Dominant Mechanism (dominant + mechanism)

Distribution by Scientific Domains


Selected Abstracts


Physically based modelling of sediment generation and transport under a large rainfall simulator

HYDROLOGICAL PROCESSES, Issue 11 2006
Russell Adams
Abstract A series of large rainfall simulator experiments was conducted in 2002 and 2003 on a small plot located in an experimental catchment in the North Island of New Zealand. These experiments measured both runoff and sediment transport under carefully controlled conditions. A physically based hydrological modelling system (SHETRAN) was then applied to reproduce the observed hydrographs and sedigraphs. SHETRAN uses physically based equations to represent flow and sediment transport, and two erodibility coefficients to model detachment of soil particles by raindrop erosion and overland flow erosion. The rate of raindrop erosion also depended on the amount of bare ground under the simulator; this was estimated before each experiment. These erodibility coefficients were calibrated systematically for summer and winter experiments separately, and lower values were obtained for the summer experiments. Earlier studies using small rainfall simulators in the vicinity of the plot also found the soil to be less erodible in summer and autumn. Limited validation of model parameters was carried out using results from a series of autumn experiments. The modelled suspended sediment load was also sensitive to parameters controlling the generation of runoff from the rainfall simulator plot; therefore, we found that accurate runoff predictions were important for the sediment predictions, especially from the experiments where the pasture cover was good and overland flow erosion was the dominant mechanism. The rainfall simulator experiments showed that the mass of suspended sediment increased post-grazing, and according to the model this was due to raindrop detachment. The results indicated that grazing cattle or sheep on steeply sloping hill-country paddocks should be carefully managed, especially in winter, to limit the transport of suspended sediment into watercourses. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]


A micromechanical study of rolling and sliding contacts in assemblies of oval granules

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR NUMERICAL AND ANALYTICAL METHODS IN GEOMECHANICS, Issue 5 2003
Hossein M. Shodja
Abstract The evolution of the microstructure of an assembly of cohesionless granular materials with associated pores, which carry the overall applied stresses through frictional contacts is a complex phenomenon. The macroscopic flow of such materials take place by the virtue of the relative rolling and sliding of the grains on the micro-scale. A new discrete element method for biaxial compression simulations of random assemblies of oval particles with mixed sizes is introduced. During the course of deformation, the new positions of the grains are determined by employing the static equilibrium equations. A key aspect of the method is that, it is formulated for ellipse cross-sectional particles, hence desirable inherent anisotropies are possible. A robust algorithm for the determination of the contact points between neighbouring grains is given. Employing the present methodology, many aspects of the behaviour of two-dimensional assemblies of oval cross-sectional rods have been successfully addressed. The effects of initial void ratio, interparticle friction angle, aspect ratio, and bedding angle on the rolling and sliding contacts are examined. The distribution of normals to the rolling and sliding contacts have different patterns and are concentrated along directions, which are approximately perpendicular to one another. On the other hand, the distribution of all contact normals (combined rolling and sliding) are close to that of rolling contacts, which confirm that rolling is the dominant mechanism. This phenomenon becomes more pronounced for higher intergranular friction angle. Characteristics of the rolling and sliding contacts are also discussed in the context of the force angle, which is the inclination of contact force with respect to the contact normal. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]


Modification induced by alpha particle irradiationin Makrofol polycarbonate

JOURNAL OF APPLIED POLYMER SCIENCE, Issue 6 2008
S. A. Nouh
Abstract Makrofol DE 1-1 CC polycarbonate samples were exposed to alpha particles of initial energies at levels between 5.1 and 34 MeV. The modifications induced in polycarbonate samples due to the alpha particle irradiation have been studied through different characterization techniques such as X-ray diffraction (XRD), infrared spectroscopy, intrinsic viscosity, and color difference studies. The infrared spectroscopy indicated that the intensities of the characteristic absorption bands decrease with increasing the deposited alpha energy in the range 5.1,8.4 MeV, indicating that the degradation is the dominant mechanism at this range. At the same time, an increase in the OH groups was observed at the same energy range 5.1,8.4 MeV due to the degradation of carbonate group and the H abstraction from the polymer backbone to form hydroxyl groups. The degradation reported by IR spectroscopy enhanced the degree of ordering in the degraded samples as revealed by XRD technique. Additionally, this degradation decreases the intrinsic viscosity from 0.56 to 0.43 at 35°C, indicating a decrease in the average molecular mass. The non irradiated Polycarbonate polymer is nearly colorless. It showed significant darkness sensitivity towards alpha particle irradiation, indicated by an increase in the color intercept L* from 33.6 to 36.7. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008 [source]


