Theoretical prediction of thermal diffusion coefficients for ternary hydrocarbon mixtures based on the irreversible thermodynamics theory

An accurate thermodiffusion model is of paramount importance to the petroleum industry for the prediction of the compositional variation in hydrocarbon reservoirs. Several theoretical models have been developed. Kempers and Firoozabadi models are the latest two models, which are not only applicable for binary mixtures but also for multi-component mixtures. In this paper, we applied the Firoozabadi model to a ternary hydrocarbon mixture of n-Dodecane, n-Butane and Methane with different mass fraction. It reveals that the accuracy of the thermal diffusion coefficients for a specific mixture of interest relies on the accuracy of the thermodynamic properties from equations of state, corresponding Fick's diffusion coefficients, and the thermal diffusion modeling.     

Heliogeophysical factors at time of death determine lifespan for people who die of cardiovascular diseases

The aim of the study is to explore whether age at death from cardiovascular diseases depends on solar and geomagnetic activities. The data were collected for 1970–1978 in Novosibirsk, West Siberia, for industrial workers of Siberian origin. The Spearman correlations are computed between linearly detrended lifespan and daily or monthly physical variables to establish immediate (lag, L = 0), delayed (L = 1–3 days) and cumulative (L = ±30 days) influences. Significant correlations ranging from r = −0.26 to r = −0.30 for L from 0 to 3, respectively, are found for men between solar radio flux at wavelength 10.7 cm and age at death from acute myocardial infarction (AMI) but not from acute heart failure, ischemic heart disease and stroke. For AMI, women’s longevity displays an opposite (direct) association with the average solar character occurred at the calendar month of death. The index of geomagnetic activity, Ap, exhibits inverse association with longevity for the AMI stratum for both sexes. GLM univariate procedure revealed higher contribution of Ap to the variance of lifespan compared to season of death. The individual age at death susceptibility to cosmic influences is found to depend upon solar activity at year of birth. It is concluded that associations between the lifespan for cardiovascular decedents and the indices of solar and geomagnetic activities at time of death and of birth are cause-of-death- and sex-specific.     

3D Imaging of the OH mesospheric emissive layer

A new and original stereo imaging method is introduced to measure the altitude of the OH nightglow layer and provide a 3D perspective map of the altitude of the layer centroid. Near-IR photographs of the OH layer are taken at two sites separated by a 645 km distance. Each photograph is processed in order to provide a satellite view of the layer. When superposed, the two views present a common diamond-shaped area. Pairs of matched points that correspond to a physical emissive point in the common area are identified in calculating a normalized cross-correlation coefficient (NCC). This method is suitable for obtaining 3D representations in the case of low-contrast objects. An observational campaign was conducted in July 2006 in Peru. The images were taken simultaneously at Cerro Cosmos (12°09′08.2″ S, 75°33′49.3″ W, altitude 4630 m) close to Huancayo and Cerro Verde Tellolo (16°33′17.6″ S, 71°39′59.4″ W, altitude 2272 m) close to Arequipa. 3D maps of the layer surface were retrieved and compared with pseudo-relief intensity maps of the same region. The mean altitude of the emission barycenter is located at 86.3 km on July 26. Comparable relief wavy features appear in the 3D and intensity maps. It is shown that the vertical amplitude of the wave system varies as exp (Δz/2H) within the altitude range Δz = 83.5–88.0 km, H being the scale height. The oscillatory kinetic energy at the altitude of the OH layer is comprised between 3 × 10⁻⁴ and 5.4 × 10⁻⁴ J/m³, which is 2–3 times smaller than the values derived from partial radio wave at 52°N latitude.     

Lunar Exploration Neutron Detector for the NASA Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter

The design of the Lunar Exploration Neutron Detector (LEND) experiment is presented, which was optimized to address several of the primary measurement requirements of NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO): high spatial resolution hydrogen mapping of the Moon’s upper-most surface, identification of putative deposits of appreciable near-surface water ice in the Moon’s polar cold traps, and characterization of the human-relevant space radiation environment in lunar orbit. A comprehensive program of LEND instrument physical calibrations is discussed and the baseline scenario of LEND observations from the primary LRO lunar orbit is presented. LEND data products will be useful for determining the next stages of the emerging global lunar exploration program, and they will facilitate the study of the physics of hydrogen implantation and diffusion in the regolith, test the presence of water ice deposits in lunar cold polar traps, and investigate the role of neutrons within the radiation environment of the shallow lunar surface.     

