#Reference standard meter

[redsugarx]

Hanfu in Components: Hanfu Anatomy, Skirts & Pants (pt 3.2)

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More anatomy terminology things as promised :0000 There are lots of different kinds of skirts and pants, but in general they all wrap around your waist or chest and are secured by some kind of tie. They're usually much simpler than the tops.

裙頭/裙头/QUN2 TOU2/SKIRT HEAD

Same thing as waistband, applies to pants and skirt. We call it a “head” because it’s at the top of the garment and the body of it follows. This can vary in width depending on whether you’re looking at a standard waist-high skirt or a 訶子裙/诃子裙/he1 zi0 qun2/Hezi style skirt-dress, which has a very wide skirt head that looks more like the bodice of a strapless dress.

The horizontal length is usually made to be approximately 1.5x the waist measurement of the wearer to allow for ample overlap when wrapped around the waist. Might be called 褲頭/裤头/ku4 tou2/pants head for pants or 腰頭/腰头/yao1 tou2/waist head in general.

繫帶/系带/XI4 DAI4/RIBBON

Usually translated as a ribbon or tie, two long ribbons each attached on one end of the skirt head so that you can secure the garment around your body. Some styles will also have one long ribbon come separately from the skirt itself and instead attach loops on either side of the skirt head that the ribbon goes through, but this style is less common nowadays. Some styles will also have four small ties rather than two large ones.

孔/KONG3/HOLE

A slot made in the skirt head to pass the tie/ribbon that’s stuck on the inside through to the outside. This is a modification from the traditional cut of hanfu, but it has become so ubiquitous that it’s practically the standard now.

肩带/JIAN1 DAI4/SHOULDER STRAPS

Applies to 齊胸/齐胸/qi2 xiong1/chest-high skirts. Shoulder straps can be sewn on or removable and attached via a hook and loop.

擺/摆/BAI3/‘SWING’

Can refer to different things based on context. 下擺 Refers to the bottom hemline of the garment, with 下 meaning down/bottom. 擺 alone literally means ‘swing’ or ‘swish.’ When used alone or combined with 裙 for 裙擺, it’s referring to how much fabric has been used in the body of the skirt, measured by the stretched-out unpleated total length of the hemline. The lightest skirts have a 3-meter bai, with 4.5m and 6m also being standard.

褶/ZHE2,3/PLEAT

Fold or pleat. Almost all hanfu skirts have either 順褶/顺褶/shun4 zhe2,3/knife pleats or 工字褶/gong1 zi4 zhe2,3/box pleats. Sometimes also written as 折, which is pronounced the same way meaning 'fold,' but usually this refers to a crease in paper or the action of folding something rather than a pleat. Pronunciation caveat: zhe2 is standard in Taiwan, zhe3 is standard in China.

裙門/裙门/QUN2 MEN2/SKIRT DOOR

Applies to Ming Dynasty 馬面裙/马面裙/ma3 mian4 qun2/horse-faced skirt. Smooth unpleated face of a skirt. Similar to the 光面 of Song Dynasty baidiequn.

光面/GUANG1 MIAN4/EMPTY FACE

Applies to Song Dynasty 百迭裙/bai3 die2 qun2/hundred-layer skirt. Smooth unpleated face of a skirt. Apologies for the bad picture, this one is made of linen and the boundaries between the pleats are lowkey really hard to see x-x

破/PO4/PANEL

Applies to 破裙/po4 qun2/‘broken skirt.’ 破 means broken, colloquially; when referring to the 破 of a skirt you are referring to one of the trapezoidal or rectangular panels of the skirt.

襠/裆/DANG1/CROTCH

Crotch area of pants. Pants can usually be classified as either 開襠/开裆/kai1 dang1/open-crotch or 合襠/合裆/he2 dang1/closed-crotch.

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[whirligig-girl]

NWR No.1 and SLYM No.11513 at a dual gauge interchange just outside of the city center.

SLYM No.11513 is an Advanced Steam Locomotive native to Gymnome--a coal-burning steam engine operating at high pressure, with technological improvements to allow it to rival the efficiency and ease of use of a diesel locomotive, such as electronic controls, compound expansion of steam, a gas producer combustion system firebox, dual exhaust, and automatic firing and oiling. 11513 was built some time in the 2340s, and survives to 2381 as a museum piece.

NWR No.1 is a much older locomotive and from another planet altogether, built 1915 for the LBSC railway as a one-off prototype for a six-coupled shunter to replace the aging Terriers and to supplement the much larger E2-tanks. NWR No.1 made it to the North Western Railway not long after it was built, having been allocated there for the war effort. It is not clear how a locomotive built 465 years in the past on planet Earth made it intact to Gymnome, nor how its gauge perfectly matched Goo'iw Broad Gauge, at least not without invoking some kind of universe-spanning magic railroad, or perhaps the notion that this is all a simulation being run in some kind of virtual reality in some alien starship.

(no this isn't canon.)

Artist's notes:

Earlier today I doodled this in my sketchbook.

And when I got home i decided, hey, I have my Thomas 3D model, and I have the game model of the Advanced Steam Tank Engine... why not actually stage them together and draw them to-scale. The size difference is greater than I expected--partly I think this is because the Thomas gauge-1 prop was not designed with scale in mind, so it's bigger than British Railways loading gauge. Granted, they are at different gauges (standard gauge versus roughly meter-ish gauge), but the loading gauge on the advanced steam engine is very wide.

My first attempt at the drawing was from a very different angle:

But I quickly realized that you can't actually see the Advanced Steam Engine's wheels, and that's a major design aspect.

So i chose a different angle.

I constructed the dual gauge track before anything else.

And before long (the better part of 2 hours) I had the line art finished.

The Advanced Steam Engine ended up being a hybrid between the original illustration I did of it months ago, and the game model--with most of the geometry accurate to the game model, but with the subtler detailing of the illustrated version.

Thomas was meant to be a sort of hybrid of the Gauge 1 Prop from the TV series and a realistic loco. I prioritized the geometry and simplicity of the gauge 1 prop in most respects, but added details below the running board, in particular brake rigging, sanding gear, and these blade-like protrusions of the frames which i'm pretty sure are some kind of debris deflector, a british version of a cowcatcher. There's also snifters on the cylinder saddle, and the whistle is made of two different lengths to justify Thomas' multi-tone whistle.

The original background was going to be this marshland with (electricity-generating) windmills in the background, a callback to that first shot in the Thomas & Friends opening credits, but I hated how it felt like the middle of nowhere, so I introduced the retaining wall and an alien city scene.

British steam engines are generally given very shiny liveries which reflect the environment in interesting ways, so I made sure to do that justice, using a GWR 14xx autotank as reference.

By contrast, the Advanced Steam Tank Engine is kept in a more workwormlike condition, with a somewhat faded matte paint work and a fair amount of grime.

The original illustration of the advanced steam engine, for comparison.

Finally, a version with faces.

[askarsjustsoswedish]

GENERATION KILL - MILITARY TERMINOLOGY AND SLANG USED IN THE MINISERIES (Part 1, A-M)

// I've been reorganising my files I thought this may be useful for some GenKill fans. //

All rights HBO

For Immediate Release                                                          June 25, 2008

.50 Caliber:  the standard heavy, vehicle-mounted machine gun used by U.S. forces since World War Two; aka “Fifty cal,” “the Fifty,” “M-2” and “Ma Deuce.”

5.56 Machine Gun Rounds:  the diameter of bullets in millimeters used by US forces in all rifles and light machine guns; aka “NATO rounds.”  Distinguished from Iraq’s Soviet standard military, which uses 7.62mm rounds in their weapons.

507 Maintenance:  U.S. Army unit that took a wrong turn into Nasariyah and was ambushed.  Note: This is best known as the unit to which Jessica Lynch belonged, though the platoon will not learn of Lynch by name, or her status as the most famous U.S. prisoner of war, until Part 3.

Alpha Company:  Bravo’s sister company in First Recon Battalion, commanded by the highly popular and respected Captain Patterson, the polar opposite of Bravo’s commander “Encino Man.”

America’s Shock Troops:  a catchphrase invoking Donald Rumsfeld’s plans of a lean, stripped-down invasion force modeled after German forces of WWII.  This is a deliberate reference to the German Shock Troops, the SS, used to spearhead blitzkriegs across France and Poland.  Ferrando takes pride in knowing his battalion will be the premiere shock-troop unit of the entire Marine Corps.

Amtrac:  a loud, ungainly amphibious vehicle used to transport Marines on the ground in Iraq; also used as a mobile fighting platform.

A-O (Area of Operations):  an A-O can be as large as all of Iraq or as small as the area around a Marines encampment.

Ass:  Marine slang for any weapon system or unit that packs a lot of fire power.  “We’re rolling with a lot of ass today” means “We will be accompanied by tanks or attack helicopters today.”

Assassin:  radio call sign for First Recon’s Alpha Company.  “Assassin Actual” is Alpha’s Company Commander, Captain Patterson.

Assault Through:  primary Marine tactic when encountering a close ambush, linked to the mantra drilled into every Marine since day one of boot camp when every Marine must repeat, “I am a Marine, and every Marine is a rifleman and a rifleman’s duty is to locate, close with, and destroy the enemy by fire...”  This is, in a nutshell, the doctrine of the entire U.S. Marine Corps.

AT4 Rocket:  the ubiquitous anti-tank rocket carried by Marine ground forces.  Fired from a self-contained plastic tube about a meter long and weighing just a few kilos, it can destroy a heavy tank.  During the Iraq invasion most AT4s are fired into Iraqi homes to clear out potential enemy forces.

Atropine injector:  atropine is a chemical that counteracts certain nerve agents.  Atropine injectors are issued to troops who expect to be preparing or receiving chemical attacks, and in this instance, Iraqis.

