4,457 research outputs found

    Prediction, evaluation, and specification of flying qualities by means of step target tracking

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    A new approach to flying qualities specification and evaluation is presented which coordinates current research in the areas of pilot ratings, pilot-aircraft modeling techniques, and simulation and flight test procedures. A time-domain pilot model is described which can model discontinuous and nonlinear pilot behavior in conjunction with completely general time-varying nonlinear aircraft models to simulate discrete maneuvers. This pilot-aircraft model is applied to an existing set of in-flight simulation data, and calculates tracking error and time-on-target statistics for step target tracking that directly relate to the reported pilot comments and ratings. Predicted step target tracking data for eighteen F-5E flight conditions are presented, and the use of the method for control system design is demonstrated using the YF-17

    Prediction of pilot reserve attention capacity during air-to-air target tracking

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    Reserve attention capacity of a pilot was calculated using a pilot model that allocates exclusive model attention according to the ranking of task urgency functions whose variables are tracking error and error rate. The modeled task consisted of tracking a maneuvering target aircraft both vertically and horizontally, and when possible, performing a diverting side task which was simulated by the precise positioning of an electrical stylus and modeled as a task of constant urgency in the attention allocation algorithm. The urgency of the single loop vertical task is simply the magnitude of the vertical tracking error, while the multiloop horizontal task requires a nonlinear urgency measure of error and error rate terms. Comparison of model results with flight simulation data verified the computed model statistics of tracking error of both axes, lateral and longitudinal stick amplitude and rate, and side task episodes. Full data for the simulation tracking statistics as well as the explicit equations and structure of the urgency function multiaxis pilot model are presented

    Error rate information in attention allocation pilot models

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    The Northrop urgency decision pilot model was used in a command tracking task to compare the optimized performance of multiaxis attention allocation pilot models whose urgency functions were (1) based on tracking error alone, and (2) based on both tracking error and error rate. A matrix of system dynamics and command inputs was employed, to create both symmetric and asymmetric two axis compensatory tracking tasks. All tasks were single loop on each axis. Analysis showed that a model that allocates control attention through nonlinear urgency functions using only error information could not achieve performance of the full model whose attention shifting algorithm included both error and error rate terms. Subsequent to this analysis, tracking performance predictions for the full model were verified by piloted flight simulation. Complete model and simulation data are presented

    Local Charge Excesses in Metallic Alloys: a Local Field Coherent Potential Approximation Theory

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    Electronic structure calculations performed on very large supercells have shown that the local charge excesses in metallic alloys are related through simple linear relations to the local electrostatic field resulting from distribution of charges in the whole crystal. By including local external fields in the single site Coherent Potential Approximation theory, we develop a novel theoretical scheme in which the local charge excesses for random alloys can be obtained as the responses to local external fields. Our model maintains all the computational advantages of a single site theory but allows for full charge relaxation at the impurity sites. Through applications to CuPd and CuZn alloys, we find that, as a general rule, non linear charge rearrangements occur at the impurity site as a consequence of the complex phenomena related with the electronic screening of the external potential. This nothwithstanding, we observe that linear relations hold between charge excesses and external potentials, in quantitative agreement with the mentioned supercell calculations, and well beyond the limits of linearity for any other site property.Comment: 11 pages, 1 table, 7 figure

    Narrative, identity, and recovery from serious mental illness: A life history of a runner

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    In recent years, researchers have investigated the psychological effects of exercise for people with mental health problems, often by focusing on how exercise may alleviate symptoms of mental illness. In this article I take a different tack to explore the ways in which exercise contributed a sense of meaning, purpose, and identity to the life of one individual named Ben, a runner diagnosed with schizophrenia. Drawing on life history data, I conducted an analysis of narrative to explore the narrative types that underlie Ben's stories of mental illness and exercise. For Ben, serious mental illness profoundly disrupted a pre-existing athletic identity removing agency, continuity, and coherence from his life story. By returning to exercise several years later, Ben reclaimed his athletic identity and reinstated some degree of narrative agency, continuity, and coherence. While the relationships between narrative, identity, and mental health are undoubtedly complex, Ben's story suggests that exercise can contribute to recovery by being a personally meaningful activity which reinforces identity and sense of self

