Time dependent viscous string cloud cosmological models

Bianchi type-I string cosmological models are studied in Saez-Ballester theory of gravitation when the source for the energy momentum tensor is a viscous string cloud coupled to gravitational field. The bulk viscosity is assumed to vary with time and is related to the scalar expansion. The relationship between the proper energy density ρ and string tension density λ are investigated from two different cosmological models.     

Mathematical theory of counting two-dimensional grains by line and ribbon methods

Currently popular line and ribbon methods yield grain counts that are differentially biassed in regard to sizes and orientations of the maximum projection diameter of the grains in the sample. Bias correction factors covering the entire range of counting situations are obtained using probability theory and coordinate geometry. The corrected numbers are true unbiassed Fleet counts that are suitable for estimating true statistical measures and for estimating economic potential of mineral(s). Irregular grains can be counted by classifying them into either elliptical or rectangular shapes by means of nondimensional discriminant equations based on area or length measurements. Wadell roundness (ρ) for elliptical and rectangular outlines shows inconsistency, but the modified Wadell roundness (ρ′) proposed herein is a consistent measure of roundness for all types of shapes, and hence the latter is recommended for use. Theoretically, roundness is linearly correlated with the form factor (B/A) for elliptical outlines and hence, a linear correlation of average roundness and average form factor in sediments is to be expected. The entire spectrum of shape comprising two continuous variables, form factor and modified Wadell roundness, may be classified into two discrete shape states (elliptical and rectangular) or into several discrete shape states having ranges of ρ′ and B/A values.     

Groundwater arsenic contamination in Ganga–Meghna–Brahmaputra plain, its health effects and an approach for mitigation

The authors’ survey of the Ganga–Meghna–Brahmaputra (GMB) plain (area 569,749 km²; population >500 million) over the past 20 years and analysis of more than 220,000 hand tube-well water samples revealed groundwater arsenic contamination in the floodplains of the Ganga–Brahmaputra river (Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal, and Assam) in India and the Padma–Meghna–Brahmaputra river in Bangladesh. On average, 50 % of the water samples contain arsenic above the World Health Organization guideline value of 10 μg/L in India and Bangladesh. More than 100 million people in the GMB plain are potentially at risk. The authors’ medical team screened around 155,000 people from the affected villages and registered 16,000 patients with different types of arsenical skin lesions. Arsenic neuropathy and adverse pregnancy outcomes have been recorded. Infants and children drinking arsenic-contaminated water are believed to be at high risk. About 45,000 biological samples analyzed from arsenic-affected villages of the GMB plain revealed an elevated level of arsenic present in patients as well as non-patients, indicating that many are sub-clinically affected. In West Bengal and Bangladesh, there are huge surface water in rivers, wetlands, and flooded river basins. In the arsenic-affected GMB plain, the crisis is not over water scarcity but about managing the available water resources.     

Characterization of C2−C4 NMHCs distributions at a high altitude tropical site in India

Air samples were collected covering a full diurnal cycle during each month of the year 2002 at a mountaintop of Mt. Abu (24.6^∘ N, 72.7^∘ E, 1680 amsl). These samples were analyzed for C₂−C₄ NMHCs using a gas chromatograph (GC) equipped with flame ionization detector (FID). The seasonally averaged diurnal distributions of these NMHCs do not show significant variations in the summer season. While sharp peaks in the diurnal variation of some species during evening hours are additional features apart from higher levels in all NMHCs in the winter season. The seasonal variations in relatively long lived species (e.g. ethane, propane and acetylene) are observed to be more pronounced compared to those in reactive species (e.g. ethene, propene and butanes). The seasonal changes in transport patterns seem to be more dominant factor at this site for the observed variations in NMHCs than changes in OH radical concentration. The annual mean mixing ratios of ethane, ethene, propane, propene, i-butane, acetylene, and n-butane are 1.22 ± 0.58, 0.34 ± 0.24, 0.46 ± 0.20, 0.17 ± 0.14, 0.21 ± 0.18, 0.41 ± 0.43, and 0.31 ± 0.35 ppbv, respectively. Only few pairs of NMHCs are observed to show good correlations, mainly due to transport of air masses with different degree of photochemical processing. A comparison of this measurement with data reported for other remote sites of the globe indicates lower levels of light NMHCs in the tropical sites. The annual mean mixing ratios of various C₂−C₄ NMHCs at Mt. Abu are lower by factors ranging between 3 to 9 compared to a nearest urban site of Ahmedabad. The annual mean propylene (propene) equivalent concentrations of about 1.12 and 8.62 ppbC were calculated for Mt. Abu and Ahmedabad, respectively.     

