Measuring the sizes of stars

The Chatterton Astronomy Department aims to apply interferometers with very high resolving power to optical astronomy. The programme of the stellar intensity interferometer at Narrabri Observatory was completed in 1972 and since then the work has been directed towards building a more sensitive instrument with higher resolving power. As a first step a much larger intensity interferometer was designed but was not built because it was large, expensive and not as sensitive as desired. Efforts are now being made to design a more sensitive and cheaper instrument. A version of Michelson’s stellar interferometer is being built using modern techniques. It is hoped that it will reach stars of magnitude +8 and will work reliably in the presence of atmospheric scintillation. It is expected to cost considerably less than an intensity interferometer of comparable performance. The pilot model of this new instrument is almost complete and should be ready for test in 1984. Text of an Academy Lecture delivered at the Raman Research Institute, Bangalore on January 27, 1984.     

用钢粒取心钻进钻穿孤石的方法

本文通过在厦门地区大直径桩孔钻遇“孤石”的施工实践，总结了一套利用钢粒取心钻进“孤石”的技术方法，有效地解决了钻进“孤石”效率低，易偏斜，事故多的技术难题。     

基于BPSO-NBayes的雷暴释用预报技术研究

提出了一种新的雷暴预报法,即二进制粒子群-朴素贝叶斯分类器(Binary Particle Swarm Optimization-Naive Bayesian Classifiers,BPSO-NBayes)方法,以福州、连城、宁波3站为例,对使用T511数值预报产品站点的雷暴释用预报技术进行研究。利用2010—2014年T511数值预报产品和单站观测资料,使用BPSO-NBayes方法,建立了0~72 h雷暴预报模型,并与Fisher判别准则和Bayes判别准则进行比较。预报结果表明,BPSO-NBayes模型临界成功指数都在0.29以上,平均值达到0.33以上,是3种方法中最好的,空报率都在0.59以下,漏报率在0.60以下,而且变化幅度很小。BPSO-NBayes模型明显优于Fisher判别准则和Bayes判别准则,具有良好的稳定性和预报能力。     

Short term variability of Particle fluxes and its relation to variability in sea surface temperature and chlorophylla field detected by Ocean Color and Temperature Scanner (OCTS) off Sanriku, northwestern North Pacific in the spring of 1997

A sediment trap experiment was carried out in conjunction with an over flight of Ocean Color Temperature Scanner (OCTS) on board Advanced Earth Observing Satellite (ADEOS) at 40°N, 143°E off Sanriku in April to May 1997. Short term variability of particle fluxes was examined at depths of 450 m and 600 m from April 6 to May 1 with a sampling interval of two days, and at 450 m with one day interval from 2nd to 10th May. Daily averaged mass flux at 450 m and 600 m was 815 mg m⁻²d⁻¹ and 862 mg m⁻²d⁻¹, respectively. A sharp increase in mass flux was observed during the period from April 26 to April 29 with the highest mass flux of 8 g m⁻²d⁻¹. About 85% of the total mass flux for the entire duration (26 days) was collected within these 4 days. Trapped material during the peak flux period was mainly composed of diatoms dominated byThalassiosira spp. and resting spores ofChaetoceros spp. This suggested that the peak flux was the result of (a) diatom bloom(s) in the euphotic column. Current meter records at 420 m showed that on April 26 and 27, the period when the peak flux was observed, the southwestward current had diminished in strength and changed its direction northwestward. Low current speeds appeared to have enhanced trap efficiency to help form the peak flux. A time series of OCTS Intensive-LAC (Local Area Coverage: Region B) images from mid-March to early May was examined todetect phytoplankton bloom(s). In the March 26th Chl image, high concentration region was restricted to the southwest off Cape Erimo, but spread around the warm core ring (WCR) 93A by April 10. East of the WCR93A, high Chl concentration remained steady until May, but to the west of the WCR93A, Chl decreased rapidly before the 19th of April. From this observation we suspect that the peak flux observed at the end of April originated from a bloom, which ceased on the 17th or 18th of April, in the region north of 40°N and west of 143°E. Taking the current meter records into account, the source region for the trapped material is most likely around southwest of the Cape Erimo.     

