The Square Kilometre Array will be an amazing instrument for pulsar astronomy. While the full SKA will be sensitive enough to detect all pulsars in the Galaxy visible from Earth, already with SKA1, pulsar searches will discover enough pulsars to increase the currently known population by a factor of four, no doubt including a range of amazing unknown sources. Real time processing is needed to deal with the 60 PB of pulsar search data collected per day, using a signal processing pipeline required to perform more than 10 POps. Here we present the suggested design of the pulsar search engine for the SKA and discuss challenges and solutions to the pulsar search venture.

Metal-catalyzed graphitization from vapor phase sources of carbon is now an established technique for producing few-layer graphene, a candidate material of interest for post-silicon electronics. Here we describe two alternative metal-catalyzed graphene formation processes utilizing solid phase sources of carbon. In the first, carbon is introduced as part of a cosputtered Ni-C alloy; in the second, carbon is introduced as one of the layers in an amorphous carbon (a-C)/Ni bilayer stack. We examine the quality and characteristics of the resulting graphene as a function of starting film thicknesses, Ni-C alloy composition or a-C deposition method (physical or chemical vapor deposition), and annealing conditions. We then discuss some of the competing processes playing a role in graphitic carbon formation and review recent evidence showing that the graphitic carbon in the a-C/Ni system initially forms by a metal-induced crystallization mechanism (analogous to what is seen with Al-induced crystallization of amorphous Si) rather than by the dissolution-upon-heating/precipitation-upon-cooling mechanism seen when graphene is grown by metal-catalyzed chemical vapor deposition methods.

The utilization of ashes from combustion or gasification of western U.S. coals offers many possibilities for useful products. Of the possible uses, the following have been identified in an earlier study [1] as having sufficient potential for laboratory development and testing: mineral wool, sulfur concrete, high flexural-strength ceramics, replacement of cement in concrete, and road stabilization. Three lignite-derived ash products from the Beulah, ND, site were used in the present study: fixed-bed gasification ash; a dry scrubber ash; a combination bottom ash/economizer ash from an electrical power plant, Where possible, ASTM fabrication and testing procedures were used. Mineral wool of similar physical character to commercial wool and at lower potential cost was produced using 100 percent of various western ashes. Sulfur concrete utilizing 80% ash and 20% modified sulfur developed flexural and compressive strengths in excess of 2,250 and 5,000 psi, respectively. An economically competitive vitrified ceramic product with flexural strength above 7,800 psi was produced from a mixture of 50% ash, 45% sand, and 5% clay. By using a total ash mixture of 26% gasifier ash and 74% combustion ash, a very satisfactory, economical and durable roadbed material was developed. The replacement of up to 50% of the cement in concrete with western fly ash produces economical, high strength concrete.