HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: henry@zoo.toronto.edu (Henry Spencer)
Subject: Re: Justification for the Space Program
Date: Sun, 3 Jan 1993 04:05:47 GMT
Organization: U of Toronto Zoology

In article <93002.204240SAUNDRSG@QUCDN.QueensU.CA> Graydon <SAUNDRSG@QUCDN.QueensU.CA> writes:
>A functioning economy (a whole one - heavy manufacturing, food growing,
>service sector, the whole nine yards) on the Moon is in a what military
>position with respect to the earth?

"Largely insignificant" is the description you are looking for.

Despite a lot of science-fiction plots pivoting on the Moon's supposed
strategic importance, the fact is that it's not in an especially good
position to exert military control over Earth.  Most of those plots
stack the deck for dramatic effect.

The Moon's fundamental military defect is simple:  it's *too far away*.
Missiles launched from the Moon would take days to reach Earth, as
opposed to minutes from an Earthly launch site, giving lots of time
for warnings, countermeasures, interceptions.  Beam weapons would be
nearly useless at that distance due to diffraction, unless they were
truly enormous.

The one significant asset of the Moon is its position at the top of
Earth's gravity well.  But even this is much exaggerated in SF.  The
Moon has a noticeable gravity well of its own, which must be overcome
before you can launch kinetic-energy weapons at Earth.  The physics
of the situation amplify the energy provided by your launch system,
but by no means infinitely -- the advantage is about a factor of 25.
The only good way to exploit this is to build some sort of catapult
system capable of catapulting large masses... but such a catapult
is a big fixed target, not enormously difficult to locate and bomb.
If you want kiloton- or megaton-range weapons, nuclear-tipped missiles
are less vulnerable and much cheaper.  If you're really thinking big,
you want mass you don't have to launch, e.g. an Earth-approaching
asteroid or comet.
-- 
"God willing... we shall return."       | Henry Spencer @ U of Toronto Zoology
       -Gene Cernan, the Moon, Dec 1972 |  henry@zoo.toronto.edu  utzoo!henry
From: gawne@stsci.edu
Subject: Re: asteroids beyond Jupiter
Organization: Space Telescope Science Institute
Distribution: na
Date: Sat, 26 Dec 1992 00:32:05 GMT

In article <1992Dec24.193342.29953@hpcvaac.cv.hp.com>, 
billn@hpcvaac.cv.hp.com (bill nelson) writes:
 
> My definition of asteriod is: any body that orginated in the
> "asteriod belt" (between Mars and Jupiter). I have made no claim as to  
> where they can orbit. Jupiter is large enough to cause significant 
> perturbation to their orbits.

Well, that's nice, but you might want to check the astronomically accepted
definition instead.  And just how do you propose to define origins here?
Do you mean a body that coalesced from the primordial solar nebula at a
mean distance of between 1.4 and 5.2 AU from the center of that nebula?
How would you propose to show where all such bodies were now, or even if
the main belt asteroids all started out there?

> However, it is a long way from Jupiter to Neptune. I am waiting for someone
> to post a reference that states that there are asteriods (by my definition)
> that orbit that far out.

So who the heck are you?  President of the International Astronomical Union?
When Charlie Kowal discovered Chiron it was classed as an asteroid, and it's
orbit takes it well past Saturn.  Yes, Chiron now appears to contain more
volatiles than "typical" asteroids but so what?  

-Bill Gawne,  Space Telescope Science Institute
Newsgroups: sci.space
From: henry@zoo.toronto.edu (Henry Spencer)
Subject: Re: Lunar Resource Mapper Status (Was Re: funding for Lunar Prospector)
Date: Wed, 23 Dec 1992 00:01:23 GMT
Organization: U of Toronto Zoology

In article <22DEC199214281236@judy.uh.edu> wingo%cspara.decnet@Fedex.Msfc.Nasa.Gov writes:
>Also the 32 million requested was not to "get started". It was for the entire
>satellite. This did not of course cover the other costs such as the launch
>or operations.