Effect of relative solubility on amino acid crystal purity

AICHE JOURNAL, Issue 12 2001
Jeffrey C. Givand
The ratio of the pure-component solubility of a primary solute to that of an impurity in the same solvent has a dramatic impact on crystal purity when lattice substitution is the dominant mechanism of impurity incorporation in the crystal. This is demonstrated for a model system of isoleucine and leucine in which leucine is the impurity. The pure-component solubility ratios of isoleucine to leucine in mixed solvents were measured and used to select solvents that could affect the lattice substitution of leucine in isoleucine crystals. Addition of electrolytes and/or cosolvents to aqueous solutions of the two amino acids improved the purity of isoleucine crystals obtained by cooling. [source]


Theoretical Investigation of Heat Transfer in Glass Forming

JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN CERAMIC SOCIETY, Issue 10 2001
Raymond Viskanta
A theoretical study to investigate internal heat transfer in glass undergoing cooling between glass and mold, as well as plunger, during and after pressing, is described. A thermal model has been formulated to simulate the cooling. The heat-transfer analysis accounts for the spectral nature of radiation in glass, the dependence of the thermophysical properties of glass on temperature, and the contact heat transfer between and after pressing, as well as subsequent cooling. Heat exchange between glass and mold by contact conduction across a very small gap and that by thermal radiation are considered separately. Numerical solutions have been obtained for typical conditions simulating symmetric and nonsymmetric cooling, and the results obtained are presented and discussed. During the dwell time, thermal-contact conduction between glass and mold is the dominant mechanism for heat extraction from glass. Results show that radiation from the surface of the glass plays a relatively small role in the heat extraction from the glass, but that radiation from the interior of the glass is much more significant. [source]


Ultrastructural and MRI study of the substantia nigra evolving exofocal post-ischemic neuronal death in the rat

NEUROPATHOLOGY, Issue 3 2002
Fengyu Zhao
To clarify the morphological characteristics of exofocal post-ischemic neuronal death (EPND) in the substantia nigra (SN), we investigated the course of light- and electron-microscopic changes of the SN of rats subjected to occlusion of the left middle cerebral artery (MCA) for 1, 2, 4, 7 and 12 days. To assess cellular edema, sequential magnetic resonance (MR) mapping of the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) and the T2 value test was performed. Histological and electron-microscopic examination on day 1 showed dotted chromatin clumps in the nuclei of some neurons and mild swelling of the perivascular endfeet of astrocytes in the ipsilateral SN. On day 2, a few cells of the ipsilateral SN pars reticulata (SNr) revealed key morphological signs of apoptosis , apoptotic body-like condensation and segregation of the chromatin and DNA fragmentation-like nuclear remnants. On day 4, 38% of neurons became swollen (pale neurons) with cytoplasmic microvacuoles, which appeared to originate from rough endoplasmic reticulum (rER), mitochondria and Golgi apparatus. Twenty percent of neurons showed massive proliferation of the cisternae of the rER, some of which were fragmented or had lost their normal parallel arrangement. In addition, MR mapping revealed a transient ADC decrease with a T2 increase (signifying a phase of cellular edema), which coordinated with the phase of ultrastructural cellular swelling. Further, the total number of neurons started to decrease gradually, the perivascular endfeet of astrocytes were markedly swollen, and the neuropil became loose on day 4. On day 7, reactive astrocytes and dark neurons occurred most frequently. These results suggest that the EPND in the SN after occlusion of the MCA in adult rats is due to both apoptosis and necrosis, although necrosis seems to be the dominant mechanism of the EPND. However, the morphologic resemblances of EPND to delayed neuronal death suggest these processes have a common pathomechanism. [source]