Turbulent structure in uniform inclined open channel flow over different rough porous beds

In this study the effects of the different rough porous beds in an open inclined channel are studied experimentally for impermeable and permeable porous bed.For the simulation of porous bed two different types of permeable bed with the same thickness(s' = 3 cm) and the same porosity ε=0.70 are used:(a) porous filters and(b) gravel bed.Laboratory experiments were used for the calculation of turbulent velocity profiles.Measurements of velocity were taken for inclined channel for three different slopes(S=-0.002,S=-0.004 and S=-0.006) and for five different flow depths(h=5 cm,7 cm,9 cm,11 cm and 13 cm).The total discharge Q varies from 0.78 to 1.31 1/s.The measurements were obtained using a two-dimensional(2D) Particle Image Velocimetry(PIV).The total discharge was estimated using a calibrated venture apparatus.Results showed that the presence of rough porous bed in inclined open channels influence significantly the turbulent characteristics of the flow in comparison with impermeable open channels with the same slopes.     

基于粒子群算法的浮筒配置优化问题的研究

针对传统的验证法在解决浮筒配置问题中存在的计算量大、计算时间长、工作重复性强等缺点,提出了一种将浮筒纵向位置配置和浮筒充气量综合考虑、一体优化的方法。文章将各种合理性校验准则作为约束条件,通过逼近沉艇起浮瞬间和浮起后的平衡状态,来求取各对浮筒的纵向位置和充气量,将浮筒配置问题转换为一个多目标、多约束的最优化问题。在此基础上,根据粒子群优化算法的特点,提出了一种双向搜索策略,来求解浮筒配置优化问题。这种方法简单实用,计算时间短,无需人工干预,算法运行一次可获得多组配置方案供决策人员选择。算例表明用这种方法来解决浮筒配置问题是可行的、有效的。     

边坡虹吸排水管内空气积累原因及应对措施

坡体地下水位上升是诱发滑坡的重要因素,实时排出地下水是防治边坡地质灾害的有效手段。虹吸排水具有免动力和流动过程由液位变化自动控制的物理特性,可满足实时排出坡体地下水的需要,但虹吸管中空气积累会导致虹吸过程中断,制约了边坡虹吸排水技术的推广应用。溶解于水的空气因虹吸管内压力降低而释出是形成气泡的物理基础。实验结果表明,虹吸进水口水面以上垂直高度3.5 m以上就会出现大量气泡,经过虹吸顶点后,气泡发生强烈的兼并形成大气泡。当虹吸管的进出水口的水头差较大时,气泡间的水弹容易推动气泡从出水口排出。当虹吸管直径大于5 mm时,缓慢的虹吸流动,会发生管内气泡的积累,最终破坏虹吸过程;虹吸管的直径小于4 mm时,可以形成基本稳定的弹状流。因此,为保持边坡虹吸过程长期有效,经常性降雨并且坡体地下水丰富的地区可选用直径为5 mm的虹吸管,非经常性降雨的地区应选择小于等于4 mm的虹吸管。     

Reproductive biology of horse mackerel Trachurus capensis and Trachurus trecae in Namibia and Angola

Harvest control measures for Namibia and Angola are defined using reference points for spawning biomass, which requires knowledge of spawning potential and dynamics of fishery stocks. The reproductive biology of two species of horse mackerel, Trachurus capensis and Trachurus trecae, in these waters was investigated for spawning distribution in time and space. Samples were collected during two scientific cruises conducted in February and July/August 2007 off the coast of Namibia and Angola. A total of 396 fish ovaries was examined to determine the spawning dynamics of the two species. The ovaries were histologically analysed and their oocyte distributions mapped. The length (TL)–weight relationships of the two species differed significantly. The observed development of oocyte recruitment and absence of a hiatus in the oocyte distribution indicated that these species are indeterminate spawners. Analyses of the data from the NatMIRC database (2001–2004) indicated annual changes in gonadosomatic index (GSI) for T. capensis at different latitudes, but these changes were small. GSI also fluctuated between years and areas, but there were no clear spatial or temporal trends, with averages ≤4.0% at all stations. The GSI of both species was not indicative of the histologically determined development of gonad maturity. Oocyte maturation for T. capensis indicated that smaller and younger fish spawn first. Batch fecundity (F) for T. trecae was best described by F = 4 986 TL (cm) – 99 645 (r ² = 0.83). This study provided the first analyses of oocyte development in time and space for the two species in the region.     

Influence of single flaw on the failure process and energy mechanics of rock-like material

This paper investigates the influence of a flaw on crack initiation, the failure mode, deformation field and energy mechanism of the rock-like material under uniaxial compression. The results of laboratory test and numerical simulation demonstrate the flaw inclination effect can be classified into three groups: 0–30°, 30–60° and 75–90°. The characteristic stresses increase as the flaw angle increases. The tensile cracks initiate from gentle flaws (α ⩽ 30°) and shear cracks appear at tips of steep flaws (α ⩾ 45°). The input energy, strain energy and dissipation energy of a specimen show approximate increasing trends as the flaw angle increases.