Tracer Diffusion and Electrical Conductivity in Sodium-Rubidium Silicon Sulfide Glasses

The tracer diffusion coefficients of ²²Na and ⁸⁶Rb and electrical conductivity were measured in a series of 0.56(Na, Rb)₂S.0.44SiS₂ glasses as a function of the Rb/Na ratio and temperature. The data were used to calculate the Haven ratio as a function of the Rb/Na ratio. The Haven ratio at 149.6°C increases from ∼0.3 in single-alkali glasses to ∼0.80 for intermediate compositions. The results are consistent with a single jump mechanism involving jumps of alkali ions between unoccupied sites. The observed correlation effects arise through interactions between alkali ions and charge-compensating centers in the glass network. The charge-compensating centers are thought to correspond to non-bridging oxygen ions in some oxide glasses and to nonbridging sulfur ions in sodium-rubidium silicon sulfide glasses.     

Parallel sparse matrix vector multiply software for matrices with data locality

In this paper we describe general software utilities for performing unstructured sparse matrix–vector multiplications on distributed-memory message-passing computers. The matrix–vector multiply comprises an important kernel in the solution of large sparse linear systems by iterative methods. Our focus is to present the data structures and communication parameters required by these utilities for general sparse unstructured matrices with data locality. These types of matrices are commonly produced by finite difference and finite element approximations to systems of partial differential equations. In this discussion we also present representative examples and timings which demonstrate the utility and performance of the software. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Microcracking in Ceramics Induced by Thermal Expansion or Elastic Anisotropy

The effect of crystal anisotropy on the formation of grain-boundary microcracks is analyzed, by considering a planar array of hexagonal grains as a model of a polycrystalline ceramic. The stress singularities at triple-grain junctions are analyzed by an asymptotic method as well as by a numerical solution, and the critical size of a grain-boundary defect is investigated by a crack analysis. It is found that elastic anisot-ropies can significantly increase the stress levels near triple points, which results in a smaller critical grain size for microcracking.     

On the continued acceleration of bomb casing fragments following casing fracture

It has been said that, once a bomb casing has fractured, ＂detonation gases will then stream around the fragments or bypass them, and the acceleration process stops there.＂ However, while apparently copious gas flow through casing fractures indicates some pressure release, it is also an indication of significant gas drive pressure, post casing fracture. This paper shows two approaches to the problem of calculating the actual loss of drive. One presents first-order analytical calculations, in cylindrical geometry, of pressure loss to the inside surface of a fractured casing. The second shows the modelling of a selected example in the CTH code. Both approaches reveal that gas escape, while occurring at its own sound- speed relative to the adjacent casing fragments, has to compete with rapid radial expansion of the casing. Together with some historic ex- periments now publicly available, our calculations indicate that post-fracture casing fragment acceleration is, for most systems, unlikely to be reduced significantly.     

Comparison of multi-temporal NOAA-AVHRR and SPOT-XS satellite data for mapping land-cover dynamics in the west African Sahel

Abstract

Multi-resolution and multi-temporal remote sensing data (SPOT-XS and AVHRR) were evaluated for mapping local land cover dynamics in the Sahel of West Africa. The aim of this research was to evaluate the agricultural information that could be derived from both high and low spatial resolution data in areas where there is very often limited ground information. A combination of raster-based image processing and vector-based geographical information system mapping was found to be effective for understanding both spatial and spectral land-cover dynamics. The SPOT data proved useful for mapping local land-cover classes in a dominantly recessive agricultural region. The AVHRR-LAC data could be used to map the dynamics of riparian vegetation, but not the changes associated with recession agriculture. In areas where there was a complex mixture of recession and irrigated agriculture, as well as riparian vegetation, the AVHRR data did not provide an accurate temporal assessment of vegetation dynamics.