Studies on Emission Processes in Optically Pumped Mercury Vapor

Electron transitions in optically pumped mercury vapor emissio

Fuzzy Modeling and Parallel Distributed Compensation for Aircraft Flight Control from Simulated Flight Data

A method is described that combines fuzzy system identification techniques with Parallel Distributed Compensation (PDC) to develop nonlinear control methods for aircraft using minimal a priori knowledge, as part of NASAs Learn-to-Fly initiative. A fuzzy model was generated with simulated flight data, and consisted of a weighted average of multiple linear time invariant state-space cells having parameters estimated using the equation-error approach and a least-squares estimator. A compensator was designed for each subsystem using Linear Matrix Inequalities (LMI) to guarantee closed-loop stability and performance requirements. This approach is demonstrated using simulated flight data to automatically develop a fuzzy model and design control laws for a simplified longitudinal approximation of the F-16 nonlinear flight dynamics simulation. Results include a comparison of flight data with the estimated fuzzy models and simulations that illustrate the feasibility and utility of the combined fuzzy modeling and control approach

A view of Large Magellanic Cloud HII regions N159, N132, and N166 through the 345 GHz window

We present results obtained towards the HII regions N159, N166, and N132 from the emission of several molecular lines in the 345 GHz window. Using ASTE we mapped a 2.4' $\times$ 2.4' region towards the molecular cloud N159-W in the $^{13}$CO J=3-2 line and observed several molecular lines at an IR peak very close to a massive young stellar object. $^{12}$CO and $^{13}$CO J=3-2 were observed towards two positions in N166 and one position in N132. The $^{13}$CO J=3-2 map of the N159-W cloud shows that the molecular peak is shifted southwest compared to the peak of the IR emission. Towards the IR peak we detected emission from HCN, HNC, HCO$^{+}$, C$_{2}$H J=4-3, CS J=7-6, and tentatively C$^{18}$O J=3-2. This is the first reported detection of these molecular lines in N159-W. The analysis of the C$_{2}$H line yields more evidence supporting that the chemistry involving this molecular species in compact and/or UCHII regions in the LMC should be similar to that in Galactic ones. A non-LTE study of the CO emission suggests the presence of both cool and warm gas in the analysed region. The same analysis for the CS, HCO$^{+}$, HCN, and HNC shows that it is very likely that their emissions arise mainly from warm gas with a density between $5 \times 10^5$ to some $10^6$ cm$^{-3}$. The obtained HCN/HNC abundance ratio greater than 1 is compatible with warm gas and with an star-forming scenario. From the analysis of the molecular lines observed towards N132 and N166 we propose that both regions should have similar physical conditions, with densities of about 10$^3$ cm$^{-3}$.Comment: accepted in MNRAS (October 5, 2015

The Economic Recession: Early Impacts on Health Care Safety Net Providers

Examines how the recession and state and local budget cuts affected safety-net clinics' capacity to meet demand in five communities, the extent to which federal stimulus funds mitigated the impact, strategies for sustainability, and implications

ASTE observations in the 345 GHz window towards the HII region N113 of the Large Magellanic Cloud

N113 is an HII region located in the central part of the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) with an associated molecular cloud very rich in molecular species. Most of the previously observed molecular lines cover the frequency range 85-270 GHz. Thus, a survey and study of lines at the 345 GHz window is required in order to have a more complete understanding of the chemistry and excitation conditions of the region. We mapped a region of 2.5' x 2.5' centered at N113 using the Atacama Submillimeter Telescope Experiment in the 13CO J=3-2 line with an angular and spectral resolution of 22" and 0.11 km/s, respectively. In addition, we observed 16 molecular lines as single pointings towards its center. For the molecular cloud associated with N113, from the 13CO J=3-2 map we estimate LTE and virial masses of about 1x10^4 and 4.5x10^4 M_sun, respectively. Additionally, from the dust continuum emission at 500 micron we obtain a mass of gas of 7x10^3 M_sun. Towards the cloud center we detected emission from: 12CO, 13CO, C18O (3-2), HCN, HNC, HCO+, C2H (4-3), and CS (7-6); being the first reported detection of HCN, HNC, and C2H (4-3) lines from this region. The CS (7-6) which was previously tentatively detected is confirmed in this study. By analyzing the HCN, HNC, and C2H, we suggest that their emission may arise from a photodissociation region (PDR). Moreover, we suggest that the chemistry involving the C2H in N113 can be similar to that in Galactic PDRs. Using the HCN J=4-3, J=3-2, and J=1-0 lines in a RADEX analysis we conclude that we are observing very high density gas, between some 10^5 and 10^7 cm-3.Comment: accepted for publication in A&A, September 9, 201