Macro-Level Assessment of Seismically Induced Landslide Hazard for the State of Sikkim, India Based On GIS Technique

This paper presents a macro-level seismic landslide hazard assessment for the entire state of Sikkim, India, based on the Newmark's methodology. The slope map of Sikkim was derived from ASTER Global Digital Elevation Model (GDEM). Seismic shaking in terms of peak horizontal acceleration (PHA) at bedrock level was estimated from deterministic seismic hazard analysis (DSHA), considering point source model. Peak horizontal acceleration at the surface level for the study area was estimated based on nonlinear site amplification technique, considering B-type NEHRP site class. The PHA at surface was considered to induce driving forces on slopes, thus causing landslides. Knowing the surface level PHA and slope angle, the seismic landslide hazard assessment for each grid point was carried out using Newmark's analysis. The critical static factor of safety required to resist landslide for the PHA (obtained from deterministic analysis) was evaluated and its spatial variation throughout the study area is presented. For any slope in the study area, if the in-situ (available) static factor of safety is greater than the static factor of safety required to resist landslide as predicted in the present study, that slope is considered to be safe.

Comparative high pressure Raman studies on perfluorohexane and perfluoroheptane

High pressure Raman spectroscopic studies on perfluorohexane and perfluoroheptane have performed up to 12 GPa. Perfluorohexane under goes two pressure induced transitions: (1) liquid-solid transition at 1.6 GPa and (2) solid-solid transition at 8.2 GPa. On the contrary, perfluoroheptane under goes three phase transitions, they are as follows: (1) liquid-solid transition at 1.3 GPa, (2) intermediate solid I transition at 3 GPa, (3) solid II transition at 7 GPa. The change in slope (d omega/dP) shows that the solid I transition at 3.0 GPa could be the conversion of mid-gauche defect into trans conformers for perfluoroheptane. The pressure induced Raman spectra and the behavior of individual band with pressure shows that the solid phase comprises more than one conformer beyond crystallization. The intensity ratio for both the compounds shows that the high pressure phase beyond 8.2 and 7.0 GPa tends to have close packing with distorted all-trans conformers. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Fin-Enabled-Area-Scaled Tunnel FET

While keeping the technological evolution and commercialization of FinFET technology in mind, this paper discloses a novel concept that enables area-scaled or vertical tunneling in Fin-based technologies. The concept provides a roadmap for beyond FinFET technologies, while enjoying the advantages of FinFET-like structure without demanding technological abruptness from the existing FinFET technology nodes to beyond FinFET nodes. The proposed device at 10-nm gate length, when compared with the conventional vertical tunneling FET or planar area-scaled device, offers 100% improvement in the ON-current, 15x reduction in the OFF-current, 3x increase in the transconductance, 30% improvement in the output resistance, 55% improvement in the unity gain frequency, and more importantly 6x reduction in the footprint area for a given drive capability. Furthermore, the proposed device brings the average and minimum subthreshold slope down to 40 and 11 mV/decade at 10-nm gate length. This gives a path for beyond FinFET system-on-chip applications, while enjoying the analog, digital, and RF performance improvements.

Turbulent states and their transitions in mathematical models for ventricular tissue: The effects of random interstitial fibroblasts

We study the dynamical behaviors of two types of spiral-and scroll-wave turbulence states, respectively, in two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) mathematical models, of human, ventricular, myocyte cells that are attached to randomly distributed interstitial fibroblasts; these turbulence states are promoted by (a) the steep slope of the action-potential-duration-restitution (APDR) plot or (b) early afterdepolarizations (EADs). Our single-cell study shows that (1) the myocyte-fibroblast (MF) coupling G(j) and (2) the number N-f of fibroblasts in an MF unit lower the steepness of the APDR slope and eliminate the EAD behaviors of myocytes; we explore the pacing dependence of such EAD suppression. In our 2D simulations, we observe that a spiral-turbulence (ST) state evolves into a state with a single, rotating spiral (RS) if either (a) G(j) is large or (b) the maximum possible number of fibroblasts per myocyte N-f(max) is large. We also observe that the minimum value of G(j), for the transition from the ST to the RS state, decreases as N-f(max) increases. We find that, for the steep-APDR-induced ST state, once the MF coupling suppresses ST, the rotation period of a spiral in the RS state increases as (1) G(j) increases, with fixed N-f(max), and (2) N-f(max) increases, with fixed G(j). We obtain the boundary between ST and RS stability regions in the N-f(max)-G(j) plane. In particular, for low values of N-f(max), the value of G(j), at the ST-RS boundary, depends on the realization of the randomly distributed fibroblasts; this dependence decreases as N-f(max) increases. Our 3D studies show a similar transition from scroll-wave turbulence to a single, rotating, scroll-wave state because of the MF coupling. We examine the experimental implications of our study and propose that the suppression (a) of the steep slope of the APDR or (b) EADs can eliminate spiral-and scroll-wave turbulence in heterogeneous cardiac tissue, which has randomly distributed fibroblasts.

