Simultaneous determination of two unknown thermal coefficients through a mushy zone model with an overspecified convective boundary condition

The simultaneous determination of two unknown thermal coefficients for a semi-infinite material under a phase-change process with a mushy zone according to the Solomon-Wilson-Alexiades model is considered. The material is assumed to be initially liquid at its melting temperature and it is considered that the solidification process begins due to a heat flux imposed at the fixed face. The associated free boundary value problem is overspecified with a convective boundary condition with the aim of the simultaneous determination of the temperature of the solid region, one of the two free boundaries of the mushy zone and two thermal coefficients among the latent heat by unit mass, the thermal conductivity, the mass density, the specific heat and the two coefficients that characterize the mushy zone. The another free boundary of the mushy zone, the bulk temperature and the heat flux and heat transfer coefficients at the fixed face are assumed to be known. According to the choice of the unknown thermal coefficients, fifteen phase-change problems arise. The study of all of them is presented and explicit formulae for the unknowns are given, beside necessary and sufficient conditions on data in order to obtain them. Formulae for the unknown thermal coefficients, with their corresponding restrictions on data, are summarized in a table.Comment: 27 pages, 1 Table, 1 Appendi

CDF Multi-Muon Events and Singlet Extensions of the MSSM

We discuss a generalization of the minimal supersymmetric extension of the Standard Model in the form of three additional singlet superfields, which would explain the essential features of the CDF multi-muon events presented recently: a large production cross section of ~ 100 pb originates from the production of a CP-odd scalar A with a mass in the 70 - 80 GeV range and a large value of tan(beta) ~ 40. The CP-odd scalar A decays dominantly into CP-odd and CP-even scalars a_1 and h_1, which generate decay cascades h_1 -> 2 h_2 -> 4 a_2 -> 8 tau-leptons, and a_1 -> h_1 a_2 with h_1 decaying as above. The decay a_2 -> tau+ tau- is slow, leading to a lifetime of O(20) ps. The phenomenology of the model differs from similar scenarios presented before in that one of the two cascades leads to 10 instead of 8 tau-leptons, and additional production processes like associate A production with b b-bar pairs are relevant.Comment: 10 pages, comments on the required total cross section added, to appear in MPL

Similarity solutions for thawing processes with a convective boundary condition

Andrea N.Ceretani and Domingo A.Tarzia, "Similarity solutions for thawing processes with a convective boundary condition", in: Rendiconti dell’Istituto di Matematica dell’Università di Trieste. An International Journal of Mathematics, 46 (2014), pp.137-155An explicit solution of similarity type for thawing in a saturated semi-infinite porous media when change of phase induces a density jump and a convective boundary condition is imposed at the fixed face, is obtained if and only if an inequality for data is verified. Relationship between this problem and the problem with temperature condition studied in [8] is analized and conditions for physical parameters under which the two problems become equivalents are obtained. Furthermore, an inequality to be satisfied for the coefficient which characterizes the free boundary of each problem is also obtained

Revisión de las colecciones de rocas riolíticas catalanas del Museu de Geologia y de la Facultat de Geologia de la Universitat de Barcelona

