Salt-water up-coning during extraction of fresh water from a tropical island

Rainwater can collect in a lens-shaped region within the rock of a tropical island, and may be separated from the underlying salt water by a sharp interface. This paper presents a nonlinear theory for determining the shape of this interface. The island is assumed to be saturated with rain, and provision is made for the outflow of rain-water through the sides of the island. The effect of a bore well on the shape of the interface is investigated, and the problem is solved using a spectral method. An integral-equation method is also presented for the case when the island has infinite width.     

Generation of interfacial instabilities in charged electrified viscous liquid films

This study is concerned with the stability of a two-dimensional incompressible conducting liquid film surrounded by a passive conducting medium, when an electric field is applied in a direction parallel to the initially flat bounding fluid interfaces. Currents generate charges at the bounding interfaces which in turn affect the stress balances there. In the absence of an electric field, the viscous liquid film is stable (instability can be induced by the inclusion of van der Waals forces for ultra thin films). A complete model is presented, at arbitrary Reynolds number, which accounts for conductivity and permittivity contrasts between the fluid and surrounding medium, as well as surface tension. The linear stability of the system is considered for arbitrary Reynolds numbers and it is shown that the stable film can become unstable if, (i) σ _R ɛ _p >1, or (ii) σ _R ɛ _p <1 and (σ _R −1)(1−ɛ _p )<0, where σ _R is the ratio of outer to inner conductivity and ε _p is the ratio of inner to outer permittivity. Instability is possible only if the electric field is non-zero and the scalings near bifurcation points that can be used to construct nonlinear theories are calculated. Several asymptotic limits are also considered including zero Reynolds numbers and short or long waves. The instability criteria given above are constructed explicitly in the case of Stokes flow.     

SQUID NMR Studies of the Second Layer of 3He at High Density

Nuclear magnetism in the second layer of ³He films on graphite has been studied as a function of density in the zero-field limit at temperatures down to 300 µK. Total surface coverages in this study ranged from 20 atoms/nm² (the lowest coverage at which the effective exchange parameter turns ferromagnetic) through the two-phase region (ending at about 24 atoms/nm²) and into the single-phase imcommensurate solid region up to 31.2 atoms/nm². The surface layers were studied using both pulsed and cw NMR measured with our SQUID NMR system in magnetic fields of 500 µT and lower. As the surface density continues to increase in the single-phase region, the exchange constant decreases consistently with a picture of steric hindrance impeding ferromagnetic exchange. Several different observational features scale with this inferred exchange: low-field magnetization, NMR frequency shift, and the temperature of onset of significant magnetization.     

A comparative study of the gas sensing behavior of nanostructured nickel ferrite synthesized by hydrothermal and reverse micelle techniques

A comparative study of gas sensing behavior of nanocrystalline nickel ferrite synthesized by micro-emulsion and hydrothermal method to liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) is presented. Nanocrystalline nickel ferrite synthesized by hydrothermal method indicated higher electrical conductivity and gas sensitivity at low operating temperature compared to nanocrystalline nickel ferrite synthesized by reverse micelle technique. This difference in the gas sensing behavior can be attributed to the presence of more oxygen vacancies (i.e. non-stoichiometry) in the hydrothermally synthesized nickel ferrite. Incorporation of palladium had a catalytic effect and the operating temperature was significantly reduced in both the samples. The higher operating temperature of the reverse micelle nickel ferrite material makes the sensor response speed faster (∼10 s) compared to the hydrothermally synthesized material (∼1 min).     

Synthesis of LiFePO4 with fine particle by co-precipitation method

LiFePO₄ is a potential candidate for the cathode material of the lithium secondary batteries. A co-precipitation method was adopted to prepare LiFePO₄ because it is simple and cheap. Nitrogen gas was needed to prevent oxidation of Fe²⁺ in the aqueous solution. The co-precipitated precursor shows the high reactivity with the reductive gas, and the single phase of LiFePO₄ is successfully synthesized with the aid of carbon under less reductive conditions. LiFePO₄ fine powder prepared by co-precipitation method shows high rate capability, impressive specific capacity and cycle property.     

On the role of high-energy electrons in the formation of a plasma-beam discharge structure in a diode with a slit cathode

The spatial structure of visible emission from plasma of a transverse nanosecond pulsed electric discharge in a gas-filled diode with a hollow (slit) cathode has been experimentally studied. A relation is established between the regime of electron energy relaxation and the plasma-beam discharge structure formation. High values of the electron emission coefficient are observed in the experiment, which cannot be explained using the notion of electron emission from a cathode bombarded by fast heavy particles.     

Increasing the efficiency of metal-air current sources operating in a pulse-train mode

A considerable (～1.4-fold) increase in the average output power of a chemical current source has been achieved by means of a periodic pulsed manipulation of the load. A scheme used for the pulse-train loading is presented and mechanisms ensuring an increase in the average output power of the current source are considered.     

Fast microwave detection system for coherent synchrotron radiation study at KEK: Accelerator test facility

A fast room temperature microwave detection system based on the Schottky Barrier-diode detector was created at the KEK ATF (Accelerator Test Facility). It was tested using Coherent Synchrotron Radiation (CSR) generated by the 1.28 GeV electron beam in the damping ring. The speed performance of the detection system was checked by observing the CSR from a multi-bunch (2.8 ns bunch separation time) beam. The theoretical estimations of CSR power yield from an edge of bending magnet as well as new injection tuning method are presented. A very high sensitivity of CSR power yield to the longitudinal electron distribution in a bunch is discussed.     

Workplane illuminance prediction method for daylighting control systems

A new prediction method with an interior light sensor for the workplane illuminance in daylighting control systems is introduced. Based on radiosity theory, the spatial distributions of daylight and electric light in the space are discussed and the prediction method is developed. An experimental verification of the technique is performed in an outdoor test-room for a double-glazed window system with a motorized venetian blind integrated between the two glazings. Electric light and daylight predictions were performed in accordance with the proposed method. The results showed that the electric light workplane illuminance can be predicted with high accuracy (±5 lux error with a linear correlation) and that the daylight workplane illuminance can be predicted within ±20 lux (with a linear correlation) for any sky conditions (overcast, clear sky, or variable) with the window system controlled to prevent direct daylight transmission. This method is useful for integrated control of motorized daylighting devices and dimmable electric lights.     

The structure and thermo EMF of a nanotubular carbon deposit formed in electric discharge plasma

We have studied the structure and thermo emf of a nanotubular carbon deposit formed in electric arc discharge plasma. The deposit contains flocky granules with dimensions of 15–20 μm within a 20–60 μm-thick layer on the substrate surface. This deposit is characterized by a sufficiently high thermo emf (60 μV/K) and electric conductivity (600 Ω⁻¹ m⁻¹).