Back reaction and quantum gravity corrections of Hawking radiation from Schwarzschild-de Sitter black hole

Following the Parikh and Wilczek semiclassical tunneling method of massless particle, hawking radiation of Schwarzschild-de Sitter (SdS) black hole have been computed using null geodesic method. Purely thermal and quantum gravity corrections have been made and have shown that both the corrections give the same results and all the tunneling rates are related to change of Bekenstein-Hawking entropy of SdS black hole. The results obtained for SdS black hole are also in accordance with Parikh and Wilczek’s opinion and gives a correction to the Hawking radiation of SdS black hole.     

Observations of AGNs using PACT

We report our observations on 4 AGNs viz, Mkn 421, Mkn 501, 1ES1426+428 and ON231 belonging to a sub-class called blazars. The observations were carried out using the Pachmarhi Array of Cherenkov Telescopes and span about 6 years period from 2000 to 2005. We discuss our methods of analysis adopted to extract the gamma ray signal from cosmic ray background. We present our results on the emission of TeV gamma rays from these objects. Also, we report on the status of the new high altitude experiment, a 7 telescope array at Hanle in the Himalayas at an altitude of about 4200 m above mean sea level for detecting celestial gamma-rays.     

Unsteady magnetic boundary-layer flow of power-law non-Newtonian conducting fluid through a porous medium past an infinite porous flat plate

In this paper, the nonsteady flow of non-Newtonian power-law conducting fluid through a porous medium past an infinite porous plate is investigated. The system is stressed by a constant transverse magnetic field. The velocity outside the boundary layer depends exponentially on time. The rheological effects are shown and discussed on the shear stress in terms of rheological parameter of power-law fluid. The approximate solution in a closed form were obtained by using the Galerkin method. Also the effect of the magnetic field and permeability parameter are discussed.     

Search for TeV gamma-rays from Geminga pulsar

We present the results of observation of the Geminga pulsar carried out in the TeV energy band during the 6 year period spanning 2000–2006 using the Pachmarhi Array of Cherenkov Telescopes (PACT). A long stretch of data, new computer codes and the “Tempo” package have been used in the present analysis. We have searched for evidence of pulsed emission of γ-rays from the Geminga pulsar using the post-glitch pulsar elements obtained by Jackson and Halpern from X-ray/γ-ray satellite data. We do not see any significant evidence for pulsed emission from the Geminga pulsar at a threshold energy of 825 GeV. In this paper we present our results on the light curve in the TeV energy band, set an upper limit on the time averaged flux of γ-rays, and compare our results with other ground based observations.     

Groundwater arsenic contamination and its health effects in India

During a 28-year field survey in India (1988–2016), groundwater arsenic contamination and its health effects were registered in the states of West Bengal, Jharkhand, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh in the Ganga River flood plain, and the states of Assam and Manipur in the flood plain of Brahamaputra and Imphal rivers. Groundwater of Rajnandgaon village in Chhattisgarh state, which is not in a flood plain, is also arsenic contaminated. More than 170,000 tubewell water samples from the affected states were analyzed and half of the samples had arsenic >10 μg/L (maximum concentration 3,700 μg/L). Chronic exposure to arsenic through drinking water causes various health problems, like dermal, neurological, reproductive and pregnancy effects, cardiovascular effects, diabetes mellitus, diseases of the respiratory and gastrointestinal systems, and cancers, typically involving the skin, lungs, liver, bladder, etc. About 4.5% of the 8,000 children from arsenic-affected villages of affected states were registered with mild to moderate arsenical skin lesions. In the preliminary survey, more than 10,000 patients were registered with different types of arsenic-related signs and symptoms, out of more than 100,000 people screened from affected states. Elevated levels of arsenic were also found in biological samples (urine, hair, nails) of the people living in affected states. The study reveals that the population who had severe arsenical skin lesions may suffer from multiple Bowens/cancers in the long term. Some unusual symptoms, such as burning sensation, skin itching and watering of eyes in the presence of sun light, were also noticed in arsenicosis patients.     

Electrical imaging of the groundwater aquifer at Banting,Selangor, Malaysia

A geophysical study was carried out in the Banting area of Malaysia to delineate groundwater aquifer and marine clay layer of the alluvial Quaternary deposits of Beruas and Gula Formations. The Beruas Formation is formed by peat and clayey materials as well as silt and sands, whereas the Gula Formation consists of clay, silt, sand and gravels. Both Formations were deposited on top of the Carboniferous shale of the Kenny Hill Formation. A 2-D geoelectrical resistivity technique was used. Resistivity measurement was carried out using an ABEM SAS 4000 Terrameter. The 2-D resistivity data of subsurface material for each survey line was calculated through inverse modelling and then compared with borehole data. The resistivity images of all the subsurface material below the survey lines show similar pattern of continuous structure of layering or layers with some lenses with resistivity ranging from 0.1 to 50 Ωm. The upper layer shows resistivity values ranging from 0.1 to 10 Ωm, representing a clay horizon with a thickness up to 45 m. The second layer with depth varies from 45 to 70 m below surface and has resistivity values ranging from 10 to 30 Ωm. Borehole data indicate coarse sand with some gravels for this layer, which is also the groundwater aquifer in the study area. The lowermost layer at a depth of 70 m below ground level shows resistivity values ranging from 30–50 Ωm and can be correlated with metasedimentary rocks consisting of shale and metaquartzite.     

Summer monsoon intraseasonal oscillation over eastern Arabian sea — As revealed by TRMM microwave imager products

The time evolution of atmospheric parameters on intraseasonal time scale in the eastern Arabian Sea (EAS) is studied during the summer monsoon seasons of 1998–2003 using Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission Microwave Imager (TMI) data. This is done using the spectral and wavelet analysis. Analysis shows that over EAS, total precipitable water vapour (TWV) and sea surface wind speed (SWS) have a periodicity of 8–15 days, 15–30 days and 30–60 days during the monsoon season. Significant power is seen in the 8–15-day time scale in TWV during onset and retreat of the summer monsoon. Analysis indicates that the timings of the intensification of 8–15, 15–30, and 30–60 days oscillations have a profound effect on the evolution of the daily rainfall over west coast of India. The positive and negative phases of these oscillations are directly related to the active and dry spells of rainfall along the west coast of India. The spectral analysis shows interannual variation of TWV and SWS. Heavy rainfall events generally occur over the west coast of India when positive phases of both 30–60 days and 15–30 days modes of TWV and SWS are simultaneously present.