contains reports on two research projects.Joint Services Electronics Programs (U. S. Army, U. S. Navy, and U. S. Air Force) under Contract DA 36-039-AMC-03200(E

Improved Parameterization of K+K^+ Production in p-Be Collisions at Low Energy Using Feynman Scaling

This paper describes an improved parameterization for proton-beryllium production of secondary $K^{+}$ mesons for experiments with primary proton beams from 8.89 to 24 GeV. The parameterization is based on Feynman scaling in which the invariant cross section is described as a function of $x_{F}$ and $p_{T}$. This method is theoretically motivated and provides a better description of the energy dependence of kaon production at low beam energies than other parameterizations such as the commonly used "Modified Sanford-Wang" model. This Feynman scaling parameterization has been used for the simulation of the neutrino flux from the Booster Neutrino Beam (BNB) at Fermilab and has been shown to agree with the neutrino interaction data from the SciBooNE experiment. This parameterization will also be useful for future neutrino experiments with low primary beam energies, such as those planned for the Project X accelerator.Comment: 15 pages, 13 figure