Biofeedback monitoring-devices for astronauts in space environment

After a reconsideration of the state-of-the-art in biofeedback research the implementation of biofeedback systems is envisioned as a countermeasure of stress for the psychoprophylaxis of the astronaut. A one-session experiment performed on two groups of subjects to assess the interference from EMG-feedback on the performance in a simultaneous psychomotor trial with a view to expanding biofeedback application is described. The results show that the experimental group performed in the same way as the control without feedback, but with less CNS activation. Some general conclusions are drawn from the advances in technology.     

The electromagnetic rocket gun

A novel propulsion concept is proposed which has the potential of accelerating large masses to velocities substantially higher than what is possible with chemical rockets. The novel concept is an electromagnetic gun, where the projectile is a rocket. The proposed concept solves the old problem of magnetic propulsion, which is the resistive dissipation of the induced electric currents into heat which will vaporize the projectile long before it can reach a high velocity. As in a rocket, where the propellant cools and thereby prevents the rocket from burning up, the same happens in the proposed concept where the propellent also cools the projectile and prevents its vaporization. The propellant, however, not only cools the projectile but in addition is resistively heated by the magnetic field and ejected from the projectile with high velocity. The resulting recoil produces an additional thrust which is approximately as large as the thrust exerted by the magnetic field alone. The energy to drive the jet is externally supplied, making the specific impulse much larger than for chemical rockets.     

Hard X-ray emission from the recurrent transient A0535+26 during its 1980 high-intensity outburst

The transient X-ray pulsar A0535+26 was observed on October 4, 1980 during a high level intensity outburst with a balloon borne hard X-ray detector. High statistical quality source spectra were determined up to 100 keV. Both blackbody and Wien laws fit well the data. Pulse phase spectroscopy shows variation of temperature index between 7.5 and 8.5 keV in the off source spectra and between 7.4 and 10.5 keV in the off pulse spectra. The time averaged luminosity above 30 keV is 8×10³⁶ erg/s.     

The Geometry of Escaping Targets

The escape regions for alerted targets are analytically defined.Sets of circles which circumscribe these regions provide simplified meas of the resulting escape involutes and yield important weapon guidance and sensor search parameters. These regions permit the selection of an aimpoint which incorporates the potential of target maneuers. Applications that illustrate the improved performance of these solutions in missile deployment and lost-contact-redetect situations are included.     

Reconstructed Flight Control Sensor Signals Via Luenberger Observers

The feasibility of providing flight control systems with software-managed redundancy is investigated. It is shown that sufficient information can be extracted from aircraft attitude sensors to allow analytic reconstruction of the stability augmentation system (SAS) sensor signals in the event of SAS sensor failures. The sensor signal reconstruction is performed in a deterministic setting by using a Luenberger observer. A simple and efficient design procedure is presented based on Gopinath's [1] work. As an illustrative example, the proposed sensor signal reconstruction technique is exercised on the L-1011 aircraft lateral axis rigid body simulation. It is shown that with an accurate airframe model perfect reconstruction is feasible. In addition, it is also shown via simulation results that with imperfect knowledge of the airframe model (based on standard wind tunnel data), the proposed reconstruction is accurate enough to have a negligible impact on the overall aircraft performance.     

High energy density capacitors for space power conditioning

Several advanced capacitor designs that might be used in high average power space applications are described. Each type is fundamentally limited by breakdown phenomena. All are intrinsically limited to maximum fields on the order of 1000 MV/m. None of these units has been space rated for energy storage applications. Several problems that must be solved before use in space are presented as well as the current state of the art and estimates of developmental potential     

Experimental investigation of the effects of gravity on thermosolutal convection and compositional homogeneity in bridgman grown,compound semiconductors

Lead-tin-telluride has been grown in a thermally stable mode (solutally unstable) and in a solutally stable (thermally unstable) mode in a Bridgman configuration. Significant differences in the crystal morphology and the compositional homogeneity have been found between the two configurations. In addition, for the solutally stable configuration, evidence has been found that the flow characteristics in the melt change drastically during the course of the run.     

Dynamics of the dayside aurora

Observations of auroral particles by rockets and satellites show the existence of structured “inverted V” type precipitation events with electron characteristic energies ranging up to several hundred eV in the post-noon dayside auroral region. Two station ground-based measurements from Cape Parry, NWT and Sachs Harbour, NWT, Canada from meridian scanners and auroral all-sky TV cameras are used in conjunction with rocket-borne electron measurements to study the temporal and spatial characteristics of the associated auroral emissions. The frequent occurrence of narrow, transient auroral arcs with lifetimes of 1–2 minutes, resulting from the inverted V events, is discussed.     

Computerizing the circuit board industry while reducing costs

The author examines a systems approach to automation that the printed circuit board (PCB) manufacturer can use in order to adapt today's technology for his or her individual needs. He begins with an overview of production functions. He then describes the subsystems approach, the steps leading to computerization, implementation, the bare board test system, and preprocessing