A versatile ground data display system for spacelab experiments

We describe a microprocessor-based data capture and display system suited to the needs of many Spacelab experimenters. Although developed specifically for the needs of the FAUST ultraviolet astronomy telescope, several features of the system may make it attractive to other groups who need to interact with their Spacelab data in real or near-real time. The display system captures data from the serial data stream originating in the Spacelab experiment computer input/output (ECIO) data channel, and can reformat and display several hundred variables per second in real time. The system offers a combination of Cathode Ray Tube (CRT) display and analog paper strip-chart output. A facility is also provided for simultaneously creating floppy-disk records of short segments of data according to prearranged criteria, to allow detailed examination of critical events in the operation of the experiment. The simplicity, economy, reliability, and flexibility of the display system suggest its use for monitoring a variety of low- and medium-data-rate Spacelab experiments.     

The Berkeley parasitic SETI Program

Parasitic programs for the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI), carried out concurrently with conventional radio astronomical observing programs, can be an attractive and cost-effective means of exploring the large multidimensional search space intrinsic to this effort. We describe a microprocessor-based automated SETI acquisition system which searches for and records spectra of narrowband signals in the IF band of an observatory receiver. Data taken with this system over 35 days at the Hat Creek Radio Observatory at 1612 MHz are discussed. Out of approximately 10⁵ spectra processed during this period, 4000 were identified by the system as containing narrowband signals and were recorded. Subsequent analysis indicates that over 3900 of these are due to local RF contamination. The remainder are undergoing further investigation.     

Imaging the surface of Mercury using ground-based telescopes

We describe and compare two methods of short-exposure, high-definition ground-based imaging of the planet Mercury. Two teams have recorded images of Mercury on different dates, from different locations, and with different observational and data reduction techniques. Both groups have achieved spatial resolutions of <250 km, and the same albedo features and contrast levels appear where the two datasets overlap (longitudes 270–360°). Dark albedo regions appear as mare and correlate well with smooth terrain radar signatures. Bright albedo features agree optically, but less well with radar data. Such confirmations of state-of-the-art optical techniques introduce a new era of ground-based exploration of Mercury's surface and its atmosphere. They offer opportunities for synergistic, cooperative observations before and during the upcoming Messenger and BepiColombo missions to Mercury.     

A new concept of a hull form to improve wave response characteristics for marine construction barges

The object of the new hull form is to provide a single hull which possesses long natural periods of roll and heave and has substantially reduced motion response amplitudes in very high sea states. Model tests and preliminary estimates indicated that the new hull form can be designed for roll and heave motions nearly equivalent to those of much larger semisubmersible units.All existing conventional marine construction barges have rectangular cross section hull. The new hull form consists of a system of upper side tanks and lower side tanks added onto a rectangular cross section hull. The upper tanks and lower tanks form longitudinal troughs on the port and starboard sides. Structural grillage of any open type is to connect the upper and lower tanks at the side of the vessel. Figure 1 indicates a profile and a typical transverse section of the new hull form. The new hull comprises the concept of reduced water plane area which is turn results in low transverse metacentric height and low tons per in. immersion. The novel features of combining low GM_T and low TPI with extremely heavy damping and added mass of the entrained water characteristics result in very long natural periods of roll and heave and considerably small rolling and heaving amplitudes in high sea states. The open side shell plating on the side of the vessel functions to dissipate wave energy at the side of the vessel which would have otherwise been transmitted to the vessel and caused the vessel to respond. This paper presents the conceptual foundation and outline of the new hull form. Model test results are presented and implemented. Also presented is the design philosophy.     

Concentrations of unsubstituted polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons in bay mussels (Mytilus edulis) from Oregon, USA

Concentrations of fifteen unsubstituted polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PNAH) were measured in Mytilus edulis from two sites in Yaquina Bay, Oregon, USA, during 1979–1980. There were significant differences in PNAH levels between the two populations. The average total concentration in mussels inhabiting the more industrialized bayfront was 986·2 μg/kg compared with 273·9 μg/kg in mussels from a more remote site across the bay. Substantial differences were found in the concentrations of different PNAH in M. edulis examined during this study. The smaller more water soluble, compounds were concentrated to one or two orders of magnitude above the larger, less soluble PNAH.     

Strategic forum : Soviet seapower — a new kind of navy

The purpose of this article is to draw attention to a change in the trend of Soviet naval developments. This change stems from a combination of: (1) a sharp increase in the allocation of resources to naval shipbuilding; (2) a marked rise in the navy's political influence; and (3) a new approach to the role of seapower in Soviet policy. Professor MccGwire, Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution, USA, believes that both the nature and the significance of the change are being obscured by the fact that for the past decade naval leaders in the West have been talking of ‘a Soviet naval build-up’, and continue to use the same language to describe the very different present situation. There is no general awareness, even within naval circles, that we are now facing a significant change in established trends. This article draws on a longer and more general article.¹     

Storm-built sand ridges on the Maryland inner shelf: a preliminary report

Several aspects of the Maryland ridge field are pertinent to the problem of ridge genesis in response to Holocene sea-level rise. There is a systematic morphologic change fromshoreface ridges throughnearshore ridges tooffshore ridges, which reflects the changing hydraulic regime. Grain size is 90° out of phase with topography, so that the coarsest sand lies between the axis of each trough and the adjacent seaward ridge crest, while the finest sand lies between each ridge crest and the axis of the adjacent seaward trough. Finally, analysis over a 43-year period on an outer ridge reveals a systematic pattern of landward flank erosion, seaward flank deposition, and seaward crest migration. These relationships support a model which explains the ridges as consequences of the up-current shift of maximum bottom shear stress with respect to the crests of initial bottom irregularities. The oblique orientation of the ridges with respect to the beach may be at least partly due to the more rapid migration rate of the ridges’ inshore ends.     

Provenance and dispersal of muds south of the Aleutian arc,north Pacific Ocean

X-ray diffraction analyses show that the clay mineralogies of near-surface muds in the Gulf of Alaska (mostly illite and chlorite) are consistent with detrital sources in southern Alaska. Expandable clay minerals are derived from the Aleutian volcanic arc, and their percentages increase progressively toward the west. Smectite values are lower than expected, however, particularly in the central forearc, and there is less smectite on the insular trench slope than farther seaward. The regional clay-mineral distribution is controlled by two opposed contour currents and by the influx of suspended sediment via both transverse and trench-axis turbidity currents.     

Census survey approach to quantifying īnanga spawning habitat for conservation and management

Here, we describe a methodology for quantifying the spawning habitat of īnanga (Galaxias maculatus), a protected native fish species. Our approach is demonstrated with a survey of the Heathcote/ōpāwaho following the Canterbury earthquakes that produced unexpected findings. Spawning habitat was detected over a 2.5?km reach and the area occupied by spawning sites (75m²) was much larger than in previous records (ca.?21m²). Sites dominated by the invasive Phalaris arundinaceae were found to support high egg numbers. Spawning has not previously been recorded on this species and it is identified in the literature as a threat to spawning habitat. Considerable spatio-temporal variation was also detected in the location of spawning sites and pattern of egg production. Together, these aspects illustrate the need for a comprehensive survey methodology to reliably quantify spawning habitat. The Heathcote/ōpāwaho example shows the utility of our census approach for achieving this, and supporting habitat conservation objectives.