Simultaneous excitation of the snake-like oscillations and the m/n = 1/1 resistive interchange modes around the iota = 1 rational surface just after hydrogen pellet injections in LHD plasmas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bando, T.; Ohdachi, S.; Suzuki, Y.; Sakamoto, R.; Narushima, Y.; Takemura, Y.; Watanabe, K. Y.; Sakakibara, S.; Du, X. D.; Motojima, G.; Tanaka, K.; Morisaki, T.; LHD Experiment Group

2018-01-01

Two types of oscillation phenomena are found just after hydrogen ice pellet injections in the Large Helical Device (LHD). Oscillation phenomena appear when the deposition profile of a hydrogen ice pellet is localized around the rotational transform ι = 1 rational surface. At first, damping oscillations (type-I) appear only in the soft X-ray (SX) emission. They are followed by the second type of oscillations (type-II) where the magnetic fluctuations and density fluctuations synchronized to the SX fluctuations are observed. Both oscillations have poloidal/toroidal mode number, m/n = 1/1. Since the type-II oscillations appear when the local pressure is large and/or the local magnetic Reynold's number is small, it is reasonable that type-II oscillations are caused by the resistive interchange modes. Because both types of oscillations appear simultaneously at slightly different locations and with slightly different frequencies, it is certain that type-I oscillations are different from type-II oscillations, which we believe is the MHD instability. It is possible that type-I oscillations are caused by the asymmetric concentration of the impurities. The type-I oscillations are similar to the impurity snake phenomena observed in tokamaks though type-I oscillations survive only several tens of milliseconds in LHD.

Widening Disparity and its Suppression in a Stochastic Replicator Model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sakaguchi, Hidetsugu

2016-04-01

Winner-take-all phenomena are observed in various competitive systems. We find similar phenomena in replicator models with randomly fluctuating growth rates. The disparity between winners and losers increases indefinitely, even if all elements are statistically equivalent. A lognormal distribution describes well the nonstationary time evolution. If a nonlinear load corresponding to progressive taxation is introduced, a stationary distribution is obtained and disparity widening is suppressed.

Dynamic characteristics of a 30-centimeter mercury ion thruster

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Serafini, J. S.; Mantenieks, M. A.; Rawlin, V. K.

1975-01-01

The present work reports on measurements of the fluctuations in the beam current, discharge current, neutralizer keeper current, and discharge voltage of a 30-cm ion thruster made with 60Hz laboratory-type power supplies. The intensities of the fluctuations (ratio of the root-mean-square magnitude to time-average quantity) were found to depend significantly on the beam and magnetic baffle currents. The shape of the frequency spectra of the discharge plasma fluctuations was related to the beam and magnetic baffle currents. The predominant peaks of the beam and discharge current spectra occurred at frequencies less than 30 kilohertz. This discharge chamber resonance could be attributable to ion-acoustic wave phenomena. Cross-correlations of the discharge and beam currents indicated that the dependence on the magnetic baffle current was strong. The measurements revealed that the discharge current fluctuations directly contribute to the beam current fluctuations and that the power supply characteristics can modify these fluctuations.

q-deformed Einstein's model to describe specific heat of solid

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guha, Atanu; Das, Prasanta Kumar

2018-04-01

Realistic phenomena can be described more appropriately using generalized canonical ensemble, with proper parameter sets involved. We have generalized the Einstein's theory for specific heat of solid in Tsallis statistics, where the temperature fluctuation is introduced into the theory via the fluctuation parameter q. At low temperature the Einstein's curve of the specific heat in the nonextensive Tsallis scenario exactly lies on the experimental data points. Consequently this q-modified Einstein's curve is found to be overlapping with the one predicted by Debye. Considering only the temperature fluctuation effect(even without considering more than one mode of vibration is being triggered) we found that the CV vs T curve is as good as obtained by considering the different modes of vibration as suggested by Debye. Generalizing the Einstein's theory in Tsallis statistics we found that a unique value of the Einstein temperature θE along with a temperature dependent deformation parameter q(T) , can well describe the phenomena of specific heat of solid i.e. the theory is equivalent to Debye's theory with a temperature dependent θD.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gallavotti, G.

It is shown that the chaoticity hypothesis recently introduced in statistical mechanics, which is analogous to Ruelle`s principle for turbulence, implies the Onsager reciprocity and the fluctuation-dissipation theorem in various reversible models for coexisting transport phenomena.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Repins, Ingrid; Mansfield, Lorelle; Kanevce, Ana

Band-edge effects - including grading, electrostatic fluctuations, bandgap fluctuations, and band tails - affect chalcogenide device efficiency. These effects now require more careful consideration as efficiencies increase beyond 20%. Several aspects of the relationships between band-edge phenomena and device performance for NREL absorbers are examined. For Cu(In, Ga)Se2 devices, recent increases in diffusion length imply changes to the optimum bandgap profile. The origin, impact, and modification of electrostatic and bandgap fluctuations are also discussed. The application of the same principles to devices based on CdTe, kesterites, and emerging absorbers (Cu2SnS3, CuSbS2), considering differences in materials properties, is examined.

Wild Band Edges: The Role of Bandgap Grading and Band-Edge Fluctuations in High-Efficiency Chalcogenide Devices: Preprint

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Repins, Ingrid; Mansfield, Lorelle; Kanevce, Ana

Band-edge effects -- including grading, electrostatic fluctuations, bandgap fluctuations, and band tails -- affect chalcogenide device efficiency. These effects now require more careful consideration as efficiencies increase beyond 20%. Several aspects of the relationships between band-edge phenomena and device performance for NREL absorbers are examined. For Cu(In,Ga)Se2 devices, recent increases in diffusion length imply changes to optimum bandgap profile. The origin, impact, and modification of electrostatic and bandgap fluctuations are also discussed. The application of the same principles to devices based on CdTe, kesterites, and emerging absorbers (Cu2SnS3, CuSbS2), considering differences in materials properties and defect formation energies, is examined.

Qualification of the T2 wind tunnel in cryogenic operation. B: Flow fluctuations, particle detection and qualification

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dor, J. B.; Mignosi, A.; Plazanet, M.

1984-01-01

This report presents part of the tests for verification of the T2 transonic induction wind tunnel in cryogenic operation. The first part of the results presented concerns fluctuations in pressure and temperature at ambient temperature and in cryogenic regulation. The second part presents the condensation phenomena which could be observed in the cryogenic flow by means of an optical particle detection system in the test section.

Coexistence of Velocity Renormalization and Ferrimagnetic Fluctuation in the Organic Dirac Electron System α-(BEDT-TTF)2I3

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Matsuno, Genki; Kobayashi, Akito

2018-05-01

We evaluate the uniform spin susceptibility in an extended Hubbard model describing α-(BEDT-TTF)2I3. Employing the Fock-type self-energy with the long-range Coulomb interaction and the random phase approximation with the on-site Coulomb interaction, it is clarified that the characteristic energy scales at which ferrimagnetic fluctuation and velocity renormalization emerge are different. This is why these phenomena coexist while the ferrimagnetic fluctuation is disturbed by the velocity renormalization. In addition, it is found that screening effect to the self-energy is irrelevant in the presence of a strong on-site Coulomb interaction U.

Discovery of Short-Timescale Oscillations in the Transition Region by CLASP

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kubo, M.; Katsukawa, Y.; Kano, R.; Winebarger, A.; Kobayashi, K.; Ishikawa, R.; Narukage, N.; Bando, T.; Suematsu, Y.; Giono, G.;

Time evolution of linearized gauge field fluctuations on a real-time lattice

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kurkela, A.; Lappi, T.; Peuron, J.

2016-12-01

Classical real-time lattice simulations play an important role in understanding non-equilibrium phenomena in gauge theories and are used in particular to model the prethermal evolution of heavy-ion collisions. Due to instabilities, small quantum fluctuations on top of the classical background may significantly affect the dynamics of the system. In this paper we argue for the need for a numerical calculation of a system of classical gauge fields and small linearized fluctuations in a way that keeps the separation between the two manifest. We derive and test an explicit algorithm to solve these equations on the lattice, maintaining gauge invariance and Gauss' law.

Dysphagia Causes Symptom Fluctuations after Oral L-DOPA Treatment in a Patient with Parkinson Disease.

PubMed

Sato, Hiromasa; Yamamoto, Toshiyuki; Sato, Masako; Furusawa, Yoshihiko; Murata, Miho

2018-01-01

The causes of "delayed-on" and "no-on" phenomena in Parkinson disease (PD) are thought to have some impact on the progress of L-DOPA from the time of ingestion until it reaches the brain and is converted to dopamine. Dysphagia can cause fluctuating symptom expression in L-DOPA therapy for PD. A 69-year-old man with PD presented with "delayed-on" and "no-on" phenomena. The patient developed a gait disorder at age 60 years, and he began coughing on his food during breakfast at age 64 years. Even though he was independent in daily life, he could not eat because of dysphagia in an "off" state. Videofluoroscopic examination of swallowing in an "off" state revealed bradykinesia of the tongue and the retention of tablets in the epiglottic vallecula. We trained him to keep his tongue in strong contact with the upper incisors before swallowing. After rehabilitation of dysphagia, the frequency of "delayed-on" and "no-on" phenomena decreased, and his peak L-DOPA plasma concentration was elevated. Additionally, transdermal rotigotine (RTG) was initiated at a maintenance dose of 9.0 mg. The patient reported improvement in swallowing, and the frequency of "no-on" phenomena decreased. In PD patients, the "no-on" phenomenon can be caused by posterior contractile dysfunction of the tongue, and it can be improved with training of the tongue and transdermal RTG administration.

Mechano-genetic DNA hydrogels as a simple, reconstituted model to probe the effect of active fluctuations on gene transcription

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nguyen, Dan; Saleh, Omar

Active fluctuations - non-directed fluctuations attributable, not to thermal energy, but to non-equilibrium processes - are thought to influence biology by increasing the diffusive motion of biomolecules. Dense DNA regions within cells (i.e. chromatin) are expected to exhibit such phenomena, as they are cross-linked networks that continually experience propagating forces arising from dynamic cellular activity. Additional agitation within these gene-encoding DNA networks could have potential genetic consequences. By changing the local mobility of transcriptional machinery and regulatory proteins towards/from their binding sites, and thereby influencing transcription rates, active fluctuations could prove to be a physical means of modulating gene expression. To begin probing this effect, we construct genetic DNA hydrogels, as a simple, reconstituted model of chromatin, and quantify transcriptional output from these hydrogels in the presence/absence of active fluctuations.

OBSERVATIONS OF INTENSITY FLUCTUATIONS ATTRIBUTED TO GRANULATION AND FACULAE ON SUN-LIKE STARS FROM THE KEPLER MISSION

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Karoff, C.; Campante, T. L.; Ballot, J.

2013-04-10

Sun-like stars show intensity fluctuations on a number of timescales due to various physical phenomena on their surfaces. These phenomena can convincingly be studied in the frequency spectra of these stars-while the strongest signatures usually originate from spots, granulation, and p-mode oscillations, it has also been suggested that the frequency spectrum of the Sun contains a signature of faculae. We have analyzed three stars observed for 13 months in short cadence (58.84 s sampling) by the Kepler mission. The frequency spectra of all three stars, as for the Sun, contain signatures that we can attribute to granulation, faculae, and p-modemore » oscillations. The temporal variability of the signatures attributed to granulation, faculae, and p-mode oscillations was analyzed and the analysis indicates a periodic variability in the granulation and faculae signatures-comparable to what is seen in the Sun.« less

Flux of a Ratchet Model and Applications to Processive Motor Proteins

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Jing-Hui

2015-10-01

In this paper, we investigate the stationary probability current (or flux) of a Brownian ratchet model as a function of the flipping rate of the fluctuating potential barrier. It is shown that, with suitably selecting the parameters' values of the ratchet system, we can get the negative resonant activation, the positive resonant activation, the double resonant activation, and the current reversal, for the stationary probability current versus the flipping rate. The appearance of these phenomena is the result of the cooperative effects of the potential's dichotomous fluctuations and the internal thermal fluctuations on the evolution of the flux versus the flipping rate of the fluctuating potential barrier. In addition, some applications of our results to the motor proteins are discussed. Supported by K.C. Wong Magna Fund in Ningbo University in China

Believing in paranormal phenomena: relations to asymmetry of body and brain.

PubMed

Schulter, Günter; Papousek, Ilona

2008-01-01

The goal of this study was to investigate the possible relationship between established measures of body and brain asymmetries and individual differences in paranormal beliefs. In addition to behavioural measures of cerebral laterality, measures of facial features and finger length were taken to calculate body asymmetry scores and indicators of fluctuating asymmetry (average absolute differences between left and right body features). Both the direction and degree of laterality measures were used. In addition to that, quantitative measures of inconsistency of cerebral lateralization were obtained. Results indicated that a stronger belief in paranormal phenomena was associated with fluctuating asymmetry of finger length, and that this aspect of body asymmetry may be related to greater intraindividual variability in the degree of 'atypical' functional lateralization. This intraindividual variability index, in turn, significantly predicted strength of belief in the paranormal. Belief in the paranormal was also higher in women than men and it was negatively correlated with the education level. In sum, these findings suggest that a part of the variance of strength of belief in paranormal phenomena can be explained by patterns of functional hemispheric asymmetry that may be related to perturbations during fetal development.

Culturomics meets random fractal theory: insights into long-range correlations of social and natural phenomena over the past two centuries

PubMed Central

Gao, Jianbo; Hu, Jing; Mao, Xiang; Perc, Matjaž

2012-01-01

Culturomics was recently introduced as the application of high-throughput data collection and analysis to the study of human culture. Here, we make use of these data by investigating fluctuations in yearly usage frequencies of specific words that describe social and natural phenomena, as derived from books that were published over the course of the past two centuries. We show that the determination of the Hurst parameter by means of fractal analysis provides fundamental insights into the nature of long-range correlations contained in the culturomic trajectories, and by doing so offers new interpretations as to what might be the main driving forces behind the examined phenomena. Quite remarkably, we find that social and natural phenomena are governed by fundamentally different processes. While natural phenomena have properties that are typical for processes with persistent long-range correlations, social phenomena are better described as non-stationary, on–off intermittent or Lévy walk processes. PMID:22337632

Experimental analysis of drift waves destabilization in a toroidal plasma

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Riccardi, C.; Xuantong, D.; Salierno, M.

1997-11-01

This paper concerns the study of the development of turbulence in a toroidal magnetoplasma [C. Riccardi {ital et al.}, Plasma Phys. {bold 36}, 1791 (1994)]. This analysis has been performed by evaluating wave number, frequency spectra, and bicoherence coefficients of density fluctuations associated to drift wave propagation. Plasma parameters have been changed over a wide range, in order to identify and characterize density fluctuations both in absence and in presence of nonlinear phenomena. {copyright} {ital 1997 American Institute of Physics.}

Electron transfer statistics and thermal fluctuations in molecular junctions

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Goswami, Himangshu Prabal; Harbola, Upendra

2015-02-28

We derive analytical expressions for probability distribution function (PDF) for electron transport in a simple model of quantum junction in presence of thermal fluctuations. Our approach is based on the large deviation theory combined with the generating function method. For large number of electrons transferred, the PDF is found to decay exponentially in the tails with different rates due to applied bias. This asymmetry in the PDF is related to the fluctuation theorem. Statistics of fluctuations are analyzed in terms of the Fano factor. Thermal fluctuations play a quantitative role in determining the statistics of electron transfer; they tend tomore » suppress the average current while enhancing the fluctuations in particle transfer. This gives rise to both bunching and antibunching phenomena as determined by the Fano factor. The thermal fluctuations and shot noise compete with each other and determine the net (effective) statistics of particle transfer. Exact analytical expression is obtained for delay time distribution. The optimal values of the delay time between successive electron transfers can be lowered below the corresponding shot noise values by tuning the thermal effects.« less

Transport behaviors of locally fractional coupled Brownian motors with fluctuating interactions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Huiqi; Ni, Feixiang; Lin, Lifeng; Lv, Wangyong; Zhu, Hongqiang

2018-09-01

In some complex viscoelastic mediums, it is ubiquitous that absorbing and desorbing surrounding Brownian particles randomly occur in coupled systems. The conventional method is to model a variable-mass system driven by both multiplicative and additive noises. In this paper, an improved mathematical model is created based on generalized Langevin equations (GLE) to characterize the random interaction with locally fluctuating number of coupled particles in the elastically coupled factional Brownian motors (FBM). By the numerical simulations, the effect of fluctuating interactions on collective transport behaviors is investigated, and some abnormal phenomena, such as cooperative behaviors, stochastic resonance (SR) and anomalous transport, are observed in the regime of sub-diffusion.

Short-wavelength plasma turbulence and temperature anisotropy instabilities: Recent computational progress

DOE PAGES

Gary, S. Peter

2015-04-06

Plasma turbulence consists of an ensemble of enhanced, broadband electromagnetic fluctuations, typically driven by multi-wave interactions which transfer energy in wavevector space via non- linear cascade processes. In addition, temperature anisotropy instabilities in collisionless plasmas are driven by quasi-linear wave–particle interactions which transfer particle kinetic energy to field fluctuation energy; the resulting enhanced fluctuations are typically narrowband in wavevector magnitude and direction. Whatever their sources, short-wavelength fluctuations are those at which charged particle kinetic, that is, velocity-space, properties are important; these are generally wavelengths of the order of or shorter than the ion inertial length or the thermal ion gyroradius.more » The purpose of this review is to summarize and interpret recent computational results concerning short-wavelength plasma turbulence, short-wavelength temperature anisotropy instabilities and relationships between the two phenomena.« less

Plasmon mass scale and quantum fluctuations of classical fields on a real time lattice

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kurkela, Aleksi; Lappi, Tuomas; Peuron, Jarkko

2018-03-01

Classical real-time lattice simulations play an important role in understanding non-equilibrium phenomena in gauge theories and are used in particular to model the prethermal evolution of heavy-ion collisions. Above the Debye scale the classical Yang-Mills (CYM) theory can be matched smoothly to kinetic theory. First we study the limits of the quasiparticle picture of the CYM fields by determining the plasmon mass of the system using 3 different methods. Then we argue that one needs a numerical calculation of a system of classical gauge fields and small linearized fluctuations, which correspond to quantum fluctuations, in a way that keeps the separation between the two manifest. We demonstrate and test an implementation of an algorithm with the linearized fluctuation showing that the linearization indeed works and that the Gauss's law is conserved.

An upgraded interferometer-polarimeter system for broadband fluctuation measurements

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Parke, E., E-mail: eparke@ucla.edu; Ding, W. X.; Brower, D. L.

2016-11-15

Measuring high-frequency fluctuations (above tearing mode frequencies) is important for diagnosing instabilities and transport phenomena. The Madison Symmetric Torus interferometer-polarimeter system has been upgraded to utilize improved planar-diode mixer technology. The new mixers reduce phase noise and allow more sensitive measurements of fluctuations at high frequency. Typical polarimeter rms phase noise values of 0.05°–0.07° are obtained with 400 kHz bandwidth. The low phase noise enables the resolution of fluctuations up to 250 kHz for polarimetry and 600 kHz for interferometry. The importance of probe beam alignment for polarimetry is also verified; previously reported tolerances of ≤0.1 mm displacement for equilibriummore » and tearing mode measurements minimize contamination due to spatial misalignment to within acceptable levels for chords near the magnetic axis.« less

Transitions in optimal adaptive strategies for populations in fluctuating environments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mayer, Andreas; Mora, Thierry; Rivoire, Olivier; Walczak, Aleksandra M.

2017-09-01

Biological populations are subject to fluctuating environmental conditions. Different adaptive strategies can allow them to cope with these fluctuations: specialization to one particular environmental condition, adoption of a generalist phenotype that compromises between conditions, or population-wise diversification (bet hedging). Which strategy provides the largest selective advantage in the long run depends on the range of accessible phenotypes and the statistics of the environmental fluctuations. Here, we analyze this problem in a simple mathematical model of population growth. First, we review and extend a graphical method to identify the nature of the optimal strategy when the environmental fluctuations are uncorrelated. Temporal correlations in environmental fluctuations open up new strategies that rely on memory but are mathematically challenging to study: We present analytical results to address this challenge. We illustrate our general approach by analyzing optimal adaptive strategies in the presence of trade-offs that constrain the range of accessible phenotypes. Our results extend several previous studies and have applications to a variety of biological phenomena, from antibiotic resistance in bacteria to immune responses in vertebrates.

Low-frequency fluctuation spectra and associated particle transport in the NASA Lewis bumpy-torus plasma

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Singh, C. M.; Krawczonek, W. M.; Roth, J. R.; Hong, J. Y.; Kim, Y. C.; Powers, E. J.

1978-01-01

The strong radial electric field associated with the Penning discharge and the strong toroidal magnetic field give rise to a diversity of E/B phenomena, such as rotating waves and spokes, which in turn manifest themselves as space-time fluctuations of the plasma density and potential. Work is done to further understand the nature and origin of the fluctuations and their connection with fluctuation-induced transport. The approach is to monitor the density and potential fluctuations; to digitize the data; and to generate, with the aid of a computer, various spectral properties by means of the fast fourier transform. Of particular interest is the computer-generated transport spectrum that indicates in a quantitative way which fluctuation spectral components contribute to transport and which do not. All experimental measurements of the spectral characteristics of the plasma are given in absolute units rather than as relative values. Preliminary measurements of the transport spectrum of the ion population are given, and it is shown that the fluctuation-induced transport is in order-of-magnitude agreement with that inferred from the steady state current flowing to the electrodes that generate the plasma.

Renormalization-group theory of plasma microturbulence

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Carati, D.; Chriaa, K.; Balescu, R.

1994-08-01

The dynamical renormalization-group methods are applied to the gyrokinetic equation describing drift-wave turbulence in plasmas. As in both magnetohydrodynamic and neutral turbulence, small-scale fluctuations appear to act as effective dissipative processes on large-scale phenomena. A linear renormalized gyrokinetic equation is derived. No artificial forcing is introduced into the equations and all the renormalized corrections are expressed in terms of the fluctuating electric potential. The link with the quasilinear limit and the direct interaction approximation is investigated. Simple analytical expressions for the anomalous transport coefficients are derived by using the linear renormalized gyrokinetic equation. Examples show that both quasilinear and Bohmmore » scalings can be recovered depending on the spectral amplitude of the electric potential fluctuations.« less

Multiscale analysis of the intensity fluctuation in a time series of dynamic speckle patterns.

PubMed

Federico, Alejandro; Kaufmann, Guillermo H

2007-04-10

We propose the application of a method based on the discrete wavelet transform to detect, identify, and measure scaling behavior in dynamic speckle. The multiscale phenomena presented by a sample and displayed by its speckle activity are analyzed by processing the time series of dynamic speckle patterns. The scaling analysis is applied to the temporal fluctuation of the speckle intensity and also to the two derived data sets generated by its magnitude and sign. The application of the method is illustrated by analyzing paint-drying processes and bruising in apples. The results are discussed taking into account the different time organizations obtained for the scaling behavior of the magnitude and the sign of the intensity fluctuation.

Electromagnetic fluctuation spectra of collective oscillations in magnetized Maxwellian equal mass plasmas for low-frequency waves

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Vafin, S.; Schlickeiser, R.; Yoon, P. H.

Recently, the general electromagnetic fluctuation theory for magnetized plasmas has been used to study the steady-state fluctuation spectra and the total intensity of low-frequency collective weakly damped modes for parallel wave vectors in Maxwellian plasmas. Now, we address the same question with respect to an arbitrary direction of the wave-vector. Here, we analyze this problem for equal mass plasmas. These plasmas are a very good tool to study various plasma phenomena, as they considerably facilitate the theoretical consideration and at the same time provide with their clear physical picture. Finally, we compare our results in the limiting case of parallelmore » wave vectors with the previous study.« less

Universal ideal behavior and macroscopic work relation of linear irreversible stochastic thermodynamics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ma, Yi-An; Qian, Hong

2015-06-01

We revisit the Ornstein-Uhlenbeck (OU) process as the fundamental mathematical description of linear irreversible phenomena, with fluctuations, near an equilibrium. By identifying the underlying circulating dynamics in a stationary process as the natural generalization of classical conservative mechanics, a bridge between a family of OU processes with equilibrium fluctuations and thermodynamics is established through the celebrated Helmholtz theorem. The Helmholtz theorem provides an emergent macroscopic ‘equation of state’ of the entire system, which exhibits a universal ideal thermodynamic behavior. Fluctuating macroscopic quantities are studied from the stochastic thermodynamic point of view and a non-equilibrium work relation is obtained in the macroscopic picture, which may facilitate experimental study and application of the equalities due to Jarzynski, Crooks, and Hatano and Sasa.

Spin fluctuation induced linear magnetoresistance in ultrathin superconducting FeSe films

DOE PAGES

Wang, Qingyan; Zhang, Wenhao; Chen, Weiwei; ...

2017-07-21

The discovery of high-temperature superconductivity in FeSe/STO has trigged great research interest to reveal a range of exotic physical phenomena in this novel material. Here we present a temperature dependent magnetotransport measurement for ultrathin FeSe/STO films with different thickness and protection layers. Remarkably, a surprising linear magnetoresistance (LMR) is observed around the superconducting transition temperatures but absent otherwise. The experimental LMR can be reproduced by magnetotransport calculations based on a model of magnetic field dependent disorder induced by spin fluctuation. Thus, the observed LMR in coexistence with superconductivity provides the first magnetotransport signature for spin fluctuation around the superconducting transitionmore » region in ultrathin FeSe/STO films.« less

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Arham, H. Z.; Hunt, C. R.; Park, W. K.

We use point-contact spectroscopy (PCS) to probe AEFe 2As 2 (AE=Ca,Sr,Ba) and Fe 1+yTe. For AE=Sr,Ba we detect orbital fluctuations above TS while for AE=Ca these fluctuations start below T S. Co doping preserves the orbital fluctuations while K doping suppresses it. The fluctuations are only seen at those dopings and temperatures where an in-plane resistive anisotropy is known to exist. We predict an in-plane resistive anisotropy of Fe 1+yTe above T S. Our data are examined in light of the recent work by Lee and Phillips (arXiv:1110.5917v2). We also study how joule heating in the PCS junctions impacts themore » spectra. Spectroscopic information is only obtained from those PCS junctions that are free of heating effects while those PCS junctions that are in the thermal regime display bulk resistivity phenomena.« less

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Arham, H.Z.; Hunt, C.R.; Park, W.K.

We use point-contact spectroscopy (PCS) to probe AEFe2As2 (AE=Ca, Sr, Ba) and Fe1+yTe. For AE=Sr,Ba we detect orbital fluctuations above TS while for AE=Ca these fluctuations start below TS. Co doping preserves the orbital fluctuations while K doping suppresses it. The fluctuations are only seen at those dopings and temperatures where an in-plane resistive anisotropy is known to exist. We predict an in-plane resistive anisotropy of Fe1+yTe above TS. Our data are examined in light of the recent work by Lee and Phillips (arXiv:1110.5917v2). We also study how joule heating in the PCS junctions impacts the spectra. Spectroscopic information ismore » only obtained from those PCS junctions that are free of heating effects while those PCS junctions that are in the thermal regime display bulk resistivity phenomena.« less

Dynamics of intracellular processes in live-cell systems unveiled by fluorescence correlation microscopy.

PubMed

González Bardeci, Nicolás; Angiolini, Juan Francisco; De Rossi, María Cecilia; Bruno, Luciana; Levi, Valeria

2017-01-01

Fluorescence fluctuation-based methods are non-invasive microscopy tools especially suited for the study of dynamical aspects of biological processes. These methods examine spontaneous intensity fluctuations produced by fluorescent molecules moving through the small, femtoliter-sized observation volume defined in confocal and multiphoton microscopes. The quantitative analysis of the intensity trace provides information on the processes producing the fluctuations that include diffusion, binding interactions, chemical reactions and photophysical phenomena. In this review, we present the basic principles of the most widespread fluctuation-based methods, discuss their implementation in standard confocal microscopes and briefly revise some examples of their applications to address relevant questions in living cells. The ultimate goal of these methods in the Cell Biology field is to observe biomolecules as they move, interact with targets and perform their biological action in the natural context. © 2016 IUBMB Life, 69(1):8-15, 2017. © 2016 International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.

Spectral properties of thermal fluctuations on simple liquid surfaces below shot-noise levels.

PubMed

Aoki, Kenichiro; Mitsui, Takahisa

2012-07-01

We study the spectral properties of thermal fluctuations on simple liquid surfaces, sometimes called ripplons. Analytical properties of the spectral function are investigated and are shown to be composed of regions with simple analytic behavior with respect to the frequency or the wave number. The derived expressions are compared to spectral measurements performed orders of magnitude below shot-noise levels, which is achieved using a novel noise reduction method. The agreement between the theory of thermal surface fluctuations and the experiment is found to be excellent, elucidating the spectral properties of the surface fluctuations. The measurement method requires relatively only a small sample both spatially (few μm) and temporally (~20 s). The method also requires relatively weak light power (~0.5 mW) so that it has a broad range of applicability, including local measurements, investigations of time-dependent phenomena, and noninvasive measurements.

Kinetic theory and turbulent discontinuities. [shock tube flow

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Johnson, J. A., III; I, L.; Li, Y.; Ramaian, R.; Santigo, J. P.

1981-01-01

Shock tube discontinuities were used to test and extend a kinetic theory of turbulence. In shock wave and contact surface fluctuations, coherent phenomena were found which provide new support for the microscopic nonempirical approach to turbulent systems, especially those with boundary layer-like instabilities.

Tipping point analysis of ocean acoustic noise

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Livina, Valerie N.; Brouwer, Albert; Harris, Peter; Wang, Lian; Sotirakopoulos, Kostas; Robinson, Stephen

2018-02-01

We apply tipping point analysis to a large record of ocean acoustic data to identify the main components of the acoustic dynamical system and study possible bifurcations and transitions of the system. The analysis is based on a statistical physics framework with stochastic modelling, where we represent the observed data as a composition of deterministic and stochastic components estimated from the data using time-series techniques. We analyse long-term and seasonal trends, system states and acoustic fluctuations to reconstruct a one-dimensional stochastic equation to approximate the acoustic dynamical system. We apply potential analysis to acoustic fluctuations and detect several changes in the system states in the past 14 years. These are most likely caused by climatic phenomena. We analyse trends in sound pressure level within different frequency bands and hypothesize a possible anthropogenic impact on the acoustic environment. The tipping point analysis framework provides insight into the structure of the acoustic data and helps identify its dynamic phenomena, correctly reproducing the probability distribution and scaling properties (power-law correlations) of the time series.

Quantification of scaling exponent with Crossover type phenomena for different types of forcing in DC glow discharge plasma

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saha, Debajyoti; Shaw, Pankaj Kumar; Ghosh, Sabuj; Janaki, M. S.; Sekar Iyengar, A. N.

2018-01-01

We have carried out a detailed study of scaling region using detrended fractal analysis test by applying different forcing likewise noise, sinusoidal, square on the floating potential fluctuations acquired under different pressures in a DC glow discharge plasma. The transition in the dynamics is observed through recurrence plot techniques which is an efficient method to observe the critical regime transitions in dynamics. The complexity of the nonlinear fluctuation has been revealed with the help of recurrence quantification analysis which is a suitable tool for investigating recurrence, an ubiquitous feature providing a deep insight into the dynamics of real dynamical system. An informal test for stationarity which checks for the compatibility of nonlinear approximations to the dynamics made in different segments in a time series has been proposed. In case of sinusoidal, noise, square forcing applied on fluctuation acquired at P = 0.12 mbar only one dominant scaling region is observed whereas the forcing applied on fluctuation (P = 0.04 mbar) two prominent scaling regions have been explored reliably using different forcing amplitudes indicating the signature of crossover phenomena. Furthermore a persistence long range behavior has been observed in one of these scaling regions. A comprehensive study of the quantification of scaling exponents has been carried out with the increase in amplitude and frequency of sinusoidal, square type of forcings. The scalings exponent is envisaged to be the roughness of the time series. The method provides a single quantitative idea of the scaling exponent to quantify the correlation properties of a signal.