Attriting:  to wear down; verb version of “attrition,” peculiar to the military.

B.R.C. (Basic Reconnaissance Course):  the school a Marine must attend and graduate from to become a Recon Marine; the most sought-after training course in the Corps.  Only about one percent of all Marines qualify to enter B.R.C. and half of those who enter fail to complete it.

Battalion Commander:  Lt. Colonel Stephen Ferrando, commander of the 370-man strong First Recon Battalion, call sign “Godfather.”

Beanies:  black-knitted watch caps typically worn by sailors.  A powerful status symbol; only Recon Marines are allowed to wear them within the First Division.

Belt-fed:  excited; refers to linked rounds fed through a machine gun.  Can also be used an intensifier, as in, “That guy is a belt-fed son of a bitch,” i.e., a real son of a bitch.

Blouse his boots:  to tuck pants-legs into the tops of one’s boots and keep them in place by wrapping a metal spring around the fabric just below the boot-top; part of Ferrando’s hated Grooming Standard.  Not only are the springs used in the boot blousing uncomfortable, blousing one’s boot ensures that all the ambient sand will pour directly into the wearer’s boot.

Blue Force Tracking Antenna:  an antenna for the Blue Force Tracker, a new computerized mapping system that – when it occasionally works properly – identifies the locations of all “blue,” or friendly, forces and the locations of all known “red,” or enemy. forces.  Locations of such forces across the entire Middle East are updated every 30 seconds.  Sgt. Colbert possesses one of only a handful Blue Force Trackers in the entire battalion.

Boonie Cap:  a standard issue floppy field hat, like a camouflaged version of the hat worn by Gilligan on “Gilligan’s Island”;  aka soft cover.

Bound past:  “bounding” is a specific form of maneuver favored by the Marine Corps, employed by two-man fire teams or the entire division.

Buck Fever:  too quick to identify threats; a hunting term that comes from the expression to “put buck’s horns on a doe,” i.e., seeing a valid target when there is none.

Butterfly Trigger:  a safety trigger that requires two thumbs to actuate.

C.G. (Commanding General):  always means General Mattis, Commanding General of the First Marine Division, when these Marines use the phrase.

C.O. (Commanding Officer):  usually applied to the Battalion Commander (Maj. or Lt. Col.), or less frequently the Company Commander (Capt.), but never to a Platoon Commander (Lieut.).

C.O.I., freqs covered, freqs plain:  Encryption lingo necessary to operate radios.

“Captain America”:  derisive nickname for Capt. Dave McGraw, commander of Bravo’s Third Platoon, sister platoon to the heroes in Second Platoon.  Note:  Although Captain America is a rank above Lt. Fick, as commanders of respective sister platoons they are peers with one another.

Cas-evac:  casualty evacuation; similar to the older phrase med-evac.  Cas-evac technically means an evacuation in a combat zone of a patient who has not yet been stabilized, but it’s become the cool way to say any form of medical evacuation.

“Casey Kasem”:  a mocking nickname applied to Gunnery Sgt. Ray Griego, Encino Man’s aide de camp, based on the smarmy host of the Top 40 radio show and the voice of Shaggy in the original “Scooby Doo!” cartoon series.

Charms:  brand name of a hard candy provided to U.S. troops in the meal rations, but seldom consumed due to the belief that they produce bad luck.

Cleared hot:  given permission to fire your weapon by a superior.

Cobra Gunship:  armored helicopter used only by U.S. Marines,  unique because Cobras work in extremely close proximity to Marine ground forces.

Col. Joe Dowdy:  Commander of Regimental Combat Team One, popular among his troops for his reputation of caring about their welfare.  Later relieved of his command by General Mattis for not being aggressive enough and risking his troops to achieve battlefield goals.

Command Vehicle:  Lt. Fick’s Humvee, configured like a pick-up truck with a canvas covering.

Completely outside of what First Recon does:  this battalion is trained to swim or parachute behind enemy lines, not to drive into attacks in Humvees.  Their motto is “Swift Silent Deadly.”

Condition One:  a verb that means to put one’s weapon on red con one; rack a round into your chamber.

Contact:  a visual or physical encounter with enemy forces, said when you either see them or they start shooting at you.

Cyclone:  fierce swirls of dust common to Iraq, which dance across landscape and in some cases will collide with a person, tent or vehicle.  They range in height from a few meters to several hundred meters; aka dust devils.

D.C.U. (Desert Camouflage Uniform):  any field garment with desert camouflage.

DASC and DASC-A:  Direct Air Support Communications headquarters, with one based on the ground and one based in an AWACs plane.

Deck:  keeping with their nautical tradition, anything Marines stand on is the deck, be it on a ship, the desert or the floor of a tent.

Delta Company:  a company of reservist Recon Marines expected to be attached to First Recon Battalion.  Delta will prove to be a bunch of under-trained, overzealous, poorly equipped cops-on-leave and office guys who know nothing about war.

Deuce Gear:  a web of straps and hooks worn as an outer garment, to which one affixes extra gear such as ammo packs and canteens; aka Load Bearing Vest or L.B.V.

Devil Dog:  a Marine.

Dip:  smokeless tobacco used by American fighting forces; a dip is a quantity of tobacco placed between one’s lips and gums.  To dip is the habit of consuming smokeless tobacco.

Donkey Dicks:  venerable Marine Corps term for a variety of phallic-shaped implements from engine hoses, to gas can funnels, to cleaning brushes for large mortar tubes.

“Echo Four Lima”:  refers to Corporal Lilley, whose pay-grade is “E-4” and whose last name begins with “L.”  In radio code phonetics, he becomes “Echo Four Lima.”  Sergeant Colbert, whose pay grade is “E-5,” would become “Echo Five Charlie” over the radio.

“Encino Man”:  Captain Craig Schwetje, Commander of Bravo Company, Lt. Fick’s immediate superior officer; the nickname is a reference to the dim-witted Neanderthal hero of the film “Encino Man.”  This Encino Man is a former football star, none too bright, with an ape-like face:  he is also referred to in phonetic alphabet code, in which “Encino Man” is changed to “Echo Mike.”

Enlisted Tent: Area where privates through to sergeants sleep.  The senior non-commissioned officers such as Staff Sergeants, Gunnery Sergeants, Master Sergeants and the Sergeant Major are technically of the enlisted ranks, and occupy an elite position somewhere between sergeants and officers.

Ephedra:  over-the-counter diet pills, now banned by Marines as a speed-like stimulant.

E-tool:  a collapsible shovel carried by all Marines; short for “Excavation-tool.”

F.O.:  Forward Observer; anyone spotting targets for Iraqi or insurgent forces.

Fedayeen:  a Baathist paramilitary unit trained in guerrilla tactics and established by Saddam Hussein’s son in the 1990s to infiltrate and terrorize the Shia populace, but in the current conflict, arrayed against the American invasion, they are also referred to generically as “insurgents.”

Fiddies:  fifties, i.e., .50 cal. machine guns; former ghetto car repo man Espera uses the gangsta counting system in which “fiddie” equals 50, a “buck” or a “hundo” equals a hundred, a “deuce” equals either two or two-hundred, a “grand” equals a thousand, etc.

Flak jacket:  a heavy yet flexible shrapnel-resistant vest.

Foot-mobile:  a person on foot.

Forty Mike-Mike:  40 millimeter; refers to either an individual 40mm self-propelled grenade round or the weapon that launches them, such as the M-19.

Foshizzle…Hajizzle:  a goof on Snoop Dogg’s hip-hop lingo to mean “for sure” and “Haji.”

Free-balling:  not wearing underpants.

Fucking Sixta:  Sgt. Maj. John Sixta, Sergeant Major for this battalion;  aka “The Fucking Retard,” “Mister Potato Head,” “The Coward of Khafji.”  His role and actions both dictate that he is despised by enlisted men.

Get some:  to “get some” means to do any thing really cool like run a fast mile or kill someone.  [Mo here: I’ve removed one extremely graphic sentence here, which basically says that the term can also apply to sexual conquest.] [O]ften used as an exclamation or cheer.  Latino Marines use the Spanish “Chingaso” and whites have adopted it, so “Get some!” and “Chingaso!” are interchangeable.

Godfather:  call sign of Lt. Col. Ferrando, as well as his battalion.  Ferrando earned the call sign because his vocal chords were removed after a bout with cancer, causing him to speak like Marlon Brando in the noted film.  Note:  Godfather often speaks of himself in the third person:  instead of saying, “I think…,” he will say, “Godfather thinks…”

Grape Beverage Base:  grape juice powder; the name printed on the packaging in the military rations.  Used by Marines rather than the more familiar civilian term.

The Grooming Standard:  not to be confused with Marine Corps standard grooming regulations, the Grooming Standard is Battalion Commander Ferrando’s much more exacting dress and grooming code for those who serve under him.

 G-Shock Wristwatch:  the popular xtreme sports watch, as essential to Marine fashion as Oakley sunglasses.

H & S Company:  the Headquarters and Supply company.  More than half the 370 men in the battalion belong to H & S, responsible for supporting the “line companies” or combat units, made up of Alpha, Bravo and Charlie Companies.

Habudabi:  a nickname for Arabs.

Haji:   an Iraqi or Arab or Muslim of any ethnicity, from the Arabic “Haji,” which is the honorific term for anyone who has made the trip to Mecca, the Haj.  Most Americans who use the term Haji are probably not referring to that pilgrimage, but to the once-popular children’s cartoon show “Johnny Quest,” in which the white boy hero’s turban-wearing sidekick was named Haji.  Not necessarily a pejorative term, Haji may be used as an adjective to describe anything Middle Eastern, e.g., Iraq’s customary flat bread is referred to as “Haji bread” or “Haji tortillas.”

