Periodic behaviour in three galactic bulge sources

Evidence for periodicities of several days in the three bright galactic bulge sources GX349+2, GX17+2 and Ser X-1 has been found in Ariel V RMC data collected over 4 years.     

14.5-14.8 GHz Frequency Sharing by Data Relay Satellite Uplinks and Broadcasting-Satellite Uplinks

Data relay satellites are being developed to provide real-time data links between research satellites in low earth orbits and central data acquisition and processing facilities. Frequency assignments for data relay satellite links will be made in bands allocated internationally to the space research service. One of the bands which will be used lies between 14.5 and 15.35 GHz, where the space research service has had a frequency allocation as a secondary service since 1971. During the General World Administrative Radio Conference of the International Telecommunication Union, held in Geneva in 1979, a primary frequency allocation was made in the band 14.5-14.8 GHz to the fixed-satellite service, specifically for use by earth-to-space links of the broadcasting satellite service. The feasibility of shared band operation is evaluated between data relay satellite uplinks and broadcasting-satellite feeder links in the band 14.5-14.8 GHz. Relationships for predicting interference power levels are formulated, as functions of satellite separation and of earth station separation. Tradeoffs between satellite separation angle and earth station separation are explored, and conclusions are drawn regarding the feasibility of band sharing. Co-channel operation is demonstrated to be technically feasible for typical systems, provided appropriate separations are maintained.     

Multisensor resource deployment using posterior Cramer-Rao bounds

The development of a general framework for the systematic management of multiple sensors in target tracking in the presence of clutter is described. The basis of the technique is to quantify, and subsequently control, the accuracy of target state estimation. The posterior Cramer-Rao lower bound (PCRLB) provides the means of achieving this aim by enabling us to determine a bound on the performance of all unbiased estimators of the unknown target state. The general approach is then to use optimization techniques to control the measurement process in order to achieve accurate target state estimation. We are concerned primarily with the deployment and utilization of limited sensor resources. We also allow for measurement origin uncertainty, with sensor measurements either target-generated or false alarms. An example in which the aim is to track a submarine by deploying a series of constant false-alarm rate passive sonobuoys is presented. We show that by making some standard assumptions, the effect of the measurement origin uncertainty can be expressed as a state-dependent information reduction factor which can be calculated off-line. This enables the Fisher information matrix (FIM) to be calculated quickly, allowing Cramer-Rao bounds to be utilized for real-time, dynamic sensor management. The sensor management framework is shown to determine deployment strategies that enable the target to be accurately localized, and at the same time efficiently utilize the limited sensor resources.     

Microindentation of plasma zirconia-based thermal barrier coatings

A technique of evaluating the micromechanical characteristics (namely, microhardness, microdurability, microbrittleness and static crack resistance coefficient) using microindentation as applied to plasma zirconia-based thermal barrier coatings is presented.     

Synthesis of electrode system and simulation of ion-marking sensor for aerodynamic angle and airspeed measurement

A functional scheme, primary informative signals, a method of electrode system structural parameters synthesis and evaluation of a systematic error of the ion-marking sensor for aerodynamic angle and airspeed measurement are the focus of this paper.     

The high-LET radiation component measured during the EUROMIR-94 mission.

Stacks of CR-39 plastic nuclear track detectors were mounted inside the MIR-station during the EUROMIR-94-mission. We present LET-spectra determined separately for long range cosmic ray heavy ions and for short range target fragments produced in nuclear interactions of cosmic rays and measured charge distributions for relativistic and stopping particles.     

Theoretical prediction of thermal diffusion coefficients for ternary hydrocarbon mixtures based on the irreversible thermodynamics theory

An accurate thermodiffusion model is of paramount importance to the petroleum industry for the prediction of the compositional variation in hydrocarbon reservoirs. Several theoretical models have been developed. Kempers and Firoozabadi models are the latest two models, which are not only applicable for binary mixtures but also for multi-component mixtures. In this paper, we applied the Firoozabadi model to a ternary hydrocarbon mixture of n-Dodecane, n-Butane and Methane with different mass fraction. It reveals that the accuracy of the thermal diffusion coefficients for a specific mixture of interest relies on the accuracy of the thermodynamic properties from equations of state, corresponding Fick's diffusion coefficients, and the thermal diffusion modeling.     

Simulation of liferaft string water drop

A mathematical model of motion for a string of liferafts being water dropped is presented under the assumption of a plane system motion. An example of calculations is given.     

Unsteady oscillation of a deformable airfoil section in incompressible flow

The unsteady aerodynamic loads (pressure increment and generalized forces) acting on a deformable thin airfoil section are determined for its arbitrary motion in the incompressible flow with transverse gusts. In this case, the exact Küssner solution in series is used for harmonic oscillation of an airfoil, in which the Theodorsen function is approximated by a sum of fractional functions with poles. In the time domain, these functions are replaced by the unknown functions that satisfy the one-type ordinary first order differential equations. The equations obtained are combined with the differential equations of the airfoil motion in the generalized coordinates and are used for analyzing the aeroelastic system stability and calculating its dynamic response to gust loads.     

Gravitropism and phototropism in protonemata of the moss Pohlia nutans (Hedw.) Lindb.

The gravitropism of protonemata of Pohlia nutans is described and compared with that of other mosses. In darkness, protonemata showed negative gravitropism. Under uniform illumination they grew radially over the substrate surface, whereas unilateral illumination induced positive phototropic growth. Gravitropism was coupled with starch synthesis and amyloplast formation. Protonematal gravitropic growth is more variable than the strict negative gravitropism of Ceratodon chloronema.