Improved source of infrared radiation for spectroscopy

Radiation from a crimped V-groove in the electrically heated metallic element of a high-resolution infrared spectrometer is more intense than that from plane areas adjacent to the element. Radiation from the vee and the flat was compared by alternately focusing on the entrance slit of a spectrograph

Enhancing productivity of water under variable climate

Crop productionMaizeClimateRainFamersDecision making

Enhancing productivity of water under variable climate

Irrigated farmingProductivityCrop productionMaizeSimulation modelsClimateForecasting

Low radio frequency signatures of ram pressure stripping in Virgo spiral NGC 4254

We report the detection of extended low radio frequency continuum emission beyond the optical disk of the spiral galaxy NGC 4254 using the Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope. NGC 4254, which has an almost face-on orientation, is located in the outskirts of the Virgo cluster. Since such extended emission is uncommon in low inclination galaxies, we believe it is a signature of magnetised plasma pushed out of the disk by ram pressure of the intracluster medium as NGC 4254 falls into the Virgo cluster. The detailed spectral index distribution across NGC 4254 shows that the steepest spectrum alpha < -1 (S propto nu^{alpha}) arises in the gas beyond the optical disk. This lends support to the ram pressure scenario by indicating that the extended emission is not from the disk gas but from matter which has been stripped by ram pressure. The steeper spectrum of the extended emission is reminiscent of haloes in edge-on galaxies. The sharp fall in intensity and enhanced polarization in the south of the galaxy, in addition to enhanced star formation reported by others provide evidence towards the efficacy of ram pressure on this galaxy. HI 21cm observations show that the gas in the north lags in rotation and hence is likely the atomic gas which is carried along with the wind. NGC 4254 is a particularly strong radio emitter with a power of 7x10^{22} Watts/Hz at 240 MHz. We find that the integrated spectrum of the galaxy flattens at lower frequencies and is well explained by an injection spectrum with alpha_0=-0.45+-0.12. We end by comparing published simulation results with our data and conclude that ram pressure stripping is likely to be a significant contributor to evolution of galaxies residing in X-ray poor groups and cluster outskirts.Comment: 10 pages, 7 figures (figures 1,2 and 4 are in jpg format) and 2 tables; Accepted for publication in MNRA

Groundwater externalities of surface irrigation transfers under National River Linking Project: Polavaram – Vijayawada link

River basin managementRiver basin developmentDevelopment projectsWater transferIrrigation canalsGroundwater irrigationTube well irrigationRiceSurface irrigationCrop managementSoil salinityWaterlogging

Geometry of good sets in n-fold Cartesian product

We propose here a multidimensional generalisation of the notion of link introduced in our previous papers and we discuss some consequences for simplicial measures and sums of function algebras.Comment: 17 pages, no figures, no table

Robust filtering for stochastic genetic regulatory networks with time-varying delay

This is the post print version of the article. The official published version can be obtained from the link - Copyright 2009 Elsevier LtdThis paper addresses the robust filtering problem for a class of linear genetic regulatory networks (GRNs) with stochastic disturbances, parameter uncertainties and time delays. The parameter uncertainties are assumed to reside in a polytopic region, the stochastic disturbance is state-dependent described by a scalar Brownian motion, and the time-varying delays enter into both the translation process and the feedback regulation process. We aim to estimate the true concentrations of mRNA and protein by designing a linear filter such that, for all admissible time delays, stochastic disturbances as well as polytopic uncertainties, the augmented state estimation dynamics is exponentially mean square stable with an expected decay rate. A delay-dependent linear matrix inequality (LMI) approach is first developed to derive sufficient conditions that guarantee the exponential stability of the augmented dynamics, and then the filter gains are parameterized in terms of the solution to a set of LMIs. Note that LMIs can be easily solved by using standard software packages. A simulation example is exploited in order to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed design procedures.This work was supported in part by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) of the U.K. under Grants BB/C506264/1 and 100/EGM17735, an International Joint Project sponsored by the Royal Society of the U.K., the Research Grants Council of Hong Kong under Grant HKU 7031/06P, the National Natural Science Foundation of China under Grant 60804028, and the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation of Germany

The lower Krishna Basin trajectory: relationships between basin development and downstream environmental degradation

River basin development / Lakes / Environmental degradation / Ecosystems / Mangroves / Water allocation / Groundwater / Water quality / Salinity / Irrigated farming / Institutions / Irrigation canals / Rural development

Some studies on a solid state sulfur probe for coal gasification systems

Measurements on the solid electrolyte cell (Ar + H(2) + H(2)S/CaS + CaF(2) + (Pt)//CaF(2)//(Pt) + CaF(2) + CaS/H(2) + H(2)+Ar) show that the emf of the cell is directly related to the difference in sulfur potentials established at the Ar + H(2) + H(2)S/electrode interfaces. The electrodes convert the sulfur potential gradient across the calcium fluoride electrolyte into an equivalent fluorine potential gradient. Response time of the probe varies from approximately 9 hr at 990 K to 2.5 hr at 1225 K. The conversion of calcium sulfide and/or calcium fluoride into calcium oxide is not a problem anticipated in commercial coal gasification systems. Suggestions are presented for improving the cell for such commercial applications