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Topic Review
Kelvin–Stokes Theorem
The Kelvin–Stokes theorem, named after Lord Kelvin and George Stokes, also known as the Stokes' theorem, the fundamental theorem for curls or simply the curl theorem, is a theorem in vector calculus on [math]\displaystyle{ \mathbb{R}^3 }[/math]. Given a vector field, the theorem relates the integral of the curl of the vector field over some surface, to the line integral of the vector field around the boundary of the surface. If a vector field [math]\displaystyle{ \mathbf{A} = (P(x, y, z), Q(x, y, z), R(x, y, z)) }[/math] is defined in a region with smooth oriented surface [math]\displaystyle{ \Sigma }[/math] and has first order continuous partial derivatives then: where [math]\displaystyle{ \partial \Sigma }[/math] is boundary of region with smooth surface [math]\displaystyle{ \Sigma }[/math]. The above classical Kelvin-Stokes theorem can be stated in one sentence: The line integral of a vector field over a loop is equal to the flux of its curl through the enclosed surface. The Kelvin–Stokes theorem is a special case of the "generalized Stokes' theorem." In particular, a vector field on [math]\displaystyle{ \mathbb{R}^3 }[/math] can be considered as a 1-form in which case its curl is its exterior derivative, a 2-form.
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  • 02 Nov 2022
Topic Review
Night Thoughts of a Classical Physicist
Night Thoughts of a Classical Physicist is an historical novel by historian of science Russell McCormmach, published in 1982 by Harvard University Press. Set in 1918, the book explores the world of physics in the early 20th century—including the advent of modern physics and the role of physicists in World War I—through the recollections of the fictional Viktor Jakob. Jakob is an old German physicist who spent most of his career during the period of classical physics, a paradigm being confronted by the rapid and radical developments of relativistic physics in 1900s and 1910s. This conflict allows for extensive examination of the various tensions placed on Jakob by the academic environment, the German academic system, and the changing academic culture of the early 20th century. The character of Jakob, a professor at a minor German university, is an amalgam of German physicists based on archival research by McCormmach. In the novel, he recalls interactions and events, documented in extensive footnotes to genuine publications and archival sources, involving many of the well-known physicists of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Night Thoughts, pointedly criticized for its lack of literary merit by some reviewers, was generally praised for its attempt at forging a new approach to history and historical fiction by incorporating extensive research into the text.
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Topic Review
MOST (Satellite)
The Microvariability and Oscillations of Stars telescope, better known simply as MOST, was Canada 's first space telescope. Up until nearly 10 years after its launch it was also the smallest space telescope in orbit (for which its creators nicknamed it the "Humble Space Telescope", in reference to one of the largest, the Hubble). MOST was the first spacecraft dedicated to the study of asteroseismology, subsequently followed by the now-completed CoRoT and Kepler missions. It was also the first Canadian science satellite launched since ISIS II, 32 years previously.
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Topic Review
KTHNY Theory
The KTHNY-theory describes melting of crystals in two dimensions (2D). The name is derived from the initials of the surnames of John Michael Kosterlitz, David J. Thouless, Bertrand Halperin, David R. Nelson, and A. Peter Young, who developed the theory in the 1970s. It is, beside the Ising model in 2D and the XY model in 2D, one of the few theories, which can be solved analytically and which predicts a phase transition at a temperature [math]\displaystyle{ T \gt 0 }[/math].
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Topic Review
International Space Station Maintenance
Since construction started, the International Space Station (ISS) programme has had to deal with several maintenance issues, unexpected problems and failures. These incidents have affected the assembly timeline, led to periods of reduced capabilities of the station and in some cases could have forced the crew to abandon the space station for safety reasons, had these problems not been resolved.
