Boron incorporation into mullite

Summary Boron-doped mullites were synthesized using aluminium nitrate-nonahydrate, tetraethoxysilane and boric acid in a sol–gel process with subsequent annealing at 950 and 1300 °C for five hours. Two different bulk compositions with constant Al₂O₃ contents (60 and 70 mol%, respectively) and varying SiO₂ plus B₂O₃ contents were investigated. X-ray powder diffraction analyses yielded a linear decrease of the lattice parameters with increasing bulk B₂O₃ content, which was interpreted as to be due to boron incorporation. Related to the increasing boron content, corresponding infrared spectra revealed a slight and continuous shift for most of the absorption bands. These data show that mullite is able to incorporate large amounts of boron into its structure (up to about 20 mol% B₂O₃ depending on the bulk composition of the starting materials). Infrared analyses suggest that boron is incorporated into the mullite structure in form of planar three-fold coordinated BO₃ groups. Author’s address: A. Beran, Institut für Mineralogie und Kristallographie, Universit?t Wien-Geozentrum, Althanstra?e 14, 1090 Wien, Austria     

Long geodesics on the ellipsoid

Summary This article examines the practical application of formulae for computing long lines on the ellipsoid. The main aim is to eliminate the successive approximation generally required. For the inverse problem, this is achieved by the method ofE. M. Sodano, Army Map Service, U.S.A. An adaptation of a method produced byG. T. McCaw is used for the direct problem. Results are given of five practical examples, including two which extend halfway round the world. Construction of further special tables is recommended to simplify the computations required by a problem which has an ever increasing application.

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Zusammenfassung Der Verfasser—ein bekannter Fachmann auf diesem Gebiet—untersucht kritisch die von verschiedenen Geod?ten angewandten oder vorgeschlagenen Verfahren zur Berechnung sehr langer geod?tischer Linien.

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Resumen El autor, especialista bien conocido en la cuestión, examina y discute los differentes métodos utilizados o preconizados por diferentes geodestas para el cálculo de lineas geodésicas de gran longitud en la superficie terrestre.

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Résumé L'auteur, spécialiste bien connu de la question, examine et discute les différentes méthodes utilisées ou préconisées par différents Géodésiens, pour le calcul des lignes géodésiques de grande longueur à la surface de la terre.

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Riassunto L'Autore, specialista ben noto dell'argomento, esamina e discute i diversi metodi utilizzati o proposti dai differenti Geodeti per il calcolo delle geodetiche lunghe sulla superficie terrestre.

     

NMR Measurements in Carbonate Rocks: Problems and an Approach to a Solution

Carbonate rocks are well known for their complex petrophysical behavior where, in contrast to siliciclastic rocks, different parameters, including porosity and permeability, usually are not directly related. This behavior is the result of thorough reorganization of porosity during diagenesis, and it turns prediction of reservoir quality of carbonate rocks into a challenge. The study presented here deals with the problem of utilizing NMR techniques in prediction of petrophysical properties in carbonates.We employ a visual porosity classification as a priori knowledge for better interpreting NMR data for prediction purposes. This allows for choice of suitable T₂ cutoff values to differentiate movable from bound fluids adapted for the specific carbonate rock, thus resulting in better interpretation of NMR data. The approach of using a genetic pore type classification for adapting the conventional method for T₂ cutoff determination, which originally was developed for siliciclastic rocks, is promising. Similarly, for permeability determination on the basis of NMR measurements, the classification of carbonate rocks based on porosity types also shows potential. The approach implemented here has the promise to provide a basis of standardized interpretation of NMR data from carbonate rocks.Acknowledgment We are grateful to Baker Hughes INTEQ, Celle, for permission to publish the results of this work. This study was part of I.S.s Masters Thesis at Hannover University that was carried out in collaboration with Baker Hughes INTEQ, Celle, Germany. We appreciate comments of an anonymous referee and PAGEOPH editor Brian J. Mitchell.     

