Meltwater intrusions of glacial origin complicate the operation of a coalmine situated approximately 200 m below the bed of Gruvefonna ice cap, Svalbard. The magnitude of this water input is expected to increase with the intended enlargement of the mine. The current praxis, evacuation of the water by pumping, is an expensive undertaking and prompts the investigation of alternative solutions. The evaluation of different options requires reliable values of the total volume and the input rate of the water to be drained. To quantify the melt rate at the glacier surface, we applied a distributed temperature-index model. The model parameters were calibrated using mass-balance measurements performed at Gruvefonna during the 2003 ablation season. The water discharge in the mine during the same period was derived from records of the pump rate. Comparing the records of modelled melt and measured discharge reveals an efficient hydraulic connection between the glacier surface and the mine. The total discharge volume in the mine over the 2003 melt season was about 2.8 × 106m3, exceeding significantly the total melt- and rainwater production on the glacier surface directly above the mine (1.2 × 106m3). This implies that the mine discharge receives contributions from a larger surface area. Based on the distribution of hydraulic potential at the glacier bed, we estimate this contributing area. In a number of scenarios, we calculate the amount of meltwater intrusions for several steps of the planned mine enlargement.

We have measured the glacier area changes in the central Southern Alps, New Zealand, between 1978 and 2002 and have compiled the 2002 glacier outlines using an image scene from the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER). Three automated classification methods were tested: (1) band ratio, (2) normalized-difference snow index and (3) supervised classification. The results were compared with the glacier outlines photo-interpreted from the ASTER data, and were further validated using GPS-aided field mapping of selected test glaciers. The ASTER 3/4 band ratio provided the best results. However, all the classification methods failed to extract extensive debris-covered parts of the glaciers. Therefore, the photo-interpreted 2002 outlines were used when comparing with the existing 1978 glacier inventory derived from aerial photographs. Our results show a ∼17% reduction of glacier area, mainly driven by the retreat of the large valley glaciers. Despite the large climatic gradient from west to east, glaciers on both sides of the Main Divide lost similar percentages of area, except Franz Josef and Fox Glaciers which advanced. Smaller glaciers were found to have changed very little in the study period.

Western flower thrips (WFT) (Frankliniella occidentalis) is an introduced pest that harms French bean production in Kenya and other countries. Since new WFT management approaches are being developed, a closer look at the genetic makeup of WFT populations can give new insights into source habitats, crop colonization patterns or host plant preferences, which are prerequisites for integrated pest management (IPM) strategies. For this purpose, we used six microsatellite loci to analyse the genetic structure, diversity and gene flow of WFT sampled on French beans, intercrops and weeds in Kenyan French bean production areas. The results of this preliminary study indicate that the available microsatellites are sufficiently polymorphic for more detailed analyses on local dispersal patterns of WFT in Kenya. Even with the limited data set, the results reveal that F. occidentalis populations show considerable genetic differentiation between host plant species but not between regions, which suggests reduced gene flow and a possible development of biotypes. Possible consequences of the results on IPM are discussed.

High sensitivity spectropolarimetric observations of the four Stokes parameters of the solar Ca i 4227 Å line have been performed in October 2010 at IRSOL with the ZIMPOL polarimeter, near the disk center, outside an active region (Bianda et al. 2011). They were analyzed in Anusha et al. 2011 with a combination of detailed radiative transfer modelling of the Hanle effect for the linear polarization and weak field Zeeman approximation for the circular polarization. This approach made possible a unique determination of the magnetic field vector at various positions along the slit of the spectrograph. A summary of the observations and of their analysis is presented here.

Al65Cu15Co20 and Al67Cu13Co20 (% at.) alloys with composition near to the quasicrystalline decagonal phase was produced by melting in an induction furnace and solidified at room temperature. The structural characterization was carried out by X-ray diffraction (XRD), high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). For the structural model of decagonal quasicrsytals, it is important to know which crystalline phases have a structural relationship on the formation and decomposition of this type of phases. In the present investigation, the decagonal phase usually coexist with small amounts of the Al(Cu,Co) cubic phase of B2 type. Then, the quasicrystalline (QC) phase is outside of a single-phase region under equilibrium conditions at room temperature. DSC and TGA techniques showed the thermal stability of the alloy system up to 1000 °C.

