Digital Commons Network^™

A Detailed Analysis Of Dynamic Robotic Simulation, Lonnie J. Love

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Future space missions may require the utilization of automation technology for assembly, maintenance, repair, and a variety of repetitive or hazardous operations. Many tasks which are likely candidates for robotic or telerobotic execution are either difficult or impossible to duplicate in the laboratory. With an accurate simulation package, many of these tasks can be evaluated by computer simulation before committing the resources required for laboratory experimentation. With this motivation, the ROBSIM robot simulation software has been developed by NASA Langley Research Center in conjunction with the Martin Marietta Corporation. ROBSIM is a versatile tool with features including the ability to …

Boundary Value Problems In Elasticity And Thermoelasticity, Stuart Davidson

Mathematics & Statistics Theses & Dissertations

In this dissertation the author solves a series of mixed boundary value problems arising from crack problems in elasticity and thermoelasticity. Using integral transform techniques and separation of variables appropriately, it is shown that the solutions can be found by solving a corresponding set of triple or dual integral equations in some instances, while in others the solutions of triple or dual series relations are required. These in turn reduce to various singular integral equations which are solved in closed form, in two cases, or by numerical methods. The stress intensity factors at the crack tips, the physical parameters of …

Experimental Studies Of Bulk Optically Controlled Gaas Switches Utilizing Fast Infrared Quenching, Michael S. Mazzola

Electrical & Computer Engineering Theses & Dissertations

This dissertation describes some of the properties of copper-compensated, silicon-doped GaAs (Cu:Si:GaAs) with the purpose of demonstrating the feasibility of the Bulk Optically Controlled Switch (BOSS) concept. The BOSS concept involves the excitation of electrons or holes from selected deep centers in the band gap of a bulk Cu:Si:GaAs photoconductor. The conductivity of the Cu:Si:GaAs crystal can be increased or decreased on command by irradiating the crystal with laser light of different wavelengths in the infrared. Photoconductivities as large as 1 (Ω cm^)-1 were measured to persist for microseconds after illumination by a 7 ns laser pulse with wavelength …

The Reaction Of Organoboranes With N-Chloro-N-Sodiocarbamates: A Convenient Synthesis Of N-Alkylcarbamates, Nanette M. Wachter-Jurcsak

Chemistry & Biochemistry Theses & Dissertations

N-alkylcarbamic acid esters are used extensively as fungicides, herbicides and pesticides. Industrial methods of preparation employ highly toxic reagents in their synthesis. Convenient and safe alternative methods are necessary.

Organoboranes are electrophilic compounds which can be employed as a source of alkyl substituents. They have been shown to successfully transfer alkyl groups to the nitrogen of chloramines. N-Alkylation of carbamic acid esters by reacting the corresponding N-chloro-N-sodiocarbamate with a variety of trialkylboranes is described. The yields of the various N-substituted products are discussed.

Two synthetic methods were devised. Originally, an equivalent of the isolated N-chlorocarbamate salt was added to the …

An Analysis Of External Features As Predictors Of Reproductive Status In Small Mammals, Kenneth Wayne Mccravy

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

Reproductive status in specimens of nine populations of seven species of small mammals was evaluated by examining the external reproductive features of nipple size, condition of the pubic symphysis, and vaginal condition and, in males, testis position. Usefulness of these external features in predicting true monthly breeding rates was evaluated by comparing predictions of breeding rates with true rates based on necropsy. Accuracy of predictions of reproductive status of individuals based on single external features and combinations of external features and body measurements was then analyzed at a finer level by comparing those predictions with results of necropsy of the …

Survey Of Virginia Dental Practices To Determine Compliance With The Standards Of Risk Management Theory, Joanne Schade Boyce

