5,015 research outputs found
Thermodynamic aspects of materials' hardness: prediction of novel superhard high-pressure phases
In the present work we have proposed the method that allows one to easily
estimate hardness and bulk modulus of known or hypothetical solid phases from
the data on Gibbs energy of atomization of the elements and corresponding
covalent radii. It has been shown that hardness and bulk moduli of compounds
strongly correlate with their thermodynamic and structural properties. The
proposed method may be used for a large number of compounds with various types
of chemical bonding and structures; moreover, the temperature dependence of
hardness may be calculated, that has been performed for diamond and cubic boron
nitride. The correctness of this approach has been shown for the recently
synthesized superhard diamond-like BC5. It has been predicted that the
hypothetical forms of B2O3, diamond-like boron, BCx and COx, which could be
synthesized at high pressures and temperatures, should have extreme hardness
Embedding the concept of ecosystems services:The utilisation of ecological knowledge in different policy venues
The concept of ecosystem services is increasingly being promoted by academics and policy makers as a means to protect ecological systems through more informed decision making. A basic premise of this approach is that strengthening the ecological knowledge base will significantly enhance ecosystem health through more sensitive decision making. However, the existing literature on knowledge utilisation, and many previous attempts to improve decision making through better knowledge integration, suggest that producing âmore knowledgeâ is only ever a necessary but insufficient condition for greater policy success. We begin this paper by reviewing what is already known about the relationship between ecological knowledge development and utilisation, before introducing a set of theme issue papers that examineâfor the very first timeâhow this politically and scientifically salient relationship plays out across a number of vital policy venues such as land-use planning, policy-level impact assessment, and costâbenefit analysis. Following a detailed synthesis of the key findings of all the papers, this paper identifies and explores new research and policy challenges in this important and dynamic area of environmental governance
Peculiar Velocities of Nonlinear Structure: Voids in McVittie Spacetime
As a study of peculiar velocities of nonlinear structure, we analyze the
model of a relativistic thin-shell void in the expanding universe. (1) Adopting
McVittie (MV) spacetime as a background universe, we investigate the dynamics
of an uncompensated void with negative MV mass. Although the motion itself is
quite different from that of a compensated void, as shown by Haines & Harris
(1993), the present peculiar velocities are not affected by MV mass. (2) We
discuss how precisely the formula in the linear perturbation theory applies to
nonlinear relativistic voids, using the results in (1) as well as the previous
results for the homogeneous background (Sakai, Maeda, & Sato 1993). (3) We
re-examine the effect of the cosmic microwave background radiation. Contrary to
the results of Pim & Lake (1986, 1988), we find that the effect is negligible.
We show that their results are due to inappropriate initial conditions. Our
results (1)-(3) suggest that the formula in the linear perturbation theory is
approximately valid even for nonlinear voids.Comment: 12 pages, aastex, 4 ps figures separate, Fig.2 added, to appear in
Ap
Jet Deflection via Cross winds: Laboratory Astrophysical Studies
We present new data from High Energy Density (HED) laboratory experiments
designed to explore the interaction of a heavy hypersonic radiative jet with a
cross wind. The jets are generated with the MAGPIE pulsed power machine where
converging conical plasma flows are produced from a cylindrically symmetric
array of inclined wires. Radiative hypersonic jets emerge from the convergence
point. The cross wind is generated by ablation of a plastic foil via
soft-X-rays from the plasma convergence region. Our experiments show that the
jets are deflected by the action of the cross wind with the angle of deflection
dependent on the proximity of the foil. Shocks within the jet beam are apparent
in the data. Analysis of the data shows that the interaction of the jet and
cross wind is collisional and therefore in the hydro-dynamic regime. MHD plasma
code simulations of the experiments are able to recover the deflection
behaviour seen in the experiments. We consider the astrophysical relevance of
these experiments applying published models of jet deflection developed for AGN
and YSOs. Fitting the observed jet deflections to quadratic trajectories
predicted by these models allows us to recover a set of plasma parameters
consistent with the data. We also present results of 3-D numerical simulations
of jet deflection using a new astrophysical Adaptive Mesh Refinement code.
