Collapse Behavior of an Artificially Cemented Clayey Silt

The present study examines the role of interparticle cementation in the collapse behavior of two partly saturated (S-r = 4 to 12%) and very highly porous (initial void ratio = 1.5 to 2) laboratory-desiccated clayey silt specimens containing varying amounts (5 and 15% by dry weight of the respective specimens) of the cementitious iron oxides hematite and goethite, which are generally encountered in tropical residual soils. Kaolinite is the representative clay mineral of the soil matrix used for this research. Interparticle cementation by the crystalline iron oxides was generated in the laboratory by repeated (six times) wetting and drying of the iron-hydroxide-admixed clayey silt specimens under ambient conditions of temperature and humidity. Results showed that, for a given laboratory-desiccated clayey silt specimen (i.e., a specimen containing 5 or 15% of iron oxide on a dry weight basis), the amount of collapse (represented by Delta epsilon, the change in vertical strain upon wetting under constant pressure) increases with an increase in the experimental loading under which the specimen is inundated. The laboratory results also show that the desiccated specimen with a higher iron oxide content (containing 15% iron oxide by dry weight of the desiccated specimen) in spite of a lower dry unit weight (gamma(d) = 8.8 kN/m(3)) undergoes a lesser amount of collapse on soaking under a constant external stress (50 or 100 kPa) than the desiccated specimen with a lower iron oxide content (i.e., containing 5% iron oxide by dry weight of the desiccated specimen, gamma(d) = 10.4 KN/m(3)). Based on the X-ray diffraction results and the stress-strain relationships obtained from isotropically consolidated undrained triaxial tests, it is suggested that the laboratory-desiccated specimens are characterized by a metastable bonding provided by capillary suction and the crystalline iron oxides. On soaking under load owing to the loss of the metastable bonding, collapse of the laboratory-desiccated specimens occurs. Also, in the case of the laboratory-desiccated specimen with a higher iron oxide content, the presence of a stronger interparticle cementation (due to a greater abundance of crystalline iron oxides) and a higher initial moisture content are considered responsible for the specimen exhibiting a lower amount of collapse in comparison to that exhibited by the desiccated specimen with a lesser iron oxide content.

Prediction of nonlocal scaling parameter for armchair and zigzag single-walled carbon nanotubes based on molecular structural mechanics, nonlocal elasticity and wave propagation

Atomic vibration in the Carbon Nanotubes (CNTs) gives rise to non-local interactions. In this paper, an expression for the non-local scaling parameter is derived as a function of the geometric and electronic properties of the rolled graphene sheet in single-walled CNTs. A self-consistent method is developed for the linearization of the problem of ultrasonic wave propagation in CNTs. We show that (i) the general three-dimensional elastic problem leads to a single non-local scaling parameter (e(0)), (ii) e(0) is almost constant irrespective of chirality of CNT in the case of longitudinal wave propagation, (iii) e(0) is a linear function of diameter of CNT for the case of torsional mode of wave propagation, (iv) e(0) in the case of coupled longitudinal-torsional modes of wave propagation, is a function which exponentially converges to that of axial mode at large diameters and to torsional mode at smaller diameters. These results are valid in the long-wavelength limit. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The effect of low intra-sublattice repulsion on phase diagram of YBa2Cu3O6+x: A Monte Carlo simulation study

We report the results of Monte Carlo simulation of the phase diagram and oxygen ordering in YBa2Cu3O6+x for low intra-sublattice repulsion. At low temperatures, apart from tetragonal (T), orthorhombic (OI) and 'double cell' ortho II phases, there is evidence for two additional orthorhombic phases labelled here as OIBAR and OIII. At high temperatures, there was no evidence for the decomposition of the OI phase into the T and OI phases. We find qualitative agreement with experimental observations and cluster-variation method results.

Spectroscopic Observation of Oscillations in the Corona During the Total Solar Eclipse of 22 July 2009

We performed high resolution spectroscopy of the solar corona during the total solar eclipse of 22 July 2009 in two emission lines: the green line at 5303 due to Fe xiv and the red line at 6374 due to Fe x, simultaneously from Anji (latitude 30A degrees 28.1' N; longitude 119A degrees 35.4' E; elevation 890 m), China. A two-mirror coelostat with 100 cm focal length lens produced a 9.2 mm image of the Sun. The spectrograph using 140 cm focal length lens in Littrow mode and a grating with 600 lines per millimeter blazed at 2 mu m provided a dispersion of 30 m and 43 m per pixel in the fourth order around the green line and third order around the red line, respectively. Two Peltier cooled 1k x 1k CCD cameras, with a pixel size of 13 mu m square and 14-bit readout at 10 MHz operated in frame transfer mode, were used to obtain the time sequence spectra in two emission lines simultaneously. The duration of totality was 341 s, but we could get spectra for 270 s after a trial exposure at an interval of 5 s. We report here on the detection of intensity, velocity, and line width oscillations with periodicity in the range of 25 -50 s. These oscillations can be interpreted in terms of the presence of fast magnetoacoustic waves or torsional Alfv,n waves. The intensity ratios of green to red emission lines indicate the temperature of the corona to be 1.65 MK in the equatorial region and 1.40 MK in the polar region, relatively higher than the expected temperature during the low activity period. The width variation of the emission lines in different coronal structures suggests different physical conditions in different structures.