Retrodicting patch use by foraging swans in a heterogeneous environment using a set of functional responses

OIKOS, Issue 3 2009
Bart A. Nolet
Effective conservation of important bird areas requires insight in the number of birds an area can support, and how this carrying capacity changes with habitat modifications. When food depletion is the dominant mechanism of competition, it should in principle be possible to calculate the total time foragers can spend per patch from their functional response (intake rate as a function of food density). However, in the field there are likely to be factors modulating the functional response. In this study previously published results of experiments on captive Bewick's swans were used to obtain functional responses of swans digging for tubers of Fennel pondweed on different foraging substrates: sandy and clayey sediment, and in shallow and deep water. In a field study, four 250×250 m sections belonging to different types (sandy,shallow, clayey,shallow, sandy,deep and clayey,deep) were delineated. Here tubers were sampled with sediment corers in three years, both before and after swan exploitation in autumn, and swans were observed and mapped from a hide in two of these years. Giving-up tuber biomass densities varied among sections. Substitution of these giving-up densities in the derived patch-type-specific functional responses yielded the quitting net energy intake rates in the four sections. As expected from the marginal value theorem, the quitting net energy intake rates did not vary among sections. Moreover, the observed foraging pressure (total foraging time per area) per patch type was in quantitative agreement with the integrated functional responses. These results suggest that in spatially heterogeneous environments, patch exploitation by foragers can be predicted from their functional responses after accounting for foraging substrate. [source]


Efficacy of various pyrethroid structures against a highly metabolically resistant isogenic strain of Helicoverpa armigera (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) from China

PEST MANAGEMENT SCIENCE (FORMERLY: PESTICIDE SCIENCE), Issue 10 2007
Jianguo Tan
Abstract BACKGROUND: Resistance to pyrethroids and other types of insecticides in Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner) has been documented in many countries. The isolation of specific resistance mechanisms in isogenic strains is an optimal approach to investigate cross-resistance pattern, and to validate resistance breaking pyrethroids. In this study an isogenic metabolic resistance CMR strain was successfully isolated from a field pyrethroid-resistant population of H. armigera. With this strain, cross-resistance among 19 pyrethroid insecticides with varying chemical structures was analysed. RESULTS: Resistance to pyrethroids in the CMR strain was likely to be due to enhanced oxidative metabolism. The most significant cross-resistance in the CMR strain was between pyrethroids such as fenvalerate, tau-fluvalinate and flumethrin characterised by having both phenoxybenzyl and aromatic acid moieties. Substitution of the phenoxybenzyl group with a polyfluorobenzyl group, as in tefluthrin, benfluthrin and transfluthrin, overcame most of this resistance. CONCLUSION: The findings in this study support the assertion that it is possible to find pyrethroids that are active against resistant populations. Such pyrethroids could be considered as possible partners or resistance breaking pyrethroids in a pyrethroid resistance management programme for H. armigera in China and in other Asian countries where the oxidative metabolism resistance is a dominant mechanism. Copyright © 2007 Society of Chemical Industry [source]


Sintering of porous silicon

PHYSICA STATUS SOLIDI (A) APPLICATIONS AND MATERIALS SCIENCE, Issue 1 2003
G. Müller
Abstract In this paper we study the dynamics of pore coarsening in porous silicon during annealing. We model the sintering of pores with two-dimensional and three-dimensional simulations. We compare our simulations with transmission and scanning electron micrographs of experimentally annealed porous silicon samples. Simulations and experiments yield lognormally distributed pore sizes. The quantitative agreement between simulation and experiment shows that minimization of the inner surface energy is the driving force for morphological changes in PS during annealing. Surface diffusion is the dominant mechanism in the reorganization of Si-atoms in PS. [source]


The origin of the high ideality factor in AlGaN-based quantum well ultraviolet light emitting diodes

