Axial focusing of impact energy in the Earth's interior: Proof-of-principle tests of a new hypothesis

A causal link between major impact events and global processes would probably require a significant change in the thermal state of the Earth's interior, presumably brought about by coupling of impact energy. One possible mechanism for such energy coupling from the surface to the deep interior would be through focusing due to axial symmetry. Antipodal focusing of surface and body waves from earthquakes is a well-known phenomenon which has previously been exploited by seismologists in studies of the Earth's deep interior. Antipodal focusing from impacts on the Moon, Mercury, and icy satellites has also been invoked by planetary scientists to explain unusual surface features opposite some of the large impact structures on these bodies. For example, 'disrupted' terrains have been observed antipodal to the Caloris impact basis on Mercury and Imbrium Basin on the Moon. Very recently there have been speculations that antipodal focusing of impact energy within the mantle may lead to flood basalt and hotspot activity, but there has not yet been an attempt at a rigorous model. A new hypothesis was proposed and preliminary proof-of-principle tests for the coupling of energy from major impacts to the mantle by axial focusing of seismic waves was performed. Because of the axial symmetry of the explosive source, the phases and amplitudes are dependent only on ray parameter (or takeoff angle) and are independent of azimuthal angle. For a symmetric and homogeneous Earth, all the seismic energy radiated by the impact at a given takeoff angle will be refocused (minus attenuation) on the axis of symmetry, regardless of the number of reflections and refractions it has experienced. Mantle material near the axis of symmetry will experience more strain cycles with much greater amplitude than elsewhere and will therefore experience more irreversible heating. The situation is very different than for a giant earthquake, which in addition to having less energy, has an asymmetric focal mechanism and a larger area. Two independent proof-of-principle approaches were used. The first makes use of seismic simulations, which are being performed with a realistic Earth model to determine the degree of focusing along the axis and to estimate the volume of material, if any, that experiences significant irreversible heating. The second involves two-dimensional hydrodynamic code simulations to determine the stress history, internal energy, and temperature rise as a function of radius along the axis

Verification Test Suite for Physics Simulation Codes

The DOE/NNSA Advanced Simulation & Computing (ASC) Program directs the development, demonstration and deployment of physics simulation codes. The defensible utilization of these codes for high-consequence decisions requires rigorous verification and validation of the simulation software. The physics and engineering codes used at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), and Sandia National Laboratory (SNL) are arguably among the most complex utilized in computational science. Verification represents an important aspect of the development, assessment and application of simulation software for physics and engineering. The purpose of this note is to formally document the existing tri-laboratory suite of verification problems used by LANL, LLNL, and SNL, i.e., the Tri-Lab Verification Test Suite. Verification is often referred to as ensuring that ''the [discrete] equations are solved [numerically] correctly''. More precisely, verification develops evidence of mathematical consistency between continuum partial differential equations (PDEs) and their discrete analogues, and provides an approach by which to estimate discretization errors. There are two variants of verification: (1) code verification, which compares simulation results to known analytical solutions, and (2) calculation verification, which estimates convergence rates and discretization errors without knowledge of a known solution. Together, these verification analyses support defensible verification and validation (V&V) of physics and engineering codes that are used to simulate complex problems that do not possess analytical solutions. Discretization errors (e.g., spatial and temporal errors) are embedded in the numerical solutions of the PDEs that model the relevant governing equations. Quantifying discretization errors, which comprise only a portion of the total numerical simulation error, is possible through code and calculation verification. Code verification computes the absolute value of discretization errors relative to an exact solution of the governing equations. In contrast, calculation verification, which does not utilize a reference solution, combines an assessment of stable self-convergence and exact solution prediction to quantitatively estimate discretization errors. In FY01, representatives of the V&V programs at LANL, LLNL, and SNL identified a set of verification test problems for the Accelerated Strategic Computing Initiative (ASCI) Program. Specifically, a set of code verification test problems that exercise relevant single- and multiple-physics packages was agreed upon. The verification test suite problems can be evaluated in multidimensional geometry and span both smooth and non-smooth behavior

Clar's Theory, STM Images, and Geometry of Graphene Nanoribbons

We show that Clar's theory of the aromatic sextet is a simple and powerful tool to predict the stability, the \pi-electron distribution, the geometry, the electronic/magnetic structure of graphene nanoribbons with different hydrogen edge terminations. We use density functional theory to obtain the equilibrium atomic positions, simulated scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) images, edge energies, band gaps, and edge-induced strains of graphene ribbons that we analyze in terms of Clar formulas. Based on their Clar representation, we propose a classification scheme for graphene ribbons that groups configurations with similar bond length alternations, STM patterns, and Raman spectra. Our simulations show how STM images and Raman spectra can be used to identify the type of edge termination

Collaborative approaches in initial teacher education: lessons from approaches to developing student teachers’ use of the Internet in science teaching

In many countries, governments are keen to persuade teachers at all levels to seek to enhance the learning of their students by incorporating information and communication technologies within their classrooms. This paper reports on the development of collaborative approaches to supporting use of the Internet by Post Graduate Certificate of Education (PGCE) science students on initial teacher education (ITE) courses in England, drawing on data from five higher education institution (HEI)–school partnerships across four years. A mixed-method approach was used, involving questionnaires, structured interviews, lesson observations and case studies. The outcomes of the first three years identified barriers to practice and suggested the need to develop more collaborative approaches to development. The focus of this paper is on examining ways in which university faculty tutors and mentors or cooperating teachers can work together with students on PGCE courses in developing practice. The lessons from this focus on the Internet, no longer a new technology, have enabled us to identify implications for HEI partnerships in ITE and suggest a need for further collaborative structures in order to support and develop practices, including those involving the innovative use of new technologies in the post-industrial society

Side dominance does not affect dynamic control strength ratios in the shoulder

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