Interannual variations of Indian summer monsoon in a GCM: External conditions versus internal feedbacks

The potential predictability of the Indian summer monsoon due to slowly varying sea surface temperature (SST) forcing is examined. Factors responsible for limiting the predictability are also investigated. Three multiyear simulations with the R30 version of the Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory's climate model are carried out for this purpose, The mean monsoon simulated by this model is realistic including the mean summer precipitation over the Indian continent. The interannual variability of the large-scale component of the monsoon such as the "monsoon shear index" and its teleconnection with Pacific SST is well simulated by the model in a 15-yr integration with observed SST as boundary condition. On regional scales, the skill in simulating the interannual variability of precipitation over the Indian continent by the model is rather modest and its simultaneous correlation with eastern Pacific SST is negative but poor as observed. The poor predictability of precipitation over the Indian region in the model is related to the fact that contribution to the interannual variability over this region due to slow SST variations [El Nino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) related] is comparable to those due to regional-scale fluctuations unrelated to ENSO SST. The physical mechanism through which ENSO SST tend to produce reduction in precipitation over the Indian continent is also elucidated. A measure of internal variability of the model summer monsoon is obtained from a 20-yr integration of the same model with fixed annual cycle SST as boundary conditions but with predicted soil moisture and snow cover. A comparison of summer monsoon indexes between this run and the observed SST run shows that the internal oscillations can account for a large fraction of the simulated monsoon variability. The regional-scale oscillations in the observed SST run seems to arise from these internal oscillations. It is discovered that most of the interannual internal variability is due to an internal quasi-biennial oscillation (QBO) of the model atmosphere. Such a QBO is also found in the author's third 18-yr simulation in which fixed annual cycle of SST as well as soil moisture and snow cover are prescribed. This shows that the model QBO is not due to land-surface-atmosphere interaction. It is proposed that the model QBO arises due to an interaction between nonlinear intraseasonal oscillations and the annual cycle. Spatial structure of the QBO and its role in limiting the predictability of the Indian summer monsoon is discussed.

Multiscale stochastic approximation for parametric optimization of hidden Markov models

A two-time scale stochastic approximation algorithm is proposed for simulation-based parametric optimization of hidden Markov models, as an alternative to the traditional approaches to ''infinitesimal perturbation analysis.'' Its convergence is analyzed, and a queueing example is presented.

Velocity distribution function for a dilute granular material in shear flow

The velocity distribution function for the steady shear flow of disks (in two dimensions) and spheres (in three dimensions) in a channel is determined in the limit where the frequency of particle-wall collisions is large compared to particle-particle collisions. An asymptotic analysis is used in the small parameter epsilon, which is naL in two dimensions and na(2)L in three dimensions, where; n is the number density of particles (per unit area in two dimensions and per unit volume in three dimensions), L is the separation of the walls of the channel and a is the particle diameter. The particle-wall collisions are inelastic, and are described by simple relations which involve coefficients of restitution e(t) and e(n) in the tangential and normal directions, and both elastic and inelastic binary collisions between particles are considered. In the absence of binary collisions between particles, it is found that the particle velocities converge to two constant values (u(x), u(y)) = (+/-V, O) after repeated collisions with the wall, where u(x) and u(y) are the velocities tangential and normal to the wall, V = (1 - e(t))V-w/(1 + e(t)), and V-w and -V-w, are the tangential velocities of the walls of the channel. The effect of binary collisions is included using a self-consistent calculation, and the distribution function is determined using the condition that the net collisional flux of particles at any point in velocity space is zero at steady state. Certain approximations are made regarding the velocities of particles undergoing binary collisions :in order to obtain analytical results for the distribution function, and these approximations are justified analytically by showing that the error incurred decreases proportional to epsilon(1/2) in the limit epsilon --> 0. A numerical calculation of the mean square of the difference between the exact flux and the approximate flux confirms that the error decreases proportional to epsilon(1/2) in the limit epsilon --> 0. The moments of the velocity distribution function are evaluated, and it is found that [u(x)(2)] --> V-2, [u(y)(2)] similar to V-2 epsilon and -[u(x)u(y)] similar to V-2 epsilon log(epsilon(-1)) in the limit epsilon --> 0. It is found that the distribution function and the scaling laws for the velocity moments are similar for both two- and three-dimensional systems.