On the Variation of Eta with Energy in the 100-1000 ev Region

DOE R&D Accomplishments Database

Wigner, E. P.

1949-11-01

Fluctuations in the fission yield in the 100- to 1000-ev region led to an investigation of the influencing variables. Changes in fission width from level to level and higher angular momentum phenomena are seen as possible explanations. (D.E.B.)

Switching Phenomena in a System with No Switches

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Preis, Tobias; Stanley, H. Eugene

2010-02-01

It is widely believed that switching phenomena require switches, but this is actually not true. For an intriguing variety of switching phenomena in nature, the underlying complex system abruptly changes from one state to another in a highly discontinuous fashion. For example, financial market fluctuations are characterized by many abrupt switchings creating increasing trends ("bubble formation") and decreasing trends ("financial collapse"). Such switching occurs on time scales ranging from macroscopic bubbles persisting for hundreds of days to microscopic bubbles persisting only for a few seconds. We analyze a database containing 13,991,275 German DAX Future transactions recorded with a time resolution of 10 msec. For comparison, a database providing 2,592,531 of all S&P500 daily closing prices is used. We ask whether these ubiquitous switching phenomena have quantifiable features independent of the time horizon studied. We find striking scale-free behavior of the volatility after each switching occurs. We interpret our findings as being consistent with time-dependent collective behavior of financial market participants. We test the possible universality of our result by performing a parallel analysis of fluctuations in transaction volume and time intervals between trades. We show that these financial market switching processes have properties similar to those of phase transitions. We suggest that the well-known catastrophic bubbles that occur on large time scales—such as the most recent financial crisis—are no outliers but single dramatic representatives caused by the switching between upward and downward trends on time scales varying over nine orders of magnitude from very large (≈102 days) down to very small (≈10 ms).

Statistical physics and economic fluctuations: do outliers exist?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stanley, H. Eugene

2003-02-01

We present an overview of recent research applying ideas of statistical physics to try to better understand puzzles regarding economic fluctuations. One of these puzzles is how to describe outliers, phenomena that lie outside of patterns of statistical regularity. We review evidence consistent with the possibility that such outliers may not exist. This possibility is supported by recent analysis by Plerou et al. of a database containing the bid, ask, and sale price of each trade of every stock. Further, the data support the picture of economic fluctuations, due to Plerou et al., in which a financial market alternates between being in an “equilibrium phase” where market behavior is split roughly equally between buying and selling, and an “out-of-equilibrium phase” where the market is mainly either buying or selling.

Quantifying polymer deformation in viscoelastic turbulence: the geometric decomposition and a Riemannian approach to scalar measures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hameduddin, Ismail; Meneveau, Charles; Zaki, Tamer; Gayme, Dennice

2017-11-01

We develop a new framework to quantify the fluctuating behaviour of the conformation tensor in viscoelastic turbulent flows. This framework addresses two shortcomings of the classical approach based on Reynolds decomposition: the fluctuating part of the conformation tensor is not guaranteed to be positive definite and it does not consistently represent polymer expansions and contractions about the mean. Our approach employs a geometric decomposition that yields a positive-definite fluctuating conformation tensor with a clear physical interpretation as a deformation to the mean conformation. We propose three scalar measures of this fluctuating conformation tensor, which respect the non-Euclidean Riemannian geometry of the manifold of positive-definite tensors: fluctuating polymer volume, geodesic distance from the mean, and an anisotropy measure. We use these scalar quantities to investigate drag-reduced viscoelastic turbulent channel flow. Our approach establishes a systematic method to study viscoelastic turbulence. It also uncovers interesting phenomena that are not apparent using traditional analysis tools, including a logarithmic decrease in anisotropy of the mean conformation tensor away from the wall and polymer fluctuations peaking beyond the buffer layer. This work has been partially funded by the following NSF Grants: CBET-1652244, OCE-1633124, CBET-1511937.

Surface and finite size effect on fluctuations dynamics in nanoparticles with long-range order

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Morozovska, A. N.; Eliseev, E. A.

2010-02-01

The influence of surface and finite size on the dynamics of the order parameter fluctuations and critical phenomena in the three-dimensional (3D)-confined systems with long-range order was not considered theoretically. In this paper, we study the influence of surface and finite size on the dynamics of the order parameter fluctuations in the particles of arbitrary shape. We consider concrete examples of the spherical and cylindrical ferroic nanoparticles within Landau-Ginzburg-Devonshire phenomenological approach. Allowing for the strong surface energy contribution in micro and nanoparticles, the analytical expressions derived for the Ornstein-Zernike correlator of the long-range order parameter spatial-temporal fluctuations, dynamic generalized susceptibility, relaxation times, and correlation radii discrete spectra are different from those known for bulk systems. Obtained analytical expressions for the correlation function of the order parameter spatial-temporal fluctuations in micro and nanosized systems can be useful for the quantitative analysis of the dynamical structural factors determined from magnetic resonance diffraction and scattering spectra. Besides the practical importance of the correlation function for the analysis of the experimental data, derived expressions for the fluctuations strength determine the fundamental limits of phenomenological theories applicability for 3D-confined systems.

Preface: Special Topic on Nucleation: New Concepts and Discoveries.

PubMed

Kelton, K F; Frenkel, Daan

2016-12-07

Many phenomena in the world around us depend on infrequent, yet short-lived, events that completely alter how a system subsequently develops in time. In the physical sciences, there are many examples of such crucial "rare events." Among the most important of these are nucleation processes, in which, due to a rare fluctuation, a new phase forms spontaneously within a meta-stable parent phase. Because nucleation processes are both rare and rapid and happen on a microscopic spatial scale, their experimental study is challenging. In recent years, there have been major developments both in the experimental study of nucleation phenomena and in the numerical simulation of such processes. As the articles in this special issue demonstrate, these recent advances in the ability to probe nucleation phenomena have transformed our understanding of the field.

Sequence composition and environment effects on residue fluctuations in protein structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ruvinsky, Anatoly M.; Vakser, Ilya A.

2010-10-01

Structure fluctuations in proteins affect a broad range of cell phenomena, including stability of proteins and their fragments, allosteric transitions, and energy transfer. This study presents a statistical-thermodynamic analysis of relationship between the sequence composition and the distribution of residue fluctuations in protein-protein complexes. A one-node-per-residue elastic network model accounting for the nonhomogeneous protein mass distribution and the interatomic interactions through the renormalized inter-residue potential is developed. Two factors, a protein mass distribution and a residue environment, were found to determine the scale of residue fluctuations. Surface residues undergo larger fluctuations than core residues in agreement with experimental observations. Ranking residues over the normalized scale of fluctuations yields a distinct classification of amino acids into three groups: (i) highly fluctuating-Gly, Ala, Ser, Pro, and Asp, (ii) moderately fluctuating-Thr, Asn, Gln, Lys, Glu, Arg, Val, and Cys, and (iii) weakly fluctuating-Ile, Leu, Met, Phe, Tyr, Trp, and His. The structural instability in proteins possibly relates to the high content of the highly fluctuating residues and a deficiency of the weakly fluctuating residues in irregular secondary structure elements (loops), chameleon sequences, and disordered proteins. Strong correlation between residue fluctuations and the sequence composition of protein loops supports this hypothesis. Comparing fluctuations of binding site residues (interface residues) with other surface residues shows that, on average, the interface is more rigid than the rest of the protein surface and Gly, Ala, Ser, Cys, Leu, and Trp have a propensity to form more stable docking patches on the interface. The findings have broad implications for understanding mechanisms of protein association and stability of protein structures.

Structural Fluctuations and Thermophysical Properties of Molten II-VI Compounds

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Su, Ching-Hua; Zhu, Shen; Li, Chao; Scripa, R.; Lehoczky, Sandra L.; Kim, Y. W.; Baird, J. K.; Lin, B.; Ban, Heng; Benmore, Chris

2003-01-01

The objectives of the project are to conduct ground-based experimental and theoretical research on the structural fluctuations and thermophysical properties of molten II-VI compounds to enhance the basic understanding of the existing flight experiments in microgravity materials science programs as well as to study the fundamental heterophase fluctuation phenomena in these melts by: 1) conducting neutron scattering analysis and measuring quantitatively the relevant thermophysical properties of the II-VI melts (such as viscosity, electrical conductivity, thermal diffusivity and density) as well as the relaxation characteristics of these properties to advance the understanding of the structural properties and the relaxation phenomena in these melts and 2) performing theoretical analyses on the melt systems to interpret the experimental results. All the facilities required for the experimental measurements have been procured, installed and tested. It has long been recognized that liquid Te presents a unique case having properties between those of metals and semiconductors. The electrical conductivity for Te melt increases rapidly at melting point, indicating a semiconductor-metal transition. Te melts comprise two features, which are usually considered to be incompatible with each other: covalently bound atoms and metallic-like behavior. Why do Te liquids show metallic behavior? is one of the long-standing issues in liquid metal physics. Since thermophysical properties are very sensitive to the structural variations of a melt, we have conducted extensive thermophysical measurements on Te melt.

Structural Fluctuation and Thermophysical Properties of Molten II-VI Compounds

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2003-01-01

The objectives of the project is to conduct ground-based experimental and theoretical research on the structural fluctuations and thermophysical properties of molten II-VI compounds to enhance the basic understanding of the existing flight experiments in microgravity materials science programs and to study the fundamental heterophase fluctuations phenomena in these melts by: 1) Conducting neutron scattering analysis and measuring quantitatively the relevant thermophysical properties of the II-VI melts such as viscosity, electrical conductivity, thermal diffusivity and density as well as the relaxation characteristics of these properties to advance the understanding of the structural properties and the relaxation phenomena in these melts and 2) Performing theoretical analyses on the melt systems to interpret the experimental results. All the facilities required for the experimental measurements have been procured, installed and tested. A relaxation phenomenon, which shows a slow drift of the measured thermal conductivity toward the equilibrium value after cooling of the sample, was observed for the first time. An apparatus based on the transient torque induced by a rotating magnetic field has been developed to determine the viscosity and electrical conductivity of semiconducting liquids. Viscosity measurements on molten tellurium showed similar relaxation behavior as the measured diffusivity. Neutron scattering experiments were performed on the HgTe and HgZnTe melts and the results on pair distribution showed better resolution than previous reported.

Reproducibility in Psychological Science: When Do Psychological Phenomena Exist?

PubMed Central

Iso-Ahola, Seppo E.

2017-01-01

Scientific evidence has recently been used to assert that certain psychological phenomena do not exist. Such claims, however, cannot be made because (1) scientific method itself is seriously limited (i.e., it can never prove a negative); (2) non-existence of phenomena would require a complete absence of both logical (theoretical) and empirical support; even if empirical support is weak, logical and theoretical support can be strong; (3) statistical data are only one piece of evidence and cannot be used to reduce psychological phenomena to statistical phenomena; and (4) psychological phenomena vary across time, situations and persons. The human mind is unreproducible from one situation to another. Psychological phenomena are not particles that can decisively be tested and discovered. Therefore, a declaration that a phenomenon is not real is not only theoretically and empirically unjustified but runs counter to the propositional and provisional nature of scientific knowledge. There are only “temporary winners” and no “final truths” in scientific knowledge. Psychology is a science of subtleties in human affect, cognition and behavior. Its phenomena fluctuate with conditions and may sometimes be difficult to detect and reproduce empirically. When strictly applied, reproducibility is an overstated and even questionable concept in psychological science. Furthermore, statistical measures (e.g., effect size) are poor indicators of the theoretical importance and relevance of phenomena (cf. “deliberate practice” vs. “talent” in expert performance), not to mention whether phenomena are real or unreal. To better understand psychological phenomena, their theoretical and empirical properties should be examined via multiple parameters and criteria. Ten such parameters are suggested. PMID:28626435

Critical point in the phase diagram of primordial quark-gluon matter from black hole physics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Critelli, Renato; Noronha, Jorge; Noronha-Hostler, Jacquelyn; Portillo, Israel; Ratti, Claudia; Rougemont, Romulo

2017-11-01

Strongly interacting matter undergoes a crossover phase transition at high temperatures T ˜1012 K and zero net-baryon density. A fundamental question in the theory of strong interactions, QCD, is whether a hot and dense system of quarks and gluons displays critical phenomena when doped with more quarks than antiquarks, where net-baryon number fluctuations diverge. Recent lattice QCD work indicates that such a critical point can only occur in the baryon dense regime of the theory, which defies a description from first principles calculations. Here we use the holographic gauge/gravity correspondence to map the fluctuations of baryon charge in the dense quark-gluon liquid onto a numerically tractable gravitational problem involving the charge fluctuations of holographic black holes. This approach quantitatively reproduces ab initio results for the lowest order moments of the baryon fluctuations and makes predictions for the higher-order baryon susceptibilities and also for the location of the critical point, which is found to be within the reach of heavy-ion collision experiments.

Event-by-event mean p T fluctuations in pp and Pb–Pb collisions at the LHC

DOE PAGES

Abelev, B.; Adam, J.; Adamová, D.; ...

2014-10-15

Event-by-event fluctuations of the mean transverse momentum of charged particles produced in pp collisions at √s = 0.9, 2.76 and 7 TeV, and Pb–Pb collisions at √ sNN = 2.76 TeV are studied as a function of the charged-particle multiplicity using the ALICE detector at the LHC. Dynamical fluctuations indicative of correlated particle emission are observed in all systems. The results in pp collisions show little dependence on collision energy. The Monte Carlo event generators PYTHIA and PHOJET are in qualitative agreement with the data. Peripheral Pb–Pb data exhibit a similar multiplicity dependence as that observed in pp. In centralmore » Pb–Pb, the results deviate from this trend, featuring a significant reduction of the fluctuation strength. The results in Pb–Pb are in qualitative agreement with previous measurements in Au–Au at lower collision energies and with expectations from models that incorporate collective phenomena.« less

A unified nonlinear stochastic time series analysis for climate science

PubMed Central

Moon, Woosok; Wettlaufer, John S.

2017-01-01

Earth’s orbit and axial tilt imprint a strong seasonal cycle on climatological data. Climate variability is typically viewed in terms of fluctuations in the seasonal cycle induced by higher frequency processes. We can interpret this as a competition between the orbitally enforced monthly stability and the fluctuations/noise induced by weather. Here we introduce a new time-series method that determines these contributions from monthly-averaged data. We find that the spatio-temporal distribution of the monthly stability and the magnitude of the noise reveal key fingerprints of several important climate phenomena, including the evolution of the Arctic sea ice cover, the El Nio Southern Oscillation (ENSO), the Atlantic Nio and the Indian Dipole Mode. In analogy with the classical destabilising influence of the ice-albedo feedback on summertime sea ice, we find that during some time interval of the season a destabilising process operates in all of these climate phenomena. The interaction between the destabilisation and the accumulation of noise, which we term the memory effect, underlies phase locking to the seasonal cycle and the statistical nature of seasonal predictability. PMID:28287128

Exploitation of high resolution beam spectroscopy diagnostics on MAST

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Michael, Clive; Debock, Maarten; Conway, Neil; Akers, Rob; Appel, Lynton; Field, Anthony; Walsh, Mike; Wisse, Marco

2009-11-01

Recent developments in beam spectroscopy on MAST, including CXRS, MSE and a pilot FIDA system have revealed new information about phenomena such as ITBs, MHD instabilities, transport and fast particle physics. For example, ITBs in the ion temperature and toroidal rotation have been observed with the 64ch CXRS system, while reverse-shear q profiles have been observed with the recently commissioned 35ch MSE system. Thus, the synergy of these diagnostics helps us to understand, among other things, the role of magnetic and rotational shear on ITBs. MSE measurements have also helped to understand MHD phenomena such as locked modes (characterized by changes in toroidal momentum, revealed by CXRS), sawteeth, and internal reconnection events. Finally, the temporal/spatial resolution and SNR of the MSE system have been exploited. Interesting results include the detection of low frequency (˜2kHz) magnetic field fluctuations, characterization of the radial structure of higher frequency (<100kHz) broadband and coherent density (BES) fluctuations, and the identification of short scale length features (˜1.8cm) in the current profile near the edge pedestal.

A unified nonlinear stochastic time series analysis for climate science.

PubMed

Moon, Woosok; Wettlaufer, John S

2017-03-13

Earth's orbit and axial tilt imprint a strong seasonal cycle on climatological data. Climate variability is typically viewed in terms of fluctuations in the seasonal cycle induced by higher frequency processes. We can interpret this as a competition between the orbitally enforced monthly stability and the fluctuations/noise induced by weather. Here we introduce a new time-series method that determines these contributions from monthly-averaged data. We find that the spatio-temporal distribution of the monthly stability and the magnitude of the noise reveal key fingerprints of several important climate phenomena, including the evolution of the Arctic sea ice cover, the El Nio Southern Oscillation (ENSO), the Atlantic Nio and the Indian Dipole Mode. In analogy with the classical destabilising influence of the ice-albedo feedback on summertime sea ice, we find that during some time interval of the season a destabilising process operates in all of these climate phenomena. The interaction between the destabilisation and the accumulation of noise, which we term the memory effect, underlies phase locking to the seasonal cycle and the statistical nature of seasonal predictability.

A unified nonlinear stochastic time series analysis for climate science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moon, Woosok; Wettlaufer, John

2017-04-01

Earth's orbit and axial tilt imprint a strong seasonal cycle on climatological data. Climate variability is typically viewed in terms of fluctuations in the seasonal cycle induced by higher frequency processes. We can interpret this as a competition between the orbitally enforced monthly stability and the fluctuations/noise induced by weather. Here we introduce a new time-series method that determines these contributions from monthly-averaged data. We find that the spatio-temporal distribution of the monthly stability and the magnitude of the noise reveal key fingerprints of several important climate phenomena, including the evolution of the Arctic sea ice cover, the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO), the Atlantic Niño and the Indian Dipole Mode. In analogy with the classical destabilising influence of the ice-albedo feedback on summertime sea ice, we find that during some period of the season a destabilising process operates in all of these climate phenomena. The interaction between the destabilisation and the accumulation of noise, which we term the memory effect, underlies phase locking to the seasonal cycle and the statistical nature of seasonal predictability.

Hetero-phase fluctuations in the pre-melting region in ionic crystals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Matsunaga, S.; Tamaki, S.

2008-06-01

The theory of the pre-melting phenomena in ionic crystals on the basis of the concept of the hetero phase fluctuation has been applied to KCl and AgCl crystal. The large scale molecular dynamics simulations (MD) in KCl and AgCl crystals are also performed to examine the ionic configuration in premelting region in the vicinity of their melting points. The size of the liquid like clusters are estimated by the theory and MD. The structural features of liquid like clusters are discussed by MD results using the Lindemann instability condition. The ionic conductivities in the pre-melting region are also discussed on the same theoretical basis.

Effect of static porosity fluctuations on reactive transport in a porous medium

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

L'Heureux, Ivan

2018-02-01

Reaction-diffusive transport phenomena in porous media are ubiquitous in engineering applications, biological and geochemical systems. The porosity field is usually random in space, but most models consider the porosity field as a well-defined deterministic function of space and time and ignore the porosity fluctuations. They use a reaction-diffusion equation written in terms of an average porosity and average concentration fields. In this contribution, we treat explicitly the effect of spatial porosity fluctuations on the dynamics of a concentration field for the case of a one-dimensional reaction-transport system with nonlinear kinetics. Three basic assumptions are considered. (i) The porosity fluctuations are assumed to have Gaussian properties and an arbitrary variance; (ii) we assume that the noise correlation length is small compared to the relevant macroscopic length scale; (iii) and we assume that the kinetics of the reactive term in the equations for the fluctuations is a self-consistently determined constant. Elimination of the fluctuating part of the concentration field from the dynamics leads to a renormalized equation involving the average concentration field. It is shown that the noise leads to a renormalized (generally smaller) diffusion coefficient and renormalized kinetics. Within the framework of the approximations used, numerical simulations are in agreement with our theory. We show that the porosity fluctuations may have a significant effect on the transport of a reactive species, even in the case of a homogeneous average porosity.

Steady and unsteady calculations on thermal striping phenomena in triple-parallel jet

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Yu, Y. Q.; Merzari, E.; Thomas, J. W.

2017-02-01

The phenomenon of thermal striping is encountered in liquid metal cooled fast reactors (LMFR), in which temperature fluctuation due to convective mixing between hot and cold fluids can lead to a possibility of crack initiation and propagation in the structure due to high cycle thermal fatigue. Using sodium experiments of parallel triple jets configuration performed by Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) as benchmark, numerical simulations were carried out to evaluate the temperature fluctuation characteristics in fluid and the transfer characteristics of temperature fluctuation from fluid to structure, which is important to assess the potential thermal fatigue damage. In this study,more » both steady (RANS) and unsteady (URANS, LES) methods were applied to predict the temperature fluctuations of thermal striping. The parametric studies on the effects of mesh density and boundary conditions on the accuracy of the overall solutions were also conducted. The velocity, temperature and temperature fluctuation intensity distribution were compared with the experimental data. As expected, steady calculation has limited success in predicting the thermal–hydraulic characteristics of the thermal striping, highlighting the limitations of the RANS approach in unsteady heat transfer simulations. The unsteady results exhibited reasonably good agreement with experimental results for temperature fluctuation intensity, as well as the average temperature and velocity components at the measurement locations.« less

Fluctuation scaling in the visual cortex at threshold

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Medina, José M.; Díaz, José A.

2016-05-01

Fluctuation scaling relates trial-to-trial variability to the average response by a power function in many physical processes. Here we address whether fluctuation scaling holds in sensory psychophysics and its functional role in visual processing. We report experimental evidence of fluctuation scaling in human color vision and form perception at threshold. Subjects detected thresholds in a psychophysical masking experiment that is considered a standard reference for studying suppression between neurons in the visual cortex. For all subjects, the analysis of threshold variability that results from the masking task indicates that fluctuation scaling is a global property that modulates detection thresholds with a scaling exponent that departs from 2, β =2.48 ±0.07 . We also examine a generalized version of fluctuation scaling between the sample kurtosis K and the sample skewness S of threshold distributions. We find that K and S are related and follow a unique quadratic form K =(1.19 ±0.04 ) S2+(2.68 ±0.06 ) that departs from the expected 4/3 power function regime. A random multiplicative process with weak additive noise is proposed based on a Langevin-type equation. The multiplicative process provides a unifying description of fluctuation scaling and the quadratic S -K relation and is related to on-off intermittency in sensory perception. Our findings provide an insight into how the human visual system interacts with the external environment. The theoretical methods open perspectives for investigating fluctuation scaling and intermittency effects in a wide variety of natural, economic, and cognitive phenomena.

The hidden sister of motor fluctuations in Parkinson's disease: A review on nonmotor fluctuations.

PubMed

Martínez-Fernández, Raul; Schmitt, Emmanuelle; Martinez-Martin, Pablo; Krack, Paul

2016-08-01

Only a few years after the introduction of levodopa, the first descriptions of motor fluctuations and dyskinesia related to dopaminergic therapy appeared. In PD, attention turned to their management, that had dampened the euphoria of the "levodopa miracle." It soon became clear that neuropsychiatric, autonomic, and sensory features also tend to develop fluctuations after chronic exposure to l-dopa. The diversity of fluctuating nonmotor symptoms, their largely subjective nature, coupled with a frequent lack of insight led to difficulties in identification and quantification. This may explain why, despite the high impact of nonmotor symptoms on patient autonomy and quality of life, evaluation of nonmotor fluctuations is not part of clinical routine. In view of the lack of specific validated assessment tools, detailed anamnesis should ideally be coupled with an evaluation in both ON and OFF drug conditions. The mechanisms of nonmotor fluctuations are not well understood. It is thought that they share dopaminergic presynaptic pharmacokinetic and postsynaptic pharmacodynamic mechanisms with the classical motor complications, but involve different neural pathways. Although symptoms fluctuate with dopaminergic treatment, serotonine and norepinephrine denervation, as well as interactions between neurotransmitter systems, probably contribute to their diversity. The lack of validated tools for assessment of these phenomena explains the almost complete absence of treatment studies. Management, largely resulting from expert opinion, includes psychiatric follow-up, nondopaminergic drugs, and advanced dopaminergic treatment, including drug delivery pumps and DBS. This review aims to provide a starting point for the understanding, diagnosis, and management of nonmotor fluctuations. © 2016 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society. © 2016 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society.

Foreword

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Derrida, Bernard; Gaspard, Pierre; Van den Broeck, Christian

2007-06-01

We introduce and present the proceedings of the conference "Work, dissipation, and fluctuations in nonequilibrium physics" held in Brussels, 22-25 March 2006 under the auspices of the International Solvay Institutes for Physics and Chemistry and organized by the Center for Nonlinear Phenomena and Complex Systems of the Université Libre de Bruxelles. To cite this article: B. Derrida et al., C. R. Physique 8 (2007).

A Combined Energy Management Algorithm for Wind Turbine/Battery Hybrid System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Altin, Necmi; Eyimaya, Süleyman Emre

2018-03-01

From an energy management standpoint, natural phenomena such as solar irradiation and wind speed are uncontrolled variables, so the correlation between the energy generated by renewable energy sources and energy demand cannot always be predicted. For this reason, energy storage systems are used to provide more efficient renewable energy systems. In these systems, energy management systems are used to control the energy storage system and establish a balance between the generated power and the power demand. In addition, especially in wind turbines, rapidly varying wind speeds cause wind power fluctuations, which threaten the power system stability, especially at high power levels. Energy storage systems are also used to mitigate the power fluctuations and sustain the power system's stability. In these systems, another controller which controls the energy storage system power to mitigate power fluctuations is required. These two controllers are different from each other. In this study, a combined energy management algorithm is proposed which can perform both as an energy control system and a power fluctuation mitigation system. The proposed controller is tested with wind energy conversion system modeled in MATLAB/Simulink. Simulation results show that the proposed controller acts as an energy management system while, at the same time, mitigating power fluctuations.

Statistical Mechanics and Applications in Condensed Matter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Di Castro, Carlo; Raimondi, Roberto

2015-08-01

Preface; 1. Thermodynamics: a brief overview; 2. Kinetics; 3. From Boltzmann to Gibbs; 4. More ensembles; 5. The thermodynamic limit and its thermodynamic stability; 6. Density matrix and quantum statistical mechanics; 7. The quantum gases; 8. Mean-field theories and critical phenomena; 9. Second quantization and Hartree-Fock approximation; 10. Linear response and fluctuation-dissipation theorem in quantum systems: equilibrium and small deviations; 11. Brownian motion and transport in disordered systems; 12. Fermi liquids; 13. The Landau theory of the second order phase transitions; 14. The Landau-Wilson model for critical phenomena; 15. Superfluidity and superconductivity; 16. The scaling theory; 17. The renormalization group approach; 18. Thermal Green functions; 19. The microscopic foundations of Fermi liquids; 20. The Luttinger liquid; 21. Quantum interference effects in disordered electron systems; Appendix A. The central limit theorem; Appendix B. Some useful properties of the Euler Gamma function; Appendix C. Proof of the second theorem of Yang and Lee; Appendix D. The most probable distribution for the quantum gases; Appendix E. Fermi-Dirac and Bose-Einstein integrals; Appendix F. The Fermi gas in a uniform magnetic field: Landau diamagnetism; Appendix G. Ising and gas-lattice models; Appendix H. Sum over discrete Matsubara frequencies; Appendix I. Hydrodynamics of the two-fluid model of superfluidity; Appendix J. The Cooper problem in the theory of superconductivity; Appendix K. Superconductive fluctuations phenomena; Appendix L. Diagrammatic aspects of the exact solution of the Tomonaga Luttinger model; Appendix M. Details on the theory of the disordered Fermi liquid; References; Author index; Index.

Zero-index structures as an alternative platform for quantum optics

PubMed Central

Liberal, Iñigo

2017-01-01

Vacuum fluctuations are one of the most distinctive aspects of quantum optics, being the trigger of multiple nonclassical phenomena. Thus, platforms like resonant cavities and photonic crystals that enable the inhibition and manipulation of vacuum fluctuations have been key to our ability to control light–matter interactions (e.g., the decay of quantum emitters). Here, we theoretically demonstrate that vacuum fluctuations may be naturally inhibited within bodies immersed in epsilon-and-mu-near-zero (EMNZ) media, while they can also be selectively excited via bound eigenmodes. Therefore, zero-index structures are proposed as an alternative platform to manipulate the decay of quantum emitters, possibly leading to the exploration of qualitatively different dynamics. For example, a direct modulation of the vacuum Rabi frequency is obtained by deforming the EMNZ region without detuning a bound eigenmode. Ideas for the possible implementation of these concepts using synthetic implementations based on structural dispersion are also proposed. PMID:28096367

Zero-index structures as an alternative platform for quantum optics.

PubMed

Liberal, Iñigo; Engheta, Nader

2017-01-31

Vacuum fluctuations are one of the most distinctive aspects of quantum optics, being the trigger of multiple nonclassical phenomena. Thus, platforms like resonant cavities and photonic crystals that enable the inhibition and manipulation of vacuum fluctuations have been key to our ability to control light-matter interactions (e.g., the decay of quantum emitters). Here, we theoretically demonstrate that vacuum fluctuations may be naturally inhibited within bodies immersed in epsilon-and-mu-near-zero (EMNZ) media, while they can also be selectively excited via bound eigenmodes. Therefore, zero-index structures are proposed as an alternative platform to manipulate the decay of quantum emitters, possibly leading to the exploration of qualitatively different dynamics. For example, a direct modulation of the vacuum Rabi frequency is obtained by deforming the EMNZ region without detuning a bound eigenmode. Ideas for the possible implementation of these concepts using synthetic implementations based on structural dispersion are also proposed.

Introduction to multifractal detrended fluctuation analysis in matlab.

PubMed

Ihlen, Espen A F

2012-01-01

Fractal structures are found in biomedical time series from a wide range of physiological phenomena. The multifractal spectrum identifies the deviations in fractal structure within time periods with large and small fluctuations. The present tutorial is an introduction to multifractal detrended fluctuation analysis (MFDFA) that estimates the multifractal spectrum of biomedical time series. The tutorial presents MFDFA step-by-step in an interactive Matlab session. All Matlab tools needed are available in Introduction to MFDFA folder at the website www.ntnu.edu/inm/geri/software. MFDFA are introduced in Matlab code boxes where the reader can employ pieces of, or the entire MFDFA to example time series. After introducing MFDFA, the tutorial discusses the best practice of MFDFA in biomedical signal processing. The main aim of the tutorial is to give the reader a simple self-sustained guide to the implementation of MFDFA and interpretation of the resulting multifractal spectra.

Introduction to Multifractal Detrended Fluctuation Analysis in Matlab

PubMed Central

Ihlen, Espen A. F.

2012-01-01

Fractal structures are found in biomedical time series from a wide range of physiological phenomena. The multifractal spectrum identifies the deviations in fractal structure within time periods with large and small fluctuations. The present tutorial is an introduction to multifractal detrended fluctuation analysis (MFDFA) that estimates the multifractal spectrum of biomedical time series. The tutorial presents MFDFA step-by-step in an interactive Matlab session. All Matlab tools needed are available in Introduction to MFDFA folder at the website www.ntnu.edu/inm/geri/software. MFDFA are introduced in Matlab code boxes where the reader can employ pieces of, or the entire MFDFA to example time series. After introducing MFDFA, the tutorial discusses the best practice of MFDFA in biomedical signal processing. The main aim of the tutorial is to give the reader a simple self-sustained guide to the implementation of MFDFA and interpretation of the resulting multifractal spectra. PMID:22675302

Turbulent Stresses in LAPD and CSDX

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Light, A. D.; Sechrest, Y.; Schaffner, D. A.; Muller, S. H.; Rossi, G. D.; Guice, D.; Carter, T. A.; Tynan, G. R.; Vincena, S.; Munsat, T.

