Ink Drying in Inkjet Printers

The first problem put to the Study Group for Maths in Industry by Domino UK Ltd concerns ink drying and blocking nozzles in a printer. The goals were as follows: 1. To propose mechanisms for the growth of a plug of dried ink in the open end of a Drop-on-Demand drop generator, 2. To suggest cures to this problem, 3. To consider why oscillating the meniscus appears to alleviate the problem

Fluorapophyllite-(Cs), CsCa₄(Si₈O₂₀)F(H₂O)₈, a new apophyllite-group mineral from the Darai-Pioz Massif, Tien-Shan, Northern Tajikistan

Fluorapophyllite-(Cs) (IMA 2018-108a), ideally CsCa4(Si8O20)F(H2O)(8), is an apophyllite-group mineral from the moraine of the Darai-Pioz glacier, Tien-Shan, Northern Tajikistan. Associated minerals are quartz, pectolite, baratovite, aegirine, leucosphenite, pyrochlore, neptunite, fluorapophyllite-(K), and reedmergnerite. Fluorapophyllite-(Cs) is a hydrothermal mineral. It is colorless and has a vitreous luster and a white streak. Cleavage is perfect; it is brittle and has a stepped fracture. Mohs hardness is 4.5-5. D-meas. = 2.54(2) g/cm(3), D-calc. = 2.513 g/cm(3). Fluorapophyllite-(Cs) is unixial (+) with refractive indices (lambda = 589 nm) omega = 1.540(2), epsilon = 1.544(2). It is non-pleochroic. Chemical analysis by electron microprobe gave SiO2 48.78, Al2O3 0.05, CaO 22.69, Cs2O 10.71, K2O 1.13, Na2O 0.04, F 1.86, H2Ocalc. 14.61, -O=F2 -0.78, sum 99.09 wt.%; H2O was calculated from crystal-structure analysis. The empirical formula based on 29 (O + F) apfu, H2O = 8 pfu, is (Cs0.75K0.24)Sigma(0.99)(Ca3.99Na0.01)Sigma(4)(Si8.01Al0.01)Sigma 8.02O20.03F0.97(H2O)8, Z = 2. The simplified formula is (Cs,K)(Ca,Na)(4)(Si,Al) 8 O20F(H2O)(8). Fluorapophyllite-(Cs) is tetragonal, space group P4/mnc, a 9.060(6), c 15.741(11) angstrom, V 1292.10(19) angstrom(3). The crystal structure has been refined to R-1 = 4.31% based on 498 unique (F-o > 4 sigma F) reflections. In the crystal structure of fluorapophyllite-(Cs), there is one [4] T site occupied solely by Si,,T-O. = 1.615 angstrom. SiO4 tetrahedra link to form a (Si8O20)(8-)sheet perpendicular to [001]. Between the Si-O sheets, there are two cation sites: A and B. The A site is coordinated by eight H2O groups [O(4) site], A-O(4) = 3.152(4) angstrom; the A site contains Cs(0.75)K(0.24)A(0.01 square 0.01), ideally Cs apfu. The Cs-O bond length of 3.152 angstrom is definitely larger than the K-O bond length of 2.966-2.971 angstrom in fluorapophyllite-(K), KCa4(Si8O20)F(H2O)8. The [7]B site contains Ca3.99Na0.01, ideally Ca-4 apfu; < B-phi > = 2.417 angstrom (phi = O, F, H2O). The Si-O sheets connect via A and B polyhedra and hydrogen bonding; two H atoms have been included in the refinement. Fluorapophyllite-(Cs) is isostructural with fluorapophyllite-(K). Fluorapophyllite-(Cs) is a Cs-analogue of fluorapophyllite-(K)

An approximation model for nonlinear wave induced moment on a vertical surface-piercing column

