Search

Health experts have suggested that social distancing measures are one of the most effective ways of preventing the spread of Covid-19. Research primarily focused on large Covid filled droplets suggested that these droplets can move further than regulated social distancing guidelines (2 meters apart) in the presence of wind. This project aims to model the paths of smaller Covid virions that last longer in the air to see if they also move beyond social distancing norms in the presence of wind. By numerically solving a 2-dimensional Langevin equation for 3000 particles and modeling wind as one-dimensional and steady, velocities were found that translated into particles' positions. With wind, infectious doses of virions appeared to travel farther and faster, increasing the risk of infection before dispersion. The two-dimensional model given implies that social distancing norms are reasonable in cases with no wind, yet not conservative enough when there is wind., Comment: 9 pages, 7 figures

This research addresses the crucial issue of pollution from aircraft operations, focusing on optimizing both gate allocation and runway scheduling simultaneously, a novel approach not previously explored. The study presents an innovative genetic algorithm-based method for minimizing pollution from fuel combustion during aircraft take-off and landing at airports. This algorithm uniquely integrates the optimization of both landing gates and take-off/landing runways, considering the correlation between engine operation time and pollutant levels. The approach employs advanced constraint handling techniques to manage the intricate time and resource limitations inherent in airport operations. Additionally, the study conducts a thorough sensitivity analysis of the model, with a particular emphasis on the mutation factor and the type of penalty function, to fine-tune the optimization process. This dual-focus optimization strategy represents a significant advancement in reducing environmental impact in the aviation sector, establishing a new standard for comprehensive and efficient airport operation management., Comment: Preprint submitted and accepted in Expert Systems