Electron-impact excitation and ionization of W 3+ for the determination of tungsten influx in a fusion plasma

Tungsten will be employed as a plasma facing material in the ITER fusion reactor under construction in Cadarache, France; therefore, there is a significant need for accurate electron-impact excitation and ionization data for the ions of tungsten. We report on the results of extensive calculations of ionization and excitation for W 3+ that are intended to provide the atomic data needed for the determination of impurity influx diagnostics of tungsten in several existing tokamak reactors. The electron-impact excitation rate coefficients for this study were determined using the relativistic R -matrix method. The contribution to direct electron-impact ionization was determined using the distorted-wave approximation, the accuracy of which was verified by an R -matrix with pseudo states calculation. Contributions to total ionization from excitation autoionization were also generated from the relativistic R -matrix method. These results were then employed to calculate values of ionization per emitted photon, or SXB ratios, for four carefully selected spectral lines; these data will allow the determination of impurity influx from tungsten facing surfaces. For the range of densities of importance in the edge region of a tokamak reactor, these SXB ratios are found to be nearly independent of electron density but vary significantly with electron temperature.

The application of atomic physics within impurity diagnostics for fusion plasmas

With the focus of ITER on the transport and emission properties of tungsten, generating atomic data for complex species has received much interest. Focusing on impurity influx diagnostics, we discuss recent work on heavy species. Perturbative approaches do not work well for near neutral systems so non-perturbative data are required, presenting a particular challenge for these influx diagnostics. Recent results on Mo+ are given as an illustration of how the diagnostic applications can guide the theoretical calculations for such systems.

A radiation-damped R -matrix approach to the electron-impact excitation of helium-like ions for diagnostic application to fusion and astrophysical plasmas

Electron-impact excitation collision strengths for transitions between all singly excited levels up to the n = 4 shell of helium-Eke argon and the n = 4 and 5 shells of helium-like iron have been calculated using a radiation-damped R-matrix approach. The theoretical collision strengths have been examined and associated with their infinite-energy limit values to allow the preparation of Maxwell-averaged effective collision strengths. These are conservatively considered to be accurate to within 20% at all temperatures, 3 x 10(5)-3 x 10(8) K forAr(16+) and 10(6)-10(9) K for Fe24+. They have been compared with the results of previous studies, where possible, and we find a broad accord. The corresponding rate coefficients are required for use in the calculation of derived, collisional-radiative, effective emission coefficients for helium-like lines for diagnostic application to fusion and astrophysical plasmas. The uncertainties in the fundamental collision data have been used to provide a critical assessment of the expected resultant uncertainties in such derived data, including redistributive and cascade collisional-radiative effects. The consequential uncertainties in the parts of the effective emission coefficients driven by excitation from the ground levels for the key w, x, y and z lines vary between 5% and 10%. Our results remove an uncertainty in the reaction rates of a key class of atomic processes governing the spectral emission of helium-like ions in plasmas.

Atomic data for modelling fusion and astrophysical plasmas

Trends and focii of interest in atomic modelling and data are identified in connection with recent observations and experiments in fusion and astrophysics. In the fusion domain, spectral observations are included of core, beam penetrated and divertor plasma. The helium beam experiments at JET and the studies with very heavy species at ASDEX and JET are noted. In the astrophysics domain, illustrations are given from the SOHO and CHANDRA spacecraft which span from the solar upper atmosphere, through soft x-rays from comets to supernovae remnants. It is shown that non-Maxwellian, dynamic and possibly optically thick regimes must be considered. The generalized collisional-radiative model properly describes the collisional regime of most astrophysical and laboratory fusion plasmas and yields self-consistent derived data for spectral emission, power balance and ionization state studies. The tuning of this method to routine analysis of the spectral observations is described. A forward look is taken as to how such atomic modelling, and the atomic data which underpin it, ought to evolve to deal with the extended conditions and novel environments of the illustrations. It is noted that atomic physics influences most aspects of fusion and astrophysical plasma behaviour but the effectiveness of analysis depends on the quality of the bi-directional pathway from fundamental data production through atomic/plasma model development to the confrontation with experiment. The principal atomic data capability at JET, and other fusion and astrophysical laboratories, is supplied via the Atomic Data and Analysis Structure (ADAS) Project. The close ties between the various experiments and ADAS have helped in this path of communication.

The supporting role of emerging multimedia technologies in higher education

In this paper we give an overview of current investigations into the incorporation of cutting edge technologies within the Higher Education teaching domain. In particular, the role of audio is discussed through a number of case studies. The paper then concludes with a discussion of the authors' plans to incorporate audio and video content as supplementary course material for a technical undergraduate module

The basic principles of uncertain information fusion. An organised review of merging rules in different representation frameworks.

