Adsorption of cobalt by using inorganic components of sediment samples from water bodies

The adsorption of cobalt ions was evaluated using sediment samples from water bodies to investigate the adsorption properties of sediment and the behavior of these natural materials in the presence of nuclear and industrial waste.The two sediments(S1 and S2)were treated to eliminate humic and fulvic acids and then they were characterized by several techniques.The minerals found in both the sediments(X-ray diffraction)were quartz and albite;plus,goethite and muscovite in S1,and kaolinite and montmorillonite in S2.Point of zero charge(PZC)of S1 and S2 was 6.00 and 5.22,respectively.The specific area of S1(63.3 m²/g)is higher than S2(1.5 m²/g).Adsorption kinetics data for S1 and S2 were best fitted to the pseudo second-order model.The removal efficiency of S1 for cobalt was 96%with an adsorption capacity(qe)of 0.93 mg/g,and for S2 was 45%with a qeof 0.40 mg/g.The experimental data of the adsorption isotherms were adjusted to Langmuir and Freundlich models for S1 and S2,respectively.The thermodynamic parameters(enthalpy,entropy,and Gibb’s free energy)indicated that the adsorption processes were endothermic,spontaneous,and chemisorption mechanism.The results show that the adsorption capacities of the sediments depend on their composition.These water sediments have important adsorption properties for cobalt,and they can be used in the treatment of nuclear and industrial aqueous wastes.     

Results of Spectral Corona Observations in Solar Activity Cycles 17–24

The results of the work of the global observation network are considered, and a comparative analysis of the data of various coronal observatories is performed. The coronal activity index has been reconstructed for the period 1939–2016 based on the data of various observatories in Kislovodsk system. For this purpose, the corona daily intensity maps from the Sacramento Peak and Lomnický ?tít observatories according to the Solar-Geophysical Data journal have been digitized; they supplement the data of other observatories. The homogeneity and continuity of the corona observations at the Kislovodsk station, including activity cycle 24, is confirmed. Unfortunately, the only observatory at present that continues observation of the spectral corona in Fe XIV 5303 Å and Fe XIV 6374 Å lines is the Kislovodsk astronomical station Mountain Astronomical Station (MAS) of the Central Astronomical Observatory, Russian Academy of Sciences (Pulkovo). The data on the combined corona in 5303 Å line are analyzed. It is shown that there is a high correlation of the intensity index of green corona with solar radiation measurements in the vacuum UV region. Data on the beginning of the new 25th activity cycle in the corona at high latitudes are presented.     

Growth in the atmospheric aerosol concentration as a climate forcing agent

The level of scattered radiation is analyzed using data of diurnal solar coronograph observations at the Mountain Astronomic Station in the period 1957?C2010 around coronal spectral lines at 5303 ? and 6374 ?. The observations were performed near the solar limb and were normalized by the intensity of the solar disk center. The measurements revealed variations on different timescales: seasonal variations, local maxima on timescales of a few years, and long-term trends. The local changes in the level of scattered radiation were found to be probably due to volcanic eruptions. An analysis revealed a tendency towards an increased in scattered radiation by approximately 40% during the last 50 years. The variations in the level of scattered radiation are compared with the concentration of atmospheric aerosols. The long-term growth in scattered radiation compares well with changes in the Earth??s near-surface temperature and is possibly associated with global climate change.     

Intelligent seismoacoustic system for monitoring the beginning of anomalous seismic process

An intelligent system for monitoring anomalous seismic processes intended for predicting the beginning of an earthquake by standard ground-based stations is presented. The problem is solved by analyzing the seismoacoustic signals coming from deep layers of the Earth. The signals are detected by acoustic sensors placed at the mouths of deep suspended wells.     

Energetics of magnetized black holes: Effective ergospheres and superradiance

The model of a black hole rotating in an external magnetic field is considered. The mechanisms of the energy extraction from the black hole in terms of the effective ergospheres for charged particles are described. It is shown that the external magnetic field essentially influences the boundaries of the effective ergospheres and the superradiance threshold.     

Variability of Sedimentation Processes in Northern Part of East Novaya Zemlya Trough in the Anthropocene

Oceanology - The lithological and mineralogical characteristics of sea surface sediments, composition of microfossils, contribution of organic matter, and element composition have been studied in a...     

Optimal control of linear and nonlinear asymmetric structures by means of passive energy dampers

Asymmetric structures experience uneven deformation demand among different resisting planes and stories when subjected to earthquake excitation. Damage is focused in some elements jeopardizing structural integrity. These structures are common in professional practice because of architectural and functionality constraints. In this scenario the use of energy dissipation devices (EDD) has arisen as an advisable solution to balance and minimize structural damage. Procedures for the design of linear structures equipped with EDD have been widely proposed in the literature, few of them deal with the optimum spatial distribution of nonlinear systems. This paper evaluates and compares the optimized spatial damper distribution of linear and nonlinear systems. An optimization technique is presented based on control indexes called min–max algorithm. Then, this technique is compared with two simple methodologies: (i) the fully stressed design, which is an analysis‐redesign procedure, and (ii) the simplified sequential search algorithm (SSSA), which is a sequential method. It is pointed out that the SSSA is a fixed step coordinate descent type method. The examples considered show that the SSSA is a discrete approximation of the min–max algorithm, not only for linear but also for nonlinear structures equipped with linear and nonlinear EDD. Furthermore, it is found that the distribution of EDD obtained from a linear analysis is a good approximation of the nonlinear optimal solution. The SSSA is a reliable method that can be applied to achieve drift and torsional balance for design purposes; moreover, it can be implemented with conventional tools available in professional practice. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.