Dental Hygiene Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this survey was to determine selected areas of risk in dental practices within the Commonwealth of Virginia. A self-designed, 51 item questionnaire was sent to a random sample of 300 Virginia dentists to examine their risk management procedures in: (1) the medical record and related documentation, (2) infection control, (3) identification and classification of periodontally involved patients, (4) obtaining informed consent, and (5) emergency protocols. Data from 62% of the dentists were analyzed via the chi-square goodness of fit test, frequency and percentage of responses. Results suggest that Virginia dental practitioners are practicing some of the recommended …

Eigensensitivity Analysis For Space Structures With Applications In Design Optimization, Sean Patrick Kenny

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Eigensensitivity analysis is concerned with the rates of changes of eigenvalues and eigenvectors with respect to design variables. Eigensolutions of space structures are found to display four distinct characteristics, three of which are related to various types of repeated eigenvalues. This study will address three cases of the real symmetric structural eigenvalue problem. The three cases that will be considered are: distinct eigenvalues, repeated eigenvalues with distinct first eigenvalue derivatives, and repeated eigenvalues with infinitely repeating eigenvalue derivatives. Analytic formulations for eigenvalue/ vector derivatives will be presented for each of the three cases. The directional differentiability of eigenvalues for the …

A Pulse Gas Chromatographic Method For Determining The Dispersion And Surface Area Of Co Oxidation Catalysts, Susan Kay Ohorodnik

Chemistry & Biochemistry Theses & Dissertations

Catalysts composed of platinum and/or palladium on tin(IV) oxide supports with or without silica gel have been developed for the recombination of carbon monoxide and oxygen to form carbon dioxide for use in carbon dioxide lasers. A pulse gas chromatographic method has been developed to measure the chemisorption properties of the catalysts. From the chemisorption measurements, the active surface area and dispersion of the catalysts have been determined.

A Comparison Of Metals In Several Ahermatypic Corals And Surficial Sediments: Mobile Pinnacles And Hoffa Reef, Northcentral Gulf Of Mexico, Kathryn M. Conko

OES Theses and Dissertations

Metal concentrations in marine sediment and carbonate secreting invertebrates are representative of surrounding environmental chemistry. Aluminum, Ba Ca, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mg, Mn, Ni, Pb, Sr, and Zn were measured in carbonate and terrigenous phases of the $<$63 um fraction of sediment samples from two locations in the northcentral Gulf of Mexico. Enrichment factors indicate that Al, Ba, Cu, Cr, Mg, Mn, and Ni are all slightly depleted in these sediments relative to crustal abundances. Discriminant function analyses shows that the concentrations of five elements differ between locations.

Ahermatypic coral (106 specimens) from five genera collected from the study sites were analyzed for Cd, Cu, Cr, Pb, Zn, Mn, Sr, Ba, Fe, Ca and Mg. Eight elements vary between some genera, Al and Ba also vary in concentration in corals between either location. All elements except Sr are significantly depleted in the coral with respect to Ca in the …

Evaluation Of The Function Exp (X2) Erfc (X) To Higher Precisions For Higher-Order Derivative Polarography Of Ce-Type Electrode Process, Myung-Hoon Kim, Veriti P. Smith, Tae-Kee Hong

Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Publications

The function exp(x2)erfc(x), which is often encountered in studies of electrode kinetics, is evaluated to an extended precision with 32 significant decimal digits in order to find theoretical relationships used in derivative polarography/voltammetry for a chemically-coupled electrode process. Computations with a lower precision are not successful. Evaluation of the function is accomplished by using three types of expansions for the function. Best ranges of arguments are selected for each equation for particular precisions for efficiencies. The method is successfully applied to calculate higher-order derivatives of the current-potential curves in all potential ranges for a reversible electron transfer reaction coupled with …

Construction Of The Best Monotone Approximation On Lp [0, 1], J. J. Swetits, S. E. Weinstein

Mathematics & Statistics Faculty Publications

(First paragraph) For 1 ≤ p < ∞, let L_p, denote the Banach space of pth power Lebesgue integrable functions on [0, l] ∥ƒ∥_p = (∫¹₀∣ƒ∣ ^p)^1/p Let M_p denote the set of nondecreasing functions in L_p. For l < p < ∞ , each ƒ∊L_p has a unique best approximation from M_p, while, for p = 1, existence of a best approximation from M₁ follows from Proposition 4 of [6].

