Training Induced Positive Exchange Bias in NiFe/IrMn Bilayers

Positive exchange bias has been observed in the Ni$_{81}$Fe$_{19}$/Ir$_{20}$Mn$_{80}$ bilayer system via soft x-ray resonant magnetic scattering. After field cooling of the system through the blocking temperature of the antiferromagnet, an initial conventional negative exchange bias is removed after training i. e. successive magnetization reversals, resulting in a positive exchange bias for a temperature range down to 30 K below the blocking temperature (450 K). This new manifestation of magnetic training is discussed in terms of metastable magnetic disorder at the magnetically frustrated interface during magnetization reversal.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figure

Cryogenic fluid management experiment

The cryogenic fluid management experiment (CFME), designed to characterize subcritical liquid hydrogen storage and expulsion in the low-q space environment, is discussed. The experiment utilizes a fine mesh screen fluid management device to accomplish gas-free liquid expulsion and a thermodynamic vent system to intercept heat leak and control tank pressure. The experiment design evolved from a single flight prototype to provision for a multimission (up to 7) capability. A detailed design of the CFME, a dynamic test article, and dedicated ground support equipment were generated. All materials and parts were identified, and components were selected and specifications prepared. Long lead titanium pressurant spheres and the flight tape recorder and ground reproduce unit were procured. Experiment integration with the shuttle orbiter, Spacelab, and KSC ground operations was coordinated with the appropriate NASA centers, and experiment interfaces were defined. Phase 1 ground and flight safety reviews were conducted. Costs were estimated for fabrication and assembly of the CFME, which will become the storage and supply tank for a cryogenic fluid management facility to investigate fluid management in space

Conceptual design and analysis of orbital cryogenic liquid storage and supply systems

A wide variety of orbital cryogenic liquid storage and supply systems are defined in NASA and DOD long-range plans. These systems include small cooling applications, large chemical and electrical orbit transfer vehicles and supply tankers. All have the common requirements of low-g fluid management to accomplish gas-free liquid expulsion and efficient thermal control to manage heat leak and tank pressure. A preliminary design study was performed to evaluate tanks ranging from 0.6 to 37.4 cu m (22 to 1320 cu ft). Liquids of interest were hydrogen, oxygen, methane, argon and helium. Conceptual designs were generated for each tank system and fluid dynamic, thermal and structural analyses were performed for Shuttle compatible operations. Design trades considered the paradox of conservative support structure and minimum thermal input. Orbital performance and weight data were developed, and a technology evaluation was completed

Behavior of fluids in a weightless environment

Fluid behavior in a low-g environment is controlled primarily by surface tension forces. Certain fluid and system characteristics determine the magnitude of these forces for both a free liquid surface and liquid in contact with a solid. These characteristics, including surface tension, wettability or contact angle, system geometry, and the relationships governing their interaction, are discussed. Various aspects of fluid behavior in a low-g environment are then presented. This includes the formation of static interface shapes, oscillation and rotation of drops, coalescence, the formation of foams, tendency for cavitation, and diffusion in liquids which were observed during the Skylab fluid mechanics science demonstrations. Liquid reorientation and capillary pumping to establish equilibrium configurations for various system geometries, observed during various free-fall (drop-tower) low-g tests, are also presented. Several passive low-g fluid storage and transfer systems are discussed. These systems use surface tension forces to control the liquid/vapor interface and provide gas-free liquid transfer and liquid-free vapor venting

Blockchain-based Data Provenance for the Internet of Things

As more and more applications and services depend on data collected and provided by Internet of Things (IoT) devices, it is of importance that such data can be trusted. Data provenance solutions together with blockchain technology are one way to make data more trustworthy. However, current solutions do not address the heterogeneous nature of IoT applications and their data. In this work, we identify functional and non-functional requirements for a generic IoT data provenance framework, and conceptualise the framework as a layered architecture. Using a proof-of-concept implementation based on Ethereum smart contracts, data provenance can be realised for a wide range of IoT use cases. Benefits of a generic framework include simplified adoption and a more rapid implementation of data provenance for the IoT

Dual Behavior of Antiferromagnetic Uncompensated Spins in NiFe/IrMn Exchange Biased Bilayers

We present a comprehensive study of the exchange bias effect in a model system. Through numerical analysis of the exchange bias and coercive fields as a function of the antiferromagnetic layer thickness we deduce the absolute value of the averaged anisotropy constant of the antiferromagnet. We show that the anisotropy of IrMn exhibits a finite size effect as a function of thickness. The interfacial spin disorder involved in the data analysis is further supported by the observation of the dual behavior of the interfacial uncompensated spins. Utilizing soft x-ray resonant magnetic reflectometry we have observed that the antiferromagnetic uncompensated spins are dominantly frozen with nearly no rotating spins due to the chemical intermixing, which correlates to the inferred mechanism for the exchange bias.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figure