This study focuses on the analysis of the higher harmonic wave moments (around the seabed) on a vertical cylinder under the action of focused wave groups. The moment is known to be more nonlinear than the horizontal wave force; however, it is not very much investigated in the literature due to the difficulty of measuring accurately the mudline moment. We analysed the carefully measured wave loads from the tests in the Kelvin tank in the University of Strathclyde where a four-phase method is employed to extract the harmonic wave loads. The mudline moment shows a ‘Stokes-like’ underlying harmonic structure similar to the horizontal force. An approximation model is established to estimate the harmonic moment from the linear moment component. The model requires the nonlinear horizontal force coefficients and the moment arm of each harmonic. The moment arm for each higher harmonic is found from the measured forces and moments. The approximation model is demonstrated to be successful from both the measured data and numerical simulation

Defects and glassy dynamics in solid He-4: Perspectives and current status

We review the anomalous behavior of solid He-4 at low temperatures with particular attention to the role of structural defects present in solid. The discussion centers around the possible role of two level systems and structural glassy components for inducing the observed anomalies. We propose that the origin of glassy behavior is due to the dynamics of defects like dislocations formed in He-4. Within the developed framework of glassy components in a solid, we give a summary of the results and predictions for the effects that cover the mechanical, thermodynamic, viscoelastic, and electro-elastic contributions of the glassy response of solid He-4. Our proposed glass model for solid He-4 has several implications: (1) The anomalous properties of He-4 can be accounted for by allowing defects to freeze out at lowest temperatures. The dynamics of solid He-4 is governed by glasslike (glassy) relaxation processes and the distribution of relaxation times varies significantly between different torsional oscillator, shear modulus, and dielectric function experiments. (2) Any defect freeze-out will be accompanied by thermodynamic signatures consistent with entropy contributions from defects. It follows that such entropy contribution is much smaller than the required superfluid fraction, yet it is sufficient to account for excess entropy at lowest temperatures. (3) We predict a Cole-Cole type relation between the real and imaginary part of the response functions for rotational and planar shear that is occurring due to the dynamics of defects. Similar results apply for other response functions. (4) Using the framework of glassy dynamics, we predict low-frequency yet to be measured electro-elastic features in defect rich He-4 crystals. These predictions allow one to directly test the ideas and very presence of glassy contributions in He-4.Comment: 33 pages, 13 figure

The Demographics, Stellar Populations, and Star Formation Histories of Fast Radio Burst Host Galaxies: Implications for the Progenitors

We present a comprehensive catalog of observations and stellar population properties for 23 highly secure host galaxies of fast radio bursts (FRBs). Our sample comprises 6 repeating FRBs and 17 apparent nonrepeaters. We present 82 new photometric and 8 new spectroscopic observations of these hosts. Using stellar population synthesis modeling and employing nonparametric star formation histories (SFHs), we find that FRB hosts have a median stellar mass of ≈109.9M⊙, mass-weighted age ≈5.1 Gyr, and ongoing star formation rate ≈1.3 M⊙ yr−1 but span wide ranges in all properties. Classifying the hosts by degree of star formation, we find that 87% (20 of 23 hosts) are star-forming, two are transitioning, and one is quiescent. The majority trace the star-forming main sequence of galaxies, but at least three FRBs in our sample originate in less-active environments (two nonrepeaters and one repeater). Across all modeled properties, we find no statistically significant distinction between the hosts of repeaters and nonrepeaters. However, the hosts of repeating FRBs generally extend to lower stellar masses, and the hosts of nonrepeaters arise in more optically luminous galaxies. While four of the galaxies with the clearest and most prolonged rises in their SFHs all host repeating FRBs, demonstrating heightened star formation activity in the last ≲100 Myr, one nonrepeating host shows this SFH as well. Our results support progenitor models with short delay channels (i.e., magnetars formed via core-collapse supernova) for most FRBs, but the presence of some FRBs in less-active environments suggests a fraction form through more delayed channels

Earthworm-produced calcite granules: a new terrestrial palaeothermometer?