A Model Of Dc Glow Discharges With Abnormal Cathode Fall, Karl H. Schoenbach, Hao Chen, G. Schaefer

Bioelectrics Publications

A model for an abnormal glow discharge, including a self‐consistent analysis of the cathode fall, was developed. It combines microscopic particle simulation by means of Monte Carlo methods with a fluid model of the gas discharge. The model allows calculations of the steady‐state electrical field distribution, the charged‐particle densities, and the current densities along the axis of the discharge. The model was used to simulate a glow discharge in 80% He and 20% SF₆ at a pressure of 8 Torr with a current density of 1 A/cm². The computed discharge voltage agrees well with measured values. The …

Pipelining Data Compression Algorithms, R. L. Bailey, R. Mukkamala

Computer Science Faculty Publications

Many different data compression techniques currently exist. Each has its own advantages and disadvantages. Combining (pipelining) multiple data compression techniques could achieve better compression rates than is possible with either technique individually. This paper proposes a pipelining technique and investigates the characteristics of two example pipelining algorithms. Their performance is compared with other well-known compression techniques.

Efficient Schemes To Evaluate Transaction Performance In Distributed Database Systems, R. Mukkamala, S. C. Bruell

Computer Science Faculty Publications

Database designers and researchers often need efficient schemes to evaluate transaction performance. In this paper, we chose two important performance measures: the average number of nodes accessed and the average number of data items accessed per node by a transaction in a distributed database system. We derive analytical expressions to evaluate these metrics. For general applicability, we consider partially replicated distributed database systems. Our first set of analytic results are closed-form expressions for these two measures. These are based on some fairly restrictive simplifying assumptions. When these assumptions are relaxed, no closed-form expressions exist for these averages. Hence, we develop …

A Characterization Of The Solution Of A Fredholm Integral Equation With L∞ Forcing Term, Hideaki Kaneko, Richard Noren, Yuesheng Xu

Mathematics & Statistics Faculty Publications

In this paper we investigate the regularity properties of the Fredholm equation (Formula Presented) . The kernel is the product of the smooth function k and the singular function gα (Formula Presented). The forcing function f is in L∞. We obtain a decomposition of the solution as the sum of two functions—one with a discontinuity reflecting that of the forcing function—and the other a regular function. Our results extend those of C. Schneider [6], who assumes a condition that is stronger than f ∈ C[a, b] ∩ C^m(a,b) (for some integer m). © 1990 …

Teaching Literature In The 1990'S: Meeting The Challenge, Nancy Topping Bazin

English Faculty Publications

English teachers are currently beset by a variety of political forces vying for their attention. Education has become big news again for the first time since October 4, 1957, when the Soviet Union inaugurated the Space Age by launching Sputnik, the first man-made satellite. In 1957, astonished at the Russians' success, Americans panicked and decided that their math science, and foreign language training was inadequate. Recent survey~ showing the superiority of Japanese and European students over American students have provoked serious concern about the quality of education going on in American public schools and in our colleges and universities. The …

The American Influence On The Mindanao Resistance During The Second World War, Michael Anthony Balis

History Theses & Dissertations

This thesis examines the American participation in the development of resistance against the Japanese on Mindanao Island in the Philippines, 1942-1945. Americans directed the overall resistance movement and commanded most of the provinces. As leaders Americans played a key role in the evolution of the resistance from an independent guerrilla force to a partisan force that gave U.S. forces combat and intelligence assistance. The most important information for the thesis came from the MacArthur Archives, the Hayden Papers at the University of Michigan, the U.S. Army Military History Institute at Carlisle Barracks, and correspondence with 14 men who served with …

Freshwater Transport On The Continental Shelf Of The Southeastern United States, Cheolsoo Kim

