Experimental campaign,modeling, and sensitivity analysis for the molecular distillation of petroleum residues 673.15 K+

This research activity proposes a sensitivity analysis of the molecular distillation process by focusing the attention on the response of the overall distillate flow rate under several conditions of distillation temperature and feed flow rate. Specific equations to characterize physicochemical properties of petroleum residues have been formulated by means of ASTM-based experimental campaigns combined with specific optimization techniques.     

Big Blue in the Bottomless Pit: The Early Years of IBM Chile

In examining the history of IBM in Chile, this article asks how IBM came to dominate Chile's computer market and, to address this question, emphasizes the importance of studying both IBM corporate strategy and Chilean national history. The article also examines how IBM reproduced its corporate culture in Latin America and used it to accommodate the region's political and economic changes.     

Capture of Airborne Particulate Using Surface Applied Emulsions: Potential for Postdetonation Dirty Bomb Cleanup

Recent research has proposed the use of asphalt and tall-oil-pitch emulsions for stabilizing radioactive contamination deposited on surfaces in urban areas. The objective of this project was to investigate whether surface applied emulsions could capture airborne radioactive particulate. Laboratory experiments included wind-blown particulate capture studies using an acrylic column and particulate retainment experiments using a wind box capable of producing wind speeds of 96?km/h. A probe methodology was developed to relate particulate retainment to a tack force on the emulsion surface. Experiments were also performed to determine the potential for such emulsions to absorb particulate matter into their emulsion matrix. Tall-oil-pitch emulsions outperformed asphalt emulsions in terms of particulate retention, tack force, and the ability to absorb magnesium silicate. Both tall-oil-pitch and asphalt emulsions were capable of extracting 22–24?g?m?2 of powder from particulate-laden airflow. Tall-oil-pitch emulsions were capable of retaining as much as 5–10% of magnesium silicate powder applied (i.e., retainment densities of 10–20?g?m?2) even after seven?days of curing and after applying 96.5?km/h (60?mph) wind. Tall-oil-pitch emulsions were able to absorb surface-applied magnesium silicate (approximately 0.1–0.2?g of magnesium silicate per 1.0?g of emulsion within three?days) into their emulsion matrix, preventing the magnesium silicate from being exposed to the external environment. Initial results with these five different emulsion formulations suggested particulate capture was feasible. Future emulsion formulations (i.e., longer curing times with greater acid concentrations) should be tested to optimize this postdetonation response strategy.     

Quasi-analytical static solution for the generalized boxed coplanar waveguide

A quasi-analytical method for computing the quasi-static-TEM parameters of the generalized coplanar waveguide (GCPW) is reported. The structure is assumed to be enclosed in a rectangular frame and embedded in a layered medium. Essentially, the method is an analytically enhanced spectral domain formulation. Its application leads to virtually exact results in very short CPU times, making it suitable for CAD purposes. Although the method is somewhat more time consuming than conformal mapping approaches, it is a useful alternative because of its exactness and ability to deal with multilayer structures. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Using C/X-band SAR interferometry and GNSS measurements for the Assisi landslide analysis

This work presents an analysis of the applicability of synthetic aperture radar (SAR) interferometry to landslide monitoring. This analysis was carried out by using different interferometric approaches, different spaceborne SAR data (both in the C-band and in the X-band), and in situ global navigation satellite system (GNSS) measurements. In particular, we investigated both the reliability of displacement monitoring and the issues of the cross-comparison and validation of the interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) results. The work was focused on the slow-moving landslide that affects a relevant part of the urban area of the historical town of Assisi (Italy).

A C-band ENVISAT advanced synthetic aperture radar (ENVISAT ASAR) dataset acquired between 2003 and 2010 was processed by using two different interferometric techniques, to allow cross-comparison of the obtained displacement maps. Good correspondence between the results was found, and a deeper analysis of the movement field was possible. Results were further compared to a set of GNSS measurements with a 7 year overlap with SAR data. A comparison was made for each GNSS marker with the surrounding SAR scatterers, trying to take into account local topological effects, when possible.

Further, the high-resolution X-band acquired on both ascending and descending tracks by the COSMO-SkyMed (CSK) constellation was processed. The resultant displacement fields show good agreement with C-band and GNSS measurements and a sensible increase in the density of measurements.     

Exponential stability of slowly varying discrete systems with multiple state delays

We give sufficient conditions for the exponential stability of a class of perturbed time‐varying difference equations with multiple delays and slowly varying coefficients. Under appropriate growth conditions on the perturbations, combined with the ‘freezing’ technique, we establish explicit conditions for global exponential stability. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A block-symmetric linearization of odd degree matrix polynomials with optimal eigenvalue condition number and backward error

The standard way of solving numerically a polynomial eigenvalue problem (PEP) is to use a linearization and solve the corresponding generalized eigenvalue problem (GEP). In addition, if the PEP possesses one of the structures arising very often in applications, then the use of a linearization that preserves such structure combined with a structured algorithm for the GEP presents considerable numerical advantages. Block-symmetric linearizations have proven to be very useful for constructing structured linearizations of structured matrix polynomials. In this scenario, we analyze the eigenvalue condition numbers and backward errors of approximated eigenpairs of a block symmetric linearization that was introduced by Fiedler (Linear Algebra Appl 372:325–331, 2003) for scalar polynomials and generalized to matrix polynomials by Antoniou and Vologiannidis (Electron J Linear Algebra 11:78–87, 2004). This analysis reveals that such linearization has much better numerical properties than any other block-symmetric linearization analyzed so far in the literature, including those in the well known vector space \(\mathbb {DL}(P)\) of block-symmetric linearizations. The main drawback of the analyzed linearization is that it can be constructed only for matrix polynomials of odd degree, but we believe that it will be possible to extend its use to even degree polynomials via some strategies in the near future.     

The Dirac Equation in the Kerr-de Sitter Metric

We consider a Fermion in the presence of a rotating BH immersed in a universe with a positive cosmological constant. After presenting a rigorous classification of the number and type of the horizons, we adopt the Carter tetrad to separate the aforementioned equation into radial and angular equations. We show how the Chandrasekhar ansatz leads to the construction of a symmetry operator that in the limit of a vanishing cosmological constant reproduces the square root of the squared total angular momentum operator for a Dirac particle in the Kerr metric. Furthermore, we prove that the the spectrum of the angular operator is discrete and consists of simple eigenvalues, and by means of the functional Bethe ansatz method we also derive a set of necessary and sufficient conditions for the angular operator to have polynomial solutions. Finally, we show that there exist no bound states for the Dirac equation in the non-extreme case.