2011-10-01

Turbulent momentum transport can affect phenomena as diverse as intrinsic rotation in self-organized systems, stellar dynamo, astrophysical accretion, and the mechanism of internal transport barriers in fusion devices. Contributions from turbulent fluctuations, in the form of Reynolds and Maxwell stress terms, have been predicted theoretically and observed in toroidal devices. In an effort to gain general insight into the physics, we present new results from turbulent stress measurements on two linear devices: the LArge Plasma Device (LAPD) at the University of California, Los Angeles, and the Controlled Shear De-correlation eXperiment (CSDX) at the University of California, San Diego. Both experiments are well-characterized linear machines in which the plasma beta can be varied. Electrostatic and magnetic fluctuations are measured over a range of plasma parameters in concert with fast imaging. Maxwell and Reynolds stresses are calculated from probe data and fluctuations are compared with fast camera images using velocimetry techniques.

Study on the impulsive pressure of tank oscillating by force towards multiple degrees of freedom

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hibi, Shigeyuki

2018-06-01

Impulsive loads should be excited under nonlinear phenomena with free surface fluctuating severely such as sloshing and slamming. Estimating impulsive loads properly are important to recent numerical simulations. But it is still difficult to rely on the results of simulations perfectly because of the nonlinearity of the phenomena. In order to develop the algorithm of numerical simulations experimental results of nonlinear phenomena are needed. In this study an apparatus which can oscillate a tank by force was introduced in order to investigate impulsive pressure on the wall of the tank. This apparatus can oscillate it simultaneously towards 3 degrees of freedom with each phase differences. The impulsive pressure under the various combinations of oscillation direction was examined and the specific phase differences to appear the largest peak values of pressure were identified. Experimental results were verified through FFT analysis and statistical methods.

Evolutionary dynamics of fluctuating populations with strong mutualism

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chotibut, Thiparat; Nelson, David

2013-03-01

Evolutionary game theory with finite interacting populations is receiving increased attention, including subtle phenomena associated with number fluctuations, i.e., ``genetic drift.'' Models of cooperation and competition often utilize a simplified Moran model, with a strictly fixed total population size. We explore a more general evolutionary model with independent fluctuations in the numbers of two distinct species, in a regime characterized by ``strong mutualism.'' The model has two absorbing states, each corresponding to fixation of one of the two species, and allows exploration of the interplay between growth, competition, and mutualism. When mutualism is favored, number fluctuations eventually drive the system away from a stable fixed point, characterized by cooperation, to one of the absorbing states. Well-mixed populations will thus be taken over by a single species in a finite time, despite the bias towards cooperation. We calculate both the fixation probability and the mean fixation time as a function of the initial conditions and carrying capacities in the strong mutualism regime, using the method of matched asymptotic expansions. Our results are compared to computer simulations.

Critical phenomena at the complex tensor ordering phase transition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boettcher, Igor; Herbut, Igor F.

2018-02-01

We investigate the critical properties of the phase transition towards complex tensor order that has been proposed to occur in spin-orbit-coupled superconductors. For this purpose, we formulate the bosonic field theory for fluctuations of the complex irreducible second-rank tensor order parameter close to the transition. We then determine the scale dependence of the couplings of the theory by means of the perturbative renormalization group (RG). For the isotropic system, we generically detect a fluctuation-induced first-order phase transition. The initial values for the running couplings are determined by the underlying microscopic model for the tensorial order. As an example, we study three-dimensional Luttinger semimetals with electrons at a quadratic band-touching point. Whereas the strong-coupling transition of the model receives substantial fluctuation corrections, the weak-coupling transition at low temperatures is rendered only weakly first order due to the presence of a fixed point in the vicinity of the RG trajectory. If the number of fluctuating complex components of the order parameter is reduced by cubic anisotropy, the theory maps onto the field theory for frustrated magnetism.

Fluctuating pressures in pump diffuser and collector scrolls, part 1

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sloteman, Donald P.

1989-01-01

The cracking of scroll liners on the SSME High Pressure Fuel Turbo Pump (HPFTP) on hot gas engine test firings has prompted a study into the nature of pressure fluctuations in centrifugal pump states. The amplitudes of these fluctuations and where they originate in the pump stage are quantified. To accomplish this, a test program was conducted to map the pressure pulsation activity in a centrifugal pump stage. This stage is based on typical commercial (or generic) pump design practice and not the specialized design of the HPFTP. Measurements made in the various elements comprising the stage indicate that pulsation activity is dominated by synchronous related phenomena. Pulsation amplitudes measured in the scroll are low, on the order of 2 to 7 percent of the impeller exit tip speed velocity head. Significant non-sychronous pressure fluctuations occur at low flow, and while of interest to commercial pump designers, have little meaning to the HPFTP experience. Results obtained with the generic components do provide insights into possible pulsation related scroll failures on the HPFTP, and provide a basis for further study.

The tug-of-war behavior of a Brownian particle in an asymmetric double optical trap with stochastic fluctuations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Long, Fei; Zhu, Jia-Pei

2018-07-01

A Brownian particle optically trapped in an asymmetric double potential surrounded by a thermal bath was simulated. Under the cooperative action of the resultant deterministic optical force and the stochastic fluctuations of the thermal bath, the confined particle undergoes Kramers transition, and oscillates between the two traps with a probability of trap occupancy that is asymmetrically distributed about the midpoint. The simulation results obtained at different temperatures indicate that the oscillation behavior of the particle can be treated as the result of a tug-of-war game played between the resultant deterministic force and the random force. We also employ a bistable model to explain the observed phenomena.

FAST TRACK COMMUNICATION: The origin of Bohm diffusion, investigated by a comparison of different modelling methods

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bultinck, E.; Mahieu, S.; Depla, D.; Bogaerts, A.

2010-07-01

'Bohm diffusion' causes the electrons to diffuse perpendicularly to the magnetic field lines. However, its origin is not yet completely understood: low and high frequency electric field fluctuations are both named to cause Bohm diffusion. The importance of including this process in a Monte Carlo (MC) model is demonstrated by comparing calculated ionization rates with particle-in-cell/Monte Carlo collisions (PIC/MCC) simulations. A good agreement is found with a Bohm diffusion parameter of 0.05, which corresponds well to experiments. Since the PIC/MCC method accounts for fast electric field fluctuations, we conclude that Bohm diffusion is caused by fast electric field phenomena.

Strain Pattern in Supercooled Liquids

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Illing, Bernd; Fritschi, Sebastian; Hajnal, David; Klix, Christian; Keim, Peter; Fuchs, Matthias

2016-11-01

Investigations of strain correlations at the glass transition reveal unexpected phenomena. The shear strain fluctuations show an Eshelby-strain pattern [˜cos (4 θ ) /r2 ], characteristic of elastic response, even in liquids, at long times. We address this using a mode-coupling theory for the strain fluctuations in supercooled liquids and data from both video microscopy of a two-dimensional colloidal glass former and simulations of Brownian hard disks. We show that the long-ranged and long-lived strain signatures follow a scaling law valid close to the glass transition. For large enough viscosities, the Eshelby-strain pattern is visible even on time scales longer than the structural relaxation time τ and after the shear modulus has relaxed to zero.

Critical fluctuations near the pitchfork bifurcations of period-doubling maps

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Noble, Andrew; Karimeddiny, Saba; Hastings, Alan; Machta, Jonathan

2015-03-01

Period-doubling maps, such as the logistic map, have been a subject of intense study in both physics and biology. The period-doubling route to chaos proceeds through a sequence of supercritical pitchfork bifurcations. Here, motivated by applications to population ecology, we investigate the asymptotic behavior of period-doubling bifurcations subject to environmental or demographic noise. We demonstrate, analytically, that fluctuations in the vicinity of each noisy pitchfork bifurcation are described by finite-size mean-field theory. Our results establish an exact correspondence between the bifurcations of far-from-equilibrium systems and the mean-field critical phenomena of equilibrium systems. This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under INSPIRE Grant No. 1344187.

Pressure Fluctuations in a Common-Rail Fuel Injection System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rothrock, A M

1931-01-01

This report presents the results of an investigation to determine experimentally the instantaneous pressures at the discharge orifice of a common-rail fuel injection system in which the timing valve and cut-off valve were at some distance from the automatic fuel injection valve, and also to determine the methods by which the pressure fluctuations could be controlled. The results show that pressure wave phenomena occur between the high-pressure reservoir and the discharge orifice, but that these pressure waves can be controlled so as to be advantageous to the injection of the fuel. The results also give data applicable to the design of such an injection system for a high-speed compression-ignition engine.

Dephasing rates for weak localization and universal conductance fluctuations in two dimensional Si:P and Ge:P δ-layers.

PubMed

Shamim, Saquib; Mahapatra, S; Scappucci, G; Klesse, W M; Simmons, M Y; Ghosh, Arindam

2017-05-04

We report quantum transport measurements on two dimensional (2D) Si:P and Ge:P δ-layers and compare the inelastic scattering rates relevant for weak localization (WL) and universal conductance fluctuations (UCF) for devices of various doping densities (0.3-2.5 × 10 18 m -2 ) at low temperatures (0.3-4.2 K). The phase breaking rate extracted experimentally from measurements of WL correction to conductivity and UCF agree well with each other within the entire temperature range. This establishes that WL and UCF, being the outcome of quantum interference phenomena, are governed by the same dephasing rate.

Hybrid phase transition into an absorbing state: Percolation and avalanches

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Deokjae; Choi, S.; Stippinger, M.; Kertész, J.; Kahng, B.

2016-04-01

Interdependent networks are more fragile under random attacks than simplex networks, because interlayer dependencies lead to cascading failures and finally to a sudden collapse. This is a hybrid phase transition (HPT), meaning that at the transition point the order parameter has a jump but there are also critical phenomena related to it. Here we study these phenomena on the Erdős-Rényi and the two-dimensional interdependent networks and show that the hybrid percolation transition exhibits two kinds of critical behaviors: divergence of the fluctuations of the order parameter and power-law size distribution of finite avalanches at a transition point. At the transition point global or "infinite" avalanches occur, while the finite ones have a power law size distribution; thus the avalanche statistics also has the nature of a HPT. The exponent βm of the order parameter is 1 /2 under general conditions, while the value of the exponent γm characterizing the fluctuations of the order parameter depends on the system. The critical behavior of the finite avalanches can be described by another set of exponents, βa and γa. These two critical behaviors are coupled by a scaling law: 1 -βm=γa .

On micro-electrokinetic scalar turbulence in microfluidics at a low Reynolds number.

PubMed

Wang, Guiren; Yang, Fang; Zhao, Wei; Chen, Chien-Pin

2016-03-21

We recently demonstrated the direct observation of micro-electrokinetic turbulence in a microchannel at a low Reynolds number (Re) when a pressure-driven flow was forced electrokinetically. Here, we characterize the corresponding scalar turbulence and surprisingly find that the corresponding turbulent mixing has some typical and important features of scalar turbulence, such as the Obukhov-Corrsin (O-C) -5/3 spectrum of concentration fluctuation, which can commonly be realized only at high Re in macroflows. This discovery could provide a new perspective of scalar turbulence and an avenue for control of transport phenomena in lab-on-a-chip platforms. This will deepen our fundamental understanding of transport phenomena in microfluidics.

Premelting phenomena in pseudo-binary ionic crystals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Matsunaga, Shigeki

2010-04-01

The theory of the premelting phenomena in ionic crystals on the basis of the concept of the heterophase fluctuation has been applied to the pseudo-binary ionic crystals, KCl-NaCl, AgBr-AgCl and AgBr-CuBr systems. Molecular dynamics simulations (MD) have been performed to examine the ionic configurations in their premelting region in the vicinity of their melting points. Liquid-like clusters have been observed in the results of MD utilizing the Lindemann instability condition. The sizes of liquid-like clusters have been estimated by theory and MD. The characteristics of the dynamical behavior of ions in the premelting region have been examined by the mean square displacement and the velocity correlation functions.

Modeling of Quasi-Four-Phase Flow in Continuous Casting Mold Using Hybrid Eulerian and Lagrangian Approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Zhongqiu; Sun, Zhenbang; Li, Baokuan

2017-04-01

Lagrangian tracking model combined with Eulerian multi-phase model is employed to predict the time-dependent argon-steel-slag-air quasi-four-phase flow inside a slab continuous casting mold. The Eulerian approach is used for the description of three phases (molten steel, liquid slag, and air at the top of liquid slag layer). The dispersed argon bubble injected from the SEN is treated in the Lagrangian way. The complex interfacial momentum transfers between various phases are considered. Validation is supported by the measurement data of cold model experiments and industrial practice. Close agreements were achieved for the gas volume fraction, liquid flow pattern, level fluctuation, and exposed slag eye phenomena. Many known phenomena and new predictions were successfully reproduced using this model. The vortex slag entrapment phenomenon at the slag-steel interface was obtained using this model, some small slag drops are sucked deep into the liquid pool of molten steel. Varying gas flow rates have a large effect on the steel flow pattern in the upper recirculation zone. Three typical flow patterns inside the mold with different argon gas flow rates have been obtained: double roll, three roll, and single roll. Effects of argon gas flow rate, casting speed, and slag layer thickness on the exposed slag eye and level fluctuation at the slag-steel interface were studied. A dimensionless value of H ave/ h was proposed to describe the time-averaged level fluctuation of slag-steel interface. The exposed slag eye near the SEN would be formed when the value of H ave/ h is larger than 0.4.

Acute Slices of Mice Testis Seminiferous Tubules Unveil Spontaneous and Synchronous Ca2+ Oscillations in Germ Cell Clusters1

PubMed Central

Sánchez-Cárdenas, Claudia; Guerrero, Adán; Treviño, Claudia Lydia; Hernández-Cruz, Arturo; Darszon, Alberto

2012-01-01

ABSTRACT Spermatogenic cell differentiation involves changes in the concentration of cytoplasmic Ca2+ ([Ca2+]i); however, very few studies exist on [Ca2+]i dynamics in these cells. Other tissues display Ca2+ oscillations involving multicellular functional arrangements. These phenomena have been studied in acute slice preparations that preserve tissue architecture and intercellular communications. Here we report the implementation of intracellular Ca2+ imaging in a sliced seminiferous tubule (SST) preparation to visualize [Ca2+]i changes of living germ cells in situ within the SST preparation. Ca2+ imaging revealed that a subpopulation of male germ cells display spontaneous [Ca2+]i fluctuations resulting from Ca2+ entry possibly throughout CaV3 channels. These [Ca2+]i fluctuation patterns are also present in single acutely dissociated germ cells, but they differ from those recorded from germ cells in the SST preparation. Often, spontaneous Ca2+ fluctuations of spermatogenic cells in the SST occur synchronously, so that clusters of cells can display Ca2+ oscillations for at least 10 min. Synchronous Ca2+ oscillations could be mediated by intercellular communication via gap junctions, although intercellular bridges could also be involved. We also observed an increase in [Ca2+]i after testosterone application, suggesting the presence of functional Sertoli cells in the SST. In summary, we believe that the SST preparation is suitable to explore the physiology of spermatogenic cells in their natural environment, within the seminiferous tubules, in particular Ca2+ signaling phenomena, functional cell-cell communication, and multicellular functional arrangements. PMID:22914313

When physics is not "just physics": complexity science invites new measurement frames for exploring the physics of cognitive and biological development.

PubMed

Kelty-Stephen, Damian; Dixon, James A

2012-01-01

The neurobiological sciences have struggled to resolve the physical foundations for biological and cognitive phenomena with a suspicion that biological and cognitive systems, capable of exhibiting and contributing to structure within themselves and through their contexts, are fundamentally distinct or autonomous from purely physical systems. Complexity science offers new physics-based approaches to explaining biological and cognitive phenomena. In response to controversy over whether complexity science might seek to "explain away" biology and cognition as "just physics," we propose that complexity science serves as an application of recent advances in physics to phenomena in biology and cognition without reducing or undermining the integrity of the phenomena to be explained. We highlight that physics is, like the neurobiological sciences, an evolving field and that the threat of reduction is overstated. We propose that distinctions between biological and cognitive systems from physical systems are pretheoretical and thus optional. We review our own work applying insights from post-classical physics regarding turbulence and fractal fluctuations to the problems of developing cognitive structure. Far from hoping to reduce biology and cognition to "nothing but" physics, we present our view that complexity science offers new explanatory frameworks for considering physical foundations of biological and cognitive phenomena.

From 50 Years Ago, the Birth of Modern Liquid-State Science.

PubMed

Chandler, David

2017-05-05

The story told in this autobiographical perspective begins 50 years ago, at the 1967 Gordon Research Conference on the Physics and Chemistry of Liquids. It traces developments in liquid-state science from that time, including contributions from the author, and especially in the study of liquid water. It emphasizes the importance of fluctuations and the challenges of far-from-equilibrium phenomena.

Economic fluctuations and statistical physics: Quantifying extremely rare and less rare events in finance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stanley, H. E.; Gabaix, Xavier; Gopikrishnan, Parameswaran; Plerou, Vasiliki

2007-08-01

One challenge of economics is that the systems treated by these sciences have no perfect metronome in time and no perfect spatial architecture-crystalline or otherwise. Nonetheless, as if by magic, out of nothing but randomness one finds remarkably fine-tuned processes in time. We present an overview of recent research joining practitioners of economic theory and statistical physics to try to better understand puzzles regarding economic fluctuations. One of these puzzles is how to describe outliers, phenomena that lie outside of patterns of statistical regularity. We review evidence consistent with the possibility that such outliers may not exist. This possibility is supported by recent analysis of databases containing information about each trade of every stock.

Effect of double air injection on performance characteristics of centrifugal compressor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hirano, Toshiyuki; Ogawa, Tatsuya; Yasui, Ryutaro; Tsujita, Hoshio

2017-02-01

In the operation of a centrifugal compressor of turbocharger, instability phenomena such as rotating stall and surge are induced at a lower flow rate close to the maximum pressure ratio. In this study, the compressed air at the exit of centrifugal compressor was re-circulated and injected to the impeller inlet by using two injection nozzles in order to suppress the surge phenomenon. The most effective circumferential position was examined to reduce the flow rate at the surge inception. Moreover, the influences of the injection on the fluctuating property of the flow field before and after the surge inception were investigated by examining the frequency of static pressure fluctuation on the wall surface and visualizing the compressor wall surface by oil-film visualization technique.

Influence of guide vane opening on the flow phenomena in a pump turbine during a fast transition from pump mode to generating mode

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stens, C.; Riedelbauch, S.

2017-04-01

Due to a more fluctuating energy production caused by renewable energies such as wind and solar power, the number of changes between operating points in pumped storage power plants has increased over the last years. To further increase available regulating power, it is desirable to speed up these changes of operation conditions in Hydro units. Previous studies showed that CFD is well capable of predicting the flow phenomena in the machine under unsteady conditions for a large guide vane opening angle. The present paper investigates the benefits of nearly closed guide vanes during the transition. Results are compared between the two different angles as well as between simulation and measurement.

Experimental evidence of coherent transport.

PubMed

Flores-Olmedo, E; Martínez-Argüello, A M; Martínez-Mares, M; Báez, G; Franco-Villafañe, J A; Méndez-Sánchez, R A

2016-04-28

Coherent transport phenomena are difficult to observe due to several sources of decoherence. For instance, in the electronic transport through quantum devices the thermal smearing and dephasing, the latter induced by inelastic scattering by phonons or impurities, destroy phase coherence. In other wave systems, the temperature and dephasing may not destroy the coherence and can then be used to observe the underlying wave behaviour of the coherent phenomena. Here, we observe coherent transmission of mechanical waves through a two-dimensional elastic Sinai billiard with two waveguides. The flexural-wave transmission, performed by non-contact means, shows the quantization when a new mode becomes open. These measurements agree with the theoretical predictions of the simplest model highlighting the universal character of the transmission fluctuations.

Experimental evidence of coherent transport

PubMed Central

Flores-Olmedo, E.; Martínez-Argüello, A. M.; Martínez-Mares, M.; Báez, G.; Franco-Villafañe, J. A.; Méndez-Sánchez, R. A.

2016-01-01

Coherent transport phenomena are difficult to observe due to several sources of decoherence. For instance, in the electronic transport through quantum devices the thermal smearing and dephasing, the latter induced by inelastic scattering by phonons or impurities, destroy phase coherence. In other wave systems, the temperature and dephasing may not destroy the coherence and can then be used to observe the underlying wave behaviour of the coherent phenomena. Here, we observe coherent transmission of mechanical waves through a two-dimensional elastic Sinai billiard with two waveguides. The flexural-wave transmission, performed by non-contact means, shows the quantization when a new mode becomes open. These measurements agree with the theoretical predictions of the simplest model highlighting the universal character of the transmission fluctuations. PMID:27121226

Measurement of Noise Produced by a Plasma Contactor Operating in Ground Based Facilities

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Snyder, Steve

1996-01-01

Methods to measure electric field fluctuations accurately in a plasma with an active monopole antenna are described. It is shown that the conductive surfaces of the antenna must be adequately isolated from the ambient plasma and that the monopole must be sufficiently short to avoid antenna amplifier saturation. Experimental results illustrate that the noise produced by plasma contactor operation and sensed by the antenna is due to plasma phenomena and is not induced by laboratory power supplies. A good correlation is shown between the current fluctuations in the contactor electrical circuit and the noise detected by the antenna. A large body of experimental data support the conclusion that the majority of noise sensed by the antenna at frequencies less than 1 MHz is due to current fluctuations (electrostatic waves) in the plasma adjacent to the antenna and not to electromagnetic wave radiation. Caution is suggested when comparing antenna noise measurements to conventional specifications for radiated emissions.

Millimeter-wave reflectometry for electron density profile and fluctuation measurements on NSTX

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kubota, S.; Nguyen, X. V.; Peebles, W. A.

2001-01-01

A millimeter-wave reflectometry system for electron density profile and fluctuation measurements is being developed and installed on the National Spherical Torus Experiment. The initial frequency coverage will be in the bands 12--18, 20--32, and 33--50 GHz, provided by frequency-tunable solid-state sources. These frequencies correspond to O-mode cutoff densities ranging from 1.8x10{sup 12} to 3.1x10{sup 13}cm{sup -3}, which will span both the plasma core ({rho}=r/a<0.8) and edge ({rho}>0.8) regions. Operated as a broadband swept-frequency (frequency-modulated continuous-wave) reflectometer, the diagnostic is expected to provide routine (shot-to-shot) time- ({<=}50 {mu}s) and spatially resolved ({approx}1 cm) density profiles. The previous hardware can be easilymore » reconfigured as a fixed-frequency reflectometer for density fluctuation measurements. The combination of measurements would be valuable for studying phenomena such as possible L- to H-mode transitions and edge-localized modes.« less

Pseudogap Regime of a Two-dimensional Uniform Fermi Gas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Matsumoto, Morio; Hanai, Ryo; Inotani, Daisuke; Ohashi, Yoji

2018-01-01

We investigate pseudogap phenomena in a two-dimensional Fermi gas. Including pairing fluctuations within a self-consistent T-matrix approximation, we determine the pseudogap temperature T* below which a dip appears in the density of states ρ(ω) around the Fermi level. Evaluating T*, we identify the pseudogap region in the phase diagram of this system. We find that, while the observed Berezinskii-Kosterlitz-Thouless (BKT) transition temperature TBKTexp in a 6Li Fermi gas is in the pseudogap regime, the detailed pseudogap structure in ρ(ω) at TBKTexp still differs from a fully-gapped one, indicating the importance of amplitude fluctuations in the Cooper channel there. Since the observed TBKTexp in the weak-coupling regime cannot be explained by the recent BKT theory which only includes phase fluctuations, our results may provide a hint about how to improve this BKT theory. Although ρ(ω) has not been measured in this system, we show that the assessment of our results is still possible by using the observable Tan's contact.

The way from microscopic many-particle theory to macroscopic hydrodynamics.

PubMed

Haussmann, Rudolf

2016-03-23

Starting from the microscopic description of a normal fluid in terms of any kind of local interacting many-particle theory we present a well defined step by step procedure to derive the hydrodynamic equations for the macroscopic phenomena. We specify the densities of the conserved quantities as the relevant hydrodynamic variables and apply the methods of non-equilibrium statistical mechanics with projection operator techniques. As a result we obtain time-evolution equations for the hydrodynamic variables with three kinds of terms on the right-hand sides: reversible, dissipative and fluctuating terms. In their original form these equations are completely exact and contain nonlocal terms in space and time which describe nonlocal memory effects. Applying a few approximations the nonlocal properties and the memory effects are removed. As a result we find the well known hydrodynamic equations of a normal fluid with Gaussian fluctuating forces. In the following we investigate if and how the time-inversion invariance is broken and how the second law of thermodynamics comes about. Furthermore, we show that the hydrodynamic equations with fluctuating forces are equivalent to stochastic Langevin equations and the related Fokker-Planck equation. Finally, we investigate the fluctuation theorem and find a modification by an additional term.

Test-particle simulations in increasingly strong turbulence

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pontius, D. H., Jr.; Gray, P. C.; Matthaeus, W. H.

1995-01-01

Quasi-linear theory supposes that the energy in resonant fluctuations is small compared to that in the mean magnetic field. This is evident in the fact that the zeroth-order particle trajectories are helices about a mean field B(sub o) that is spatially uniform over many correlation lengths. However, in the solar wind it is often the case that the fluctuating part of the field is comparable in magnitude to the mean part. It is generally expected that quasi-linear theory remains viable for particles that are in resonance with a region of the fluctuation spectrum having only small energy density, but even so, care must be taken when comparing simulations to theoretical predictions. We have performed a series of test-particle simulations to explore the evolution of ion distributions in turbulent situations with varying levels of magnetic fluctuations. As delta-B/B(sub o) is increased the distinctions among absolute pitch angle (defined relative to B(sub o)), local pitch angle (defined relative to B(x)), and magnetic moment become important, some of them exhibiting periodic sloshing unrelated to the nonadiabatic processes of interest. Comparing and contrasting the various runs illustrates the phenomena that must be considered when the premise underlying quasi-linear theory are relaxed.

Anderson localization and Mott insulator phase in the time domain

PubMed Central

Sacha, Krzysztof

2015-01-01

Particles in space periodic potentials constitute standard models for investigation of crystalline phenomena in solid state physics. Time periodicity of periodically driven systems is a close analogue of space periodicity of solid state crystals. There is an intriguing question if solid state phenomena can be observed in the time domain. Here we show that wave-packets localized on resonant classical trajectories of periodically driven systems are ideal elements to realize Anderson localization or Mott insulator phase in the time domain. Uniform superpositions of the wave-packets form stationary states of a periodically driven particle. However, an additional perturbation that fluctuates in time results in disorder in time and Anderson localization effects emerge. Switching to many-particle systems we observe that depending on how strong particle interactions are, stationary states can be Bose-Einstein condensates or single Fock states where definite numbers of particles occupy the periodically evolving wave-packets. Our study shows that non-trivial crystal-like phenomena can be observed in the time domain. PMID:26074169

The double peaks and symmetric path phenomena in the catalytic activity of Pd/Al2O3-TiO2 catalysts with different TiO2 contents

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Shen; Guo, Yuyu; Li, Xingying; Wu, Xu; Li, Zhe

2018-06-01

Physicochemical properties of Pd/Al2O3-TiO2 catalysts with different amounts of TiO2 contents were investigated by XRD, nitrogen adsorption-desorption, FTIR, NH3-TPD, H2-TPR and XPS techniques. Catalysts of different compositions were tested in the ethanol oxidation reaction to study the effects of TiO2 contents. Double peaks and symmetric path phenomena were observed at certain temperatures with the increase in TiO2 contents. The symmetric peak phenomena and the diverse activity fluctuations have been ascribed to the controlling factors such as temperature and compositions. With the increase in TiO2 content, the surface area, adsorbed oxygen contents and surface acid quantity decreased gradually. The large surface area and adsorbed oxygen contents were conducive to the performance, while increased acid amounts were not beneficial for ethanol oxidation. At 150 and 175 °C, Pd/AT(X1

Analysis of the transmission characteristics of China's carbon market transaction price volatility from the perspective of a complex network.

PubMed

Jia, Jingjing; Li, Huajiao; Zhou, Jinsheng; Jiang, Meihui; Dong, Di

2018-03-01

Research on the price fluctuation transmission of the carbon trading pilot market is of great significance for the establishment of China's unified carbon market and its development in the future. In this paper, the carbon market transaction prices of Beijing, Shanghai, Tianjin, Shenzhen, and Guangdong were selected from December 29, 2013 to March 26, 2016, as sample data. Based on the view of the complex network theory, we construct a price fluctuation transmission network model of five pilot carbon markets in China, with the purposes of analyzing the topological features of this network, including point intensity, weighted clustering coefficient, betweenness centrality, and community structure, and elucidating the characteristics and transmission mechanism of price fluctuation in China's five pilot cities. The results of point intensity and weighted clustering coefficient show that the carbon prices in the five markets remained unchanged and transmitted smoothly in general, and price fragmentation is serious; however, at some point, the price fluctuates with mass phenomena. The result of betweenness centrality reflects that a small number of price fluctuations can control the whole market carbon price transmission and price fluctuation evolves in an alternate manner. The study provides direction for the scientific management of the carbon price. Policy makers should take a positive role in promoting market activity, preventing the risks that may arise from mass trade and scientifically forecasting the volatility of trading prices, which will provide experience for the establishment of a unified carbon market in China.

Brownian motion and gambling: from ratchets to paradoxical games

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Parrondo, J. M. R.; Dinís, Luis

2004-02-01

Two losing gambling games, when alternated in a periodic or random fashion, can produce a winning game. This paradox has been inspired by certain physical systems capable of rectifying fluctuations: the so-called Brownian ratchets. In this paper we review this paradox, from Brownian ratchets to the most recent studies on collective games, providing some intuitive explanations of the unexpected phenomena that we will find along the way.

Magnetic microstructures for regulating Brownian motion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sooryakumar, Ratnasingham

2013-03-01

Nature has proven that it is possible to engineer complex nanoscale machines in the presence of thermal fluctuations. These biological complexes, which harness random thermal energy to provide functionality, yield a framework to develop related artificial, i.e., nonbiological, phenomena and devices. A major challenge to achieving positional control of fluid-borne submicron sized objects is regulating their Brownian fluctuations. In this talk a magnetic-field-based trap that regulates the thermal fluctuations of superparamagnetic beads in suspension will be presented. Local domain-wall fields originating from patterned magnetic wires, whose strength and profile are tuned by weak external fields, enable bead trajectories within the trap to be managed and easily varied between strong confinements and delocalized spatial excursions. Moreover, the frequency spectrum of the trapped bead responds to fields as a power-law function with a tunable, non-integer exponent. When extended to a cluster of particles, the trapping landscape preferentially stabilizes them into formations of 5-fold symmetry, while their Brownian fluctuations result in frequent transitions between different cluster configurations. The quantitative understanding of the Brownian dynamics together with the ability to tune the extent of the fluctuations enables the wire-based platform to serve as a model system to investigate the competition between random and deterministic forces. Funding from the U.S. Army Research Office under contract W911NF-10-1-0353 is acknowledged.

[Study on the fluctuation phenomena of arc plasma spraying jet].

PubMed

Zhao, Wen-hua; Liu, Di; Tian, Kuo

2002-08-01

The turbulence phenomenon is one of the most attractive characteristics of a DC arc plasma spraying jet. Most of the previous investigations believe that there is a laminar flow region in core of the jet. A spectrum diagnostic system has been built up in this paper to investigate these effects with the aid of high-speed digital camera. The FFT method has been applied to the analysis on the arc voltage and light signals. The influence of the arc behavior and the power supply on the jet is full-scale. It seems that there is not a laminar flow region in core of the jet. Moreover, from the light dynamic variation graph, the jet fluctuation due to the arc voltage behavior maybe is the dominant characteristic of the jet behavior.

