613 research outputs found
An advanced technology space station for the year 2025, study and concepts
A survey was made of potential space station missions that might exist in the 2020 to 2030 time period. Also, a brief study of the current state-of-the-art of the major subsystems was undertaken, and trends in technologies that could impact the subsystems were reviewed. The results of the survey and study were then used to arrive at a conceptual design of a space station for the year 2025. Factors addressed in the conceptual design included requirements for artificial gravity, synergies between subsystems, and the use of robotics. Suggestions are made relative to more in-depth studies concerning the conceptual design and alternative configurations
Analysis of a rotating advanced-technology space station for the year 2025
An analysis is made of several aspects of an advanced-technology rotating space station configuration generated under a previous study. The analysis includes examination of several modifications of the configuration, interface with proposed launch systems, effects of low-gravity environment on human subjects, and the space station assembly sequence. Consideration was given also to some aspects of space station rotational dynamics, surface charging, and the possible application of tethers
Some operational aspects of a rotating advanced-technology space station for the year 2025
The study of an Advanced Technology Space Station which would utilize the capabilities of subsystems projected for the time frame of the years 2000 to 2025 is discussed. The study includes tradeoffs of nuclear versus solar dynamic power systems that produce power outputs of 2.5 megawatts and analyses of the dynamics of the spacecraft of which portions are rotated for artificial gravity. The design considerations for the support of a manned Mars mission from low Earth orbit are addressed. The studies extend to on-board manufacturing, internal gas composition effects, and locomotion and material transfer under artificial gravity forces. The report concludes with an assessment of technology requirements for the Advanced Technology Space Station
Alternate assembly sequence databook for the Tier 2 Bus-1 option of the International Space Station
The JSC International Space Station program office requested that SSB prepare a databook to document the alternate space station assembly sequence known as Tier 2, which assumes that the Russian participation has been eliminated and that the functions that were supplied by the Russians (propulsion, resupply, initial attitude control, communications, etc.) are now supplied by the U.S. Tier 2 utilizes the Lockheed Bus-l to replace much of the missing Russian functionality. The space station at each stage of its buildup during the Tier 2 assembly sequence is characterized in terms of of properties, functionality, resource balances, operations, logistics, attitude control, microgravity environment and propellant usage. The assembly sequence as analyzed was defined by JSC as a first iteration, with subsequent iterations required to address some of the issues that the analysis in this databook identified. Several significant issues were identified, including: less than desirable orbit lifetimes, shortage of EVA, large flight attitudes, poor microgravity environments, and reboost propellant shortages. Many of these issues can be resolved but at the cost of possible baseline modifications and revisions in the proposed Tier 2 assembly sequence
First high-resolution radio study of the Supernova Remnant G338.3-0.0 associated with the gamma-ray source HESS J1640-465
We report on a multifrequency radio study of the supernova remnant (SNR)
G338.3-0.0, in positional coincidence with the TeV source HESS J1640-465. To
carry out this research we observed the SNR G338.3-0.0 using the Giant
Metrewave Radio Telescope (GMRT) at 235, 610, and 1280 MHz. We also reprocessed
archival data from the Australia Telescope Compact Array (ATCA) at 1290 and
2300 MHz. Also we conducted a search for radio pulsations towards a central
point-like source, using the GMRT antennas at 610 and 1280 MHz. The molecular
material in the region of the SNR was investigated based on observations made
with the NANTEN telescope in the 12^CO (J=1-0) emission line. The new radio
observations revealed a remnant with a bilateral morphology, which at 235 MHz
has the western wing completely attenuated because of absorption due to
foreground ionized gas. The quality of the new images allows us to provide
accurate estimates for the total radio flux density of the whole SNR at
different radio frequencies. From the new and existing flux density estimates
between 235 and 5000 MHz we derived for the whole remnant a spectral index
alpha=-0.51 +/-0.06 with a local free-free continuum optical depth at 235 MHz
tau_{235}=0.9+/-0.3. No radio pulsations were detected towards the only radio
point-like source within the HESS error circle. We derived upper limits of 2.0
and 1.0 mJy at 610 and 1280 MHz, respectively, for the pulsed flux towards this
source. No radio counterpart was found for the pulsar wind nebula discovered in
X-rays. The inspection of the interstellar molecular gas towards G338.3-0.0 and
surroundings revealed that there is not any associated dense cloud that might
explain a hadronic origin for the TeV detection.Comment: 7 pages, 4 figures. Accepted for publication in A&
The radio properties of optically obscured Spitzer sources
This paper analyses the radio properties of a subsample of optically obscured
(R>25.5) galaxies observed at 24um by the Spitzer Space Telescope within the
First Look Survey. 96 F[24um]>0.35 mJy objects out of 510 are found to have a
radio counterpart at 1.4 GHz, 610 MHz or at both frequencies respectively down
to ~40uJy and ~200uJy. IRAC photometry sets the majority of them in the
redshift interval z [1-3] and allows for a broad distinction between
AGN-dominated galaxies (~47% of the radio-identified sample) and systems
powered by intense star-formation (~13%), the remaining objects being
impossible to classify. The percentage of radio identifications is a strong
function of 24um flux. The radio number counts at both radio frequencies
suggest that the physical process(es) responsible for radio activity in these
objects have a common origin regardless of whether the source shows mid-IR
emission compatible with being an obscured AGN or a star-forming galaxy. We
also find that both candidate AGN and star-forming systems follow (although
with a large scatter) the relationship between 1.4 GHz and 24um fluxes reported