The $30M in question was first-year funding to get Griffin's entire effort
started; this was to include the beginnings of the mapper project, which
would end up costing $30M or so for the spacecraft proper.

Griffin didn't get it.
-- 
"God willing... we shall return."       | Henry Spencer @ U of Toronto Zoology
       -Gene Cernan, the Moon, Dec 1972 |  henry@zoo.toronto.edu  utzoo!henry
From: miles@emx.cc.utexas.edu (Miles Abernathy)
Newsgroups: sci.space
Subject: Re: *** BUSSARD RAMSCOOP ***
Date: 31 Dec 92 03:19:04 GMT
Organization: Univ. of Texas
X-UserAgent: Nuntius v1.1.1d10
X-XXMessage-ID: <A767C2D6A802B9BA@slip-x86.ots.utexas.edu>
X-XXDate: Wed, 30 Dec 92 21:19:18 GMT

I don't know exactly how you will get the hydrogen to fuse in the ramjet.
So far that problem remains unsolved here on Earth, except for fusion
reactions catalyzed by atomic explosions.
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
  _     Miles Abernathy, N5KOB        =
 | |__  miles@emx.cc.utexas.edu       =
_|    | POB 7580, Austin TX 78713     =
\  * /  University of Texas @ Austin  =
  \/    tel. (512) 471-6521           =
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
Newsgroups: sci.space
From: henry@zoo.toronto.edu (Henry Spencer)
Subject: Re: What is DC ??
Date: Tue, 22 Dec 1992 00:16:04 GMT
Organization: U of Toronto Zoology

In article <HUGH.92Dec21190917@whio.cosc.canterbury.ac.nz> hugh@whio.cosc.canterbury.ac.nz (Hugh Emberson) writes:
>Henry> Note that Atlas did it with a stage and a half -- dropping two
>Henry> engines but nothing else -- in 1958...
>
>How did Atlas drop its engines?

At the rear of an Atlas there are three engines, in a row.  The outer two
are mounted on/in a short structural ring that forms the lowermost part of
the outer surface of the Atlas.  At staging, the ring falls off, taking
the two engines with it.  The center engine continues to burn.  Fuel feeds,
electrical connections, etc., are disconnected as the ring separates.
I believe the outer engines shut down just before separation.
-- 
"God willing... we shall return."       | Henry Spencer @ U of Toronto Zoology
       -Gene Cernan, the Moon, Dec 1972 |  henry@zoo.toronto.edu  utzoo!henry
Newsgroups: sci.space
From: sbooth@lonestar.utsa.edu (Simon E. Booth)
Subject: Re: Space List Flame Wars
Organization: University of Texas at San Antonio
Distribution: sci
Date: Thu, 31 Dec 1992 09:00:21 GMT


Could someone please tell me how to subscribe to Space Digest?

Thanks,

Simon

Newsgroups: sci.space
From: henry@zoo.toronto.edu (Henry Spencer)
Subject: Re: russian solar sail?+
Date: Sun, 3 Jan 1993 22:43:44 GMT
Organization: U of Toronto Zoology

In article <ida.725390192@atomic>, ida@atomic (David Goldschmidt) writes:
> I saw something a few months ago about a Russian plan to test a small solar
> sail from the Mir space station on Dec 10. of this year.  I haven't heard
> anything about it since - does anybody know if it happened?