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  • 02 Nov 2022
Topic Review
Left-Right Asymmetry
Left-right asymmetry (LR asymmetry) refers to differences in structure (symmetry breaking) across the mediolateral (left and right) plane in animals. This plane is defined with respect to the anteroposterior and dorsoventral axes and is perpendicular to both. Because the left-right plane is not strictly an axis (as it is not established through a morphogen gradient), to create asymmetry, the left and right sides need to be patterned separately. LR asymmetry is pervasive throughout metazoans and present throughout every major lineage. Notable examples include the large and small claws of the fiddler crab, the left offset of the vertebrate heart, asymmetrical gut coiling in Drosophila melanogaster, and dextral (clockwise) and sinistral (counterclockwise) coiling of gastropods. This asymmetry can be restricted to a specific organ or feature, as in the crab claws, or be expressed throughout the entire body as in snails.
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Topic Review
Glossary of Nanotechnology
This glossary of nanotechnology is a list of definitions of terms and concepts relevant to nanotechnology, its sub-disciplines, and related fields. For more inclusive glossaries concerning related fields of science and technology, see Glossary of chemistry terms, Glossary of physics, Glossary of biology, and Glossary of engineering.
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Topic Review
Brief History of Gel Dosimetry
Advances in radiotherapy technology have significantly improved both dose conformation to tumors and the preservation of healthy tissues, achieving almost real-time feedback by means of high-precision treatments and theranostics. Therefore, developing high-performance systems capable of coping with the challenging requirements of modern ionizing radiation is a key issue to overcome the limitations of traditional dosimeters. In this regard, a deep understanding of the physicochemical basis of gel dosimetry, as one of the most promising tools for the evaluation of 3D high-spatial-resolution dose distributions, represents the starting point for developing new and innovative systems. 
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Topic Review
Reference Point Indentation
Reference Point Indentation (RPI) refers to a specialized form of indentation testing. RPI utilizes a unique method of measurement by establishing a relative reference point at the location of measurement. This unique capability makes it possible to measure materials that are in motion, oddly shaped, visco-elastic, or that may be coated or covered by another, softer material. Unlike traditional indentation testing, RPI testing uses the location of measurement as the relative displacement reference position. Indentation itself is perhaps the most commonly applied means of testing the mechanical properties of materials. The technique has its origins in the Mohs scale of mineral hardness, in which materials are ranked according to what they can scratch and are, in turn, scratched by. The characterization of solids in this way takes place on an essentially discrete scale, so much effort has been expended in order to develop techniques for evaluating material hardness over a continuous range. Hence, the adoption of the Meyer, Knoop, Brinell, Rockwell, and Vickers hardness tests. More recently (ca. 1975), nanoindentation techniques have been established as the primary tool for investigating the hardness of small volumes of material. However, even more recently (ca. 2006), interest in measuring functional roles of biomaterials drove the development of the Reference Point Indentation technique. New research in field such as biomaterials has led scientists to begin considering materials as complex systems that behave differently than the constituent parts. For example, materials like bone are hierarchical and made of many components including calcium, collagen, water, and non-collagenous proteins. Each of these components has unique material properties. When combined to form bone, the function of the tissue is different than any one constituent. Understanding this mechanical system is becoming a new field of research called Materiomics. RPI specifically aims to aid materiomics researchers understand the functional capabilities of these types of materials at a relevant length-scale.
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  • 01 Nov 2022
Topic Review
FFAG Accelerator
A Fixed-Field Alternating Gradient accelerator (FFAG) is a circular particle accelerator concept on which development was started in the early 50s, and that can be characterized by its time-independent magnetic fields (fixed-field, like in a cyclotron) and the use of strong focusing (alternating gradient, like in a synchrotron). Thus, FFAG accelerators combine the cyclotron's advantage of continuous, unpulsed operation, with the synchrotron's relatively inexpensive small magnet ring, of narrow bore. Although the development of FFAGs had not been pursued for over a decade starting from 1967, it has regained interest since the mid-1980s for usage in neutron spallation sources, as a driver for muon colliders and to accelerate muons in a neutrino factory since the mid-1990s. The revival in FFAG research has been particularly strong in Japan with the construction of several rings. This resurgence has been prompted in part by advances in RF cavities and in magnet design.
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