Development of a scalable generic platform for adaptive optics real time control

The main objective of the present project is to explore the viability of an adaptive optics control system based exclusively on Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs), making strong use of their parallel processing capability. In an Adaptive Optics (AO) system, the generation of the Deformable Mirror (DM) control voltages from the Wavefront Sensor (WFS) measurements is usually through the multiplication of the wavefront slopes with a predetermined reconstructor matrix. The ability to access several hundred hard multipliers and memories concurrently in an FPGA allows performance far beyond that of a modern CPU or GPU for tasks with a well defined structure such as Adaptive Optics control. The target of the current project is to generate a signal for a real time wavefront correction, from the signals coming from a Wavefront Sensor, wherein the system would be flexible to accommodate all the current Wavefront Sensing techniques and also the different methods which are used for wavefront compensation. The system should also accommodate for different data transmission protocols (like Ethernet, USB, IEEE 1394 etc.) for transmitting data to and from the FPGA device, thus providing a more flexible platform for Adaptive Optics control. Preliminary simulation results for the formulation of the platform, and a design of a fully scalable slope computer is presented.Comment: Paper presented as part of SPIE ICOP 2015 Conference Proceeding

Quantum information processing using strongly-dipolar coupled nuclear spins

Dipolar coupled homonuclear spins present challenging, yet useful systems for quantum information processing. In such systems, eigenbasis of the system Hamiltonian is the appropriate computational basis and coherent control can be achieved by specially designed strongly modulating pulses. In this letter we describe the first experimental implementation of the quantum algorithm for numerical gradient estimation on the eigenbasis of a four spin system.Comment: 5 pages, 5 figures, Accepted in PR

An Analysis of Rank Ordered Data

Many methods are available to analyze rank ordered data. We used a spectral density method to analyze Formosan subterranean termite control options ranked by Louisiana homeowners. Respondents are asked to rank termite control options from the most preferred to the least preferred option. Spectral analysis results indicated that the most preferred termite control choice is a relatively cheap ($0.13 per square foot) option of liquid treatment.FST, rank ordered data, spectral analysis, Research Methods/ Statistical Methods,

UNICS - An Unified Instrument Control System for Small/Medium Sized Astronomical Observatories

Although the astronomy community is witnessing an era of large telescopes, smaller and medium sized telescopes still maintain their utility being larger in numbers. In order to obtain better scientific outputs it is necessary to incorporate modern and advanced technologies to the back-end instruments and to their interfaces with the telescopes through various control processes. However often tight financial constraints on the smaller and medium size observatories limit the scope and utility of these systems. Most of the time for every new development on the telescope the back-end control systems are required to be built from scratch leading to high costs and efforts. Therefore a simple, low cost control system for small and medium size observatory needs to be developed to minimize the cost and efforts while going for the expansion of the observatory. Here we report on the development of a modern, multipurpose instrument control system UNICS (Unified Instrument Control System) to integrate the controls of various instruments and devices mounted on the telescope. UNICS consists of an embedded hardware unit called Common Control Unit (CCU) and Linux based data acquisition and User Interface. The Hardware of the CCU is built around the Atmel make ATmega 128 micro-controller and is designed with a back-plane, Master Slave architecture. The Graphical User Interface (GUI) has been developed based on QT and the back end application software is based on C/C++. UNICS provides feedback mechanisms which give the operator a good visibility and a quick-look display of the status and modes of instruments. UNICS is being used for regular science observations since March 2008 on 2m, f/10 IUCAA Telescope located at Girawali, Pune India.Comment: Submitted to PASP, 10 Pages, 5 figure

Cage culture requirements - Site selection and water quality needs

Culture of fish in cage is a popular method of rearing the fish along the coastal areas. Site selection and water quality is one of the most important factors that determine the success and failures of cage culture system. It also determines the cost of production and survival of the system in the long run. Controlling water quality parameters in open water cage culture systems is an impractical; therefore, culture of any species must be established in the sites having adequate water quality and frequent exchange. Before establishing a cage culture site, it is foremost important to conduct a field survey for gaining prior knowledge on the environmental/ hydro-biological parameters of the site so as to ascertain that the water body chosen will support the increased biological demand due to cage culture activities in due course of time

Hypovitamanosis D and non cardiac chest pain

Background: Recurrent atypical chest pain not due to cardiac illness is a very common condition in medical outpatient departments. Authors found that people consulting for atypical chest pain often have significant Vitamin D deficiency and correction of Vitamin D deficiency relieved patient symptoms. Hence authors carried out this study.Methods: Persons aged below 50 years were taken up for study. Those attending medical clinics with complaints of chest pain occurring more than two times were taken up for study. Cardiac illness was excluded by clinical examination and investigations. Those found to have low Vitamin D were taken up for study. 60,000 international units Vitamin D was administered orally weekly for 8 weeks. They were followed up twice weekly for three months and once monthly for three months.Results: Results were analyzed and charted. 120 subjects were taken up for study and duration of study was three years. Average age of the study group was 37.50 years and the average Vitamin D level was 15.75 nanogram/ml (ngm/ml). Duration of chest pain ranged from one week to one year. Most of the patients had migratory chest pain.Conclusions: As Vitamin D deficiency is a treatable medical condition it may be prudent to check Vitamin D levels in the patients presenting with recurrent atypical pain in the chest. It reduces the burden on the health care system and relieves the suffering of the patient. It may not be futile to check Vitamin D levels even in the patients with coronary artery disease who are suffering from atypical chest pain