Hardball:  paved road, as opposed to unpaved.

Herringbone:  to halt a convoy of vehicles at a 45-degree angle to the axis of a highway, much like the pattern of fishbones.  Herringbone can be used as a noun or verb.

Hitman Two:  “Hitman” is the radio call sign for Bravo Company and “Two” refers to second platoon, one of three platoons in the company.  “Hitman” can refer to the actual company commander of Bravo or the company itself.  All units have call-signs, rather like official nicknames, which are used in radio communications.  For example, General Mattis, commander of all Marine ground forces in Iraq, is “Chaos.”

Hitman Two One Actual:  Bravo Company’s Second Platoon Team One Leader, Sergeant Colbert.  While “Hitman Two One” refers to the entire team, “Actual” means the actual commander.  “Hitman Two” refers to all of Bravo Second Platoon, but “Hitman Two Actual” is the platoon commander, Lt. Fick.  In addition, “The Actual,” or commander, is also referred to as “The Zero.”

“I glassed it:”  “I viewed the object through binoculars or a rifle scope.”

“I got your six”:  “I’ve got your back”; from the clock point in which the hour of six is at the bottom of the dial, if you were oriented toward the 12 hour.  “On your three” would indicate something or someone on your immediate right.  “On your four” would indicate something or something on your right and slightly behind you.

I.A. (Immediate Action):  whatever you train to do when the shit hits the fan.

Javelin Team:  two Marines who carry and operate a powerful anti-tank missile called a “Javelin.”

K-bar:  a knife carried by Marines.

Kevlar:  a helmet; while civilians know Kevlar as the brand-name of a bullet resistant material, Marines refer to their Kevlar helmets simply as Kevlars.  Note:  Even though flak jackets are also made of Kevlar, they are never referred to as such.

Kill Zone, Kill Box:  the area where the enemy hopes to direct, channel and trap you in order to kill you, or where you hope to do the same to him.

L.A.V.’s (Light Armored Vehicle):  used only by the Marine Corps;  amphibious, eight-wheeled machines that look like upside-down bathtubs painted black.

L.O.D. (Line of Departure):  the border between Kuwait and Iraq.

Leatherman:  the all-in-one pliers, screwdriver and knife tool carried by Marines.

The L.T.:  nickname for a Lieutenant.  Note:  A specific lieutenant or other commanding officer is often also referred to as “The Sir.”

M.R.E.:  Meal Ready to Eat; standard military fare, food manufactured a decade ago and served as a complete, self-heating meal in a plastic bag.

M.S.R. Eight:  Main Supply Route Eight; any paved road is typically referred to as an “M.S.R.”

M.S.R. Tampa:  Main Supply Route Tampa.  Not only are roads designated M.S.R.s,  but American military planners have also given them names that will be easier for U.S. troops to pronounce than Arabic ones.

M-19:  a heavy, vehicle-mounted machine gun that fires armor-penetrating grenades instead of bullets; AKA MK-19, Mark-19, and Forty Mike-Mike.

M-249 SAW:  hand-held or bipod-mountable machine gun common to U.S. forces.  “SAW” stands for Squad Automatic Weapon and fires at a rate of 750 rounds per minute.  Notoriously easy to discharge by accident, hence Marine folklore:  “The SAW’s got a mind of its own, it wants to kill a motherfucker.”

M-4:  rifle carried by most recon Marines; similar to the standard U.S.-military M-16, but with a shortened barrel and collapsible stock.  Note:  Officers and POGs carry M-16s.  (2-3)

M-40:  standard, bolt action Marine sniper rifle.

Mathilda:  Northern Kuwait camp where these Marines stayed, with about 5,000 others, in the weeks before the invasion.

MOPP:  a nuclear, biological chemical protection suit; stands for Mission Oriented Protective Posture.  Can be an adjective, as in “we were MOPPED-up,” or “wearing our MOPP suits.”

Moto:  from motivational, anything that expresses the highly-motivated spirit of Marines.  Shouting “Get Some!” is a moto thing to do.  Moto films are the small movies and slide shows Marines make documenting the crazy things they see in this war.

Mud:  the white supremacist term for a non-white individual.

[nobody-nexus]

❌ANALOG AU MASTERPOST!❌

-Analog AU is a Digital Circus AU where it takes place in the year of 2003 and a woman named Paloma Shutnik finds a bunch of notebooks and VHS tapes within a local thrift shop that was in her city, so she decided to buy them for her collection. However, little did she know that finding these would result in her learning more about the world then what she was prepared for-

CW: This AU will content blood, gore, death, torture, cosmic horror, body horror, scopophobia, and other similar elements. Be warned!

(Under the keep reading are the designs, and general information!)

Entities: The names of the creatures that are beyond normal human standards. From tendrils controlling old machinery, to wraith chess pieces, these creatures aren't the normal for life on Earth. Within Abel's notes, there's a total of four different types of Entities to encounter:

Of course, the entities are always taller then the average human. The normal height is about 2.1 to 2.4 meters (7 to 8 feet tall), and the tallest ever recorded was 9.7 meters (32 feet) from end to end

================================================

(The blank for the reference sheet)

The text font I use for this AU is the Chiller Font ^^

And, of course, some answers to potential questions:

(The Influencer originally belongs to @ask-the-rag-dolly)

I hope you enjoy this AU- cause oh god it took me SO LONG to remaster this. This is one of the AUs I wanna see people enjoy the most cause I have a special place in my heart for this kinda stuff. If you've made it to the end, I hope you have a fantastic day ^^

[samaelzdraws]

Transmechanicus Biologis Study Log #726//Expunged

Magos Xanthor Vell, Formerly of Ryza Forge - Log Date: 943.M41

Location: Designation Nullius-57, Segmentum Obscurus

“Knowledge, even forbidden, cannot be unwitnessed.”

Subject: Xenobiological Study of Orkoid Symbiosis with Alien Fungal Organism: Golden Cordycep and Host Species “Gargantuan Hammerfist Champignat”

Status Note: This record is no longer recognized by the Mechanicus due to the heretical nature of my affection for the greenskin xenos. I continue my studies in exile, sustained by the machine-logic of truth and the song of biological revelation. Praise the Omnissiah, even if He no longer hears me.

INITIAL DISCOVERY

Upon my fifth solar cycle surveying Nullius-57—a geothermically volatile world rife with fungal ecologies and Orkoid spore-nodes—I came across a remarkable insectoid entity. The local feral Ork population (primitive even by greenskin standards) referred to this beast as “Hammer-Hands-Big-Bug.” My own designation, however, is the Gargantuan Hammerfist Champignat.

Vital statistics:

• Height: Approximately 6 meters at rest (measured dorsally)

• Length: ~25 meters from anterior claw-socket to abdominal tip

• Locomotion: Octopedal with significant muscle mass in posterior three pairs of legs—capable of near-sonic percussion via specialized forelimb mandibles

• Diet: Primarily fungivorous; secondary carnivorous behavior observed against smaller insectoid competition

The Hammerfist’s mandibles exhibit convergent morphology with Terran Odontodactylus scyllarus (mantis shrimp), able to deliver percussive strikes potent enough to shatter basalt. On three occasions I recorded the creatures engaging in territorial duels—sonic vibrations from the impact alone rendered smaller fauna comatose. A marvel of biomechanical design.

THE GOLDEN CORDYCEP

During a dissection of a deceased specimen (likely deceased due to fungal overgrowth from local sporepits), I noticed a peculiar golden-hued fungal growth adorning the abdominal chitin, clustered near soft tissue seams and around neural ganglia.

At first I assumed Cordycep sp. parasitica, given the obvious fungal infiltration. However, tissue scans revealed a non-destructive relationship: mycoproteins were reinforcing torn muscle fiber and emitting localized biochemical signals promoting regeneration.

Subsequent histological assays and auspex-readings confirmed: this is no parasitism. It is symbiosis. The fungus integrates with the host’s immune response, stimulating cell mitosis and supplying metabolic resources drawn from its own photosynthetic conversion and fungal substrate digestion.

I designate this species: Mycocladium aureum symbiotica.

FERALS AND FUNGUS

The true revelation came when I observed the feral Orks interacting with the Hammerfist carcass. A group of five, evidently local hunters, approached the deceased creature. One of them—massive even by Ork standards—was grievously wounded. The entire right hemisphere of his face had been sheared away, likely by a hammerfist blow.

Without ceremony, the Ork scooped the golden mold with his crude bone-dagger and slathered it directly into the wound. I recorded every detail:

• Within eight hours, the bleeding had ceased.

• By thirty-six hours, rudimentary tissue regrowth was visible—ruddy green with streaks of golden fungal weave.

• In three days, the Ork had returned to hunting, now sporting a partial fungal exo-plate over the affected region.

The Orks believe the fungus is a form of divine ichor, a gift from Gork (or possibly Mork). Some wear its dried form as ritual armor or chew it during rites of battle-healing. Crude. Inefficient. And yet… functional.

CLOSING THOUGHTS

I remain in exile. But I am not alone. The Orks tolerate me—barely. Some call me “Squig-brain-with-light(glowing)-eyes.” I take it as a term of endearment.

My laboratory is mobile. My data is redundant across twelve cortical backups. One day, perhaps, the Imperium will learn to see past its fear. Until then, I watch. I record. I learn.

And when the Hammer-Hands-Big-Bugs thunder through the canyons, I listen. For in the rhythm of their strike lies a pattern.

