Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Performance Of The Upgraded Ultracold Neutron Source At Los Alamos National Laboratory And Its Implication For A Possible Neutron Electric Dipole Moment Experiment, Takeyasu M. Ito, Evan R. Adamek, Nathan B. Callahan, J. H. Choi, Stephen M. Clayton, Chris Cude-Woods, Scott Currie, Xinjian Ding, D. E. Fellers, Peter Geltenbort, Steve K. Lamoreaux, C. Y. Liu, S. Macdonald, Mark Makela, Charles L. Morris, Robert W. Pattie Jr., John Clinton Ramsey, Daniel J. Salvat, Andy Saunders, Edward I. Sharapov, S. Sjue, A. P. Sprow, Zebo Tang, H. L. Weaver, Wanchun Wei, Andrew R. Young

Robert W. Pattie Jr.

3d Virtual Worlds And The Metaverse: Current Status And Future Possibilities, John David N. Dionisio, William G. Burns Iii, Richard Gilbert

John David N. Dionisio

Moving from a set of independent virtual worlds to an integrated network of 3D virtual worlds or Metaverse rests on progress in four areas: immersive realism, ubiquity of access and identity, interoperability, and scalability. For each area, the current status and needed developments in order to achieve a functional Metaverse are described. Factors that support the formation of a viable Metaverse, such as institutional and popular interest and ongoing improvements in hardware performance, and factors that constrain the achievement of this goal, including limits in computational methods and unrealized collaboration among virtual world stakeholders and developers, are also considered.

A Comparison Of Student Perceptions To Actual Performance In Chemistry, Ross Hudson

Dr Ross Hudson

This research was part of a larger study into student performance in senior chemistry with regard to question type and content. This paper examines student perceptions about question type and context and compares these perceptions to actual performance. How students perceive different types of questions and how it influences their self-belief and motivation were the focus of this study. Student responses to different styles or types of questions have been well researched over time. In this study Year 11 chemistry students were quizzed about their preferences to Multiple-Choice questions and Open Response question types and how the presence of each …

Joint Map Registration And High Resolution Image Estimation Using A Sequence Of Undersampled Images, Russell C. Hardie, Kenneth J. Barnard, Ernest E. Armstrong

Russell C. Hardie

n many imaging systems, the detector array is not sufficiently dense to adequately sample the scene with the desired field of view. This is particularly true for many infrared focal plane arrays. Thus, the resulting images may be severely aliased. This paper examines a technique for estimating a high-resolution image, with reduced aliasing, from a sequence of undersampled frames. Several approaches to this problem have been investigated previously. However, in this paper a maximum a posteriori (MAP) framework for jointly estimating image registration parameters and the high-resolution image is presented. Several previous approaches have relied on knowing the registration parameters …

High Performance Pure Sulfur Honeycomb-Like Architectures Synthesized By A Cooperative Self-Assembly Strategy For Lithium Sulfur Batteries, Xin Liang, Mohammad Kaiser, Konstantin Konstantinov, Richard Tandiono, Zhaoxiang Prof Zhaoxiang Wang, Hua-Kun Liu, S X. Dou, Jiazhao Wang

Shi Xue Dou

Honeycomb-like pure sulfur architectures were synthesized by a cooperative self-assembly strategy, in which a soft template is used to form the porous structure. Their electrochemical performance is significantly improved comparing with the commercial sulfur powder and the as-prepared sulfur without honeycomb morphology. There has been no report on using a soft template to prepare honeycomb-like sulfur particles.

Thermoelectric Performance Of N-Type (Pbte)0.75(Pbs)0.15(Pbse)0.1 Composites, Sima Aminorroaya Yamini, Heng Wang, Dianta Ginting, David R. G Mitchell, S X. Dou, G. Jeffrey Snyder

Shi Xue Dou

Lead chalcogenides (PbQ, Q = Te, Se, S) have proved to possess high thermoelectric efficiency for both n-type and p-type compounds. Recent success in tuning of electronic band structure, including manipulating the band gap, multiple bands, or introducing resonant states, has led to a significant improvement in the thermoelectric performance of p-type lead chalcogenides compared to the n-type ones. Here, the n-type quaternary composites of (PbTe)0.75(PbS)0.15(PbSe)0.1 are studied to evaluate the effects of nanostructuring on lattice thermal conductivity, carrier mobility, and effective mass variation. The results are compared with the similar ternary systems of (PbTe)1-x(PbSe)x, (PbSe) 1-x(PbS)x, and (PbS)1-x(PbTe)x. The …

