Moment tensor inversion of Explosive Long Period events recorded on Arenal Volcano, Costa Rica, constrained by synthetic tests

International audienceIn order to constrain the moment tensor solution of an explosive seismic event recorded on Arenal volcano, Costa Rica, we perform tests using synthetic data. These data are generated using a 3D model including the topography of the volcano and the best estimation of the velocity model available for Arenal. Solutions for (i) the moment tensor components, and (ii) the moment tensor plus single forces, are analyzed. When noisy data and mislocated sources are used in the inversion, spurious single forces are easily generated in the solution for the moment tensor components plus single forces. Forces also appear when the inversion is performed using an explosive event recorded on Arenal in 2005. Synthetic tests indicate that these forces might be spurious. However the mechanism is correctly retrieved by the inversion in both solutions. The ability to recover the explosive mechanism for the 2005 event combined with the interpretative aids from the synthetics tests will enable us to invert for the large variation in events observed on Arenal

Characteristics of relativistic microburst intensity from SAMPEX observations

Relativistic electron microbursts are an important electron loss process from the radiation belts into the atmosphere. These precipitation events have been shown to significantly impact the radiation belt fluxes and atmospheric chemistry. In this study we address a lack of knowledge about the relativistic microburst intensity using measurements of 21,746 microbursts from the Solar Anomalous Magnetospheric Particle Explorer (SAMPEX). We find that the relativistic microburst intensity increases as we move inward in L, with a higher proportion of low‐intensity microbursts (2,250 [MeV cm2 sr s]−1) in the 03–11 magnetic local time region increases as geomagnetic activity increases, consistent with changes in the whistler mode chorus wave activity. Comparisons between relativistic microburst properties and trapped fluxes suggest that the microburst intensities are not limited by the trapped flux present alongside the scattering processes. However, microburst activity appears to correspond to the changing trapped flux; more microbursts occur when the trapped fluxes are enhancing, suggesting that microbursts are linked to processes causing the increased trapped fluxes. Finally, modeling of the impact of a published microburst spectra on a flux tube shows that microbursts are capable of depleting <500‐keV electrons within 1 hr and depleting higher‐energy electrons in 1–23 hr

Seismic source mechanisms of tremor recorded on Arenal volcano, Costa Rica, retrieved by waveform inversion

International audienceMoment tensor inversions of volcanic tremor are synthetically tested and subsequently applied to a dataset recorded on Arenal volcano in 2005. We selected 15 harmonic tremor events showing an emergent but very clear onset with a fundamental frequency range of 0.8-1.5 Hz. These events constitute an excellent opportunity to broaden our knowledge of tremor generation models. The inversions were performed for a common source location, the position of which was retrieved through the evaluation of the joint probability density function of the misfit values obtained by the moment tensor inversion of all the events and all predefined source locations (grid search). Events are located beneath the summit crater, in a shallow position. The inversion procedure was tested through the use of synthetic tremor, generated using full wavefield numerical simulations. The maximum amplitude decomposition method is used to analyse the solutions of the synthetic tests. The results highlight the stability of the moment tensor solution when the whole length of the signal is used in the inversion procedure. Hence the whole length of the tremor is utilised to retrieve the source mechanism generating the 15 tremor events. A sliding window is utilised to investigate the time variability of our solution. A crack dipping 20° to the North-Northeast is reconcilable with all 15 tremor events. This mechanism is found to be constant for the entire length of each tremor and for different events

Thermal duality and gravitational collapse

Thermal duality is a relationship between the behaviour of het-erotic string models of the E(8)xE(8) or SO(32) types at inversely related temperatures, a variant of T duality in the Euclidean regime. This duality would have consequences for the nature of the Hagedorn transition in these string models. We propose that the vacuum admits a family of deformations in situations where there are closed surfaces of constant area but high radial acceleration (a string regularized ver-sion of a Penrose trapped surface), such as would be formed in situ-ations of extreme gravitational collapse. This would allow a radical resolution of the firewall paradox by allowing quantum effects to sig-nificantly modify the spacetime geometry around a collapsed object. A string bremsstrahlung process would convert the kinetic energy of infalling matter in extreme gravitational collapse to form a region of the deformed vacuum, which would be equivalent to forming a high temperature string phase. A heuristic criterion for the conversion pro-cess is presented, relating Newtonian gravity to the string tension, suggesting an upper limit to the strength of the gravitational interac-tion. This conversion process might have observable consequences for charged particles falling into a rotating collapsed object by producing high energy particles via a variant of the Penrose process