Now scheduled for February, timing set by the timing of other activities
aboard Mir.
-- 
"God willing... we shall return."       | Henry Spencer @ U of Toronto Zoology
       -Gene Cernan, the Moon, Dec 1972 |  henry@zoo.toronto.edu  utzoo!henry
Newsgroups: sci.optics
Subject: Optical Design or Analysis Package
From: sseida@trident.datasys.swri.edu (Steven Seida)
Date: 22 Dec 92 20:17:51 GMT
Distribution: na
Organization: Southwest Research Institute


Please forgive my ignorance, as I am new to this group.  I also would have 
monitored the discussions for a while if I had not developed such an immediate 
need -

Now to the point - I was wondering if there are any packages available over
the net that perform optical analysis (such as ray-tracing, etc.).  And my 
preferences are not my requirements - I would prefer something that runs 
interactively in an X-windows or Sunview environment, but I can handle bland 
Unix or even MS-DOS.

Any assistance that you can provide would be most appreciated.  (Referral to 
a FAQ or whatever.)

And if it seems appropriate, I will post a summary of my findings to this group.


					Thank You,
					Steven Seida
					Southwest Research Institute

					sseida@swri.edu

Newsgroups: sci.optics
From: swami@chtm.eece.unm.edu (Swami srinivasan)
Subject: Need to make a glass surface rough....
Date: Sat, 26 Dec 92 22:46:11 GMT
Organization: University of New Mexico, Albuquerque


I need to make a 50 microns x 1000 microns section of glass surface
ROUGH. I have  a mask with the required dimensions. Most etchants are
"smooth", and I suspect the common HF based etchants are, too. Are there
any wet chemical etchants that can be used? 
					I also have access to RIE
and RIBE systems, but cannot think of any obvious ways to use them to
make a rough surface - so far, we have always wanted a smooth etch!
We have a full-fledged cleanroom with the usual equipment, so we should
be able to try out most  suggestions, including uncertain leads.

We are trying to make a low reflectivity strip on a mirror. This 
will be used in an external cavity configuration. Initially we thought
of making crossed diffraction gratings, but there will still be a zero
order reflection.. and grating fabrication is a little involved. Hence
we are trying to find ways to make the surface diffusive using some 
form of etching.

Any suggestions will be helpful. Thanks!

							     swami

=======================================================================
swaminathan srinivasan
center for high tech materials
eece,university of new mexico,
albuquerque, nm 87131, usa			swami@chtm.eece.unm.edu
========================================================================
From: sciamanda@edinboro.edu
Newsgroups: sci.optics
Subject: DOS/WINDOWS SOFTWARE
Date: 26 Dec 92 22:54:49 GMT
Organization: Edinboro University of PA

Pardon if this is an FAQ.  I need recommendations for professional 
grade design software applicable to illumination and/or imaging; 
to run on MSDOS/WINDOWS.  All info appreciated. Somewhat urgent!

Bob Sciamanda
Edinboro Univ of PA
From: banks@cee.hw.ac.uk (Lorna Banks)
Newsgroups: sci.optics
Subject: Optics in New Zealand
Date: 23 Dec 92 12:08:41 GMT
Organization: Dept of Computing & Electrical Engineering, Heriot-Watt University, Scotland

What companies/research institutions etc are there in New Zealand?  A friend with an
optics background is looking to join her boyfriend in New Zealand and wants to know
if there is anywhere she can get a job over there working in a laser/optics field.

Please email me if you can suggest any contacts I/she can persue.

-- 
                                                                 _~o _O
Grendel the ancient muddy witch                                 -\<,-\<,
----*           {banks@cee.hw.ac.uk /  grendel@nyx.cs.du.edu} (*)/===/(*) 
Newsgroups: sci.optics
From: kridnix@faraday.rice.edu (Alan Cheville)
Subject: Re: Optics in New Zealand
Organization: Rice University
Date: Wed, 23 Dec 1992 20:53:19 GMT

In article <1992Dec23.120841.28395@cs.hw.ac.uk>, banks@cee.hw.ac.uk (Lorna Banks) writes:
|> What companies/research institutions etc are there in New Zealand?  A friend with an
|> optics background is looking to join her boyfriend in New Zealand and wants to know
|> if there is anywhere she can get a job over there working in a laser/optics field.
|> 
|> Please email me if you can suggest any contacts I/she can persue.
|> 
|> -- 
|>                                                                  _~o _O
|> Grendel the ancient muddy witch                                 -\<,-\<,
|> ----*           {banks@cee.hw.ac.uk /  grendel@nyx.cs.du.edu} (*)/===/(*) 


I am also interested in this (the optics opportunities in New Zealand, not
Lorna's Friend's bloyfriend!)- could you please post any info to the net?