PHYSICA STATUS SOLIDI (B) BASIC SOLID STATE PHYSICS, Issue 7 2010
K. B. Lee
Abstract The ideality factor of AlGaN-based quantum well ultraviolet light emitting diodes (LEDs) is found to be dependent on both material quality and the presence of electron blocking layer (EBL). The ideality factor of the 340,nm LEDs decreases from 6.9 to 4.9 in the low bias regime (1,,,V,,,2) as the structural dislocation density reduces from 5,×,109 to 9,×,108,cm,2. Moreover, the ideality factor of the 310,nm LEDs decreases with increasing thickness of the AlGaN EBL which is placed between the barrier after the QW and the p-type layer. The slope of the I,V characteristics is temperature independent, indicating that the carrier tunneling is the dominant mechanism. The characteristic tunneling energy extracted from the I,V characteristics decreases from the order of 200 to around 100,meV as the dislocation density in the LED is reduced and with the insertion of a 10,nm EBL. This is attributed to the suppression of deep level states assisted electron tunneling into p-type layer. [source]


Stimulated emission and leakage current in InxGa1,xN lasers

PHYSICA STATUS SOLIDI (C) - CURRENT TOPICS IN SOLID STATE PHYSICS, Issue 10 2005
Elis Mon
Abstract In this paper we calculate the temperature dependence of the transparency concentration n0 for InxGa1,xN/GaN single quantum well laser diodes. To establish the lasing mechanism existing in these lasers, this concentration is compared with that given by the Mott criterion limiting the existence of an excitonic gas or electron-hole plasma. For a typical structure with an In0.13Ga0.87N active layer n0 results higher than the critical excitonic concentration. This result indicates that the conventional electron-hole plasma instead of excitonic recombination is the dominant mechanism responsible for lasing in nitride lasers. The contribution of the diffusion leakage current density to the total threshold current density was also calculated, considering both electron and hole components. We obtain that the electron leakage current density is more than a half of the total threshold current density, confirming it is the main loss mechanism present in these lasers. (© 2005 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim) [source]


On the onset of bora and the formation of rotors and jumps near a mountain gap

THE QUARTERLY JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL METEOROLOGICAL SOCIETY, Issue 630 2008
Alexander Gohm
Abstract This study investigates the onset phase of a strong Adriatic bora windstorm that occurred on 4 April 2002. The target area is a gap about 20 km wide embedded in the coastal mountain barrier of the Dinaric Alps that favours strong jet-like winds. Airborne-aerosol back-scatter lidar measurements on board the DLR Falcon research aircraft, together with surface and upper-air observations, are used to verify high-resolution numerical experiments conducted with the mesoscale atmospheric model RAMS and a single-layer shallow-water model (SWM). Especially during the breakthrough phase of the bora, the flow at the gap exit exhibits a complex spatial structure and temporal evolution. On a transect through the centre of the gap, a hydraulic jump forms; this is located close to the coast throughout the night, and starts to propagate downstream in the early morning. On a transect through the edge of the gap, a lee-wave-induced rotor becomes established, due to boundary-layer separation. It starts to propagate downstream about two hours after the jump. This flow evolution implies that the onset of strong winds at the coast occurs several hours earlier downstream of the centre of the gap than downwind of the edge of the gap. Consequently, the wind field in the vicinity of Rijeka airport, located downwind of the gap, is strongly inhomogeneous and transient, and represents a potential hazard to aviation. Measured bora winds at the surface exceed 20 ms,1, and the simulated wind speed in the gap wind layer exceeds 30 ms,1. The simulated turbulent kinetic energy exceeds 10 m2 s,2. RAMS indicates that wave-breaking near a critical level is the dominant mechanism for the generation of the windstorm. Gap jets can be identified downstream of several mountain passes. The simulated wave pattern above the Dinaric Alps, the wave decay with height due to directional wind shear and the strong flow descent on the leeward side of the barrier are supported by measured back-scatter intensities. Basic bora flow features, including gap jets and jumps, are remarkably well reproduced by SWM simulations. The RAMS reference run captures observed flow phenomena and the temporal flow evolution qualitatively well. A cold low-level bias, an overestimated bora inversion strength, and a slightly too-early bora onset are probably related to insufficient turbulent mixing in the boundary layer. The amplitude of trapped gravity waves, the time of the bora breakthrough and the inversion strength are found to be quite sensitive to the turbulence parametrization. Copyright © 2008 Royal Meteorological Society [source]


