NASA lasers probe planets

NASA is engaged in monitoring the health of planet Earth and exploring the other planets. For the former, global measurements of critical Earth parameters including ice sheet thickness, greenhouse gases, oxygen, wind velocity, and aerosols, are required. Highly specialized lasers, sometimes at new laser wavelengths, are needed to measure these variables. There are three approaches for this laser development being pursued by NASA. First, rather than seeking new lasers employing an empirical approach, a quantum mechanical model is used to predict better new lasers. Second, where lasers exist but the wavelength is not quite right, a technique referred to as compositional tuning was developed. Third, innovative laser designs are devised to produce laser sources at the requisite wavelengths.     

Strain rate effects on compressive behavior of covalently bonded CNT networks

In this study, strain rate effects on the compressive mechanical properties of randomly structured carbon nanotube (CNT) networks were examined. For this purpose, three-dimensional atomistic models of CNT networks with covalently-bonded junctions were generated. After that, molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of compressive loading were performed at five different strain rates to investigate the basic deformation characteristic mechanisms of CNT networks and determine the effect of strain rate on stress–strain curves. The simulation results showed that the strain rate of compressive loading increases, so that a higher resistance of specimens to deformation is observed. Furthermore, the local deformation characteristics of CNT segments, which are mainly driven by bending and buckling modes, and their prevalence are strongly affected by the deformation rate. It was also observed that CNT networks have superior features to metal foams such as metal matrix syntactic foams (MMSFs) and porous sintered fiber metals (PSFMs) in terms of energy absorbing capabilities.     

The influence of thermally assisted tunneling on the performance of charge trapping memory

We evaluate the influence of the thermally assisted tunneling (TAT) mechanism on charge trapping memory (CTM) cell performance by numerical simulation, and comprehensively analyse the effects of the temperature, trap depth, distribution of trapped charge, gate voltage and parameters of TAT on erasing/programming speed and retention performance. TAT is an indispensable mechanism in CTM that can increase the detrapping probability of trapped charge. Our results reveal that the TAT effect causes the sensitivity of cell performance to temperature and it could affect the operational speed, especially for the erasing operation. The results show that the retention performance degrades compared with when the TAT mechanism is ignored.     

ICP-AES测定高浓度基体下杂质元素的偏最小二乘法研究

建立了ICP-AES测定高浓度基体中微量杂质元素的偏最小二乘方法(PLS)。研究表明,PLS能有效校正高浓度基体干扰引起的测量误差,比多元光谱拟合法(MSF)能承受的基体浓度更高。当基体与杂质的含量比为1 000∶1～20 000∶1时,该方法的加标回收率在95%～105%之间。对于干扰效应与基体浓度呈非线性相关的体系,普通PLS的预测准确度不高,但使用基于样品浓度矩阵变换的偏最小二乘法(LIN-PPLS),则明显改善了预测的准确度。分别用MSF、普通PLS和LIN-PPLS对水系沉积物国家标准物质GBW07312中的Co,Pb和Ga进行测定,结果表明,LIN-PPLS的预测准确度优于普通PLS,而普通PLS的预测准确度优于MSF。     

Performance enhancement on mechanical and electrical effects for on-line fiber-optic bending loss measurement

For an automatic testing of the fiber bending loss parameter, we proposed an on-line fiber optic bending loss measurement system. Many impact factors from the supporting systems, free space coupling alignment, external spatial perturbation device and the other automatic testing systems may degrade the on-line fiber-optic bending loss measurement system. We reduce those impact factors and show the mechanical and electrical improvement in this paper. The accuracy can be improved by 3–5 dB for the proposed on-line bending loss measurement system. Development of an on-line fiber-optic bending loss measurement system can provide a fast-checking solution for jump-line quality improvement on fiber-from-the-desk (FFTD) access network.     