-- 
Alan Cheville   	 # For this is the school of Babylon
Electrical Engineering	 # And at its hands we learn
Rice. U.		 # To walk into the furnaces
Houston		 	 # And whistle as we burn.
		 	 # 		-T. Blackburn
Newsgroups: sci.optics
From: swami@chtm.eece.unm.edu (Swami srinivasan)
Subject: Regarding roughening of glass..
Date: Fri, 01 Jan 93 22:47:43 GMT
Organization: University of New Mexico, Albuquerque
Followup-To: swami@chtm.eece.unm.edu


Thanks for all the responses to my request for ideas on making a glass
surface non-reflective over a 50 microns x 1000 micron area.

I'll probably try out some of them over the next two weeks. Will post
observations after that.

thanks again.
								swami

======================================================================
swaminathan srinivasan
center for high tech materials
eece, university of new mexico
albuquerque, nm 87131			swami@chtm.eece.unm.edu
======================================================================
From: vporguen@unlinfo.unl.edu (victor porguen)
Newsgroups: sci.optics
Subject: Re: Need to make a glass surface rough....
Date: 27 Dec 1992 00:03:32 GMT
Organization: University of Nebraska--Lincoln	
Distribution: world
NNTP-Posting-Host: unlinfo.unl.edu

The way to make a glass surface ROUGH is to grind it with
emery powder. Works like a charm. Use water as a lubricant
and to prevent fracture from heat generated during grinding.

Oh, you should also have some sort of lap that mates the
glass surface to be ground more or less accurately. 

Newsgroups: sci.optics
From: senguptas@woods.ulowell.edu
Subject: Optical Table Wanted
Organization: University of Lowell
Date: Mon, 21 Dec 1992 20:11:17 GMT

I am posting this for a friend:

Looking for an optical table with "air legs" with the following dimensions:

4' x 8' x 8" or 10"    or

4' x 10' x 8" or 10"     

> Mario Cazeca

P.S. A table located in Massachusetts or New Hampshire or New Hampshire would
be ideal as shipping gets to be expensive on these !
>
>
Please send messages to my e-mail address

>Sandip Sengupta
 senguptas@woods.ulowell.edu
From: srobiner@pollux.usc.edu (Steven Robiner)
Newsgroups: sci.optics
Subject: Focal Length and ANGLE of View
Date: 24 Dec 1992 14:29:09 -0800
Organization: University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA
Distribution: world
NNTP-Posting-Host: pollux.usc.edu

ould some kind soul out there explain to me the relationship
between Focal Length and Angle of View.  For example, if I have
a 35mm camera with a 55mm lens, what is the angle of the arc
describing the area of it's view.

                 /
                /
       ___     /  what is
camera | |====<) this angle?
       ---  ^  \
          lens  \
                 \           
                                    -1
I'm guessing that it might be  2*TAN   (IMAGE SIZE / Focal Length)

Is this correct, or is there another formula?