Thermoelectric Performance Of Tellurium-Reduced Quaternary P-Type Lead-Chalcogenide Composites, Sima Aminorroaya Yamini, Heng Wang, Zachary M. Gibbs, Yanzhong Pei, David R. G Mitchell, S X. Dou, G. Jeffrey Snyder

Shi Xue Dou

A long-standing technological challenge to the widespread application of thermoelectric generators is obtaining high-performance thermoelectric materials from abundant elements. Intensive study on PbTe alloys has resulted in a high figure of merit for the single-phase ternary PbTe-PbSe system through band structure engineering, and the low thermal conductivity achieved due to nanostructuring leads to high thermoelectric performance for ternary PbTe-PbS compounds. Recently, the single-phase p-type quaternary PbTe-PbSe-PbS alloys have been shown to provide thermoelectric performance superior to the binary and ternary lead chalcogenides. This occurs via tuning of the band structure and from an extraordinary low thermal conductivity resulting from high-contrast …

High-Performance Sodium-Ion Batteries And Sodium-Ion Pseudocapacitors Based On Mos2/Graphene Composites, Yunxiao Wang, Shulei Chou, David Wexler, Hua-Kun Liu, S X. Dou

Shi Xue Dou

Sodium-ion energy storage, including sodium-ion batteries (NIBs) and electrochemical capacitive storage (NICs), is considered as a promising alternative to lithium-ion energy storage. It is an intriguing prospect, especially for large-scale applications, owing to its low cost and abundance. MoS2 sodiation/desodiation with Na ions is based on the conversion reaction, which is not only able to deliver higher capacity than the intercalation reaction, but can also be applied in capacitive storage owing to its typically sloping charge/discharge curves. Here, NIBs and NICs based on a graphene composite (MoS2/G) were constructed. The enlarged d-spacing, a contribution of the graphene matrix, and the …

Ultra-High Performance, High-Temperature Superconducting Wires Via Cost-Effective, Scalable, Co-Evaporation Process, Ho-Sup Kim, Sang-Soo Oh, Hong-Soo Ha, Dojun Youm, Seung-Hyun Moon, Jung Ho Kim, S X. Dou, Yoon-Uk Heo, Sung-Hun Wee, Amit Goyal

Shi Xue Dou

Long-length, high-temperature superconducting (HTS) wires capable of carrying high critical current, Ic, are required for a wide range of applications. Here, we report extremely high performance HTS wires based on 5 μm thick SmBa2Cu3O7 − δ (SmBCO) single layer films on textured metallic templates. SmBCO layer wires over 20 meters long were deposited by a cost-effective, scalable co-evaporation process using a batch-type drum in a dual chamber. All deposition parameters influencing the composition, phase, and texture of the films were optimized via a unique combinatorial method that is broadly applicable for co-evaporation of other promising complex materials containing several cations. …

Aqueous Dispersions Of Reduced Graphene Oxide And Multi Wall Carbon Nanotubes For Enhanced Glucose Oxidase Bioelectrode Performance, Willo Grosse, Joffrey Champavert, Sanjeev Gambhir, Gordon G. Wallace, Simon E. Moulton

Gordon Wallace

Aqueous dispersions of reduced graphene oxide (rGO) and multi walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) were fabricated through a modified chemical reduction method. The significant advantage of the method developed here is the omission of any stabilising compound or organic solvent to obtain stable rGO-MWCNT dispersions. Significantly biological entities, in this case the enzyme glucose oxidase (GOx), can be successfully incorporated into the dispersion. These dispersions were characterised using XPS, SEM, zeta potential and particle size measurements which showed that the dispersion stability is not sacrificed with the addition of GOx, and significantly, the electrical properties of the rGO and MWCNTs are …

Evaluation Of Encapsulating Coatings On The Performance Of Polypyrrole Actuators, Sina Naficy, Nicholas Stoboi, Philip G. Whitten, Geoffrey M. Spinks, Gordon G. Wallace

Gordon Wallace

Conjugated polymer actuators are electroactive materials capable of generating force and movement in response to an applied external voltage. Many potential biomedical and industrial applications require these actuators to operate in a liquid environment. However, immersion of uncoated conducting polymer actuators in non-electrolyte liquids greatly reduces their operating lifetime. Here, we demonstrate the use of spray coating as an effective and simple method to encapsulate polypyrrole (PPy) tri-layer bending actuators. Poly(styrene-b-isobutylene-b-styrene) (SIBS) was used as an encapsulating, compliant spray coating on PPy actuators. A significant enhancement in actuator lifetime in both air and water was observed by encapsulating the actuators. …