Counting Unfolding Events in Stretched Helices with Induced Oscillation by Optical Tweezers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bacabac, Rommel Gaud; Otadoy, Roland

Correlation measures based on embedded probe fluctuations, single or paired, are now widely used for characterizing the viscoelastic properties of biological samples. However, more robust applications using this technique are still lacking. Considering that the study of living matter routinely demonstrates new and complex phenomena, mathematical and experimental tools for analysis have to catch up in order to arrive at newer insights. Therefore, we derive ways of probing non-equilibrium events in helical biopolymers provided by stretching beyond thermal forces. We generalize, for the first time, calculations for winding turn probabilities to account for unfolding events in single fibrous biopolymers and globular proteins under tensile stretching using twin optical traps. The approach is based on approximating the ensuing probe fluctuations as originating from a damped harmonic oscillator under oscillatory forcing.

Dynamic response of the cavitating LE-7 LOX pump

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shimura, Takashi; Watanabe, Mitsuo; Ujino, Isao

The dynamic response of the LE-7 engine LOX pump under cavitating conditions was investigated by perturbation tests using cryogenic fluid in order to obtain data for the analysis of the H-II rocket POGO phenomena. Mass flow gain factor, M(sub b), and cavitation compliance, C(sub b), were determined by pressure data using resonant frequency. M(sub b) and C(sub b) show cavity volume change rates due to flow fluctuation and pressure fluctuations, respectively. A large accumulator was installed in the vicinity of the pump inlet in order to eliminate the upstream effects. The test results of M(sub b) agreed well with the values calculated by equations presented in the literature. However, the test results of C(sub b) were quite different from the calculated values.

Small-scale field-aligned currents caused by tropical cyclones as observed by the SWARM satellites above the ionosphere

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aoyama, T.; Iyemori, T.; Nakanishi, K.

2014-12-01

We present case studies of small-scale magnetic fluctuations above typhoons, hurricanes and cyclones as observed by the swarm constellation. It is reported lately that AGWs(atmospheric gravity waves) generated by meteorological phenomena in the troposphere such as typhoons and tornadoes, large earthquakes and volcanic eruptions propagate to the mesosphere and thermosphere. We observe them in various forms(e.g. airglows, ionospheric disturbances and TEC variations). We are proposing the following model. AGWs caused by atmospheric disturbances in the troposphere propagate to the ionospheric E-layer, drive dynamo action and generate field-aligned currents. The satellites observe magnetic fluctuations above the ionosphere. In this presentation, we focus on cases of tropical cyclone(hurricanes in North America, typhoons in North-West Pacific).

Governmentally amplified output volatility

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Funashima, Yoshito

2016-11-01

Predominant government behavior is decomposed by frequency into several periodic components: updating cycles of infrastructure, Kuznets cycles, fiscal policy over business cycles, and election cycles. Little is known, however, about the theoretical impact of such cyclical behavior in public finance on output fluctuations. Based on a standard neoclassical growth model, this study intends to examine the frequency at which public investment cycles are relevant to output fluctuations. We find an inverted U-shaped relationship between output volatility and length of cycle in public investment. This implies that periodic behavior in public investment at a certain frequency range can cause aggravated output resonance. Moreover, we present an empirical analysis to test the theoretical implication, using the U.S. data in the period from 1968 to 2015. The empirical results suggest that such resonance phenomena change from low to high frequency.

Multifractal Analysis of Human Heartbeat in Sleep

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ding, Liang-Jing; Peng, Hu; Cai, Shi-Min; Zhou, Pei-Ling

2007-07-01

We study the dynamical properties of heart rate variability (HRV) in sleep by analysing the scaling behaviour with the multifractal detrended fluctuation analysis method. It is well known that heart rate is regulated by the interaction of two branches of the autonomic nervous system: the parasympathetic and sympathetic nervous systems. By investigating the multifractal properties of light, deep, rapid-eye-movement (REM) sleep and wake stages, we firstly find an increasing multifractal behaviour during REM sleep which may be caused by augmented sympathetic activities relative to non-REM sleep. In addition, the investigation of long-range correlations of HRV in sleep with second order detrended fluctuation analysis presents irregular phenomena. These findings may be helpful to understand the underlying regulating mechanism of heart rate by autonomic nervous system during wake-sleep transitions.

Financial time series: A physics perspective

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gopikrishnan, Parameswaran; Plerou, Vasiliki; Amaral, Luis A. N.; Rosenow, Bernd; Stanley, H. Eugene

2000-06-01

Physicists in the last few years have started applying concepts and methods of statistical physics to understand economic phenomena. The word ``econophysics'' is sometimes used to refer to this work. One reason for this interest is the fact that Economic systems such as financial markets are examples of complex interacting systems for which a huge amount of data exist and it is possible that economic problems viewed from a different perspective might yield new results. This article reviews the results of a few recent phenomenological studies focused on understanding the distinctive statistical properties of financial time series. We discuss three recent results-(i) The probability distribution of stock price fluctuations: Stock price fluctuations occur in all magnitudes, in analogy to earthquakes-from tiny fluctuations to very drastic events, such as market crashes, eg., the crash of October 19th 1987, sometimes referred to as ``Black Monday''. The distribution of price fluctuations decays with a power-law tail well outside the Lévy stable regime and describes fluctuations that differ by as much as 8 orders of magnitude. In addition, this distribution preserves its functional form for fluctuations on time scales that differ by 3 orders of magnitude, from 1 min up to approximately 10 days. (ii) Correlations in financial time series: While price fluctuations themselves have rapidly decaying correlations, the magnitude of fluctuations measured by either the absolute value or the square of the price fluctuations has correlations that decay as a power-law and persist for several months. (iii) Correlations among different companies: The third result bears on the application of random matrix theory to understand the correlations among price fluctuations of any two different stocks. From a study of the eigenvalue statistics of the cross-correlation matrix constructed from price fluctuations of the leading 1000 stocks, we find that the largest 5-10% of the eigenvalues and the corresponding eigenvectors show systematic deviations from the predictions for a random matrix, whereas the rest of the eigenvalues conform to random matrix behavior-suggesting that these 5-10% of the eigenvalues contain system-specific information about correlated behavior. .

Detrended fluctuation analysis made flexible to detect range of cross-correlated fluctuations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kwapień, Jarosław; Oświecimka, Paweł; DroŻdŻ, Stanisław

2015-11-01

The detrended cross-correlation coefficient ρDCCA has recently been proposed to quantify the strength of cross-correlations on different temporal scales in bivariate, nonstationary time series. It is based on the detrended cross-correlation and detrended fluctuation analyses (DCCA and DFA, respectively) and can be viewed as an analog of the Pearson coefficient in the case of the fluctuation analysis. The coefficient ρDCCA works well in many practical situations but by construction its applicability is limited to detection of whether two signals are generally cross-correlated, without the possibility to obtain information on the amplitude of fluctuations that are responsible for those cross-correlations. In order to introduce some related flexibility, here we propose an extension of ρDCCA that exploits the multifractal versions of DFA and DCCA: multifractal detrended fluctuation analysis and multifractal detrended cross-correlation analysis, respectively. The resulting new coefficient ρq not only is able to quantify the strength of correlations but also allows one to identify the range of detrended fluctuation amplitudes that are correlated in two signals under study. We show how the coefficient ρq works in practical situations by applying it to stochastic time series representing processes with long memory: autoregressive and multiplicative ones. Such processes are often used to model signals recorded from complex systems and complex physical phenomena like turbulence, so we are convinced that this new measure can successfully be applied in time-series analysis. In particular, we present an example of such application to highly complex empirical data from financial markets. The present formulation can straightforwardly be extended to multivariate data in terms of the q -dependent counterpart of the correlation matrices and then to the network representation.

Energy Transfer and Dual Cascade in Kinetic Magnetized Plasma Turbulence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Plunk, G. G.; Tatsuno, T.

2011-04-01

The question of how nonlinear interactions redistribute the energy of fluctuations across available degrees of freedom is of fundamental importance in the study of turbulence and transport in magnetized weakly collisional plasmas, ranging from space settings to fusion devices. In this Letter, we present a theory for the dual cascade found in such plasmas, which predicts a range of new behavior that distinguishes this cascade from that of neutral fluid turbulence. These phenomena are explained in terms of the constrained nature of spectral transfer in nonlinear gyrokinetics. Accompanying this theory are the first observations of these phenomena, obtained via direct numerical simulations using the gyrokinetic code AstroGK. The basic mechanisms that are found provide a framework for understanding the turbulent energy transfer that couples scales both locally and nonlocally.

Surface potential driven dissolution phenomena of [0 0 0 1]-oriented ZnO nanorods grown from ZnO and Pt seed layers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Seo, Youngmi; Kim, Jung Hyeun

2011-06-01

Highly oriented ZnO nanorods are synthesized hydrothermally on ZnO and Pt seed layers, and they are dissolved in KOH solution. The rods grown on ZnO seed layer show uniform dissolution, but those grown on Pt seed layer are rod-selectively dissolved. The ZnO nanorods from both seed layers show the same crystalline structure through XRD and Raman spectrometer data. However, the surface potential analysis reveals big difference for ZnO and Pt seed cases. The surface potential distribution is very uniform for the ZnO seed case, but it is much fluctuated on the Pt seed case. It suggests that the rod-selective dissolution phenomena on Pt seed case are likely due to the surface energy difference.

Neutron star evolution and emission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Epstein, R. I.; Edwards, B. C.; Haines, T. J.

1997-01-01

This is the final report of a three-year, Laboratory Directed Research and Development (LDRD) project at the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL). The authors investigated the evolution and radiation characteristics of individual neutron stars and stellar systems. The work concentrated on phenomena where new techniques and observations are dramatically enlarging the understanding of stellar phenomena. Part of this project was a study of x-ray and gamma-ray emission from neutron stars and other compact objects. This effort included calculating the thermal x-ray emission from young neutron stars, deriving the radio and gamma-ray emission from active pulsars and modeling intense gamma-ray bursts in distant galaxies. They also measured periodic optical and infrared fluctuations from rotating neutron stars and search for high-energy TeV gamma rays from discrete celestial sources.

Critical phenomena of emergent monopoles in a chiral magnet

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Xiao-Xiao; Nagaosa, Naoto

A three-dimensional cubic Skyrmion crystal in the bulk, which is simultaneously a lattice of monopole-antimonopole pairs predicted theoretically, has been recently identified experimentally in MnGe. Adopting appropriate temperature Green's function technique for optical conductivity and devising a solvable phonon-magnon interaction, we systematically developed the theory of coupling spin-waves to both itinerant electrons and mechanical degrees of freedom in this chiral magnet, describing the latest experimental observations including anomalies and critical phenomena in magnetotransport and magnetoelasticity, which are identified as hallmarks of fluctuations of the emergent monopolar fields upon the nontrivial monopole dynamics and especially a topological phase transition signifying strong correlation. As a whole, they speak for a crucial role played by the monopole defects and hence the real-space spin topology in this material.

Studies of thermal wave phenomena on the Jovian planets

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Deming, Drake

1991-01-01

Ground-based and Voyager observations of Jupiter provided evidence that the tropospheric temperature shows global-scale longitudinal variations which are often wavelike in character. The investigation is presented which is directed toward obtaining additional ground-based data in IR spectral bands whose contribution functions are optimized for specific atmospheric regions, in order to confirm the previous results, and to identify the nature and physical significance of wavelike longitudinal temperature fluctuations on the Jovian planets.

Estimation of the parameters of disturbances on long-range radio-communication paths

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gerasimov, Iu. S.; Gordeev, V. A.; Kristal, V. S.

1982-09-01

Radio propagation on long-range paths is disturbed by such phenomena as ionospheric density fluctuations, meteor trails, and the Faraday effect. In the present paper, the determination of the characteristics of such disturbances on the basis of received-signal parameters is considered as an inverse and ill-posed problem. A method for investigating the indeterminacy which arises in such determinations is proposed, and a quantitative analysis of this indeterminacy is made.

Self field electromagnetism and quantum phenomena

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schatten, Kenneth H.

1994-07-01

Quantum Electrodynamics (QED) has been extremely successful inits predictive capability for atomic phenomena. Thus the greatest hope for any alternative view is solely to mimic the predictive capability of quantum mechanics (QM), and perhaps its usefulness will lie in gaining a better understanding of microscopic phenomena. Many ?paradoxes? and problematic situations emerge in QED. To combat the QED problems, the field of Stochastics Electrodynamics (SE) emerged, wherein a random ?zero point radiation? is assumed to fill all of space in an attmept to explain quantum phenomena, without some of the paradoxical concerns. SE, however, has greater failings. One is that the electromagnetic field energy must be infinit eto work. We have examined a deterministic side branch of SE, ?self field? electrodynamics, which may overcome the probelms of SE. Self field electrodynamics (SFE) utilizes the chaotic nature of electromagnetic emissions, as charges lose energy near atomic dimensions, to try to understand and mimic quantum phenomena. These fields and charges can ?interact with themselves? in a non-linear fashion, and may thereby explain many quantum phenomena from a semi-classical viewpoint. Referred to as self fields, they have gone by other names in the literature: ?evanesccent radiation?, ?virtual photons?, and ?vacuum fluctuations?. Using self fields, we discuss the uncertainty principles, the Casimir effects, and the black-body radiation spectrum, diffraction and interference effects, Schrodinger's equation, Planck's constant, and the nature of the electron and how they might be understood in the present framework. No new theory could ever replace QED. The self field view (if correct) would, at best, only serve to provide some understanding of the processes by which strange quantum phenomena occur at the atomic level. We discuss possible areas where experiments might be employed to test SFE, and areas where future work may lie.

"Fluctuoscopy" of Superconductors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Varlamov, A. A.

Study of fluctuation phenomena in superconductors (SCs) is the subject of great fundamental and practical importance. Understanding of their physics allowed to clear up the fundamental properties of SC state. Being predicted in 1968, one of the fluctuation effects, namely paraconductivity, was experimentally observed almost simultaneously. Since this time, fluctuations became a noticeable part of research in the field of superconductivity, and a variety of fluctuation effects have been discovered. The new wave of interest to fluctuations (FL) in superconductors was generated by the discovery of cuprate oxide superconductors (high-temperature superconductors, HTS), where, due to extremely short coherence length and low effective dimensionality of the electron system, superconductive fluctuations manifest themselves in a wide range of temperatures. Moreover, anomalous properties of the normal state of HTS were attributed by many theorists to strong FL in these systems. Being studied in the framework of the phenomenological Ginzburg-Landau theory and, more extensively, in diagrammatic microscopic approach, SC FLs side by side with other quantum corrections (weak localization, etc.) became a new tool for investigation and characterization of such new systems as HTS, disordered electron systems, granular metals, Josephson structures, artificial super-lattices, etc. The characteristic feature of SC FL is their strong dependence on temperature and magnetic fields in the vicinity of phase transition. This allows one to definitely separate the fluctuation effects from other contributions and to use them as the source of information about the microscopic parameters of a material. By their origin, SC FLs are very sensitive to relaxation processes, which break phase coherence. This allows using them for versatile characterization of SC. Today, one can speak about the " fluctuoscopy" of superconductive systems. In review, we present the qualitative picture both of thermodynamic fluctuations close to critical temperature T c0and quantum fluctuations at zero temperature and in vicinity of the second critical field H c2(0). Then in the frameworks of the Ginzburg-Landau theory, we discuss the characteristic crossovers in fluctuation properties of superconductive nanoparticles and layered superconductors. We present the general expression for fluctuation magneto-conductivity valid through all phase diagram of superconductor and apply it to study of the quantum phase transition close to H c2(0). Fluctuation analysis of this transition allows us to present the scenario of fluctuation defragmentation of the Abrikosov lattice.

Large Amplitude IMF Fluctuations in Corotating Interaction Regions: Ulysses at Midlatitudes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tsurutani, Bruce T.; Ho, Christian M.; Arballo, John K.; Goldstein, Bruce E.; Balogh, Andre

1995-01-01

Corotating Interaction Regions (CIRs), formed by high-speed corotating streams interacting with slow speed streams, have been examined from -20 deg to -36 deg heliolatitudes. The high-speed streams emanate from a polar coronal hole that Ulysses eventually becomes fully embedded in as it travels towards the south pole. We find that the trailing portion of the CIR, from the interface surface (IF) to the reverse shock (RS), contains both large amplitude transverse fluctuations and magnitude fluctuations. Similar fluctuations have been previously noted to exist within CIRs detected in the ecliptic plane, but their existence has not been explained. The normalized magnetic field component variances within this portion of the CIR and in the trailing high-speed stream are approximately the same, indicating that the fluctuations in the CIR are compressed Alfven waves. Mirror mode structures with lower intensities are also observed in the trailing portion of the CIR, presumably generated from a local instability driven by free energy associated with compression of the high-speed solar wind plasma. The mixture of these two modes (compressed Alfven waves and mirror modes) plus other modes generated by three wave processes (wave-shock interactions) lead to a lower Alfvenicity within the trailing portion of the CfR than in the high-speed stream proper. The results presented in this paper suggest a mechanism for generation of large amplitude B(sub z) fluctuations within CIRS. Such phenomena have been noted to be responsible for the generation of moderate geomagnetic storms during the declining phase of the solar cycle.

Resistive switching phenomena: A review of statistical physics approaches

DOE PAGES

Lee, Jae Sung; Lee, Shinbuhm; Noh, Tae Won

2015-08-31

Here we report that resistive switching (RS) phenomena are reversible changes in the metastable resistance state induced by external electric fields. After discovery ~50 years ago, RS phenomena have attracted great attention due to their potential application in next-generation electrical devices. Considerable research has been performed to understand the physical mechanisms of RS and explore the feasibility and limits of such devices. There have also been several reviews on RS that attempt to explain the microscopic origins of how regions that were originally insulators can change into conductors. However, little attention has been paid to the most important factor inmore » determining resistance: how conducting local regions are interconnected. Here, we provide an overview of the underlying physics behind connectivity changes in highly conductive regions under an electric field. We first classify RS phenomena according to their characteristic current–voltage curves: unipolar, bipolar, and threshold switchings. Second, we outline the microscopic origins of RS in oxides, focusing on the roles of oxygen vacancies: the effect of concentration, the mechanisms of channel formation and rupture, and the driving forces of oxygen vacancies. Third, we review RS studies from the perspective of statistical physics to understand connectivity change in RS phenomena. We discuss percolation model approaches and the theory for the scaling behaviors of numerous transport properties observed in RS. Fourth, we review various switching-type conversion phenomena in RS: bipolar-unipolar, memory-threshold, figure-of-eight, and counter-figure-of-eight conversions. Finally, we review several related technological issues, such as improvement in high resistance fluctuations, sneak-path problems, and multilevel switching problems.« less

Instability, rupture and fluctuations in thin liquid films: Theory and computations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gvalani, Rishabh; Duran-Olivencia, Miguel; Kalliadasis, Serafim; Pavliotis, Grigorios

2017-11-01

Thin liquid films are ubiquitous in natural phenomena and technological applications. They are commonly studied via deterministic hydrodynamic equations, but thermal fluctuations often play a crucial role that still needs to be understood. An example of this is dewetting, which involves the rupture of a thin liquid film and the formation of droplets. Such a process is thermally activated and requires fluctuations to be taken into account self-consistently. Here we present an analytical and numerical study of a stochastic thin-film equation derived from first principles. We scrutinise the behaviour of the stochastic thin film equation in the limit of perfectly correlated noise along the wall-normal direction. We also perform Monte Carlo simulations of the stochastic equation by adopting a numerical scheme based on a spectral collocation method. The numerical scheme allows us to explore the fluctuating dynamics of the thin film and the behaviour of the system's free energy close to rupture. Finally, we also study the effect of the noise intensity on the rupture time, which is in good agreement with previous works. Imperial College London (ICL) President's PhD Scholarship; European Research Council Advanced Grant No. 247031; EPSRC Grants EP/L025159, EP/L020564, EP/P031587, EP/L024926, and EP/L016230/1.

Designing a stochastic genetic switch by coupling chaos and bistability.

PubMed

Zhao, Xiang; Ouyang, Qi; Wang, Hongli

2015-11-01

In stem cell differentiation, a pluripotent stem cell becomes progressively specialized and generates specific cell types through a series of epigenetic processes. How cells can precisely determine their fate in a fluctuating environment is a currently unsolved problem. In this paper, we suggest an abstract gene regulatory network to describe mathematically the differentiation phenomenon featuring stochasticity, divergent cell fates, and robustness. The network consists of three functional motifs: an upstream chaotic motif, a buffering motif of incoherent feed forward loop capable of generating a pulse, and a downstream motif which is bistable. The dynamic behavior is typically a transient chaos with fractal basin boundaries. The trajectories take transiently chaotic journeys before divergently settling down to the bistable states. The ratio of the probability that the high state is achieved to the probability that the low state is reached can maintain a constant in a population of cells with varied molecular fluctuations. The ratio can be turned up or down when proper parameters are adjusted. The model suggests a possible mechanism for the robustness against fluctuations that is prominently featured in pluripotent cell differentiations and developmental phenomena.

How to detect fluctuating stripes in the high-temperature superconductors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kivelson, S. A.; Bindloss, I. P.; Fradkin, E.; Oganesyan, V.; Tranquada, J. M.; Kapitulnik, A.; Howald, C.

2003-10-01

This article discusses fluctuating order in a quantum disordered phase proximate to a quantum critical point, with particular emphasis on fluctuating stripe order. Optimal strategies are derived for extracting information concerning such local order from experiments, with emphasis on neutron scattering and scanning tunneling microscopy. These ideas are tested by application to two model systems—an exactly solvable one-dimensional (1D) electron gas with an impurity, and a weakly interacting 2D electron gas. Experiments on the cuprate high-temperature superconductors which can be analyzed using these strategies are extensively reviewed. The authors adduce evidence that stripe correlations are widespread in the cuprates. They compare and contrast the advantages of two limiting perspectives on the high-temperature superconductor: weak coupling, in which correlation effects are treated as a perturbation on an underlying metallic (although renormalized) Fermi-liquid state, and strong coupling, in which the magnetism is associated with well-defined localized spins, and stripes are viewed as a form of micro phase separation. The authors present quantitative indicators that the latter view better accounts for the observed stripe phenomena in the cuprates.

Scale-invariant structure of energy fluctuations in real earthquakes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Ping; Chang, Zhe; Wang, Huanyu; Lu, Hong

2017-11-01

Earthquakes are obviously complex phenomena associated with complicated spatiotemporal correlations, and they are generally characterized by two power laws: the Gutenberg-Richter (GR) and the Omori-Utsu laws. However, an important challenge has been to explain two apparently contrasting features: the GR and Omori-Utsu laws are scale-invariant and unaffected by energy or time scales, whereas earthquakes occasionally exhibit a characteristic energy or time scale, such as with asperity events. In this paper, three high-quality datasets on earthquakes were used to calculate the earthquake energy fluctuations at various spatiotemporal scales, and the results reveal the correlations between seismic events regardless of their critical or characteristic features. The probability density functions (PDFs) of the fluctuations exhibit evidence of another scaling that behaves as a q-Gaussian rather than random process. The scaling behaviors are observed for scales spanning three orders of magnitude. Considering the spatial heterogeneities in a real earthquake fault, we propose an inhomogeneous Olami-Feder-Christensen (OFC) model to describe the statistical properties of real earthquakes. The numerical simulations show that the inhomogeneous OFC model shares the same statistical properties with real earthquakes.

Coherent generation of symmetry-forbidden phonons by light-induced electron-phonon interactions in magnetite

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Borroni, S.; Baldini, E.; Katukuri, V. M.; Mann, A.; Parlinski, K.; Legut, D.; Arrell, C.; van Mourik, F.; Teyssier, J.; Kozlowski, A.; Piekarz, P.; Yazyev, O. V.; Oleś, A. M.; Lorenzana, J.; Carbone, F.

2017-09-01

Symmetry breaking across phase transitions often causes changes in selection rules and emergence of optical modes which can be detected via spectroscopic techniques or generated coherently in pump-probe experiments. In second-order or weakly first-order transitions, fluctuations of the ordering field are present above the ordering temperature, giving rise to intriguing precursor phenomena, such as critical opalescence. Here, we demonstrate that in magnetite (Fe3O4 ) light excitation couples to the critical fluctuations of the charge order and coherently generates structural modes of the ordered phase above the critical temperature of the Verwey transition. Our findings are obtained by detecting coherent oscillations of the optical constants through ultrafast broadband spectroscopy and analyzing their dependence on temperature. To unveil the coupling between the structural modes and the electronic excitations, at the origin of the Verwey transition, we combine our results from pump-probe experiments with spontaneous Raman scattering data and theoretical calculations of both the phonon dispersion curves and the optical constants. Our methodology represents an effective tool to study the real-time dynamics of critical fluctuations across phase transitions.

Reducing and measuring fluctuations in the MST RFP: Enhancement of energy confinement and measurement of the MHD dynamo

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Den Hartog, D.J.; Almagri, A.F.; Cekic, M.

1996-09-01

A three- to five-fold enhancement of the energy confinement time in a reversed-field pinch (RFP) has been achieved in the Madison Symmetric Torus (MST) by reducing the amplitude of tearing mode fluctuations responsible for anomalous transport in the core of the RFP. By applying a transient poloidal inductive electric field to flatten the current density profile, the fluctuation amplitude {tilde b}/B decreases from 1.5% to 0.8%, the electron temperature T{sub e0} increases from 250 eV to 370 eV, the ohmic input power decreases from 4.5 MW to approximately 1.5 MW, the poloidal beta {beta}{sub 0} increases from 6% to 9%,more » and the energy confinement time {tau}{sub E} increases from 1 ms to {approximately}5 ms in I{sub {phi}} = 340 kA plasmas with density {tilde n} = 1 {times} 10{sup 19} m{sup -3}. Current profile control methods are being developed for the RFP in a program to eliminate transport associated with these current-gradient-driven fluctuations. In addition to controlling the amplitude of the tearing modes, we are vigorously pursuing an understanding of the physics of these fluctuations. In particular, plasma flow, both equilibrium and fluctuating, plays a critical role in a diversity of physical phenomena in MST. The key results: 1) Edge probe measurements show that the MHD dynamo is active in low collisionality plasmas, while at high collisionality a new mechanism, the `electron diamagnetic dynamo,` is observed. 2) Core spectroscopic measurements show that the toroidal velocity fluctuations of the plasma are coherent with the large-scale magnetic tearing modes; the scalar product of these two fluctuating quantities is similar to that expected for the MHD dynamo electromotive force. 3) Toroidal plasma flow in MST exhibits large radial shear and can be actively controlled, including unlocking locked discharges, by modifying E{sub r} with a robust biased probe. 24 refs.« less

Langevin equation with fluctuating diffusivity: A two-state model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miyaguchi, Tomoshige; Akimoto, Takuma; Yamamoto, Eiji

2016-07-01

Recently, anomalous subdiffusion, aging, and scatter of the diffusion coefficient have been reported in many single-particle-tracking experiments, though the origins of these behaviors are still elusive. Here, as a model to describe such phenomena, we investigate a Langevin equation with diffusivity fluctuating between a fast and a slow state. Namely, the diffusivity follows a dichotomous stochastic process. We assume that the sojourn time distributions of these two states are given by power laws. It is shown that, for a nonequilibrium ensemble, the ensemble-averaged mean-square displacement (MSD) shows transient subdiffusion. In contrast, the time-averaged MSD shows normal diffusion, but an effective diffusion coefficient transiently shows aging behavior. The propagator is non-Gaussian for short time and converges to a Gaussian distribution in a long-time limit; this convergence to Gaussian is extremely slow for some parameter values. For equilibrium ensembles, both ensemble-averaged and time-averaged MSDs show only normal diffusion and thus we cannot detect any traces of the fluctuating diffusivity with these MSDs. Therefore, as an alternative approach to characterizing the fluctuating diffusivity, the relative standard deviation (RSD) of the time-averaged MSD is utilized and it is shown that the RSD exhibits slow relaxation as a signature of the long-time correlation in the fluctuating diffusivity. Furthermore, it is shown that the RSD is related to a non-Gaussian parameter of the propagator. To obtain these theoretical results, we develop a two-state renewal theory as an analytical tool.

Stratospheric variability in summer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rind, D.; Donn, W. L.; Robinson, W.

1981-01-01

Rocketsonde observations and infrasound results are used to investigate the variability of the summer stratopause region during one month in summer. Fluctuations of 2-3 days and about 16-day periods are evident, and they appear to be propagating vertically. In this month the 2-3 day oscillations have an amplitude envelope equal in period to the longer period oscillations, implying a connection between the two phenomena. Observations of the diurnal tide and shorter period variability during the month are also presented.

Experimental analysis of transonic buffet on a 3D swept wing using fast-response pressure-sensitive paint

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sugioka, Yosuke; Koike, Shunsuke; Nakakita, Kazuyuki; Numata, Daiju; Nonomura, Taku; Asai, Keisuke

2018-06-01

Transonic buffeting phenomena on a three-dimensional swept wing were experimentally analyzed using a fast-response pressure-sensitive paint (PSP). The experiment was conducted using an 80%-scaled NASA Common Research Model in the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) 2 m × 2 m Transonic Wind Tunnel at a Mach number of 0.85 and a chord Reynolds number of 1.54 × 106. The angle of attack was varied between 2.82° and 6.52°. The calculation of root-mean-square (RMS) pressure fluctuations and spectral analysis were performed on measured unsteady PSP images to analyze the phenomena under off-design buffet conditions. We found that two types of shock behavior exist. The first is a shock oscillation characterized by the presence of "buffet cells" formed at a bump Strouhal number St of 0.3-0.5, which is observed under all off-design conditions. This phenomenon arises at the mid-span wing and is propagated spanwise from inboard to outboard. The other is a large spatial amplitude shock oscillation characterized by low-frequency broadband components at St < 0.1, which appears at higher angles of attack ( α ≥ 6.0°) and behaves more like two-dimensional buffet. The transition between these two shock behaviors correlates well with the rapid increase of the wing-root strain fluctuation RMS.

Nonlinear coseismic infrasound waves in the upper atmosphere and ionosphere

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chum, J.; Liu, J. Y.; Cabrera, M. A.

2017-12-01

Vertical motion of the ground surface caused by seismic waves generates acoustic waves that propagate nearly vertically upward because of supersonic speed of seismic waves. As the air density decreases with height, the amplitude of acoustic waves increases to conserve the energy flux. If the initial perturbation is large enough (larger than 10 mm/s) and the period of waves is long (>10 s), then the amplitude reaches significant values in the upper atmosphere (e.g. oscillation velocities of the air particles become comparable with sound speed) and the nonlinear phenomena start to play an important role before the wave is dissipated. The nonlinear phenomena lead to changes of spectral content of the wave packet. The energy is transferred to lower frequencies, which can cause the formation of roughly bipolar N-shaped pulse in the vicinity of the epicenters (up to distance about 1000-1500 km) of strong, M>7, earthquakes. The nonlinear propagation is studied on the basis of numerical solution of continuity, momentum and heat equations in 1D (along vertical axis) for viscous compressible atmosphere. Boundary conditions on the ground are determined by real measurements of the vertical motion of the ground surface. The results of numerical simulations are in a good agreement with atmospheric fluctuations observed by continuous Doppler sounding at heights of about 200 km and epicenter distance around 800 km. In addition, the expected fluctuations of GSP-TEC are calculated.

Nonequilibrium thermodynamics and the transport phenomena in magnetically confined plasmas

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Balescu, R.

1987-09-01

The neoclassical theory of transport in magnetically confined plasmas is reviewed. The emphasis is laid on a set of relationships existing among the banana transport coefficients. The surface-averaged entropy production in such plasmas is evaluated. It is shown that neoclassical effects emerge from the entropy production due to parallel transport processes. The Pfirsch-Schlueter effect can be clearly interpreted as due to spatial fluctuations of parallel fluxes on a magnetic surface: the corresponding entropy production is the measure of these fluctuations. The banana fluxes can be formulated in a quasithermodynamic form in which the average entropy production is a bilinear formmore » in the parallel fluxes and the conjugate generalized stresses. A formulation as a quadratic form in the thermodynamic forces is also possible, but leads to anomalies, which are discussed in some detail.« less

Widom Delta of Supercritical Gas-Liquid Coexistence.