We propose and advocate basic principles for the fusion of incomplete or uncertain information items, that should apply regardless of the formalism adopted for representing pieces of information coming from several sources. This formalism can be based on sets, logic, partial orders, possibility theory, belief functions or imprecise probabilities. We propose a general notion of information item representing incomplete or uncertain information about the values of an entity of interest. It is supposed to rank such values in terms of relative plausibility, and explicitly point out impossible values. Basic issues affecting the results of the fusion process, such as relative information content and consistency of information items, as well as their mutual consistency, are discussed. For each representation setting, we present fusion rules that obey our principles, and compare them to postulates specific to the representation proposed in the past. In the crudest (Boolean) representation setting (using a set of possible values), we show that the understanding of the set in terms of most plausible values, or in terms of non-impossible ones matters for choosing a relevant fusion rule. Especially, in the latter case our principles justify the method of maximal consistent subsets, while the former is related to the fusion of logical bases. Then we consider several formal settings for incomplete or uncertain information items, where our postulates are instantiated: plausibility orderings, qualitative and quantitative possibility distributions, belief functions and convex sets of probabilities. The aim of this paper is to provide a unified picture of fusion rules across various uncertainty representation settings.

Materials in extreme environments for energy, accelerators and space applications at ELI-NP.

As a leading facility in laser-driven nuclear physics, ELI-NP will develop innovative research in the fields of materials behavior in extreme environments and radiobiology, with applications in the development of accelerator components, new materials for next generation fusion and fission reactors, shielding solutions for equipment and human crew in long term space missions and new biomedical technologies. The specific properties of the laser-driven radiation produced with two lasers of 1 PW at a pulse repetition rate of 1 Hz each are an ultra-short time scale, a relatively broadband spectrum and the possibility to provide simultaneously several types of radiation. Complex, cosmic-like radiation will be produced in a ground-based laboratory allowing comprehensive investigations of their effects on materials and biological systems. The expected maximum energy and intensity of the radiation beams are 19 MeV with 10^9 photon/pulse for photon radiation, 2 GeV with 108 electron/pulse for electron beams, 60 MeV with 10^12 proton/pulse for proton and ion beams and 60 MeV with 107 neutron/pulse for a neutron source. Research efforts will be directed also towards measurements for radioprotection of the prompt and activated dose, as a function of laser and target characteristics and to the development and testing of various dosimetric methods and equipment.

Emerging Technologies

This book, written when Walker was Visiting Professor at the Technical University Munich in 2011, describes his research on the effects of digital technology on architectural design and construction, and on the development of ‘digital craft’. The primary example given is The Swarm, a digitally designed and manufactured pavilion, produced with students while Walker was at TU Munich. It now stands outside the Bayerischen Architektenkammer (Bavarian Chamber of Architects) in Munich. Through such research-by-design, Walker asks larger questions: what can designers craft without a master craftsman’s skills, and how can craft skills be recovered through digital fabrication? Another example in the book is the Swoosh Pavilion, one of two public-space-scale architectural pavilion prototypes Walker developed between 2008 and 2009 at the Architectural Association (AA), using applied digital modelling and CNC techniques to investigate methods of teaching and testing digital processes through making. Swoosh (2008) and a second AA pavilion, Driftwood (2009), were discussed by Walker and Martin Self, his co-investigator, in ‘Fractal, bad hair, Swoosh and Driftwood pavilions of Intermediate Unit 2, 2006–2009’, published in the AD reader, Manufacturing the Bespoke (2012), which includes essays by well-known critics and designers such as Mathias Kohler and Michael Stacey. Both AA pavilions were sponsored by FinnForest Merk, Arup, HOK and Building Design Magazine, and were seen by large international audiences in Bedford Square, London during the 2008–9 ‘AA Projects Review’ shows. The book Making Pavilions (Walker and Self, AA Agenda No. 9, Architectural Association Press, 2011) also discusses their work over seven years of teaching at the Architectural Association. At the same time, Walker collaborated on a series of Serpentine pavilions, commissioned annually by the Serpentine Gallery, London, co-designing these experimental structures with internationally renowned architects Daniel Libeskind, Oscar Niemeyer, Toyo Ito and Alvaro Siza.

Digital Technologies and the Museum Experience

This co-edited book focuses on core theories and research on technologies, from the first audio guides to contemporary and future mobile digital devices, which inform practical design considerations. It is framed in case studies and focuses generally on informal learning by museum and gallery visitors. The book fills a significant gap in the literature on museum practice with regard to uses of digital technologies, which are not generally grounded in rigorous research, and is intended to retain its relevance as technologies evolve and emerge. The book includes chapters by invited authors from the USA, UK and Europe who contribute expertise in a number of areas of museum research and practice. The research resulted in invited keynote speeches in France (‘Technologie de l’apprentissage humain dans les musées’ seminar at Laboratoire d’Informatique de Grenoble on 5 March 2009), Iceland (keynote at ‘NODEM Network of Design and Digital Heritage’ conference on 3 December 2008) and London (Keynote at ‘Mobile Learning Conference’ on 26 January 2009). The book was given the highest recommendation ('Essential') by the American Library Association, and was reviewed in MedieKultur (2011, 50, 185–92). Walker’s chapter includes some of the initial findings from his PhD research on visitor-constructed trails in museums, which shifts focus from the design of technologies to the design of activities intended to structure the use of technologies, and constitutes some of the first published research on visitor-generated trails using mobile technologies. Structures such as trails are shown to act as effective mental models for museum visitors, especially structures with a narrow subject focus and manageable amount of data capture; those created as a narrative or a conversation; and those that emphasise construction, rather than data capture. Walker also selected most of the other chapter authors, suggested their topics and led the editing of the publication.

