Controlled experiment in the ionosphere with a rocket-borne plasma gun

A controlled active experiment was performed by a plasma gun on-board a rocket to study the plasma stream across the magnetic field in space. A mother and daughter system was employed. An 8 kV 0.8 μF (25 J) capacitor bank on the daughter rocket was discharged every 12 s and about 10¹⁶ ion and electron pairs were ejected. A plasma signal was detected on the electron temperature probe. The propagation speed of the plasma stream is estimated to be 10⁶ cm/s, considerably lower than that obtained in the prelaunch test. The amplitude of the plasma signal decays as the inverse square of the mutual distance between the mother and daughter rockets and this decay is much slower than the free streaming. The importance of the geomagnetic field on the plasma propagation in space is discussed.     

Evaluation of predictors of non‐linear seismic demands using ‘fishbone’ models of SMRF buildings

Predictors (or estimates) of seismic structural demands that are less computationally time‐consuming than non‐linear dynamic analysis can be useful for structural performance assessment and for design. In this paper, we evaluate the bias and precision of predictors that make use of, at most, (i) elastic modal vibration properties of the given structure, (ii) the results of a non‐linear static pushover analysis of the structure, and (iii) elastic and inelastic single‐degree‐of‐freedom time‐history analyses for the specified ground motion record. The main predictor of interest is an extension of first‐mode elastic spectral acceleration that additionally takes into account both the second‐mode contribution to (elastic) structural response and the effects of inelasticity. This predictor is evaluated with respect to non‐linear dynamic analysis results for ‘fishbone’ models of steel moment‐resisting frame (SMRF) buildings. The relatively small number of degrees of freedom for each fishbone model allows us to consider several short‐to‐long period buildings and numerous near‐ and far‐field earthquake ground motions of interest in both Japan and the U.S. Before doing so, though, we verify that estimates of the bias and precision of the predictor obtained using fishbone models are effectively equivalent to those based on typical ‘full‐frame’ models of the same buildings. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Improving integrity of RC beam-column joints with deficient beam rebar anchorage

In recent earthquakes in developing countries, severe damage was observed on reinforced concrete buildings. This study focuses on exterior beam-column joints with substandard beam rebar anchorage and seismic strengthening by installing wing walls. First, a series of experiments was conducted to investigate the seismic behavior of exterior joints with substandard beam rebar anchorage representing typical Bangladeshi buildings. Two 0.7-scaled exterior joint specimens were tested, and these specimens showed beam rebar anchorage failure and/or joint shear failure. Prior to strengthening of the joint, a series of pullout tests was conducted on postinstalled bonded anchors in low-strength concrete for strengthening design. Then, an experiment was performed to apply the strengthening method by wing walls to one of the exterior joint specimens to improve the integrity, and this method was intended to prevent the failure of beam rebar anchorage. The strengthening method is proposed to extend the development length of beam longitudinal bars by considering the embedment length along the wing walls. The test results verified the effectiveness and applicability of the proposed strengthening method to upgrade exterior RC beam-column joints with deficient beam rebar anchorage.     

A note on climate change adaptation for seaports: a challenge for global ports, a challenge for global society

With 80 % of world trade carried by sea, seaports provide crucial linkages in global supply-chains and are essential for the ability of all countries to access global markets. Seaports are likely to be affected directly and indirectly by climatic changes, with broader implications for international trade and development. Due to their coastal location, seaports are particularly vulnerable to extreme weather events associated with increasing sea levels and tropical storm activity, as illustrated by hurricane “Sandy”. In view of their strategic role as part of the globalized trading system, adapting ports in different parts of the world to the impacts of climate change is of considerable importance. Reflecting the views of a diverse group of stakeholders with expertise in climate science, engineering, economics, policy, and port management, this essay highlights the climate change challenge for ports and suggests a way forward through the adoption of some initial measures. These include both “soft” and “hard” adaptations that may be spearheaded by individual port entities, but will require collaboration and support from a broad range of public and private sector stakeholders and from society at large. In particular, the essay highlights a need to shift to more holistic planning, investment and operation.     

Baroclinic oscillations of tidal frequency at ocean weather station P

Abstract

We analyse time series records of isopleth depths derived from two extended sequences of hourly and bi‐hourly sampled profiles taken at Ocean Weather Station P during the summers of 1961 and 1969. Vertical displacements to 240‐m depth are mainly of semidiurnal frequency with r.m.s. amplitudes of 1–4 m. Displacements at diurnal and near‐inertial frequencies are typically less than a metre and have little statistical significance. Within the semidiurnal band, motions appear to be predominantly at the principal solar (S₂) rather than the principal lunar (M₂) semidiurnal frequency. The phase of the M₂ baroclinic tide is roughly equal to that of the M₂ barotropic tide (as extrapolated from coastal and seamount observations); phases of other constituents differ appreciably from barotropic values.     

