977 research outputs found
Pre-failure behaviour of an unstable limestone cliff from displacement and seismic data
We monitored the displacement and seismic activity of an unstable vertical rock slice in a natural limestone cliff of the southeast Vercors massif, southeast France, during the months preceding its collapse. Displacement measurements showed an average acceleration of the movement of its top, with clear increases in the displacement velocity and in the discrete seismic event production rate during periods where temperature falls, with more activity when rainfall or frost occurs. Crises of discrete seismic events produce high amplitudes in periodograms, but do not change the high frequency base noise level rate. We infer that these crises express the critical crack growth induced by water weakening (from water vapor condensation or rain) of the rock strength rather than to a rapid change in applied stresses. Seismic noise analysis showed a steady increase in the high frequency base noise level and the emergence of spectral modes in the signal recorded by the sensor installed on the unstable rock slice during the weeks preceding the collapse. High frequency seismic noise base level seems to represent subcritical crack growth. It is a smooth and robust parameter whose variations are related to generalized changes in the rupture process. Drop of the seismic noise amplitude was concomitant with the emergence of spectral modes – that are compatible with high-order eigenmodes of the unstable rock slice – during the later stages of its instability. Seismic noise analysis, especially high frequency base noise level analysis may complement that of inverse displacement velocity in early-warning approaches when strong displacement fluctuations occur
Double-difference tomography at Mt Etna volcano: Preliminary results
We performed a preliminary double-difference tomographic study using
earthquake data recorded by the INGV-Catania seismic network during the
large seismic and eruptive crisis of 2002-2003 at Mt Etna volcano. Compared
to previous models, first results presented from the inversion of travel-time
differences, tend to show an increase in the velocity contrast between the fast
core and the slow periphery of the volcano
Double-difference tomography at Mt. Etna volcano
Double-difference tomography at Mt Etna volcano was realized by using the tomographic
algorithm developped by Monteiller et al. (2005), in which the travel-time computation was performed using a finite-difference solution of the Eikonal equation
(Podvin and Lecomte, 1991) and a posteriori ray-tracing. The inverse problem was
solved using a probabilistic approach (Tarantola and Valette, 1982). The optimal a
priori information (correlation length and a priori model variance) was found experimentally
by performing tomographies for correlation lengths and variances varying in
large intervals. This probabilistic approach allowed us to use a sech pdf for representing
errors in differential times. Data were travel-times and time delays provided by a
set of 329 earthquakes, well-recorded by the INGV-CT seismic network (50 stations)
on the Mt Etna volcano during the seismo-volcanic crisis occurring between October
2002 and January 2003. Checkerboard tests realized with this geometry and earthquake
pairs showed that the model can be correctly reconstructed in a significant area
around Mt Etna volcano. Results of the P and S-wave double-difference tomography
clearly evidenced two concentric features: a fast central cylindrical core, probably of
intrusive origin, surrounded by a slow annealed body, which could be related to partial melting
Threshold Resonant Structure of the 232Th Neutron-Induced Fission Cross Section
The structures observed in the sub-threshold neutron-induced fission of
^{232}Th were investigated employing a recent developed model. Theoretical
single-particle excitations of a phenomenological two-humped barrier are
determined by solving a system of coupled differential equations for the motion
along the optimal fission path. A rather good agreement with experimental data
was obtained using a small number of independent parameters. It is predicted
that the structure at 1.4 and 1.6 MeV is mainly dominated by spin 3/2 partial
cross-section with small admixture of spin 1/2, while the structure at 1.7 MeV
is given by a large partial cross section of spin 5/2.Comment: 17 pages 11 figure
Isotopic and velocity distributions of Bi produced in charge-pickup reactions of 208Pb at 1 A GeV
Isotopically resolved cross sections and velocity distributions have been
measured in charge-pickup reactions of 1 A GeV 208Pb with proton, deuterium and
titanium target. The total and partial charge-pickup cross sections in the
reactions 208Pb + 1H and 208Pb + 2H are measured to be the same in the limits
of the error bars. A weak increase in the total charge-pickup cross section is
seen in the reaction of 208Pb with the titanium target. The measured velocity
distributions show different contributions - quasi-elastic scattering and
Delta-resonance excitation - to the charge-pickup production. Data on total and
partial charge-pickup cross sections from these three reactions are compared
with other existing data and also with model calculations based on the coupling