PubMed

Ha, Min Young; Yoon, Tae Jun; Tlusty, Tsvi; Jho, Yongseok; Lee, Won Bo

2018-04-05

Density fluctuations and the Widom line are of great importance in understanding the critical phenomena and the behaviors of supercritical fluids (SCFs). We report on the direct classification of liquid-like and gas-like molecules coexisting in the SCF, identified by machine learning analysis on simulation data. The deltoid coexistence region encloses the Widom line and may therefore be termed the Widom delta. Number fractions of gas-like and liquid-like particles are found to undergo continuous transition across the delta, following a simplified two-state model. These fractions are closely related to the magnitude of supercritical anomaly, which originates from the fluctuation between the two types. This suggests a microscopic view of the SCF as a mixture of liquid-like and gas-like structures, providing an integrative explanation to the anomalous behaviors near the critical point and the Widom line.

Low-dimensional quantum magnetism in Cu (NCS) 2: A molecular framework material

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cliffe, Matthew J.; Lee, Jeongjae; Paddison, Joseph A. M.; Schott, Sam; Mukherjee, Paromita; Gaultois, Michael W.; Manuel, Pascal; Sirringhaus, Henning; Dutton, Siân E.; Grey, Clare P.

2018-04-01

Low-dimensional magnetic materials with spin-1/2 moments can host a range of exotic magnetic phenomena due to the intrinsic importance of quantum fluctuations to their behavior. Here, we report the structure, magnetic structure, and magnetic properties of copper ii thiocyanate, Cu(NCS ) 2, a one-dimensional coordination polymer which displays low-dimensional quantum magnetism. Magnetic susceptibility, electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy, 13C magic-angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, and density functional theory investigations indicate that Cu(NCS ) 2 behaves as a two-dimensional array of weakly coupled antiferromagnetic spin chains [J2=133 (1 ) K , α =J1/J2=0.08 ] . Powder neutron-diffraction measurements confirm that Cu(NCS ) 2 orders as a commensurate antiferromagnet below TN=12 K , with a strongly reduced ordered moment (0.3 μB ) due to quantum fluctuations.

Theory of hydrodynamic transport in fluctuating electronic charge density wave states

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Delacrétaz, Luca V.; Goutéraux, Blaise; Hartnoll, Sean A.; Karlsson, Anna

2017-11-01

We describe the collective hydrodynamic motion of an incommensurate charge density wave state in a clean electronic system. Our description simultaneously incorporates the effects of both pinning due to weak disorder and also phase relaxation due to proliferating dislocations. We show that the interplay between these two phenomena has important consequences for charge and momentum transport. For instance, it can lead to metal-insulator transitions. We furthermore identify signatures of fluctuating density waves in frequency and spatially resolved conductivities. Phase disordering is well known to lead to a large viscosity. We derive a precise formula for the phase relaxation rate in terms of the viscosity in the dislocation cores. We thereby determine the viscosity of the superconducting state of BSCCO from the observed melting dynamics of Abrikosov lattices and show that the result is consistent with dissipation into Bogoliubov quasiparticles.

In situ Pressure Fluctuations of Polymer Melt Flow Instabilities: Experimental Evidence about their Origin and Dynamics.

PubMed

Palza, Humberto; Naue, Ingo F C; Wilhelm, Manfred

2009-11-02

Despite the practical importance of polymer melt instabilities, there is still a lack of experiments able to characterize in situ the origin and behavior of these phenomena. In this context, a new set-up consisting of high sensitive pressure transducers located inside a slit-die and an advanced mathematical framework to process in situ measurements of polymer melt instabilities, are developed and applied. Our results show for the first time that pressure oscillations can actually be detected inside the die under sharkskin conditions. This originates from a factor of 10(3) and 10(2) improvement in terms of time and pressure resolution. Furthermore, new evidence towards the propagation of the slip phenomena along the die in spurt instabilities are found. Copyright © 2009 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Role of spin-transfer torques on synchronization and resonance phenomena in stochastic magnetic oscillators

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Accioly, Artur; Centre de Nanosciences et de Nanotechnologies, CNRS, Univ. Paris-Sud, Université Paris-Saclay, 91405 Orsay; Locatelli, Nicolas

2016-09-07

A theoretical study on how synchronization and resonance-like phenomena in superparamagnetic tunnel junctions can be driven by spin-transfer torques is presented. We examine the magnetization of a superparamagnetic free layer that reverses randomly between two well-defined orientations due to thermal fluctuations, acting as a stochastic oscillator. When subject to an external ac forcing, this system can present stochastic resonance and noise-enhanced synchronization. We focus on the roles of the mutually perpendicular damping-like and field-like torques, showing that the response of the system is very different at low and high frequencies. We also demonstrate that the field-like torque can increase themore » efficiency of the current-driven forcing, especially at sub-threshold electric currents. These results can be useful for possible low-power, more energy efficient applications.« less

Communication and Collective Consensus Making in Animal Groups via Mechanical Interactions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Várkonyi, Péter L.

2011-06-01

Mechanical constraints have a strong influence on the dynamics and structure of granular aggregations. The contact forces within dense suspensions of active particles may give rise to intriguing phenomena, including anomalous density fluctuations, long-range orientational ordering, and spontaneous pattern formation. Various authors have proposed that these physical phenomena contribute to the ability of animal groups to move coherently. Our systematic numerical simulations confirm that spontaneous interactions of elongated individuals can trigger oriented motion in small groups. They are, however, insufficient in larger ones, despite their significant imprint on the group's internal structure. It is also demonstrated that preferred directions of motion of a minority of group members can be communicated to others solely by mechanical interactions. These findings strengthen the link between pattern formation in active nematics and the collective decision making of social animals.

National Waterways Study. Analysis of Navigation Relationships to Other Water Uses.

DTIC Science & Technology

1981-07-01

The Erie Harbor is defined as all of Presque Isle Bay. There are five marinas within the harbor with a total of 1,500 slips and four launching...Lake Erie and two feet at some locations on Lake Ontario. Other natural phenomena causing fluctuations of water levels are ice jams and the growth of...raised Lake Erie 0.23 feet. During the high water periods in the early 1950s and middle 1970s (caused by excessive precipitation) the Ogoki diversions

Microscopic phenomena and a modern approach to turbulence. [using arc driven shock tubes to support the kinetic theory of turbulence

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Johnson, J. A., III; Chen, S.; I, L.; Jones, W.; Ramaiah, R.; Santiago, J.

1979-01-01

The use of an arc driven shock tube as a technique in the study of turbulence and evidence to support a kinetic theory of turbulence are described. Topics covered include: (1) reaction rate distortion in turbulent flow; (2) turbulent bursts in a shock tube; (3) driver gas flow with fluctuations; (4) improving the Mach number capabilities of arc driver shock tubes; and (5) resonant absorption in an argon plasma at thermal equilibrium.

Variance fluctuations in nonstationary time series: a comparative study of music genres

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jennings, Heather D.; Ivanov, Plamen Ch.; De Martins, Allan M.; da Silva, P. C.; Viswanathan, G. M.

2004-05-01

An important problem in physics concerns the analysis of audio time series generated by transduced acoustic phenomena. Here, we develop a new method to quantify the scaling properties of the local variance of nonstationary time series. We apply this technique to analyze audio signals obtained from selected genres of music. We find quantitative differences in the correlation properties of high art music, popular music, and dance music. We discuss the relevance of these objective findings in relation to the subjective experience of music.

Understanding recent eastern Horn of Africa rainfall variability and change

USGS Publications Warehouse

Liebmann, Brant; Hoerling, Martin P.; Funk, Christopher C.; Blade, Ileana; Dole, Randall M.; Allured, Dave; Quan, Xiaowei; Eischeid, Jon K.

2014-01-01

The recent upward trend in the October–December wet season is rather weak, however, and its statistical significance is compromised by strong year-to-year fluctuations. October–December eastern Horn rain variability is strongly associated with El Niño–Southern Oscillation and Indian Ocean dipole phenomena on interannual scales, in both model and observations. The interannual October–December correlation between the ensemble-average and observed Horn rainfall 0.87. By comparison, interannual March–May Horn precipitation is only weakly constrained by SST anomalies.

Extraction of angle deterministic signals in the presence of stationary speed fluctuations with cyclostationary blind source separation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Delvecchio, S.; Antoni, J.

2012-02-01

This paper addresses the use of a cyclostationary blind source separation algorithm (namely RRCR) to extract angle deterministic signals from mechanical rotating machines in presence of stationary speed fluctuations. This means that only phase fluctuations while machine is running in steady-state conditions are considered while run-up or run-down speed variations are not taken into account. The machine is also supposed to run in idle conditions so non-stationary phenomena due to the load are not considered. It is theoretically assessed that in such operating conditions the deterministic (periodic) signal in the angle domain becomes cyclostationary at first and second orders in the time domain. This fact justifies the use of the RRCR algorithm, which is able to directly extract the angle deterministic signal from the time domain without performing any kind of interpolation. This is particularly valuable when angular resampling fails because of uncontrolled speed fluctuations. The capability of the proposed approach is verified by means of simulated and actual vibration signals captured on a pneumatic screwdriver handle. In this particular case not only the extraction of the angle deterministic part can be performed but also the separation of the main sources of excitation (i.e. motor shaft imbalance, epyciloidal gear meshing and air pressure forces) affecting the user hand during operations.

Oceanic crustal carbon cycle drives 26-million-year atmospheric carbon dioxide periodicities.

PubMed

Müller, R Dietmar; Dutkiewicz, Adriana

2018-02-01

Atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) data for the last 420 million years (My) show long-term fluctuations related to supercontinent cycles as well as shorter cycles at 26 to 32 My whose origin is unknown. Periodicities of 26 to 30 My occur in diverse geological phenomena including mass extinctions, flood basalt volcanism, ocean anoxic events, deposition of massive evaporites, sequence boundaries, and orogenic events and have previously been linked to an extraterrestrial mechanism. The vast oceanic crustal carbon reservoir is an alternative potential driving force of climate fluctuations at these time scales, with hydrothermal crustal carbon uptake occurring mostly in young crust with a strong dependence on ocean bottom water temperature. We combine a global plate model and oceanic paleo-age grids with estimates of paleo-ocean bottom water temperatures to track the evolution of the oceanic crustal carbon reservoir over the past 230 My. We show that seafloor spreading rates as well as the storage, subduction, and emission of oceanic crustal and mantle CO 2 fluctuate with a period of 26 My. A connection with seafloor spreading rates and equivalent cycles in subduction zone rollback suggests that these periodicities are driven by the dynamics of subduction zone migration. The oceanic crust-mantle carbon cycle is thus a previously overlooked mechanism that connects plate tectonic pulsing with fluctuations in atmospheric carbon and surface environments.

Oceanic crustal carbon cycle drives 26-million-year atmospheric carbon dioxide periodicities

PubMed Central

Müller, R. Dietmar; Dutkiewicz, Adriana

2018-01-01

Atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) data for the last 420 million years (My) show long-term fluctuations related to supercontinent cycles as well as shorter cycles at 26 to 32 My whose origin is unknown. Periodicities of 26 to 30 My occur in diverse geological phenomena including mass extinctions, flood basalt volcanism, ocean anoxic events, deposition of massive evaporites, sequence boundaries, and orogenic events and have previously been linked to an extraterrestrial mechanism. The vast oceanic crustal carbon reservoir is an alternative potential driving force of climate fluctuations at these time scales, with hydrothermal crustal carbon uptake occurring mostly in young crust with a strong dependence on ocean bottom water temperature. We combine a global plate model and oceanic paleo-age grids with estimates of paleo-ocean bottom water temperatures to track the evolution of the oceanic crustal carbon reservoir over the past 230 My. We show that seafloor spreading rates as well as the storage, subduction, and emission of oceanic crustal and mantle CO2 fluctuate with a period of 26 My. A connection with seafloor spreading rates and equivalent cycles in subduction zone rollback suggests that these periodicities are driven by the dynamics of subduction zone migration. The oceanic crust-mantle carbon cycle is thus a previously overlooked mechanism that connects plate tectonic pulsing with fluctuations in atmospheric carbon and surface environments. PMID:29457135

Structural Fluctuations and Thermophysical Properties of Molten II-VI Compounds

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Su, Ching-Hua; Zhu, S.; Li, C.; Scripa, R.; Lehoczky, S. L.; Kim, Y. M.; Baird, J. K.; Lin, B.; Ban, H.; Benmore, Chris;

Real-Time Measurement of Nanotube Resonator Fluctuations in an Electron Microscope

PubMed Central

2017-01-01

Mechanical resonators based on low-dimensional materials provide a unique platform for exploring a broad range of physical phenomena. The mechanical vibrational states are indeed extremely sensitive to charges, spins, photons, and adsorbed masses. However, the roadblock is often the readout of the resonator, because the detection of the vibrational states becomes increasingly difficult for smaller resonators. Here, we report an unprecedentedly sensitive method to detect nanotube resonators with effective masses in the 10–20 kg range. We use the beam of an electron microscope to resolve the mechanical fluctuations of a nanotube in real-time for the first time. We obtain full access to the thermally driven Brownian motion of the resonator, both in space and time domains. Our results establish the viability of carbon nanotube resonator technology at room temperature and pave the way toward the observation of novel thermodynamics regimes and quantum effects in nanomechanics. PMID:28186773

Multistage electronic nematic transitions in cuprate superconductors: A functional-renormalization-group analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tsuchiizu, Masahisa; Kawaguchi, Kouki; Yamakawa, Youichi; Kontani, Hiroshi

2018-04-01

Recently, complex rotational symmetry-breaking phenomena have been discovered experimentally in cuprate superconductors. To find the realized order parameters, we study various unconventional charge susceptibilities in an unbiased way by applying the functional-renormalization-group method to the d -p Hubbard model. Without assuming the wave vector of the order parameter, we reveal that the most dominant instability is the uniform (q =0 ) charge modulation on the px and py orbitals, which possesses d symmetry. This uniform nematic order triggers another nematic p -orbital density wave along the axial (Cu-Cu) direction at Qa≈(π /2 ,0 ) . It is predicted that uniform nematic order is driven by the spin fluctuations in the pseudogap region, and another nematic density-wave order at q =Qa is triggered by the uniform order. The predicted multistage nematic transitions are caused by Aslamazov-Larkin-type fluctuation-exchange processes.

Dissipation-Induced Anomalous Multicritical Phenomena

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Soriente, M.; Donner, T.; Chitra, R.; Zilberberg, O.

2018-05-01

We explore the influence of dissipation on a paradigmatic driven-dissipative model where a collection of two level atoms interact with both quadratures of a quantum cavity mode. The closed system exhibits multiple phase transitions involving discrete and continuous symmetries breaking and all phases culminate in a multicritical point. In the open system, we show that infinitesimal dissipation erases the phase with broken continuous symmetry and radically alters the model's phase diagram. The multicritical point now becomes brittle and splits into two tricritical points where first- and second-order symmetry-breaking transitions meet. A quantum fluctuations analysis shows that, surprisingly, the tricritical points exhibit anomalous finite fluctuations, as opposed to standard tricritical points arising in He 3 -He 4 mixtures. Our work has direct implications for a variety of fields, including cold atoms and ions in optical cavities, circuit-quantum electrodynamics as well as optomechanical systems.

Uncertain behaviours of integrated circuits improve computational performance.

PubMed

Yoshimura, Chihiro; Yamaoka, Masanao; Hayashi, Masato; Okuyama, Takuya; Aoki, Hidetaka; Kawarabayashi, Ken-ichi; Mizuno, Hiroyuki

2015-11-20

Improvements to the performance of conventional computers have mainly been achieved through semiconductor scaling; however, scaling is reaching its limitations. Natural phenomena, such as quantum superposition and stochastic resonance, have been introduced into new computing paradigms to improve performance beyond these limitations. Here, we explain that the uncertain behaviours of devices due to semiconductor scaling can improve the performance of computers. We prototyped an integrated circuit by performing a ground-state search of the Ising model. The bit errors of memory cell devices holding the current state of search occur probabilistically by inserting fluctuations into dynamic device characteristics, which will be actualised in the future to the chip. As a result, we observed more improvements in solution accuracy than that without fluctuations. Although the uncertain behaviours of devices had been intended to be eliminated in conventional devices, we demonstrate that uncertain behaviours has become the key to improving computational performance.

Turbulence hierarchy in a random fibre laser

PubMed Central

González, Iván R. Roa; Lima, Bismarck C.; Pincheira, Pablo I. R.; Brum, Arthur A.; Macêdo, Antônio M. S.; Vasconcelos, Giovani L.; de S. Menezes, Leonardo; Raposo, Ernesto P.; Gomes, Anderson S. L.; Kashyap, Raman

2017-01-01

Turbulence is a challenging feature common to a wide range of complex phenomena. Random fibre lasers are a special class of lasers in which the feedback arises from multiple scattering in a one-dimensional disordered cavity-less medium. Here we report on statistical signatures of turbulence in the distribution of intensity fluctuations in a continuous-wave-pumped erbium-based random fibre laser, with random Bragg grating scatterers. The distribution of intensity fluctuations in an extensive data set exhibits three qualitatively distinct behaviours: a Gaussian regime below threshold, a mixture of two distributions with exponentially decaying tails near the threshold and a mixture of distributions with stretched-exponential tails above threshold. All distributions are well described by a hierarchical stochastic model that incorporates Kolmogorov’s theory of turbulence, which includes energy cascade and the intermittence phenomenon. Our findings have implications for explaining the remarkably challenging turbulent behaviour in photonics, using a random fibre laser as the experimental platform. PMID:28561064

Dynamic fluctuation of proteins watched in real time

PubMed Central

Ormos, Pál

2008-01-01

The dynamic nature of protein function is a fundamental concept in the physics of proteins. Although the basic general ideas are well accepted most experimental evidence has an indirect nature. The detailed characterization of the dynamics is necessary for the understanding in detail. The dynamic fluctuations thought crucial for the function span an extremely broad time, starting from the picosecond regime. Recently, a few new experimental techniques emerged that permit the observation of dynamical phenomena directly. Notably, pulsed infrared (IR) spectroscopy has been applied with great success to observe structural changes with picosecond time resolution. Using two-dimensional-IR vibrational echo chemical exchange spectroscopy Ishikawa and co-workers [Ishikawa et al. (2008), Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 101, 14402–14407] managed to observe the transition between well defined conformational substrates of carbonmonoxy myoglobin directly. This is an important step in improving our insight into the details of protein function. PMID:19436491

A review of models of fluctuating protrusion and retraction patterns at the leading edge of motile cells.

PubMed

Ryan, Gillian L; Watanabe, Naoki; Vavylonis, Dimitrios

2012-04-01

A characteristic feature of motile cells as they undergo a change in motile behavior is the development of fluctuating exploratory motions of the leading edge, driven by actin polymerization. We review quantitative models of these protrusion and retraction phenomena. Theoretical studies have been motivated by advances in experimental and computational methods that allow controlled perturbations, single molecule imaging, and analysis of spatiotemporal correlations in microscopic images. To explain oscillations and waves of the leading edge, most theoretical models propose nonlinear interactions and feedback mechanisms among different components of the actin cytoskeleton system. These mechanisms include curvature-sensing membrane proteins, myosin contraction, and autocatalytic biochemical reaction kinetics. We discuss how the combination of experimental studies with modeling promises to quantify the relative importance of these biochemical and biophysical processes at the leading edge and to evaluate their generality across cell types and extracellular environments. Copyright © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Optical imaging measurements of oxygen transport fluctuations and gradients in tumor microvascular networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sorg, Brian S.; Hardee, Matthew E.; Moeller, Benjamin J.; Dewhirst, Mark W.

2006-02-01

It is well established that hypoxia can influence tumor biology and physiology, gene expression, metastatic potential, treatment efficacy, and patient survival. Most human solid tumors have been shown to have some hypoxic regions, thus there is a strong motivation to understand the various causes of hypoxia. One key to understanding tumor hypoxia involves the study of oxygen transport to tumors, and the connection between hypoxia, tumor microvasculature, and the tumor microenvironment. Recent research has suggested that the causes of tumor hypoxia are much more complex than indicated by the classical paradigms ("chronic" and "acute" hypoxia), and several potential factors have been identified. Two such factors are temporal fluctuations in tissue pO II and longitudinal gradients in oxygen transport. Research has shown the existence of low frequency (<2 cycles per minute) fluctuations in tumor pO II without cessation of blood flow that can lead to transient hypoxia. In addition, longitudinal gradients in tumor pO II along the arteriolar afferent direction have been documented in window chamber tumors. However, the causes of the pO II temporal fluctuations and longitudinal gradients are not exactly known, and the clinical significance of these observations is not well understood. In this preliminary study, we demonstrate the potential of optical imaging measurements of hemoglobin saturation to add new information in these areas. Slow temporal fluctuations of hemoglobin saturation (HbSat) and gradients in the average HbSat were observed in some 4T1 mouse mammary carcinoma microvessels. With additional research, the mechanisms behind these phenomena and insights into their clinical significance may be revealed.

Winter cyclone frequency and following freshet streamflow formation on the rivers in Belarus

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Partasenok, Irina S.; Groisman, Pavel Ya; Chekan, Grigoriy S.; Melnik, Viktor I.

2014-09-01

We studied long-term fluctuations of streamflow and occurrence of extreme phenomena on the rivers of Belarus during the post-World War II period. It was found that formation of annual runoff within the nation has no constant tendencies and varies from year to year. At the same time, analysis of intra-annual distribution of streamflow reveals significant changes since the 1970s, first of all, increase of winter and decrease of spring streamflow. As a result, the frequency of extreme floods has decreased. These changes in water regime are associated with climatic anomalies (increase of the surface air temperatures) caused by large-scale alterations in atmospheric circulation, specifically in trajectories of cyclones. During the last two decades, the frequency of Atlantic and southern cyclones has changed and caused decreasing of cold season storms and extreme phenomena on the rivers.

Random-order fractional bistable system and its stochastic resonance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gao, Shilong; Zhang, Li; Liu, Hui; Kan, Bixia

2017-01-01

In this paper, the diffusion motion of Brownian particles in a viscous liquid suffering from stochastic fluctuations of the external environment is modeled as a random-order fractional bistable equation, and as a typical nonlinear dynamic behavior, the stochastic resonance phenomena in this system are investigated. At first, the derivation process of the random-order fractional bistable system is given. In particular, the random-power-law memory is deeply discussed to obtain the physical interpretation of the random-order fractional derivative. Secondly, the stochastic resonance evoked by random-order and external periodic force is mainly studied by numerical simulation. In particular, the frequency shifting phenomena of the periodical output are observed in SR induced by the excitation of the random order. Finally, the stochastic resonance of the system under the double stochastic excitations of the random order and the internal color noise is also investigated.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lee, Jae Sung; Lee, Shinbuhm; Noh, Tae Won

Here we report that resistive switching (RS) phenomena are reversible changes in the metastable resistance state induced by external electric fields. After discovery ~50 years ago, RS phenomena have attracted great attention due to their potential application in next-generation electrical devices. Considerable research has been performed to understand the physical mechanisms of RS and explore the feasibility and limits of such devices. There have also been several reviews on RS that attempt to explain the microscopic origins of how regions that were originally insulators can change into conductors. However, little attention has been paid to the most important factor inmore » determining resistance: how conducting local regions are interconnected. Here, we provide an overview of the underlying physics behind connectivity changes in highly conductive regions under an electric field. We first classify RS phenomena according to their characteristic current–voltage curves: unipolar, bipolar, and threshold switchings. Second, we outline the microscopic origins of RS in oxides, focusing on the roles of oxygen vacancies: the effect of concentration, the mechanisms of channel formation and rupture, and the driving forces of oxygen vacancies. Third, we review RS studies from the perspective of statistical physics to understand connectivity change in RS phenomena. We discuss percolation model approaches and the theory for the scaling behaviors of numerous transport properties observed in RS. Fourth, we review various switching-type conversion phenomena in RS: bipolar-unipolar, memory-threshold, figure-of-eight, and counter-figure-of-eight conversions. Finally, we review several related technological issues, such as improvement in high resistance fluctuations, sneak-path problems, and multilevel switching problems.« less

Dwelling quietly in the rich club: brain network determinants of slow cortical fluctuations

PubMed Central

Gollo, Leonardo L.; Zalesky, Andrew; Hutchison, R. Matthew; van den Heuvel, Martijn; Breakspear, Michael

2015-01-01

For more than a century, cerebral cartography has been driven by investigations of structural and morphological properties of the brain across spatial scales and the temporal/functional phenomena that emerge from these underlying features. The next era of brain mapping will be driven by studies that consider both of these components of brain organization simultaneously—elucidating their interactions and dependencies. Using this guiding principle, we explored the origin of slowly fluctuating patterns of synchronization within the topological core of brain regions known as the rich club, implicated in the regulation of mood and introspection. We find that a constellation of densely interconnected regions that constitute the rich club (including the anterior insula, amygdala and precuneus) play a central role in promoting a stable, dynamical core of spontaneous activity in the primate cortex. The slow timescales are well matched to the regulation of internal visceral states, corresponding to the somatic correlates of mood and anxiety. In contrast, the topology of the surrounding ‘feeder’ cortical regions shows unstable, rapidly fluctuating dynamics likely to be crucial for fast perceptual processes. We discuss these findings in relation to psychiatric disorders and the future of connectomics. PMID:25823864

Dynamical behavior of lean swirling premixed flame generated by change in gravitational orientation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gotoda, Hiroshi; Miyano, Takaya; Shepherd, Ian

2010-11-01

The dynamic behavior of flame front instability in lean swirling premixed flame generated by the effect of gravitational orientation has been experimentally investigated in this work. When the gravitational direction is changed relative to the flame front, i.e., in inverted gravity, an unstably fluctuating flame (unstable flame) is formed in a limited domain of equivalence ratio and swirl number (Gotoda. H et al., Physical Review E, vol. 81, 026211, 2010). The time history of flame front fluctuations show that in the buoyancy-dominated region, chaotic irregular fluctuation with low frequencies is superimposed on the dominant periodic oscillation of the unstable flame. This periodic oscillation is produced by unstable large-scale vortex motion in combustion products generated by a change in the buoyancy/swirl interaction due to the inversion of gravitational orientation. As a result, the dynamic behavior of the unstable flame becomes low-dimensional deterministic chaos. Its dynamics maintains low-dimensional deterministic chaos even in the momentum-dominated region, in which vortex breakdown in the combustion products clearly occurs. These results were clearly demonstrated by the use of nonlinear time series analysis based on chaos theory, which has not been widely applied to the investigation of combustion phenomena.

Discrete Scaling in Earthquake Precursory Phenomena: Evidence in the Kobe Earthquake, Japan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Johansen, Anders; Sornette, Didier; Wakita, Hiroshi; Tsunogai, Urumu; Newman, William I.; Saleur, Hubert

1996-10-01

We analyze the ion concentration of groundwater issuing from deep wells located near the epicenter of the recent earthquake of magnitude 6.9 near Kobe, Japan, on January 17, 1995. These concentrations are well fitted by log-periodic modulations around a leading power law. The exponent (real and imaginary parts) is very close to those already found for the fits of precursory seismic activity for Loma Prieta and the Aleutian Islands. This brings further support for the general hypothesis that complex critical exponents are a general phenomenon in irreversible self-organizing systems and particularly in rupture and earthquake phenomena. Nous analysons les fluctuations de concentrations ioniques de l'eau issue de puits profonds situés à proximité de l'épicentre du récent tremblement de terre de magnitude 6.9 proche de Kobe au Japon, le 17 janvier 1995. Ces fluctuations sont bien reproduites par des modulations log-périodiques autour d'une loi de puissance. Les parties réelle et imaginaire de l'exposant sont très proches de celles trouvées précédemment pour les tremblements de terre de Loma Prieta et des Iles Aléoutiennes. Ces résultats renforcent l'hypothèse que des exposants critiques complexes sont une propriété générale des phénomènes de croissance irréversible, et en particulier des problèmes de rupture et des tremblements de terre.

Correlation between non-Fermi-liquid behavior and superconductivity in (Ca, La)(Fe,Co)As2 iron arsenides: A high-pressure study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhou, W.; Ke, F.; Xu, Xiaofeng; Sankar, R.; Xing, X.; Xu, C. Q.; Jiang, X. F.; Qian, B.; Zhou, N.; Zhang, Y.; Xu, M.; Li, B.; Chen, B.; Shi, Z. X.

2017-11-01

Non-Fermi-liquid (NFL) phenomena associated with correlation effects have been widely observed in the phase diagrams of unconventional superconducting families. Exploration of the correlation between the normal state NFL, regardless of its microscopic origins, and the superconductivity has been argued as a key to unveiling the mystery of the high-Tc pairing mechanism. Here we systematically investigate the pressure-dependent in-plane resistivity (ρ ) and Hall coefficient (RH) of a high-quality 112-type Fe-based superconductor Ca1 -xLaxFe1 -yCoyAs2 (x =0.2 ,y =0.02 ). With increasing pressure, the normal-state resistivity of the studied sample exhibits a pronounced crossover from non-Fermi-liquid to Fermi-liquid behaviors. Accompanied with this crossover, Tc is gradually suppressed. In parallel, the extremum in the Hall coefficient RH(T ) curve, possibly due to anisotropic scattering induced by spin fluctuations, is also gradually suppressed. The symbiosis of NFL and superconductivity implies that these two phenomena are intimately related. Further study on the pressure-dependent upper critical field reveals that the two-band effects are also gradually weakened with increasing pressure and reduced to the one-band Werthamer-Helfand-Hohenberg limit in the low-Tc regime. Overall, our paper supports the picture that NFL, multigap, and extreme RH(T ) are all of the same magnetic origin, i.e., the spin fluctuations in the 112 iron arsenide superconductors.

Phenological patterns of Spodoptera Guenée, 1852 (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) is more affected by ENSO than seasonal factors and host plant availability in a Brazilian Savanna

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Piovesan, Mônica; Specht, Alexandre; Carneiro, Eduardo; Paula-Moraes, Silvana Vieira; Casagrande, Mirna Martins

2018-03-01

The identification of factors responsible for the population dynamics is fundamental for pest management, since losses can reach 18% of annual production. Besides regular seasonal environmental factors and crop managements, additional supra-annual meteorological phenomena can also affect population dynamics, although its relevance has been rarely investigated. Among crop pests, Spodoptera stands out due to its worldwide distribution, high degree of polyphagy, thus causing damages in several crops in the world. Aiming to distinguish the relevance of different factors shaping population dynamics of Spodoptera in an ecosystem constituted of dry and rainy seasons, the current study used circular statistics to identify phenological patterns and test if its population fluctuation is driven by El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) effect, seasonal meteorological parameters, and/or host plant availability. Samplings were done in an intercropping system, in the Brazilian Savanna, during the new moon cycles between July/2013 and June/2016. Species were recorded all year round, but demonstrated differently non-uniform distribution, being concentrated in different seasons of the year. Population fluctuations were mostly affected by the ENSO intensity, despite the contrasting seasonal meteorological variation or host plant availability in a 400-m radius. Studies involving the observation of supra-annual phenomena, although rare, reach similar conclusions in relation to Neotropical insect fauna. Therefore, it is paramount to have long-term sampling studies to obtain a more precise response of the pest populations towards the agroecosystem conditions.

Light Phenomena from the Nothing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Teodorani, M.