Geomagnetic Core Field Secular Variation Models

We analyse models describing time changes of the Earth’s core magnetic field (secular variation) covering the historical period (several centuries) and the more recent satellite era (previous decade), and we illustrate how both the information contained in the data and the a priori information (regularisation) affect the result of the ill-posed geomagnetic inverse problem. We show how data quality, frequency and selection procedures govern part of the temporal changes in the secular variation norms and spectra, which are sometimes difficult to dissociate from true changes of the core state. We highlight the difficulty of resolving the time variability of the high degree secular variation coefficients (i.e. the secular acceleration), arising for instance from the challenge to properly separate sources of internal and of external origin. In addition, the regularisation process may also result in artificial changes in the model norms and spectra. Model users should keep in mind that such features can be mis-interpreted as the signature of physical mechanisms (e.g. diffusion). Finally, we present perspectives concerning core field modelling: imposing dynamical constraints (e.g. by means of data assimilation) reduces the non-uniqueness of the geomagnetic inverse problem.     

An approximated method of calculating the cellular insert influence in the carrying capacity of the direct-flow labyrinth seal

A method for calculating the flowrate of the gas flowing through the cellular insert cells over the labyrinth seal strip is proposed. The gas density is taken to be average with respect to the decisive section. It is assumed that jets flowing out of cells disrupt the direct flow of the labyrinth seal. A practical implementation of the method is confirmed by the known experimental data.     

Modeling of cooling processes in the variable section channel of a gas conduit

Using the results of numerical modeling of nonstationary gas hydrodynamic working processes in the gas conduit variable section channel when removing and cooling hot gases of different purpose technical plants, an engineering technique has been developed to provide the gas conduit operation under limitations on the flow temperature in the outlet plant section. A multiparametric area of permissible gas conduit operation connecting the characteristics of technical plants, gas conduit and water feeding system is presented.     

Shear flow energy redistribution stipulated by the internal-gravity wavy structures in the dissipative ionosphere

The linear mechanism of generation, intensification and further nonlinear dynamics of internal gravity waves (IGW) in stably stratified dissipative ionosphere with non-uniform zonal wind (shear flow) is studied. In case of the shear flows the operators of linear problem are non-selfadjoint, and the corresponding Eigen functions – nonorthogonal. Thus, canonical – modal approach is of less use studying such motions. Non-modal mathematical analysis becomes more adequate for such problems. On the basis of non-modal approach, the equations of dynamics and the energy transfer of IGW disturbances in the ionosphere with a shear flow is obtained. Exact analytical solutions of the linear as well as the nonlinear dynamic equations of the problem are built. The increment of shear instability of IGW is defined. It is revealed that the transient amplification of IGW disturbances due time does not flow exponentially, but in algebraic – power law manner. The effectiveness of the linear amplification mechanism of IGW at interaction with non-uniform zonal wind is analyzed. It is shown that at initial linear stage of evolution IGW effectively temporarily draws energy from the shear flow significantly increasing (by an order of magnitude) own amplitude and energy. With amplitude growth the nonlinear mechanism turns on and the process ends with self-organization of nonlinear solitary, strongly localized IGW vortex structures (the monopole vortex, the transverse vortex chain or the longitudinal vortex street). Accumulation of these vortices in the ionospheric medium can create the strongly turbulent state.     

The Balloon Array for RBSP Relativistic Electron Losses (BARREL)

BARREL is a multiple-balloon investigation designed to study electron losses from Earth’s Radiation Belts. Selected as a NASA Living with a Star Mission of Opportunity, BARREL augments the Radiation Belt Storm Probes mission by providing measurements of relativistic electron precipitation with a pair of Antarctic balloon campaigns that will be conducted during the Austral summers (January-February) of 2013 and 2014. During each campaign, a total of 20 small (～20 kg) stratospheric balloons will be successively launched to maintain an array of ～5 payloads spread across ～6 hours of magnetic local time in the region that magnetically maps to the radiation belts. Each balloon carries an X-ray spectrometer to measure the bremsstrahlung X-rays produced by precipitating relativistic electrons as they collide with neutrals in the atmosphere, and a DC magnetometer to measure ULF-timescale variations of the magnetic field. BARREL will provide the first balloon measurements of relativistic electron precipitation while comprehensive in situ measurements of both plasma waves and energetic particles are available, and will characterize the spatial scale of precipitation at relativistic energies. All data and analysis software will be made freely available to the scientific community.