I am getting more and more accustomed to this new lifestyle

[coopster3d]

Meet The Reverend! [TF2 10th class OC]

Character Description:

The Reverend is a religious fanatic hailing from Southern Italy, where he was raised in a commune by a group of reclusive nuns. Where, according to him, he was taught the basic necessary skills for life, which include but are not limited to: Small sword combat, butchering, and Ecclesiastical Latin. It is unknown how exactly he was ordained as his denomination remains unclear. He often fails to mention that throughout his travels, he's made some adjustments to the standard Bible, adding his own footnotes, amendments, and even on occasion, pages which he believes are the true gospel, taken from a multitude of other religions, leading to a mishmash of ideals and beliefs full of unexplained rituals. Within the team The Reverend plays a heavily supportive role, serving initially as on-base staff in the form of a “Therapist” to the Mercs, which unfortunately or not, was not clearly conveyed leading to a sacrificial killing in the Intelligence Room. Now, he is a full time member of the Mercenary team!

Character references:

Character Loadout:

Primary: Thurible/Censer

A golden lantern, which, when held, creates an aura around The Reverend. Teammates in range, when damaged, contribute to a shield meter. When full, the user can activate a direction shield [stylized as a building mist which hardens into a thin shield the size of three heavys stood shoulder to shoulder] that protects against projectile damage and protects The Reverend from "Hell-fire" [Pyro's flames] while active. In order to use this effectively, The Reverend has to directly put himself in front of the front line, only properly using this shield when putting himself in a direct line of fire beforehand. When not activating his shield, The Reverend uses his lantern similar to that of a flail, creating a mid ranged weapon which is used to protect himself and others in a select radius around him.

Secondary: The “Mercy Kill” Dagger

Modeled after a sword used in early battles to put soldiers who were suffering grave injuries out of their misery in a quick and efficient way, The Reverend uses it similar to The Medic's Ubersaw. Instead of contributing to the lanterns meter, it instead contributes to its own meter, which, when full, can be used to activate The Reverend's "Dying Wish." [Inspired by Priests being seen as undertakers, guiding souls to heaven or otherwise while on their deathbed.] When used, The Reverend can target a specific teammate under half-health and for a short time grants the target guaranteed Crits, but does not heal the target, nor protect them from any damage type other than the one the target themselves is dealing. [I.e. Heavy receives a buff against bullets, Pyro-fire, and Demo- explosives]

Melee: Bible/Rosary

The Reverend is against the use of guns and prefers to get up close and personal with his damage dealing. [Used as an excuse to personally "send people off" to the next life while praying for their soul.] He either uses his Bible to bludgeon his victims or, on occasion, wraps his Rosary around his knuckles to boost his hand-to-hand damage.

Support Slot: Holy Water Mister

Modeled after a garden mister used for plants, the bottle is instead filled with Holy Water blessed by The Reverend himself. Mechanically used to rid teammates of ailments, such as Jarate, Pyro's Fire, and works to undisguise enemy Spies. [This also has an ammo limit similar to Pyro's flamethrower]

Extra Links!

Below is the link to his Toyhouse! This will have all updated information and a gallery with completed credits, details, ect.

Honestly, take your time getting to him, and if you need the document link, I'm more than happy to provide it, but I'm proud of the Toyhouse. All of the drop downs and buttons work, so feel free to look around when you get the time.

FOR TUMBLR: Check the #the Reverend tf2 tag on my profile

LINK TO THE PAGE: https://toyhou.se/26605018.the-reverend

[bethanythebogwitch]

All of my recent Wet Beast Wednesday posts have been about relatively small animals, so this time let's go big. This week's topic is on the sperm whale, a winner of multiple size-based records, including being the largest toothed predator and largest of the toothed whales. These absolute units are known for their famous rivalry with giant squid and their history with the whaling industry.

(image id: a mother sperm whale and her calf. They are both large, long, grey animals with squarish heads. The calf is behind the mother and about half the size. The calf also appears to have multiple remoras attached to it)

First of all, why is it called a sperm whale? When I started researching for this post, I thought it must be a quirk of translation or a word that changed meaning over time and surely couldn't be named after THAT sperm, right? Well, I'm sad to say that's not the case. It really is the cum whale. More specifically, it is named after spermaceti, a substance inside the whale's head, that was believed to be semen. Spermaceti even translates to "whale semen". Yeah I'm not happy about that either. Sperm whales are also called chacalots and nobody really knows why. There are suggestions that it comes from old French words for "big teeth" or the vulgar Latin word for a sword hilt. At least it's not sperm this time. Its scientific name is Physeter macrocephalus, which means "blowhole big head", which is also fortunately lacking in references to sperm.

(image id: a sperm whale seen from the font and left. It is just under the surface of the water, with the tip of its snout touching the surface.)

Sperm whales are big even by whale standards, though there are still baleen whales that are bigger. In an extreme example of sexual dimporhism, males can be 30 - 50% larger and three times as heavy as females. An average adult male reaches an average of 16 meters (52 ft) and 45000 kg (100000 lbs) while females reach an average size of 11 meters (36 ft) and 15000 kg (34000 lbs). The average sizes of sperm whales has decreased since record were first kept. This is likely a result of the largest individuals being targeted heavily by whalers, resulting in only the smaller animals being able to pass on their genes. Some recent studies suggest that trend may be beginning to reverse itself now that the animals are no longer actively hunted.

(image: two sperm whales seen from above. They are at the surface of the water, with their backs avome the surface. One of them is releasing a spout of water vapor from its blowhole)

Possibly the most notable feature of a sperm whale is that giant, square head. Cetacean heads contain melons, organs filled with oily or fatty tissue that are used in echolocation. Unlike other cetaceans, the sperm whale has two such organs: the spermaceti organ and the junk, the latter of which is analogous to the melons of other whales. The spermaceti organ is a sac filled with the spermaceti, a waxy substance composed largely of wax esters. Harvesting of the spermaceti was the main reason sperm whales were hunted as it could be used for lubrication and as candles and lamp oil. Spermaceti is liquid when within the whale and solidifies at around 30 degrees C. A single whale can hold up to 1,900 liters of spermaceti. An air tube runs through the head and ends in a pair of phonic lips (the sperm whale has a single pair while all other toothed whales have two pairs). The lips produce the clicks used in echolocation and that sound travels through the spermaceti and reflects off another organ called the frontal sac, which acts as a sound mirror. Think those satellite dishes that you can whisper into and people standing way away from you can hear it. The frontal sac reflects most of the sound through the junk, which amplified it further. The sound that does not go to the junk is reflected back and forward through the spermaceti organ to create multiple clicks with each vocalization. The spermaceti organ and junk amplify the sound of the clicks to such an extent that the sperm whale is the loudest animal on earth, capable of making 230 decibel clicks. That's louder than a jet engine at takeoff. Side note, why is a jet engine the default comparison for loud things? In addition to echolocation, sperm whales also use vocalizations to communicate with each other. Types of vocalizations are learned from parents, creating multiple distinct "dialects" of sperm whale sound. The Spermaceti organ and junk are also believed to add protective padding to the head. One hypothesis says that the spermaceti is also used in buoyancy regulation. The idea is that before a dive, the whale would pump cold water through tis head, cooling and solidifying the spermaceti to reduce buoyancy. Then on the dive, body heat and heat transfer would melt the spermaceti again, increasing buoyancy for the trip back to the surface. This hypothesis is considered poor due to a lack of evidence and the fact that solidifying the spermaceti would impede echolocation right when the whale would need it the most.

(image id: a diagram showing a side cross-section of a sperm whale's head. Most of the head is taken up by the spermaceti organ (top) and junk (below). Below the junk are the upper and lower jaw bones)

Sperm whales are master divers. They hunt in the deep ocean and of all marine mammals, only the elephant seal and Cuvier's beaked whale dive deeper. Their dives can reach up to 2,250 meters (7,382 ft) deep and can stay underwater for up to 2 hours, though most dives last around 45 minutes. To accommodate for such deep dives, special adaptations are needed. Their lungs can collapse under the pressure and their ribcages will close to protect them. The lung collapse reduced excess nitrogen intake (which can lead to nitrogen narcosis) and they can slow their metabolisms to reduce oxygen usage. Their muscles contain more myoglobin (which stores oxygen) and they more red blood cells than most animals. When oxygen levels get low, they can redirect blood flow to the brain and other essential systems. Their eyes are the largest of all toothed whales and they have good vision and sensitivity to light, helping them see in the deep ocean. Their jaws are also adapted to hunt their prey. The jaw is very skinny and has teeth only on the lower mandible. The teeth grow rings like trees, allowing them to be used to age whales. The teeth do not seem to be essential for feeding as toothless whales have been found still well-fed. They are carnivores who feed primarily on squid but will also eat octopi, bony and cartilaginous fish, and salps. While sperm whales are famous for eating giant squid, most of their diet is composed of medium-sized squid weighing between 12 and 650 grams (0.026 and 1.43 lbs). We do know they eat giant and colossal squid both from finding squid beaks in the stomachs of beached specimens and from the scars left by the suckers and hooks of the squid on the whales' skin. While classic depictions of the hunts depicted a titanic struggle between two equals, with the squid eating the whales just as the whales ate the squid. Now its believed that the fights are entirely one-sided with the whales winning the vast majority of encounters. Tagging has shown that the whales swim upside-down as they hunt. They are likely looking for the silhouettes of prey against the surface or for bioluminescence. They also hunt with echolocation. While it has been suggested that their sonar clicks are powerful enough to stun prey, recent research has show this is likely not the case. Sperm whales eat about 3% of their body weight every day. Sperm whales, as well as other deep-diving predators, help circulate nutrients in the ocean. They consume nutrients in the deep ocean, then defecate in surface waters, releasing those nutrients where they can fertilize plankton. This also helps carbon sequestration as phytoplankton fertilized by the feces remove carbon from the atmosphere and carry it to the deep sea when they die. It is calculated that whaling in the Southern Ocean resulted in a release of 2 million tonnes of carbon into the atmosphere each year.