by Appleton et al. (2004) which identifies sources undergoing intense star
formation activity. On the other hand, the inferred radio spectral indices
alpha indicate that a large fraction of objects in our sample (~60% of all
galaxies with estimated alpha) may belong to the population of Ultra Steep
Spectrum (USS) Sources, typically 'frustrated' radio-loud AGN. We interpret our
findings as a strong indication for concurrent AGN and star-forming activity,
whereby the 1.4 GHz flux is of thermal origin, while that at 610 GHz mainly
stems from the nuclear source.Comment: 18 pages, 16 figures, to appear in MNRA
Prevalence and Determinants of Obesity among Primary School Children in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
Childhood obesity has increased dramatically and has become a public health concern worldwide. Childhood obesity is likely to persist through adulthood and may lead to early onset of NCDs. However, there is paucity of data on obesity among primary school children in Tanzania. This study assessed the prevalence and determinants of obesity among primary school children in Dar es Salaam. A cross sectional study was conducted among school age children in randomly selected schools in Dar es Salaam. Anthropometric and blood pressure measurements were taken using standard procedures. Body Mass Index (BMI) was calculated as weight in kilograms divided by the square of height in meters (kg/m2). Child obesity was defined as BMI at or above 95th percentile for age and sex. Socio-demographic characteristics of children were determined using a structured questionnaire. Logistic regression was used to determine association between independent variables with obesity among primary school children in Dar es Salaam. A total of 446 children were included in the analysis. The mean age of the participants was 11.1±2.0 years and 53.1% were girls. The mean BMI, SBP and DBP were 16.6±4.0 kg/m2, 103.9±10.3mmHg and 65.6±8.2mmHg respectively. The overall prevalence of child obesity was 5.2% and was higher among girls (6.3%) compared to boys (3.8%). Obese children had significantly higher mean values for age (p=0.042), systolic and diastolic blood pressures (all p<0.001). Most obese children were from households with fewer children (p=0.019) and residing in urban areas (p=0.002). Controlling for other variables, age above 10 years (AOR=3.3, 95% CI=1.5-7.2), female sex (AOR=2.6, 95% CI=1.4-4.9), urban residence (AOR=2.5, 95% CI=1.2-5.3) and having money to spend at school (AOR=2.6, 95% CI=1.4-4.8) were significantly associated with child obesity. The prevalence of childhood obesity in this population was found to be low. However, children from urban schools and girls were proportionately more obese compared to their counterparts. Primary preventive measures for childhood obesity should start early in childhood and address socioeconomic factors of parents contributing to childhood obesity
The star catalogues of Ptolemaios and Ulugh Beg: Machine-readable versions and comparison with the modern Hipparcos Catalogue
In late antiquity and throughout the middle ages, the positions of stars on
the celestial sphere were obtained from the star catalogue of Ptolemaios. A
catalogue based on new measurements appeared in 1437, with positions by Ulugh
Beg, and magnitudes from the 10th-century astronomer al-Sufi. We provide
machine-readable versions of these two star catalogues, based on the editions
by Toomer (1998) and Knobel (1917), and determine their accuracies by
comparison with the modern Hipparcos Catalogue. The magnitudes in the
catalogues correlate well with modern visual magnitudes; the indication `faint'
by Ptolemaios is found to correspond to his magnitudes 5 and 6. Gaussian fits
to the error distributions in longitude / latitude give widths sigma ~ 27
arcmin / 23 arcmin in the range |Delta lambda, Delta beta|<50 arcmin for
Ptolemaios and sigma ~ 22 arcmin /18 arcmin in Ulugh Beg. Fits to the range
|Delta lambda, Delta beta|<100 arcmin gives 10-15 per cent larger widths,
showing that the error distributions are broader than gaussians. The fraction
of stars with positions wrong by more than 150 arcmin is about 2 per cent for
Ptolemaios and 0.1 per cent in Ulugh Beg; the numbers of unidentified stars are
1 in Ptolemaios and 3 in Ulugh Beg. These numbers testify to the excellent
quality of both star catalogues (as edited by Toomer and Knobel).Comment: to be published in Astronomy and Astrophysics; 34 pages with 57
Figures. Note changed address and email address of first autho
ACCESS II: A Complete Census of Star Formation in the Shapley Supercluster - UV and IR Luminosity Functions
We present panoramic Spitzer/MIPS mid- and far-infrared and GALEX ultraviolet
imaging of the the most massive and dynamically active system in the local
Universe, the Shapley supercluster at z=0.048, covering the 5 clusters which
make up the supercluster core. We combine these data with existing
spectroscopic data from 814 confirmed supercluster members to produce the first
study of a local rich cluster including both ultraviolet and infrared
luminosity functions (LFs). This joint analysis allows us to produce a complete
census of star-formation (both obscured and unobscured), extending down to
SFRs~0.02-0.05Msun/yr, and quantify the level of obscuration of star formation
among cluster galaxies, providing a local benchmark for comparison to ongoing
and future studies of cluster galaxies at higher redshifts with Spitzer and
Herschel. The GALEX NUV and FUV LFs obtained have steeper faint-end slopes than
the local field population, due largely to the contribution of massive,
quiescent galaxies at M_FUV>-16. The 24um and 70um galaxy LFs for the Shapley
supercluster instead have shapes fully consistent with those obtained for the
Coma cluster and for the local field galaxy population. This apparent lack of
environmental dependence for the shape of the FIR luminosity function suggests
that the bulk of the star-forming galaxies that make up the observed cluster
infrared LF have been recently accreted from the field and have yet to have
their star formation activity significantly affected by the cluster
environment. We estimate a global SFR of 327 Msun/yr over the whole
supercluster core, of which just ~20% is visible directly in the UV continuum
and ~80% is reprocessed by dust and emitted in the infrared. The level of
obscuration (L_IR/L_FUV) in star-forming galaxies is seen to increase linearly
with L_K over two orders of magnitude in stellar mass.Comment: 19 pages, 17 figures. Accepted for publication in MNRA
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