Mechanism of enrichment of trace metals on fine sludges collected from filtration plants

Fine sludges were collected from five filtration plants, and the partitioning of ten metals (Ag, Cd, Mn, Zn, Pb, Cu, Sn, Co, Ni, and Fe) in them was determined by selective leaching techniques. (1) The available amounts, which shows the total of each metal leached between 1 M CH₃COONH₄ and 30 percent H₂O₂, for Ag, Cd and Mn, ranged from 51 to 98 percent for five sludges. (2) The available amounts for Zn, Pb, Cu, and Sn were 47–92 percent for five sludges. (3) The most important fraction for Co, Ni, and Fe, except the Inagawa sludge, which is markedly polluted by organic matter, was the crystalline particle. Therefore, the above metals, except Co, Ni, and Fe, are thought to be enriched on ion-exchangeable sites, organic matter, hydrous Fe/Mn oxides, and sulfides in fine sludges.     

Observation of hydrogen peroxide concentrations in a Japanese red pine forest

In order to study the concentrations of hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) and the factors controlling its concentrations, we monitored concentrations of H₂O₂ and other gases such as sulfur dioxide, ozone, and NO _x as well as meteorological factors such as air temperature, relative humidity, and wind direction/speed during eight measurement periods from 2000 to 2002 in a Japanese red pine forest in Japan. The H₂O₂ concentrations ranged from below 0.01 to 1.64 ppb, and analysis of the diurnal variation in H₂O₂ concentration showed high concentrations around noon, and low concentrations in the morning and late afternoon. The H₂O₂ concentrations were high in early summer, when O₃ concentration, temperature, and solar radiation were high, and were low in fall, when O₃ concentration, temperature, and solar radiation were low. We propose that O₃ concentration affects the production of H₂O₂ in the monitored region during the period under study, but that high H₂O₂ concentrations were sometimes caused by the transport of polluted air from urban regions. H₂O₂ concentrations decreased remarkably when SO₂ concentrations increased by transported volcanic emission on Miyake Island. In the absence of the effects of SO₂, H₂O₂ concentrations increased with increasing O₃ concentration and temperature.     

Polar and neutral isopranyl glycerol ether lipids as biomarkers of archaea in near-surface sediments from the Nankai Trough

The molecular and carbon isotopic compositions of polar isopranyl glycerol ether lipids, which are direct indicators of viable archaea, and neutral isopranyl glycerol ether lipids, which are derived from polar lipids via hydrolysis, in near-surface sediments from a methane seep in the Nankai Trough (off central Japan) were investigated. Procedures for extracting, separating and derivatizing polar and neutral ether lipids for detection using gas chromatography were first examined with one sediment sample and a cultivated methanogen. For all sediment samples, archaeol and hydroxyarchaeol were detected in both the polar and neutral ether lipid fractions. Acyclic and cyclic biphytanes were also detected in both types of lipid fractions after treatment with HI/LiAlH₄ for ether cleavage and alkylation. The δ¹³C values of archaeol, sn-2-hydroxyarchaeol, and sn-3-hydroxyarchaeol in the sample from 0.82 m below the seafloor were lower than −100‰ relative to PDB, indicating that diverse living methanotrophic archaea are present in the seep sediments. Biphytanes released from polar ether lipids in the same sample were less depleted in δ¹³C (−71‰ to −36‰). The wide range of δ¹³C values suggests that the biphytanes were derived not only from methanotrophic but also from non-methanotrophic archaea, and that the relative contributions of the methanotrophic and non-methanotrophic archaea differed, depending on the biphytane compound. The vertical profiles and δ¹³C values of the neutral ether lipids were similar to those of the intact polar ether lipids, suggesting that neutral ether lipids derived from fossil archaea in the samples had mainly been lost by the time of sampling.     

地下RC结构物地震响应特征土工离心试验的模拟

地下结构物抗震稳定性的研究具有重要实际意义。基于动态土工离心试验,应用有效应力法分析了不同水平地震作用下土层和地下RC结构物的最大水平位移、不同埋深的土层加速度和超孔隙水压力变化规律,以及结构物的破坏发展特征,并进一步与试验结果进行了相互验证和对比,取得了较好效果,为重要地下结构物的抗震设计提供了依据和参考。