On the coronal lines λ5303 Å and λ6374 Å

We present theoretical calculations of the observed coronal emission line profiles of Fexiv (5303 Å) and Fex (6374 Å) ions, which are observed at the time of total solar eclipse. Baumbach's relation (Allen, 1973) of electron density has been employed to compute the full width at half maximum FWHM. We have employed several other electron density distributions and found that the calculated differences in the FWHM are within 0.5% of one another. We have used the ion densities N _i/N_E given by Jordan (1969). To explain the observed FWHM, we have assumed that the corona is expanding spherically symmetrically with a velocity of one or two mean thermal units and no turbulence is included. With these highly simplified assumptions, we have reproduced qualitatively the profiles and FWHM's of the above lines. However, to explain quantities of FWHM's, we should take into account the inhomogeneities in the structure of the corona. It is thus shown, that turbulence is not necessary to explain the observed FWHM.     

Bioremediation of Tannery Effluents Using a Consortium of Blue–Green Algal Species

Trivalent chromium in the form of basic chromium sulfate (BCS) is used for tanning hides/skins and is a strong pollutant of the soil and water bodies. Significant quantities of unutilized chemicals, such as sulfates, chlorides, are also discharged, contributing to high levels of total dissolved solids (TDS), biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), chemical oxygen demand (COD), etc. Though many treatment techniques are being practiced, biotechnological methods are gaining importance. Biosorption is recognized as a cost‐effective technology worldwide; one potential sorbent being blue–green algae (BGA), for treating metal‐bearing effluents. This work studies the feasibility of using a species each of Spirulina, Oscillatoria, and Synechocystis, individually and as a consortium, as sorbents to remove Cr³⁺ from a segregated stream, viz. exhaust chrome liquor (ECL) and synthetic BCS solution. The species studied were found to be effective in removing Cr³⁺ considerably at varying concentrations, besides reducing sulfates, BOD, COD, etc. The results of ECL experiments were more encouraging than those for BCS solution. The kinetic data on Cr³⁺ sorption onto algal biomass fit well into the pseudo‐second order model. The equilibrium data were analyzed using the classic Langmuir and Freundlich isotherm models, yielding good fits. The results of the experiments indicate that algal consortia could be good alternatives to the conventional treatment methods for leather and other industrial wastewaters containing chromium.     

Artificial Neural Networks: A Solution to the Ambiguity in Prediction of Engineering Properties of Fine-Grained Soils

Determination of soaked california bearing ratio (CBR) and compaction characteristics of soils in the laboratory require considerable time and effort. To make a preliminary assessment of the suitability of soils required for a project, prediction models for these engineering properties on the basis of laboratory tests—which are quick to perform, less time consuming and cheap—such as the tests for index properties of soils, are preferable. Nevertheless researchers hold divergent views regarding the most influential parameters to be taken into account for prediction of soaked CBR and compaction characteristics of fine-grained soils. This could be due to the complex behaviour of soils—which, by their very nature, exhibit extreme variability. However this disagreement is a matter of concern as it affects the dependability of prediction models. This study therefore analyses the ability of artificial neural networks and multiple regression to handle different influential parameters simultaneously so as to make accurate predictions on soaked CBR and compaction characteristics of fine-grained soils. The results of simple regression analyses included in this study indicate that optimum moisture content (OMC) and maximum dry density (MDD) of fine-grained soils bear better correlation with soaked CBR of fine-grained soils than plastic limit and liquid limit. Simple regression analyses also indicate that plastic limit has stronger correlation with compaction characteristics of fine-grained soils than liquid limit. On the basis of these correlations obtained using simple regression analyses, neural network prediction models and multiple regression prediction models—with varying number of input parameters are developed. The results reveal that neural network models have more ability to utilize relatively less influential parameters than multiple regression models. The study establishes that in the case of neural network models, the relatively less powerful parameters—liquid limit and plastic limit can also be used effectively along with MDD and OMC for better prediction of soaked CBR of fine-grained soils. Also with the inclusion of less significant parameter—liquid limit along with plastic limit the predictions on compaction characteristics of fine-grained soils using neural network analysis improves considerably. Thus in the case of neural network analysis, the use of relatively less influential input parameters along with stronger parameters is definitely beneficial, unlike conventional statistical methods—for which, the consequence of this approach is unpredictable—giving sometimes not so favourable results. Very weak input parameters alone need to be avoided for neural network analysis. Consequently, when there is ambiguity regarding the most influential input parameters, neural network analysis is quite useful as all such influential parameters can be taken to consideration simultaneously, which will only improve the performance of neural network models. As soils by their very nature, exhibit extreme complexity, it is necessary to include maximum number of influential parameters—as can be determined easily using simple laboratory tests—in the prediction models for soil properties, so as to improve the reliability of these models—for which, use of neural networks is more desirable.     

