Crustal velocity structures beneath North China revealed by ambient noise tomography

We collected continuous noise waveform data from January 2007 to February 2008 recorded by 190 broadband and 10 very broadband stations of the North China Seismic Array. The study region is divided into grid with interval 0.25°×0.25°, and group velocity distribution maps between 4 s and 30 s are obtained using ambient noise tomography method. The lateral resolution is estimated to be 20-50 km for most of the study area. We construct a 3-D S wave velocity model by inverting the pure path dispersion curve at each grid using a genetic algorithm with smoothing constraint. The crustal structure observed in the model includes sedimentary basins such as North China basin, Yanqing-Huailai basin and Datong basin. A well-defined low velocity zone is observed in the Beijing-Tianjin-Tangshan region in 22-30 km depth range, which may be related to the upwelling of hot mantle material. The high velocity zone near Datong, Shuozhou and Qingshuihe within the depth range of 1-23 km reveals stable characteristics of Ordos block. The Taihangshan front fault extends to 12 km depth at least.

Production and mechanical properties of nano SiC particle reinforced Ti-6Al-4V matrix composite

Different mass fractions （0, 5%, 10%, and 15%） of the synthesized nano SiC particles reinforced Ti-6Al-4V （Ti64） alloy metal matrix composites （MMCs） were successfully fabricated by the powder metallurgy method. The effects of addition of SiC particle on the mechanical properties of the composites such as hardness and compressive strength were investigated. The optimum density （93.33%） was obtained at the compaction pressure of 6.035 MPa. Scanning electron microscopic （SEM） observations of the microstructures revealed that the wettability and the bonding force were improved in Ti64 alloy/5% nano SiCp composites. The effect of nano SiCp content in Ti64 alloy/SiCp matrix composite on phase formation was investigated by X-ray diffraction. The correlation between mechanical parameter and phase formation was analyzed. The new phase of brittle interfaced reaction formed in the 10% and 15% SiCp composite specimens and resulted in no beneficial effect on the strength and hardness. The compressive strength and hardness of Ti64 alloy/5% nano SiCp MMCs showed higher values. Hence, 5% SiCp can be considered to be the optimal replacement content for the composite.

Impacts of Global Warming on Hydrological Cycles in the Asian Monsoon Region

The hydrologic changes and the impact of these changes constitute a fundamental global-warmingrelated concern. Faced with threats to human life and natural ecosystems, such as droughts, floods, and soil erosion, water resource planners must increasingly make future risk assessments. Though hydrological predictions associated with the global climate change are already being performed, mainly through the use of GCMs, coarse spatial resolutions and uncertain physical processes limit the representation of terrestrial water/energy interactions and the variability in such systems as the Asian monsoon. Despite numerous studies, the regional responses of hydrologic changes resulting from climate change remains inconclusive. In this paper, an attempt at dynamical downsealing of future hydrologic projection under global climate change in Asia is addressed. The authors conducted present and future Asian regional climate simulations which were nested in the results of Atmospheric General Circulation Model （AGCM） experiments. The regional climate model could capture the general simulated features of the AGCM. Also, some regional phenomena such as orographic precipitation, which did not appear in the outcome of the AGCM simulation, were successfully produced. Under global warming, the increase of water vapor associated with the warmed air temperature was projected. It was projected to bring more abundant water vapor to the southern portions of India and the Bay of Bengal, and to enhance precipitation especially over the mountainous regions, the western part of India and the southern edge of the Tibetan Plateau. As a result of the changes in the synoptic flow patterns and precipitation under global warming, the increases of annual mean precipitation and surface runoff were projected in many regions of Asia. However, both the positive and negative changes of seasonal surface runoff were projected in some regions which will increase the flood risk and cause a mismatch between water demand and water availability in the agricultural season.

Approximate Eigensolutions of the Deformed Woods-Saxon Potential via AIM

Using the Pekeris approximation,the Schrödinger equation is solved for the nuclear deformed Woods-Saxon potential within the framework of the asymptotic iteration method.The energy levels are worked out and the corresponding normalized eigenfunctions are obtained in terms of hypergeometric function.