Cation Exchange At Semiconducting Oxide Surfaces: Origin Of Light-Induced Performance Increases In Porphyrin Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells, Matthew J. Griffith, Kenji Sunahara, Akihiro Furube, Attila J. Mozer, David L. Officer, Pawel Wagner, Gordon G. Wallace, Shogo Mori

Gordon Wallace

The origin of simultaneous improvements in the short-circuit current density (Jsc) and open-circuit voltage (Voc) of porphyrin dye-sensitized TiO2 solar cells following white light illumination was studied by systematic variation of several different device parameters. Reduction of the dye surface loading resulted in greater relative performance enhancements, suggesting open space at the TiO2 surface expedites the process. Variation of the electrolyte composition and subsequent analysis of the conduction band potential shifts suggested that a light-induced replacement of surface-adsorbed lithium (Li+) ions with dimethylpropylimidazolium (DMPIm+) ions was responsible for an increased electron lifetime by decreasing the recombination with the redox mediator. …

A Facile Route To Synthesize Transition Metal Oxide/Reduced Graphene Oxide Composites And Their Lithium Storage Performance, Chongjun Zhao, Shulei Chou, Yunxiao Wang, Cuifeng Zhou, Hua-Kun Liu, S X. Dou

Shi Xue Dou

Transition metal oxide (Mn3O4, Fe2O3, Co3O4, and ZnO) and reduced graphene oxide (RGO) composites were successfully synthesized via a hydrothermal method using the direct reaction between the corresponding metal powder and graphene oxide (GO). In this process, the GO can be reduced by transition metal powder in water, and the nanosized metal oxide can be obtained, and homogeneously mixed with and wrapped by RGO to form a metal oxide/RGO composite at the same time. X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and scanning and transmission electron microscopy were used to characterize the as-prepared materials. The different experimental parameters, including reactants, …

Synergetic Combination Of Limd With Chpd For The Production Of Economical And High Performance Mgb2 Wires, Minoru Maeda, Md Shahriar Ai Hossain, Ashkan Motaman, Jung Ho Kim, Anna Kario, Matt Rindfleisch, Mike Tomsic, S X. Dou

Shi Xue Dou

We propose an economical fabrication concept, the localized internal magnesium diffusion (IMD) method. Instead of using a single magnesium (Mg) rod in the center of a metal sheath tube, we use large-sized Mg particles (20-50 mesh) mixed well with cheap 97% crystalline boron powder to fill the metal sheath tube. After a repeated drawing process, the coarse Mg is elongated along the core wire axis of the metal sheath tube. Textured MgB2 grains are then formed during the sintering process. In the localized IMD process, however, there is still a need to improve the overall density. In order to increase …

A Regression Model To Investigate The Performance Of Black-Scholes Using Macroeconomic Predictors, Timothy A. Smith, Ersoy Subasi, Aliraza M. Rattansi

Timothy Smith

Development And Performance Evaluation Of A Flexible, Low Cost Manet, Mehran Abolhasan, Brett Hagelstein, Jerry Chun-Ping Wang, D. Franklin, Farzad Safaei, Tadeusz A. Wysocki

Professor Farzad Safaei

Performance evaluations of multi-hop ad hoc network routing protocols have been primarily conducted through analytic and simulation-based studies, which frequently fail to accurately predict real-world performance and behaviour. One reason for this is the challenge in developing low cost, representative test beds with the degree of flexibility and mobility required. We have developed a Portable Wireless Ad hoc Node (PWAN) device which establishes multi-hop routes using the OLSR routing protocol. The PWAN’s performance has been investigated using two test bed configurations to evaluate its capacity under conditions of high node density in a short-range, multi-hop environment. Our results illustrate that …

Enhanced Performance Of Dye Sensitized Solar Cells Utilizing Platinum Electrodeposit Counter Electrodes, Attila J. Mozer, George Tsekouras, Gordon G. Wallace

Gordon Wallace

Enhanced performance was observed for dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) utilizing counter electrodes based on Pt electrodeposits compared to counter electrodes based on sputtered Pt. Scanning electron microscopy of Pt electrodeposits revealed that the use of an initial cathodic overpotential pulse followed by steady electrodeposition at a mild cathodic potential yielded ∼40nm particles, compared to ∼600nm particles when no such pulse was used. Cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) of electrode materials suggested that Pt electrodeposits would give enhanced performance as DSSC counter electrodes compared to sputtered Pt, and this was confirmed by device testing. EIS characterization of DSSCs under …