Homogeneity of active demyelinating lesions in established multiple sclerosis

ANNALS OF NEUROLOGY, Issue 1 2008
Esther C. W. Breij PhD
Objective Four different patterns of demyelination have been described in active demyelinating lesions of multiple sclerosis (MS) patients that were biopsied shortly after disease onset. These patterns were suggested to represent heterogeneity of the underlying pathogenesis. The aim of this study was to determine whether lesion heterogeneity also exists in an unselected collection of autopsy material from patients with established MS. Methods All MS brain tissue available in the VU Medical Center was assessed for the presence of active demyelinating lesions using magnetic resonance imaging,guided sampling and immunohistochemistry. Tissue blocks containing active demyelinating lesions were evaluated for the presence of complement and antibody deposition, oligodendrocyte apoptosis, differential loss of myelin proteins, and hypoxia-like damage using histology, immunohistochemistry, and confocal microscopy. Blocks with active demyelinating lesions were compared with blocks with active (nondemyelinating) and inactive lesions. Results Complement and antibodies were consistently associated with macrophages in areas of active demyelination. Preferential loss of myelin proteins, extensive hypoxia-like damage, and oligodendrocyte apoptosis were absent or rare. This pattern was observed in all tissue blocks containing active demyelinating lesions; lesion heterogeneity between patients was not found. Interpretation The immunopathological appearance of active demyelinating lesions in established MS is uniform. Initial heterogeneity of demyelinating lesions in the earliest phase of MS lesion formation may disappear over time as different pathways converge in one general mechanism of demyelination. Consistent presence of complement, antibodies, and Fc, receptors in phagocytic macrophages suggests that antibody- and complement-mediated myelin phagocytosis is the dominant mechanism of demyelination in established MS. Ann Neurol 2008;63:16,25 [source]


Does disturbance, competition or resource limitation underlie Hieracium lepidulum invasion in New Zealand?

AUSTRAL ECOLOGY, Issue 3 2010
Mechanisms of establishment, functional differentiation among invasive, native species, persistence
Abstract The processes underlying plant invasions have been the subject of much ecological research. Understanding mechanisms of plant invasions are difficult to elucidate from observations, yet are crucial for ecological management of invasions. Hieracium lepidulum, an asteraceous invader in New Zealand, is a species for which several explanatory mechanisms can be raised. Alternative mechanisms, including competitive dominance, disturbance of resident vegetation allowing competitive release or nutrient resource limitation reducing competition with the invader are raised to explain invasion. We tested these hypotheses in two field experiments which manipulated competitive, disturbance and nutrient environments in pre-invasion and post-invasion vegetation. H. lepidulum and resident responses to environmental treatments were measured to allow interpretation of underlying mechanisms of establishment and persistence. We found that H. lepidulum differed in functional response profile from native species. We also found that other exotic invaders at the sites were functionally different to H. lepidulum in their responses. These data support the hypothesis that different invaders use different invasion mechanisms from one another. These data also suggest that functional differentiation between invaders and native resident vegetation may be an important contributing factor allowing invasion. H. lepidulum appeared to have little direct competitive effect on post-invasion vegetation, suggesting that competition was not a dominant mechanism maintaining its persistence. There was weak support for disturbance allowing initial establishment of H. lepidulum in pre-invasion vegetation, but disturbance did not lead to invader dominance. Strong support for nutrient limitation of resident species was provided by the rapid competitive responses with added nutrients despite presence of H. lepidulum. Rapid competitive suppression of H. lepidulum once nutrient limitation was alleviated suggests that nutrient limitation may be an important process allowing the invader to dominate. Possible roles of historical site degradation and/or invader-induced soil chemical/microbial changes in nutrient availability are discussed. [source]


Insulating effect of coals and organic rich shales: implications for topography-driven fluid flow, heat transport, and genesis of ore deposits in the Arkoma Basin and Ozark Plateau