Injection barrier induced deviations in space charge limited conduction in doped poly(3-methylthiophene) based devices

The carrier density dependent current-voltage (J V) characteristics of electrochemically prepared poly(3-methylthiophene) (P3MeT) have been investigated in Pt/P3MeT/Al devices, as a function of temperature from 280 to 84 K. In these devices, the charge transport is found to be mainly governed by different transport regimes of space charge limited conduction (SCLC). In a lightly doped device, SCLC controlled by exponentially distributed traps (Vl+1 law, l > 1) is observed in the intermediate voltage range (0.5-2 V) at all temperatures. However, at higher bias (> 2 V), the current deviates from the usual Vl+1 law where the slope is found to be less than 2 of the logJ-logV plot, which is attributed to the presence of the injection barrier. These deviations gradually disappear at higher doping level due to reduction in the injection barrier. Numerical simulations of the Vl+1 law by introducing the injection barrier show good agreement with experimental data. The results show that carrier density can tune the charge transport mechanism in Pt/P3MeT/Al devices to understand the non-Ohmic behavior. The plausible reasons for the origin of injection barrier and the transitions in the transport mechanism with carrier density are discussed. (C) 2015 AIP Publishing LLC.

Intertwined vorticity and elastodynamics in flapping wing propulsion

We performed numerical experiments on a one-dimensional elastic solid oscillating in a two-dimensional viscous incompressible fluid with the intent of discerning the interplay of vorticity and elastodynamics in flapping wing propulsion. Perhaps for the first time, we have established the role of foil deflection topology and its influence on vorticity generation, through spatially and temporally evolving foil slope and curvature. Though the frequency of oscillation of the foil has a definite role, it is the phase relation between foil slope and pressure that determines thrust or drag. Similarly, the phase difference between flapping velocity, and pressure and inertial forces, determine the power input to the foil, and in turn drives propulsive efficiency. At low frequencies of oscillation, the sympathetic slope and curvature of deformation of the foil allow generation of leading-edge vortices that do not separate; they cause substantial rise in pressure between the leading edge and mid-chord. The circulatory component of pressure is determined primarily by the leading-edge vortex and therefore thrust too is predominantly circulatory in origin at low frequencies. In the intermediate and high-frequency range, thrust and drag on the foil spatially alternate and non-circulatory forces dominate over circulatory and viscous forces. For the mass ratios we simulated, thrust due to flapping varies quadratically as a function of Strouhal number or trailing-edge flapping velocity; further, the trailing edge flapping velocities peak at the same set of frequencies where the thrust is also a maximum. Propulsive efficiency, on the other hand, is roughly a mirror image of the thrust variation with respect to Strouhal number. Given that most instances of flapping propulsion in nature are primarily through distributed muscular actuation that enables precise control of deformation shape, leading to high thrust and efficiency, the results presented here are pointers towards understanding some of the mechanisms that drive thrust and propulsive efficiency.

Photometric metallicity map of the Large Magellanic Cloud

We have estimated a metallicity map of the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) using the Magellanic Cloud Photometric Survey (MCPS) and Optical Gravitational Lensing Experiment (OGLE III) photometric data. This is a first of its kind map of metallicity up to a radius of 4 degrees-5 degrees, derived using photometric data and calibrated using spectroscopic data of Red Giant Branch (RGB) stars. We identify the RGB in the V, (V - I) colour-magnitude diagrams of small subregions of varying sizes in both data sets. We use the slope of the RGB as an indicator of the average metallicity of a subregion, and calibrate the RGB slope to metallicity using spectroscopic data for field and cluster red giants in selected subregions. The average metallicity of the LMC is found to be Fe/H] = -0.37 dex (sigmaFe/H] = 0.12) from MCPS data, and Fe/H] = -0.39 dex (sigmaFe/H] = 0.10) from OGLE III data. The bar is found to be the most metal-rich region of the LMC. Both the data sets suggest a shallow radial metallicity gradient up to a radius of 4 kpc (-0.049 +/- 0.002 dex kpc(-1) to -0.066 +/- 0.006 dex kpc(-1)). Subregions in which the mean metallicity differs from the surrounding areas do not appear to correlate with previously known features; spectroscopic studies are required in order to assess their physical significance.