The survival rates of Dorper, Red Maasai and crossbred lambs born over a period of 6 years at Diani Estate, Coast Province, Kenya were compared using the Cox mixed proportional hazards model with a random (frailty) term for sire. Of the 1785 lambs born, proportionately 0·44 died before they were 1 year old. Almost half of these deaths occurred before weaning; a third were associated with mis-mothering and a fifth with gastro-intestinal nematode parasite (endoparasite) infections. Half of the deaths post weaning were associated with endoparasite infections, predominantly Haemonchus contortus. The Red Maasai lambs had a lower risk of death than the Dorper lambs with a relative hazard of 0·27 pre-weaning and 0·25 post weaning. Other crosses and back crosses had relative hazards in between these values and 1; there was no evidence of heterosis. Survival rates were different among years and appeared to be associated to some degree with variations in rainfall. There were highly significant effects of both birth weight and weaning weight on survival. Body weight, together with packed red cell volume and faecal egg count, were also introduced into the proportional hazard model as time-varying covariates. All three variables had major influences on survival. The risk of death over the following month in animals individually treated with an anthelmintic drug pre weaning was reduced by 0·61 compared with those not treated. The sire frailty variance estimate was similar to its standard error pre-weaning but larger post weaning. When adjusted for lamb body weight the sire variance post weaning increased to three times its standard error.

Chemical and isotopic analyses have been made of pigment samples from two separate rock art sites in Argentina. The purpose of the study has been to establish the feasibility of extracting carbonaceous material from the samples which will permit reliable radiocarbon dates for the time of painting. The two sites, Catamarca and Rio Negro, present quite different problems. Most of the paper is concerned with Catamarca, and here we have shown that the paint pigments contain very little or no organic binder; but they do contain calcium oxalate derived from local cacti, and calcium carbonate derived probably from local plant ash. We describe a method to purify carbon extracted from the calcium oxalate, and present the dates obtained on both components. We show that, though rare, natural deposits containing both calcium oxalate and calcite do occur, but that they are very distinct in both 13C and 14C compositions; and we argue that they are very unlikely to contaminate the pigments to such an extent that the 14C dates are altered. For the Rio Negro site we show that the ground for the paint pigments contains carbon derived from fires burnt inside the cave, and discuss how analytical methods provide information to develop a strategy for extracting material, from both ground and pigment, for more reliable dating.

The influence of the interfacial structure on the solid state reaction products in Fe-Ti multilayers has been studied using various preparation conditions and characterization techniques. Sharp and diffused interfaces were produced by using either sequential or co-evaporation in the interfacial region. The reaction product, in the case of the sharp interface, is the bcc supersaturated solid solution of Ti(Fe) while, in the case of the diffused interface, an amorphous phase is formed. Therefore, nucleating the amorphous phase at the interface by local co-evaporation alters the reaction path observed in Fe-Ti multilayers. The solid state reactions were studied using low and high angle X-ray diffraction and Mossbauer measurements. The results are discussed in light of recent thermodynamic calculations on the Fe-Ti system.

Nanocrystalline FeTi has been prepared in two ways: by ball milling the intermetallic compound and mechanically alloying a mixture of the elemental powders. The materials obtained in each case are identical. The reaction proceeds via the formation of interfacial β–Ti(Fe) which then grows to include all of the material present. Oxygen levels above 3 at. % suppress this reaction and lead to the formation of amorphous Fe–Ti.

The structural transformations occurring during the mechanical alloying of mixtures of elemental oxides in the Bi–Sr–Ca–Cu–O system have been studied. Metastable cubic structures with complete chemical disorder and amorphous phases can be synthesized by strong mechanical deformations. With proper thermal treatments, these metastable phases transform into the high Tc superconducting structures. Discussions on the mechanisms of formation and on the thermal stability of the various metastable phases are presented.