2004-11-01

The most recent results of scientific investigations on anomalous light phenomena, which were carried out in Hessdalen, Norway, are described and discussed. The data acquired so far show that the phenomenon is a plasma form triggered by piezoelectricity and maintained by electrochemical effects that become effective when a plasma concentration interacts with an atmosphere rich of water vapor and aerosols. It is also shown that the electrochemical mechanism able to permit an efficient confinement of the plasma can explain some peculiar kinematic and structural characteristics too, being the light phenomenon formed by clusters of small light balls, which are occasionally ejected from the core. The mechanism, with which amplitude time-variations of pulsating light phenomena occur, is also described. It is finally shown how, however, some peculiar aspects of the phenomenon, in particular the occurrence of some transiently geometric shapes, cannot be explained using a geophysical standard model. One hypothesis concerning quantum fluctuations of the zero point energy, including a possible interaction with a form of "electromagnetic intelligence", is discussed as a possible speculation, which is ventured in order to suggest to all physical scientists working in this field to carry out a more in-depth study of the light phenomenon in its entirety.

Exotic superfluidity and pairing phenomena in atomic Fermi gases in mixed dimensions.

PubMed

Zhang, Leifeng; Che, Yanming; Wang, Jibiao; Chen, Qijin

2017-10-11

Atomic Fermi gases have been an ideal platform for simulating conventional and engineering exotic physical systems owing to their multiple tunable control parameters. Here we investigate the effects of mixed dimensionality on the superfluid and pairing phenomena of a two-component ultracold atomic Fermi gas with a short-range pairing interaction, while one component is confined on a one-dimensional (1D) optical lattice whereas the other is in a homogeneous 3D continuum. We study the phase diagram and the pseudogap phenomena throughout the entire BCS-BEC crossover, using a pairing fluctuation theory. We find that the effective dimensionality of the non-interacting lattice component can evolve from quasi-3D to quasi-1D, leading to strong Fermi surface mismatch. Upon pairing, the system becomes effectively quasi-two dimensional in the BEC regime. The behavior of T c bears similarity to that of a regular 3D population imbalanced Fermi gas, but with a more drastic departure from the regular 3D balanced case, featuring both intermediate temperature superfluidity and possible pair density wave ground state. Unlike a simple 1D optical lattice case, T c in the mixed dimensions has a constant BEC asymptote.

Reconnection AND Bursty Bulk Flow Associated Turbulence IN THE Earth'S Plasma Sheet

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Voros, Z.; Nakamura, R.; Baumjohann, W.; Runov, A.; Volwerk, M.; Jankovicova, D.; Balogh, A.; Klecker, B.

2006-12-01

Reconnection related fast flows in the Earth's plasma sheet can be associated with several accompanying phenomena, such as magnetic field dipolarization, current sheet thinning and turbulence. Statistical analysis of multi-scale properties of turbulence facilitates to understand the interaction of the plasma flow with the dipolar magnetic field and to recognize the remote or nearby temporal and spatial characteristics of reconnection. The main emphasis of this presentation is on differentiating between the specific statistical features of flow associated fluctuations at different distances from the reconnection site.

Effect of a target on the stimulated emission of microsecond CO2-laser pulses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baranov, V. Iu.; Dolgov, V. A.; Maliuta, D. D.; Mezhevov, V. S.; Semak, V. V.

1987-12-01

The paper reports a change in the pulse shape of a TEA CO2 laser with an unstable cavity under the interaction between the laser radiation and a metal surface in the presence of a breakdown plasma. It is shown that a continuous change in the phase difference between the wave reflected in the cavity and the principal cavity wave gives rise to changes in the pulse shape and the appearance of power fluctuations. The possible effect of these phenomena on the laser treatment of materials is considered.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Intravaia, F.; Behunin, R. O.; Henkel, C.

Here, we discuss the failure of the Markov approximation in the description of atom-surface fluctuation-induced interactions, both in equilibrium (Casimir-Polder forces) and out of equilibrium (quantum friction). Using general theoretical arguments, we show that the Markov approximation can lead to erroneous predictions of such phenomena with regard to both strength and functional dependencies on system parameters. Particularly, we show that the long-time power-law tails of two-time dipole correlations and their corresponding low-frequency behavior, neglected in the Markovian limit, affect the prediction of the force. These findings highlight the importance of non-Markovian effects in dispersion interactions.

Experimental study of dynamic stall on Darrieus wind turbine blades

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brochier, G.; Fraunie, P.; Beguier, C.; Paraschivoiu, I.

1985-12-01

An experimental study of periodic vortex phenomena was performed on a model of a two straight-bladed Darrieus wind turbine under controlled-rotation conditions in the IMST water tunnel. The main focus of interest was the tip-speed ratios at which dynamic stall appears. Observations of this phenomenon from dye emission and the formation of hydrogen bubbles were made in the form of photographs, film and video recordings. Velocity measurements were obtained using the Laser-Doppler Velocimeter and components of velocity fluctuations could be determined quantitatively.

Secondary quantum macrpscopic effects in weak superconductivity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Larkin, A. I.; Likharev, K. K.; Ovchinnikov, Yu. N.

1984-11-01

In several experiments carried out since 1980, a typical quantum behavior of small-size Josephson junctions as macroscopic objects has been registered. Those experiments have stimulated a rapid development of the related theory, particularly of the effect of damping (viscosity) upon these quantum effects including fluctuations, tunneling and interference. As a result of this development, some even more interesting phenomena have been predicted just recently. In this paper, a brief review of this new field is presented, with a special emphasis on the results essential for the quantum physisc in general.

High resolution study of magnetic ordering at absolute zero.

PubMed

Lee, M; Husmann, A; Rosenbaum, T F; Aeppli, G

2004-05-07

High resolution pressure measurements in the zero-temperature limit provide a unique opportunity to study the behavior of strongly interacting, itinerant electrons with coupled spin and charge degrees of freedom. Approaching the precision that has become the hallmark of experiments on classical critical phenomena, we characterize the quantum critical behavior of the model, elemental antiferromagnet chromium, lightly doped with vanadium. We resolve the sharp doubling of the Hall coefficient at the quantum critical point and trace the dominating effects of quantum fluctuations up to surprisingly high temperatures.

An experimental study of the sources of fluctuating pressure loads beneath swept shock/boundary-layer interactions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Settles, G. S.; Garg, S.

1993-01-01

An experimental research program providing basic knowledge and establishing a database on the fluctuating pressure loads produced on aerodynamic surfaces beneath three dimensional shock wave/boundary layer interactions is described. Such loads constitute a fundamental problem of critical concern to future supersonic and hypersonic flight vehicles. A turbulent boundary layer on a flat plate is subjected to interactions with swept planar shock waves generated by sharp fins at angle of attack. Fin angles from 10 to 20 deg at freestream Mach numbers of 3 and 4 produce a variety of interaction strengths from weak to very strong. Miniature Kulite pressure transducers flush-mounted in the flat plate are used to measure interaction-induced wall pressure fluctuations. The distributions of properties of the pressure fluctuations, such as their ring levels, amplitude distributions, and power spectra, are also determined. Measurements were made for the first time in the aft regions of these interactions, revealing fluctuating pressure levels as high as 160 dB. These fluctuations are dominated by low frequency (0-5 kHz) signals. The maximum ring levels in the interactions show an increasing trend with increasing interaction strength. On the other hand, the maximum ring levels in the forward portion of the interactions decrease linearly with increasing interaction sweep back. These ring pressure distributions and spectra are correlated with the features of the interaction flowfield. The unsteadiness of the off-surface flowfield is studied using a new, non-intrusive technique based on the shadow graph method. The results indicate that the entire lambda-shock structure generated by the interaction undergoes relatively low-frequency oscillations. Some regions where particularly strong fluctuations are generated were identified. Fluctuating pressure measurements are also made along the line of symmetry of an axisymmetric jet impinging upon a flat plate at an angle. This flow was chosen as a simple analog to the impinging jet region found in the rear portion of the shock wave/boundary layer interactions under study. It is found that a sharp peak in ring pressure level exists at or near the mean stagnation point. It is suggested that the phenomena responsible for this peak may be active in the swept interactions as well, and may cause the extremely high fluctuating pressures observed in the impinging jet region in the present experimental program.

Pathways to dewetting in hydrophobic confinement

PubMed Central

Remsing, Richard C.; Xi, Erte; Vembanur, Srivathsan; Sharma, Sumit; Debenedetti, Pablo G.; Garde, Shekhar; Patel, Amish J.

2015-01-01

Liquid water can become metastable with respect to its vapor in hydrophobic confinement. The resulting dewetting transitions are often impeded by large kinetic barriers. According to macroscopic theory, such barriers arise from the free energy required to nucleate a critical vapor tube that spans the region between two hydrophobic surfaces—tubes with smaller radii collapse, whereas larger ones grow to dry the entire confined region. Using extensive molecular simulations of water between two nanoscopic hydrophobic surfaces, in conjunction with advanced sampling techniques, here we show that for intersurface separations that thermodynamically favor dewetting, the barrier to dewetting does not correspond to the formation of a (classical) critical vapor tube. Instead, it corresponds to an abrupt transition from an isolated cavity adjacent to one of the confining surfaces to a gap-spanning vapor tube that is already larger than the critical vapor tube anticipated by macroscopic theory. Correspondingly, the barrier to dewetting is also smaller than the classical expectation. We show that the peculiar nature of water density fluctuations adjacent to extended hydrophobic surfaces—namely, the enhanced likelihood of observing low-density fluctuations relative to Gaussian statistics—facilitates this nonclassical behavior. By stabilizing isolated cavities relative to vapor tubes, enhanced water density fluctuations thus stabilize novel pathways, which circumvent the classical barriers and offer diminished resistance to dewetting. Our results thus suggest a key role for fluctuations in speeding up the kinetics of numerous phenomena ranging from Cassie–Wenzel transitions on superhydrophobic surfaces, to hydrophobically driven biomolecular folding and assembly. PMID:26100866

Pathways to dewetting in hydrophobic confinement.

PubMed

Remsing, Richard C; Xi, Erte; Vembanur, Srivathsan; Sharma, Sumit; Debenedetti, Pablo G; Garde, Shekhar; Patel, Amish J

2015-07-07

Liquid water can become metastable with respect to its vapor in hydrophobic confinement. The resulting dewetting transitions are often impeded by large kinetic barriers. According to macroscopic theory, such barriers arise from the free energy required to nucleate a critical vapor tube that spans the region between two hydrophobic surfaces--tubes with smaller radii collapse, whereas larger ones grow to dry the entire confined region. Using extensive molecular simulations of water between two nanoscopic hydrophobic surfaces, in conjunction with advanced sampling techniques, here we show that for intersurface separations that thermodynamically favor dewetting, the barrier to dewetting does not correspond to the formation of a (classical) critical vapor tube. Instead, it corresponds to an abrupt transition from an isolated cavity adjacent to one of the confining surfaces to a gap-spanning vapor tube that is already larger than the critical vapor tube anticipated by macroscopic theory. Correspondingly, the barrier to dewetting is also smaller than the classical expectation. We show that the peculiar nature of water density fluctuations adjacent to extended hydrophobic surfaces--namely, the enhanced likelihood of observing low-density fluctuations relative to Gaussian statistics--facilitates this nonclassical behavior. By stabilizing isolated cavities relative to vapor tubes, enhanced water density fluctuations thus stabilize novel pathways, which circumvent the classical barriers and offer diminished resistance to dewetting. Our results thus suggest a key role for fluctuations in speeding up the kinetics of numerous phenomena ranging from Cassie-Wenzel transitions on superhydrophobic surfaces, to hydrophobically driven biomolecular folding and assembly.

Statistics of velocity and temperature fluctuations in two-dimensional Rayleigh-Bénard convection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Yang; Huang, Yong-Xiang; Jiang, Nan; Liu, Yu-Lu; Lu, Zhi-Ming; Qiu, Xiang; Zhou, Quan

2017-08-01

We investigate fluctuations of the velocity and temperature fields in two-dimensional (2D) Rayleigh-Bénard (RB) convection by means of direct numerical simulations (DNS) over the Rayleigh number range 106≤Ra≤1010 and for a fixed Prandtl number Pr=5.3 and aspect ratio Γ =1 . Our results show that there exists a counter-gradient turbulent transport of energy from fluctuations to the mean flow both locally and globally, implying that the Reynolds stress is one of the driving mechanisms of the large-scale circulation in 2D turbulent RB convection besides the buoyancy of thermal plumes. We also find that the viscous boundary layer (BL) thicknesses near the horizontal conducting plates and near the vertical sidewalls, δu and δv, are almost the same for a given Ra, and they scale with the Rayleigh and Reynolds numbers as ˜Ra-0.26±0.03 and ˜Re-0.43±0.04 . Furthermore, the thermal BL thickness δθ defined based on the root-mean-square (rms) temperature profiles is found to agree with Prandtl-Blasius predictions from the scaling point of view. In addition, the probability density functions of turbulent energy ɛu' and thermal ɛθ' dissipation rates, calculated, respectively, within the viscous and thermal BLs, are found to be always non-log-normal and obey approximately a Bramwell-Holdsworth-Pinton distribution first introduced to characterize rare fluctuations in a confined turbulent flow and critical phenomena.

Probing QCD critical fluctuations from light nuclei production in relativistic heavy-ion collisions

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sun, Kai-Jia; Chen, Lie-Wen; Ko, Che Ming

Based on the coalescence model for light nuclei production, we show that the yield ratio O p-d-t = N3HNp/Nmore » $$2\\atop{d}$$ of p, d, and 3H in heavy-ion collisions is sensitive to the neutron relative density fluctuation Δn = $$\\langle$$(δn) 2 $$\\rangle$$/ $$\\langle$$n$$\\rangle$$ at kinetic freeze-out. From recent experimental data in central Pb + Pb collisions at $$\\sqrt{s}$$$_ {NN}$$ =6.3 GeV, 7.6 GeV, 8.8 GeV, 12.3 GeV and 17.3 GeV measured by the NA49 Collaboration at the CERN Super Proton Synchrotron (SPS), we find a possible non-monotonic behavior of Δn as a function of the collision energy with a peak at $$\\sqrt{s}$$$_ {NN}$$ 8.8 GeV, indicating that the density fluctuations become the largest in collisions at this energy. With the known chemical freeze-out conditions determined from the statistical model fit to experimental data, we obtain a chemical freeze-out temperature of ~ 144 MeV and baryon chemical potential of ~385 MeV at this collision energy, which are close to the critical endpoint in the QCD phase diagram predicted by various theoretical studies. Our results thus suggest the potential usefulness of the yield ratio of light nuclei in relativistic heavy-ion collisions as a direct probe of the large density fluctuations associated with the QCD critical phenomena.« less

Probing QCD critical fluctuations from light nuclei production in relativistic heavy-ion collisions

DOE PAGES

Sun, Kai-Jia; Chen, Lie-Wen; Ko, Che Ming; ...

2017-09-22

Based on the coalescence model for light nuclei production, we show that the yield ratio O p-d-t = N3HNp/Nmore » $$2\\atop{d}$$ of p, d, and 3H in heavy-ion collisions is sensitive to the neutron relative density fluctuation Δn = $$\\langle$$(δn) 2 $$\\rangle$$/ $$\\langle$$n$$\\rangle$$ at kinetic freeze-out. From recent experimental data in central Pb + Pb collisions at $$\\sqrt{s}$$$_ {NN}$$ =6.3 GeV, 7.6 GeV, 8.8 GeV, 12.3 GeV and 17.3 GeV measured by the NA49 Collaboration at the CERN Super Proton Synchrotron (SPS), we find a possible non-monotonic behavior of Δn as a function of the collision energy with a peak at $$\\sqrt{s}$$$_ {NN}$$ 8.8 GeV, indicating that the density fluctuations become the largest in collisions at this energy. With the known chemical freeze-out conditions determined from the statistical model fit to experimental data, we obtain a chemical freeze-out temperature of ~ 144 MeV and baryon chemical potential of ~385 MeV at this collision energy, which are close to the critical endpoint in the QCD phase diagram predicted by various theoretical studies. Our results thus suggest the potential usefulness of the yield ratio of light nuclei in relativistic heavy-ion collisions as a direct probe of the large density fluctuations associated with the QCD critical phenomena.« less

Free energetics of carbon nanotube association in aqueous inorganic NaI salt solutions: Temperature effects using all-atom molecular dynamics simulations.

PubMed

Ou, Shu-Ching; Cui, Di; Wezowicz, Matthew; Taufer, Michela; Patel, Sandeep

2015-06-15

In this study, we examine the temperature dependence of free energetics of nanotube association using graphical processing unit-enabled all-atom molecular dynamics simulations (FEN ZI) with two (10,10) single-walled carbon nanotubes in 3 m NaI aqueous salt solution. Results suggest that the free energy, enthalpy and entropy changes for the association process are all reduced at the high temperature, in agreement with previous investigations using other hydrophobes. Via the decomposition of free energy into individual components, we found that solvent contribution (including water, anion, and cation contributions) is correlated with the spatial distribution of the corresponding species and is influenced distinctly by the temperature. We studied the spatial distribution and the structure of the solvent in different regions: intertube, intratube and the bulk solvent. By calculating the fluctuation of coarse-grained tube-solvent surfaces, we found that tube-water interfacial fluctuation exhibits the strongest temperature dependence. By taking ions to be a solvent-like medium in the absence of water, tube-anion interfacial fluctuation shows similar but weaker dependence on temperature, while tube-cation interfacial fluctuation shows no dependence in general. These characteristics are discussed via the malleability of their corresponding solvation shells relative to the nanotube surface. Hydrogen bonding profiles and tetrahedrality of water arrangement are also computed to compare the structure of solvent in the solvent bulk and intertube region. The hydrophobic confinement induces a relatively lower concentration environment in the intertube region, therefore causing different intertube solvent structures which depend on the tube separation. This study is relevant in the continuing discourse on hydrophobic interactions (as they impact generally a broad class of phenomena in biology, biochemistry, and materials science and soft condensed matter research), and interpretations of hydrophobicity in terms of alternative but parallel signatures such as interfacial fluctuations, dewetting transitions, and enhanced fluctuation probabilities at interfaces. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Large-scale climatic phenomena drive fluctuations in macroinvertebrate assemblages in lowland tropical streams, Costa Rica: The importance of ENSO events in determining long-term (15y) patterns

PubMed Central

Ramírez, Alonso; Pringle, Catherine M.

2018-01-01

Understanding how environmental variables influence the distribution and density of organisms over relatively long temporal scales is a central question in ecology given increased climatic variability (e.g., precipitation, ENSO events). The primary goal of our study was to evaluate long-term (15y time span) patterns of climate, as well as environmental parameters in two Neotropical streams in lowland Costa Rica, to assess potential effects on aquatic macroinvertebrates. We also examined the relative effects of an 8y whole-stream P-enrichment experiment on macroinvertebrate assemblages against the backdrop of this long-term study. Climate, environmental variables and macroinvertebrate samples were measured monthly for 7y and then quarterly for an additional 8y in each stream. Temporal patterns in climatic and environmental variables showed high variability over time, without clear inter-annual or intra-annual patterns. Macroinvertebrate richness and abundance decreased with increasing discharge and was positively related to the number of days since the last high discharge event. Findings show that fluctuations in stream physicochemistry and macroinvertebrate assemblage structure are ultimately the result of large-scale climatic phenomena, such as ENSO events, while the 8y P-enrichment did not appear to affect macroinvertebrates. Our study demonstrates that Neotropical lowland streams are highly dynamic and not as stable as is commonly presumed, with high intra- and inter-annual variability in environmental parameters that change the structure and composition of freshwater macroinvertebrate assemblages. PMID:29420548

Observation of dark pulses in 10 nm thick YBCO nanostrips presenting hysteretic current voltage characteristics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ejrnaes, M.; Parlato, L.; Arpaia, R.; Bauch, T.; Lombardi, F.; Cristiano, R.; Tafuri, F.; Pepe, G. P.

2017-12-01

We have fabricated several 10 nm thick and 65 nm wide YBa2Cu3O7-δ (YBCO) nanostrips. The nanostrips with the highest critical current densities are characterized by hysteretic current voltage characteristics (IVCs) with a direct bistable switch from the zero-voltage to the finite voltage state. The presence of hysteretic IVCs allowed the observation of dark pulses due to fluctuations phenomena. The key role of the bistable behavior is its ability to transform a small disturbance (e.g. an intrinsic fluctuation) into a measurable transient signal, i.e. a dark pulse. On the contrary, in devices characterized by lower critical current density values, the IVCs are non-hysteretic and dark pulses have not been observed. To investigate the physical origin of the dark pulses, we have measured the bias current dependence of the dark pulse rate: the observed exponential increase with the bias current is compatible with mechanisms based on thermal activation of magnetic vortices in the nanostrip. We believe that the successful amplification of small fluctuation events into measurable signals in nanostrips of ultrathin YBCO is a milestone for further investigation of YBCO nanostrips for superconducting nanostrip single photon detectors and other quantum detectors for operation at higher temperatures.

Insights into the applicability of microbial fuel cells in wastewater treatment plants for a sustainable generation of electricity.

PubMed

Krieg, Thomas; Mayer, Florian; Sell, Dieter; Holtmann, Dirk

2017-11-21

Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) are often discussed as a part of a sustainable generation of electricity for the coming 'energy revolution'. In particular, the application of MFCs in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are often regarded as an attractive alternative to reduce costs while generating electricity. Field surveys are necessary to show the applicability of MFCs in WWTPs considering daily fluctuations and environmental effects such as rain events affecting the MFC performance remarkably. In this study, a MFC system was tested in four municipal WWTPs using different modes of operation. A correlation between current densities and sludge loading (SL) was identified. At low SLs, the activated sludge needs a large amount of the energy derived from the substrate for the maintenance metabolism resulting in quite low current densities of the MFC. At high SLs much more of the energy can be transferred from the activated sludge to the electrode, resulting in higher currents. Furthermore, the effect of environmental conditions on the current densities was evaluated. WWTPs have daily fluctuations depending on the wastewater composition, weather phenomena and population equivalents. Our data show that these daily fluctuations can only be observed in the MFC performance at WWTPs below 50,000 population equivalents.

Multifractal detrended fluctuation analysis to characterize phase couplings in seahorse (Hippocampus kuda) feeding clicks.

PubMed

Haris, K; Chakraborty, Bishwajit; Menezes, A; Sreepada, R A; Fernandes, W A

2014-10-01

Nonlinear phenomena in animal vocalizations fundamentally includes known features, namely, frequency jump, subharmonics, biphonation, and deterministic chaos. In the present study, the multifractal detrended fluctuation analysis (MFDFA) has been employed to characterize the phase couplings revealed in the feeding clicks of Hippocampus kuda yellow seahorse. The fluctuation function Fq(s), generalized Hurst exponent h(q), multifractal scaling exponent τ(q), and the multifractal spectrum f(α) calculated in the procedure followed were analyzed to comprehend the underlying nonlinearities in the seahorse clicks. The analyses carried out reveal long-range power-law correlation properties in the data, substantiating the multifractal behavior. The resulting h(q) spectrum exhibits a distinct characteristic pattern in relation to the seahorse sex and size, and reveals a spectral blind spot in the data that was not possible to detect by conventional spectral analyses. The corresponding multifractal spectrum related width parameter Δh(q) is well clustered, defining the individual seahorse clicks. The highest degree of multifractality is evident in the 18 cm male seahorse, signifying greater heterogeneity. A further comparison between the seahorse body size and weight (wet) with respect to the width parameter Δh(q) and the second-order Hurst exponent h(q=2) underscores the versatility of MFDFA as a robust statistical tool to analyze bioacoustic observations.

Sloshing motion dynamics of a free surface in the draft tube cone of a Francis turbine operating in synchronous condenser mode

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vagnoni, Elena; Andolfatto, Loïc; Favrel, Arthur; Avellan, François

2016-11-01

The penetration of the electrical grid by intermittent renewable energy sources induces grid fluctuations which must be compensated in order to guarantee the stability of the grid. Hydropower plants can supply reactive power to ensure the grid stabilization by operating in condenser mode. In this operating mode, the turbine operates with the tail water depressed to let the runner spin in air to reduce the power consumption. Pressurized air is injected in the draft tube cone to maintain the water level below the runner and this induces air-water interaction phenomena which cause important power losses. Flow visualization and pressure fluctuation measurements are performed in a reduced scale physical model of a Francis turbine operating in condenser mode to investigate the dynamics of the air-water interaction in the draft tube cone which causes the sloshing motion of the free surface. An image post-processing method is developed, enabling a quantitative description of the sloshing motion. The latter depends on the Froude number. By increasing the value of the Froude number, the amplitude of the sloshing motion decreases, as well as the amplitude of the pressure fluctuations. The frequency of the sloshing motion corresponds to the first natural frequency of the water volume.

On the Hofmeister effect: fluctuations at the protein-water interface and the surface tension.

PubMed

Bogár, Ferenc; Bartha, Ferenc; Násztor, Zoltán; Fábián, László; Leitgeb, Balázs; Dér, András

2014-07-24

We performed molecular dynamics simulations on the tryptophane-cage miniprotein using a nonpolarizable force field, in order to model the effect of concentrated water solutions of neutral salts on protein conformation, which is a manifestation of Hofmeister effects. From the equilibrium values and the fluctuations of the solvent accessible surface area of the miniprotein, the salt-induced changes of the mean value of protein-water interfacial tension were determined. At 300 K, the chaotropic ClO4(-) and NO3(-) decreased the interfacial tension according to their position in the Hofmeister series (by approximately 5 and 2.7 mN/m, respectively), while the kosmotropic F(-) increased it (by 1 mN/m). These values were compared to those obtained from the Gibbs equation using the excess surface adsorption calculated from the probability distribution of the water molecules and ions around the miniprotein, and the two sets were found to be very close to each other. Our results present a direct evidence for the central role of interfacial tension and fluctuations at the protein-water interface in Hofmeister phenomena, and provide a computational method for the determination of the protein-water interfacial tension, establishing a link between the phenomenological and microscopic description of protein-water interfaces.

Torsional Alfvén Wave Embedded ICME Magnetic Cloud and Corresponding Geomagnetic Storm

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Raghav, Anil N.; Kule, Ankita; Bhaskar, Ankush; Mishra, Wageesh; Vichare, Geeta; Surve, Shobha

2018-06-01

Energy transfer during the interaction of large-scale solar wind structure and the Earth’s magnetosphere is a chronic issue in space-weather studies. To understand this, researchers widely studied the geomagnetic storm and substorm phenomena. The present understanding suggests that the long duration of the southward interplanetary magnetic field component is the most important parameter for the geomagnetic storm. Such a long duration strong southward magnetic field is often associated with ICMEs, torsional Alfvén fluctuations superposed corotating interacting regions (CIRs), and fast solar wind streams. Torsional Alfvén fluctuations embedded CIRs have been known of for a long time; however, magnetic clouds embedded with such fluctuations are rarely observed. The presence of Alfvén waves in the ICME/MC and the influence of these waves on the storm evolution remains an interesting topic of study. The present work confirms the torsional Alfvén waves in a magnetic cloud associated with a CME launched on 2011 February 15, which impacted the Earth’s magnetosphere on 2011 February 18. Furthermore, observations indicate that these waves inject energy into the magnetosphere during the storm and contribute to the long recovery time of geomagnetic storms. Our study suggests that the presence of torsional Alfvén waves significantly controls the storm dynamics.

A multi-species exchange model for fully fluctuating polymer field theory simulations.

PubMed

Düchs, Dominik; Delaney, Kris T; Fredrickson, Glenn H

2014-11-07

Field-theoretic models have been used extensively to study the phase behavior of inhomogeneous polymer melts and solutions, both in self-consistent mean-field calculations and in numerical simulations of the full theory capturing composition fluctuations. The models commonly used can be grouped into two categories, namely, species models and exchange models. Species models involve integrations of functionals that explicitly depend on fields originating both from species density operators and their conjugate chemical potential fields. In contrast, exchange models retain only linear combinations of the chemical potential fields. In the two-component case, development of exchange models has been instrumental in enabling stable complex Langevin (CL) simulations of the full complex-valued theory. No comparable stable CL approach has yet been established for field theories of the species type. Here, we introduce an extension of the exchange model to an arbitrary number of components, namely, the multi-species exchange (MSE) model, which greatly expands the classes of soft material systems that can be accessed by the complex Langevin simulation technique. We demonstrate the stability and accuracy of the MSE-CL sampling approach using numerical simulations of triblock and tetrablock terpolymer melts, and tetrablock quaterpolymer melts. This method should enable studies of a wide range of fluctuation phenomena in multiblock/multi-species polymer blends and composites.

Dwelling quietly in the rich club: brain network determinants of slow cortical fluctuations.

PubMed

Gollo, Leonardo L; Zalesky, Andrew; Hutchison, R Matthew; van den Heuvel, Martijn; Breakspear, Michael

2015-05-19

For more than a century, cerebral cartography has been driven by investigations of structural and morphological properties of the brain across spatial scales and the temporal/functional phenomena that emerge from these underlying features. The next era of brain mapping will be driven by studies that consider both of these components of brain organization simultaneously--elucidating their interactions and dependencies. Using this guiding principle, we explored the origin of slowly fluctuating patterns of synchronization within the topological core of brain regions known as the rich club, implicated in the regulation of mood and introspection. We find that a constellation of densely interconnected regions that constitute the rich club (including the anterior insula, amygdala and precuneus) play a central role in promoting a stable, dynamical core of spontaneous activity in the primate cortex. The slow timescales are well matched to the regulation of internal visceral states, corresponding to the somatic correlates of mood and anxiety. In contrast, the topology of the surrounding 'feeder' cortical regions shows unstable, rapidly fluctuating dynamics likely to be crucial for fast perceptual processes. We discuss these findings in relation to psychiatric disorders and the future of connectomics. © 2015 The Author(s) Published by the Royal Society. All rights reserved.

New structures of power density spectra for four Kepler active galactic nuclei

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dobrotka, A.; Antonuccio-Delogu, V.; Bajčičáková, I.

2017-09-01

Many nearby active galactic nuclei display a significant short-term variability. In this work, we reanalyse photometric data of four active galactic nuclei observed by Kepler in order to study the flickering activity, with our main goal to search for multiple components in the power density spectra. We find that all four objects have similar characteristics, with two break frequencies at approximately log( f /Hz) = -5.2 and -4.7. We consider some physical phenomena whose characteristic time-scales are consistent with those observed, in particular mass accretion fluctuations in the inner geometrically thick disc (hot X-ray corona) and unstable relativistic Rayleigh-Taylor modes. The former is supported by detection of the same break frequencies in the Swift X-ray data of ZW229-15. We also discuss rms-flux relations, and we detect a possible typical linear trend at lower flux levels. Our findings support the hypothesis of a multiplicative character of variability, in agreement with the propagating accretion fluctuation model.

Ground-based Observations of Large Solar Flares Precursors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sheyner, Olga; Smirnova, Anna; Snegirev, Sergey

2010-05-01

The importance problem of Solar-terrestrial physics is regular forecasting of solar activity phenomena, which negatively influence the human's health, operating safety, communication, radar sets and others. The opportunity of development of short-term forecasting technique of geoeffective solar flares is presented in this study. This technique is based on the effect of growth of pulsations of horizontal component of geomagnetic field before the solar proton flares. The long-period (30-60 minutes) pulsations of H-component of geomagnetic field are detected for the events of different intensity on March 22, 1991, November 4, 2001, and November 17, 2001 using the method of wavelet-analysis. Amplitudes of fluctuations of horizontal component of geomagnetic field with the 30-60 minute's periods grow at the most of tested stations during 0.5-3.5 days before the solar flares. The particularities of spectral component are studied for the stations situated on different latitudes. The assumptions about the reason of such precursors-fluctuations appearance are made.

