Test methods for determining the suitability of metal alloys for use in oxygen-enriched environments

Materials are more flammable in oxygen rich environments than in air. When the structural elements of a system containing oxygen ignite and burn, the results are often catastrophic, causing loss of equipment and perhaps even human lives. Therefore, selection of the proper metallic and non-metallic materials for use in oxygen systems is extremely important. While test methods for the selection of non-metallic materials have been available for years, test methods for the selection of alloys have not been available until recently. Presented here are several test methods that were developed recently at NASA's White Sands Test Facility (WSTF) to study the ignition and combustion of alloys, including the supersonic and subsonic speed particle impact tests, the frictional heating and coefficient of friction tests, and the promoted combustion test. These test methods are available for commercial use

SDSS J092712.64+294344.0: recoiling black hole or merging galaxies?

We report long-slit spectroscopic observations of SDSS J092712+294344 carried-out at the recently commissioned 2m telescope in IUCAA Girawali Observatory, India. This AGN-like source is known to feature three sets of emission lines at zem = 0.6972, 0.7020 and 0.7128. Different scenarios such as a recoiling black hole after asymmetric emission of gravitational waves, binary black holes and possible merging systems are proposed for this object. We test these scenarios by comparing our spectra with that from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS), obtained 4 years prior to our observations. Comparing the redshifts of [OIII]4960,5008 we put a 3 sigma limit on the relative acceleration to be less than 32 km s^-1 yr^-1 between different emitting regions. Using the 2D spectra obtained at different position angles we show that the [OIII]5008 line from the zem = 0.7128 component is extended beyond the spectral point spread function. We infer the linear extent of this line emitting region is ~8 kpc. We also find a tentative evidence for an offset between the centroid of the [OIII]5008 line at zem = 0.7128 and the QSO trace when the slit is aligned at a position angle of 299 degrees. This corresponds to the zem = 0.7128 system being at an impact parameter of ~1 kpc with respect to the zem = 0.6972 in the north west direction. Based on our observations we conclude that the binary black hole model is most unlikely. The spatial extent and the sizes are consistent with both black hole recoil and merging scenarios.Comment: accepted for publication in MNRAS Letter

Performance of Libraries in Fisheries Educational Institutes

In India the fisheries sector lays great emphasis on developing fisheries education to produce professionally competent personnel. However, prior to Independence, the importance attached to fisheries as a whole was far from satisfactory. In 1947 the Government oflndia started two adhoc educational and training programmes one in Calcutta for Freshwater fisheries and the other at Mandapam camp (Tamil Nadu) for Marine Fisheries. The Fisheries Education committee (1959) headed by late Dr N K Panickkar, recommended to set up two national level

Digital libraries in fisheries

"Burn a CD-ROM. save a TREE". Libraries are expensive and Research libraries are particularly expensive. No Library can be self suffident because of insufficient funds and informalion explosion. But in modern times 'No Library is an Island' . Because the information scientist share a long tradition of co-operalion and interaction with networking libraries in their subject.Therefore, the IT age is forcing and compelling the libraries to undergo resource sharing through networks. The new technology has not only transformed the information to the modern libraries but also created many exciting poss ibilities and opportunities

Epidemiological approaches for aquatic disease control - Winter school on recent advances in diagnosis and management of diseases in mariculture, 7th to 27th November 2002, Course Manual

The importance of aquaculture to food security is well known, Aquaculture development therefore, has assumed significant momentum in several parts of the world. Diseases are among the greatest deterrents to the sustained production in aquaculture. Diseases like Epizootic Ulcerative Syndrome (ELiS) in fishes and White Spot Syndrome (WSS) in shrimps have amply demonstrated the devastating effect of disease outbreaks on aquaculture productivity and profitability Various diagnostic and health management tools are being.used to devise disease control strategies. It is becoming increasingly difficult to manage pathogens that have become endemic. Epidemiological approaches which have been very successful in human and veterinary medicine are now being increasingly recognised as important weapons that can be used in aquaculture to formulate disease control programmes