Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre

About: Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre is a facility organization based out in Thiruvananthapuram, India. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Aerosol & Ultimate tensile strength. The organization has 2092 authors who have published 3058 publications receiving 47975 citations. The organization is also known as: VSSC.

Study on Variants of Solution Treatment and Aging Cycle of Titanium Alloy Ti6Al4V

Abstract: Ti6Al4V with two different chemical compositions, one rich and the other lean in α-stabilizer oxygen were selected to study the effect of quench severity during solution treatment and their aging response. These two coupons were taken from two differently processed wrought products viz. rolled ring and closed die forging. The coupons were then subjected to solution treatment followed by employing different cooling rates to vary the quench severity and different aging treatments by changing the aging temperature and time. The microstructure and mechanical properties thus obtained are correlated with respect to the heat treatment conditions. It is noted that there is a significant increase in strength of the alloy retaining the ductility when it is aged in the aging temperature regime of 550-650 °C and time of 8 h. Role of higher oxygen content is noted, which is more pronounced with higher severity of quench (by water quenching). Specimens representative of different heat treatment conditions were characterized using optical microscope, electron back-scattered diffraction, and electron microscope. The presence of martensitic (α′) structure along with uniform distribution of fine primary α, secondary α precipitates and refined β-grains, twins in the microstructure helps in improving the strength of the material. Also, during high temperature aging of 700 °C, which incidentally falls in the range of annealing temperature of the alloy, overaging occurs which is similar to effect of annealing and hence retains the ductility as well.

On the solar activity variations of nocturnal F region vertical drifts covering two solar cycles in the Indian longitude sector

Abstract: A comprehensive analysis of the seasonal and solar cycle variabilities of nighttime vertical drift over the Indian longitude sector is accomplished using ionosonde data located at the magnetic equatorial location, Trivandrum (8.5°N, 76.5°E). The analysis extends over a span of two decades (1988–2008). The representative seasonal variations based on the extensive data of nocturnal vertical drift during three different solar activity epochs is arrived at, for the first time. Seasonally, it is seen that maximum post sunset Vd is obtained in vernal equinox (VE), followed by autumnal equinox (AE), winter solstice (WS), and summer solstice (SS) for high and moderate solar epochs, while for low solar epoch, maximum Vd occurs in WS followed by VE, AE, and SS. Further, the role of sunset times at the magnetic conjugate points in modulating the time and magnitude of peak drifts during different solar epochs is ascertained. The equinoctial asymmetry in peak Vd during high and moderate solar epochs is another significant outcome of this study. The solar activity dependence of vertical drift for a wide range of solar fluxes has been quantified for all the seasons. In the present era of GPS-based communication and navigation, these are important results that give a better handle in understanding essential factors that impact equatorial ionospheric phenomena.

Magnetohydrodynamic flow in a rectangular duct with suction and injection

Abstract: The effects of suction or injection on an incompressible laminar flow in a rectangular duct with nonconducting walls in the presence of an imposed transverse magnetic field are examined. Analytical solutions are obtained for the velocity and magnetic field, which are useful for obtaining the current density and electric field strength.