Spectral characteristics of a microwave radar signal backscattered by the sea surface at small incidence angles

We present a theoretical analysis of the Doppler-spectrum properties of a microwave radar signal scattered by the sea surface at small incidence angles. The dependences of Doppler-spectrum width and shift on the wind velocity and wave development stage and their azimuthal dependence are analyzed. The case of mixed sea (wind wave plus swell) is also considered. The JONSWAP spectrum model is used to describe sea waves. The study shows that Doppler-spectrum parameters are sensitive to variation of sea-surface state; for example, for the case of developed sea waves, an increase in wind velocity by 1 m/sec leads to increases in the Doppler-spectrum width and shift by 15 Hz and 3 Hz, respectively. It is shown that for the case of a moving radar the Doppler spectrum remains sensitive to variation of sea- surface state with a sufficiently narrow radar directivity pattern. Estimates show that in the case of a single sea- wave system on the surface, using Doppler-spectrum parameters we can, in principle, determine wave type (developing wind wave, developed wind wave, or swell), dominant wavelength, wave propagation direction, and wave height; wind velocity, direction, and acceleration distance can be determined for wind waves.Translated from Izvestiya Vysshikh Uchebnykh Zavedenii, Radiofizika, Vol. 39, No. 5, pp. 517–526, May, 1996.This paper was supported by the Russian Foundation for Fundamental Research (project 93-02-15892).     

The Value of Bernoulli Polynomials at Rational Numbers

We give a short elementary proof of a result of Almkvist andMeurman [1] on an integrality property of the values taken bythe Bernoulli polynomials at a rational number. We use a lemmaon the divisibility properties of certain binomial coefficientswhich seems to be of independent interest.     

Pattern forming precipitation in gels due to coupling of chemical reactions with diffusion

Precipitate-forming chemical reactions have been studied in chemically cross-linked poly(vinyl alcohol) gel medium. One of the reactive components was incorporated into the gel, the other was allowed to diffuse into it. Depending on the experimental conditions the reaction-diffusion process often results in patterns of different type. Experiments performed in tubes and in thin layers were carried out in order to investigate the effects of various factors (cross-linking density, swelling degree as well as the concentrations of the outer and inner electrolytes) on the morphologies of the precipitate patterns. It was found that precipitation occurs not only in the Liesegang bands, but also between bands. Beside Liesegang-type structures, tree-like patterns have been observed, showing a characteristic periodicity in the density profile obtained by digitalized image analyses.