GRB 130310A: very high peak energy and thermal emission

The special GRB 130310 A was observed by Fermi Gamma-Ray Burst Monitor and Large Area Telescope,with T90~2.4 s.With a combination of a Band function and a blackbody(BB)function,the time-resolved spectral analysis of GRB 130310 A confirmed that there is a sub-dominate thermal component in the early period(e.g.,slice T0+[4.03-4.14]s)spectrum with BB temperature(kT)being~7~5 keV,which can be interpreted as photosphere emission.The precursor of GRB 130310 A can be fitted well with a BB component with kT~45 keV,which is higher than that of the main burst.It suggests that the radiation of GRB 130310 A is in transition from thermal to non-thermal.Such a transition is an indication of the change in jet composition from a fireball to a Poynting-flux-dominated jet.A very high peak energy is obtained in the first time bin,with the peak energy E_(p) of the Band component for Band+BB and Band model being~8.5~5.2 MeV and~11.1~7.4 MeV,respectively.Afterwards,the E_(p) drops to~1 MeV.The E_(p) evolution patterns with respect to the pulses in the GRB 130310 A light curves show a hard-to-soft evolution.The interpretation of the high peak energy E_(p) within the photosphere and internal shock model is difficult.It also suggests that at least for some bursts,the Band component must invoke a non-thermal origin in the optically thin region of a GRB outflow.Assuming the redshift is z~0.1~8,the radius of the jet base r_(0)~10^(9) cm to allow(1+σ_(15))>1 in line with the calculation results of the magnetization parameter at~1015 cm(σ_(15)).However,the value of(1+σ_(15))is■1 in the zone z around 3 for r_(0)~10^(9) cm,suggesting the non-excluded possibility that the origin is from ICMART with a low value.The photosphere-internal shock seems capable of interpreting the high peak energy,which requires electron Lorentz factorγe~60 andεe~0.06.

Comparing the behavior of orbits in different 3D dynamical models for elliptical galaxies

We study the behavior of orbits in two different galactic dynamical models, describing the motion in the central parts of a triaxial elliptical galaxy with a dense nucleus. Numerical experiments show that both models display regular motion together with extended chaotic regions. A detailed investigation of the properties of motion is made for the 2D and 3D Hamiltonian systems, using a number of different dynamical parameters, such as the Poincare′ surface of a section, the maximal Lyapunov Characteristic Exponent, the S（c） spectrum, the S（w） spectrum and the P （f ） indicator. The numerical calculations suggest that the properties of motion in both potentials are very similar. Our results show that one may use different kinds of gravitational potentials in order to describe the motion in triaxial galaxies while obtaining quantitatively similar results.

Identifying the occurrence time of an impending major earthquake:a review

The procedure through which the occurrence time of an impending major earthquake can be determined is reviewed in the light of the recent advances. This can be achieved by analyzing in natural time the seismicity in the candidate area. To apply this general procedure, we need two important elements： first, to know when we should start the analysis, i.e., set the natural time equal to zero. This is the time at which the system enters the critical stage. Second a reliable estimation of the candidate epicentral area. If geoelectrical measurements are taken and the VAN method （after the initials of the three researchers Varotsos, Alexopoulos and Nomicos）is applied, both these elements become available upon the recording of a precursory Seismic Electric Signals （SES） activity, because its initiation marks the time when the system enters the critical stage, and in addition the SES data enable the determination of the epicentral area of the impending mainshock. On the other hand, if geoelectrical data are lacking, we make use of the following two recent findings by means of natural time analysis： First, the fluctuations of the order parameter of seismicity in a large area exhibit a minimum a few months before a major earthquake almost simultaneously with the initiation of an SES activity. Second, a spatiotemporal study of this minimum unveils an estimate of the epicentral area of the impending major earthquake. Two examples are given that refer to the strongest earthquakes that occurred in Greece and Japan during the last 3 decades, i.e., the Mw6.9 earthquake in southwestern Greece on 14 February 2008 and the Mw9.0 Tohoku earthquake in Japan on 11 March 2011.

Latitudinal and interannual variations of the spring phytoplankton bloom peak in the East Asian marginal seas

Combined studies of latitudinal and interannual variations of annual phytoplankton bloom peak in East Asian marginal seas(17°–58°N, including the northern South China Sea(SCS), Kuroshio waters, the Sea of Japan and the Okhotsk Sea) are rarely. Based on satellite-retrieved ten-year(2003–2012) median timing of the annual Chlorophyll a concentration(Chl a) climax, here we report that this annual spring bloom peak generally delays from the SCS in January to the Okhotsk Sea in June at a rate of(21.20±2.86) km/d(decadal median±SD). Spring bloom is dominant feature of the phytoplankton annual cycle over these regions, except for the SCS which features winter bloom. The fluctuation of the annual peak timing is mainly within ±48 d departured from the decadal median peak date, therefore this period(the decadal median peak date ±48 d) is defined as annual spring bloom period. As sea surface temperature rises, earlier spring bloom peak timing but decreasing averaged Chl a biomass in the spring bloom period due to insufficient light is evident in the Okhotsk Sea from 2003 to 2012. For the rest of three study domains, there are no significant interannual variance trend of the peak timing and the averaged Chl a biomass. Furthermore this change of spring phytoplankton bloom timing and magnitude in the Okhotsk Sea challenges previous prediction that ocean warming would enhance algal productivity at high latitudes.

