Behavior of braced wall embedded in saturated liquefiable sand under seismic loading

It is well known that the generation of excess pore water pressure and/or liquefaction in foundation soils during an earthquake often cause structural failures.This paper describes the behavior of a small-scale braced wall embedded in saturated liquefiable sand under dynamic condition.Shake table tests are performed in the laboratory on embedded retaining walls with single bracing.The tests are conducted for different excavation depths and base motions.The influences of the peak magnitude of the ground motions and the excavation depth on the axial forces in the bracing,the lateral displacement and the bending moments in the braced walls are studied.The shake table tests are simulated numerically using FLAC 2D and the results are compared with the corresponding experimental results.The pore water pressures developed in the soil are found to influence the behavior of the braced wall structures during a dynamic event.It is found that the excess pore water pressure development in the soil below the excavation is higher compared to the soil beside the walls.Thus,the soil below the excavation level is more susceptible to the liquefaction compared to the soil beside the walls.     

Imaging Spectropolarimeter for the Multi-Application Solar Telescope at Udaipur Solar Observatory: Characterization of Polarimeter and Preliminary Observations

The Multi-Application Solar Telescope (MAST) is a 50 cm off-axis Gregorian telescope that has recently become operational at the Udaipur Solar Observatory (USO). An imaging spectropolarimeter is being developed as one of the back-end instruments of MAST to gain a better understanding of the evolution and dynamics of solar magnetic and velocity fields. This system consists of a narrow-band filter and a polarimeter. The polarimeter includes a linear polarizer and two sets of liquid crystal variable retarders (LCVRs). The instrument is intended for simultaneous observations in the spectral lines 6173 Å and 8542 Å, which are formed in the photosphere and chromosphere, respectively. In this article, we present results from the characterization of the LCVRs for the spectral lines of interest and the response matrix of the polarimeter. We also present preliminary observations of an active region obtained using the spectropolarimeter. For verification purposes, we compare the Stokes observations of the active region obtained from the Helioseismic Magnetic Imager (HMI) onboard the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) with that of MAST observations in the spectral line 6173 Å. We find good agreement between the two observations, considering the fact that MAST observations are limited by seeing.     

Successive development of plane noncylindrical folds in progressive deformation

In the history of superposed deformations of the iron formations at the western border of the Kolar Gold Field in S India, an important event was the successive growth of broadly coaxial plane noncylindrical folds in course of a progressive deformation concomitant with development of ductile mesoscopic shear zones. The noncylindrical folds were initiated as active folds by the creation of a buckling instability at successive stages on newly developed foliation surfaces. The nucleation of noncylindrical folds and the subsequent axial-plane folding of the tightened mature folds are explained by the mechanical inhomogeneity of the rocks and the heterogeneous character of strain. The correlation between increasing tightness and increasing noncylindricity of the folds indicates that the initial curvatures of hinge lines were accentuated by an extension parallel to the subhorizontal stretching lineation. From the patterns of deformed lineations over folds of varying tightnesses, it is concluded that the passive accentuation of hinge-line curvatures was mostly achieved when the folds had already become isoclinal or very tight.     

A technique to assess dispersion

A technique to arrive at conditions congenial to maintaining a stable suspension of fine particles has been described. The technique involves continuous monitoring of apparent loss of weight of a body suspended in settling slurries. Such a technique is useful in fixing the best conditions for gravity separation of fine particles involving Bartles-Mozley concentrators or hydrocyclones.     

Storm deposits and storm-generated coarse carbonate breccias on a pelagic outer shelf (South-East Basin, France)

Uppermost Jurassic limestones of the South‐East Basin (France) are organized into four facies associations that were deposited in four distinct zones: (1) peritidal lagoonal limestones; (2) bioclastic and reefal limestones; (3) pelagic lime mudstones; (4) lime mudstones/calcarenites/coarse breccias. Calcarenite deposits of zone 4 exhibit sedimentary structures that are diagnostic of deposition under wave‐induced combined flow. In subzone 4a, both vertical and lateral transitions from lime mudstone/calcarenite to breccia indicate in situ brecciation under wave‐cyclic loading. Breccias were produced by heterogeneous liquefaction of material previously deposited on the sea floor. Deposits in subzone 4a record relatively long periods (>400 kyr) of sedimentation below wave base, alternating with periods of deposition under wave‐induced currents and periods of in situ deformation. In this zone, storm waves were attenuated by wave–sediment interaction, and wave energy was absorbed by the deformation of soft sediment. With reference to present‐day wave attenuation, water depths in this zone ranged between 50 and 80 m. Landwards of the attenuation zone, in zone 3, storm waves were reduced to fair‐weather wave heights. Storm wave base was not horizontal and became shallower landwards. As a consequence, water depth and wave energy were not linearly related. On a small area of the seaward edge of subzone 4a, cobbles were removed by traction currents and redeposited in subzone 4b. There, they formed a 100‐m‐thick wedge, which prograded over 3 km and was built up by the stacking of 5‐ to 20‐m‐thick cross‐stratified sets of coarse breccia. This wedge records the transport and redeposition of cobbles by a high‐velocity unidirectional component of a combined flow. The increase in flow velocity in a restricted area is proposed to result from flow concentration in a channel‐like structure of the downwelling in the gulf formed by the basin. In more distal subzone 4c, the hydrodynamic effect of wave‐induced currents was quasi‐permanent, and brecciation by wave–sediment interaction occurred only episodically. This indicates that, seawards of the attenuation zone, hydrodynamic storm wave base was deeper than mechanical storm wave base. Uppermost Jurassic carbonates were deposited and soft‐sediment deformed on a hurricane‐dominated ramp of very gentle slope and characterized by a zone of storm wave degeneration, located seawards of a zone of sedimentation below wave base.     

