36Cl analysis of bedrock fault scarps in central Italy and western Turkey

There are two major aims in my thesis. The first is primarily a methodological focus. Cosmgenic istope dating of bedrock normal fault scarps is being increasingly used to determine slip rates on normal faults. These slip rates often form the basis of geodynamic and seismic hazard models, however it has not been determined that it is a consistent method for measuring slip rate. I aim to test whether it is a robust technique for determining slip rate by cosmogenic isotope; investigating the reproducibility of the method at multiple sites along a single fault. This will provide greater confidence in the method. I have chosen to undertake this study in the central Italian Apennines, because there it has the highest concentration of existing 36Cl fault scarp studies, which I can integrate with my studies. To understand how fault networks behave requires information on their slip rates, and by determining slip rates on faults that are next to each other, I may gain insight into how faults are interacting over millennial timescales. Quaternary slip rates on faults in western Turkey are not constrained in many areas, and it is one of the most rapidly extending regions on earth. I aim to determine slip rates on some of these normal faults using cosmogenic isotope dating of limestone fault scarps, and see what information this can provide on how faults are interacting in the region. I have chosen to work in the Mugla-Yatagan basin because no Quaternary slip rates have been determined on the faults which lie close to a major city, and the close proximity of 3 faults may provide insight into how faults interact over km scales. Finally there are also appropriate sample sites on each of the major faults, allowing the 36Cl fault scarp dating method to be used

Genomic epidemiology of SARS-CoV-2 in a UK university identifies dynamics of transmission

AbstractUnderstanding SARS-CoV-2 transmission in higher education settings is important to limit spread between students, and into at-risk populations. In this study, we sequenced 482 SARS-CoV-2 isolates from the University of Cambridge from 5 October to 6 December 2020. We perform a detailed phylogenetic comparison with 972 isolates from the surrounding community, complemented with epidemiological and contact tracing data, to determine transmission dynamics. We observe limited viral introductions into the university; the majority of student cases were linked to a single genetic cluster, likely following social gatherings at a venue outside the university. We identify considerable onward transmission associated with student accommodation and courses; this was effectively contained using local infection control measures and following a national lockdown. Transmission clusters were largely segregated within the university or the community. Our study highlights key determinants of SARS-CoV-2 transmission and effective interventions in a higher education setting that will inform public health policy during pandemics.</jats:p

A novel multi-scale microstructure to address the strength/ductility trade off in high strength steel for fusion reactors

As well as having suitable mechanical performance, fusion reactor materials for the first wall and blanket must be both radiation tolerant and low activation, which has resulted in the development of reduced activation ferritic/martensitic (RAFM) steels. The current steels suffer irradiation-induced hardening and embrittlement, such that they are not adequate for planned commercial fusion reactors. Producing high strength, ductility and toughness&lt;jats:bold&gt; &lt;/jats:bold&gt;is difficult, because inhibiting deformation to produce strength also reduces the amount of work hardening available, and thereby ductility. Here we solve this dichotomy to introduce a high strength and high ductility RAFM steel, produced by a novel thermomechanical process route. A unique trimodal multiscale microstructure is developed, comprising nanoscale and microscale ferrite, and tempered martensite with low-angle nanograins. Processing induces a high dislocation density, which leads to an extremely high number of nanoscale precipitates and subgrain walls. High strength is attributed to the refinement of the ferrite grain size and the nanograins in the tempered martensite, while the high ductility results from a high mobile dislocation density in the ferrite, the higher proportion of MX carbides, and the trimodal microstructure, which improves ductility without impairing strength.&lt;/jats:p&gt

In crystallo lattice adaptivity triggered by solid-gas reactions of cationic group 7 pincer complexes

The group 7 complexes [M(κ3-2,6-(R2PO)2C5H3N)(CO)2L][BArF4] [M = Mn, R = iPr, L = THF; M = Re, R = tBu, L = vacant site] undergo in crystallo solid-gas reactivity with CO to form the products of THF substitution or CO addition respectively. There is a large, local, adaptive change of [BArF4] anions for M = Mn, whereas for M = Re the changes are smaller and also remote to the site of reactivity

Fault roughness of the Campo Felice fault; data and scripts

This dataset contains fault surface scans of the Campo Felice fault in the Italian Apennines, and scripts required to process these scans in order to investigate the fractal properties of fault roughness

CCDC 2271683 - 2271688 & 2271690: Experimental Crystal Structure Determination

An entry from the Cambridge Structural Database, the world’s repository for small molecule crystal structures. The entry contains experimental data from a crystal diffraction study. The deposited dataset for this entry is freely available from the CCDC and typically includes 3D coordinates, cell parameters, space group, experimental conditions and quality measures