Some determinants of organizational success

Organizational efficiency and productivity determined by variables associated with economics, psychology, and sociolog

A multiwavlength study of PSR B0628-28: The first overluminous rotation-powered pulsar?

The ROSAT source RX J0630.8-2834 was suggested by positional coincidence to be the X-ray counterpart of the old field pulsar PSR B0628-28. This association, however, was regarded to be unlikely based on the computed energetics of the putative X-ray counterpart. In this paper we report on multiwavelength observations of PSR B0628-28 made with the ESO/NTT observatory in La Silla, the Jodrell Bank radio observatory and XMM-Newton. Although the optical observations do not detect any counterpart of RX J0630.8-2834 down to a limiting magnitude of V=26.1 mag and B=26.3 mag, XMM-Newton observations finally confirmed it to be the pulsar's X-ray counterpart by detecting X-ray pulses with the radio pulsar's spin-period. The X-ray pulse profile is characterized by a single broad peak with a second smaller peak leading the main pulse component by ~144 degree. The fraction of pulsed photons is (38 +- 7)% with no strong energy dependence in the XMM-Newton bandpass. The pulsar's X-ray spectrum is well described by a single component power law with photon index 2.63^{+0.23}_{-0.15}, indicating that the pulsar's X radiation is dominated by non-thermal emission processes. A low level contribution of thermal emission from residual cooling or from heated polar caps, cannot be excluded. The pulsar's spin-down to X-ray energy conversion efficiency is obtained to be ~16% for the radio dispersion measure inferred pulsar distance. If confirmed, PSR B0628-28 would be the first X-ray overluminous rotation-powered pulsar identified among all ~1400 radio pulsars known today.Comment: Accepted for publication in ApJ. Find a paper copy with higher resolution images at ftp://ftp.xray.mpe.mpg.de/people/web/astro-ph-0505488_rev2.pd

Bubble memory module

Design, fabrication and test of partially populated prototype recorder using 100 kilobit serial chips is described. Electrical interface, operating modes, and mechanical design of several module configurations are discussed. Fabrication and test of the module demonstrated the practicality of multiplexing resulting in lower power, weight, and volume. This effort resulted in the completion of a module consisting of a fully engineered printed circuit storage board populated with 5 of 8 possible cells and a wire wrapped electronics board. Interface of the module is 16 bits parallel at a maximum of 1.33 megabits per second data rate on either of two interface buses

Packaging of a large capacity magnetic bubble domain spacecraft recorder

A Solid State Spacecraft Data Recorder (SSDR), based on bubble domain technology, having a storage capacity of 10 to the 8th power bits, was designed and is being tested. The recorder consists of two memory modules each having 32 cells, each cell containing sixteen 100 kilobit serial bubble memory chips. The memory modules are interconnected to a Drive and Control Unit (DCU) module containing four microprocessors, 500 integrated circuits, a RAM core memory and two PROM's. The two memory modules and DCU are housed in individual machined aluminum frames, are stacked in brick fashion and through bolted to a base plate assembly which also houses the power supply

An X-ray survey of nine historical novae

The Einstein Observatory imaging proportional counter was used to search for X-ray emission from nine nearby historical novae. Six of the novae were detected with estimated X-ray intensities between .1 to 4 keV of 10 to the -13th power to 10 to the -11th power ergs/sq cm-s, comparable to the intensities of previously detected cataclysmic variables. The X-ray intensity of one of the novae, V603 Aql, varies over times of several hundred seconds. The data suggest a correlation between the decay rate of the historical outburst and the current X-ray luminosity. Alternatively, the X-ray luminosity may be related to the inclination of the binary system

Determination of meteor parameters using laboratory simulation techniques

Atmospheric entry of meteoritic bodies is conveniently and accurately simulated in the laboratory by techniques which employ the charging and electrostatic acceleration of macroscopic solid particles. Velocities from below 10 to above 50 km/s are achieved for particle materials which are elemental meteoroid constituents or mineral compounds with characteristics similar to those of meteoritic stone. The velocity, mass, and kinetic energy of each particle are measured nondestructively, after which the particle enters a target gas region. Because of the small particle size, free molecule flow is obtained. At typical operating pressures (0.1 to 0.5 torr), complete particle ablation occurs over distances of 25 to 50 cm; the spatial extent of the atmospheric interaction phenomena is correspondingly small. Procedures have been developed for measuring the spectrum of light from luminous trails and the values of fundamental quantities defined in meteor theory. It is shown that laboratory values for iron are in excellent agreement with those for 9 to 11 km/s artificial meteors produced by rocket injection of iron bodies into the atmosphere