Seasonality of tropospheric ozone and water vapor over Delhi,India: a study based on MOZAIC measurement data

Tropospheric distributions of ozone (O₃) and water vapor (H₂O) have been presented based on the Measurements of OZone and water vapor by Airbus In-Service AirCraft (MOZAIC) data over the metro and capital city of Delhi, India during 1996–2001. The vertical mixing ratios of both O₃ and H₂O show strong seasonal variations. The mixing ratios of O₃ were often below 40 ppbv near the surface and higher values were observed in the free troposphere during the seasons of winter and spring. In the free troposphere, the high mixing ratio of O₃ during the seasons of winter and spring are mainly due to the long-range transport of O₃ and its precursors associated with the westerly-northwesterly circulation. In the lower and middle troposphere, the low mixing ratios of ∼20–30 ppbv observed during the months of July–September are mainly due to prevailing summer monsoon circulation over Indian subcontinent. The summer monsoon circulation, southwest (SW) wind flow, transports the O₃-poor marine air from the Arabian Sea and Indian Ocean. The monthly averages of rainfall and mixing ratio of H₂O show opposite seasonal cycles to that of O₃ mixing ratio in the lower and middle troposphere. The change in the transport pattern also causes substantial seasonal variation in the mixing ratio of H₂O of 3–27 g/kg in the lower troposphere over Delhi. Except for some small-scale anomalies, the similar annual patterns in the mixing ratios of O₃ and H₂O are repeated during the different years of 1996–2001. The case studies based on the profiles of O₃, relative humidity (RH) and temperature show distinct features of vertical distribution over Delhi. The impacts of long range transport of air mass from Africa, the Middle East, Indian Ocean and intrusions of stratospheric O₃ have also been demonstrated using the back trajectory model and remote sensing data for biomass burning and forest fire activities.     

A laboratory batch study on arsenic sorption and desorption on guava orchard soils of Baruipur,West Bengal,India

Groundwater contaminated with arsenic (As), when extensively used for irrigation, causes potentially long term detrimental effects to surface soils. Such contamination can also directly affect human health when irrigated crops, such as rice, vegetable and fruits, are used for human consumption. Therefore, an understanding of the sorption and desorption behavior of As in surface soils is of high importance, because these processes regulate the bioavailability of As in the soil environment. In this study, we have collected soils from guava orchards of Baruipur, West Bengal, and characterized soil chemistry and batch sorption and desorption behavior in the laboratory. The sorption and desorption behavior of As in the soils were examined using the Langmuir and Freundlich sorption equation. Regression analysis of the soil chemical characteristics and sorption equation parameters were also performed. The results suggest that the sorption behavior of arsenate is highly dependent on soil characteristics, specifically organic carbon, clay and Al₂O₃ content of the soils. Whereas desorption behavior is critically influenced by the presence of high concentrations of amorphous and/or crystalline Fe₂O₃ in the soils. Retention of the significant portion of As in the soils (~ 84% of the total) suggests that As in the orchard soils may not be highly bioavailable to plants for uptake. However, more detailed studies will be required to ascertain the role of individual soil components on the As sorption and desorption processes.     

Small amplitude double-layers in an electron depleted dusty plasma with ions featuring the Tsallis distribution

The properties of dust acoustic double-layers (DA-DLs) in an unmagnetized electron depleted dusty plasma consisting of inertial dust fluid and ions featuring Tsallis statistics are investigated. It is found that our plasma model can admit compressive as well as rarefactive DA-DLs depending on the value of nonextensive parameter q. As the value of q increases, the negative DA-DL shrinks and, beyond a certain critical value, develops into a positive structure allowing therefore the existence of compressive DA-DLs.     

Antarctic O3 Depletion and its Correlation with Solar Flare Index

The paper presents the effect of solar flare index on Antarctic O₃ depletion. Solar flare index is the actual representative of energy output of any flare event. A calibration curve between solar flare index and relative sunspot number is drawn. (A straight line is obtained and correlation coefficient between two variables is 0.95, n = 27, P < 0.01).The equation of straight line from least square principle becomes, Solar Flare Index (I_f) = 1.0932 * Relative Sunspot Number- 9.4391. From this equation solar flare index for long period is calculated from known values of relative sunspot numbers. O₃ concentration of two antarctic Survey Stations, Halley Bay (76 °S, 27 °W) and McMurdo (78 °S, 166 °E) are considered for analysis and following results are obtained: (i) Correlation coefficient between O₃ concentration and solar flare index during Antarctic Spring is not so significant. (ii) It is concluded that dramatic decrease of O₃concentration during Antarctic Spring is independent of solar parameters. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Geomorphologic,stratigraphic and sedimentologic evidences of tectonic activity in Sone–Ganga alluvial tract in Middle Ganga Plain,India

The basement of the Ganga basin in the Himalayan foreland is criss-crossed by several faults, dividing the basin into several sub-blocks forming horsts, grabens, or half-grabens. Tectonic perturbations along basement faults have affected the fluvial regime and extent of sediment fill in different parts of the basin during Late Quaternary. The East Patna Fault (EPF) and the West Patna Fault (WPF), located in Sone–Ganga alluvial tract in the southern marginal parts of Middle Ganga Plain (MGP), have remained tectonically active. The EPF particularly has acted significantly and influenced in evolving the geomorphological landscape and the stratigraphic architecture of the area. The block bounded by the two faults has earlier been considered as a single entity, constituting a half-graben. The present investigation (by morpho-stratigraphic and sedimentologic means) has revealed the existence of yet another fault within the half-graben, referred to as Bishunpur–Khagaul Fault (BKF). Many of the long profile morphological characters (e.g., knick-zone, low width–depth ratio) of the Sone River at its lower reaches can be ascribed to local structural deformation along BKF. These basement faults in MGP lie parallel to each other in NE–SW direction.