BASIN RESEARCH, Issue 2 2002
J.A. Nunn
ABSTRACT Sedimentary rocks rich in organic matter, such as coal and carbonaceous shales, are characterized by remarkably low thermal conductivities in the range of 0.2,1.0 W m,1 °C,1, lower by a factor of 2 or more than other common rock types. As a result of this natural insulating effect, temperature gradients in organic rich, fine-grained sediments may become elevated even with a typical continental basal heat flow of 60 mW m,2. Underlying rocks will attain higher temperatures and higher thermal maturities than would otherwise occur. A two-dimensional finite element model of fluid flow and heat transport has been used to study the insulating effect of low thermal conductivity carbonaceous sediments in an uplifted foreland basin. Topography-driven recharge is assumed to be the major driving force for regional groundwater flow. Our model section cuts through the Arkoma Basin to Ozark Plateau and terminates near the Missouri River, west of St. Louis. Fluid inclusions, organic maturation, and fission track evidence show that large areas of upper Cambrian rocks in southern Missouri have experienced high temperatures (100,140 °C) at shallow depths (< 1.5 km). Low thermal conductivity sediments, such as coal and organic rich mudstone were deposited over the Arkoma Basin and Ozark Plateau, as well as most of the mid-continent of North America, during the Late Palaeozoic. Much of these Late Palaeozoic sediments were subsequently removed by erosion. Our model results are consistent with high temperatures (100,130 °C) in the groundwater discharge region at shallow depths (< 1.5 km) even with a typical continental basal heat flow of 60 mW m,2. Higher heat energy retention in basin sediments and underlying basement rocks prior to basin-scale fluid flow and higher rates of advective heat transport along basal aquifers owing to lower fluid viscosity (more efficient heat transport) contribute to higher temperatures in the discharge region. Thermal insulation by organic rich sediments which traps heat transported by upward fluid advection is the dominant mechanism for elevated temperatures in the discharge region. This suggests localized formation of ore deposits within a basin-scale fluid flow system may be caused by the juxtaposition of upward fluid discharge with overlying areas of insulating organic rich sediments. The additional temperature increment contributed to underlying rocks by this insulating effect may help to explain anomalous thermal maturity of the Arkoma Basin and Ozark Plateau, reducing the need to call upon excessive burial or high basal heat flow (80,100 mW m,2) in the past. After subsequent uplift and erosion remove the insulating carbonaceous layer, the model slowly returns to a normal geothermal gradient of about 30 °C km,1. [source]


Evolution of jaw depression mechanics in aquatic vertebrates: insights from Ghondrichthyes

BIOLOGICAL JOURNAL OF THE LINNEAN SOCIETY, Issue 1 2000
CHERYL D. WILGA
The widely accepted phylogenctic position of Chondrichthyes as the sister group to all other living gnathostomes makes biomechanical analyses of this group of special significance for estimates of skull function in early jawed vertebrates. We review key findings of recent experimental research on the feeding mechanisms of living elasmobranchs with respect to our understanding of jaw depression mechanisms in gnathostome vertebrates. We introduce the possibility that the ancestral jaw depression mechanism in gnathostomes was mediated by the coracomandibularis muscle and that for hyoid depression by the coracohyoideus muscle, as in modern Chondrichthyes and possibly placoderms. This mechanism of jaw depression appears to have been replaced by the sternohyoideus (homologous to the coracohyoideus) coupling in Osteichthycs following the split of this lineage from Chondrichthyes. Concurrent with the replacement of the branchiomandibularis (homologous to the coracomandibularis) coupling by the sternohyoideus coupling as the dominant mechanism of jaw depression in Osteichthyes was the fusion and shift in attachment of the intcrhyoideus and intermandibularis muscles (producing the protractor hyoideus muscle, mistakenly refereed to as the geniohyoideus), which resulted in a more diversified role of the sternohyoideus coupling in Osteichthyes. The coracohyoideus coupling appears to have been already present in vertebrates where it functioned in hyoid depression, as in modern Chondrichthyes, before it acquired the additional role of jaw depression in Osteichthyes. [source]


Basin- and Mountain-Building Dynamic Model of "Ramping-Detachment-Compression" in the West Kunlun-Southern Tarim Basin Margin