(image id: a pod of sperm whaled beginning their descent into the deep sea. There are 8 individuals, three of which remain parallel to the surface of the water. The rest and aimed downward)

Like other cetaceans, sperm whales are social animals. Females and juveniles live in groups called pods while adult males live outside the pods either alone or in small groups of other bachelors. Sperm whales who live together do so in groups called social units that are often, but not always, the same as their pod. Leaving and joining social groups is rare, leaving their membership very stable. When socializing, sperm whales use unique patterns of clicks called codas. It was formerly thought that codas were used as names, not it is now known that whales will use multiple codas. They also spend time nuzzling each other. They are also believed to use group hunting tactics to herd prey. The only predator of adult sperm whales is the orca, and they prefer to target calves or weaker adults. Orca pods will attack sperm whale pods to try to isolate a vulnerable member. Pod members will protect these vulnerable members by circling them, usually facing tail-out. The tails are capable of delivering powerful blows that could kill an attacking orca. This formation is called a marguerite formation. Lone males may come to the defense of a nearby pod under attack. On some occasions, sperm whales will swim alongside other cetations and there is a recorded instance of a pod adopting a bottlenose dolphin with a spinal deformity for unknown reasons. Sperm whales sleep together, suspended vertically just under the surface. While most cetaceans only sleep half of their brain at a time, it is possible that sperm whales can sleep their entire brain at once.

(image id: a pod of sperm whales sleeping. There are six positioned vertically in the water, with their head facing up. A seventh members remains horizontal and appears to be awake)

An individual whale can live for up to 70 years. Females reach sexual maturity at age 9 and bear a single calf at a time. The calf will nurse for an average of 19 - 42 months, but sometimes significantly longer. Sperm whale milk is extremely fatty, consisting of 36% fat (compare to 6% fat in cow milk) and has a texture like cream cheese. This high fat content helps the juvenile develop its blubber and its thickness keeps it from dissolving the the water. While giving birth, a mother will be protected by other members of her pod. After birth, other pod members sometimes jostle and bite the newborn. Most females give birth every 4 to 20 years and these rates were higher during the peak of whaling years. Females seems to become infertile in their 40s. Older, post-fertile females will lead the pods and provide assistance to younger mothers. Males provide no parental care. A male will mate with multiple females and they do fight each other for dominance and access to mates, but do not form harems. Fights seem to involve ramming each other and biting.

(image id: a sperm whale calf nursing. The mother is positioned vertically and her front half extends beyond the picture's frame. The calf is suckling at her side near the ventral surface. A cloud of white milk is around its mouth)

Like other whales, sperm whales were highly affected by whaling. While the spermaceti was the main target of whalers, they were also hunted for their blubber, teeth, and ambergris. Ambergris is a substance that forms in the intestines in response to irritants. The sperm whale can't digest the squid beaks and while it can vomit out a lot of them, some pass into the intestines. To prevent the sharp beaks form damaging the intestines (which can reach 300 meters/948 ft long and are the longest of any animal), the bile duct secretes the ambergris to surround the beak and ease its passage. It can be considered analogous to an oyster forming a pearl around a grain of sand. Ambergris is a think, waxy substance known for its extremely pungent, fecal smell. It was famously used as a fixative in perfume recipes and was therefore incredibly valuable. Now that whaling is much rarer, most ambergris is found when it floats to shore and perfume companies have switched over to artificial fixatives. The teeth were used for their ivory and were often carved into ornamental pieces called scrimshaw. Sperm whales were notable for their ability to fight back against the whalers, often by ramming the boats. At least a few whaling ships were sunken by their would-be targets. Famously the sinking of the whaling ship Essex inspired the writing of the novel Moby Dick. Large whales, including sperm whales, were nearly driven to extinction by whaling. The International Whaling Commission gave the species legal protection in 1985, though Japan still hunts them and has caught an reported 51 individuals since 2000.The peak of sperm whaling happened in the 1960s, causing the population to drop dangerously low. Since then, the population has been recovering and is currently estimated to be in the hundreds of thousands. Sperm whales have recovered from whaling better than many other species and are classified as vulnerable by the IUCN. Threats include illegal whaling, global climate change, and noise from ships that appears to increase beaching numbers.

(image id: a chunk of ambergris. It is an irregular object with multiple lumps. It is a pale orange color. Part of a squid beak is visible at the side, appearing as a smooth surface with a dark orange color)

jizz whale

[machine-saint]

magic system where the heat spell translates roughly like

bind-to-slot-1 select-particles(radius(5 meter, translation(20 meter, perceptual axis, cast-center))

forall slot-1 in-reference-frame(slot-1 center, set-velocity(velocity * 1.5))

where of course "meter" is actually shorthand binding for "782661 fundamental units", part of the standard global scope any working mage keeps around

[no-future-mudwasps]

Local_Storage_Only: Objectives

{content warning: SSC-typical creepy eugenics-ish shit, dehumanization, some level of internalized and medical/instututional ableism. Dead dove, don't read unless you're prepared.}

Caoise Natter thinks her callsign is pretty darn clever.

Blue-Lack. The opposite of the sky. It makes sense for a combat operation that tends to go underground, right? But there’s more than just the one meaning, she has fucking layers. Symbology and shit.

Layer two: Unseen. Lack of sky means lack of light. If Cowie doesn’t want you to know where she is, you don’t get to know. The feeling of holding stealth as she closes the distance to a target, of sensor sweeps passing over her like the oblivious eyes of a horror movie redshirt— waiting for the ‘who’s there?’ before the big scare. It’s something she’s endlessly proud of. Even as a kid she would balance on high slopes around her house, perch and wait for Marten to wander by, searching; and she would plunge and they’d go howling down and pull and scratch at one another. Now imagine that in full chassis, not seven meters from someone actively looking to kill you? That’s skill, and Cowie has it in spades.

Then there’s the third layer.

Caoise’s finger drags through a wall of text displayed on her slate. The screen bathes her in the dimmest grayish-green light, set to a perpetual dark mode— carvings on smooth antigorite. It’s easier on the eyes. The SSC files are… so, so endlessly dense, and if this was any less personal she’d probably ask Lou or Aggie to give her the summary. The endless codes and official names make her vision dance, but slowly, slowly, she pieces together what she can through what she knows.

‘SGO OBJECTIVES:’ okay, sure sure, maybe that’s like a mission statement or something? ‘Subject’— yeah, so Subject Genetic something— ‘Subject markers consistent with Bonhyangi haplogroup FND. Variance WRT mitochondrial Eve horizon: >50’— No clue, but it says smaller-than, so maybe she’s like. Really really genetically Bohnyangi? Yeah, yeah! Okay, the little mad scientists kept writing: ‘Subject initially presents high potential for extrapolatory measures given continued reticence of POI to supply haplic materiel.’

Wait, oops, did she give away super special genes or something? She squints, brow furrowing. Maybe she should've asked for a sweeter deal. Still, maybe there’s some juicy stuff further down. She scrolls along, trying to glaze past the most opaque bits without missing anything. Test results fly by, keywords she recognizes as belonging to the chassis retrofit, some dates she remembers checking in with Concierge. There's field performance logs, vitals tracking-- despite the borderline creepy level of detail within, she finds herself smiling here and there. ‘Early results of field testing MPI "AFFINITY" promising. Ancillary nervous system interaction shows inductive endlag comparable to standard neural mesh; proposition for sidegrade research for implementation in primary BLOODLINE systems.’ Aha!! She's been pushing the field! Who needs cortex plugs or a single, glowing weakpoint on their design, when your whole body acts as the controls, right? Good job, Cowie.

Granted, the text goes on past here, so back to scrollin-- But the text stops speeding upwards and off the slate with just a single swipe. Beneath a flurry of test-log references, Caoise finds her eyes landing on a small paragraph of text:

‘...While SGO Objectives initially appeared promising, it is the opinion of AFFINITY medical attending that too many drawbacks exist to continue to focus research initiatives. Close-group embryonic testing of Subject genetic material with viable modulation and a brevity period of >2 generations shows very high/intransigent propensity of progressive hypersthesia; photophobia; Dravet syndrome; neruoinduction agonistic. SGO Objectives are concluded to be therefore unreasonable and further efforts to acquire fit Bohnyangi haplic materiel are encouraged.’

‘Further efforts to refine AFFINITY systems are to thus be discontinued and rolled into extant BLOODLINE research; standalone, the system is not projected to be scalable without some form of neuroinduction. In accordance with USB Medical Assurance Measure 1263.09.B, continued maintenance of Subject systems, wellbeing, etc, to be continued in perpetuity by qualified general personnel.’

Caoise doesn't move, eyes locked on the dark screen. Her mind works through the words, and something in her quietly steps back.

The third layer is humor; it's funny, isn't it? Because wasps are supposed to be able to fly, and her wings are clipped.