Poly(vinylidene fluoride) and copolymers as porous membranes for tissue engineering applications

Poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) and its main copolymers - poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-hexafluoropropene), P(VDF-HFP), and poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-trifluoroethylene), P(VDF-TrFE) - were processed by solvent casting at room temperature in the form of porous membranes. Copolymer membranes showed higher degree of porosity than PVDF, the average pore size being larger for P(VDF-TrFE) than for P(VDF-HFP) and PVDF. All membranes show high hydrophobicity with water contact angles in the range 94° to 115°, and electroactive beta phase contents above 90%. The adhesion and proliferation of both C2C12 myoblast and MC3T3-E1 pre-osteoblast cells on the membranes were investigated. It is demonstrated that PVDF membranes promote higher cell proliferation while P(VDF-HFP) membranes show the lowest proliferation for both kinds of cell. The proliferation on P(VDF-TrFE) membranes is cell dependent, higher for MC3T3-E1 cells but lower for C2C12 cells, related to the effect of the highly porous structure on the preferred morphology of each cell type, as the higher pore size and porosity of the P(VDF-TrFE) membrane induce cell elongation, which is preferred just by the C2C12 muscle cells.Funded by FEDER funds through the “Programa Operacional Fatores de Competitividade e COMPETE” and by national funds arranged by FCT Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, project references PTDC/CTM-NAN/112574/2009 and PEST-C/FIS/UI607/2014. Funding from “MateproOptimizing Materials and Processes”, ref. NORTE-07-0124-FEDER-000037”, co-funded by the “Programa Operacional Regional do Norte” (ON.2 e O Novo Norte), under the “Quadro de Referência Estrategico Nacional” (QREN), through the “Fundo Europeu de Desenvolvimento Regional” (FEDER). FCT for the SFRH/BPD/90870/2012 grant

Delivery of non-invasive ventilation to people living with motor neuron disease in the UK

Objective Non-invasive ventilation (NIV) improves survival and quality of life in motor neuron disease (MND), but many patients fail to receive effective ventilation. This study aimed to map the respiratory clinical care for MND patients at a service and individual healthcare professional (HCP) level to understand where attention may be needed to ensure all patients receive optimal care. Methods Two online surveys of HCPs working with MND patients in the UK were conducted. Survey 1 targeted HCPs providing specialist MND care. Survey 2 targeted HCPs working in respiratory/ventilation services and community teams. Data were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Results Responses from 55 HCPs providing specialist MND care who worked at 21 MND care centres and networks and 13 Scotland Health Boards were analysed from Survey 1. Responses from 85 HCPs from respiratory/ventilation services and 73 HCPs from community teams, representing 97 services were analysed from Survey 2. Significant differences in practice were identified at each stage of the respiratory care pathway as well as evidence of the need for improvement. This included when patients were referred to respiratory services, the time taken waiting to commence NIV, the availability of sufficient NIV equipment and provision of services, particularly out of hours. Conclusion We have highlighted significant disparity in MND respiratory care practices. Increased awareness of the factors that influence NIV success and the performance of individuals and services is important for optimal practice

Multilaboratory evaluation of methods for detecting enteric viruses in soils.

Two candidate methods for the recovery and detection of viruses in soil were subjected to round robin comparative testing by members of the American Society for Testing and Materials D19:24:04:04 Subcommittee Task Group. Selection of the methods, designated "Berg" and "Goyal," was based on results of an initial screening which indicated that both met basic criteria considered essential by the task group. Both methods utilized beef extract solutions to achieve desorption and recovery of viruses from representative soils: a fine sand soil, an organic muck soil, a sandy loam soil, and a clay loam soil. One of the two methods, Goyal, also used a secondary concentration of resulting soil eluants via low-pH organic flocculation to achieve a smaller final assay volume. Evaluation of the two methods was simultaneously performed in replicate by nine different laboratories. Each of the produced samples was divided into portions, and these were respectively subjected to quantitative viral plaque assay by both the individual, termed independent, laboratory which had done the soil processing and a single common reference laboratory, using a single cell line and passage level. The Berg method seemed to produce slightly higher virus recovery values; however, the differences in virus assay titers for samples produced by the two methods were not statistically significant (P less than or equal to 0.05) for any one of the four soils. Despite this lack of a method effect, th