Visualizing science and technology across cultures

Science and technology (S&T) visuals seem remarkably alike across cultures globally. Yet, individual and cultural experiences of scientists and engineers vary before they master the tools and techniques of their disciplines, and different parts of the world have different understandings of S&T. This disparity led us to conduct a pilot study with five S&T students at New Mexico Tech. We concluded that S&T visuals vary across cultures, the variations between designs comprise a spectrum of visual-textual and textual-visual correlations, and the similarities and differences between the visuals are caused by diverse individual and contextual factors.

The Design and Fabrication of an Alternative Drive System to Reduce Heliostat Manufacturing and Installation Costs

The limited supply and environmental impact of fossil fuels has become an urgent problem. To aid in overcoming this problem a team from New Mexico Tech (NMT) is improving existing heliostat technology to create a more cost-effective and mobile heliostat design. The team has devised an innovative patent pending liquid-ballast heliostat drive system which reduces the cost of heliostat drive mechanics, utilizes a cost-effective mirror design, and eliminates an unnecessary support pedestal. By implementing this new design the team will help to create a more economically viable, clean energy source that will benefit all energy consumers as well as the environment. The team’s goal is to create a heliostat that reduces the cost of production and operation by thirty percent. In doing so, the team must also meet strict accuracy and lifetime specifications created by Sandia National Labs (SNL) and NMT. In pursuit of meeting these specifications the team is currently completing fabrication of a prototype. Using this prototype the team will evaluate drive system performance through semi-automated testing. After testing, the team will continue the design process with the ultimate goal of creating multiple improved prototypes.

The 29 June 2000 Supercell Observed during STEPS. Part II: Lightning and Charge Structure

This second part of a two-part study examines the lightning and charge structure evolution of the 29 June 2000 tornadic supercell observed during the Severe Thunderstorm Electrification and Precipitation Study (STEPS). Data from the National Lightning Detection Network and the New Mexico Tech Lightning Mapping Array (LMA) are used to quantify the total and cloud-to-ground (CG) flash rates. Additionally, the LMA data are used to infer gross charge structure and to determine the origin locations and charge regions involved in the CG flashes. The total flash rate reached nearly 300 min−1 and was well correlated with radar-inferred updraft and graupel echo volumes. Intracloud flashes accounted for 95%–100% of the total lightning activity during any given minute. Nearly 90% of the CG flashes delivered a positive charge to ground (+CGs). The charge structure during the first 20 min of this storm consisted of a midlevel negative charge overlying lower positive charge with no evidence of an upper positive charge. The charge structure in the later (severe) phase was more complex but maintained what could be roughly described as an inverted tripole, dominated by a deep midlevel (5–9 km MSL) region of positive charge. The storm produced only two CG flashes (both positive) in the first 2 h of lightning activity, both of which occurred during a brief surge in updraft and hail production. Frequent +CG flashes began nearly coincident with dramatic increases in storm updraft, hail production, total flash rate, and the formation of an F1 tornado. The +CG flashes tended to cluster in or just downwind of the heaviest precipitation, which usually contained hail. The +CG flashes all originated between 5 and 9 km MSL, centered at 6.8 km (−10°C), and tapped LMA-inferred positive charge both in the precipitation core and (more often) in weaker reflectivity extending downwind. All but one of the −CG flashes originated from >9 km MSL and tended to strike near the precipitation core.