Appropriate time scales for nonlinear analyses of deterministic jump systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Suzuki, Tomoya

2011-06-01

In the real world, there are many phenomena that are derived from deterministic systems but which fluctuate with nonuniform time intervals. This paper discusses the appropriate time scales that can be applied to such systems to analyze their properties. The financial markets are an example of such systems wherein price movements fluctuate with nonuniform time intervals. However, it is common to apply uniform time scales such as 1-min data and 1-h data to study price movements. This paper examines the validity of such time scales by using surrogate data tests to ascertain whether the deterministic properties of the original system can be identified from uniform sampled data. The results show that uniform time samplings are often inappropriate for nonlinear analyses. However, for other systems such as neural spikes and Internet traffic packets, which produce similar outputs, uniform time samplings are quite effective in extracting the system properties. Nevertheless, uniform samplings often generate overlapping data, which can cause false rejections of surrogate data tests.

Statistical parity-time-symmetric lasing in an optical fibre network.

PubMed

Jahromi, Ali K; Hassan, Absar U; Christodoulides, Demetrios N; Abouraddy, Ayman F

2017-11-07

Parity-time (PT)-symmetry in optics is a condition whereby the real and imaginary parts of the refractive index across a photonic structure are deliberately balanced. This balance can lead to interesting optical phenomena, such as unidirectional invisibility, loss-induced lasing, single-mode lasing from multimode resonators, and non-reciprocal effects in conjunction with nonlinearities. Because PT-symmetry has been thought of as fragile, experimental realisations to date have been usually restricted to on-chip micro-devices. Here, we demonstrate that certain features of PT-symmetry are sufficiently robust to survive the statistical fluctuations associated with a macroscopic optical cavity. We examine the lasing dynamics in optical fibre-based coupled cavities more than a kilometre in length with balanced gain and loss. Although fluctuations can detune the cavity by more than the free spectral range, the behaviour of the lasing threshold and the laser power is that expected from a PT-stable system. Furthermore, we observe a statistical symmetry breaking upon varying the cavity loss.

The Superstatistical Nature and Interoccurrence Time of Atmospheric Mercury Concentration Fluctuations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carbone, F.; Bruno, A. G.; Naccarato, A.; De Simone, F.; Gencarelli, C. N.; Sprovieri, F.; Hedgecock, I. M.; Landis, M. S.; Skov, H.; Pfaffhuber, K. A.; Read, K. A.; Martin, L.; Angot, H.; Dommergue, A.; Magand, O.; Pirrone, N.

2018-01-01

The probability density function (PDF) of the time intervals between subsequent extreme events in atmospheric Hg0 concentration data series from different latitudes has been investigated. The Hg0 dynamic possesses a long-term memory autocorrelation function. Above a fixed threshold Q in the data, the PDFs of the interoccurrence time of the Hg0 data are well described by a Tsallis q-exponential function. This PDF behavior has been explained in the framework of superstatistics, where the competition between multiple mesoscopic processes affects the macroscopic dynamics. An extensive parameter μ, encompassing all possible fluctuations related to mesoscopic phenomena, has been identified. It follows a χ2 distribution, indicative of the superstatistical nature of the overall process. Shuffling the data series destroys the long-term memory, the distributions become independent of Q, and the PDFs collapse on to the same exponential distribution. The possible central role of atmospheric turbulence on extreme events in the Hg0 data is highlighted.

Dark adaptation of toad rod photoreceptors following small bleaches.

PubMed

Leibrock, C S; Reuter, T; Lamb, T D

1994-11-01

The recovery of toad rod photoreceptors, following exposure to intense lights that bleached 0.02-3% of the rhodopsin, has been investigated using the suction pipette technique. The post-bleach period was accompanied by reduced flash sensitivity, accelerated kinetics, and spontaneous fluctuations (noise). The power spectrum of the fluctuations had substantially the form expected for the random occurrence of single-photon events, and the noise could therefore be expressed as a "photon-noise equivalent intensity". From the level of desensitization at any time, the after-effect of the bleach could also be expressed in terms of a "desensitization-equivalent intensity", and this was found to be at least a factor of 20 times higher than the noise-equivalent intensity at the corresponding time. Our results indicate that a bleach induces two closely-related phenomena: (a) a process indistinguishable from the effect of real light, and (b) another process which desensitizes and accelerates the response in the same way that light does, but without causing photon-like noise. We propose a mechanism underlying these processes.

Magnetotransport Properties in High-Quality Ultrathin Two-Dimensional Superconducting Mo2C Crystals.

PubMed

Wang, Libin; Xu, Chuan; Liu, Zhibo; Chen, Long; Ma, Xiuliang; Cheng, Hui-Ming; Ren, Wencai; Kang, Ning

2016-04-26

Ultrathin transition metal carbides are a class of developing two-dimensional (2D) materials with superconductivity and show great potentials for electrical energy storage and other applications. Here, we report low-temperature magnetotransport measurements on high-quality ultrathin 2D superconducting α-Mo2C crystals synthesized by a chemical vapor deposition method. The magnetoresistance curves exhibit reproducible oscillations at low magnetic fields for temperature far below the superconducting transition temperature of the crystals. We interpret the oscillatory magnetoresistance as a consequence of screening currents circling around the boundary of triangle-shaped terraces found on the surface of ultrathin Mo2C crystals. As the sample thickness decreases, the Mo2C crystals exhibit negative magnetoresistance deep in the superconducting transition regime, which reveals strong phase fluctuations of the superconducting order parameters associated with the superconductor-insulator transition. Our results demonstrate that the ultrathin superconducting Mo2C crystals provide an interesting system for studying rich transport phenomena in a 2D crystalline superconductor with enhanced quantum fluctuations.

Magnetic moments induce strong phonon renormalization in FeSi.

PubMed

Krannich, S; Sidis, Y; Lamago, D; Heid, R; Mignot, J-M; Löhneysen, H v; Ivanov, A; Steffens, P; Keller, T; Wang, L; Goering, E; Weber, F

2015-11-27

The interactions of electronic, spin and lattice degrees of freedom in solids result in complex phase diagrams, new emergent phenomena and technical applications. While electron-phonon coupling is well understood, and interactions between spin and electronic excitations are intensely investigated, only little is known about the dynamic interactions between spin and lattice excitations. Noncentrosymmetric FeSi is known to undergo with increasing temperature a crossover from insulating to metallic behaviour with concomitant magnetic fluctuations, and exhibits strongly temperature-dependent phonon energies. Here we show by detailed inelastic neutron-scattering measurements and ab initio calculations that the phonon renormalization in FeSi is linked to its unconventional magnetic properties. Electronic states mediating conventional electron-phonon coupling are only activated in the presence of strong magnetic fluctuations. Furthermore, phonons entailing strongly varying Fe-Fe distances are damped via dynamic coupling to the temperature-induced magnetic moments, highlighting FeSi as a material with direct spin-phonon coupling and multiple interaction paths.

Quantifying the role of noise on droplet decisions in bifurcating microchannels

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Norouzi Darabad, Masoud; Vaughn, Mark; Vanapalli, Siva

2017-11-01

While many aspects of path selection of droplets flowing through a bifurcating microchannel have been studied, there are still unaddressed issues in predicting and controlling droplet traffic. One of the more important is understanding origin of aperiodic patterns. As a new tool to investigate this phenomena we propose monitoring the continuous time response of pressure fluctuations at different locations. Then we use time-series analysis to investigate the dynamics of the system. We suggest that natural system noise is the cause of irregularity in the traffic patterns. Using a mathematical model, we investigate the effect of noise on droplet decisions at the junction. Noise can be derived from different sources including droplet size variation, droplet spacing, and pump induced velocity fluctuation. By analyzing different situations we explain system behavior. We also investigate the ``memory'' of a microfluidic system in terms of the resistance to perturbations that quantify the allowable deviation in operating condition before the system changes state.

Rectified motion in an asymmetrically structured channel due to induced-charge electrokinetic and thermo-kinetic phenomena

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sugioka, Hideyuki, E-mail: hsugioka@shinshu-u.ac.jp

2016-02-15

It would be advantageous to move fluid by the gradient of random thermal noises that are omnipresent in the natural world. To achieve this motion, we propose a rectifier that uses a thermal noise along with induced-charge electroosmosis and electrophoresis (ICEO and ICEP) around a metal post cylinder in an asymmetrically structured channel and numerically examine its rectification performance. By the boundary element method combined with the thin double layer approximation, we find that rectified motion occurs in the asymmetrically structured channel due to ICEO and ICEP. Further, by thermodynamical and equivalent circuit methods, we discuss a thermal voltage thatmore » drives a rectifier consisting of a fluidic channel of an electrolyte and an impedance as a noise source. Our calculations show that fluid can be moved in the asymmetrically structured channel by the fluctuation of electric fields due to a thermal noise only when there is a temperature difference. In addition, our simple noise argument provides a different perspective for the thermo-kinetic phenomena (around a metal post) which was predicted based on the electrolyte Seebeck effect in our previous paper [H. Sugioka, “Nonlinear thermokinetic phenomena due to the Seebeck effect,” Langmuir 30, 8621 (2014)].« less

What goes on in the resting-state? A qualitative glimpse into resting-state experience in the scanner

PubMed Central

Hurlburt, Russell T.; Alderson-Day, Ben; Fernyhough, Charles; Kühn, Simone

2015-01-01

The brain’s resting-state has attracted considerable interest in recent years, but currently little is known either about typical experience during the resting-state or about whether there are inter-individual differences in resting-state phenomenology. We used descriptive experience sampling (DES) in an attempt to apprehend high fidelity glimpses of the inner experience of five participants in an extended fMRI study. Results showed that the inner experiences and the neural activation patterns (as quantified by amplitude of low frequency fluctuations analysis) of the five participants were largely consistent across time, suggesting that our extended-duration scanner sessions were broadly similar to typical resting-state sessions. However, there were very large individual differences in inner phenomena, suggesting that the resting-state itself may differ substantially from one participant to the next. We describe these individual differences in experiential characteristics and display some typical moments of resting-state experience. We also show that retrospective characterizations of phenomena can often be very different from moment-by-moment reports. We discuss implications for the assessment of inner experience in neuroimaging studies more generally, concluding that it may be possible to use fMRI to investigate neural correlates of phenomena apprehended in high fidelity. PMID:26500590

Seismo-magnetic observations aboard the upcoming Chinese CSES satellite

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schwingenschuh, Konrad; Magnes, Werner; Xuhui, Shen; Wang, Jindong; Pollinger, Andreas; Hagen, Christian; Lammegger, Roland; Ellmeier, Michaela; Prattes, Gustav; Eichelberger, Hans U.; Wolbang, Daniel; Boudjada, Mohammed Y.; Besser, Bruno P.; Rozhnoi, Alexander A.; Zhang, Tielong; Delva, Magda; Jernej, Irmgard; Aydogar, Özer

2017-04-01

One objective of the upcoming Chinese Seismo-Electromagnetic Satellite (CSES) mission is the observation of seismo-magnetic phenomena aboard CSES. Several hypothesis exist in order to explain the influence of seismic phenomena on magnetic field variations in the atmosphere and in the ionosphere. The so called microfracture electrification (Molchanov and Hayakawa, 1998) proposes the generation of a broad band electric-magnetic signal which is low-pass filtered by the crustal and atmospheric/ionospheric conductivity. Depending on the environmental conductivity sigma and on the permeability mu (Prattes et al., 2008) the electromagnetic field fluctuations with the frequency omega can propagate approximately d_skin. (d_skin) = sqrt(2/(mu*sigma*omega)) We present the sensitivity of the CSES scalar dark state magnetometer (Schwingenschuh et al., 2016) after the final tests and compare it with seismo-magnetic ULF model results using various earthquake parameters. References: Prattes, G. et al.: Multi-point ground-based ULF magnetic field observations in Europe during seismic active periods in 2004 and 2005, Nat. Hazards Earth Syst. Sci., 8, 501-507, 2008 Molchanov, O. and Hayakawa, M.: On the generation mechanism of ULF seismogenic electromagnetic emissions, Phys. of the Earth and Planet. Int., 105, 201-210, 1998 Schwingenschuh, K. et al.: Study of earthquakes and related phenomena using a satellite scalar magnetometer, Geophysical Research Abstracts, Vol. 18, EGU2016-8448, 2016

Integrated modeling and analysis of the multiple electromechanical couplings for the direct driven feed system in machine tools

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Xiaojun; Lu, Dun; Liu, Hui; Zhao, Wanhua

2018-06-01

The complicated electromechanical coupling phenomena due to different kinds of causes have significant influences on the dynamic precision of the direct driven feed system in machine tools. In this paper, a novel integrated modeling and analysis method of the multiple electromechanical couplings for the direct driven feed system in machine tools is presented. At first, four different kinds of electromechanical coupling phenomena in the direct driven feed system are analyzed systematically. Then a novel integrated modeling and analysis method of the electromechanical coupling which is influenced by multiple factors is put forward. In addition, the effects of multiple electromechanical couplings on the dynamic precision of the feed system and their main influencing factors are compared and discussed, respectively. Finally, the results of modeling and analysis are verified by the experiments. It finds out that multiple electromechanical coupling loops, which are overlapped and influenced by each other, are the main reasons of the displacement fluctuations in the direct driven feed system.

Chloride ions induce order-disorder transition at water-oxide interfaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Deshmukh, Sanket; Kamath, Ganesh; Ramanathan, Shriram; Sankaranarayanan, Subramanian K. R. S.

2013-12-01

Water can form quasi-two-dimensional ordered layers near a solid interface. The solvation dynamics and ionic transport phenomena through this ordered water structure is of direct relevance to a variety of problems in interface science. Molecular dynamics simulations are used to study the impact of local fluctuation of the chloride ion density in the vicinity of an oxide surface on the structure and dynamics of water layers. We demonstrate that local increase in chloride ions beyond a threshold concentration near the water-MgO (100) interface introduces an order-disorder transition of this two-dimensional layered network into bulklike water, leading to increased diffusional characteristics and reduced hydrogen bonding lifetimes. We find that the extent of this order-disorder transition can be tuned by modifying the defect chemistry and nature of the underlying substrate. The kinetic fluidity resulting from order-disorder transition at high chloride ion concentration has significance for a broad range of phenomena, ranging from freezing point depression of brine to onset of aqueous corrosion.

High-frequency stock linkage and multi-dimensional stationary processes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Xi; Bao, Si; Chen, Jingchao

2017-02-01

In recent years, China's stock market has experienced dramatic fluctuations; in particular, in the second half of 2014 and 2015, the market rose sharply and fell quickly. Many classical financial phenomena, such as stock plate linkage, appeared repeatedly during this period. In general, these phenomena have usually been studied using daily-level data or minute-level data. Our paper focuses on the linkage phenomenon in Chinese stock 5-second-level data during this extremely volatile period. The method used to select the linkage points and the arbitrage strategy are both based on multi-dimensional stationary processes. A new program method for testing the multi-dimensional stationary process is proposed in our paper, and the detailed program is presented in the paper's appendix. Because of the existence of the stationary process, the strategy's logarithmic cumulative average return will converge under the condition of the strong ergodic theorem, and this ensures the effectiveness of the stocks' linkage points and the more stable statistical arbitrage strategy.

Frequency Dependent Macro-dispersion Induced by Oscillatory Inputs and Spatial Heterogeneity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rajabi, F.; Battiato, I.

2017-12-01

Elucidating flow and transport processes at the pore scale is the cornerstone of most hydrologic studies in the subsurface. This becomes even more imperative when the system is subject to a cyclic forcing. Such temporal variations with evolving heterogeneity of time scales spanning from days to years can influence transport phenomena at the pore level, e.g. yearly freeze/thaw in the thin active layer of soil above permafrost zone whose thickness increases throughout the thaw season. Moreover, understanding the interactions of different physical phenomena at the pore scale is key to predict the behavior at the continuum scale. Yet, the connection between periodic inputs at the pore scale and macrotransport is to a great extent unknown. In the spirit of homogenization technique, we derived a macrotime continuum-scale equation as well as expressions for the effective transport coefficients. The macrodispersion arises from contributions of molecular diffusion, spatial heterogeneity and time-dependent fluctuations. Moreover, we have quantified the solute spreading by effective dispersion in terms of dimensionless numbers (Pe, Da, and Strouhal), i.e. expressing the interplay of molecular diffusion, advection, reaction and signal frequency. Yet, as every macroscopic model, spatiotemporally averaged models can breakdown when certain criteria are violated. This makes the continuum scale equation a poor approximation for the processes at the pore scale. To this end, we also provide the conditions under which the space-time averaged equations accurately describe pore-scale processes. In addition, this study gives a robust evidence that transverse mixing can in fact benefit from fluctuating boundary forcing due to the interaction of temporal fluctuations and molecular diffusion. Furthermore, it provides a robust quantitative foundation for designing the desired systems since the interplay of geometry and external forcing has been directly connected to each other in terms of dimensionless (St) number. We compare our theoretical framework with data from an experiment performed on several micro-channels with different geometry and different frequencies of injection at the inlet. The proposed formulation is found to provide remarkably good predictions and correctly explain the experimental mixing dynamics.

Metal-insulator transitions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Imada, Masatoshi; Fujimori, Atsushi; Tokura, Yoshinori

1998-10-01

Metal-insulator transitions are accompanied by huge resistivity changes, even over tens of orders of magnitude, and are widely observed in condensed-matter systems. This article presents the observations and current understanding of the metal-insulator transition with a pedagogical introduction to the subject. Especially important are the transitions driven by correlation effects associated with the electron-electron interaction. The insulating phase caused by the correlation effects is categorized as the Mott Insulator. Near the transition point the metallic state shows fluctuations and orderings in the spin, charge, and orbital degrees of freedom. The properties of these metals are frequently quite different from those of ordinary metals, as measured by transport, optical, and magnetic probes. The review first describes theoretical approaches to the unusual metallic states and to the metal-insulator transition. The Fermi-liquid theory treats the correlations that can be adiabatically connected with the noninteracting picture. Strong-coupling models that do not require Fermi-liquid behavior have also been developed. Much work has also been done on the scaling theory of the transition. A central issue for this review is the evaluation of these approaches in simple theoretical systems such as the Hubbard model and t-J models. Another key issue is strong competition among various orderings as in the interplay of spin and orbital fluctuations. Experimentally, the unusual properties of the metallic state near the insulating transition have been most extensively studied in d-electron systems. In particular, there is revived interest in transition-metal oxides, motivated by the epoch-making findings of high-temperature superconductivity in cuprates and colossal magnetoresistance in manganites. The article reviews the rich phenomena of anomalous metallicity, taking as examples Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, and Ru compounds. The diverse phenomena include strong spin and orbital fluctuations, mass renormalization effects, incoherence of charge dynamics, and phase transitions under control of key parameters such as band filling, bandwidth, and dimensionality. These parameters are experimentally varied by doping, pressure, chemical composition, and magnetic fields. Much of the observed behavior can be described by the current theory. Open questions and future problems are also extracted from comparison between experimental results and theoretical achievements.

Asymptotic formulae for likelihood-based tests of new physics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cowan, Glen; Cranmer, Kyle; Gross, Eilam; Vitells, Ofer

2011-02-01

We describe likelihood-based statistical tests for use in high energy physics for the discovery of new phenomena and for construction of confidence intervals on model parameters. We focus on the properties of the test procedures that allow one to account for systematic uncertainties. Explicit formulae for the asymptotic distributions of test statistics are derived using results of Wilks and Wald. We motivate and justify the use of a representative data set, called the "Asimov data set", which provides a simple method to obtain the median experimental sensitivity of a search or measurement as well as fluctuations about this expectation.

Variational processes and stochastic versions of mechanics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zambrini, J. C.

1986-09-01

The dynamical structure of any reasonable stochastic version of classical mechanics is investigated, including the version created by Nelson [E. Nelson, Quantum Fluctuations (Princeton U.P., Princeton, NJ, 1985); Phys. Rev. 150, 1079 (1966)] for the description of quantum phenomena. Two different theories result from this common structure. One of them is the imaginary time version of Nelson's theory, whose existence was unknown, and yields a radically new probabilistic interpretation of the heat equation. The existence and uniqueness of all the involved stochastic processes is shown under conditions suggested by the variational approach of Yasue [K. Yasue, J. Math. Phys. 22, 1010 (1981)].

Non-Markovianity in atom-surface dispersion forces

DOE PAGES

Intravaia, F.; Behunin, R. O.; Henkel, C.; ...

2016-10-18

Here, we discuss the failure of the Markov approximation in the description of atom-surface fluctuation-induced interactions, both in equilibrium (Casimir-Polder forces) and out of equilibrium (quantum friction). Using general theoretical arguments, we show that the Markov approximation can lead to erroneous predictions of such phenomena with regard to both strength and functional dependencies on system parameters. Particularly, we show that the long-time power-law tails of two-time dipole correlations and their corresponding low-frequency behavior, neglected in the Markovian limit, affect the prediction of the force. These findings highlight the importance of non-Markovian effects in dispersion interactions.

BM@N and MPD experiments at NICA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kekelidze, Vladimir; Kolesnikov, Vadim; Sorin, Alexander

2018-02-01

The project NICA (Nuclotron-based Ion Collider fAcility) aims to study hot and baryon rich QCD matter in heavy ion collisions in the energy range = 4 - 11 GeV. The rich heavy-ion physics program will be performed at two experiments, BM@N (Baryonic Matter at Nuclotron) at beams extracted from the Nuclotron, and at MPD (Multi-Purpose Detector) at the NICA collider. This program covers a variety of phenomena in strongly interacting matter of the highest baryonic density, which includes study of collective effects, production of hyperon and hypernuclei, in-medium modification of meson properties, and event-by-event fluctuations.

Scale invariance in biophysics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stanley, H. Eugene

2000-06-01

In this general talk, we offer an overview of some problems of interest to biophysicists, medical physicists, and econophysicists. These include DNA sequences, brain plaques in Alzheimer patients, heartbeat intervals, and time series giving price fluctuations in economics. These problems have the common feature that they exhibit features that appear to be scale invariant. Particularly vexing is the problem that some of these scale invariant phenomena are not stationary-their statistical properties vary from one time interval to the next or form one position to the next. We will discuss methods, such as wavelet methods and multifractal methods, to cope with these problems. .

Features of polar cusp electron precipitation associated with a large magnetic storm

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Berko, F. W.

1974-01-01

Measurements of precipitating electrons made by the OGO-4 satellite reveal several interesting phenomena in the polar cusp. Extremely high fluxes of 0.7 keV electrons were observed in the polar cusp ninety minutes following the sudden commencement of a very large magnetic storm. Structured, fairly high fluxes of 7.3 keV electrons were also observed in the cusp region, accompanied by very strong search coil magnetometer fluctuations, indicative of strong field-aligned currents. The observations confirm previously reported latitudinal shifts in the location of the polar cusp in response to southward interplanetary magnetic fields.

A statistical physics perspective on criticality in financial markets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bury, Thomas

2013-11-01

Stock markets are complex systems exhibiting collective phenomena and particular features such as synchronization, fluctuations distributed as power-laws, non-random structures and similarity to neural networks. Such specific properties suggest that markets operate at a very special point. Financial markets are believed to be critical by analogy to physical systems, but little statistically founded evidence has been given. Through a data-based methodology and comparison to simulations inspired by the statistical physics of complex systems, we show that the Dow Jones and index sets are not rigorously critical. However, financial systems are closer to criticality in the crash neighborhood.

Search for the chiral magnetic effect in relativistic heavy-ion collisions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Jie

2018-05-01

Relativistic heavy-ion collisions provide an ideal environment to study the emergent phenomena in quantum chromodynamics (QCD). The chiral magnetic effect (CME) is one of the most interesting, arising from the topological charge fluctuations of QCD vacua, immersed in a strong magnetic field. Since the first measurement nearly a decade ago of the possibly CME-induced charge correlation, extensive studies have been devoted to background contributions to those measurements. Many new ideas and techniques have been developed to reduce or eliminate the backgrounds. This paper reviews these developments and the overall progress in the search for the CME.

A nonlinear dynamical system for combustion instability in a pulse model combustor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Takagi, Kazushi; Gotoda, Hiroshi

2016-11-01

We theoretically and numerically study the bifurcation phenomena of nonlinear dynamical system describing combustion instability in a pulse model combustor on the basis of dynamical system theory and complex network theory. The dynamical behavior of pressure fluctuations undergoes a significant transition from steady-state to deterministic chaos via the period-doubling cascade process known as Feigenbaum scenario with decreasing the characteristic flow time. Recurrence plots and recurrence networks analysis we adopted in this study can quantify the significant changes in dynamic behavior of combustion instability that cannot be captured in the bifurcation diagram.

A possible mechanism of current termination in a reversed field pinch

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Nagata, A.; Masamune, S.; Arimoto, H.

1989-10-01

A rapid growth of magnetic fluctuations resulting from the {ital m}=1 and {ital m}=2 modes and succeeding stop of rotation of these modes have been found as the precursor phenomena of current termination in the STP-3(M) (Trans. Inst. Elec. Eng. Jpn. {bold 107}-{bold B}, 469 (1987)) reversed field pinch. By deepening the field reversal at the wall, these precursors disappear and the current duration becomes much longer. It is found that sudden current termination is caused by a rapid growth of resistive tearing modes mainly because of nonlinear coupling of the {ital m}=1 mode.

The extinction differential induced virulence macroevolution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Feng; Xu, Liufang; Wang, Jin

2014-04-01

We apply the potential-flux landscape theory to deal with the large fluctuation induced extinction phenomena. We quantify the most probable extinction pathway on the landscape and measure the extinction risk by the landscape topography. In this Letter, we investigate the disease extinction through an epidemic model described by a set of chemical reaction. We found the virulence-differential-dependent symbioses between mother and daughter pathogen species: mutualism and parasitism. The symbioses, whether mutualism or parasitism, benefit the higher virulence species. This implies that speciation towards lower virulence is an effective strategy for a pathogen species to reduce its extinction risk.

An application of thermometry to the study of ground water

USGS Publications Warehouse

Schneider, Robert

1962-01-01

The precise measurement of fluctuations in ground-water temperature, based on monthly readings in shallow glacial-outwash aquifers (up to about 70 feet deep), is useful in the study of ground-water movement and recharge. In addition to the study of natural phenomena in the hydrologic cycle, thermometry may be used as a tool in making detailed studies of (1) the effects of inducing the infiltration of surface water, (2) artificial recharge, (3) the effects of injecting petroleum products or radioactive or other wastes into the ground, and (4) ground-water movement in mines.

Non-Markovianity in atom-surface dispersion forces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Intravaia, F.; Behunin, R. O.; Henkel, C.; Busch, K.; Dalvit, D. A. R.

2016-10-01

We discuss the failure of the Markov approximation in the description of atom-surface fluctuation-induced interactions, both in equilibrium (Casimir-Polder forces) and out of equilibrium (quantum friction). Using general theoretical arguments, we show that the Markov approximation can lead to erroneous predictions of such phenomena with regard to both strength and functional dependencies on system parameters. In particular, we show that the long-time power-law tails of two-time dipole correlations and their corresponding low-frequency behavior, neglected in the Markovian limit, affect the prediction of the force. Our findings highlight the importance of non-Markovian effects in dispersion interactions.

Nonlinear dynamics of mushy layers induced by external stochastic fluctuations.

PubMed

Alexandrov, Dmitri V; Bashkirtseva, Irina A; Ryashko, Lev B

2018-02-28

The time-dependent process of directional crystallization in the presence of a mushy layer is considered with allowance for arbitrary fluctuations in the atmospheric temperature and friction velocity. A nonlinear set of mushy layer equations and boundary conditions is solved analytically when the heat and mass fluxes at the boundary between the mushy layer and liquid phase are induced by turbulent motion in the liquid and, as a result, have the corresponding convective form. Namely, the 'solid phase-mushy layer' and 'mushy layer-liquid phase' phase transition boundaries as well as the solid fraction, temperature and concentration (salinity) distributions are found. If the atmospheric temperature and friction velocity are constant, the analytical solution takes a parametric form. In the more common case when they represent arbitrary functions of time, the analytical solution is given by means of the standard Cauchy problem. The deterministic and stochastic behaviour of the phase transition process is analysed on the basis of the obtained analytical solutions. In the case of stochastic fluctuations in the atmospheric temperature and friction velocity, the phase transition interfaces (mushy layer boundaries) move faster than in the deterministic case. A cumulative effect of these noise contributions is revealed as well. In other words, when the atmospheric temperature and friction velocity fluctuate simultaneously due to the influence of different external processes and phenomena, the phase transition boundaries move even faster. This article is part of the theme issue 'From atomistic interfaces to dendritic patterns'.This article is part of the theme issue 'From atomistic interfaces to dendritic patterns'. © 2018 The Author(s).

Vacuum fluctuations and radiation reaction contributions to the resonance dipole-dipole interaction between two atoms near a reflecting boundary

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhou, Wenting; Rizzuto, Lucia; Passante, Roberto

2018-04-01

We investigate the resonance dipole-dipole interaction energy between two identical atoms, one in the ground state and the other in the excited state, interacting with the electromagnetic field in the presence of a perfectly reflecting plane boundary. The atoms are prepared in a correlated (symmetric or antisymmetric) Bell-type state. Following a procedure due to Dalibard et al. [J. Dalibard et al., J. Phys. (Paris) 43, 1617 (1982);, 10.1051/jphys:0198200430110161700 J. Phys. (Paris) 45, 637 (1984), 10.1051/jphys:01984004504063700], we separate the contributions of vacuum fluctuations and radiation reaction (source) field to the resonance interaction energy between the two atoms and show that only the source field contributes to the interatomic interaction, while vacuum field fluctuations do not. By considering specific geometric configurations of the two-atom system with respect to the mirror and specific choices of dipole orientations, we show that the presence of the mirror significantly affects the resonance interaction energy and that different features appear with respect to the case of atoms in free space, for example, a change in the spatial dependence of the interaction. Our findings also suggest that the presence of a boundary can be exploited to tailor and control the resonance interaction between two atoms, as well as the related energy transfer process. The possibility of observing these phenomena is also discussed.

Computational and Experimental Study of the Transient Transport Phenomena in a Full-Scale Twin-Roll Continuous Casting Machine

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Mianguang; Li, Zhongyang; Wang, Zhaohui; Zhu, Miaoyong

2017-02-01

To gain a fundamental understanding of the transient fluid flow in twin-roll continuous casting, the current paper applies both large eddy simulation (LES) and full-scale water modeling experiments to investigate the characteristics of the top free surface, stirring effect of the roll rotation, boundary layer fluctuations, and backflow stability. The results show that, the characteristics of the top free surface and the flow field in the wedge-shaped pool region are quite different with/without the consideration of the roll rotation. The roll rotation decreases the instantaneous fluctuation range of the top free surface, but increases its horizontal velocity. The stirring effect of the roll rotating makes the flow field more homogenous and there exists clear shear flow on the rotating roll surface. The vortex shedding induced by the Kármán Vortex Street from the submerged entry nozzle (SEN) causes the "velocity magnitude wave" and strongly influences the boundary layer stability and the backflow stability. The boundary layer fluctuations or the "velocity magnitude wave" induced by the vortex shedding could give rise to the internal porosity. In strip continuous casting process, the vortex shedding phenomenon indicates that the laminar flow can give rise to instability and that it should be made important in the design of the feeding system and the setting of the operating parameters.

Helical variation of density profiles and fluctuations in the tokamak pedestal with applied 3D fields and implications for confinement

DOE PAGES

Wilcox, R. S.; Rhodes, T. L.; Shafer, M. W.; ...

2018-04-19

Smore » mall 3D perturbations to the magnetic field in DIII-D ( δ B / B ~ 2 × 10 - 4 ) result in large modulations of density fluctuation amplitudes in the pedestal, which are shown using Doppler backscattering measurements to vary by a factor of 2. Helical perturbations of equilibrium density within flux surfaces have previously been observed in the pedestal of DIII-D plasmas when 3D fields are applied and were correlated with density fluctuation asymmetries in the pedestal. These intra-surface density and pressure variations are shown through two fluid MHD modeling studies using the M3D-C1 code to be due to the misalignment of the density and temperature equilibrium iso-surfaces in the pedestal region. This modeling demonstrates that the phase shift between the two iso-surfaces corresponds to the diamagnetic direction of the two species, with the mass density surfaces shifted in the ion diamagnetic direction relative to the temperature and magnetic flux iso-surfaces. Finally, the resulting pedestal density, potential, and turbulence asymmetries within flux surfaces near the separatrix may be at least partially responsible for several poorly understood phenomena that occur with the application of 3D fields in tokamaks, including density pump out and the increase in power required to transition from L- to H-mode.« less

Comparison between Free and Immobilized Ion Effects on Hydrophobic Interactions: A Molecular Dynamics Study.