of different intra-nuclear cascade codes and an evaporation code.Comment: 20 pages, 12 figures, background information on
http://www-w2k.gsi.de/kschmidt
Production of medium-mass neutron-rich nuclei in reactions induced by 136Xe projectiles at 1 A GeV on a beryllium target
Production cross sections of medium-mass neutron-rich nuclei obtained in the
fragmentation of 136Xe projectiles at 1 A GeV have been measured with the
FRagment Separator (FRS) at GSI. 125Pd was identified for the first time. The
measured cross sections are compared to 238U fission yields and model
calculations in order to determine the optimum reaction mechanism to extend the
limits of the chart of the nuclides around the r-process waiting point at N=82.Comment: 9 pages, 6 figure
A Quasi-Classical Model of Intermediate Velocity Particle Production in Asymmetric Heavy Ion Reactions
The particle emission at intermediate velocities in mass asymmetric reactions
is studied within the framework of classical molecular dynamics. Two reactions
in the Fermi energy domain were modelized, Ni+C and Ni+Au at 34.5
MeV/nucleon. The availability of microscopic correlations at all times allowed
a detailed study of the fragment formation process. Special attention was paid
to the physical origin of fragments and emission timescales, which allowed us
to disentangle the different processes involved in the mid-rapidity particle
production. Consequently, a clear distinction between a prompt pre- equilibrium
emission and a delayed aligned asymmetric breakup of the heavier partner of the
reaction was achieved.Comment: 8 pages, 7 figures. Final version: figures were redesigned, and a new
section discussing the role of Coulomb in IMF production was include
Inhomogeneous isospin distribution in the reactions of 28Si + 112Sn and 124Sn at 30 and 50 MeV/nucleon
We have created quasiprojectiles of varying isospin via peripheral reactions
of 28Si + 112Sn and 124Sn at 30 and 50 MeV/nucleon. The quasiprojectiles have
been reconstructed from completely isotopically identified fragments. The
difference in N/Z of the reconstructed quasiprojectiles allows the
investigation of the disassembly as a function of the isospin of the
fragmenting system. The isobaric yield ratio 3H/3He depends strongly on N/Z
ratio of quasiprojectiles. The dependences of mean fragment multiplicity and
mean N/Z ratio of the fragments on N/Z ratio of the quasiprojectile are
different for light charged particles and intermediate mass fragments.
Observation of a different N/Z ratio of light charged particles and
intermediate mass fragments is consistent with an inhomogeneous distribution of
isospin in the fragmenting system.Comment: 5 pages, 4 Postscript figures, RevTe
Effect of nucleon exchange on projectile multifragmentation in the reactions of 28Si + 112Sn and 124Sn at 30 and 50 MeV/nucleon
Multifragmentation of quasiprojectiles was studied in reactions of 28Si beam
with 112Sn and 124Sn targets at projectile energies 30 and 50 MeV/nucleon. The
quasiprojectile observables were reconstructed using isotopically identified
charged particles with Z_f <= 5 detected at forward angles. The nucleon
exchange between projectile and target was investigated using isospin and
excitation energy of reconstructed quasiprojectile. For events with total
reconstructed charge equal to the charge of the beam (Z_tot = 14) the influence
of beam energy and target isospin on neutron transfer was studied in detail.
Simulations employing subsequently model of deep inelastic transfer,
statistical model of multifragmentation and software replica of FAUST detector
array were carried out. A concept of deep inelastic transfer provides good
description of production of highly excited quasiprojectiles. The isospin and
excitation energy of quasiprojectile were described with good overall
agreement. The fragment multiplicity, charge and isospin were reproduced
satisfactorily. The range of contributing impact parameters was determined
using backtracing procedure.Comment: 11 pages, 8 Postscript figures, LaTeX, to appear in Phys. Rev. C (
Dec 2000
Determination of the freeze-out temperature by the isospin thermometer
The high-resolution spectrometer FRS at GSI Darmstadt provides the full
isotopic and kinematical identification of fragmentation residues in
relativistic heavy-ion collisions. Recent measurements of the isotopic
distribution of heavy projectile fragments led to a very surprising new
physical finding: the residue production does not lose the memory of the N/Z of
the projectile ending up in a universal de-excitation corridor; an ordering of
the residues in relation to the neutron excess of the projectile has been
observed. These unexpected features can be interpreted as a new manifestation
of multifragmentation. We have found that at the last stage of the reaction the
temperature of the big clusters subjected to evaporation is limited to a
universal value. The thermometer to measure this limiting temperature is the
neutron excess of the residues.Comment: 8 pages, 6 figures, corrected some misprints in the abstract, to be
published in "Yadernaya Fizika" as a proceeding of the "VII International
School Seminar on Heavy-Ion Phyics", Dubna (Russia), May 27 - June 1, 200
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