These simulations show highly structured shocks occurring within the beam
similar to what was observed in the experimentsComment: Submitted to ApJ. For a version with figures go to
http://web.pas.rochester.edu/~afrank/labastro/CW/Jet-Wind-Frank.pd
Evaluation of the CNS and cardiovascular effects of prolonged exposure to bromotrifluromethane (CBrF3)
The proposed use of bromotrifluoromethane (CBrF3) as a fire extinguishant in aircraft, spacecraft and submarines has stimulated increasing interest and research in the toxicological properties of this compound. In a spacecraft, because of its unique recirculating life support system, the introduction of CBrF3 by leakage or intentional discharge, will result in continuous exposure of crewman to low concentrations of this compound for periods of up to 7 days, or possibly even longer. The effects of low concentrations of CBrF3, under continuous exposure conditions, on the CNS and cardiovascular systems of animals to enable an assessment of these risks were investigated
X-point collapse and saturation in the nonlinear tearing mode reconnection
We study the nonlinear evolution of the resistive tearing mode in slab
geometry in two dimensions. We show that, in the strongly driven regime (large
Delta'), a collapse of the X-point occurs once the island width exceeds a
certain critical value ~1/Delta'. A current sheet is formed and the
reconnection is exponential in time with a growth rate ~eta^1/2, where eta is
the resistivity. If the aspect ratio of the current sheet is sufficiently
large, the sheet can itself become tearing-mode unstable, giving rise to
secondary islands, which then coalesce with the original island. The saturated
state depends on the value of Delta'. For small Delta', the saturation
amplitude is ~Delta' and quantitatively agrees with the theoretical prediction.
If Delta' is large enough for the X-point collapse to have occured, the
saturation amplitude increases noticeably and becomes independent of Delta'.Comment: revtex4, 4 pages, 18 figure
Weak Lensing Mass Reconstruction of the Galaxy Cluster Abell 209
Weak lensing applied to deep optical images of clusters of galaxies provides
a powerful tool to reconstruct the distribution of the gravitating mass
associated to these structures. We use the shear signal extracted by an
analysis of deep exposures of a region centered around the galaxy cluster Abell
209, at redshift z=0.2, to derive both a map of the projected mass distribution
and an estimate of the total mass within a characteristic radius. We use a
series of deep archival R-band images from CFHT-12k, covering an area of 0.3
deg^2. We determine the shear of background galaxy images using a new
implementation of the modified Kaiser-Squires-Broadhurst pipeline for shear
determination, which we has been tested against the ``Shear TEsting Program 1
and 2'' simulations. We use mass aperture statistics to produce maps of the 2
dimensional density distribution, and parametric fits using both
Navarro-Frenk-White (NFW) and singular-isothermal-sphere profiles to constrain
the total mass. The projected mass distribution shows a pronounced asymmetry,
with an elongated structure extending from the SE to the NW. This is in general
agreement with the optical distribution previously found by other authors. A
similar elongation was previously detected in the X-ray emission map, and in
the distribution of galaxy colours. The circular NFW mass profile fit gives a
total mass of M_{200} = 7.7^{+4.3}_{-2.7} 10^{14} solar masses inside the
virial radius r_{200} = 1.8\pm 0.3 Mpc. The weak lensing profile reinforces the
evidence for an elongated structure of Abell 209, as previously suggested by
studies of the galaxy distribution and velocities.Comment: accepted by A&A, 15 pages, 11 figure
Prospects for local co-governance
British local authorities and their partners are increasingly developing new ways of working together with local communities. The nature of this co-working, however, is complex, multi-faceted and little understood. This article argues for greater clarity of thinking on the topic, by analysing this co-working as a form of political co-governance, and drawing attention in particular to issues of scale and democracy. Using evidence from a study of 43 local authority areas, 16 authorities are identified where co-governance is practised, following three main types of approach: service-influencing, service-delivering and parish council developing. It is concluded that strengthening political co-governance is essential for a healthy democracy
Could Satellite Altimetry Have Improved Early Detection and Warning of the 2011 Tohoku Tsunami?
The 2011 Tohoku tsunami devastated Japan and affected coastal populations all around the Pacific Ocean. Accurate early warning of an impending tsunami requires the detection of the tsunami in the open ocean. While the lead-time was not sufficient for use in warning coastal populations in Japan, satellite altimetry observations of the tsunami could have been used to improve predictions and warnings for other affected areas. By comparing to both model results and historical satellite altimeter data, we use near-real-time satellite altimeter measurements to demonstrate the potential for detecting the 2011 Tohoku tsunami within a few hours of the tsunami being generated. We show how satellite altimeter data could be used to both directly detect tsunamis in the open ocean and also improve predictions made by models
Using passenger personas to design technological innovation for the rail industry
Research with end users can contribute to the design of technologies such as intelligent transport systems. However, it is important to use methods that can facilitate the uptake of research outcomes by the industry. This paper presents the use of passenger personas as part of the process of developing new technologies for the rail industry in the UK. Personas represent archetypal users and can facilitate the understanding of user behaviours, needs, motivations, characteristics and limitations. We aggregated existing knowledge and complemented it with bespoke data collection to understand passengersâ perceptions about the rail system. The study design focused on current user experiences and also where technology can improve these experiences. A set of four personas was produced in order to illustrate who the users of the train systems are as well as their characteristics. This knowledge informed the requirements of innovative technologies that can enhance user experiences during rail travel
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