Single receiver phase ambiguity resolution with GPS data

Global positioning system (GPS) data processing algorithms typically improve positioning solution accuracy by fixing double-differenced phase bias ambiguities to integer values. These “double-difference ambiguity resolution” methods usually invoke linear combinations of GPS carrier phase bias estimates from pairs of transmitters and pairs of receivers, and traditionally require simultaneous measurements from at least two receivers. However, many GPS users point position a single local receiver, based on publicly available solutions for GPS orbits and clocks. These users cannot form double differences. We present an ambiguity resolution algorithm that improves solution accuracy for single receiver point-positioning users. The algorithm processes dual- frequency GPS data from a single receiver together with wide-lane and phase bias estimates from the global network of GPS receivers that were used to generate the orbit and clock solutions for the GPS satellites. We constrain (rather than fix) linear combinations of local phase biases to improve compatibility with global phase bias estimates. For this precise point positioning, no other receiver data are required. When tested, our algorithm significantly improved repeatability of daily estimates of ground receiver positions, most notably in the east component by approximately 30% with respect to the nominal case wherein the carrier biases are estimated as real values. In this “static” test for terrestrial receiver positions, we achieved daily repeatability of 1.9, 2.1 and 6.0 mm in the east, north and vertical (ENV) components, respectively. For kinematic solutions, ENV repeatability is 7.7, 8.4, and 11.7 mm, respectively, representing improvements of 22, 8, and 14% with respect to the nominal. Results from precise orbit determination of the twin GRACE satellites demonstrated that the inter-satellite baseline accuracy improved by a factor of three, from 6 to 2 mm up to a long-term bias. Jason-2/Ocean Surface Topography Mission precise orbit determination tests results implied radial orbit accuracy significantly below the 10 mm level. Stability of time transfer, in low-Earth orbit, improved from 40 to 7 ps. We produced these results by applying this algorithm within the Jet Propulsion Laboratory’s (JPL’s) GIPSY/OASIS software package and using JPL’s orbit and clock products for the GPS constellation. These products now include a record of the wide-lane and phase bias estimates from the underlying global network of GPS stations. This implies that all GIPSY–OASIS positioning users can now benefit from this capability to perform single-receiver ambiguity resolution.     

Stability of earth dam contaminated by chemical transport

When chemicals are introduced into the oil, they affect soil properties such as hydraulic conductivity and stress–strain behavior. In this study, several chloride concentrations are varied from 0 to 20 per cent to analyse the effect of chemicals on soil properties. A series of laboratory triaxial tests are performed on the cylindrical specimens of sand–bentonite mixture with different sodium chloride contents (5, 10, 15 per cent) by Nannapaneni. Deformation (elastic modulus, E) and strength (cohesion, c′, and angle of friction, ϕ′) parameters are obtained from the triaxial tests as functions of confining pressure and sodium chloride concentrations, and variations of parameters are incorporated into stability analysis. The stress–strain–strength behaviour based on the above strength parameters is introduced in a finite element procedure with a modified residual flow procedure (RFP). By integrating a slope stability procedure in the finite element method, the stability with time of earth dam contaminated by sodium chloride is examined. It is found that increasing sodium chloride concentration for the soil considered increases stability. However, the procedure is general and can allow stability analysis under the influence of other chemical which may lead to decrease in stability. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

AN INTERFACE MODEL TO DESCRIBE VISCOPLASTIC BEHAVIOR

A constitutive model to describe viscoplastic or time-dependent behaviour of interface materials is presented. Viscoplastic characteristics of the interface material are modeled based on Perzyna's theory of viscoplasticity and the Hierarchical Single Surface (HiSS) series of constitutive models. Experiments performed using a new interface test device to characterize the behaviour of cohesive soil–rock interfaces are described. Procedures to derive model parameters are presented together with validation of the model. Finite element implementation of the interface element is described along with verification of the model with respect to field behaviour of a creeping natural slope.     

A simple model to predict the effect of volume fraction,diameter, and length of fibres on strength of fibre reinforced brittle matrix composites

A simplified model is presented to predict the strength variations of brittle matrix composites, reinforced by steel fibres, with the variations of fibre parameters—length, diameter and volume fraction. This model predicts that its tensile and flexural strength increase non‐linearly with the fibre volume fraction. It also predicts that similar non‐linear behaviour should be observed with the reduction of the fibre diameter when other parameters are kept constant. The experimental results support both these theoretical predictions. It is also explained why an increase in the fibre length does not always significantly increase the fracture toughness. The objective of this paper is not to explain and understand in great detail the science of all phenomena responsible for the strength increase of fibre reinforced brittle matrix composites, but to provide a simple engineering explanation as to why its strength increases with the fibre addition, and how this increase can be quantitatively related to the variations in fibre parameters—fibre volume fraction, fibre length and diameter. These simplifying steps are needed to provide a tool that the practicing engineers can use to predict the brittle matrix strength variation with the fibre parameters. In the area of geomechanics, the results presented here can be used to assess and predict the behaviour of fibre‐reinforced earth. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Analysis of the compression of structured soils using the disturbed state concept

The aim of this note is to quantify the influence of soil structure on the compression behaviour of natural soils using the disturbed state concept (DSC). The behaviour of the fully adjusted state is chosen to be that of the corresponding soil in a reconstituted condition so that the disturbance function is a direct measure of the effects of soil structure. A new DSC compression model is proposed. This model is able to describe the compression behaviour of structured soils under loading, swelling and reloading. Special versions of the proposed model are also described for situations (a) where the compression behaviour of the corresponding reconstituted soils is linear in the e–ln p′ space and (b) where the compression is one‐dimensional. The ability of the proposed model and its various versions to describe the compression behaviour of structured soils has been verified. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & sons, Ltd.     