Dark halos acting as chaos controllers in asymmetric triaxial galaxy models

We study the regular or chaotic character of orbits in a 3D dynamical model,describing a triaxial galaxy surrounded by a spherical dark halo component.Our numerical experiments suggest that the percentage of chaotic orbits decreases exponentially as the mass of the dark halo increases.A linear increase of the percentage of the chaotic orbits was observed as the scale length of the halo component increases. In order to distinguish between regular and chaotic motion,we chose to use the total angular momentum Ltot of the 3D orbits as a new indicator.Comparison with other,previously used,dynamical indicators,such as the Lyapunov Characteristic Exponent or the P（f） spectral method,shows that the Ltot indicator gives very fast and reliable results for characterizing the nature of orbits in galactic dynamical models.

The nature of orbits in a prolate elliptical galaxy model with a bulge and a dense nucleus

We study the transition from regular to chaotic motion in a prolate elliptical galaxy dynamical model with a bulge and a dense nucleus. Our numerical investigation shows that stars with angular momentum Lz less than or equal to a critical value Lzc, moving near the galactic plane, are scattered to higher z, when reaching the central region of the galaxy, thus displaying chaotic motion. An inverse square law relationship was found to exist between the radius of the bulge and the critical value Lzc of the angular momentum. On the other hand, a linear relationship exists between the mass of the nucleus and Lzc. The numerically obtained results are explained using theoretical arguments. Our study shows that there are connections between regular or chaotic motion and the physical parameters of the system, such as the star＇s angular momentum and mass, the scale length of the nucleus and the radius of the bulge. The results are compared with the outcomes of previous work.

Dominant SST Mode in the Southern Hemisphere Extratropics and Its Influence on Atmospheric Circulation

The variability in the Southern Ocean（SO） sea surface temperature（SST） has drawn increased attention due to its unique physical features; therefore, the temporal characteristics of the SO SST anomalies（SSTA） and their influence on extratropical atmospheric circulation are addressed in this study. Results from empirical orthogonal function analysis show that the principal mode of the SO SSTA exhibits a dipole-like structure, suggesting a negative correlation between the SSTA in the middle and high latitudes, which is referred to as the SO Dipole（SOD） in this study. The SOD features strong zonal symmetry, and could reflect more than 50% of total zonal-mean SSTA variability. We find that stronger（weaker） Subantarctic and Antarctic polar fronts are related to the positive（negative） phases of the SOD index, as well as the primary variability of the large-scale SO SSTA meridional gradient. During December–January–February, the Ferrel cell and the polar jet shift toward the Antarctic due to changes in the SSTA that could be associated with a positive phase of the SOD, and are also accompanied by a poleward shift of the subtropical jet. During June–July–August, in association with a positive SOD, the Ferrel cell and the polar jet are strengthened, accompanied by a strengthened subtropical jet. These seasonal differences are linked to the differences in the configuration of the polar jet and the subtropical jet in the Southern Hemisphere.

Exact solution of Schrdinger equation with q-deformed quantum potentials using Nikiforov–Uvarov method

In this paper, we present the exact solution of the one-dimensional Schrrdinger equation for the q-deformed quantum potentials via the Nikiforov-Uvarov method. The eigenvalues and eigenfunctions of these potentials are obtained via this method. The energy equations and the corresponding wave functions for some special cases of these potentials are briefly discussed. The PT-symmetry and Hermiticity for these potentials are also discussed.

Modeling Photo-dissociation Dynamics of HBr＋ by Vibrational Wave-packet Formalism

Photo dissociation dynamics of diatomic molecular ion HBr＋ interacting with ultra fast laser pulses of different envelop function has been presented both in zero and non zero temperature environment. The calculations pertain primarily to the ground electronic state of the molecular ion HBr＋. The used potential of HBr＋ is calibrated with the help of the ab initio theoretical calculation at the CCSD/6-311＋＋G（3df, 2pd） level and then fitted with appropriate Morse parameters. The numerical bound states vibrational eigenvalues obtained by the time independent Fourier Grid Hamiltonian method have been compared with analytical values of the fitted Morse potential. The effect of temperature, pulse envelops function, and light intensity on the dissociation process has been explored.

Relativistic symmetries with the trigonometric Pschl-Teller potential plus Coulomb-like tensor interaction

The Dirac equation is solved to obtain its approximate bound states for a spin-1/2 particle in the presence of trigonometric Poeschl-Teller （tPT） potential including a Coulomb-like tensor interaction with arbitrary spin-orbit quantum number κ using an approximation scheme to substitute the centrifugal terms κ（κ± i 1）r^-2. In view of spin and pseudo-spin （p-spin） symmetries, the relativistic energy eigenvalues and the corresponding two-component wave functions of a particle moving in the field of attractive and repulsive tPT potentials are obtained using the asymptotic iteration method （AIM）. We present numerical results in the absence and presence of tensor coupling A and for various values of spin and p-spin constants and quantum numbers n and κ. The non-relativistic limit is also obtained.

