Detailed design specification for the ALT Shuttle Information Extraction Subsystem (SIES)

The approach and landing test (ALT) shuttle information extraction system (SIES) is described in terms of general requirements and system characteristics output products and processing options, output products and data sources, and system data flow. The ALT SIES is a data reduction system designed to satisfy certain data processing requirements for the ALT phase of the space shuttle program. The specific ALT SIES data processing requirements are stated in the data reduction complex approach and landing test data processing requirements. In general, ALT SIES must produce time correlated data products as a result of standardized data reduction or special purpose analytical processes. The main characteristics of ALT SIES are: (1) the system operates in a batch (non-interactive) mode; (2) the processing is table driven; (3) it is data base oriented; (4) it has simple operating procedures; and (5) it requires a minimum of run time information

A recalibration of IUE NEWSIPS low dispersion data

While the low dispersion IUE NEWSIPS data products represent a significant improvement over original IUE SIPS data, they still contain serious systematic effects which compromise their utility for certain applications. We show that NEWSIPS low resolution data are internally consistent to only 10-15% at best, with the majority of the problem due to time dependent systematic effects. In addition, the NEWSIPS flux calibration is shown to be inconsistent by nearly 10%. We examine the origin of these problems and proceed to formulate and apply algorithms to correct them to ~ 3% level -- a factor of 5 improvement in accuracy. Because of the temporal systematics, transforming the corrected data to the IUE flux calibration becomes ambiguous. Therefore, we elect to transform the corrected data onto the HST FOS system. This system is far more self-consistent, and transforming the IUE data to it places data from both telescopes on a single system. Finally, we argue that much of the remaining 3% systematic effects in the corrected data is traceable to problems with the NEWSIPS intensity transformation function (ITF). The accuracy could probably be doubled by rederiving the ITF.Comment: Submitted to ApJ Supplement, 35 pages, 13 figures, LaTeX - AASTEX aas2pp4.st

Field localization on a brane intersection in anti-de Sitter spacetime

We discuss the localization of scalar, fermion, and gauge field zero modes on a $3-$brane that resides at the intersection of two $4-$branes in six-dimensional anti-de Sitter space. This set-up has been introduced in the context of brane world models and, higher-dimensional versions of it, in string theory. In both six- and ten-dimensional cases, it has been shown that four-dimensional gravity can be reproduced at the intersection, due to the existence of a massless, localized graviton zero-mode. However, realistic scenarios require also the Standard Model to be localized on the $3-$brane. In this paper, we discuss under which conditions a higher-dimensional field theory, propagating on the above geometry, can have a zero-mode sector localized at the intersection and find that zero modes can be localized only if masses and couplings to the background curvature satisfy certain relations. We also consider the case when other 4-branes cut the bulk at some distance from the intersection and argue that, in the probe brane approximation, there is no significant effect on the localization properties at the $3-$brane. The case of bulk fermions is particularly interesting, since the properties of the geometry allow localization of chiral modes independently.Comment: 13 pages, 3 figures, the version to be published in PR

Two-fluid magnetic island dynamics in slab geometry: II - Islands interacting with resistive walls or static external resonant magnetic perturbations

The dynamics of a propagating magnetic island interacting with a resistive wall or a static external magnetic perturbation is investigated using two-fluid, drift-MHD theory in slab geometry. In both cases, the island equation of motion is found to take exactly the same form as that predicted by single-fluid MHD theory. Three separate ion polarization terms are found in the Rutherford island width evolution equation. The first is the drift-MHD polarization term for an isolated island, and is completely unaffected by interaction with a wall or magnetic perturbation. Next, there is the polarization term due to interaction with a wall or magnetic perturbation which is predicted by single-fluid MHD theory. Finally, there is a hybrid of the other two polarization terms. The sign of this term depends on many factors. However, under normal conditions, it is stabilizing if the unperturbed island propagates in the ion diamagnetic direction (in the lab. frame), and destabilizing if it propagates in the electron diamagnetic direction