A new species of fan-throated lizard of the genus Sitana Cuvier, 1829(Squamata: Agamidae) from northern Karnataka, India

A new species of fan-throated lizard of the genus Sitana Cuvier, 1829 is described from northern Karnataka, India. The new species is similar to members of the clade of Sitanaspinaecephalus Deepak et al., 2016, however, can be distinguished based on morphological as well as molecular data. Sitana dharwarensissp. nov. differs from its sister species, S. laticeps Deepak & Giri, 2016 in bearing a much larger dewlap. Data from micro-CT scan of the cranium and jaws further add support to the distinctness of the new species. The rivers, namely Krishna and Tungabhadra, likely act as a biogeographic barrier for terrestrial lizard species

In situ synthesis of nanoclay filled polyethylene using polymer supported metallocene catalyst system

In situ ethylene polymerizations were performed using bis(cyclopentadiene)titanium dichloride supported on polyethersulfone as catalyst. The bis(cyclopentadiene)titanium dichloride supported on polyethersulfone catalyst activity estimated by ethylene polymerization was 360 kgPE/molTi/h. During polymerization the fillers used were montmorillionite nanoclays having surface modifications with 35-45 wt% dimethyl dialkyl(14-18)amine (FA) and 25-30 wt% trimethyl stearyl ammonium (FB). These fillers were pretreated with methylaluminoxine (MAO; cocatalyst) for better dispersion onto the polymer matrix. The formation of polyethylene within the whole matrix was confirmed by FTIR studies. It was found that the nature of nanofiller did not have any remarkable effect on the melting characteristics of the polymer. TGA study indicates that nanoclay FB filled polyethylene has higher thermal stability than nanoclay FA filled polyethylene. The melting temperature of the obtained polyethylenes was 142 ºC, which corresponds to that synthesized by the polyether sulfone supported catalyst

A question of hierarchy: matter effects with atmospheric neutrinos and anti-neutrinos

It is by now established that neutrinos mix, have (different) non-zero masses, and therefore oscillate. The oscillation parameters themselves, however, are not all well-known. An open problem is that of the neutrino mass hierarchy. We study the possibility of determining the neutrino mass hierarchy with atmospheric neutrinos using an iron calorimeter detector capable of charge identification such as the proposed MONOLITH and ICAL/INO detectors. We find that such detectors are sensitive to the sign of the mass-squared difference, \delta_{32} = m_3^2 - m_2^2, provided the as-yet unknown mixing angle between the first and third generations, \theta_{13}, is greater than 6 degrees (\sin^2 2\theta_{13} > 0.04). A result with a significance greater than 90% CL requires large exposures (more than 500 kton-years) as well as good energy and angular resolution of the detected muons (better than 15%), especially for small \theta_{13}. Hence obtaining definitive results with such a detector is difficult, unless \theta_{13} turns out to be large. In contrast, such detectors can establish a clear oscillation pattern in atmospheric neutrinos in about 150 kton-years, therefore determining the absolute value of \delta_{32} and \sin^2 2 \theta_{23} to within 10%.Comment: 36 pages revtex with 14 eps figures; new section on statistical significance when detector resolution is include

Life Prediction for a CMC Component Using the NASALIFE Computer Code

The computer code, NASALIFE, was used to provide estimates for life of an SiC/SiC stator vane under varying thermomechanical loading conditions. The primary intention of this effort is to show how the computer code NASALIFE can be used to provide reasonable estimates of life for practical propulsion system components made of advanced ceramic matrix composites (CMC). Simple loading conditions provided readily observable and acceptable life predictions. Varying the loading conditions such that low cycle fatigue and creep were affected independently provided expected trends in the results for life due to varying loads and life due to creep. Analysis was based on idealized empirical data for the 9/99 Melt Infiltrated SiC fiber reinforced SiC

On-line monitoring of methane in sewer air

Methane is a highly potent greenhouse gas and contributes significantly to climate change. Recent studies have shown significant methane production in sewers. The studies conducted so far have relied on manual sampling followed by off-line laboratory-based chromatography analysis. These methods are labor-intensive when measuring methane emissions from a large number of sewers, and do not capture the dynamic variations in methane production. In this study, we investigated the suitability of infrared spectroscopy-based on-line methane sensors for measuring methane in humid and condensing sewer air. Two such sensors were comprehensively tested in the laboratory. Both sensors displayed high linearity (R2 > 0.999), with a detection limit of 0.023% and 0.110% by volume, respectively. Both sensors were robust against ambient temperature variations in the range of 5 to 35°C. While one sensor was robust against humidity variations, the other was found to be significantly affected by humidity. However, the problem was solved by equipping the sensor with a heating unit to increase the sensor surface temperature to 35°C. Field studies at three sites confirmed the performance and accuracy of the sensors when applied to actual sewer conditions, and revealed substantial and highly dynamic methane concentrations in sewer air

