Rationalizing VICAR within a TAE framework: Some problems and some solutions

Transportable Applications Executive (TAE) implementation may impose a strain on centers with modest resources. This may be eased in a number of ways. The balance of a small number of expert users and a large number of computing novices at the Interactive Planetary Image-Processing System (IPIPS) imposes special constraints. Some solutions to these and other particular problems are described

Technical background for a demonstration magnetic levitation system

A preliminary technical assessment of the feasibility of a demonstration Magnetic Levitation system, required to support aerodynamic models with a specified clear air volume around them, is presented. Preliminary calculations of required sizes of electromagnets and power supplies are made, indicating that the system is practical. Other aspects, including model position sensing and controller design, are briefly addressed

The Coronal Temperatures of Low-Mass Main-Sequence Stars

Aims. We study the X-ray emission of low-mass main-sequence stars to derive a reliable general scaling law between coronal temperature and the level of X-ray activity. Methods. We collect ROSAT measurements of hardness ratios and X-ray luminosities for a large sample of stars to derive which stellar X-ray emission parameter is most closely correlated with coronal temperature. We calculate average coronal temperatures for a sample of 24 low-mass main-sequence stars with measured emission measure distributions (EMDs) collected from the literature. These EMDs are based on high-resolution X-ray spectra measured by XMM-Newton and Chandra. Results. We confirm that there is one universal scaling relation between coronal average temperature and surface X-ray flux, Fx, that applies to all low-mass main-sequence stars. We find that coronal temperature is related to Fx by Tcor=0.11 Fx^0.26, where Tcor is in MK and Fx is in erg/s/cm^2.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figures, 1 table; accepted for publication in A&

Loss-Avoidance and Forward Induction in Experimental Coordination Games

We report experiments on how players select among multiple Pareto-ranked equilibria in a coordination game. Subjects initially choose inefficient equilibria. Charging a fee to play (which makes initial equilibria money-losing) creates coordination on better equilibria. When fees are optional, improved coordination is consistent with forward induction. But coordination improves even when subjects must pay the fee (forward induction does not apply). Subjects appear to use a "loss-avoidance" selection principle: they expect others to avoid strategies that always result in losses. Loss-avoidance implies that "mental accounting" of outcomes can affect choices in games