University of Leicester Open Journals
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A1 1 Without a Parachute
No full textAmerican Skydiver Luke Aikin nearly had his world record attempt cancelled over safety concerns. He eventually jumped from a plane without a parachute as planned, landing safely in a net. This paper will evaluate the safety concerns, showing that the approximate 12 kg of weight from the parachute would have added nearly 30% to the stopping force, a significant margin that could have led to disastrous, and fatal, consequences
A4 1 Auroras at the Equator
No full textThis paper discusses the required strength of a geomagnetic storm to induce a visible aurora at the equator, evaluating it via the difference between the magnetic reconnection rate on the dayside (using a value of ∼ 150 kV) and the nightside of the Earth. The nightside reconnection rate is quantified by the Sym-H index, a measure of the magnetic perturbation due to the ring current. We report that although feasible, such an event would be comparable to the Carrington Event (HSYM = −1750 nT) [5], if not more devastating, requiring a Sym-H value of at least −1720 nT
A1 3 Chaos of Meteorology
No full textIn this paper, we investigated the effects of the initial parameters of a system being altered andthe resulting behaviour of the Lorenz system; a scientific model in chaos theory. The simulationwas performed using two values of σ, 5.06 and 0.506, with fixed values of β = 83 and ρ = 28.The subsequent graphs show the difference in σ, with the larger value showing more chaoticcharacteristics; having pronounced oscillations and repeated loops spiralling, whilst the smallervalue followed a simple, predictable path. These results proved that a small change can have anenormous effect in a chaotic system
A3 4 Pripyat in my Pocket - Thoriated Tungsten
No full textIn this very short paper we discuss just how radioactive thoriated tungsten is and calculate the dose rate for the millions of people worldwide keeping it in the pockets of their overalls. We discover that it doesn't quite compare to the irradiated town of Pripyat but further questions do become apparent
A1 7 Before and After-oid Impact
No full textAs an alternative method of redirecting the asteroid in the film Armageddon, we looked into the technique used by the DART mission; momentum transfer through a kinetic impactor. Through orbital trajectory simulations, we find that when applied to this scenario, a kinetic impactor of the same relative size as DART and its asteroid would need to have a mass of ∼ 1.6 × 1014 kg and travel at a velocity of over 1960 km/s in order to avert catastrophe
Exploring the Therapeutic Potential of Phoenix Tears in the Wizarding World.
No full textThis paper explores phoenix tears' therapeutic potential in the wizarding world, focusing on their antidotal effects against basilisk venom. Through J.K. Rowling's portrayal in Harry Potter, we uncover their regenerative properties. We investigate basilisk venom's impact and bridge fantasy with real-life biology. Examining phoenix tears' restorative abilities and potential real-world applications, this study merges wizarding science with medical research. Join us as we unravel the mysteries of phoenix tears and their therapeutic implications
Invisible Gates Made Visible in Trinidad and Tobago: Projected and Sanctified Violence by the Liberal State upon Illegal immigrants and Refugees
No full textOver the past decade, illegal immigrants from other countries, especially those from Venezuela, to the Anglophone Caribbean territories such as Trinidad and Tobago have increased (Chaves-Gonzalez and Echeverria-Estrada 2020: 1). The extent of this illegal immigration to this country is clearly illuminated in the statistics provided. Trinidad and Tobago as of May 2023 received 35.3 thousand Venezuelan illegal immigrants (IOM Global Crisis Response Platform 2022). With the concern to protect national and economic interests, the debate on securing the rights and privileges of illegal immigrants in this Trinidad and Tobago, has been increasingly pushed to the forefront. So, too, has the discussion on the relationship between those prejudicial migration policies and the form of sanctified violence inflicted on these illegal migrants
P2 1 Sonic the Hedgehog: the Physics behind the fastest creature alive
No full textIn this report, we examine the drag forces acting upon Sonic the Hedgehog while running at Mach1 (343 ms^−1). By assuming Sonic is a cylindrical object with a surface area of 1.2 m^2, a drag forceof 36 kN and energy consumption rate of 12 MJ s−1 was found. Our findings suggest that suchvelocities would cause significant environmental impacts, including ground deformation and shockwaves, highlighting the real-world limitations he would face
P4 5 33 Gigawatts to Oblivion: The Explosion That Changed Nuclear History
No full textReactor 4 at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant experienced a catastrophic power surge on April 26, 1986, caused by a sudden reactivity increase due to the graphite tips of control rods, a positive void coefficient, and steam generation. This paper models the exponential power escalation using point kinetics, finding that the reactor's power surged from 200 MW to over 33 GW in just 4 seconds and would have reached approximately 70 TW within 10 seconds. The analysis highlights the reactor's design flaws and the rapid dynamics of the runaway reaction
A5 8 If you liked it, you should have put a Neptune on it
No full textNeptune experiences pressure sufficient to produce diamonds and this would occur in the layer ofNeptune called the icy layer. The distance travelled by the carbon atoms, from the boundary ofthe atmosphere and the icy layer to form a diamond is found to be 4329 km. The mass of diamondsthat could be formed in the entire planet was calculated to be 4.07 × 1023 kg. If this amount ofdiamond was sold on Earth, it would approximately cost £6.12 × 103