[riabunn]

weirdcore tower au characters part 2! 👁️🗼

THIS TOOK ME 6 HOURS ACCORDING TO IBISPAINT SO IMMA JUST STOP THERE

also yeah… i’ve gone way too far with the designs that they’re basically straight up OCs at this point I AM SORRY XD but you should already tell who they are supposed to be judging by their appearance and personalities. anyways without further ado here’s extended info about them

Mushroom Man (He/They) has the same personality and strength as pepperman, except he is a stitcher. he has excellent sewing skills, so excellent that he can craft anything such as clothes, costumes and fabrics quickly. they also utilize anything they sew as means of attack, for example they can bring out a cloak to trick their opponent and trap them like a bullfighter does

Bebe Bleu (He/Him) is a sparkleslime two-way baseball player who is the most notorious of his kind, and also regarded as the greatest baseball player in the tower. he wants to be silly, but he’s forced to be serious in the stadium. he’s got two modes, his natural silliness, and being serious just like the vigilante. he’s inspired by the batter from the game called “OFF,” big cheeses in PT, and the scrapped cheeseslime attack where they use a baseball bat when the scrapped heat meter is filled during PT development

The Giggler (He/Him) is an absolute gremlin who is a crazy ass man that messes around with people for shits and giggles. he giggles a freaking lot. also he is THE Giggler, he is THE greatest out there, saying “The” is absolutely required when referring to him, or he will rip you to shreds! he plays pranks, but he goes overboard A LOT, he’s just as much of a menace as the noise. for example, he can throw giggle bombs, which you have a half chance of them exploding into confetti, or if they actually hurt you like actual bombs

Gigglest (She/Her) is the giggler’s girlfriend, she giggles even more than him which is why she is called gigglest. and of course, she’s even more annoying than him, she’s annoying even to his standards. gigglest is a cheerful and upbeat woman just like noisette, but she runs a bakery where she bakes all kinds of pastries such as cakes, donuts, bread, along with serving beverages such as coffee and milk. most of the time she adds strange ingredients such as eyes, organs, teeth, glitter, etc

i’m still brainstorming on the next batch of characters. which will come sometime later whenever!

[almondenterprise]

The Difference Between Low, Medium, and High Voltage Switchgear

Switchgear plays a critical role in the generation, transmission, and distribution of electrical power. It ensures safe and efficient operation by controlling, protecting, and isolating electrical circuits and equipment. But not all switchgear is created equal — low, medium, and high voltage switchgear are designed for different voltage levels and applications.

Understanding the differences between these types is crucial for electrical engineers, electricians, project managers, and anyone involved in power systems. In this article, we break down what sets them apart in terms of voltage range, components, applications, design, and safety considerations.

What is Switchgear?

Before diving into the differences, let’s clarify what switchgear is.

Switchgear refers to the combination of electrical disconnect switches, fuses, or circuit breakers used to control, protect, and isolate electrical equipment. It is essential for de-energizing equipment for maintenance and for clearing faults in the power system.

Classification by Voltage Level

Low Voltage Switchgear (LV)

Voltage Range:

Up to 1,000V AC (typically 400V/690V in 3-phase systems)

Key Components:

Miniature Circuit Breakers (MCBs)

Molded Case Circuit Breakers (MCCBs)

Residual Current Devices (RCDs)

Contactors and relays

Busbars, metering, control panels

Applications:

Residential and commercial buildings

Data centers and office spaces

Light industrial automation

Control panels and motor control centers (MCCs)

Characteristics:

Compact and easy to install

High frequency of operation

Relatively simple maintenance

Often enclosed in modular panels

Standards:

IEC 61439

NEC (National Electrical Code)

Medium Voltage Switchgear (MV)

Voltage Range:

1kV to 36kV (sometimes up to 72.5kV)

Key Components:

Vacuum circuit breakers (VCBs)

SF₆ (sulfur hexafluoride) insulated switchgear

Current and voltage transformers (CTs, VTs)

Protective relays

Grounding switches

Applications:

Electrical substations

Large factories and industrial plants

Railways and airports

Renewable energy farms (wind/solar)

Characteristics:

Higher insulation and safety requirements

More robust protection systems

Often installed indoors or in compact outdoor enclosures

May use gas-insulated or air-insulated designs

Standards:

IEC 62271–200

IEEE C37 series

High Voltage Switchgear (HV)

Voltage Range:

Above 36kV (commonly 66kV, 132kV, 220kV, up to 765kV)

Key Components:

SF₆ circuit breakers

Air blast or oil circuit breakers (older systems)

Gas-insulated switchgear (GIS)

Disconnectors and earthing switches

High-end protection relays and SCADA integration

Applications:

National and regional power transmission networks

Power generation plants

Interconnecting large substations

Critical infrastructure (e.g., large data centers, airports)

Characteristics:

Complex installation and high-cost infrastructure

Requires rigorous safety procedures and specialized training

Often installed outdoors or in GIS (Gas Insulated Switchgear) format

Includes extensive monitoring and automation

Standards:

IEC 62271–100 (HV circuit breakers)

IEEE C37.06

ANSI C37 series

Safety Considerations

Always follow local electrical codes, use personal protective equipment (PPE), and conduct routine maintenance regardless of switchgear type.

Conclusion

Choosing the right switchgear type is critical for ensuring safe and efficient power distribution. Whether you’re designing a residential panel or a high-voltage substation, knowing the difference between low, medium, and high voltage switchgear helps you make informed decisions about equipment, safety, and performance.

Mastering this knowledge isn’t just good practice — it’s essential for anyone serious about a career in the electrical field.

[whirligig-girl]

Reference sheet for Eaurp Guz for ArtFight 2025.

More about Guz: -Tumblr Tag -Guzcomic: AO3 / Tumblr -Surviving Schwil AO3 / Tumblr

STARFLEET COMMAND PERSONNEL DATABASE ACCESS Name: "Eaurp Guz" Full Legal Name: Eaurp Eugigathlia Waralslaupwormn't Guz Date of Birth: Stardate 33013 (2356-January-06 A.D.) Place of Birth: Twin Slime Hall, Southern Gurfluint, United Mellanus, Zwo-Nmu System, Zalda Sector, Alpha Quadrant. Species: Mellanoid Slime Worm Age: 26 Earth Years Height: variable, roughly 1.4 meters. Rank: Lieutenant Junior Grade Division: Operations (Engineering Subdivision) Academy Class: 2379 Assignment: U.S.S. Cerritos NCC-75567 (2380-2382(present)) Previous Assignments: Douglas Station (2379-2380) Honorifics: Lieutenant, Miss, Ma'am. Pronouns (Federation Standard Language): She/Her/Hers/Herself. Sex: N/A. Gender: Woman, Xenogender, Transgender, Female, Girl Parents: Mx. Waral Slaup, Mx. Eurgus Fleud, Dr. "Worm" Zugui   (Bio below the cut)

Bio: Eaurp Guz grew up in the turbulent time immediately following first contact with the United Federation of Planets, during a time when much of the world of Mellanus was struggling to adapt to a new political situation. Her world had united under a single umbrella, and one of the unifying principles was that of a desire to do space exploration on Mellanus' own terms. Guz had always loved machines, and made a hobby out of robotics, model railroading, and model rocketry.  Through the latter, she gained an aerospace scholarship and went to gooniversity at Flugoz, where she became an intern for the United Mellanus Space Program. At the end of the Dominion War, she pivoted, realizing that she would have better career prospects--and accomodations for her neurodivergence and gender--in the futuristic Starfleet than she would on her homeworld. After four years of academy, where she excelled at engineering topics but struggled with other aspects of the curriculum, she graduated as one of only a small handful of Mellanoid Slimes in Starfleet, and an even fewer number of fully trained officers.  After a year working at Douglas Station as part of their maintenance and repair crew, she fell in love with the Cerritos while assisting in its refit after its run-in with the Pakleds towards the end of 2380. During 2380 and early 2381, she served on Delta Shift, but in late 2381 she transitioned to Beta Shift. Due to her original training and upbringing, she is a sublight propulsion systems specialist, and spends most of her time tweaking the impulse engines and maneuvering thruster control system to keep them operating at ideal efficiency and smoothness.  In a report given by Lt. Cmdr. Andy Billups in late 2381, he noted "She is a skilled engineer, but she only seems to want to apply herself to this one specific subfield. She'll make an excellent specialist, but I am not considering a promotion at this time." END REPORT. APPENDIX TO PERSONNEL BIO Since the previous report, Eaurp Guz has been promoted to Lieutenant Junior Grade following a harrowing experience on planet TE-92f, in which she demonstrated a high degree of technical mastery over a wide variety of engineering domains. She has been transferred into an Command and Operations training track to ensure she is better equipped to get herself out of the situations she has proved to be able to get herself into, Starfleet Command having determined that she, quote, "slipped through the cracks, pun intended" of Starfleet Academy's career assignment program. Lt. Guz herself was hesitant to accept the promotion, claiming to prefer such tasks as crawling around in Jeffries Tubes, optimizing impulse engines, and tweaking maneuvering thruster PID controller values. Personal Section: Hobbies: Model rocketry, model starship engineering, railway modelling, holographic aerospace flight simulation, technical artist, amateur astronomy. Sexual orienation: asexual (or possibly demisexual, for a broad definition of 'sexual') Romantic orientation: polyamorous lesbian demiromantic Notable Friends: * Slamtha Uzgoel (Childhood friend, 2368-2376) * Dyani (Academy Roommate 2375-2379) * Marta Martinez (Academy classmate 2376-2379) * Eyluss Iris (Crewmate 2380-) * Lisdolin Kerman (Crewmate 2380-) * Samanthan Rutherford (Crewmate 2380-) * D'vana Tendi (Crewmate and Medical Provider 2380-) * T'lyn (Crewmate 2381-) * Zhandar Ghel (Stranded on Schwil Together 2381) * Doctor Promised Vision (Schwil, 2381) Enemies:  * Slamtha Uzgoel (Syndicate pirate with a grudge 2381-) Love Interests <3: * D'vana Tendi (Guz's crush 2381-2382, Guz's girlfriend following Tendi's return to the Cerritos 2382-) * Slamtha Uzgoel (childhood friends in a QPR 2368-2376, so into Guz it ruined her life 2376-) * Marta Martinez (had a crush on Guz 2375-2379) * Zhandar Ghel (survived a traumatic experience together 2381)

[hinge]

Hinge presents an anthology of love stories almost never told. Read more on https://no-ordinary-love.co

[1ofthemcomics]

Smash Rivals Roster

So a lot of people have been enjoying Marvel Rivals unfortunately I can’t because all I have is a Switch. And that got me thinking what if Nintendo made a game like Rivals with their own wide array of characters. What would the roster look like? So I made one using exclusive Nintendo characters. I decided to make the starting roster 36 to make it even. Let’s go through them and explain starting with.

