An online astrobiology course for teachers

A continuing challenge for scientists is to keep K-12 teachers informed about new scientific developments. Over the past few years, this challenge has increased as new research findings have come from the field of astrobiology. In addition to trying to keep abreast of these new discoveries, K-12 teachers must also face the demands of the content and pedagogical goals imposed by state and national science education standards. Furthermore, many teachers lack the scientific content knowledge or training in current teaching methods to create their own activities or to implement appropriately new teaching materials designed to meet the standards. There is a clear need for special courses designed to increase the scientific knowledge of K-12 science teachers. In response to this need, the authors developed a suite of innovative, classroom-ready lessons for grades 5-12 that emphasize an active engagement instructional strategy and focus on the recent discoveries in the field of astrobiology. They further created a graduate-level, Internet-based distance-learning course for teachers to help them become familiar with these astrobiology concepts and to gain firsthand experience with the National Science Education Standards-based instructional strategies.     

Ceramic photocell implants could restore sight

Researchers are perfecting the use of ceramic photocells for retinal implantation. The work is being done at the Space Vacuum Epitaxy Center in Houston, TX. The photocells are the results of experiments with oxide detectors conducted in space using the Wake Shield Facility. Artificial retinas are constructed of 100,000 microscopic ceramic detectors attached to a polymer film, which disintegrates after implantation. Initially, four arrays will be implanted, totalling 400,000 detectors per eye. If successful, two additional arrays would be implanted. Human trials are expected to begin in 2002.     

Calculation of resonance current in high-frequency series-resonanceDC-DC converters

A method to calculate the resonance current in high-frequency series-resonant DC-DC converters is presented that includes the effect of the reverse-bias capacitance of output rectifiers and that of the primary inductance of the output transformer. A computer program developed as a tool to determine the amplitude of the resonance current for any given input and output conditions is also discussed. The results of the computer calculations agree well with experimental measurements     

Space Interferometry Mission spacecraft pointing error budgets

Preliminary error budgets for the pointing knowledge, control, and stability of the Space Interferometry Mission (SIM) spacecraft are constructed using the specifications of commercial off-the-shelf attitude determination sensors, attitude control actuators, and other spacecraft capabilities that have been demonstrated in past missions. Results obtained indicate that we can meet all the presently known spacecraft pointing requirements. A large number of derived requirements are generated from this study. Examples are specifications on attitude determination sensors, attitude control actuators, minimum settling time after a rest-to-rest spacecraft slew. Preliminary error budgets constructed in this study must be updated to reflect the changing spacecraft design and requirements     

Modeling and simulation of spacecraft power systems

Modeling of a complete spacecraft power processing system is presented, using the Boeing EASYS software. Component models are developed, and several system models including a solar array switching system, a partially shunted solar system, and cosmic background explorer (COBE) system are simulated. The modes of operation of the power system, such as shunt mode, battery-charge mode, and battery-discharge mode, are simulated for a complete orbit cycle     

涡襟翼振动对三角翼涡的影响

 <正> 1.引言 许多实验表明,用主动干扰的方式是控制分离的一个有效方法,而且可以把分离区从一死水区(或紊乱的区域)变成一个有序流动区域。二维流动实验还表明非定常机动可以较大地改变流动结构。三维流态显示表明强迫振动对集中涡的形成过程等有显著影响,并影响涡和物面之间的距离。目前对三维非定常流动特性,以及非定常干扰对机翼绕流中涡破裂等的作用尚未充分了解。 影响集中涡破裂的关键因素是沿涡轴方向的压力梯度。涡环量对破裂的影响是双向的,涡强过大易使涡破裂;涡强过小时涡结构松散,也易于破裂,甚至迅速耗散掉。从二维结果看,非定常强迫扰动可使涡的结构更紧凑、清晰,而且扰动可以改     

Photometric effects of accretion disks in long-period eclipsing binaries

Summary A multi-year photometric program on long-period eclipsing binaries has begun to uncover some properties of accretion disks in these systems. Emission and transmission properties can sometimes be found from light curve features produced by partial eclipses of the disk by the cool star, and by partial occultations of the cool star by the disk. These disks do not have the classical alpha structure. They are optically thin normal to the orbital plane, but may be geometrically thicker than purely gravitationally-stratified disks. Disk gas may be contaminated by dust particles acquired from the outer layers of the cool loser. In some systems, high states, produced by elevated mass accretion by the hot star, occur, suggesting that the mass distribution in the disk is clumpy. However mass-transfer rates are found, they lie between 10^-7 and 10^-6 solar masses per year.While this binary sample is small at the moment, some of its properties are shared with other systems. The author has five-color observations of about a dozen additional systems, which may fill out this picture more fully.     

非定常集中涡破裂形态及其对扰动的影响

本文中利用三角翼前缘涡襟翼的强制振动来推迟涡破裂。流场显示实验结果表明,在有强制扰动时,集中涡显示出两种不同形式的破裂,可分成六种不同的破裂形态。非定常集中涡的一个破裂过程涉及几种破裂形态之间的转换。涡襟翼振动产生的非定常效应对涡破裂的影响与三角翼后掠角有密切的关系,随后掠角增大非定常效应的影响变小。就实验迎角范围而言(α<35°),对50°后掠角三角翼,涡襟翼振动可显著推迟涡破裂;但对70°后掠角三角翼,振动却能促进涡的破裂。涡襟翼振动改变了集中涡的性态,使集中涡趋向于和前缘平行。振动对涡破裂的作用部分地与这种效应有关。