10,835 research outputs found
Application of remote sensing to selected problems within the state of California
There are no author-identified significant results in this report
Application of remote sensing to selected problems within the state of California
There are no author-identified signficant results in this report
Parallax and Kinematics of PSR B0919+06 from VLBA Astrometry and Interstellar Scintillometry
Results are presented from a long-term astrometry program on PSR B0919+06
using the NRAO Very Long Baseline Array. With ten observations (seven epochs)
between 1994--2000, we measure a proper motion of 18.35 +/- 0.06 mas/yr in RA,
86.56 +/- 0.12 mas/yr in Dec, and a parallax of 0.83 +/- 0.13 mas (68%
confidence intervals). This yields a pulsar distance of 1.21 +/- 0.19 kpc,
making PSR B0919+06 the farthest pulsar for which a trigonometric parallax has
been obtained, and the implied pulsar transverse speed is 505 +/- 80 km/s.
Combining the distance estimate with interstellar scintillation data spanning
20 years, we infer the existence of a patchy or clumpy scattering screen along
the line of sight in addition to the distributed electron density predicted by
models for the Galaxy, and constrain the location of this scattering region to
within about 250 parsecs of the Sun. Comparison with the lines of sight towards
other pulsars in the same quadrant of the Galaxy permits refinement of our
knowledge of the local interstellar matter in this direction.Comment: 12 pages, includes 4 figures and 3 tables, uses AASTeX 5 (included);
ApJ submitte
Measurement of the Parallax of PSR B0950+08 Using the VLBA
A new technique has been developed to remove the ionosphere's distorting
effects from low frequency VLBI data. By fitting dispersive and non-dispersive
components to the phases of multi-frequency data, the ionosphere can be
effectively removed from the data without the use of {\em a priori} calibration
information. This technique, along with the new gating capability of the VLBA
correlator, was used to perform accurate astrometry on pulsar B0950+08,
resulting in a much improved measurement of this pulsar's proper motion
( mas/yr, mas/yr)
and parallax ( mas). This puts the pulsar at a distance of
parsecs, about twice as far as previous estimates, but in good
agreement with models of the electron density in the local bubble.Comment: 5 pages, Latex with AASTEX. Accepted for publication in Ap
Role of material properties and mesostructure on dynamic deformation and shear instability in Al-W granular composites
Dynamic experiments with Al-W granular/porous composites revealed
qualitatively different behavior with respect to shear localization depending
on bonding between Al particles. Two-dimensional numerical modeling was used to
explore the mesomechanics of the large strain dynamic deformation in Al-W
granular/porous composites and explain the experimentally observed differences
in shear localization between composites with various mesostructures.
Specifically, the bonding between the Al particles, the porosity, the roles of
the relative particle sizes of Al and W, the arrangements of the W particles,
and the material properties of Al were investigated using numerical
calculations. It was demonstrated in simulations that the bonding between the
"soft" Al particles facilitated shear localization as seen in the experiments.
Numerical calculations and experiments revealed that the mechanism of the shear
localization in granular composites is mainly due to the local high strain flow
of "soft" Al around the "rigid" W particles causing localized damage
accumulation and subsequent growth of the meso/macro shear bands/cracks. The
"rigid" W particles were the major geometrical factor determining the
initiation and propagation of "kinked" shear bands in the matrix of "soft" Al
particles, leaving some areas free of extensive plastic deformation as observed
in experiments and numerical calculations.Comment: 10 pages, 14 figures, submitted to Journal of Applied Physic
Static Black Binaries in de Sitter
We construct the first four-dimensional multi-black hole solution of general
relativity with a positive cosmological constant. The solution consists of two
static black holes whose gravitational attraction is balanced by the cosmic
expansion. These static binaries provide the first four-dimensional example of
non-uniqueness in general relativity without matter.Comment: 15 pages, 8 figures. v2: matches published version (improved
discussions and Figs. 6 and 7 added
Climate change adaptation, flood risks and policy coherence in integrated water resources management in England
Integrated water resources management (IWRM) assumes coherence between cognate aspects of water governance at the river basin scale, for example water quality, energy production and agriculture objectives. But critics argue that IWRM is often less ‘integrated’ in practice, raising concerns over inter-sectoral coherence between implementing institutions. One increasingly significant aspect of IWRM is adaptation to climate change-related risks, including threats from flooding, which are particularly salient in England. Although multiple institutional mechanisms exist for flood risk management (FRM), their coherence remains a critical question for national adaptation. This paper therefore (1) maps the multi-level institutional frameworks determining both IWRM and FRM in England; (2) examines their interaction via various inter-institutional coordinating mechanisms; and (3) assesses the degree of coherence. The analysis suggests that cognate EU strategic objectives for flood risk assessment demonstrate relatively high vertical and horizontal coherence with river basin planning. However, there is less coherence with flood risk requirements for land-use planning and national flood protection objectives. Overall, this complex governance arrangement actually demonstrates de-coherence over time due to ongoing institutional fragmentation. Recommendations for increasing IWRM coherence in England or re-coherence based on greater spatial planning and coordination of water-use and land-use strategies are proposed
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