Developing and testing the Automated Post-Event Earthquake Loss Estimation and Visualisation (APE-ELEV) technique

An automated, real-time, multiple sensor data source relying and globally applicable earthquake loss model and visualiser is desirable for post-event earthquake analysis. To achieve this there is a need to support rapid data ingestion, loss estimation and integration of data from multiple data sources and rapid visualisation at multiple geographic levels. In this paper, the design and development of the Automated Post-Event Earthquake Loss Estimation and Visualisation (APE-ELEV) system for real-time estimation and visualisation of insured losses incurred due to earthquakes is presented. A model for estimating ground up and net of facultative losses due to earthquakes in near real-time is implemented. Since post-event data is often available immediately from multiple disparate sources, a geo-browser is employed to facilitate the visualisation and integration of earthquake hazard, exposure and loss data. The feasibility of APE-ELEV is demonstrated using a test case earthquake that occurred in Tohoku, Japan (2011). The APE-ELEV model is further validated for ten global earthquakes using industry loss data.     

Monte Carlo modeling of Io’s [OI] 6300 Å and [SII] 6716 Å auroral emission in eclipse

We present a Monte Carlo (MC) model of [OI] 6300 Å and [SII] 6716 Å emission from Io entering eclipse. The simulation accounts for the 3-D distribution of SO₂, O, SO, S, and O₂ in Io’s atmosphere, several volcanic plumes, and the magnetic field around Io. Thermal electrons from the jovian plasma torus are input along the simulation domain boundaries and move along the magnetic field lines distorted by Io, occasionally participating in collisions with neutrals. We find that the atmospheric asymmetry resulting from varying degrees of atmospheric collapse across Io (due to eclipse ingress) and the presence of volcanoes contributes significantly to the unique morphology of the [OI] 6300 Å emission. The [OI] radiation lifetime of ∼134 s limits the emission to regions that have a sufficiently low neutral density so that intermolecular collisions are rare. We find that at low altitudes (typically <40 km) and in volcanic plumes (Pele, Prometheus, etc.) the number density is large enough (>4 × 10⁹ cm⁻³) to collisionally quench nearly all (>95%) of the excited oxygen for reasonable quenching efficiencies. Upstream (relative to the plasma flow), Io’s perturbation of the jovian magnetic field mirrors electrons with high pitch angles, while downstream collisions can trap the electrons. This magnetic field perturbation is one of the main physical mechanisms that results in the upstream/downstream brightness asymmetry in [OI] emission seen in the observation by Trauger et al. (Trauger, J.T., Stapelfeldt, K.R., Ballester, G.E., Clarke, J.I., 1997. HST observations of [OI] emissions from Io in eclipse. AAS-DPS Abstract (1997DPS29.1802T)). There are two other main causes for the observed brightness asymmetry. First, the observation’s viewing geometry of the wake spot crosses the dayside atmosphere and therefore the wake’s observational field of view includes higher oxygen column density than the upstream side. Second, the phased entry into eclipse results in less atmospheric collapse and thus higher collisional quenching on the upstream side relative to the wake. We compute a location (both in altitude and latitude) for the intense wake emission feature that agrees reasonably well with this observation. Furthermore, the peak intensity of the simulated wake feature is less than that observed by a factor of ∼3, most likely because our model does not include direct dissociation-excitation of SO₂ and SO. We find that the latitudinal location of the emission feature depends not so much on the tilt of the magnetic field as on the relative north/south flux tube depletion that occurs due to Io’s changing magnetic latitude in the plasma torus. From 1-D simulations, we also find that the intensity of [SII] 6716 and 6731 Å emission is much weaker than that of [OI] even if the [SII] excitation cross section is 10³ times larger than excitation to [OI]. This is because the density of S⁺ is much less than that of O and because the Einstein-A coefficient of the [SII] emission is a factor of ∼10 smaller than that of [OI].     

