7,865 research outputs found
Growth history of fault-related folds and interaction with seabed channels in the toe-thrust region of the deep-water Niger delta
The deep-water fold and thrust belt of the southern Niger Delta has prominent thrusts and folds oriented perpendicular to the regional slope that formed as a result of the thin-skinned gravitational collapse of the delta above overpressured shale. The thrust-related folds have grown in the last 12.8 Ma and many of the thrusts are still actively growing and influencing the pathways of modern seabed channels. We use 3D seismic reflection data to constrain and analyse the spatial and temporal variation in shortening of four thrusts and folds having seabed relief in a study area of 2600 km2 size in 2200–3800 m water depth. Using these shortening measurements, we have quantified the variation in strain rates through time for both fault-propagation and detachment folds in the area, and we relate this to submarine channel response. The total amount of shortening on the individual structures investigated ranges from 1 to 4 km, giving a time-averaged maximum shortening rate of between 90 ± 10 and 350 ± 50 m/Myr (0.1 and 0.4 mm/yr). Fold shortening varies both spatially and temporally: The maximum interval shortening rate occurred between 9.5 Ma and 3.7 Ma, and has reduced significantly in the last 3.7 Ma. We suggest that the reduction in the Pliocene-Recent fold shortening rate is a response to the slow-down in extension observed in the up-dip extensional domain of the Niger Delta gravitational system in the same time interval. In the area dominated by the fault-propagation folds, the channels are able to cross the structures, but the detachment fold is a more significant barrier and has caused a channel to divert for 25 km parallel to the fold axis. The two sets of structures have positive bathymetric expressions, with an associated present day uphill slope of between 1.5° and 2°. However, the shorter uphill slopes of the fault-propagation folds and increased sediment blanketing allow channels to cross these structures. Channels that develop coevally with structural growth and that cross structures, do so in positions of recent strain minima and at interval strain rates that are generally less than −0.02 Ma−1 (−1 × 10−16 s−1). However, the broad detachment fold has caused channel diversion at an even lower strain rate of c. −0.002 Ma−1 (−7 × 10−17 s−1)
Are we using the most appropriate methodologies to assess the sensitivity of rainforest biodiversity to habitat disturbance?
Accurately assessing how biodiversity responds in the Anthropocene is vital. To do so, a number of indicator taxa are
commonly used to monitor human-impacted forests and the subsequent recovery of their biodiversity. This makes monitoring
more economically feasible, yet only valuable if the responses observed truly reflect the status of biodiversity. Many
challenges exist for getting this monitoring right, including choosing the most effective indicators and ultimately choosing the
most appropriate methods to capture trends. We have reason to believe that the methods currently used to assess humanimpacted
tropical forest might be misrepresenting trends related to the degree of impact of disturbance to biodiversity and
to the value of secondary forests for biodiversity conservation. Using recent case studies that assessed butterflies, we
challenge the paradigm that fruit-baited butterfly traps are the best method for assessing human-impacted tropical forests, and
that their use solely along the forest floor is underestimating the impacts to biodiversity in tropical forests. We suggest that
alternative or additional methods could provide a more representative picture of the overall butterfly biodiversity responses
to human-impacted tropical forests and that similar assessments of other groups and methods should be carried out
The Effects of Prehydration on Cement Performance
This study investigated the effects of cement prehydration on cement’s engineering properties. Anhydrous cement was exposed over a saturated KCl solution to maintain 85% RH, for 7 and 28 days. Mortar and cement pastes were tested for strength, workability and setting time, with sample analysis by XRD and DTA. Results showed a decreased reactivity of the prehydrated cements resulting in reduced strength and increased setting times. We propose that this may be due to an upset of the sulphate balance in the cement upon prehydration
Separating weak lensing and intrinsic alignments using radio observations
We discuss methods for performing weak lensing using radio observations to
recover information about the intrinsic structural properties of the source
galaxies. Radio surveys provide unique information that can benefit weak
lensing studies, such as HI emission, which may be used to construct galaxy
velocity maps, and polarized synchrotron radiation; both of which provide
information about the unlensed galaxy and can be used to reduce galaxy shape
noise and the contribution of intrinsic alignments. Using a proxy for the
intrinsic position angle of an observed galaxy, we develop techniques for
cleanly separating weak gravitational lensing signals from intrinsic alignment
contamination in forthcoming radio surveys. Random errors on the intrinsic
orientation estimates introduce biases into the shear and intrinsic alignment
estimates. However, we show that these biases can be corrected for if the error
distribution is accurately known. We demonstrate our methods using simulations,
where we reconstruct the shear and intrinsic alignment auto and cross-power
spectra in three overlapping redshift bins. We find that the intrinsic position
angle information can be used to successfully reconstruct both the lensing and
intrinsic alignment power spectra with negligible residual bias.Comment: 17 pages, 10 figures, submitted to MNRA
Radio-Optical Galaxy Shape and Shear Correlations in the COSMOS Field using 3 GHz VLA Observations
We present a weak lensing analysis of the 3 GHz VLA radio survey of the
COSMOS field, which we correlate with overlapping HST-ACS optical observations
using both intrinsic galaxy shape and cosmic shear correlation statistics.