Seasonal variation in the diet of Lontra longicaudis in the Paraná River basin, Argentina

We studied the Neotropical otter ( Lontra longicaudis ) seasonal diet variations in the middle Paran á River valley, in central-northern Argentina, at the southern limit of its global range. We recorded 745 prey items in 320 scats collected over the course of 1 year in a tributary stream of the Paran á River. Fish, crustaceans, mammals, and insects were the most important items in frequency of occurrence among items. Other items, like mollusks, birds, amphibians, and reptilians were presented in low frequency in all seasons. We recorded seasonal variation in the frequency of the principal categories items: fish, mammals, crustaceans, and insects and in reptilian that had low frequency. Although fish were the most common items consumed by the otter, other groups such as crustaceans, mammals, and insects, were also important in the diet of the Neotropical otter throughout the seasons. Mammals and insects showed a higher frequency in the Neotropical otter diet in our study than in Brazil, Mexico, and even northern Argentina. We noted a marked variation throughout the Neotropical region in the niche breadth indices among studies of Neotropical otter ’ s diet. The Shannon H ′ diversity index showed a higher value in our study than in most of previous diet analyses of this species.Fil: Vezzosi, Raúl Ignacio. Provincia de Entre Ríos. Centro de Investigaciones Científicas y Transferencia de Tecnología a la Producción. Universidad Autónoma de Entre Ríos. Centro de Investigaciones Científicas y Transferencia de Tecnología a la Producción. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Santa Fe. Centro de Investigaciones Científicas y Transferencia de Tecnología a la Producción; ArgentinaFil: Eberhardt, María Ayelen Teresita. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Santa Fe. Instituto de Ciencias Veterinarias del Litoral. Universidad Nacional del Litoral. Facultad de Cs.veterinarias. Instituto de Ciencias Veterinarias del Litoral; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico - CONICET - Santa Fe. Instituto de Ciencias Veterinarias del Litoral; Argentina. Laboratorio de Ecología de Enfermedades; ArgentinaFil: Raimondi, Vanina Belén. Universidad Nacional de Rosario. Facultad de Ciencias exactas, Ingeniería y Agrimensura. Museo "Florentino y Carlos Ameghino"; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Santa Fe; ArgentinaFil: Gutierrez, Marìa Florencia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Santa Fe. Instituto Nacional de Limnología. Universidad Nacional del Litoral. Instituto Nacional de Limnología; ArgentinaFil: Pautasso, Andrés A.. Universidad Nacional de Rosario. Facultad de Ciencias exactas, Ingeniería y Agrimensura. Museo "Florentino y Carlos Ameghino"; Argentin

Visualização de dados de imagens de sensoriamento remoto.

Resumo: Geralmente, os dados de sensoriamento remoto são representados em imagens que reproduzem feições da superfície terrestre. Entretanto, imagens são compostas por dados quantitativos multivariados que podem ser trabalhados de diversas formas para produzir visualizações diferentes das reproduções pictóricas tradicionais. Dados que podem parecer sem valor, como das áreas cobertas por nuvens, podem revelar-se fonte de importante informação para o planejamento de trabalhos futuros. O Brasil tem grande importância na produção agrícola mundial e as culturas mais importantes no país são a soja, o milho e a cana-de-açúcar, que ocuparam 27,7, 15,9 e 8,7 milhões de hectares, respectivamente, na safra 2012/2013. Aproximadamente 40% desta produção se localiza em São Paulo, Paraná, Santa Catarina e Rio Grande do Sul. Imagens de satélite mostram potencial na estimativa de áreas ocupadas pela agricultura de larga escala. Entretanto, para que se possa obter imagens úteis é preciso que não haja nuvens, o que não é comum nos períodos chave dentro do calendário agrícola dessas culturas na região estudada. Obter imagens livres de nuvens ainda é um grande desafio para o monitoramento da agricultura em escala estadual ou nacional. Este trabalho objetivou demonstrar que o tratamento gráfico de dados oriundos de imagens de sensoriamento remoto pode produzir resultados úteis. Para tanto, foi analisada a frequência de imagens livres de nuvens sobre estados ou mesorregiões, ao longo dos meses, com base em uma série temporal de 2000 a 2013, a partir de dados obtidos pelo sensor MODIS e extraídos utilizando uma rotina do R. Abstract: Our goal was to demonstrate that the graph data processing of remote sensing images can produce useful results. We analyzed the frequency of cloud free images over Brazilian states, using a time series from 2000 to 2013, extracted from the MODIS sensor data and using a routine R

Passive Retention/Expulsion Methods for Subcritical Storage of Cryogens

Development of passive retention/expulsion system for subcritical storage of cryogenic material during low gravity situation