The SN3–SN2 spectrum. Rate constants and product selectivities for solvolyses of benzenesulfonyl chlorides in aqueous alcohols

Rate constants for a wide range of binary aqueous mixtures and product selectivities (S) in ethanol–water (EW) and methanol–water (MW) mixtures, are reported at 25 °C for solvolyses of benzenesulfonyl chloride and the 4‐chloro‐derivative. S is defined as follows using molar concentrations: S = ([ester product]/[acid product]) × ([water solvent]/[alcohol solvent]). Additional selectivity data are reported for solvolyses of 4‐Z‐substituted sulfonyl chlorides (Z = OMe, Me, H, Cl and NO₂) in 2,2,2‐trifluoroethanol–water. To explain these results and previously published data on kinetic solvent isotope effects (KSIEs) and on other solvolyses of 4‐nitro and 4‐methoxybenzenesulfonyl chloride, a mechanistic spectrum involving a change from third order to second order is proposed. The molecularity of these reactions is discussed, along with new term ‘S_N3–S_N2 spectrum’ and its connection with the better established term ‘S_N2–S_N1 spectrum’. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Might Dark Matter and Energy be Intrinsic Properties of?Space?

It is shown that if a volume element V, of space is assumed to have intrinsic energy E, then basic principles of mechanics, thermodynamics and special relativity lead to the equation of state: E=pV, where p is the pressure. When this equation of state is incorporated in the Einstein equations it leads to the prediction that the orbital speed of matter circling a visible galaxy embedded in a spherical galactic halo should be relativistic, in disagreement with observations. However, it also leads directly to the interesting notion that the inertial mass of such a medium can be understood as a resistance to being compressed via Lorentz contraction. It is then shown that the mathematical structure of thermodynamics suggests another plausible definition of pressure if we allow for the possibility that the intrinsic energy of spacetime may not be described by the same work-energy relationship as ordinary matter. This additional possibility leads to the equation of state: E=−pV. While both of these equations of state describe forms of energy that are quite unlike ordinary energy, neither alone is able to account for observed rotational velocity curves of matter orbiting visible galaxies. Therefore, the possibility that space has two distinct components of energy is investigated. This results in a plausible, two-component equation of state in which the former equation of state is tentatively identified as the “dark matter” (DM) component, the latter as the “dark energy” (DE) component. The effective equation of state of space, accounting for the presence of both components, may then be written in the form: p=w ε, where ε is the total energy density, p the total pressure, and w represents the fractional excess of DM over DE (and therefore satisfies: −1≤w≤+1). Given the wide range of possible spacetime properties implied by this equation it appears to be a viable candidate for explaining observations presently attributed to the presence of both DM and DE. Specifically, the static, spherically symmetric solution of Einstein’s field equations, neglecting effects of ordinary matter, predicts the inverse r ² distribution of intrinsic space energy required to explain observed constant rotational velocity curves for matter in circular orbits around visible galaxies embedded within spherically symmetric galactic halos. The proposed equation of state is also capable of describing regions of space undergoing accelerated expansion as regions where DE is dominant (i.e., w<−1/3).     

直线阵光学综合孔径成像中的子孔径尺寸效应

光学综合孔径阵列中的子孔径的位置和直径的大小对成像质量有着重要的影响。详细分析了几种不同优化排列的光学综合孔径直线阵列的无像差点扩展函数、光学传递函数和衍射成像特性．结果表明,子孔径的位置不同．光学传递函数的空间频率覆盖有很大的差异。增大子孔径的直径可以增大空间频率覆盖程度．但子孔径直径过大时义会产生空间频率冗余度和增加制造成本。直线阵光学综合孔径的衍射成像是多重像,子孔径直径的增大还可以减小重影的程度,提高成像质量。结果说明,在进行光学综合孔径阵列优化排列时必须考虑子孔径的直径大小这个重耍的因素。     

无箔二极管强流电子束空间密度分布初步研究

通过在强磁场条件下,利用环形刀口石墨阴极(刀口尺寸38~39mm)开展电子束轰击收集极内表面铜箔和垂直轰击金属靶片实验,对无箔二极管中电子束的空间密度分布进行了初步研究,并对其产生原因进行了分析。研究结果表明,电子束径向分布在37.2~40.2mm,存在密度较高区域(38.8~39.4mm)和密度最大值点(39.2mm),且均偏向于阴极外侧。无箔二极管环形阴极爆炸发射产生电子束的径向密度分布可用偏态分布近似。