Please respond to srobiner@pollux.usc.edu as I don't normally read
this group.  Thanks in advance,

=steve=

Newsgroups: sci.optics
From: barr@tramp.Colorado.EDU (BARR DOUG)
Subject: Signalling scheme for optical ethernet (FOIRL, 10BaseF)
Organization: University of Colorado, Boulder
Date: Tue, 22 Dec 1992 16:32:20 GMT

Does anyone know what signalling scheme is used for FOIRL and/or 10BaseF?
I'm fairly certain it is on/off signalling but what are the details. I'm
also interested in finding out what multi-mode vs. single-mode fiber is
and the details on how these work. Anyone knowledgable on this?
From: rr@randg.lt.su (Remigijus Rimkevicius)
Newsgroups: sci.optics
Subject: Re: Need to make a glass surface rough ...
Date: 28 Dec 92 09:30:42 GMT
Reply-To: rr@randg.lt.su
Organization: Rimkevicius and Gintautas Company

>
> I need to make a 50 microns x 1000 microns section of glass surface
> ROUGH. I have  a mask with the required dimensions. Most etchants are
> "smooth", and I suspect the common HF based etchants are, too. Are there
> any wet chemical etchants that can be used?
> ...
> We are trying to make a low reflectivity strip on a mirror. This
> ...

How low the strip reflectivity must be?

Fast etching with HF (higly concentrated) will give rough surface, though I
think it may be difficult to controle the 50 um measure.

What I would like next to suggest are vacuum or chemical deposition of
diffusive or absorbing lyers. Or simply application of a piece of material
with useful properties using e.g. electrostatics - as a dust.

And the last - do the strip may be a scratch?

Remigijus
-- 
   R&G Co., Box 2487, 2051 Vilnius-51, Lithuania
   Ph +7-0122-626032, Ph/Fax 353560, Tlx 261240 TLG SU
   Rimkevicius@Randg.Uab.Lt
From: omori@ee.fit.edu (Ricardo Omori)
Newsgroups: sci.optics
Subject: Peltier Plate/Device
Date: 21 Dec 92 23:30:35 GMT
Organization: Florida Tech, CP/EE Dept.

Hello!

Some laser diodes use a Peltier device to control and keep a
constant temperature. 
Could anyone e-mail me information on where to contact to
purchase such device?

I would greatly appreciate if you could e-mail me at
omori@ee.fit.edu.

Thank you very much,

R. Omori
From: wellison@kuhub.cc.ukans.edu
Newsgroups: sci.optics
Subject: More HeNe's for sale !
Date: 31 Dec 92 10:31:32 CST
Organization: University of Kansas Academic Computing Services


I just got another 25 of the HeNe modules in (I asked the guy I get these from
how many he had...would you believe 450 ! ! !). Anyway, these are the same as
before. They are .8mW to 1.2mW red (632.8Nm) HeNe modules with power supply.
They run off of +12VDC at 600mA. They also have the capability of TTL control
(I.E. true when low, +5vdc off). They are new surplus from the bar code
industry. They measure 6.5"L x 2.25"H x 1.25" W. I am selling them for $45
plus $5 shipping (overseas shipping cost more :-( I noticed that the same
module is being sold by dealers like Meredith Instruments for $75 plus $10
shipping. They are rated as a Class II laser device (except for the >1mW which
is Class IIIa). If you ever wanted to play with a laser but the bucks were to
high, this is the way to go.....

-=-= Wes =-=-

(They carry a 30-warrenty as well..)
From: mancini@fysik.uu.se (Derrick C. Mancini)
Newsgroups: sci.optics
Subject: Re: Need to make a glass surface rough....
Date: 27 Dec 92 15:02:52 GMT
Followup-To: sci.optics
Organization: Fysikum, Uppsala Universitet
NNTP-Posting-Host: usx221.fysik.uu.se

In article <1hirskINNn82@crcnis1.unl.edu>, vporguen@unlinfo.unl.edu (victor
porguen) wrote:
> 
> The way to make a glass surface ROUGH is to grind it with
> emery powder. Works like a charm. Use water as a lubricant
> and to prevent fracture from heat generated during grinding.
> 
> Oh, you should also have some sort of lap that mates the
> glass surface to be ground more or less accurately. 

You can also bead-blast it with a grinding or polishing powder.  This way
you can take advantage of using the resist layer to protect surrounding
areas, which may not work with the suggestion above.  Of course care has
to be taken not to blast away the resist.

