Near-infrared images and spectra of the night side of Venus taken at the Anglo-Australian Telescope during February 1990 reveal four new thermal emission windows at 1.10, 1.18, 1.27, and 1.31 micrometers, in addition to the previously discovered windows at 1.74 and 2.3 micrometers. Images of the Venus night side show similar bright and dark markings in all windows, but their contrast is much lower at short wavelengths. The 1.27-micrometers window includes a bright, high-altitude O2 airglow feature in addition to a thermal contribution from the deep atmosphere. Simulations of the 1.27- and 2.3 micrometers spectra indicate water vapor mixing ratios near 40 +/- 20 parts per million by volume between the surface and the cloud base. No large horizontal gradients in the water vapor mixing ratios were detected at these altitudes.
In late December 1990, a new radio source appeared near the center of our galaxy rivaling the intensity of Sgr A(*) (the compact radio source at the galactic center). Following its first detection, the flux density of the galactic center transient (GCT) increased rapidly to a maximum 1 month later, and then declined gradually with a time scale of about 3 months. Surprisingly, the GCT maintained a steep radio spectrum during both its rising and decay phases. The neutral hydrogen (HI) absorption shows similar absorption to that in front of Sgr A(*); this indicates that the GCT lies near the galactic center. Furthermore, both HI and OH observations show an additional deep absorption at +20 kilometers per second with respect to the local standard of rest. Thus, the GCT is either embedded in or located behind a molecular cloud moving with that velocity. The cloud can be seen on infrared images. Its opacity is shown to be inadequate to conceal a supernova near the galactic center. It is argued that the GCT was probably transient radio emission from synchrotron-radiating plasma associated with an x-ray binary system.
An achievable design concept for a boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) facility, based on a high-current, low-energy proton accelerator, is described. Neutrons are produced within a thick natural lithium target, under bombardment from protons with an initial energy between 2.5 and 3.0 MeV. The proton current will be up to 10 mA. After gamma-ray filtering, the neutrons are partially moderated to epithermal energies within a heavy-water moderator, poisoned with 6Li to remove thermal neutrons. Monte Carlo modelling has been used to predict system performance in terms of neutron fluence rate and neutron and gamma-ray dose at the patient position. The relationship between the system performance and key parameters, such as proton energy, moderator depth and 6Li concentration, has been investigated. With a proton current of 10 mA, the facility is capable of providing a therapy beam with a useful neutron fluence rate of 10(9) cm-2 s-1 and a neutron dose per unit fluence of less than 6 x 10(-13) Gy cm2, with a gamma-ray contamination of the therapy beam of about 10(-13) Gy cm2.
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