Performance Of The Los Alamos National Laboratory Spallation-Driven Solid-Deuterium Ultra-Cold Neutron Source, Andrew Saunders, Mark Makela, Yelena Bagdasarova, Henning O. Back, J. Boissevain, Leah J. Broussard, Thomas J. Bowles, R. Carr, Scott A. Currie, Bradley Filippone, A. García, Peter Geltenbort, Kevin P. Hickerson, R. E. Hill, J. Todd Hoagland, S. Hoedl, Anthony T. Holley, Gary E. Hogan, Takeyasu M. Ito, Steve Lamoreaux, Chen-Yu Liu, J. Liu, Russell R. Mammei, J. Martin, Dan Melconian, Michael P. Mendenhall, Charles L. Morris, R. N. Mortensen, Robert W. Pattie, Margaret Pitt, Bradley Plaster, John Ramsey, R. Rios, A. Sallaska, Susan J. Seestrom, E. I. Sharapov, Sky Sjue, Walter E. Sondheim, W. Teasdale, Andrew R. Young, Brittany Vorndick, Robert B. Vogelaar, Zhehui Wang, Yanping Xu

Robert W. Pattie Jr.

The Effect Of Incomplete Mixing Upon The Performance Of A Membrane-Coupled Anaerobic Fermentor, Ahmed Hussein Msmali, Mark I. Nelson, John M. Kavanagh

Associate Professor Mark Nelson

We consider a model to describe the performance of a membrane-coupled anaerobic fermentor which was developed and calibrated using experimental data by Kim and Chung (2010). The model consists of six differential equations, modelling the concentration of five biochemical species and the rate of gasification. In the original work it was assumed that reactor is well-mixed. We use a two parameter mixing model to investigate the effect of incomplete mixing upon the performance of this process. The parameters in the mixing mode are the size of the stagnant region and a parameter controlling the degree of mixing between the regions. …

Performance Evaluation Of Ethanol Production Through Continuous Fermentation, Harvinder S. Sidhu, John M. Kavanagh, Simon D. Watt, Mark I. Nelson

Associate Professor Mark Nelson

We investigate the production of ethanol through continuous fermentation using Saccharomyces cerevisiae in a single reactor and cascades of two or three reactors. We use path following methods to investigate how the ethanol yield varies with the residence time in each reactor configuration of the cascade. Yields currently obtained in industry using yeast are approximately 0.48. We find reactor designs where the product yield approaches the stoichiometric limit of 0.51. We also estimate the financial benefits that can be achieved in typical US ethanol plants through increasing the product yield from 0.48 to 0.51.

Space-Time-Frequency Code Implementation In Mb-Ofdm Uwb Communications: Design Criteria And Performance, Alfred Mertins, Le Chung Tran

Dr Le Chung Tran

This paper proposes a general framework of Space-Time-Frequency Codes (STFCs) for Multi-Band Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (MB-OFDM) Ultra-Wide Band (UWB) communications systems. A great similarity between the STFC MB-OFDM UWB systems and conventional wireless Complex Orthogonal Space-Time Block Code (CO STBC) Multiple-Input Multiple-Output (MIMO) systems is discovered. This allows us to quantify the pairwise error probability (PEP) of the proposed system and derive the general decoding method for the implemented STFCs. Based on the theoretical analysis results of PEP, we can further quantify the diversity order and coding gain of MB-OFDM UWB systems, and derive the design criteria for STFCs, …

Evaluating The Volatility Forecasting Performance Of Best Fitting Garch Models In Emerging Asian Stock Markets, Chaiwat Kosapattarapim, Yan-Xia Lin, Michael Mccrae

Associate Professor Yan-Xia Lin

While modeling the volatility of returns is essential for many areas of finance, it is well known that financial return series exhibit many non-normal characteristics that cannot be captured by the standard GARCH model with a normal error distribution. But which GARCH model and which error distribution to use is still open to question, especially where the model that best fits the in-sample data may not give the most effective out-of-sample volatility forecasting ability. Approach: In this study, six simulated studies in GARCH(p,q) with six different error distributions are carried out. In each case, we determine the best fitting GARCH …

An Assessment Tool For E-Government System Performance: A Citizen-Centric Model, Shatha A. Al-Haddad, Peter Hyland, Geoffrey Hubona

Associate Professor Peter Hyland

Governments worldwide have, increasingly, implemented e-government initiatives for their potential significant benefits; among which, delivering better services to citizens through increasing citizens' convenience, satisfaction, and independence; and saving their time, effort, and cost. Achieving each benefit is an objective to these governments and fulfilling each objective is considered a critical success factors. Hence, governments need to assess the extent to which they were able to obtain their preset goals. This study merely focuses on the citizens' perspective of the evaluation. However, the literature seems to lack studies that propose such a sufficient evaluation tool that has been reliably validated. Therefore, …

