4,756 research outputs found

    Stabilized.interrogation and multiplexing techniques for fibre Bragg grating vibration sensors

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    We demonstrated a simple interrogation system for multiplexed fibre Bragg grating (FBG) sensors in a high-frequency range. A tunable fibre Fabry-Perot (FFP) filter with narrow free spectral range (FSR) was used to simplify the multiplexing demodulator for FBG vibration sensors. A stabilization-controlling unit was also developed for the maintenance of maximum sensitivity of the sensors. In order to verify the performance of the stabilization control unit, we measured the sensitivity of the FBG sensor by changing environmental temperature, and the system showed an average sensitivity of 2.5 n epsilon(RMS) Hz(-1/2) for a stabilization-controlled case. Finally, multi-point vibration tests using in-line FBG sensors were conducted to validate the multiplexing performance of the FBG system.The authors would like to thank the Agency for Defense Development, Korea, for the financial support (Project Number: ADD-03-05-02)

    Robust Bang-Off-Bang Low-Thrust Guidance Using Model Predictive Static Programming

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    Model Predictive Static Programming (MPSP) has been always used under the assumption of continuous or impulsive control, but never in low-thrust transfers featuring bang-off-bang control. Following the observation that the sensitivity matrix (SM) is discontinuous across the switching time, this work introduces a two-loop MPSP guidance scheme using fuel-optimal trajectories as nominal solutions. In our method, the equations of motion are augmented by the mass costate equation, while the velocity costate is the MPSP control, expressed by a weighted sum of Fourier basis functions. The SM is computed at the switching time by using calculus of variations. Both the MPSP control and the initial mass costate are updated in an inner loop using Newton's method, and continuation is employed in an outer loop to face large perturbations. A sample interplanetary CubeSat mission to an asteroid is used as study case to illustrate the effectiveness and robustness of the method developed

    Yeast metabolism in fresh and frozen dough : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Food Technology at Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand

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    Author also known as SM LovedayFresh bakery products have a very short shelf life, which limits the extent to which manufacturing can be centralised. Frozen doughs are relatively stable and can be manufactured in large volumes, distributed and baked on-demand at the point of sale or consumption. With appropriate formulation and processing a shelf life of several months can be achieved.Shelf life is limited by a decline in proofing rate after thawing, which is attributed to a) the dough losing its ability to retain gas and b) insufficient gas production, i.e. yeast activity. The loss of shelf life is accelerated by delays between mixing and freezing, which allow yeast cells the chance to ferment carbohydrates.This work examined the reasons for insufficient gas production after thawing frozen dough and the effect of pre-freezing fermentation on shelf life. Literature data on yeast metabolite dynamics in fermenting dough were incomplete. In particular there were few data on the accumulation of ethanol, a major fermentation end product which can be injurious to yeast.Doughs were prepared in a domestic breadmaker using compressed yeast from a local manufacturer and analysed for glucose, fructose, sucrose, maltose and ethanol. Gas production after thawing declined within 48 hours of frozen storage. This was accelerated by 30 or 90 minutes of fermentation at 30;C prior to freezing.Sucrose was rapidly hydrolysed and yeast consumed glucose in preference to fructose. Maltose was not consumed while other sugars remained. Ethanol, accumulated from consumption of glucose and fructose, was produced in approximately equal amounts to CO2, indicating that yeast cells metabolised reductively.Glucose uptake in fermenting dough followed simple hyperbolic kinetics and fructose uptake was competitively inhibited by glucose. Mathematical modelling indicated that diffusion of sugars and ethanol in dough occurred quickly enough to eliminate solute gradients brought about by yeast metabolism