Macropores generated during shrinkage in two paddy soils using X-ray micro-computed tomography

Soil shrinkage curve represents a decrease of total porosity or an increase of bulk density with water loss. However, our knowledge of the dynamics of pores and their geometry during soil shrinkage is scarce, partially due to lack of reliable methods for determining soil pores in relation to change in soil water. This study aimed to investigate the dynamics of macropores (>30 mu m) of paddy soils during shrinkage. Two, paddy soils, which were sampled from one paddy field cultivated for 20 years (YPF) and the other one for over 100 years (OPF), represented difference in crack geometry in the field. Macropore parameters (volume, connectivity, and orientation of pores) and soil shrinkage parameters were determined on the same undisturbed soil cores by X-ray microtomography and shrinkage curve, respectively. Macroporosity was on average four times larger in the YPF than in the OPF whereas the shrinkage capacity was lower in the YPF as compared to the OPF (0.09 vs. 0.15 COLE). Soil shrinkage increased the volume of pores by 3.7% in the YPF and by 1.6% in the OPF as well as their connectivity. The formation of macropores occurred mostly in the proportional shrinkage phase. As a result, the slope of the proportional shrinkage phase was smaller in the YPF (0.65) than in the OPF (0.89). New macropores were cracks and extended pre-existing pores in the range of 225-1215 pm size without any preferential orientation. This work provides image evidences that in paddy soils with high shrinkage capacity more macropores are generated in the soil presenting a smaller proportional shrinkage slope. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Mechanism to synthesize a `moving optical mark' at solid-ambient interface for the estimation of thermal diffusivity of solid

supporting unsteady heat flow with its ambient-humidity; invokes phase transformation of water-vapour molecule and synthesize a `moving optical-mark' at sample-ambient-interface. Under tailored condition, optical-mark exhibits a characteristic macro-scale translatory motion governed by thermal diffusivity of solid. For various step-temperature inputs via cooling, position-dependent velocities of moving optical-mark are measured at a fixed distance. A new approach is proposed. `Product of velocity of optical-mark and distance' versus `non-dimensional velocity' is plotted. The slope reveals thermal diffusivity of solid at ambient-temperature; preliminary results obtained for Quartz-glass is closely matching with literature. (C) 2016 Author(s). All article content, except where otherwise noted, is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).

Identification of type and degree of railway ballast fouling using ground coupled GPR antennas

GPR is widely used for ballast fouling identification, however, there are no robust guidelines to find the degree and type of fouling quantitatively. In this study, GPR studies were carried out on model and actual railway tracks using three ground coupled antennas and considering three fouling materials. Three ground coupled antennas viz., 100 MHz, 500 MHz and 800 MHz antennas were used for the initial survey and it was found that the 800 MHz ground coupled antenna is an optimum one to get quality results. Three major fouling materials viz., screened/broken ballast, coal and iron ore were used to construct prototype model sections, which were 1/2 of the actual Indian broad-gauge railway track. A separate model section has been created for each degree and type of fouling and GPR surveys were carried out. GPR study shows that increasing the fouling content results in a decrease in the Electromagnetic Wave (EMW) velocity and an increase in the dielectric constant. EMW velocity of ballast fouled with screened ballast was found to be more than coal fouled ballast and iron ore fouled ballast at any degree of fouling and EMW velocity of iron ore fouled ballast was found to be less than coal and screen ballast fouled ballast. Dielectric constant of iron ore fouled ballast was found to be higher than coal and screen ballast fouled ballast for all degrees of fouling. Average slope of the trend line of screen ballast fouled section is low (25.6 degrees), coal fouled ballast is medium (27.8 degrees) and iron ore fouled ballast is high (47.6 degrees). (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Moduli spaces of vector bundles on a singular rational ruled surface

We study moduli spaces M-X (r, c(1), c(2)) parametrizing slope semistable vector bundles of rank r and fixed Chern classes c(1), c(2) on a ruled surface whose base is a rational nodal curve. We showthat under certain conditions, these moduli spaces are irreducible, smooth and rational (when non-empty). We also prove that they are non-empty in some cases. We show that for a rational ruled surface defined over real numbers, the moduli space M-X (r, c(1), c(2)) is rational as a variety defined over R.