Experimental study of damping properties of a composite torsion bar in the helicopter main rotor hingeless hub

The results of the experimental studies of damping characteristics of a composite torsion bar in the helicopter main rotor hingeless hub are presented. A variant of their improvement is considered.     

Parametric Rao Test for Multichannel Adaptive Signal Detection

The parametric Rao test for a multichannel adaptive signal detection problem is derived by modeling the disturbance signal as a multichannel autoregressive (AR) process. Interestingly, the parametric Rao test takes a form identical to that of the recently introduced parametric adaptive matched filter (PAMF) detector for space-time adaptive processing (STAP) in airborne surveillance radar systems and other similar applications. The equivalence offers new insights into the performance and implementation of the PAMF detector. Specifically, the Rao/PAMF detector is asymptotically (for large samples) a parametric generalized likelihood ratio test (GLRT), due to an asymptotic equivalence between the Rao test and the GLRT. The asymptotic distribution of the Rao test statistic is obtained in closed form, which follows an exponential distribution under the null hypothesis H ₀ and, respectively, a noncentral Chi-squared distribution with two degrees of freedom under the alternative hypothesis H ₁. The noncentrality parameter of the noncentral Chi-squared distribution is determined by the output signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio (SINR) of a temporal whitening filter. Since the asymptotic distribution under H ₀ is independent of the unknown parameters, the Rao/PAMF asymptotically achieves constant false alarm rate (CFAR). Numerical results show that these results are accurate in predicting the performance of the parametric Rao/PAMF detector even with moderate data support.     

A method for constructing an airfoil using a specified chord velocity diagram

A problem of determining a shape of the airfoil being streamlined by a potential incompressible inviscid flow is solved by the successive approximation method using a specified chord velocity diagram. It is shown that a closed airfoil that possesses a specified chord velocity diagram can be constructed with a sufficient accuracy; if the chord diagram is unsuccessfully specified, the closed airfoil may prove to be not univalent, that is, physically unrealizable.     

Automotive-grade MEMS sensors used for general aviation

The attitude heading reference system (AHRS) provides data for primary flight instruments, head-up displays, autopilots, and moving map navigation systems. Advances in solid-state MEMS rate sensors, coupled with Kalman filter algorithms designed to mitigate high drift rates, provide the basis for low-cost, high-performance AHRS for general aviation. This paper describes the performance of a low cost, miniaturized AHRS using automotive-grade MEMS sensors. The performance of the system is detailed. The implications for certification of this class of system and fault tolerance are discussed.     

First estimations of the aerosol optical thickness using Langley Method at Southern Brazil (29.4°S, 53.8°W)

The first estimations of the aerosol optical thickness (AOT) using Langley Method at Southern Space Observatory (SSO) at Southern Brazil (29.4°S, 53.8°W) are presented. In addition to ozone and sulphur dioxide columns, AOT can be obtained using Brewer Spectrophotometer at specific wavelengths: 306.3, 310.1, 313.5, 316.8 and 320.1 nm. The AOT was obtained for the period from November/2002 to May/2003. Very low AOT averages were obtained, whose values were about 0.21 ± 0.03 at 306.3 nm, 0.21 ± 0.02 at 310.1 nm, 0.19 ± 0.02 at 313.5 nm, 0.20 ± 0.02 at 316.8 nm and 0.20 ± 0.02 at 320.0 nm for all period analysed. Different behaviour of AOT were obtained at two daily specific periods of aerosol accumulation, one in the afternoons from November/2002 to February/2003, caused mainly by a mild biomass burning season’s in the region and other in the mornings from March to May/2003, due the high relative humidity presented in the region studied.     

Structure of the Venusian atmosphere from surface up to 100 km

The goal of this paper is to summarize the experimental data on the atmosphere of Venus obtained after 1985, when the VIRA (Venus International Reference Atmosphere) or COSPAR model was published. Among the most important results that have appeared since then are the following: measurements of the vertical temperature profile by the VEGA spacecraft with high precision and high altitude resolution; measurements made with balloons of the VEGA spacecraft; radio occultation measurements of Magellan, Venera-15, and Venera-16; and temperature profiles derived from the data of infrared spectrometry obtained by Venera-15. The new result as compared to VIRA is the creation of a model of the atmosphere in the altitude range 55 to 100 km dependent on local time. This model is presented in our paper in tabulated form.     