Films of TaxxAl1-x have been prepared by diode sputtering from a target consisting of an Al mask placed on the face of a Ta target. The Ta target was 8″ in diameter while the Al mask was 0.125″ thick and machined with a grid-like shape. Films were deposited for a range of pressure, at a power of 300 watts, onto oxidized 100 mm diameter Si substrates that were placed on a planetary table beneath the target. The Al/Ta area ratio of the composite target was determined on the basis of the relative sputtering rates for these metals with the intent of producing a film composition with x = 0.5. The film composition was found to vary with argon pressure, going from 24 at.% Al at 4 mtorr to 72 at.% Al at 30 mtorr. This finding was quite unexpected. This result made it possible to deposit a wide range of film compositions from one composite target. The electrical resistivity has a broad maximum of,≈ 240 micro-ohm/cm between x=0.3 and 0.6. These results compliment and extend the earlier observations by Steidel \1] The as-deposited stress of the films varied from -400 to +150 MPa as x was decreased from 0.76 to 0.28. The temperature dependence of the film stress is hysteretic on the first cycle to 475 C. After the first cycle the films are driven more into tension by as much as 500 Mpa. The oxidation characteristics of one composition Ta0.66Al0.34 were characterized in some detail using a combination of electrical resistance, AES and XPS measurements. The results show that such films oxidize at temperatures in the 300 to 600C range via a diffusion-controlled process with an activation energy of 0.98 eV. Such films are substantially more oxidation-resistant than either ccα-or β-tantalum.

The purpose of this paper is to discuss the results of experiments that were done to develop a process to reliably produce low-stress a-SixC1−x:H films by PECVD. The films were deposited at 380 °C in a horizontal hot wall reactor using mixtures of silane and methane. The unique feature of the reactor is that, In contrast to others, the plasma was powered by two power sources; one was operated at 450 kHz, the other at 13.56 MHz. The plasma was maintaired in a mixed frequency mode during deposition. The total energy input to the plasma during a duty cycle was kept fixed while the properties of the films were altered by adjusting the relative energy output of each power supply. The energy output of each generator was adjusted by changing their on-times and peak powers. The composition of the films, their Initial stress, and the behavior of their stress during a temperature anneal were studied extensively. The Si/C ratio of the films varied from 0.3 to 3.0. The hydrogen concentration varied from 24 to 32 atomic percent. The initial stress was controlled by frequency mixing, and varied from −400 MPa to + 100 MPa.

Nanocrystalline and amorphous Fe-Ti at or close to the equiatomic composition have been prepared by ball milling, starting either from the elemental components or from the pre-melted intermetallic. The final structure, whose evolution has been monitored by Xray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy, is found to be critically dependent on milling conditions and contamination level.

Hydrogen absorption properties of both the amorphous and nanocrystalline alloys have been investigated. These properties are substantially modified by the reduction in grain size. We will also discuss the influence of the activation process and repeated hydrogen charging on substitutional disorder and grain size.

Electron microscope studies have shown significant changes in the microstructure of the Nd14Fe80B6 melt-spun ribbons, depending on the quenching conditions. The average grain size of about 20 nm near the wheel side, increasing to 500–700 nm near the free side, can be observed for ribbons of the thickness of about 25–30 μm, indicating strong internal variations in quench rate across the ribbon thickness. For low quenching rates different morphologies of the crystalline phase Nd2Fe14B are observed. Equiaxed grains near the wheel side of the ribbon become columnar grains or even dendritic grains near the free side. Texturing effects in the equiaxed grains are observed only for grains larger than 30 nm and disappear for very large equiaxed grains (about 500 nm), as well as for dendritic structures. Most evident texture is observed in columnar grains, which crystallized with the c-axis perpendicular to the ribbon plane.

The microstructure of two metastable crystalline phases, which are formed during the first step of the crystallization process in Ni–Zr metallic glasses, was investigated by transmission electron microscopy. For the composition Ni33Zr67, crystallites with average size of 150 nm having the face-centered cubic E93 structure are formed. For the Ni42Zr58 composition, 100 nm size crystallites with a simple cubic unit cell, space group Pa3 are formed. The microstructure of the crystallites in the early stage of crystallization of the two phases is similar to globular morphology and internal striations.