OES Theses and Dissertations

The circulation of water over the shelf of the southeastern United States was examined during the Fall Removal Experiment from late October to early November 1987. A steady state, two-dimensional analytical model of wind and density driven flow was used to study the relative importance of driving forces in shelf circulation, fate of freshwater and cross-shelf exchange processes. The inner and middle shelf mean circulation was found to be driven by four major components: (1) longshore wind, (2) longshore pressure gradient, (3) onshore wind and (4) cross-shelf density gradient including freshwater influx. Wind stress was the primary driving force for …

The Effects Of Variable Parameters On The Behavior Of Initial Wind Waves, Glen Harvey Wheless

OES Theses and Dissertations

The generation mechanism of short wind waves is generally thought to be a viscous instability at the air-sea interface. The short, regular waves arising from a sudden wind on a still water surface have a dispersion relation which is characteristic of gravity-capillary waves. The effects of variable surface tension, viscosity and shear flow parameters on the behavior of these waves were studied.

A numerical hydrodynamic stability analysis of a coupled laminar shear flow was accomplished by integrating a transformed version of the Orr-Sommerfeld equation, subject to the boundary conditions at a two-fluid interface. Unbounded growth problems usually encountered in a …

An Extension Of Essentially Non-Oscillatory Shock-Capturing Schemes To Multi-Dimensional Systems Of Conservation Laws, Jay Casper

Mathematics & Statistics Theses & Dissertations

In recent years, a class of numerical schemes for solving hyperbolic partial differential equations has been developed which generalizes the first-order method of Godunov to arbitrary order of accuracy. High-order accuracy is obtained, wherever the solution is smooth, by an essentially non-oscillatory (ENO) piecewise polynomial reconstruction procedure, which yields high-order pointwise information from the cell averages of the solution at a given point in time. When applied to piecewise smooth initial data, this reconstruction enables a flux computation that provides a time update of the solution which is of high-order accuracy, wherever the function is smooth, and avoids a Gibbs …

Performance Improvements For Fddi And Csma/Cd Protocols, David Earl Game

Computer Science Theses & Dissertations

The High-Performance Computing Initiative from the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy has defined 20 major challenges in science and engineering which are dependent on the solutions to a number of high-performance computing problems. One of the major areas of focus of this initiative is the development of gigabit rate networks to be used in environments such as the space station or a National Research and Educational Network (NREN).

The strategy here is to use existing network designs as building blocks for achieving higher rates, with the ultimate goal being a gigabit rate network. Two strategies which contribute …

A Study To Determine The Effects Of Lengthy Space Exposure On Tomato Seeds And Plants, Daniel Robert Smith

OTS Master's Level Projects & Papers

Through the analysis of the data collected from the identical planting techniques of the flight seeds verses the control seeds, the following hypothesis was considered: H1-the tomato seeds of the SEEDS program will produce genetically altered mutant plants.

Fecundity Of Blue Crab, Callinectes Sapidus, In Chesapeake Bay: Biological, Statistical And Management Considerations, Michael H. Prager, John R. Mcconaugha, Cynthia M. Jones, Patrick J. Geer

OES Faculty Publications

Ovigerous blue crabs were collected from the mouth of Chesapeake Bay during the 1986 and 1987 spawning seasons. Mean carapace width was 14.7 cm; mean fecundity was 3.2×106 eggs. Fecundity was significantly related to carapace width, and did not vary significantly with developmental stage of the eggs. Mean fecundities were 2.6×106 eggs in 1986, and 4.0×106 eggs in 1987. An additive model with year and size effects described the observed fecundities reasonably well, was compact, and was easier to interpret than a multiplicative model. To fit a more general model without year effects, the authors took the mean of 1986 …

Estimates Of Spawning Stock Size Of Blue Crab, Callinectes Sapidus, In Chesapeake Bay, 1986-1987, Cynthia M. Jones, John R. Mcconaugha, Patrick J. Geer, Michael H. Prager