A dosimetric comparison between 3D-Conformal radiation therapy and intensity modulated radiation therapy plans in the treatment of posterior fossa boost in children with high risk medulloblastom

Objective： The work is a comparative study between two modalities of radiation therapy, the aim of which is to compare 3D conformal radiation therapy （3D-CRT） and intensity modulated radiation therapy （IMRT） in treating posterior fossa boost in children with high risk medulloblastorna; dosimetrically evaluating and comparing both techniques as regard target coverage and doses to organs at risk （OAR）. Methods： Twenty patients with high risk medulloblastoma were treated by 3D-CRT technique. A dosimetric comparison was done by performing two plans for the posterior fossa boost, 3D-CRT and IMRT plans, for the same patient using Eclipse planning system （version 8.6）. Results： IMRT had a better conformity index compared to 3D-CRT plans （P value of 0.000）. As for the dose homogeneity it was also better in the IMRT plans, yet it hasn＇t reached the statistical significant value. Also, doses received by the cochleae, brainstem and spinal cord were significantly less in the IMRT plans than those of 3D-CRT （P value 〈 0.05）. Conclusion： IMRT technique was clearly able to improve conformity and homogeneity index, spare the cochleae, reduce dose to the brainstem and spinal cord in comparison to 3D- CRT technique.

Effects of photon addition on the quantum nonlocality of squeezed entangled coherent states

Effects of photon addition on the quantum nonlocality of squeezed entangled coherent states for Bell-inequality tests are studied theoretically. By utilizing the method of photon-parity measurement, it is found that photon addition can always increase the degrees of Bell violations within a certain parameter range. A possible scheme for generating photon-added squeezed entangled coherent states is proposed.

Determining the type of orbits in the central regions of barred galaxies

We use a simple dynamical model which consists of a harmonic oscillator and a spherical com- ponent, in order to investigate the regular or chaotic character of orbits in a barred galaxy with a central spherically symmetric nucleus. Our aim is to explore how the basic parameters of the galactic system in- fluence the nature of orbits, by computing in each case the percentage of chaotic orbits, as well as the percentages of different types of regular orbits. We also give emphasis to the types of regular orbits that support either the formation of nuclear rings or the barred structure of the galaxy. We provide evidence that the traditional xl orbital family does not always dominate in barred galaxy models since we found several other types of resonant orbits which can also support the barred structure. We also found that sparse enough nuclei, fast rotating bars and high energy models can support the galactic bars. On the other hand, weak bars, dense central nuclei, slowly rotating bars and low energy models favor the formation of nuclear rings. We also compare our results with previous related work.

Mechanism of the Curie-Weiss Law in Ferroelectrics

A simple double-well potential model is established.It shows that the nature of the low-frequency dielectric constant in ferroelectrics is the additional hopping of the off-center ions in multi-site potential.The co-operative effect causes the fact that the Curie-Weiss law is obeyed.The mechanism of the molecular field is clarified.

A Relation Between Energy Barrier and Ferroelectricity in Ba_(x)Sr_(l-x)TiO_(3)

In the Ba_(x)Sr_(l-x)TiO_(3) system,the decrease of the grain size causes the suppression of the ferroelectricity and the increase of the relaxation frequency.Barrier heights increase with the increasing grain size.The result is analogous to magnetic phase transitions in nanocrystals and the solid-solid phase transitions in nanocrystals.

Biological Dose Comparison between a Fixed RBE and a Variable RBE in SFO and MFO IMPT with Various Multi-Beams for Brain Cancer

IMPT plans with various multi-angle beams were planned by the Varian Eclipse treatment planning system for one case of brain cancer. Dose distributions for each plan, along with the associated linear energy transfer distributions, were recomputed using an in-house fast Monte Carlo dose calculator with a FRBE of 1.1 or with a previously published VRBE model. We then compared dosimetric parameters obtained by the VRBE with those obtained by the FRBE. Biological doses obtained by the VRBE for the clinical target volume in all plans were 1% - 2% larger than those obtained by the FRBE. The minimum dose obtained by the VRBE for the right optic nerve in the MFO IMPT with 4 fields was 70% larger than that obtained by the FRBE, but the difference was only 18.1 cGy (RBE). The difference in maximum dose for the right optic nerve in the MFO IMPT with 5 fields was less than 10.4%, but the difference was 131.8 cGy (RBE). The mean difference in maximum dose was less than 2% for all other organs at risk. We found that biological dose with the FRBE had any dose errors in IMPT with various multi-angle beams.