Chandra measurements of the X-ray core and cluster of 3C 220.1

We report results of an 18-ks exposure with the ACIS instrument on Chandra of the powerful z =0.62 radio galaxy 3C 220.1. The X-ray emission separates into cluster gas of emission-weighted kT ∼5 keV , 0.7–12 keV luminosity (to a radius of 45 arcsec) of 5.6×10⁴⁴ erg s⁻¹ and unresolved emission (coincident with the radio core). While the extended X-ray emission is clearly thermal in nature, a straightforward cooling-flow model, even in conjunction with a point-source component, is a poor fit to the radial profile of the X-ray emission. This is despite the fact that the measured properties of the gas suggest a massive cooling flow of ∼130 M_⊙ yr⁻¹, and the data show weak evidence for a temperature gradient. The central unresolved X-ray emission has a power-law spectral energy index α ∼0.7 and 0.7–12 keV luminosity of 10⁴⁵ erg s⁻¹, and any intrinsic absorption is relatively small. The two-point spectrum of the core emission between radio and X-ray energies has α _rx=0.75 . Since this is a flatter spectrum than seen in other sources where the X-ray emission is presumed to be radio-related, regions close to the active galactic nucleus (AGN) in this source may dominate the central X-ray output, as is believed to be the case for lobe-dominated quasars. Simple unification models would be challenged if this were found to be the case for a large fraction of high-power radio galaxies.     

Turbulent flows over mountainous terrain modelled by the Reynolds equations

A numerical model based upon fundamental principles, a standard (k, ) turbulence closure and a finite element integration technique, is applied to separated flows over hills. Predictions are compared to experimental data from a wind tunnel. Although few-equation turbulence closures have been shown to have obvious deficiencies with respect to comparable flows, the model predicts remarkably accurately, without coefficient adjustments of any kind. Even the turbulent intensity is predicted quite realistically.     

Approaches to analyse and model changes in impacts: reply to discussions of “How to improve attribution of changes in drought and flood impacts”*

ABSTRACT

We thank the authors, Brunella Bonaccorso and Karsten Arnbjerg-Nielsen for their constructive contributions to the discussion about the attribution of changes in drought and flood impacts. We appreciate that they support our opinion, but in particular their additional new ideas on how to better understand changes in impacts. It is great that they challenge us to think a step further on how to foster the collection of long time series of data and how to use these to model and project changes. Here, we elaborate on the possibility to collect time series of data on hazard, exposure, vulnerability and impacts and how these could be used to improve e.g. socio-hydrological models for the development of future risk scenarios.     

Trace metals in estuarine sediments from the southwestern Spanish coast

The impact of river-transported metal pollution and industrial wastes on the metal distribution (Cr, Cu, Zn, Pb) in estuarine sediments was studied in the southwestern Spanish estuaries. Intertidal and subtidal surface sediments of the Tinto-Odiel Estuary are very highly polluted by heavy metals, with geoaccumulation indices up to 4 in the three sedimentary environments studied (channel, channel border and salt marsh). The single exception is the Punta Umbria channel, very protected from the point sources by salt marsh deposits and hydraulic processes. In the remaining two estuaries, pollution (Pb, Cu) was only significant near the harbour situated in the Piedras river mouth, whereas very low values were found in the Guadiana Estuary. In these last rivers, the enrichment factor increases from the channel to the salt marsh sediments.     

Numerical Analysis of Space–Time Finite Element Formulations for Miscible Displacements

A finite element formulation is proposed to approximate a nonlinear system of partial differential equations, composed by an elliptic subsystem for the pressure–velocity and a transport equation (convection–diffusion) for the concentration, which models the incompressible miscible displacement of one fluid by another in a rigid porous media. The pressure is approximated by the classical Galerkin method and the velocity is calculated by a post-processing technique. Then, the concentration is obtained by a Galerkin/least-squares space–time (GLS/ST) finite element method. A numerical analysis is developed for the concentration approximation. Then, stability, convergence and numerical results are presented confirming the a priori error estimates.