NASALIFE - Component Fatigue and Creep Life Prediction Program

NASALIFE is a life prediction program for propulsion system components made of ceramic matrix composites (CMC) under cyclic thermo-mechanical loading and creep rupture conditions. Although the primary focus was for CMC components, the underlying methodologies are equally applicable to other material systems as well. The program references empirical data for low cycle fatigue (LCF), creep rupture, and static material properties as part of the life prediction process. Multiaxial stresses are accommodated by Von Mises based methods and a Walker model is used to address mean stress effects. Varying loads are reduced by the Rainflow counting method or a peak counting type method. Lastly, damage due to cyclic loading and creep is combined with Minor s Rule to determine damage due to cyclic loading, damage due to creep, and the total damage per mission and the number of potential missions the component can provide before failure

Composite bosons in bilayer nu = 1 system: An application of the Murthy-Shankar formalism

We calculate the dispersion of the out-of-phase mode characteristic for the bilayer nu = 1 quantum Hall system applying the version of Chern-Simons theory of Murthy and Shankar that cures the unwanted bare electron mass dependence in the low-energy description of quantum Hall systems. The obtained value for the mode when d, distance between the layers, is zero is in a good agreement with the existing pseudospin picture of the system. For d nonzero but small we find that the mode is linearly dispersing and its velocity to a good approximation depends linearly on d. This is in agreement with the Hartree-Fock calculations of the pseudospin picture that predicts a linear dependance on d, and contrary to the naive Hartree predictions with dependence on the square-root of d. We set up a formalism that enables one to consider fluctuations around the found stationary point values. In addition we address the case of imbalanced layers in the Murthy-Shankar formalism.Comment: 10 pages, 1 figur

An Efficient Microcontroller Based Sun Tracker Control for Solar Cell Systems

The solar energy is fast becoming a different means of electricity resource. Now in world Fossil fuels are seriously depleting thus the need for another energy source is a necessity. To create effective utilization of its solar, energy efficiency must be maximized. An attainable way to deal with amplifying the power output of sun-powered exhibit is by sun tracking. This paper presents the control system for a solar cell orientation device which follows the sun in real time during daytime

Transparent Nuclei and Deuteron-Gold Collisions at RHIC

The current normalization of the cross section of inclusive high-pT particle production in deuteron-gold collisions measured RHIC relies on Glauber calculations for the inelastic d-Au cross section. These calculations should be corrected for diffraction. Moreover, they miss the Gribov's inelastic shadowing which makes nuclei more transparent (color transparency). The magnitude of this effect rises with energy and it may dramatically affect the normalization of the RHIC data. We evaluate these corrections employing the light-cone dipole formalism and found a rather modest corrections for the current normalization of the d-Au data. The results of experiments insensitive to diffraction (PHENIX, PHOBOS) should be renormalized by about 20% down, while those which include diffraction (STAR), by only 10%. Such a correction completely eliminates the Cronin enhancement in the PHENIX data for pions. The largest theoretical uncertainty comes from the part of the inelastic shadowing which is related to diffractive gluon radiation, or gluon shadowing. Our estimate is adjusted to data for the triple-Pomeron coupling, however, other models do not have such a restrictions and predict much stronger gluon shadowing. Therefore, the current data for high-pT hadron production in d-Au collisions at RHIC cannot exclude in a model independent way the possibility if initial state suppression proposed by Kharzeev-Levin-McLerran. Probably the only way to settle this uncertainty is a direct measurement of the inelastic d-Au cross sections at RHIC. Also d-Au collisions with a tagged spectator nucleon may serve as a sensitive probe for nuclear transparency and inelastic shadowing. We found an illuminating quantum-mechanical effect: the nucleus acts like a lens focusing spectators into a very narrow cone.Comment: Latex 50 pages. Based on lectures given by the author at Workshop on High-pT Correlations at RHIC, Columbia University, May-June, 2003. The version to appear in PR