The Duelist or the DPS

Mario: An obvious pick. He be an easy to play all round fighter being able to get up close with big jumps to move around or fight at a mid range distance with fireballs.

Link: Another obvious pick with a large assortment of weapons that give him a lot of mix up options. This character would be a challenge to get good at. We can even give him a passive that gives him a high damage sword beam when he’s at full health. As for which version technically all of them because we have skins that can reference the other Links

Pickachu: Pokemon of course is another big name, he be a fast character able to stun enemies temporarily but with a trade off of having lower health.

Captain Falcon: while F-Zero isn’t a big name for Nintendo we needed an Iron fist type character that get all up in the enemies face and Captain Falcon is that guy and we would need the falcon punch as that move that would just insta destroy your opponent

Meta Knight: A popular character form the Kirby franchise be a hard character to learn and always in the sky and be able to dive attack opponents but always being in the air would make him an easy target.

Krystal: Starfox is another name that’s just not big for Nintendo but I still wanted to include at least one character from it. But one reason Marvel Rivals got so big was because of certain characters and Nintendo doesn't have a lot of those except for Krystal. She can use the standard star fox gear in addition to her own stuff giving her a much more range of abilities

Marth: The Smash games got backlash a lot for having too many Fire emblems characters so I wanted to limit that. So let’s just focus on the mascot of the franchise Marth and we can reference the other protagonists in skins

Inkling: Spaltoon is a big new face that we got to have and have an interesting playstyle being able to do more damage the more ink is on the opponent similar to smash or slow down enemies by placing ink on the map.

Bayoneta: Now I know technically this isn’t a Nintendo character but her games have always been Nintendo exclusive so if there’s one guest character we can get it’s her and like stated before we need those types of characters. And there’s no character more than Bayo.

Pit: We need a sniper character and honestly Pit is basically the only good option I could think of.

Shulk: Xenoblade has become well known enough. I feel like it earned a couple spots so let’s include Shluk who would be an interesting addition with the ability to change his stats mid fight. I sort of picture him as this game's Magick if that makes sense.

Pyra and Mythra: Xenobalde needed another character so decided to include these too we’re gonna do something similar to their smash version and Cloak and dagger form rivals where you can swap between the too. Pyra would be stronger but sower and have a burning affect to attacks that do a bit of damage over time while Mythra would be faster but weaker and be able to stun enemies with attacks.

The Vanguards or Tanks

Bowser: an obvious pick he be a basic vanguard able to get up close and personal

Donkey Kong: Another obvious pick and simple to learn he be like venom able to climb up walls and do big damage like the gorilla he is.

Ganondorf: Ganondorf would be the Magento of the game. He would have a lot of raw power but be difficult to master.

Samus: This may seem like an odd pick for vanguard and not duelist but I almost have a Bruce banner/Hulk idea for her where she can start in her zero samus form and then transform into her full suit after filling in a meter. Then she have a lot of armor blast, and missles and you know she move around in the morph ball.

Kirby: If you know Kirby you know this makes sense he be able to shallow enemies and just throw them off the map like Jeff and for his ultimate he shallow an opponent and copy thier entire kit.

King Dedede: Another big Nintendo villian I see him as our Groot being able to block enemies approach with gordos and pull them in with inhales and beat them with his hammer.

Wario: Wario would have an interesting vanguard being able to cover an area with stench that do president damage for whoever’s in for the period of time it last and being able to have the best vanguard movement with his bike.

Charizard: We needed a least one Pokémon in the vanguard and with how much the Pokémon company loves him Charizard was the easy pick. He be another flying character with a lot of fire power.

Wrestler: Rivals isn’t just about the easy picks or the big names as it puts a spotlight on lesser known series and characters and I wanted to do that by pulling form the rhythm heaven series and I thought the Wrestler form it would be the funniest to play around with.

Ridley: I almost didn’t put him in as I’m worried he play too much like Charizard but I wanted another Metroid rep and the only other option that thought could work for a vanguard would be Mother Brian the problem with that is again this game needs skins and Mother Brian Doesn't have that, but Ridley does. So let’s add him and make him faster but less powerful then Charizard and have him focus on being up close and personal with his targets

Midna: I wanted another Zelda character outside of the main trio and I believe Midna is the best of that. She could be the Dr.Strange of the game, able to make portals via the twilight realm, grab enemies with her hair and ride around via her wolf buddy.

Yoshi: I almost made him a duelist but the more I thought about it the more clear I realized he fit vanguard able to shield being in an egg and if we do team ups like rivals he can have others ride on him or scoop them in an egg and do a fastball special.

And finally the Strategist or Supports

Luigi: You might think this should just be another duelist like Mario but I want Luigi to be as different as possible let’s focused on his ghost hunting and have him pull from that

Pauline: That’s right no Peach, it’s not just about who’s on the roster buts who’s not. I originally had Rosalina for this spot but then later I remembered Pauline, Nintendo has been pushing her lately and she could be our Luna Snow using her songs and music to empower and heal allies

Bowser Jr: He would be the Rocket Raccoon in the game as he be able to fly around in his clown car, and have a lot unique tricks that make him hard to master.

Zelda: a simple choice with a lot of magic at her disposal making her a natural healer.

Ashley: I wanted a representative form the Warioware games and Ashley was the perfect pic her powers of magic can make her a wacky support.

Greninja: Greninja according to multiple polls is the most popular Pokémon of all time so I had to toss him in here. We could make him a duelist that works like Psylocke but I think we could focus on his water for healing ability to make him a sneaky support that could ninja run alongside walls

Robin: I wanted another Fire Emblem character and one from Awakening snice it’s the game that revived the franchises and Robin your avatar in the game is a stragagist and making him one in this game was way too tempting.

Isabelle: Needed an Animal Crossing rep and Isabelle was the perfect pic that could be our Mantis focus on boosting and damping the stats of others

Tom Nook: I wanted one more Animal Crossing pick and I have a fun idea for Tom Nook where he was a big health pool and he could give a big portion to an ally to heal and then after a set amount of time that amount of health would return to him from the player he healed I call it Loan Healing.

Andy: I wanted one more pick form a less recognized series to I went form Andy form Advanced Wars. He could be basically a turret fighter focusing on healing allies or giving them extra ammo while he summons mini tanks to fight for him.

Huisian Zorarak: I wanted a mythical Pokémon and my original thought was Mewtwo but then we would have too many Kanto Pokémon. But then I recalled a Pokémon from my favorite gen. Zorarak would be our Loki or Spy from Team fortress where he could disguise himself as an enemy team member and sneak around dealing damage or support allies in tough spots. I also want it to be the Huisian version as I prefer that design and we can have the original as a skin.

Magolor: For our last character I wanted one last villain someone with the potential power that could bring these characters together and that brought me to Magolor. Who has gotten back in the public eye thanks to having his own story in the recent remake.

And with that we have the roster. I know there’s a lot of characters I didn’t add or cut and I be happy to discuss them, Other roster ideas, or different ideas for how characters may play.

[tokidokitokyo]

茨城県

Japanese Prefectures: Kantō - Ibaraki

都道府県 (とどうふけん) - Prefectures of Japan

Learning the kanji and a little bit about each of Japan’s 47 prefectures!

Kanji・漢字

茨　いばら、かや、くさぶき、シ、ジ　briar, thorn

城　しろ、き、ジョウ　castle

県　ケン　prefecture

関東　かんとう　Kanto, region consisting of Tokyo and surrounding prefectures

Prefectural Capital (県庁所在地) : Mito (水戸市)

Amidst sprawling fields of beautiful flowers, Ibaraki also hosts Tsukuba Science City, Japan's premier research center and the home of Japan's space agency and numerous museums. Ibaraki is known historically for being the home of the Mito branch of the Tokugawa clan during the Edo Period and has long been associated with notable events in Japanese history. The first Nuclear Energy Research Institute was founded here in 1956. You can see space exhibits, actual space craft, and simulations at Tsukuba Space Center.

Outside of the major cities there are many natural areas to explore in the Suigo-Tsukuba Quasi-national Park. Hitachi Seaside Park is famous in the spring for its carpets of blooming blue nemophila. Kairaku-en is one of the Three Great Gardens of Japan. Mt. Tsukuba is a famous night view spot with a view of the Kanto Plain, including Tokyo Tower and the Tokyo Sky Tree, with a ropeway for convenient access. Ibaraki is also a major producer of natto.

Recommended Tourist Spot・おすすめ観光スポット

Fukuroda Falls (Fukuroda no Taki) - 袋田の滝

Photo by Own work, CC BY 3.0, Link

One of the three most beautiful waterfalls in Japan, Fukuroda Falls is a 120-meter tall cascading waterfall in northwestern Ibaraki Prefecture in the remote hills of the town of Daigo. It is also on the registered list of the Top 100 Waterfalls of Japan (determined by the Ministry of Environment). These falls are also called the Yodo Falls (Yodo no Taki) because the water stream falls on four large rock faces. It is also said that the renowned monk Saigyo Hoshi greatly praised the falls by saying that you should view the different beauty of the falls in all four (yo) seasons.