    Persistent Current of Free Electrons in the Plane

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    Predictions of Akkermans et al. are essentially changed when the Krein spectral displacement operator is regularized by means of zeta function. Instead of piecewise constant persistent current of free electrons on the plane one has a current which varies linearly with the flux and is antisymmetric with regard to all time preserving values of α\alpha including 1/21/2. Different self-adjoint extensions of the problem and role of the resonance are discussed.Comment: (Comment on "Relation between Persistent Currents and the Scattering Matrix", Phys. Rev. Lett. {\bf 66}, 76 (1991)) plain latex, 4pp., IPNO/TH 94-2

    Locational stress on Sydney's metropolitan fringe

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    After describing the spatial pattern of Sydney's metropolitan expansion on the southwestern fringe, the human behavioural and welfare ramifications of this process are considered. The analytical framework is based on the locational stress concept and methodological guidelines are derived from the humanistic perspective. It is argued that a better understanding of the urban population's needs can be achieved by placing more emphasis upon studies which explore activity patterns and satisfaction levels of specific groups at a micro-level. Thus, a case study approach is adopted in which the behavioural and attitudinal responses of forty households are examined. This investigation is facilitated by the development of a game-based technique for mapping household activity systems and identifying the accessibility problems experienced in given residential situations. The analysis reveals that house-bound mothers and their children are particularly disadvantaged by the metropolitan fringe location and attention is, therefore, focussed on the difficulties faced by this group

    Aircraft requirements for low/medium density markets

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    A study was conducted to determine the demand for and the economic factors involved in air transportation in a low and medium density market. The subjects investigated are as follows: (1) industry and market structure, (2) aircraft analysis, (3) economic analysis, (4) field surveys, and (5) computer network analysis. Graphs are included to show the economic requirements and the aircraft performance characteristics

    Is there a Jordan geometry underlying quantum physics?

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    There have been several propositions for a geometric and essentially non-linear formulation of quantum mechanics. From a purely mathematical point of view, the point of view of Jordan algebra theory might give new strength to such approaches: there is a ``Jordan geometry'' belonging to the Jordan part of the algebra of observables, in the same way as Lie groups belong to the Lie part. Both the Lie geometry and the Jordan geometry are well-adapted to describe certain features of quantum theory. We concentrate here on the mathematical description of the Jordan geometry and raise some questions concerning possible relations with foundational issues of quantum theory.Comment: 30 page

    Point-charge electrostatics in disordered alloys

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    A simple analytic model of point-ion electrostatics has been previously proposed in which the magnitude of the net charge q_i on each atom in an ordered or random alloy depends linearly on the number N_i^(1) of unlike neighbors in its first coordination shell. Point charges extracted from recent large supercell (256-432 atom) local density approximation (LDA) calculations of Cu-Zn random alloys now enable an assessment of the physical validity and accuracy of the simple model. We find that this model accurately describes (i) the trends in q_i vs. N_i^(1), particularly for fcc alloys, (ii) the magnitudes of total electrostatic energies in random alloys, (iii) the relationships between constant-occupation-averaged charges and Coulomb shifts (i.e., the average over all sites occupied by either AA or BB atoms) in the random alloy, and (iv) the linear relation between the site charge q_i and the constant- charge-averaged Coulomb shift (i.e., the average over all sites with the same charge) for fcc alloys. However, for bcc alloys the fluctuations predicted by the model in the q_i vs. V_i relation exceed those found in the LDA supercell calculations. We find that (a) the fluctuations present in the model have a vanishing contribution to the electrostatic energy. (b) Generalizing the model to include a dependence of the charge on the atoms in the first three (two) shells in bcc (fcc) - rather than the first shell only - removes the fluctuations, in complete agreement with the LDA data. We also demonstrate an efficient way to extract charge transfer parameters of the generalized model from LDA calculations on small unit cells.Comment: 15 pages, ReVTeX galley format, 7 eps figures embedded using psfig, to be published in Phys. Rev.
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