However, part of the difficulty in answering the original poster's question
is that it was not specified to what scale the glass should be "rough".  In
fact, HF etches CAN be used to "roughen" glass.  Such etches are used to
"frost" glass for decorative and industrial purposes.  The best way to do
this is using the HF vapor rather than a wet etch, or an appropriately
buffered
solution may work.  Another way to "roughen" the glass is to add something
rather than etch away.  But scale IS important here, because many methods
of
"roughening" may affect the "figure" of the surface, and I suspect the
poster
wants to maintain the figure but reduce the reflectivity.  Scratching with
diamond paste might work, too.

Just some thoughts.  Good luck.

Derrick C. Mancini
Fysiska Institutionen  -  Uppsala Universitet
Box 530  S751 21  Uppsala  Sverige
mancini@fysik.uu.se
---------------------------------------------
"Are we having fun yet?"  -  Zippy
Newsgroups: sci.optics
From: siegman@EE.Stanford.EDU (Anthony E. Siegman)
Subject: Re: Need to make a glass surface rough....
Organization: Stanford University
Date: Mon, 28 Dec 92 01:41:33 GMT

In article <yrlrk-c@lynx.unm.edu> swami@chtm.eece.unm.edu (Swami
srinivasan) writes:

>I need to make a 50 microns x 1000 microns section of glass surface
>ROUGH. I have  a mask with the required dimensions. Most etchants are

>We are trying to make a low reflectivity strip on a mirror. This 

   Would it be acceptable just to make it a V-groove (or series of
grooves), with walls at any angle other than perpendicular to the
incident light?  (Or even a curved trough, that would focus the light
out of the normally reflected beam?)


Newsgroups: sci.optics
From: wmc@photon.com (Bill Cornette)
Subject: Spectral Resolution Question
Organization: Photon Research Associates, Inc.
X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.1 PL6]
Date: Tue, 22 Dec 1992 22:23:16 GMT

	I am constructing a code that calculates atmospheric propagation
at moderate resolution (i.e., 1 cm**-1).  I have allowed the code to
degrade the resolution to a user-specified value using a triangular
function (i.e., the calculated spectral value -- transmittance, radiance -- 
is convolved with a triangular response having unit area and the full-width 
at half-maximum equal to the desired resolution).
	However, I would like to permit the use of other functions
if they are used within the community.  If you use (or know others who
use) spectral resolution functions other than triangular, I would 
appreciate it if you would e-mail me a description of the function and
any comments that you wish to make regarding its use.

Thanks.
Bill C.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
William M. Cornette         Photon Research Associates, Inc.
(619) 455-9741              9393 Towne Centre Drive, Suite 200
FAX (619) 455-0658          San Diego, California  92121
wmc@photon.com
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
T.A.N.S.T.A.A.F.L.
From: tinker@soliton.physics.arizona.edu (Frank Tinker)
Newsgroups: sci.optics
Subject: Re: Spectral Resolution Question
Date: 23 Dec 92 14:56:32 GMT
Organization: University of Arizona, Tucson AZ

In article <1992Dec22.222316.17439@photon.com> wmc@photon.com (Bill Cornette) writes:
>
>	I am constructing a code that calculates atmospheric propagation
>at moderate resolution (i.e., 1 cm**-1).  I have allowed the code to
>degrade the resolution to a user-specified value using a triangular
>function (i.e., the calculated spectral value -- transmittance, radiance -- 
>is convolved with a triangular response having unit area and the full-width 
>at half-maximum equal to the desired resolution).
>	However, I would like to permit the use of other functions
>if they are used within the community.  If you use (or know others who
>use) spectral resolution functions other than triangular, I would 
>appreciate it if you would e-mail me a description of the function and
>any comments that you wish to make regarding its use.
>
>Thanks.
>Bill C.


Don't forget the ever-popular trapezoid response function.

Frank Tinker