In this paper we show for the first time that calcite granules, produced by the earthworm Lumbricus terrestris, and commonly recorded at sites of archaeological interest, accurately reflect temperature and soil water δ18O values. Earthworms were cultivated in an orthogonal combination of two different (granule-free) soils moistened by three types of mineral water and kept at three temperatures (10, 16 and 20 ºC) for an acclimatisation period of three weeks followed by transfer to identical treatments and cultivation for a further four weeks. Earthworm-secreted calcite granules were collected from the second set of soils. δ18O values were determined on individual calcite granules (δ18Oc) and the soil solution (δ18Ow). The δ18Oc values reflect soil solution δ18Ow values and temperature, but are consistently enriched by 1.51 (±0.12) ‰ in comparison to equilibrium in synthetic carbonates. The data fit the equation 1000 ln α = [20.21 ± 0.92] (103 T-1) - [38.58 ± 3.18] (R2 = 0.95; n = 96; p < 0.0005). As the granules are abundant in modern soils, buried soils and archaeological contexts, and can be dated using U-Th disequilibria, the developed palaeotemperature relationship has enormous potential for application to Holocene and Pleistocene time intervals

Measurement of the Bottom-Strange Meson Mixing Phase in the Full CDF Data Set

We report a measurement of the bottom-strange meson mixing phase \beta_s using the time evolution of B0_s -> J/\psi (->\mu+\mu-) \phi (-> K+ K-) decays in which the quark-flavor content of the bottom-strange meson is identified at production. This measurement uses the full data set of proton-antiproton collisions at sqrt(s)= 1.96 TeV collected by the Collider Detector experiment at the Fermilab Tevatron, corresponding to 9.6 fb-1 of integrated luminosity. We report confidence regions in the two-dimensional space of \beta_s and the B0_s decay-width difference \Delta\Gamma_s, and measure \beta_s in [-\pi/2, -1.51] U [-0.06, 0.30] U [1.26, \pi/2] at the 68% confidence level, in agreement with the standard model expectation. Assuming the standard model value of \beta_s, we also determine \Delta\Gamma_s = 0.068 +- 0.026 (stat) +- 0.009 (syst) ps-1 and the mean B0_s lifetime, \tau_s = 1.528 +- 0.019 (stat) +- 0.009 (syst) ps, which are consistent and competitive with determinations by other experiments.Comment: 8 pages, 2 figures, Phys. Rev. Lett 109, 171802 (2012

Synchronous diversification of Sulawesi's iconic artiodactyls driven by recent geological events

The high degree of endemism on Sulawesi has previously been suggested to have vicariant origins, dating back to 40 Ma. Recent studies, however, suggest that much of Sulawesi’s fauna assembled over the last 15 Myr. Here, we test the hypothesis that more recent uplift of previously submerged portions of land on Sulawesi promoted diversification and that much of its faunal assemblage is much younger than the island itself. To do so, we combined palaeogeographical reconstructionswithgenetic andmorphometric datasets derived from Sulawesi’s three largest mammals: the babirusa, anoa and Sulawesi warty pig. Our results indicate that although these species most likely colonized the area that is now Sulawesi at different times (14 Ma to 2-3 Ma), they experienced an almost synchronous expansion from the central part of the island. Geological reconstructions indicate that this area was above sea level for most of the last 4 Myr, unlike most parts of the island. We conclude that emergence of land on Sulawesi (approx. 1-2 Myr) may have allowed species to expand synchronously. Altogether, our results indicate that the establishment of the highly endemic faunal assemblage on Sulawesiwas driven by geological events over the last few million years

Update on Beam Induced RF Heating in the LHC

Since June 2011 the rapid increase of the luminosity performance of the LHC has come at the expense of both increased temperature and pressure of specific, near-beam, LHC equipment. In some cases, this beam induced heating has caused delays while equipment cool-down, beam dumps and even degradation of some devices. This contribution gathers the observations of beam induced heating, attributed to longitudinal beam coupling impedance, their current level of understanding and possible actions planned to be implemented during the 1st LHC Long Shutdown (LS1) in 2013-2014