They are particularly attractive in early November with the peak autumn foliage as well as peak water flow. There are several different views of the waterfall, and you cannot view it in its entirety all at the same time. Within the Fukuroda Waterfall complex there are neon tunnels and elevators to take you to different levels and viewing platforms. It is said that you will be successful in love if you find a heart in the waterfall. There are also numerous hot springs nearby.

Regional Cuisine - 郷土料理

Monkfish Hot Pot - あんこう鍋

Photo by yosshi / CC BY-SA 2.0

The monkfish (also referred to as angler fish, goosefish, depending on the source I found) is a prized delicacy of Ibaraki and is best eaten fresh. Because these fish are too soft and slimy to cut up on a chopping board, they are prepared using the traditional tsurushi-giri technique, which involves cutting up the fish while suspended from a hook. In Japan, almost all parts of the monkfish are eaten, including fins, skin, gills, liver, stomach, ovaries and flesh—referred to as the “seven tools of the monkfish” in Japanese. The steamed liver is called ankimo and is considered a delicacy that may be eaten alone, or added to the hotpot soup for extra flavor. Anko nabe (monkfish hot pot) is a seasonal favorite consisting of monkfish, vegetables, and flavored broth.

Ibaraki Dialect・Ibaraki-ben・茨城弁

りんごあっけ？　ringo akke?

Standard Japanese: りんごありますか？ (ringo arimasu ka?) English: Do you have any apples?

あしにあおなじみできちった　ashi ni aonajimi dekichitta

Standard Japanese: 足に青あざができちゃった (ashi ni aoaza ga dekichatta) English: I have a bruise on my leg

ごじゃっぺなやつだ　(gojyappe na yatsu da)

Standard Japanese: いい加減な人; やくにっ立たない人 (iikagen na hito; yaku ni tatanai hito) English: He's a good-for-nothing person

「行ってもいがっぺ？」　(itte mo igappe?) 「来たらいがっぺ」　(kitara igappe)

Standard Japanese: 「行ってもいいですか？」 「来てもいいですよ」 ("itte mo ii desu ka?" "kite mo ii desu yo") English: "Is it alright if I come?" "Yes please come"

あれは犬だっぺ　(are wa inu dappe)

Standard Japanese: あれは犬です (are wa inu desu) English: That is a dog

いがい車だな　(igai kuruma da na)

Standard Japanese: 大きい車ですね (ookii kuruma desu ne) English: That's a big car, isn't it

杖がおっちょれる　(tsue ga occhoreru)

Standard Japanese: 杖が折れた (tsue ga oreta) English: The cane broke in half

カラスををおっとばす　(hato o ottobasu)

Standard Japanese: カラスを追い払う (hato o oiharau) English: Drive away the crows

その日、大事？　(sono hi, daiji?)

Standard Japanese: その日、大丈夫？ (sono hi, daijyoubu?) English: Is that day ok for you?

[freezing-kaiju]

PRECURE POLL!!! OPEN YOUR HEARTS FOR THE SECOND ROUND OF THE BATTLE FIGHT!

Futari Wa Precure / The Two Of Us Are Pretty Cure! (2004-2005)

Classic. Gay. One of the big recommendations, equivalent to Kuuga, the one the tokusatsu server I'm in insisted upon as the best start and one of the best shows. The big yuri season with the big famous opposites-attract two-sides-of-the-same-coin pairing, it also started Precure's whole glorious bit of being magical girls who fight with full hand to hand combat and stick to walls like spiderman. Cards will never stop haunting me; the henshin devices are flip phones that accept swipeable cards, and also contain cellphone greachers.

Star☆Twinkle Pretty Cure (2019-2020)

Recommended by my friend, this precure is a space road trip (something i fucking love so much) with alien precures, musical transformations, a Lisa Frank aesthetic, and a mix of scifi elements in with the magical girl standard that defines Pretty Cure! Space magical girls, what's better than that? The other themes are astrology and imagination, potentially toqger-style, and the henshin device is a colored pen.

Mahou Tsukai Pretty Cure! / Witchy Pretty Cure! (2016-2017)

Recommended to me by the tokusatsu server (though they insisted on Futari Wa) as a good starter precure, Mahoutsukai Precure is about two witches and a Hobbesian teddy bear (that is also a henshin device!) and a fairy fighting dark magicians and hopping between a mundane world and a magical world. Also the opening seems to be referencing the same song meter as Catarina Claes's anime??? What's the reference. Hm.

Tropical-Rouge! Pretty Cure (2020-2021)

My friend's second recommendation, this one has excellent character dynamics and a consisently increasing scale of quality plus a funny mermaid and a mascot that is literally just a normal seal. It seems to have more commitment to the Makeup Bit:tm: than other precures, its core theme is motivation, and the henshin device is a mirror compact.

Wanderful Pretty Cure! (Now)

It’s the currently airing installment!!!! This would have backlog at the start but essentially become a weekly liveblog. What if a dog could b a magical girl. An actual dog. And several other animals and humans. The core theme is being friends with animals and with other people, and the henshin device is a mirror compact.

[spacetimewithstuartgary]

Search results for dark photon leptonic decays manage to exclude new regions

Dark photons are hypothetical particles that resemble light particles (i.e., photons), but interact weakly with normal matter, which would make them impossible or very difficult to detect using conventional experimental methods. These particles are dark matter candidates, meaning that they could contribute to the invisible and elusive form of matter accounting for approximately 85% of the universe's mass.

The NA62 Collaboration, a large research collaboration involving scientists at various institutes worldwide, has published the results of a new search for dark photons, specifically for their leptonic decays. Their findings, published in Physical Review Letters, were derived by analyzing data collected by the NA62 detector at CERN configured in beam-dump mode.

"Dark matter searches are currently one of the hot topics in the high energy physics community. We look for weakly interacting particles in a number of different facilities ranging from accelerator experiments to tabletop laboratory setups," Alina Kleimenova and Stefan Ghinescu, part of the NA62 Collaboration, told Phys.org.

"While LHC experiments rely on the high collision energy, smashing protons at about 14 trillion electron volts, NA62, being a fixed-target experiment, focuses on the high intensity approach with a quintillion (1018) of protons on target per year. This intensity creates a unique opportunity to probe various rare processes and beyond Standard Model scenarios."

Dark photons, also referred to as A', are among the hypothetical particles beyond the Standard Model whose existence could be probed by the NA62 detector. These particles could act as mediators between known visible matter and dark matter.

Specifically, dark photons might couple to ordinary matter, as they could mix with photons described by the Standard Model. The coupling, however, would be extremely weak, which would explain why they have not been detected so far.

"This feeble interaction translates into a long lifetime, meaning in NA62 settings, A' would travel from tenths of centimeters to hundreds of meters before decaying," said Kleimenova and Ghinescu.

"Theoretically, if the dark photon is the lightest dark matter particle and has a mass below approximately 700 MeV, it would primarily decay into lepton pairs, such as electrons or muons. NA62 has all the necessary ingredients to be able to possibly see these decay signatures, featuring a very long beam line (over 80 m from the target to the decay volume), precise tracking, timing and particle identification systems and the possibility to collect these data in an almost background-free mode."

The primary objective of the recent study by the NA62 Collaboration was to investigate the sensitivity of the NA62 detector at CERN to dark photon decays. By analyzing the data collected by the detector while it was configured in so-called dump mode, the team hoped to identify signals that could be associated with dark photons.

"NA62 is a kaon experiment dedicated to precision measurements and studies of rare kaon decays," explained the authors. "The experiment can also be operated in 'dump mode.' In this mode, we can remove the target used to produce kaons and dump the 400 GeV proton beam onto an absorber at twice the usual intensity."

Theoretical predictions suggest that interactions between protons and dump material in the NA62 detector could produce various particles in hidden sectors of the light spectrum with masses around 1 GeV, including dark photons. These particles could then travel and decay in the instrumented region of the NA62 experiment.

"What we search for in our analysis is an event with only two opposite charged lepton tracks, which form a vertex inside the NA62 instrumented region," said the authors. "Since this event should originate from the proton-dump collision, we trace the two-lepton vertex 80 meters back to the front plane of the absorber and check if this traced position is compatible with the location of the primary proton interaction point."

As part of their recent study, the researchers analyzed a data sample of 1.4×1017 protons on dump collected by the NA62 detector in 2021. In the meantime, however, the detector has collected additional data and is expected to reach approximately 1018 protons on dump by the end of the NA62 experiment.

"Unfortunately, we did not find any evidence of dark photons, but we managed to exclude new regions in the dark photon mass and interaction strength parameter space," said the authors. "In addition, our results can be reinterpreted within other models, for example those involving axion-like particles."

While the team did not detect dark photon decays yet, their recent findings could inform future searches for these elusive particles. Kleimenova, Ghinescu and their colleagues are now working on combining their results with the findings of the collaboration's hadronic final states analysis.

"This current effort would conclude a comprehensive search for dark matter mediators using data collected by NA62 in 2021," add the authors.

"Our ultimate objective is to extend this analysis to the entire NA62 dump dataset. Furthermore, there are a few more Hidden sector scenarios which could be investigated by NA62, for example, Heavy Neutral Leptons (HNLs). HNLs are particularly interesting because they can address several key problems in particle physics and cosmology, such as the origin of neutrino masses, the matter-antimatter asymmetry in the universe, and the nature of dark matter."

TOP IMAGE: Observed and expected exclusion contours, at 90% CL, in the plane (MA′ , ε) for the combined A′ → e+e− and A′ → μ+μ− analyses (right) together with the expected +/-1σ (green) and +/-2σ (yellow) bands. Previous results are shown in gray. The NA62 A′ → μ+μ− result is shown with a dot-dashed line in the right panel. Credit: NA62 Collaboration.

LOWER IMAGE: Credit: NA62 Collaboration.