Solar and Heliospheric Modulation of Galactic Cosmic Rays

The significance of external influences on the environment of Earth and its atmosphere has become evident during recent years. Especially, on time scales of several hundred years, the cosmogenic isotope concentration during the Wolf-, Spoerer-, Maunder- and Dalton-Minimum indicates an increased cosmic ray flux. Because these grand minima of solar activity coincide with cold periods, a correlation of the Earth climate with the cosmic ray intensities is plausible. Any quantitative study of the effects of energetic particles on the atmosphere and environment of the Earth must address their transport to Earth and their interactions with the Earth’s atmosphere including their filtering by the terrestrial magnetosphere. The first problem is one of the fundamental problems in modern cosmic ray astrophysics, and corresponding studies began in the 1960s based on Parker’s cosmic ray modulation theory taking into account diffusion, convection, adiabatic deceleration, and (later) the drift of energetic particles in the global heliospheric magnetic field. It is well established that all of these processes determining the modulation of cosmic rays are depending on parameters that are varying with the solar magnetic cycle. Therefore, the galactic cosmic ray intensities close to Earth is the result of a complex modulation of the interstellar galactic spectrum within the heliosphere. The modern view of this cosmic ray modulation is summarized in our contribution.     

Microbial processes in frozen food

Deep freezing of food and storage at −19°C is a standard conservation procedure in food technology. The lower limit of growth of bacteria in food is from about −5°C to about −8°C, whereas the reproduction limit of yeasts is 2 to 3°C lower. Storage temperatures above −10°C should therefore not be used. At −18°C, a commonly used storage temperature, no growth of microorganisms will occur. The microorganisms mainly found at the lower growth limit are Pseudomonas sp. and basidiomycete yeasts. The reduction in the number of microorganisms due to freezing, storage, and thawing is not of practical importance. Microbial enzymes, in particular lipases and proteases, are still active at −18°C. Therefore, the quality of raw products and good hygiene at the production site are most important.     

Measuring the matter distribution within z = 0.2 cluster lenses with XMM-Newton

We present an analysis of seven clusters observed by XMM-Newton as part of our survey of 17 most X-ray luminous clusters of galaxies at z  0.2 selected for a comprehensive and unbiased study of the mass distribution in massive clusters. Using the public software FTOOLS and XMMSAS we have set up an automated pipeline to reduce the EPIC MOS and pn spectro-imaging data, optimized for extended sources analysis. We also developped a code to perform intensive spectral and imaging analysis particularly focussing on proper background estimate and removal. XMM-Newton deep spectro-imaging of these clusters allowed us to fit a standard β-model to their gas emission profiles as well as a standard MEKAL emission model to their extracted spectra, and test their inferred characteristics against already calibrated relations.     

Water Cherenkov detectors:MILAGRO

This paper discusses the properties of using the water Cherenkov technique to detect air showers in the few hundred GeV to 100 TeV energy range. The responses of a 6 m² 2 m deep water Cherenkov counter and that of a 6 m² 10cm thick scintillator-lead sandwich counter to air shower electrons and photons is described. The advantages of water Cherenkov detector is outlined. Its application to do VHE gamma ray astronomy is discussed with particular reference to the MILAGRO telescope currently under construction. Milagro, a water-Cherenkov detector to do gamma ray astronomy above 100 Gev, uses an existing pool 60m × 80m by 8m, located in the Jemez mountains near Los Alamos, NM. The threshold of the MILAGRO detector is comparable to atmospheric Cherenkov detectors, however it has several advantages over these optical detectors. MILAGRO can operate 24 hours a day in all weather conditions and it has an open aperture which allows it to view the entire northern sky every day. These capabilities allow for a systematic all-sky survey to be done for the first time at these energies. MILAGRO will measure the Crab spectrum with high significance over a wide energy range, it will detect and measure the spectra from AGN's such as MRK 421 and it will search for short duration bursts from GRBs and possibly evaporating PBHs.