    Gravitational Waves as a Big Bang Thermometer

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    There is a guaranteed background of stochastic gravitational waves produced in the thermal plasma in the early universe. Its energy density per logarithmic frequency interval scales with the maximum temperature TmaxT_{\rm max} which the primordial plasma attained at the beginning of the standard hot big bang era. It peaks in the microwave range, at around 80GHz[106.75/gs(Tmax)]1/380\,{\rm GHz}\,[106.75/g_{*s}(T_{\rm max})]^{1/3}, where gs(Tmax)g_{*s}(T_{\rm max}) is the effective number of entropy degrees of freedom in the primordial plasma at TmaxT_{\rm max}. We present a state-of-the-art prediction of this Cosmic Gravitational Microwave Background (CGMB) for general models, and carry out calculations for the case of the Standard Model (SM) as well as for several of its extensions. On the side of minimal extensions we consider the Neutrino Minimal SM (ν\nuMSM) and the SM - Axion - Seesaw - Higgs portal inflation model (SMASH), which provide a complete and consistent cosmological history including inflation. As an example of a non-minimal extension of the SM we consider the Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model (MSSM). Furthermore, we discuss the current upper limits and the prospects to detect the CGMB in laboratory experiments and thus measure the maximum temperature and the effective number of degrees of freedom at the beginning of the hot big bang

    The Standard Model Higgs as the origin of the hot Big Bang

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    If the Standard Model (SM) Higgs is weakly coupled to the inflationary sector, the Higgs is expected to be universally in the form of a condensate towards the end of inflation. The Higgs decays rapidly after inflation – via non-perturbative effects – into an out-of-equilibrium distribution of SM species, which thermalize soon afterwards. If the post-inflationary equation of state of the universe is stiff, w≃+1 , the SM species eventually dominate the total energy budget. This provides a natural origin for the relativistic thermal plasma of SM species, required for the onset of the ‘hot Big Bang’ era. The viability of this scenario requires the inflationary Hubble scale H⁎ to be lower than the instability scale for Higgs vacuum decay, the Higgs not to generate too large curvature perturbations at cosmological scales, and the SM dominance to occur before Big Bang Nucleosynthesis. We show that successful reheating into the SM can only be obtained in the presence of a non-minimal coupling to gravity ξ≳1 , with a reheating temperature of TRH≳O(1010)ξ3/2(H⁎/1014 GeV)2 GeV .If the Standard Model (SM) Higgs is weakly coupled to the inflationary sector, the Higgs is expected to be universally in the form of a condensate towards the end of inflation. The Higgs decays rapidly after inflation - via non-perturbative effects - into an out-of-equilibrium distribution of SM species, which thermalize soon afterwards. If the post-inflationary equation of state of the universe is stiff, w+1w \simeq +1, the SM species eventually dominate the total energy budget. This provides a natural origin for the relativistic thermal plasma of SM species, required for the onset of the `hot Big Bang' era. The viability of this scenario requires the inflationary Hubble scale HH_* to be lower than the instability scale for Higgs vacuum decay, the Higgs not to generate too large curvature perturbations at cosmological scales, and the SM dominance to occur before Big Bang Nucleosynthesis. We show that successful reheating into the SM can only be obtained in the presence of a non-minimal coupling to gravity ξ1\xi \gtrsim 1, with a reheating temperature of TRHO(1010)ξ3/2(H/1014GeV)2 GeVT_{\rm RH} \gtrsim \mathcal{O}(10^{10})\xi^{3/2}(H_*/10^{14}{\rm GeV})^2~{\rm GeV}

    Converting SrI <sub>2</sub> :Eu <sup>2+</sup> into a near infrared scintillator by Sm <sup>2+</sup> co-doping

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    The luminescence and scintillation properties of SrI 2 single crystals doped with 5% Eu 2+ and 0.05%, 0.2% and 0.5% Sm 2+ are evaluated. X-ray excited and photoluminescence measurements show energy transfer from excited Eu 2+ ions to Sm 2+ ions. At a concentration of 0.5% Sm 2+ , the luminescence consists almost entirely of 740 nm emission from Sm 2+ 5d-4f transitions. Co-doping SrI 2 :5% Eu 2+ with Sm 2+ provides a novel method to bypass the self-absorption problem encountered in large SrI 2 :Eu 2+ crystals and, at the same time, provides a unique near-infrared emitting scintillator with a light yield of approximately 40,000 photons/MeV. Accepted Author ManuscriptRST/Fundamental Aspects of Materials and EnergyRST/Luminescence Material
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