The observational evidence pertinent to possible kick mechanisms in neutron stars

We examine available observations on pulsars for evidence pertaining to mechanisms proposed to explain the origin of their velocities. We find that mechanisms predicting a correlation between the rotation axis and the pulsar velocity are ruled out. Also, that there is no significant correlation between pulsar magnetic field strengths and velocities. With respect to recent suggestions postulating asymmetric impulses at birth being solely responsible for both the spins and velocities of pulsars, single impulses of any duration and multiple extended duration impulses appear ruled out.Comment: 7 pages. Accepted for publication in Astronomy & Astrophysic

Gas–liquid flow in stirred reactors: Trailing vortices and gas accumulation behind impeller blades

In a gas–liquid stirred reactor, gas tends to accumulate in low-pressure regions behind the impeller blades. Such gas accumulation significantly alters impeller performance characteristics. We have computationally investigated gas–liquid flow generated by a Rushton (disc) turbine. Rotating Rushton turbine generates trailing vortices behind the blades, which influence the gas accumulation in the impeller region. Characteristics of these trailing vortices were first investigated by considering a model problem of flow over a single impeller blade. Predicted results were compared with the published experimental data. Circulation velocity and turbulent kinetic energy of the trailing vortices were found to scale with blade tip velocity. Several numerical experiments were carried out to understand interaction of gas bubbles and trailing vortices. Gas–liquid flow in stirred vessel was then simulated by extending the computational snapshot approach of Ranade and Dometti (Chem. Engng Res. Des., 74, 476–484, 1996). The approach was able to capture the main features of gas–liquid flow in stirred vessels. The detailed analysis of predicted results with reference to experimental data and the results obtained for flow over a single impeller blade will be useful for extending the scope of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) based tools for engineering gas–liquid stirred reactors

Left-Right Symmetry and Supersymmetric Unification

The existence of an SU(3) X SU(2)_L X SU(2)_R X U(1) gauge symmetry with g_L = g_R at the TeV energy scale is shown to be consistent with supersymmetric SO(10) grand unification at around 1O^{16} GeV if certain new particles are assumed. The additional imposition of a discrete Z_2 symmetry leads to a generalized definition of R parity as well as highly suppressed Majorana neutrino masses. Another model based on SO(10) X SO(10) is also discussed.Comment: 11 pages, 2 figures not included, UCRHEP-T124, Apr 199

Intermediate scale as a source of lepton flavor violation in SUSY SO(10)

In supersymmetric SO(10) grand unified models, we examine the lepton flavor violation process $\mu \rightarrow e\gamma$ from having the SU(2)$_R\times$U(1)$_{B-L}$ gauge symmetry broken at an intermediate scale $M_I$ below the SO(10) grand unification scale $M_G$. Even in the case that supersymmetry is broken by universal soft terms introduced at the scale $M_G$, we find significant rates for $\mu\rightarrow e\gamma$ with $M_I \sim 10^{12}$ GeV or less. These rates are further enhanced if the universal soft terms appear at a scale greater than $M_G$.Comment: 12 pages (Latex), 3 PS Figures (uuencoded, epsf.tex), small addition to discussion in the text, as to appear in Phys. Rev. D Rapid Communication

Ab Initio Calculations of the Walls Shear Strength of Carbon Nanotubes

The dependence of the energy of interwall interaction in double-walled carbon nanotubes (DWNT) on the relative position of walls has been calculated using the density functional method. This dependence is used to evaluate forces that are necessary for the relative telescopic motion of walls and to calculate the shear strength of DWNT for the relative sliding of walls along the nanotube axis and for their relative rotation about this axis. The possibility of experimental verification of the obtained results is discussed.Comment: 4 pages, 1 figur

Treatment of Sewage by using Two-Stage Rotating Biological Contactor (RBC)

The rotating biological contactor (RBC) process offers the specific advantages of a bio-film system in treatment of wastewater for removal of soluble organic substance. The present review of RBC focus on parameter like materials used in fabrication of RBC Unit, media used for development of bio-film, HRT, organic and hydraulic loading rate, influent wastewater characteristics, Analysis treated wastewater characteristics, submergence variation, constant RPM, sizing of the reactor. In present study, a lab scale two stage RBC reactor is fabricated to treat sewage. Here work is carried out to check the performance and efficiency of two stage RBC reactor to treat sewage by varying submergence and maintaining constant speed (RPM).From present study, the two stages RBC is varied with 2 submergences for constant speed of disc as 4 RPM with different COD loading rate at optimum HRT. The result obtained when the disk submergence was 40%, the COD removal efficiency for tank1 was 90.31% and for tank1+tank2 were 93.8%. Hence optimum COD loading rate was 640 mg/L at optimum 2hrs HRT and when the disk submergence was 45%, the COD removal efficiency for tank1 was 90.76 % and for tank1+tank2 were 94.6 %. Hence optimum COD loading rate was 520 mg/L at optimum HRT of 1 hr. Keywords: Two stage Rotating Biological contactor (RBC), sewage, Optimum COD Loading Rate and HRT

Nondestructive Evaluation of Weld seam Failures in Tubes and Other Structures for Thermal, Wind and Nuclear Power Applications

The paper gives inspection and maintenance practices being followed in an important Tube manufacturing plant (Bundy India Limited, Baroda) where the first author (R.M Joshi) worked. Advances in the eddy current technique of on line surface and subsurface inspection along with some unconventional modern methods and their scope of appli-cation have been highlighted. The inspection techniques contribute to improved customer confidence

A tunable, dual mode field-effect or single electron transistor

A dual mode device behaving either as a field-effect transistor or a single electron transistor (SET) has been fabricated using silicon-on-insulator metal oxide semiconductor technology. Depending on the back gate polarisation, an electron island is accumulated under the front gate of the device (SET regime), or a field-effect transistor is obtained by pinching off a bottom channel with a negative front gate voltage. The gradual transition between these two cases is observed. This dual function uses both vertical and horizontal tunable potential gradients in non-overlapped silicon-on-insulator channel

Further Evidence for Collimated Particle Beams from Pulsars, and Precession

We follow up on our (Radhakrishnan & Deshpande, 2001: RD01) radically different interpretation of the observed structures and morphologies in the x-ray observations of the nebulae around young pulsars (PWNe). In our general model for PWNe (RD01), originally motivated by the Chandra observations of the Vela X-ray nebula, the bright arcs, the jet-like feature and the diffuse components in such nebulae can be explained together in detail, wherein the arcs are understood as traces of the particle beams from the two magnetic poles at the shock front. We consider this as important evidence for collimated particle beams from pulsars' magnetic poles. In this paper, we discuss the variability in the features in the Vela X-ray nebula observed by Pavlov et al. (2003), and assess the relevance and implication of our model to the observations on the Crab and other remnants. Our basic picture after incorporating the signatures of free precession of the central compact object can readily account for the variability and significant asymmetries, including the bent jet-like features, in the observed morphologies. The implications of these findings are discussed.Comment: Minor revision; 12 (9+3) pages, 3 figures; To appear in Ap

Texture of fermion mass matrices in partially unified theories

We investigate the texture of fermion mass matrices in theories with partial unification (for example $SU(2)_L\times SU(2)_R\times SU(4)_c$) at a scale $\sim 10^{12}$ GeV. Starting with the low energy values of the masses and the mixing angles, we find only two viable textures with atmost four texture zeros. One of these corresponds to a somewhat modified Fritzsch textures. A theoretical derivataion of these textures leads to new interesting relations among the masses and the mixing angles.Comment: 10 pages(Latex