ACTA GEOLOGICA SINICA (ENGLISH EDITION), Issue 2 2008
CUI Junwen
Abstract: Analysis of the deformation structures in the West Kunlun-Tarim basin-range junction belt indicates that sediments in the southwestern Tarim depression were mainly derived from the West Kunlun Mountains and that with time the region of sedimentation extended progressively toward the north. Three north-underthrusting (subducting), steep-dipping, high-velocity zones (bodies) are recognized at depths, which correspond to the central West Kunlun junction belt (bounded by the Küda-Kaxtax fault on the north and Bulungkol-Kangxiwar fault on the south), Quanshuigou fault belt (whose eastward extension is the Jinshajiang fault belt) and Bangong Co-Nujiang fault belt. The geodynamic process of the basin-range junction belt generally proceeded as follows: centering around the magma source region (which largely corresponds with the Karatag terrane at the surface), the deep-seated material flowed and extended from below upward and to all sides, resulting in strong deformation (mainly extension) in the overlying lithosphere and even the upper mantle, appearance of extensional stress perpendicular to the strike of the orogenic belt in the thermal uplift region or at the top of the mantle diapir and localized thickening of the sedimentary cover (thermal subsidence in the upper crust). Three stages of the basin- and mountain-forming processes in the West Kunlun-southern Tarim basin margin may be summarized: (1) the stage of Late Jurassic-Early Cretaceous ramping-rapid uplift and rapid subsidence, when north-directed thrust propagation and south-directed intracontinental subduction, was the dominant mechanism for basin- and mountain-building processes; (2) the stage of Late Cretaceous-Paleogene deep-level detachment-slow uplift and homogeneous subsidence, when the dominant mechanism for the basin- and mountain-forming processes was detachment (subhorizontal north-directed deep-level ductile shear) and its resulting lateral propagation of deep material; and (3) the stage of Neogene-present compression-rapid uplift and strong subsidence, when the basin- and mountain-forming processes were simultaneously controlled by north-vergent thrust propagation and compression. The authors summarize the processes as the "ramping-detachment-compression basin- and mountain-forming dynamic model". The basin-range tectonics was initiated in the Late Jurassic, the Miocene-Pliocene were a major transition period for the basin- and mountain-forming mechanism and the terminal early Pleistocene tectonic movement in the main laid a foundation for the basin-and-mountain tectonic framework in the West Kunlun-southern Tarim basin margin. [source]


Ground Water/Surface Water Interaction in a Fractured Rock Aquifer

GROUND WATER, Issue 5 2003
Jaime P.A. Oxtobee
In a recent field study of ground water/surface water interaction between a bedrock stream and an underlying fractured rock aquifer, it was determined that the majority of ground water discharge occurred through sparsely located vertical fractures. In this paper, the dominant mechanisms governing ground water/surface water exchange in such an environment are investigated using a numerical model. The study was conducted using several conceptual models based on the field study results. Although the field results provided the motivation for the modeling study, it was not intended to match modeling and field results directly. In addition, the extent of capture zones for discharging or recharging fractures was explored. The results of this study are intended to provide a better understanding of contaminant migration in the vicinity of bedrock streams. Based on the numerical results, the rate of ground water discharge (or recharge) was found to depend on the aperture size of the discharging feature, and on the distribution of hydraulic head with depth within the fracture network. It was determined that the extent of both the capture zone and reverse capture zone for an individual fracture can be extremely large, and will be determined by the height of the stream stage, the fracture apertures of the network, and the hydraulic-head distribution within the network. Because both the stream stage and the hydraulic-head distribution are transient, the size of the capture zone and/or the reverse capture zone for an individual fracture may change significantly over time. As a result, the migration path for contaminants within the fracture network and between the surface and subsurface will also vary significantly with time. [source]


CFD simulation of gas,solid bubbling fluidized bed: A new method for adjusting drag law