Soil and water conservation measures improve soil carbon sequestration and soil quality under cashews

Land degradation is becoming a serious problem in the west coast region of India where one of the world's eight biodiversity hotspots,the‘Western Ghats’,is present.Poor land management practices and high rainfall have led to increasing problems associated with land degradation.A long-term(13-year)experiment was done to evaluate the impact of soil and water conservation measures on soil carbon sequestration and soil quality at three different depths under cashew nut cultivation on a 19%slope.Five soil and water conservation measures-continuous contour trenches,staggered contour trenches,halfmoon terraces,semi-elliptical trenches,and graded trenches all with vegetative barriers of Stylosanthes scabra and Vetiveria zizanoides and control were evaluated for their influence on soil properties,carbon sequestration,and soil quality under cashews.The soil and water conservation measures improved significantly the soil organic carbon,soil organic carbon stock,carbon sequestration rate and microbial activity compared to the control condition(without any measures).Among the measures tested,continuous contour trenches with vegetative barriers outperformed the others with respect to soil organic carbon stock,sequestration rate,and microbial activity.The lower metabolic quotient with the measures compared to the control indicated alleviation of environmental stress on microbes.Using principal component analysis and a correlation matrix,a minimum dataset was identified as the soil available nitrogen,bulk density,basal soil respiration,soil pH,acid phosphatase activity,and soil available boron and these were the most important soil properties controlling the soil quality.Four soil quality indices using two summation methods(additive and weighted)and two scoring methods(linear and non-linear)were developed using the minimum dataset.A linear weighted soil quality index was able to statistically differentiate the effect of soil and water conservation measures from that of the control.The highest value of the soil quality index of 0.98 was achieved with continuous contour trenches with a vegetative barrier.The results of the study indicate that soil and water conservation measures for cashews are a potential strategy to improve the soil carbon sequestration and soil quality along with improving crop productivity and reducing the erosion losses.     

Organization of Energetic Particles by the Solar Wind Structure During the Declining to Minimum Phase of Solar Cycle 23

We investigate the organization of the low energy energetic particles (≤1 MeV) by solar wind structures, in particular corotating interaction regions (CIRs) and shocks driven by interplanetary coronal mass ejections, during the declining-to-minimum phase of Solar Cycle 23 from Carrington rotation 1999 to 2088 (January 2003 to October 2009). Because CIR-associated particles are very prominent during the solar minimum, the unusually long solar minimum period of this current cycle provides an opportunity to examine the overall organization of CIR energetic particles for a much longer period than during any other minimum since the dawn of the Space Age. We find that the particle enhancements associated with CIRs this minimum period recurred for many solar rotations, up to 30 at times, due to several high-speed solar wind streams that persisted. However, very few significant CIR-related energetic particle enhancements were observed towards the end of our study period, reflecting the overall weak high-speed streams that occurred at this time. We also contrast the solar minimum observations with the declining phase when a number of solar energetic particle events occurred, producing a mixed particle population. In addition, we compare the observations from this minimum period with those from the previous solar cycle. One of the main differences we find is the shorter recurrence rate of the high-speed solar wind streams (～10 solar rotations) and the related CIR energetic particle enhancements for the Solar Cycle 22 minimum period. Overall our study provides insight into the coexistence of different populations of energetic particles, as well as an overview of the large-scale organization of the energetic particle populations approaching the beginning of Solar Cycle 24.     

Interstellar extinction and polarization by spheroidal dust grains

Using the recently available exact computations of the scattering efficiencies of spheroidal particles numerical calculations of the extinction and polarization curves have been made for a distribution of particle sizes, shapes and orientations. The results are presented and compared with the observed interstellar extinction and polarization. Possible models for interstellar dust with nonspherical grains have been discussed.     

A quasi-explicit modification of the two time level family of schemes for non-linear transient analysis

A quasi-explicit modification of well-known two time level implicit schemes for first-order, non-linear initial value problems is presented. Stable and accurate quadratic families for the quasi-explicit generalized trapezoidal method (GTM) and the generalized midpoint method (GMM) are derived. Accuracy, stability and oscillatory behaviour of the proposed algorithms are studied. Much higher stability and oscillatory levels are obtained for quasi-explicit modification of the generalized trapezoidal method than those of the generalized midpoint method.     

Temperature distribution in the corona from λ 5303 Å line-width observations: Eclipse of 1980 February 16 – Tentative evidence for a temperature maximum

Fabry-Perot interferometfic observations in the green coronal line during the total eclipse of 1980 February 16, have yielded line-width temperatures up to 1.5R? over a wide range of position angles. Least square analysis of the data indicates a tentative temperature maximum near 1.2R? from the centre of the Sun. The ratio of peak line intensity to square of the continuum intensity E_line/E² _cont appears to be inversely correlated to the temperature. Turbulent velocities calculated using this ratio and the observed line-width temperatures show a peak at ~ 10 km s^-1.