Hatchery technologies and nutritional contents of cuttlefish (Sepia officinalis) spawners, eggs, hatchlings and live prey associated

Tese dout., Aquacultura, Universidade do Algarve, 2007

Étude des compétences informatiques et des attitudes du corps professoral face à l'utilisation des technologies de l'information et de la communication (TIC) à l'Institut de Technologie du Cambodge (ITC)

L'utilisation des nouvelles technologies de l'information et de la communication (NTIC) fait l'objet de discussions dans le domaine de l'éducation. La présente recherche a pour objectif principal d'identifier le profil des compétences informatiques et des attitudes du corps professoral d'une haute école de formation technologique du Cambodge au regard de l'utilisation des environnements informatiques dans sa pratique d'enseignement. Cette étude descriptive exploratoire aura comme principale retombée de contribuer au développement de l'intégration des NTIC en pédagogie universitaire au Cambodge. Nous tenterons éventuellement de mettre en lumière les besoins que cette intégration suscite. L'élaboration d'une stratégie de systématisation de l'implantation des NTIC en pédagogie universitaire pourrait être traitée dans une future étude. Le recueil de données a été réalisé à l'aide d'un questionnaire d'enquête ainsi que d'une série d'entrevues réalisées auprès du personnel enseignant de l'Institut de Technologie du Cambodge durant la session d'hiver 2001.

État des conditions qui favorisent l'intégration des technologies de l'information et de la communication en adaptation scolaire au primaire et au secondaire selon les perceptions des enseignantes et des enseignants du Québec

Les recherches menées en éducation permettent de constater que les technologies de l'information et de la communication ont des effets positifs sur plusieurs dimensions de l'élève. Pourtant, dans ce domaine, l'implantation de la micro-informatique s'effectue lentement. Le projet de recherche trace le portrait des conditions qui favorisent l'intégration des TIC en adaptation scolaire et démontre dans quelle mesure elles sont présentes selon les perceptions des enseignants au Québec. Les sujets sont des enseignants en adaptation scolaire à la commission scolaire de Montréal (CSDM). Le questionnaire et l'entrevue semi-structurée ont été utilisés pour la collecte de données. Les résultats de l'enquête sont présentés à partir d'une analyse quantitative et qualitative. Ils démontrent que des efforts ont été déployés pour fournir aux écoles des ressources matérielles et pour développer des attitudes et perceptions positives chez les enseignants. Cependant, les enseignants réclament davantage de formation ainsi qu'un soutien technique et pédagogique continu.

Discours d'enseignants de sciences et technologies et de mathématiques du secondaire sur leur compréhension et leurs pratiques de l'interdisciplinarité

Le développement de curriculums moins cloisonnés a fait l'objet des récentes réformes scolaires de plusieurs systèmes éducatifs à travers le monde. Au Québec plus particulièrement, l'interdisciplinarité constitue l'une des principales orientations du Programme de formation de l'école québécoise (Gouvernement du Québec, 2001, 2004, 2007). Si au Québec la question de l'interdisciplinarité abordée sous l'angle des représentations des enseignants a fait l'objet de nombreuses explorations au primaire (Larose, Hasni et Lebrun, 2008; Larose et Lenoir, 1995; Lenoir, Geoffroy et Hasni, 2001; Lenoir, Larose, Grenon et Hasni, 2000; Lenoir, Larose et Laforest, 2001), elle a été très peu explorée au secondaire, plus particulièrement dans le domaine des sciences, technologies et mathématiques. Ce mémoire répond à la question : Quelle compréhension de l'interdisciplinarité se dégage du discours d'enseignants de STM du secondaire et à quelles pratiques de l'interdisciplinarité disent-ils recourir?Le cadre conceptuel a été construit autour du concept de l'interdisciplinarité scolaire (Lenoir et Sauvé, 1998), qu'il a été possible de discuter autour de quatre dimensions permettant de mieux en décrire les pratiques ciblant les dimensions conceptuelle, des finalités, opérationnelle et organisationnelle (Hasni, Lenoir, Larose, Samson, Bousadra et Satiro dos Santos, 2008). Nous avons recouru à une analyse de contenu (Bardin, 2007) afin de dégager le discours des enseignants à l'égard de celles-ci.