Development And Performance Analysis Of A Single Axis Linear Motor, Jeffrey W. Moscrop, Christopher David Cook, Fazel Naghdy

Christopher Cook

The ever-increasing demands placed on industrial machine tool manufacturers, for greater speeds and accuracies, are beginning to exceed the capabilities of current machine tool technologies. However, the ongoing revolution in computer, sensor and actuator technologies has introduced the potential of economically meeting these higher demands through new approaches in machine tool design. One actuator technology currently influencing high precision industrial automation is the linear motor. This paper details the development of a single axis linear motor test-bed, replicating one axis of a laser cutting machine tool. Through analysis of system stiffness and torque disturbances, the performance of the linear motor …

Decoupled-Dfig Fault Ride-Through Strategy For Enhanced Stability Performance During Grid Faults, Lasantha G. Meegahapola, Damian Flynn, Tim Littler

Dr Lasantha G Meegahapola

This paper proposes a decoupled fault ride-through strategy for a doubly fed induction generator (DFIG) to enhance network stability during grid disturbances. The decoupled operation proposes that a DFIG operates as an induction generator (IG) with the converter unit acting as a reactive power source during a fault condition. The transition power characteristics of the DFIG have been analyzed to derive the capability of the proposed strategy under various system conditions. The optimal crowbar resistance is obtained to exploit the maximum power capability from the DFIG during decoupled operation. The methods have been established to ensure proper coordination between the …

Prescriptive System For Performance Information Management System, Dr. Dipo Theophilus Akomolafe Mbcs, Mncs, Mcpn,, B A. Onyekwelu Mrs, Oniyide Bello

Dr. Dipo Theophilus Akomolafe MBCS, MNCS, MCPN,

Information can be briefly defined as processed data. Information is crucial to the success of any organization because it must be exchanged in one form or the other before activities can be carried out. However, too much information can be overwhelming and lead to poor decision-making. Further, as organizations face an ever-growing wave of digital data, they need to analyze that data and make timely decisions to achieve effective management .Formerly, information was viewed simply as a means of expression, they now serve as the foundation for an organization’s effectiveness and efficiency. Additionally, increased pressures to manage information appropriately, communicate …

Java Grande Forum Report: Making Java Work For High-End Computing, George K. Thiruvathukal

George K. Thiruvathukal

This document describes the Java Grande Forum and includes its initial deliverables.Theseare reports that convey a succinct set of recommendations from this forum to SunMicrosystems and other purveyors of Java™ technology that will enable GrandeApplications to be developed with the Java programming language.

Development And Performance Analysis Of A Single Axis Linear Motor, Jeffrey W. Moscrop, Christopher David Cook, Fazel Naghdy

Professor Fazel Naghdy

The ever-increasing demands placed on industrial machine tool manufacturers, for greater speeds and accuracies, are beginning to exceed the capabilities of current machine tool technologies. However, the ongoing revolution in computer, sensor and actuator technologies has introduced the potential of economically meeting these higher demands through new approaches in machine tool design. One actuator technology currently influencing high precision industrial automation is the linear motor. This paper details the development of a single axis linear motor test-bed, replicating one axis of a laser cutting machine tool. Through analysis of system stiffness and torque disturbances, the performance of the linear motor …

Model-Driven Performance Analysis, Gabriel A. Moreno, Paulo Merson

Gabriel A. Moreno

Model-Driven Engineering (MDE) is an approach to develop software systems by creating models and applying automated transformations to them to ultimately generate the implementation for a target platform. Although the main focus of MDE is on the generation of code, it is also necessary to support the analysis of the designs with respect to quality attributes such as performance. To complement the model-to-implementation path of MDE approaches, an MDE tool infrastructure should provide what we call model-driven analysis. This paper describes an approach to model-driven analysis based on reasoning frameworks. In particular, it describes a performance reasoning framework that can …

Predicting The Behavior Of A Highly Configurable Component Based Real-Time System, Gabriel A. Moreno, Scott A. Hissam, Daniel Plakosh, Isak Savo, Marcin Stelmarczyk

Gabriel A. Moreno

Software components and the technology supporting component based software engineering contribute greatly to the rapid development and configuration of systems for a variety of application domains. Such domains go beyond desktop office applications and information systems supporting e-commerce, but include systems having real-time performance requirements and critical functionality. Discussed in this paper are the results from an experiment that demonstrates the ability to predict deadline satisfaction of threads in a real-time system where the functionality performed is based on the configuration of the assembled software components. Presented is the method used to abstract the large, legacy code base of the …