OES Faculty Publications

The 1986 spawning stock exhibited a single abundance peak, increasing from 1.0×105 individuals in early July to 9.3×106 in late July, maintaining high levels throughout the summer, and declining in the fall to 7.4×105 individuals. The 1987 spawning stock showed 2 peaks of abundance. The population reached the lesser peak, 1.0×106 individuals, in late July; the greater peak, 1.5×106, in late August. By late September, the population had declined to 6.5×105 individuals. The peak abundance of the 1987 female spawning stock was only 16% as great as the peak abundance in 1986; the 1987 spawning stock size in 1986. Variability …

Measurement Of Magnetic Fluctuations By O-X Mode Conversion, L. L. Vahala, G. Vahala, N. Bretz

Electrical & Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

The possibility of measuring magnetic fluctuations in a fusion plasma is considered by examining the O→X mode conversion. Under certain conditions and with good angular resolution, this mode conversion can be attributed to the presence of magnetic fluctuations even though the level of these fluctuations is much lower than that of density fluctuations. Some nonideal effects such as mode polarization mismatch at the plasma edge are also discussed.

Application Of The Results Of Carbon Pellet Modeling To The Problem Of Plasma Penetration, L. L. Vahala, A. G. El Cashlan, G. A. Gerdin, P. B. Parks

Electrical & Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

The assumptions of the evaporation model for low-Z pellets interacting with magnetic fusion plasmas developed by Parks are tested. These assumptions are that the vapor density profile in the region adjacent to the pellet surface falls off with radial distance as r^-α , where 5 <α<6, and that the ionization time for the transition between charge states ז_f (i.e., for r < ~3 sonic radii). The first assumption is tested by solving a two-parameter eigenvalue problem for the evaporation cloud in the region interior to the sonic radius; the results are found to be consistent with the low-Z evaporation model. The second assumption, that ז_zi «ז_f, is tested at the sonic radius using the results from atomic physics and the low-Z evaporation model. It is found that indeed ז_zi «ז_f for plasmas with parameters close to thermonuclear conditions (e.g. CIT), but not for those of smaller Tokamaks such as …

Best Quasi-Convex Uniform Approximation, S. E. Weinstein, Yuesheng Xu

Mathematics & Statistics Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Wings And Perfect Graphs, Stephan Olariu

Computer Science Faculty Publications

An edge uv of a graph G is called a wing if there exists a chordless path with vertices u, v, x, y and edges uv, vx, xy. The wing-graph W(G) of a graph G is a graph having the same vertex set as G; uv is an edge in W(G) if and only if uv is a wing in G. A graph G is saturated if G is isomorphic to W(G). A star-cutset in a graph G is a non-empty set of …

Middle Eocene Foraminifera From The Piney Point Formation Of The Virginia And Maryland Coastal Plain, Megan S. Jones

OES Theses and Dissertations

This study examines the foraminiferal fauna, both benthic and planktonic, of the outcropping (45 samples) and subsurface (31 samples) middle Eocene Piney Point Formation in Virginia and Maryland. The primary objective of this study is to further refine the depositional history of the Salisbury Embayment which is represented by the middle Eocene Piney Point Formation. Ninety-six species of benthic and planktonic foraminifera were identified in this study. Of these, several are characteristic of the middle Eocene: Asterigerina texana, Hanzawaia danvillensis, Ceratobulimina exima, Cibicides westi, Chiloguembelitria columbiana, C. stavensis, Testacarinata inconspicua and Pseudohastigerina wilcoxensislmicra. While these were relatively abundant, diagnostic middle …

Academic Improvement Of Education For Employment Students At Churchland Junior High School After Their First Year Of Enrollment, Alvin L. Mayo

OTS Master's Level Projects & Papers

The objectives of the research were: 1. To determine improvement in the students' overall academic proficiency; 2. To determine improvement in the students' English proficiency; 3. To determine improvement in the students' Mathematic proficiency.