Experimental culture of algal balls (Cladophora sauteri). Retention of original shape [Translation from: Bull.Jap.Soc.Phycol. Vol. 10, (1), p. 23-27, 1962]

It was on July 1960 when 10 algal balls were acquired for exhibition at Suma Aquarium, Kobe. Permission to remove the specimens from the Lake Akan Reserve was given by the National Nature Reserve Committee. Algal balls, as a rule, lose their natural beauty when they are kept in an ordinary tank for a certain length of time. In an effort to retain the natural beauty it was decided to exhibit them in culture. This paper summarises the findings of this experiments with Cladophora sauteri. The author concludes that serious consideration has to be given as to the intensity of light, the sunlight, the water temperature and the nutrition for algal balls in culture in order to retain the natural beauty and shape.

Distortion of beam shape by a rotating double-prism wide-angle laser beam scanner

We describe the rigorous results of a wide-angle laser beam scanner, obtained with the help of the vector refraction theory. Using the rigorous results, the distortion of the beam shape is discussed. The distortion to the beam varies with the different relative angles of double prisms. The scanner expands the beam in some directions while it contracts the beam in other directions. According to the conservation of energy, the distribution of the laser intensity is changed as well. (c) 2006 Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers.

Wave induced oscillations in harbors of arbitrary shape

Theoretical and experimental studies were conducted to investigate the wave induced oscillations in an arbitrary shaped harbor with constant depth which is connected to the open-sea.

A theory termed the “arbitrary shaped harbor” theory is developed. The solution of the Helmholtz equation, ∇²f + k²f = 0, is formulated as an integral equation; an approximate method is employed to solve the integral equation by converting it to a matrix equation. The final solution is obtained by equating, at the harbor entrance, the wave amplitude and its normal derivative obtained from the solutions for the regions outside and inside the harbor.

Two special theories called the circular harbor theory and the rectangular harbor theory are also developed. The coordinates inside a circular and a rectangular harbor are separable; therefore, the solution for the region inside these harbors is obtained by the method of separation of variables. For the solution in the open-sea region, the same method is used as that employed for the arbitrary shaped harbor theory. The final solution is also obtained by a matching procedure similar to that used for the arbitrary shaped harbor theory. These two special theories provide a useful analytical check on the arbitrary shaped harbor theory.

Experiments were conducted to verify the theories in a wave basin 15 ft wide by 31 ft long with an effective system of wave energy dissipators mounted along the boundary to simulate the open-sea condition.

Four harbors were investigated theoretically and experimentally: circular harbors with a 10° opening and a 60° opening, a rectangular harbor, and a model of the East and West Basins of Long Beach Harbor located in Long Beach, California.

Theoretical solutions for these four harbors using the arbitrary shaped harbor theory were obtained. In addition, the theoretical solutions for the circular harbors and the rectangular harbor using the two special theories were also obtained. In each case, the theories have proven to agree well with the experimental data.

It is found that: (1) the resonant frequencies for a specific harbor are predicted correctly by the theory, although the amplification factors at resonance are somewhat larger than those found experimentally,(2) for the circular harbors, as the width of the harbor entrance increases, the amplification at resonance decreases, but the wave number bandwidth at resonance increases, (3) each peak in the curve of entrance velocity vs incident wave period corresponds to a distinct mode of resonant oscillation inside the harbor, thus the velocity at the harbor entrance appears to be a good indicator for resonance in harbors of complicated shape, (4) the results show that the present theory can be applied with confidence to prototype harbors with relatively uniform depth and reflective interior boundaries.

Estimating the underwater shape of tuna longlines with micro-bathythermographs

An estimation method for the three-dimensional underwater shape of tuna longlines is developed, using measurements of depth obtained from micro-bathythermographs (BTs) attached to the main line at equally spaced intervals. The shape of the main line is approximated by a model which consists of a chain of unit length lines (folding-rule model), where the junction points are placed at the observed depths. Among the infinite number of possible shapes, the most likely shape is considered to be the smoothest one that can be obtained with a numerical optimization algorithm. To validate the method, a series of experimental longline operations were conducted in the equatorial region of the eastern Pacific Ocean, using 13 or 14 micro-BTs per basket of main line. Concurrent observations of oceanographic conditions (currents and temperature structure) were obtained. The shape of the main line can be calculated at arbitrary times during operations. Shapes were consistent with the current structure. On the equator, the line was elevated significantly by the Equatorial Undercurrent. It is shown that the shape of main line depends primarily upon the vertical shear and direction of the current relative to the gear. Time sequences of calculated shapes reveals that observed periodic (1-2 hours) oscillations in depth of the gear was caused by swinging movements of the main line. The shortening rate of the main line is an important parameter for formulating the shape of the longline, and its precise measurement is desirable.

Biodegradable thermoplastic elastomers: tuning viscoelastic properties and shape memory

286 p.