Role of oxygen transients in the facile scission of C-O bonds of alcohols on Zn surfaces

The alkoxy species produced by the interaction of alcohols with Zn surfaces undergoes C-O bond scission at 150 K giving hydrocarbon species, but this transformation occurs even at 80 K when alcohol-oxygen mixtures are coadsorbed, due to the oxygen transients.

A new parasitic bee of the genus Braunsapis from India (Hymenoptera : Apidae : Allodapini)

A new species of allodapine bee (Apidae, Xylocopinae, Allodapini), Braunsapis bislensis, is described from southern India. To judge by its reduced mouthparts and scopa, it is a social parasite, perhaps in nests of B. puangensis (Cockerell).

Microstructural Studies of Ferroelectric Bi2VO5.5 Thin Films With LaNiO3 Electrodes

Thin films of Bi2VO5.5 (BVO), a vanadium analog of the n = I member of the Aurivillius family, have been prepared by pulsed laser deposition. The BVO films grow along the [001] direction on LaNiO3(LNO) and YBa2Cu3O7 (YBCO) electrode buffer layers on LaA- IO3(LAO) substrates as obtained from X-ray diffraction studies. The microstructure of the films and of the interfaces within the film and between the film and the substrate were characterized using transmission electron microscopy. The in-plane epitaxial relationship of the rhombohedral LNO on perovskite LAO was [100] LNO // [100] LAO and [001] LNO // [001] LAO. High resolution lattice images showed a sharp interface between LNO and LAO. However, the LNO film is twinned with a preferred orientation along the growth direction. The BVO layer is single crystalline on both LNO/LAO and YBCO/LAO with the caxis parallel to the growth direction except for a thin layer of about 400 Å at the interface which is polycrystalline.

Effect of spinel second phase on high temperature deformation in alumina

Constant stress compression creep experiments were carried out on high purity alumina composites with spinel contents of 8 and 30%, corresponding to a situation with isolated and interconnected second phases. The creep experiments were conducted over a stress and temperature range of 10 to 150 MPa and 1623 to 1723 K, respectively. Analysis of the experimental data indicated that the variation in spinel content did not have any influence on high temperature deformation in the composite. The spinel phase retards grain growth, and this may enhance superplasticity in alumina-spinel composites.

Properties of the Ferrimagnetic Double-Perovskites A2FeReO6 (A=Ba and Ca)

We have synthesized ceramics of A2FeReO6 double-perovskites A2FeReO6 (A=Ba, Ca). Structural characterizations indicate a cubic structure with a=8.0854(1) Å for Ba2FeReO6 and a distorted monoclinic symmetry with a=5.396(1) Å, b=5.522(1) Å, c=7.688(2) Å and β=90.4° for Ca2FeReO6. The barium compound is metallic from 5K to 385K, i.e. no metal-insulator transition has been seen up to 385K, and the calcium compound is semiconducting from 5K to 385K. Magnetization measurements show a ferrimagnetic behavior for both materials, with Tc =315 K for Ba2FeReO6 and above 385K for Ca2FeReO6. At 5K we observed, only for Ba2FeReO6, a negative magnetoresistance of 10% in a magnetic field of 5T. Electrical, magnetic and thermal properties are discussed and compared to those of the analogous compounds Sr2Fe(Mo,Re)O6 recently studied.

Gibbs energy of formation of CuCrO4 and phase relations in the system Cu-Cr-O below 735 K

A solid state galvanic cell incorporating yttria-stabilized zirconia electrolyte and ruthenium(IV) oxide electrodes has been used to measure the equilibrium chemical potential of oxygen corresponding to the decomposition of CuCrO4 in the range 590–760 K. For the reaction CuO(tenorite) + CuCr2O4(spinel) + 1.5O2(g)→2CuCrO4(orth), ΔGXXX = −183540 + 249.6T(±900) J mol−1. The decomposition temperature of CuCrO4 in pure oxygen at a pressure of 1.01 × 105 Pa is 735(±1) K. By combining the results obtained in this study with data on the Gibbs energy of formation of CuCr2O4 and CuCrO2 reported earlier, the standard Gibbs energy of formation of CuCrO4 and the phase relations in the system Cu-Cr-O at temperatures below 735 K have been deduced. Electron microscopic studies have indicated that the decomposition of CuCrO4 to CuCr2O4 is topotactic.