THE CANADIAN JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL ENGINEERING, Issue 1 2009
Farshid Vejahati
Abstract In computational fluid dynamics modelling of gas,solid two phase flow, drag force is one of the dominant mechanisms for interphase momentum transfer. Despite the profusion of drag models, none of the available drag functions gives accurate results in their own original form. In this work the drag correlations of Syamlal and O'Brien (Syamlal and O'Brien, Int. J. Multiphase Flow. 1988; 14(4):473,481), Gidaspow (Gidaspow, Appl. Mech. Rev. 1986; 39:1,23), Wen and Yu (Wen and Yu, Chem. Eng. Prog. Symp. Ser. 1966; 62(2):100,111), Arastoopour et al. (Arastoopour et al., Powder Technol. 1990; 62(2): 163,170), Gibilaro et al. (Gibilaro et al., Chem. Eng. Sci. 1985; 40:1817,1823), Di Felice (Di Felice, Int. J. Multiphase Flow. 1994; 20(1):153,159), Zhang-Reese (Zhang and Reese, Chem. Eng. Sci. 2003; 58(8):1641,1644) and Hill et al. (Hill et al., J. Fluid Mech. 2001; 448:243,278) are reviewed using a multi-fluid model of FLUENT V6.3.26 (FLUENT, 2007. Fluent 6.3 User's Guide, 23.5 Eulerian Model, Fluent, Inc.) software with the resulting hydrodynamics parameters being compared with experimental data. The main contribution of this work is to propose an easy to implement and efficient method for adjustment of Di Felice drag law which is more efficient compared to the one proposed by Syamlal-O'Brien. The new method adopted in this work showed a quantitative improvement compared to the adjusted drag model of Syamlal-O'Brien. Prediction of bed expansion and pressure drop showed excellent agreement with results of experiments conducted in a Plexiglas fluidized bed. A mesh size sensitivity analysis with varied interval spacing showed that mesh interval spacing with 18 times the particle diameter and using higher order discretization methods produces acceptable results. Dans la modélisation par la dynamique des fluides par ordinateur de l'écoulement diphasique gaz-solide, la force de traînée est l'un des mécanismes dominants dans le transfert de quantité de mouvement interphase. Malgré la profusion des modèles de traînée, aucune des fonctions de traînée disponibles ne donnent de résultats précis dans leur forme originale. Dans cet article, les corrélations de traînée de Syamlal and O'Brien (Syamlal and O'Brien, Int. J. Multiphase Flow. 1988; 14(4):473,481), Gidaspow (Gidaspow, Appl. Mech. Rev. 1986; 39:1,23), Wen and Yu (Wen and Yu, Chem. Eng. Prog. Symp. Ser. 1966; 62(2):100,111), Arastoopour et al. (Arastoopour et al., Powder Technol. 1990; 62(2):163,170), Gibilaro et al. (Gibilaro et al., Chem. Eng. Sci. 1985; 40:1817,1823), Di Felice (Di Felice, Int. J. Multiphase Flow. 1994; 20(1):153,159), Zhang-Reese (Zhang and Reese, Chem. Eng. Sci. 2003; 58(8):1641,1644) et Hill et al. (Hill et al., J. Fluid Mech. 2001; 448:243,278) sont examinées à l'aide du modèle multi-fluides du logiciel FLUENT V6.3.26 (FLUENT, 2007. Fluent 6.3 User's Guide, 23.5 Eulerian Model, Fluent, Inc.), les paramètres hydrodynamiques résultants étant comparés aux données expérimentales. La principale contribution de ce travail est de proposer une méthode efficace et facile à mettre en ,uvre pour l'ajustement de la loi de traînée de Di Felice qui est plus efficace comparativement à celle proposée par Syamlal-O'Brien. La nouvelle méthode adoptée dans ce travail montre une amélioration quantitative par rapport au modèle de traînée ajusté de Syamlal-O'Brien. La prédiction de l'expansion de lit et de la perte de charge montre un excellent accord avec les résultats des expériences menées dans un lit fluidisé en plexiglass. Une analyse de sensibilité de la taille des mailles avec des mailles de taille variable variés montre qu'une taille de maille égale à 18 fois le diamètre des particules et l'utilisation de méthodes de discrétisation d'ordre supérieur donnent des résultats acceptables. [source]