Expected and observed profiles of CO and CS in cometary spectra

The synthetic profile for the (A ¹π?X ¹Σ⁺ bands of CO is shown to compare well with the observed profile for comet West. The calculated profile for the (0, 0) band of CS is also in reasonable agreement with the observed profile in comet Bradfield (1979l).     

Tropical Dry Deciduous Forest Stand Variable Estimation Using SAR Data

Optical remote sensing data have been extensively used to derive biophysical properties that relate forest type and composition. However, stand density, stand height and stand volume cannot be estimated directly from optical remote sensing data owing to poor sensitivity between these parameters and spectral reflectance. The ability of microwave energy to penetrate within forest vegetation makes it possible to extract information on both the crown and trunk components from radar data. The type of polarization employed determines the radar response to the various shapes and orientations of the scattering mechanisms within the canopy or trunk. This study mainly presents experimental results obtained with airborne E-SAR using polarimetric C and L bands over the tropical dry deciduous forest of Chandrapur Forest Division, Maharashtra. A detailed documentation of the relationship between SAR C & L bands backscattering and forest stand variables has been provided in the present study through linear correlation. Linear correlation of the single channel SAR derived estimates with the field measured means show a good correlation between L HV backscattering coefficient with stand volume (r² = 0.71) and L HH backscattering coefficient with stand density (r² = 0.75). The results imply that SAR data has significant potential for stand menstruation in operational forestry.     

On So In Comets

The solution of the statistical equilibrium equations for the SO molecule is used to estimate the expected intensities of microwave lines. The observed fluxes of the microwave lines of SO in Comet Hale–Bopp require approximately 1.8 10²⁸ mol/sec which give fluxes in the A³Π - X³Σ⁻bands below the observable limit, consistent with the observations. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

1-D DSMC simulation of Io's atmospheric collapse and reformation during and after eclipse

A one-dimensional Direct Simulation Monte Carlo (DSMC) model is used to examine the effects of a non-condensable species on Io's sulfur dioxide sublimation atmosphere during eclipse and just after egress. Since the vapor pressure of SO₂ is extremely sensitive to temperature, the frost-supported dayside sublimation atmosphere had generally been expected to collapse during eclipse as the surface temperature dropped. For a pure SO₂ atmosphere, however, it was found that during the first 10 min of eclipse, essentially no change in the atmospheric properties occurs at altitudes above ∼100 km due to the finite ballistic/acoustic time. Hence immediately after ingress the auroral emission morphology above 100 km should resemble that of the immediate pre-eclipse state. Furthermore, the collapse dynamics are found to be greatly altered by the presence of even a small amount of a non-condensable species which forms a diffusion layer near the surface that prevents rapid collapse. It is found that after 10 min essentially no collapse has occurred at altitudes above ∼20 km when a nominal mole fraction of non-condensable gas is present. Collapse near the surface occurs relatively quickly until a static diffusion layer many mean free paths thick of the non-condensable gas builds up which then retards further collapse of the SO₂ atmosphere. For example, for an initial surface temperature of 110 K and 35% non-condensable mole-fraction, the ratio of the SO₂ column density to the initial column density was found to be 0.73 after 10 min, 0.50 after 30 min, and 0.18 at the end of eclipse. However, real gas species (SO, O₂) may not be perfectly non-condensable at Io's surface temperatures. If the gas species was even weakly condensable (non-zero sticking/reaction coefficient) then the effect of the diffusion layer on the dynamics was dramatically reduced. In fact, if the sticking coefficient of the non-condensable exceeds ∼0.25, the collapse dynamics are effectively the same as if there were no non-condensable present. This sensitivity results because the loss of non-condensable to the surface reduces the effective diffusion layer size, and the formation of an effective diffusion layer requires that the layer be stationary; this does not occur if the surface is a sink. Upon egress, vertical stratification of the condensable and non-condensable species occurs, with the non-condensable species being lifted (or pushed) to higher altitudes by the sublimating SO₂ after the sublimating atmosphere becomes collisional. Stratification should affect the morphology and intensity of auroral glows shortly after egress.