After cross-matching sources between the two catalogues, we measure the
correlations of galaxy position angles and find a Pearson correlation
coefficient of . This is a marked improvement from previous
studies which found very weak, or non-existent correlations, and gives insight
into the emission processes of radio and optical galaxies. We also extract
power spectra of averaged galaxy ellipticities (the primary observable for
cosmic shear) from the two catalogues, and produce optical-optical,
radio-optical and radio-radio spectra. The optical-optical auto-power spectrum
was measured to a detection significance of 9.80 and is consistent with
previous observations of the same field. For radio spectra (which we do not
calibrate, given the unknown nature of their systematics), although we do not
detect significant radio-optical (1.50) or radio-radio (1.45)
-mode power spectra, we do find the -mode spectra to be more consistent
with the shear signal expected from previous studies than with a null signal,
and vice versa for -mode and cross-correlation spectra. Our results
give promise that future radio weak lensing surveys with larger source number
densities over larger areas will have the capability to measure significant
weak lensing signals.Comment: 19 pages, 17 figures, accepted for publication in MNRA
Estimating the weak-lensing rotation signal in radio cosmic shear surveys
Weak lensing has become an increasingly important tool in cosmology and the
use of galaxy shapes to measure cosmic shear has become routine. The
weak-lensing distortion tensor contains two other effects in addition to the
two components of shear: the convergence and rotation. The rotation mode is not
measurable using the standard cosmic shear estimators based on galaxy shapes,
as there is no information on the original shapes of the images before they
were lensed. Due to this, no estimator has been proposed for the rotation mode
in cosmological weak-lensing surveys, and the rotation mode has never been
constrained. Here, we derive an estimator for this quantity, which is based on
the use of radio polarisation measurements of the intrinsic position angles of
galaxies. The rotation mode can be sourced by physics beyond CDM, and
also offers the chance to perform consistency checks of CDM and of
weak-lensing surveys themselves. We present simulations of this estimator and
show that, for the pedagogical example of cosmic string spectra, this estimator
could detect a signal that is consistent with the constraints from Planck. We
examine the connection between the rotation mode and the shear -modes and
thus how this estimator could help control systematics in future radio
weak-lensing surveys
The Behaviour of Finely Ground Bottom Ash in Portland Cement
The aim of this project was to assess the effects of finely ground MSWI bottom ash in Portland cement. Mortar mixes were prepared with 10% and 40% replacement of cement by ground IBA and then tested with regards to their material composition and engineering behaviour. IBA was found not to be inert, but showed some degree of reactivity. Replacement of cement with IBA was found to have no detrimental effects at low concentrations. This was not the case for 40% replacement, where cement replacement greatly affected strength, creep and drying shrinkage
An Invertible Linearization Map for the Quartic Oscillator
The set of world lines for the non-relativistic quartic oscillator satisfying
Newton's equation of motion for all space and time in 1-1 dimensions with no
constraints other than the "spring" restoring force is shown to be equivalent
(1-1-onto) to the corresponding set for the harmonic oscillator. This is
established via an energy preserving invertible linearization map which
consists of an explicit nonlinear algebraic deformation of coordinates and a
nonlinear deformation of time coordinates involving a quadrature. In the
context stated, the map also explicitly solves Newton's equation for the
quartic oscillator for arbitrary initial data on the real line. This map is
extended to all attractive potentials given by even powers of the space
coordinate. It thus provides classes of new solutions to the initial value
problem for all these potentials
Master of Science
thesisSix metal boride compounds (AlB2, MgB2, Al0.5Mg0.5B2, AlB12, AlMgB14 and SiB6) with particle sizes between 10-20 m were synthesized for insensitive energetic fuel additives from stoichiometric physical mixtures of elemental powders by high temperature solid state reaction. B4C was also investigated as a lower cost source of boron in AlB2 synthesis and showed promise as a boron substitute. Thermal analysis confirmed that the formation of boride compounds from physical mixtures decreased sensitivity to low temperature oxidation over the aluminum standard. Both Al+2B and AlB2 were much less sensitive to moisture degradation than aluminum in high humidity (10-100% relative humidity) and high temperature (20-80°C) environments. AlB2 was determined to be safe to store for extended periods of time in cool, dry environments. Impact, friction and shock sensitivity testing indicated that AlB2 and MgB2 were less sensitive than aluminum. The activation energies for the oxidation of Al, B, Al+2B and AlB2 were determined through an isothermal, isoconversional method in N2-20%O2 and O2 at one atmosphere. An activation energy of 413 ± 20 kJ/mol was calculated for AlB2 in O2. The incorporation of magnesium and/or aluminum with boron increased its oxidation rate and overall conversion through the formation of metal-borate crystals (2Al2O3·B2O3 and 3MgO·B2O3) which removed liquid B2O3 from the surface of oxidizing particles. Aluminum also increased the oxidation efficiency of B4C by a similar mechanism. AlB2, MgB2 and Al0.5Mg0.5B2 oxidized to greater than 85% of their theoretical values while exhibiting decreased sensitivity to low temperature oxidation, making them top candidates for further energetic testing. Cylinder expansion testing of AlMgB14 showed little reaction of the boride material within seven volume expansions, corresponding to poor energetic performance. Detonation calorimetry of AlB2 and Al + 2B using proprietary energetic mixtures in an argon atmosphere showed that AlB2 reacted almost completely while Al + 2B did not. Future work should focus on testing the diboride materials and synthesizing and testing similar materials made from B4C
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