X-ray nova flares

In order to find out the physical nature of galactic X-ray sources, data on variability of 24 sources during 1964–1971 have been investigated. The fluxes of 9 sources are found to be increasing to the maximum value (for several months) and then slowly decreasing (for }3 yr). These 9 sources have been related by us to the class of X-ray novae. The X-ray nova synthetic light curve has been drawn from data on the fluxes of 9 discovered novae. Assumptions have been made on the physical nature of the X-ray novae. Between the flares the X-ray novae may be weak X-ray sources with luminosity about 10³⁴ erg s^?1. During the flares the luminosity increases to about 10³⁸ erg s^?1. The number of X-ray sources in the Galaxy is about 10⁴–10⁵, the average distance between them about 0.5 kpc. The object of the optical identification may be a dwarf star of no earlier spectral class than F.     

Recognition and classification of carbon stars

A sample of 67 carbon stars is investigated by the method of multidimensional statistical analysis. As a result, three main factors are distinguished: Fl, F2, and F₃. Various relationships between these factors and the spectral subtypes of carbon stars are considered. Carbon stars are clearly differentiated with respect to Fl and F3 and form separate types (R and N) of objects, while the difference with respect to F2 is not significant. A comparison of the factors Fl, F2, and F3 and the two-dimensional C classification shows that Fl correlates with the first temperature parameter of the C classification while F2 and F3 correlate with the second parameter, reflecting the variation of carbon abundance. The error in classifying this sample of carbon stars with respect to the first parameter does not exceed 1.5 spectral subtypes, while with respect to the second it does not exceed 1.8 subtypes.     

Isotherms for the sorption of zinc and copper onto kaolinite: comparison of various error functions

In this research, the equilibrium sorption of Zn(II) and Cu(II) by kaolinite was explained using the Freundlich, Langmuir and Redlich–Peterson isotherms, via both linear and non-linear regression analyses. In the case of non-linear regression method, the best-fitting model was evaluated using six different error functions, namely coefficient of determination (r ²), hybrid fractional error function (HYBRID), Marquardt’s percent standard deviation (MPSD), average relative error (ARE), sum of the errors squared (SSE) and sum of the absolute errors (EABS). The examination of error estimation methods showed that the Langmuir model provides the best fit for the experimental equilibrium data for both linear and non-linear regression analyses. The SSE function was found to be a better option to minimize the error distribution between the experimental equilibrium data and predicted two-parameter isotherms. In the case of three-parameter isotherm, HYBRID was found to be the best error function to minimize the error distribution structure between experimental equilibrium data and theoretical isotherms. Non-linear method was found to be more appropriate method for estimating the isotherm parameters.     

Remediation of colloid-facilitated contaminant transport in saturated porous media treated by nanoparticles

Facilitation of contaminant transport in porous media due to the effect of indigenous colloidal fine materials has been widely observed in laboratory and field studies. It has been explained by the increase in the apparent solubility of low soluble contaminants as a result of their adsorption on the surface of fine particles. Attachment of colloidal fine particles onto the rock surface could be a promising remedy for this challenge. In this experimental study, the effect of five types of metal oxide nanoparticles, γ-Al₂O₃, ZnO, CuO, MgO, and SiO_2, on suspension transport was investigated. In several core flooding tests, different nanofluids were used to saturate the synthetic porous media. Subsequently, after sufficient soaking time, the suspension was injected into the treated porous media. Analysis of the effluent samples’ concentration by Turbidimeter apparatus demonstrated that the presence of nanoparticles on the rock surface resulted in a significant reduction in fine concentrations in the effluent samples compared with non-treated media; ZnO and γ-Al₂O₃ demonstrated the best scenarios among the tests performed in this study. In order to characterize the surface properties of the treated porous media, the zeta potential of the surface was measured. Results showed that the treated porous media acts as a strong adsorbent of fine particles, which are the main carrier of contaminants in porous media. These findings were quantitatively confirmed by calculation of the total energy of interaction between the fine particles and rock surface using the Derjaguin–Landau–Verwey–Overbeek theory.     

Creation of high-resolution climatic grid datasets for the territory of Georgia

Created are the grid datasets of monthly mean and annual mean temperature as well of monthly, seasonal, and annual values of the total precipitation with the resolution of 25 km for the period of 1936–2011. The obtained datasets characterize the real picture of the spatial distribution of temperature and precipitation on the territory of Georgia; therefore, they are used for working out geoinformative maps of temperature and precipitation variations. Revealed are the areas and centers with different intensity of warming and cooling. It is found that the annual temperature and total annual precipitation averaged for the territory do not vary considerably under conditions of the global warming.     

Modelling of Elastic Stress Field of the Earth’s Crust in Central Asia Based on the Orientations of Principal Stress Axes

Izvestiya, Physics of the Solid Earth - In this work, we perform reconstruction of elastic stress fields by employing discrete data on the principal directions of the stress tensor in Central Asia....     

REMOTE SENSING IN THE STATISTICAL CHARACTERIZATION OF ATMOSPHERIC PARAMETERS

An analysis of the statistical characteristics of the optical depth of suspended particulates was made in several parts of the visible spectrum as it is affected by meteorological conditions. The paper tests whether the association of the statistical characteristics of the spectral structure of visible radiation with meteorological parameters is strong enough to serve as part of the explanation for the onset of different states of atmospheric turbidity. Equations are derived that permit estimation of atmospheric optical conditions from meteorological data.