Fibre-optic pH sensor for sea-water monitoring using a single dye

A sensor for the continuous monitoring of pH in sea water, having the configuration of a probe, is described. The characteristics of this probe, which uses phenol red adsorbed on Amberlite resin as a chemichromatic element on top of an optical fibre, are reported and the effects of interfering parameters (variable salinity and temperature of sea water) are assessed. The possibility of enhancing the working range is discussed, and a procedure for rendering the range suitable for marine monitoring is presented.     

Hamiltonian Formulation for the Motion of a Two-Fluid System with Free Surface

In this work, a theoretical investigation is performed on modeling interfacial and surface waves in a layered fluid system. The physical system consists of two immiscible liquid layers of different densities ₁ > ₂ with an interfacial surface and a free surface, inside a prismatic-section tank. On the basis of the potential formulation of the fluid motion, we derive a nonlinear system of partial differential equations using the Hamiltonian formulation for irrotational flow of the two fluids of different density subject to conservative force. As a consequence of the assumption of potential velocity, the dynamics of the system can be described in terms of variables evaluated only at the boundary of the fluid system, namely the separation surface and the free surface. This Hamiltonian formulation enables one to define the evolution equations of the system in a canonical form by using the functional derivatives.     

The influence of measurement errors on the determination of the degrees of freedom of dynamic systems

We consider the influence of measurement errors on the experimental calculation of dimensions of possible turbulent flow attractors. For this purpose we considered a Gaussian noise and we carried out some tests showing the existence of a lower limit below which the operational definition of dimension is not reliable.

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Sommario In questo lavoro viene presentata una valutazione della influenza degli errori di misura sulla determinazione sperimentale delle dimensioni di eventuali attrattori di deflussi turbolenti. A tale scopo si considera un rumore Gaussiano. I test effettuati permettono di definire l'esistenza di un minimo al di sotto del quale la definizione operativa di dimensione formisce valori non attendibili.

     

Gravity-Capillary Waves in Layered Fluid

In this work, we analyze the stability of a gravity wave generated on the separation surface of two immiscible liquids inside a moving container and perturbed by a capillary wave. Such a phenomenon is experimentally observed when the amplitude and the frequency of the motion imposed to the container attain certain values. The evolution of the system is described by the variational principle. We assume that the motion of the system is decomposed into two modes: the gravity mode and the capillary mode. With suitable scaling assumptions, it is possible to show that the evolution of the gravity mode is determined by the forcing motion, while the capillary mode is excited by the nonlinear interactions between the capillary and gravity modes. Finally, an analytic dispersion relation is obtained for the pulsation of the capillary mode. This relation is a function of several quantities, all depending on the capillary wave number and the characteristics of the exciting motion.     

Intercomparison of five methods for the determination of trace metals in sea water

Trace elements (Mn, Fe, Co, Zn, Ni, Cu and Cr) were preconcentrated from sea water by retention on Chelex-100 resin, APDC/8-quinolinol complexation followed by extraction with 4-methyl-2-pentanon or Freon-113, or coprecipitation with Mg(OH)₂ or Fe(OH)₂. After consideratin of analytical blanks, extraction efficiency, precision preconcentration factor, and suitability for operation on board ship, the best results were obtained by preconcentrating Mn, Fe, Co, Zn, Ni and Cu on Chelex-100 resin and coprecipitation of chromium(III) and (VI) with Fe(OH)₂. Graphite-furnace atomic absorption spectrometry and inductively-coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry were used for the final measurements. The accuracy of the method was tested by using the reference sea water sample NASS-1.     

Instrumental determination by neutron activation analysis of trace elements in particulate matter separated from riverine and marine coastal waters of the gulf of Gaeta (Central Italy)

This work presents the results obtained on suspended particulate matter (SPM) collected from the rivers Volturno and Garigliano and from the sea stretch between the mouth of the Volturno river and the Sabaudia lake (Central Tyrrhenian Sea). The elements As, Au, Ca, Ce, Co, Cr, Cs, Eu, Fe, Hf, Hg, La, Lu, Mn, Rb, Sb, Sc, Se, Sm, Ta, Th, W and Yb were determined by instrumental neutron activation analysis. The results show that the element concentrations in SPM tend to be higher in surface than in bottom samples. Also, enrichment factors (EF's) were calculated with respect to Sc assumed as representative of alumino-silicates. Higher values of EF's were found for Zn, As, Se, Sb, Hg, W, and Au.Work partly carried out under the contract No. BIO-B322-I (S) of the Commission of the European Communities.