The Museu de Geologia de Barcelona and the Faculty of Geology of the University of Barcelona own twin collections of rhyolitic volcanic rocks from the Catalonian Pyrenees, permo-carboniferous in age. Samples of these collections are currently exposed in the museum and used for didactic purposes at the university (petrography and hand sample studies). This revision corroborates that the collections have a initial common origin in the San Miguel de la Cámara collection (1934). The university' collection consists of lavic rocks from the Gréixer-Coll de Pi sector, rhyolitic in composition, and with textural evidence (perlitic textures, skeletal phenocrysts, thermal shocked quartz, etc.) of magma-water interaction during the mise-en-place process. Despite of their age these rocks show fine preservation of the original textural features, but they seem unadequate for didactic purposes in introductory courses of petrography because of several facts (peraluminous character expressed in phenocrysts, presence of specific textures of magma-water interaction, advanced stage of devetrification and silicification, etc.). These samples seem more idoneous for advanced didactic purposes (second cycle or PhD level studies). The Museu de Geologia contains two groups of samples: the aforementioned lavic rocks, and pyroclastic rocks from several localities of the catalonian Pyrenees. The pyroclastic rocks offer evidence of their character related to explosive volcanism (shards, pumice, crystal fragments, etc.) but they are deeply transformed and therefore inadequated for didactic purposes. Most of the thin slides are in fact too thick to allow a correct study of pyroclastic textures. The petrographic features allow us to suspect not only rhyolitic terms but also rhyodacitic and dacitic ones. The available data (bibliography and this study) shows some inconsistences in the current interpretation of the lavic silicic rocks. We offer a synthetic tentative explanation that could be tested in future research. Key words: volcanic rock, Upper Paleozoic, Catalonian Pyrenees, rhyolite, subaqueous environment, didactics, Museu de Geologia de Barcelona, Universitat de Barcelona, Spain.El Museu de Geologia de Barcelona y la Facultat de Geologia de la Universitat de Barcelona poseen sendas colecciones 'gemelas' de rocas volcánicas riolíticas de edad permo-carbonífera, procedentes del Pirineo catalán. Algunas muestras forman parte de la exposición permanente del museo y muchas de las de la colección universitaria son utilizadas regularmente en la didáctica de petrología ígnea en la universidad (petrografía y muestras de mano). Esta revisión permite confirmar la inicial procedencia común de ambas colecciones en la inicial de San Miguel de la Cámara (1934). La colección universitaria está constituida por rocas lávicas del sector de Gréixer-Coll de Pi, son riolitas, y presentan evidencias texturales claras de emplazamiento en medio subacuático (texturas perlíticas, fenocristales esqueléticos, fenocristales de cuarzo afectados de choque térmico, etc.). A pesar de su edad presentan un excelente estado de conservación de sus texturas, pero algunas de sus características (carácter peralumínico expresado en los fenocristales, texturas excesivamente específicas de interacción agua-magma, avanzado estado de desvitrificación y silicificación, etc.) desaconsejan su empleo didáctico en cursos introductorios de petrología ígnea y sugieren que su desplazamiento hacia cursos más avanzados (segundo ciclo o doctorado) sería más adecuado. El Museu de Geologia posee dos tipos de muestras: las lávicas antes descritas, y un segundo grupo de tipo piroclástico procedente de diferentes localidades del Pirineo catalán. Las rocas piroclásticas ofrecen evidencias inequívocas de su carácter genético (volcanismo explosivo), tales como presencia de pumitas, shards, fragmentos de cristales, etc. Sin embargo, han sufrido transformaciones importantes que las hacen inadecuadas en usos didácticos. Por otra parte, la mayoría de las láminas estudiadas son excesivamente gruesas, lo que impide un correcto estudio de las texturas piroclásticas. Las características petrográficas sugieren que existen términos riodacíticos y dacíticos además de los riolíticos. Finalmente, el conjunto de datos disponibles al final del estudio muestra que existen inconsistencias en la interpretación comúnmente aceptada para las rocas lávicas. Se ofrece en el trabajo una solución de compromiso compatible con las evidencias conocidas, que debe ser entendida como una hipótesis a corroborar en futuras investigaciones. Palabras clave: roca volcánica, Paleozoico Superior, Pirineo catalán, riolita, ambiente subacuático, didáctica, Museu de Geologia de Barcelona, Universitat de Barcelona. España

Strategic Framework to Maintenance Decision Support Systems

AbstractIn current global markets the maintenance can be considered key to assurance the required function of equipments and low life cycle costs of productive equipments. In this context, the Maintenance Decision Support Systems can be relevant as strategic framework. Accordingly, in this paper, the main objective is integrating the strategic functions with Balanced Score-Card, using the Analytic Hierarchy Process, where the Key Performance Indicators are associated to goals of company. The core of this purpose is to maximize the efficiency of the plant through maintenance. The decisional problem has been modelled with four production areas, as alternatives, that were pre-selected by experts. Commercial package Expert Choice has been used to model the problem and to analyse the results. A purely strategic approach has been followed to maintenance in the industrial business; results serve as input in tactical scope

Trace element analyses indicative of paleodiets in Middle Miocene mammals from the Somosaguas site (Madrid, Spain)

Trace element analysis of fossil bone and enamel constitutes a useful tool to characterize the paleoecological behavior of mammals. Up to now, most trace element studies have focused on Plio-Pleistocene fossils. Here, we show that paleodietary inferences based on trace element analyses can be also obtained from ~14Ma old Miocene mammals, in a period of time when important paleoclimatic changes took place due to the development of the East Antarctic ice sheet. Trace element ratio (Ba/Ca, Sr/Ca) analyses have been performed on herbivore tooth enamel (gomphothere Gomphotherium angustidens, equid Anchitherium cf. A. cursor, suid Conohyus simorrensis and ruminants) across three stratigraphic levels from the Somosaguas site (Middle Miocene, Madrid Basin, Spain). Previous scanning electron microscope, rare earth element and stable isotope analyses suggested minimal diagenetic alteration of the tooth enamel samples. Trace element analyses reported here show different paleoecological behavior among the studied fossil taxa. Anchitherium cf. A. cursor shows higher Ba/Ca and Sr/Ca ratios than Gomphotherium angustidens, indicating the equid was a mixed-feeder, while the gomphothere was a browser. The enrichment in Ba/Ca and Sr/Ca ratios in the ruminants is attributed to differences in their gastrointestinal tracts and to a more grazing diet. A high variability in trace element values characterizes the suid Conohyus simorrensis, which is believed to be connected to some degree of omnivory

Extreme temperature days and their potential impacts on southern Europe

Extreme-temperature events have consequences for human health and mortality, forest disturbance patterns, agricultural productivity, and the economic repercussions of these consequences combined. To gain insight into whether extreme-temperature events are changing in light of global climate dynamics, the annual numbers of high-temperature days (those with temperatures higher than 20, 22.5, and 25ºC at 850 hPa) were analyzed across southern Europe from the years 1978 to 2012. A significant increase in the frequency of these days was found in many areas over the time period analyzed, and patterns in the spatial distribution of these changes were identified.We discuss the potential consequences of the increases in high-temperature days with regards to forest fire risk, human health, agriculture, energy demands, and some potential economic repercussions