October 2003




Laurentian researchers solve riddle of “singing sand”
Scientists from Sudbury have solved the mystery of the “singing” or “booming” sand phenomena. Recorded in history as early as 1,500 years ago, “singing sand” occurs along beaches, while another type of musical sand is the 'booming sands' found in desert dunes. A recent paper by Tom A.J. Patitsas, of Laurentian University’s Department of Physics and Astronomy appeared in a recent issue of the Journal of Fluids and Structures. It is primarily theoretical research and motivated by the experimental research of his Laurentian colleagues, Gottfried Rubin, Marcel Leach and Douglas Goldsack. The sounds, which have been compared to the roar of thunder, or, as reported by Marco Polo, the sound of marching armies, have been a source of mystery to scientists, who first started searching for answers 150 years ago. Major sites are located all over the world. There is an example of “singing sand” in Ontario along the Bruce Peninsula. The new research shows that the two phenomena are based on a single mechanism, which involves the interaction of the elastic modes of vibration in a layer of energized sand grains below the sand surface, called the slip layer, and the vibrations in a boundary layer of sand grains on the surface of the sand. More information may be found on several web sites that deal with the phenomena. Details of the Laurentian research are available online at the Laurentian University Gazette, at http://laurentian.ca/?file=gazette/oct03/sands.htm.

ORION seeks cross-border alliance - meets with NYSERNet and U. of Buffalo
In what is expected to lead to a closer working relationship, ORION senior staff travelled to the University of Buffalo recently to meet with university officials and members of NYSERNet – New York State’s research and education network, to compare notes and review the status of each other’s expanding network infrastructures. “This was a great opportunity to share best practices and lay the groundwork for closer collaboration in the future,” said President and CEO Phil Baker. One of the issues discussed is the future possibility of direct optical gigabit connectivity between the two networks, which would greatly enhance the collaborative capability of researchers on both sides of the border. Bob Gagne, York University’s Chief Information Officer, joined the ORION team on the visit, which included a tour of the University of Buffalo’s supercomputing facilities, one of the top HPC sites in North America.

Network Update
ORION’s North Bay PoP should be up and running within two weeks, says ORION Project Director Sam Mokbel. “The equipment has been installed and we’re in the testing stage now,” he said. The PoP, located at Nipissing University, will also offer connectivity to Canadore College and any other eligible institution. ORION is providing over $44,000 in local connectivity funding to enable the institutions to connect to the network. The network’s PoP sites at Timmins and Sault Ste. Marie are next on the list. They’re expected to be up and running in December.

ORION Poster & 3-D desktop wallpaper
Visitors to the ORION web site can now receive their own free 3x4 wall poster. They can also download and install their very own ORION Windows wallpaper. The artwork features 3-D renderings of the popular ORION logo. Visit ORION’s Publications page at http://www.orion.on.ca/about/publications.html for details.


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