Magneto-elastic waves and disturbances in initially stressed conducting media: II

Summary The paper is concerned with the investigation of the magneto-elastic waves and disturbances in initially stressed conducting media. Firstly, (a) the steady state response to moving loads in a magneto-elastic initially stressed conducting medium under an uniaxial tension has been discussed. Secondly, (b) the Lamb's problem corresponding to a line load suddenly applied in a magneto-elastic initially stressed conducting half-space bounded by a plane under uniaxial tension has been investigated. The final results obtained in both cases are in agreement with the corresponding classical problems when the initial tension is zero and the magnetic field is absent.     

On the magnetic memory phenomenon in rocks and its bearing on palaeomagnetic measurements

Summary The results of recent extensive studies on the low field hysteresis in basalts from India and East Africa and the memory phenomenon observed in some of the rocks have been found to have a direct bearing on the various parameters such asQ _n,Q _tn, stability by the A.C. field technique etc. which are of great importance in rock-magnetism. It has been found that rocks having low Curie temperature (it _c ) and not exhibiting memory phenomenon are ideally suited for palaeomagnetic studies. Also, rocks having relatively higher it _c often exhibit memory phenomenon, given inconsistent NRM directions and show an irregular behaviour on A.C. field cleaning. In using the latter rock types for palaeomagnetic work one has to take a number of precautions which are clearly brought out by the studies described in this paper.     

Franck-condon factors and -centroids for certain band systems of astrophysical molecular ions CN+ and N+2

The Franck-Condon factors and r-centroids, which are very closelyrelated to relative vibrational transition probabilities, have beenevaluated by the more reliable numerical integration procedure forthe bands of c ¹ - a ¹ and f ¹ - a ¹ systems of CN ⁺ and C ^{2 +} _u- X ^{2 +} _g and D ² _g- A ² _u systems of N ⁺ ₂ molecular ions of astrophysical interest,using a suitable potential.     

An Upper Limit on the Ratio Between the Extreme Ultraviolet and the Bolometric Luminosities of Stars Hosting Habitable Planets

A large number of terrestrial planets in the classical habitable zone of stars of different spectral types have already been discovered and many are expected to be discovered in the near future. However, owing to the lack of knowledge on the atmospheric properties, the ambient environment of such planets are unknown. It is known that sufficient amount of Extreme Ultraviolet (EUV) radiation from the star can drive hydrodynamic outflow of hydrogen that may drag heavier species from the atmosphere of the planet. If the rate of mass loss is sufficiently high, then substantial amount of volatiles would escape causing the planet to become uninhabitable. Considering energy-limited hydrodynamical mass loss with an escape rate that causes oxygen to escape alongwith hydrogen, an upper limit for the ratio between the EUV and the bolometric luminosities of stars which constrains the habitability of planets around them is presented here. Application of the limit to planet-hosting stars with known EUV luminosities implies that many M-type of stars should not have habitable planets around them.     

GIS-enabled historiography to determine travel routes during the Western Han period via agent-based models and least-cost path analysis

GIS-enabled historiography allows us to shed light on missing or poorly understood aspects of historical events. Here, we use agent-based models (ABMs), least cost path analysis (LCPA), and space–time paths to recreate and evaluate possible modes and routes of travel undertaken by Shi Rao, a Western Han official. A diary was found in Shi Rao's tomb that includes information about his travels over 1 year (11 BCE), including start and end times of his journeys. But it leaves out details regarding modes of transport or exact routes. Using Tan Qixiang's historical atlas, we digitized river networks and utilized modern topographic data to digitally recreate the landscape as it was during Shi Rao's travels. This was then used to evaluate possible journeys via rivers (using ABMs) and roads (using LCPA), and compared to historical speed of boats, carts and horses, with findings indicating that horseback may have been the viable option.