PubMed

Huang, Kai; Gast, Sebastian; Ma, C Derek; Abbott, Nicholas L; Szlufarska, Izabela

2015-10-15

Fundamental studies of the effect of specific ions on hydrophobic interactions are driven by the need to understand phenomena such as hydrophobically driven self-assembly or protein folding. Using β-peptide-inspired nanorods, we investigate the effects of both free ions (dissolved salts) and proximally immobilized ions on hydrophobic interactions. We find that the free ion effect is correlated with the water density fluctuation near a nonpolar molecular surface, showing that such fluctuation can be an indicator of hydrophobic interactions in the case of solution additives. In the case of immobilized ion, our results demonstrate that hydrophobic interactions can be switched on and off by choosing different spatial arrangements of proximal ions on a nanorod. For globally amphiphilic nanorods, we find that the magnitude of the interaction can be further tuned using proximal ions with varying ionic sizes. In general, univalent proximal anions are found to weaken hydrophobic interactions. This is in contrast to the effect of free ions, which according to our simulations strengthen hydrophobic interactions. In addition, immobilized anions of increasing ionic size do not follow the same ordering (Hofmeister-like ranking) as free ions when it comes to their impact on hydrophobic interactions. The immobilized ion effect is not simply correlated with the water density fluctuation near the nonpolar side of the amphiphilic nanorod. We propose a molecular picture that explains the contrasting effects of immobilized versus free ions.

Magnification of signatures of a topological phase transition by quantum zero point motion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lopes, Pedro L. e. S.; Ghaemi, Pouyan

2015-08-01

We show that the zero point motion of a vortex in superconducting doped topological insulators leads to significant changes in the electronic spectrum at the topological phase transition in this system. This topological phase transition is tuned by the doping level, and the corresponding effects are manifest in the density of states at energies which are on the order of the vortex fluctuation frequency. Although the electronic energy gap in the spectrum generated by a stationary vortex is but a small fraction of the bulk superconducting gap, the vortex fluctuation frequency may be much larger. As a result, this quantum zero point motion can induce a discontinuous change in the spectral features of the system at the topological vortex phase transition to energies which are well within the resolution of scanning tunneling microscopy. This discontinuous change is exclusive to superconducting systems in which we have a topological phase transition. Moreover, the phenomena studied in this paper present effects of Magnus forces on the vortex spectrum which are not present in the ordinary s -wave superconductors. Finally, we demonstrate explicitly that the vortex in this system is equivalent to a Kitaev chain. This allows for the mapping of the vortex fluctuating scenario in three dimensions into similar one-dimensional situations in which one may search for other novel signatures of topological phase transitions.

Generalized Liquid Crystals: Giant Fluctuations and the Vestigial Chiral Order of I , O , and T Matter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Ke; Nissinen, Jaakko; Slager, Robert-Jan; Wu, Kai; Zaanen, Jan

2016-10-01

The physics of nematic liquid crystals has been the subject of intensive research since the late 19th century. However, the focus of this pursuit has been centered around uniaxial and biaxial nematics associated with constituents bearing a D∞ h or D2 h symmetry, respectively. In view of general symmetries, however, these are singularly special since nematic order can in principle involve any point-group symmetry. Given the progress in tailoring nanoparticles with particular shapes and interactions, this vast family of "generalized nematics" might become accessible in the laboratory. Little is known because the order parameter theories associated with the highly symmetric point groups are remarkably complicated, involving tensor order parameters of high rank. Here, we show that the generic features of the statistical physics of such systems can be studied in a highly flexible and efficient fashion using a mathematical tool borrowed from high-energy physics: discrete non-Abelian gauge theory. Explicitly, we construct a family of lattice gauge models encapsulating nematic ordering of general three-dimensional point-group symmetries. We find that the most symmetrical generalized nematics are subjected to thermal fluctuations of unprecedented severity. As a result, novel forms of fluctuation phenomena become possible. In particular, we demonstrate that a vestigial phase carrying no more than chiral order becomes ubiquitous departing from high point-group symmetry chiral building blocks, such as I , O , and T symmetric matter.

Aggression and guilt during mourning by parents who lost an infant.

PubMed

Hasui, Chieko; Kitamura, Toshinori

2004-01-01

The authors conducted in-depth interviews with 38 mothers and fathers who had lost an infant. The focus of the interview was aggression and guilt during mourning work. The participants felt strong shame after separation. Phenomena such as strong irrational guilt, aggression, and hesitation toward others were similar to feelings typical of the paranoid-schizoid position. However, mourners did not lose their sense of reality, continued to do daily chores, and kept taking care of others. In this period, mourners were in disintegration, similar to individuals in the paranoid-schizoid position. Shame may be the feeling in the residue of the paranoid-schizoid position, through which they felt persecuted by others, their partner, relatives, and God. Their aggression was strong, but generally their aggression and impulses came to be used constructively and they progressed to integration. At the moment their children died, mourners fluctuated between disintegration and integration. After a certain interval, fluctuation subsided or integration predominated. In times of fluctuation, containers were very important for mourners to move toward integration. Participants reported changes in their lifestyle after the loss of a child. Mental health professionals should view aggressive impulses among such people during mourning not as an obstacle, but rather as a means to move toward integration. The authors speculate that a psychotherapist can serve as a container for mourners.

The importance of fluctuations in fluid mixing.

PubMed

Kadau, Kai; Rosenblatt, Charles; Barber, John L; Germann, Timothy C; Huang, Zhibin; Carlès, Pierre; Alder, Berni J

2007-05-08

A ubiquitous example of fluid mixing is the Rayleigh-Taylor instability, in which a heavy fluid initially sits atop a light fluid in a gravitational field. The subsequent development of the unstable interface between the two fluids is marked by several stages. At first, each interface mode grows exponentially with time before transitioning to a nonlinear regime characterized by more complex hydrodynamic mixing. Unfortunately, traditional continuum modeling of this process has generally been in poor agreement with experiment. Here, we indicate that the natural, random fluctuations of the flow field present in any fluid, which are neglected in continuum models, can lead to qualitatively and quantitatively better agreement with experiment. We performed billion-particle atomistic simulations and magnetic levitation experiments with unprecedented control of initial interface conditions. A comparison between our simulations and experiments reveals good agreement in terms of the growth rate of the mixing front as well as the new observation of droplet breakup at later times. These results improve our understanding of many fluid processes, including interface phenomena that occur, for example, in supernovae, the detachment of droplets from a faucet, and ink jet printing. Such instabilities are also relevant to the possible energy source of inertial confinement fusion, in which a millimeter-sized capsule is imploded to initiate nuclear fusion reactions between deuterium and tritium. Our results suggest that the applicability of continuum models would be greatly enhanced by explicitly including the effects of random fluctuations.

New Madrid Seismic Zone: a test case for naturally induced seismicity

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Nava, S.J.

1983-09-01

Induced seismicity caused by man-made events, such as the filling of reservoirs has been well documented. In contrast, naturally induced seismicity has received little attention. It has been shown that a fluctuation of as little as several bars can trigger reservoir induced earthquakes. Naturally occurring phenomena generate similar fluctuations and could trigger earthquakes where the faults in ambient stress field are suitably oriented and close to failure. The New Madrid Seismic Zone (NMSZ) presents an ideal test case for the study of naturally induced seismicity. The ideal data set for a study of triggering effects must contain a statistically significantmore » number of events, a constant accumulated strain, and a limited focal region. New Madrid earthquakes are well documented from 1974 to the present, down to a magnitude approx. 1.8. They lie in a distinct fault pattern and occur as a reaction to the regional stress regime. A statistical correlation was made between the earthquakes and a variety of different types of loads, to see if New Madrid seismicity could be triggered by natural fluctuations. The types of triggers investigated ranged from solid earth tides to variations in barometric pressure, rainfall, and stages of the Mississippi River. This analysis becomes complex because each factor investigated creates individual stresses, as well as having imbedded in it a reaction to other factors.« less

Helical variation of density profiles and fluctuations in the tokamak pedestal with applied 3D fields and implications for confinement

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wilcox, R. S.; Rhodes, T. L.; Shafer, M. W.

Smore » mall 3D perturbations to the magnetic field in DIII-D ( δ B / B ~ 2 × 10 - 4 ) result in large modulations of density fluctuation amplitudes in the pedestal, which are shown using Doppler backscattering measurements to vary by a factor of 2. Helical perturbations of equilibrium density within flux surfaces have previously been observed in the pedestal of DIII-D plasmas when 3D fields are applied and were correlated with density fluctuation asymmetries in the pedestal. These intra-surface density and pressure variations are shown through two fluid MHD modeling studies using the M3D-C1 code to be due to the misalignment of the density and temperature equilibrium iso-surfaces in the pedestal region. This modeling demonstrates that the phase shift between the two iso-surfaces corresponds to the diamagnetic direction of the two species, with the mass density surfaces shifted in the ion diamagnetic direction relative to the temperature and magnetic flux iso-surfaces. Finally, the resulting pedestal density, potential, and turbulence asymmetries within flux surfaces near the separatrix may be at least partially responsible for several poorly understood phenomena that occur with the application of 3D fields in tokamaks, including density pump out and the increase in power required to transition from L- to H-mode.« less

Helical variation of density profiles and fluctuations in the tokamak pedestal with applied 3D fields and implications for confinement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wilcox, R. S.; Rhodes, T. L.; Shafer, M. W.; Sugiyama, L. E.; Ferraro, N. M.; Lyons, B. C.; McKee, G. R.; Paz-Soldan, C.; Wingen, A.; Zeng, L.

2018-05-01

Small 3D perturbations to the magnetic field in DIII-D ( δB /B ˜2 ×10-4 ) result in large modulations of density fluctuation amplitudes in the pedestal, which are shown using Doppler backscattering measurements to vary by a factor of 2. Helical perturbations of equilibrium density within flux surfaces have previously been observed in the pedestal of DIII-D plasmas when 3D fields are applied and were correlated with density fluctuation asymmetries in the pedestal. These intra-surface density and pressure variations are shown through two fluid MHD modeling studies using the M3D-C1 code to be due to the misalignment of the density and temperature equilibrium iso-surfaces in the pedestal region. This modeling demonstrates that the phase shift between the two iso-surfaces corresponds to the diamagnetic direction of the two species, with the mass density surfaces shifted in the ion diamagnetic direction relative to the temperature and magnetic flux iso-surfaces. The resulting pedestal density, potential, and turbulence asymmetries within flux surfaces near the separatrix may be at least partially responsible for several poorly understood phenomena that occur with the application of 3D fields in tokamaks, including density pump out and the increase in power required to transition from L- to H-mode.

Magnetic-field induced quantum critical points of valence transition in Ce- and Yb-based heavy fermions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Watanabe, Shinji; Tsuruta, Atsushi; Miyake, Kazumasa; Flouquet, Jacques

2009-03-01

Valence instability and its critical fluctuations have attracted much attention recently in the heavy-electron systems. Valence fluctuations are essentially charge fluctuations, and it is highly non-trivial how the quantum critical point (QCP) as well as the critical end point is controlled by the magnetic field. To clarify this fundamental issue, we have studied the mechanism of how the critical points of the first-order valence transitions are controlled by the magnetic field [1]. We show that the critical temperature is suppressed to be the QCP by the magnetic field and unexpectedly the QCP exhibits nonmonotonic field dependence in the ground-state phase diagram, giving rise to emergence of metamagnetism even in the intermediate valence-crossover regime. The driving force of the field-induced QCP is clarified to be a cooperative phenomenon of Zeeman effect and Kondo effect, which creates a distinct energy scale from the Kondo temperature. This mechanism explains a peculiar magnetic response in CeIrIn5 and metamagnetic transition in YbXCu4 for X=In as well as a sharp contrast between X=Ag and Cd. We present the novel phenomena under the magnetic field to discuss significance of the proximity of the critical points of the first-order valence transition. [1] S. Watanabe et al. PRL100, (2008) 236401.

Neutron scattering study of spin ordering and stripe pinning in superconducting La 1.93 Sr 0.07 CuO 4

DOE PAGES

Jacobsen, H.; Zaliznyak, I. A.; Savici, A. T.; ...

2015-11-20

Tmore » he relationships among charge order, spin fluctuations, and superconductivity in underdoped cuprates remain controversial. We use neutron scattering techniques to study these phenomena in La 1.93 Sr 0.07 CuO 4 a superconductor with a transition temperature of c = 20 K. At << c, we find incommensurate spin fluctuations with a quasielastic energy spectrum and no sign of a gap within the energy range from 0.2 to 15 meV. A weak elastic magnetic component grows below ~ 10 K, consistent with results from local probes. Regarding the atomic lattice, we have discovered unexpectedly strong fluctuations of the CuO 6 octahedra about Cu-O bonds, which are associated with inequivalent O sites within the CuO 2 planes. Moreover, we observed a weak elastic (3 ⁻30) superlattice peak that implies a reduced lattice symmetry. he presence of inequivalent O sites rationalizes various pieces of evidence for charge stripe order in underdoped La 2-xSr xCuO 4. he coexistence of superconductivity with quasi-static spin-stripe order suggests the presence of intertwined orders; however, the rotation of the stripe orientation away from the Cu-O bonds might be connected with evidence for a finite gap at the nodal points of the superconducting gap function.« less

Neutron scattering study of spin ordering and stripe pinning in superconducting La 1.93 Sr 0.07 CuO 4

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Jacobsen, H.; Zaliznyak, I. A.; Savici, A. T.

Tmore » he relationships among charge order, spin fluctuations, and superconductivity in underdoped cuprates remain controversial. We use neutron scattering techniques to study these phenomena in La 1.93 Sr 0.07 CuO 4 a superconductor with a transition temperature of c = 20 K. At << c, we find incommensurate spin fluctuations with a quasielastic energy spectrum and no sign of a gap within the energy range from 0.2 to 15 meV. A weak elastic magnetic component grows below ~ 10 K, consistent with results from local probes. Regarding the atomic lattice, we have discovered unexpectedly strong fluctuations of the CuO 6 octahedra about Cu-O bonds, which are associated with inequivalent O sites within the CuO 2 planes. Moreover, we observed a weak elastic (3 ⁻30) superlattice peak that implies a reduced lattice symmetry. he presence of inequivalent O sites rationalizes various pieces of evidence for charge stripe order in underdoped La 2-xSr xCuO 4. he coexistence of superconductivity with quasi-static spin-stripe order suggests the presence of intertwined orders; however, the rotation of the stripe orientation away from the Cu-O bonds might be connected with evidence for a finite gap at the nodal points of the superconducting gap function.« less

Microstructural analysis in the depth direction of a heteroepitaxial AlN thick film grown on a trench-patterned template by nanobeam X-ray diffraction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shida, K.; Takeuchi, S.; Tohei, T.; Miyake, H.; Hiramatsu, K.; Sumitani, K.; Imai, Y.; Kimura, S.; Sakai, A.

2018-04-01

This work quantitatively assessed the three-dimensional distribution of crystal lattice distortions in an epitaxial AlN thick film grown on a trench-patterned template, using nanobeam X-ray diffraction. Position-dependent ω-2θ-φ mapping clearly demonstrated local tilting, spacing and twisting of lattice planes as well as fluctuations in these phenomena on a sub-micrometer scale comparable to the pitch of the trench-and-terrace patterning. Analysis of the crystal lattice distortion in the depth direction was performed using a newly developed method in which the X-ray nanobeam diffracted from the sample surface to specific depths can be selectively detected by employing a Pt wire profiler. This technique generated depth-resolved ω-2θ-φ maps confirming that fluctuations in lattice plane tilting and spacing greatly depend on the dislocation distribution and the history of the AlN epitaxial growth on the trench-patterned structure. It was also found that both fluctuations were reduced on approaching the AlN surface and, in particular, were sharply reduced at specific depths in the terrace regions. These sharp reductions are attributed to the formation of sacrificial zones with degraded crystal quality around the trenches and possibly lead to raising the crystal quality near the surface of the AlN film.

Study of intermittent dynamics in the terrestrial foreshock using the Cluster spacecraft records

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kovács, Péter; Vadász, Gergely; Koppán, András; Vörös, Zoltán

2014-05-01

The paper concerns with the statistical investigation of the intermittent dynamics in the terrestrial foreshock. We use the 22.5 Hz FGM magnetic data of the four spacecraft of the Cluster mission from periods when the mission orbit traversed the solar wind (January-April in the years of 2001-2010). Intermittency is studied in terms of space and time through a sliding-window probability density function (PDF) analysis of the records. The spatial dependence of the appearance of intermittent fluctuations is monitored according to the distance from the bow shock (BS) and the angle measured between the BS normal and the IMF direction (quasi parallel and perpendicular conditions). Beside the intermittent turbulent fluctuations, the foreshock dynamics is dominated by various wave phenomena, that are, in most cases, more energetic than the turbulent activity. For this reason, a high-pass wavelet filtering is carried out on the time-series for extracting the small-amplitude intermittent fluctuations at high-frequencies. The level of intermittent fluctuations is measured through the deviation of the fourth statistical moments of the time-series increments (i.e. the flatness) from the Gaussian value, 3. Instead of temporal increments, the PDF analysis is also carried out with spatial differences among the records of the four Cluster spacecraft. In this case the Taylor hypothesis has not to be invoked in the interpretation of the obtained results. It is shown that the intermittency level measured by spatial differences decreases logarithmically with the inter-spacecraft distance. The level of intermittent fluctuations in the foreshock is studied in terms of different solar wind conditions. The strongest correlation turns out to be between the intensity of intermittent foreshock dynamics and the solar wind bulk velocity and Alfvén Mach number. The research leading to these results has received funding from the European Community's Seventh Framework Programme ([FP7/2007-2013]) under grant agreement n° 313038/STORM.

Relaxation phenomena in AOT-water-decane critical and dense microemulsions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Letamendia, L.; Pru-Lestret, E.; Panizza, P.; Rouch, J.; Sciortino, F.; Tartaglia, P.; Hashimoto, C.; Ushiki, H.; Risso, D.

2001-11-01

We report on extensive measurements of the low and high frequencies sound velocity and sound absorption in AOT-water-decane microemulsions deduced from ultrasonic and, for the first time as far as the absorption is concerned, from Brillouin scattering experiments. New experimental results on dielectric relaxation are also reported. Our results, which include data taken for critical as well as dense microemulsions, show new interesting relaxation phenomena. The relaxation frequencies deduced from very high frequency acoustical measurements are in good agreement with new high frequency dielectric relaxation measurements. We show that along the critical isochore, sound dispersion, relaxation frequency, and static dielectric permittivity can be accurately fitted to power laws. The absolute values of the new exponents we derived from experimental data are nearly equal, and they are very close to β=0.33 characterising the shape of the coexistence curve. The exponent characterising the infinite frequency permittivity is very close to 0.04 relevant to the diverging shear viscosity. For dense microemulsions, two well defined relaxation domains have been identified and the temperature variations of the sound absorption and the zero frequency dielectric permittivity bear striking similarities. We also show that the relaxation frequency of the slow relaxation process is almost independent of temperature and volume fraction and so cannot be attributed to percolation phenomena, whereas it can more likely be attributed to an intrinsic relaxation process probably connected to membrane fluctuations.

Multi-Element Unstructured Analyses of Complex Valve Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sulyma, Peter (Technical Monitor); Ahuja, Vineet; Hosangadi, Ashvin; Shipman, Jeremy

2004-01-01

The safe and reliable operation of high pressure test stands for rocket engine and component testing places an increased emphasis on the performance of control valves and flow metering devices. In this paper, we will present a series of high fidelity computational analyses of systems ranging from cryogenic control valves and pressure regulator systems to cavitating venturis that are used to support rocket engine and component testing at NASA Stennis Space Center. A generalized multi-element framework with sub-models for grid adaption, grid movement and multi-phase flow dynamics has been used to carry out the simulations. Such a framework provides the flexibility of resolving the structural and functional complexities that are typically associated with valve-based high pressure feed systems and have been difficult to deal with traditional CFD methods. Our simulations revealed a rich variety of flow phenomena such as secondary flow patterns, hydrodynamic instabilities, fluctuating vapor pockets etc. In the paper, we will discuss performance losses related to cryogenic control valves, and provide insight into the physics of the dominant multi-phase fluid transport phenomena that are responsible for the choking like behavior in cryogenic control elements. Additionally, we will provide detailed analyses of the modal instability that is observed in the operation of the dome pressure regulator valve. Such instabilities are usually not localized and manifest themselves as a system wide phenomena leading to an undesirable chatter at high flow conditions.

A multiphysics phase field model on melting and kinetic superheating of aluminum nanolayer and nanoparticle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hwang, Yong Seok

It has been found during the last decade that a nanoscale melting of metal has very distinctive features compared to its microscale counterpart. It has been observed that a highly non-equilibrium state can result in extreme superheating of a solid state, which cannot be explained well by thermodynamic theories based on equilibrium or nucleation. An endeavor to find the superheating limit and mechanisms of melting and superheating becomes more complicated when various physical phenomena are involved at the similar scales. The main goal of this research is to establish a multiphysics model and to reveal the mechanism of melting and kinetic superheating of a metal nanostructure at high heating rates. The model includes elastodynamics, a fast heating of metal considering a delayed heat transfer between electron gas and lattice phonon and couplings among physical phenomena, and phase transformation incorporated with thermal fluctuation. The model successfully reproduces two independent experiments and several novel nanoscale physical phenomena are discovered. For example, the depression of the melting temperature of Al nanolayer under plane stress condition, the threshold heating rate, 1011 K/s, for kinetic superheating, a large temperature drop in a 5 nm collision region of the two solid-melt interfaces, and a strong effect of geometry on kinetic superheating in Al core-shell nanostructure at high heating rate.

The costs of living in a thermal fluctuating environment for the tropical haematophagous bug, Rhodnius prolixus.

PubMed

Rolandi, Carmen; Schilman, Pablo E

2018-05-01

Environmental temperature is an abiotic factor with great influence on biological processes of living beings. Jensen's inequality states that for non-lineal processes, such as most biological phenomena, the effects of thermal fluctuations cannot be predicted from mean constant temperatures. We studied the effect of daily temperature fluctuation (DTF) on Rhodnius prolixus, a model organism in insect physiology, and an important vector of Chagas disease. We measured development time from egg to adult, fecundity, fertility, body mass reduction rate (indirect measurement of nutrient consumption rates) and survival after a single blood meal. Insects were reared at constant temperature (24 °C), or with a DTF (17-32 °C; mean = 24 °C). Taking into account Jensen's inequality as well as the species tropical distribution, we predict that living in a variable thermal environment will have higher costs than inhabiting a stable one. Development time and fertility were not affected by DTF. However, fecundity was lower in females reared at DTF than at constant temperature, and males had higher body mass reduction rate and lower survival in the DTF regime, suggesting higher costs associated to fluctuating thermal environments. At a population and epidemiological level, higher energetic costs would imply an increase in nutrient consumption rate, biting frequency, and, consequently increasing disease transmission from infected insects. On the contrary, lower fecundity could be associated with a decrease in population growth. This knowledge will not only provide basic information to the field of insect ecophysiology, but also could be a useful background to develop population and disease transmission models. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Attempts to identify a control system for chemical reactivity in the living state using virtual energy.

PubMed

Reid, B L; Bourke, C

2001-07-01

This thesis explores the activation of chemicals in metabolic systems from the viewpoint that this activation is under the control of elements of the space-sea in which the chemicals are immersed. Themselves inert, the chemicals are theorised to exploit a force or action issuing from space (fluctuation) and characterized by the homogeneity (termed symmetry) of this medium. The fluctuation is heterogenized upon collision with matter from the intervention of well recognized fields of gravity and electromagnetism at the instant of its issue to form the near field of radiation. Fractions of original space waves and of their intrinsic spin are produced resulting in the activation of the orbitals (valency) in the chemical itself. The thesis continues: the disturbed fluctuation must return to space, obliging in turn, a prior return to the homogeneous state requiring special restorative wave rearrangements known as resonance. The success of the restorative resonance is signalled by a singularity of the fluctuation now propelled to infinity (space), and the contingent chemical reactions thereby terminated. Compromise to this return can occur from many causes and, in its presence, activation of the orbitals continues. They now effectively constitute autonomous reactions alienated from the system as a whole. The thesis is supported from evidence from diverse fields such as space theory, history of quantum field theory in attempts to derive its meaning, dielectrics and the near field of electromagnetic radiation, electron-space interactions at the Fermi surface during phase transitions and evolution of equilibrium conditions in resonance phenomena. The utility of the hypothesis rests on recognition of the resonance condition at various points in the system sufficiently macroscopic as to be available clinically as an abrupt interface between physiology and pathology. Copyright 2001 Harcourt Publishers Ltd.

Parkinson's disease: the spectrum of disabilities.

PubMed Central

Pentland, B; Barnes, M P; Findley, L J; Oxtoby, M; Pearce, V R; Quinn, N P; Scott, S

1992-01-01

The needs of people with Parkinson's disease (PD) go beyond the purely medical domain and often require collaborative management. A Panel Discussion at the "Hither neurology" Symposium included neurologists, a speech therapist, a geriatrician and a sociologist. Their discussion highlighted certain aspects of the disability and disadvantage associated with PD. The starting point was a video recording, "Parkinson's Disease: the personal view", in which the contributors were patients and carers. Topics covered included counselling at the time of diagnosis; subsequent access to clinics and to neurological advice; access to therapy; support in the community; fluctuating disability associated with "on-off" phenomena; driving; and sexual problems. PMID:1564503

Photoemission perspective on pseudogap, superconducting fluctuations, and charge order in cuprates: a review of recent progress

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vishik, I. M.

2018-06-01

In the course of seeking the microscopic mechanism of superconductivity in cuprate high temperature superconductors, the pseudogap phase— the very abnormal ‘normal’ state on the hole-doped side— has proven to be as big of a quandary as superconductivity itself. Angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) is a powerful tool for assessing the momentum-dependent phenomenology of the pseudogap, and recent technological developments have permitted a more detailed understanding. This report reviews recent progress in understanding the relationship between superconductivity and the pseudogap, the Fermi arc phenomena, and the relationship between charge order and pseudogap from the perspective of ARPES measurements.

OASIS Observation and Analysis of Smectic Islands in Space

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tin, Padetha

2014-01-01

The Observation and Analysis of Smectic Islands in Space (OASIS) project comprises a series of experiments that will probe the interfacial and hydrodynamic behavior of freely suspended liquid crystal films in space. These are the thinnest known stable condensed phase structures, making them ideal for studies of fluctuation and interface phenomena. The experiments seek to verify theories of coarsening dynamics, hydrodynamic flow, relaxation of hydrodynamic perturbations, and hydrodynamic interactions of a near two-dimensional structure. The effects of introducing islands or droplets on a very thin bubble will be studied, both as controllable inclusions that modify the flow and as markers of flow.

Fluid-structure coupling in the guide vanes cascade of a pump-turbine scale model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roth, S.; Hasmatuchi, V.; Botero, F.; Farhat, M.; Avellan, F.

2010-08-01

The present study concerns fluid-structure coupling phenomena occurring in a guide vane cascade of a pump-turbine scale model placed in the EPFL PF3 test rig. An advanced instrument set is used to monitor both vibrating structures and the surrounding flow. The paper highlights the interaction between vibrating guide vanes and the flow behavior. The pressure fluctuations in the stay vanes region are found to be strongly influenced by the amplitude of the vibrating guide vanes. Moreover, the flow induces different hydrodynamic damping on the vibrating guide vanes depending on the operating point of the pump-turbine.

Time variations in the Earth's gravity field

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shum, C. K.; Eanes, R. J.

1992-01-01

At the present time, the causes and consequences of changes in the Earth's gravity field due to geophysical and meteorological phenomena are not well understood. The Earth's gravity field represents the complicated distribution of all of the matter that makes up our planet. Its variations are caused by the motions of the solid Earth interacting with the gravitational attraction of the Sun and the Moon (tides) and with the Earth's atmosphere, oceans, polar ice caps and groundwater due to changing weather patterns. These variations influence the rotation of the Earth, alter the orbits of Earth satellites, cause sea level fluctuations, and indirectly affect the global climate pattern.

Generalized Dynamic Equations Related to Condensation and Freezing Processes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Xingrong; Huang, Yong

2018-01-01

The generalized thermodynamic equation related to condensation and freezing processes was derived by introducing the condensation and freezing probability function into the dynamic framework based on the statistical thermodynamic fluctuation theory. As a result, the physical mechanism of some weather phenomena covered by using δ(0,1) can in turn be studied and uncovered. From the generalized dynamic equations, the tendency equation of the generalized potential vorticity (GPV) is derived. From the discussion of tendency equation of GPV, in some very thin transitional areas, GPV is found nonconserved because of the introduction of the condensation and freezing probability function, even in frictionless and moist adiabatic air motion.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Blackmore, W. J.A.; Goddard, P. A.; Xiao, F.

Low-dimensional quantum magnetism is currently of great interest due to the fact that reduced dimensionality can support strong quantum fluctuations, which may lead to unusual phenomena and quantum-critical behavior. The effect of random exchange strengths in two-dimensional (2D) antiferromagnets is still not fully understood despite much effort. This project aims to rectify this by investigating the high-field properties of the 2D coordination polymer (QuinH) 2Cu(Cl xBr 1-x) 4.2H 2O. The exchange pathway is through Cu-Halide-Cu bonds, and by randomizing the proportion of chlorine and bromine atoms in the unit cell, disorder can be introduced into the system.

Modelling directional solidification

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wilcox, William R.

1990-01-01

The long range goal is to develop an improved understanding of phenomena of importance to directional solidification, to enable explanation and prediction of differences in behavior between solidification on Earth and in space. Emphasis during the period of this grant was on experimentally determining the influence of convection and freezing rate fluctuations on compositional homogeneity and crystalline perfection in the vertical Bridgman-Stockbarger technique. Heater temperature profiles, buoyancy-driven convection, and doping inhomogeneties were correlated using naphthalene doped with azulene. In addition the influence of spin-up/spin-down on compositional homogeneity and microstructure of indium gallium antimonide and the effect of imposed melting-freezing cycles on indium gallium antimonide are discussed.

WATER HAMMER OSCILLATIONS IN THE IRRIGATION FACILITIES

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kurata, Kouichi; Sasaki, Katsuhito; Makihata, Toshiaki

In case a gate installed at the end of discharge conduit is vibrating during discharge, or an air valve is vibrating during water-filling operation into the conduit pipe between main gate and auxiliary gate, and vibration period tv is larger than tc (water hammer propagation time) that is equivalent to the phenomenon of slow closure, there is a possibility that water hammer oscillation in the discharge conduit could be induced. In this paper, by using two case examples, vibration phenomena transmitted to each part are analyzed, on the basis of water pressure fluctuation and pressure wave propagation due to occurrence of water hammer oscillation.

Phase transition with trivial quantum criticality in an anisotropic Weyl semimetal

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Xin; Wang, Jing-Rong; Liu, Guo-Zhu

2018-05-01

When a metal undergoes continuous quantum phase transition, the correlation length diverges at the critical point and the quantum fluctuation of order parameter behaves as a gapless bosonic mode. Generically, the coupling of this boson to fermions induces a variety of unusual quantum critical phenomena, such as non-Fermi liquid behavior and various emergent symmetries. Here, we perform a renormalization group analysis of the semimetal-superconductor quantum criticality in a three-dimensional anisotropic Weyl semimetal. Surprisingly, distinct from previously studied quantum critical systems, the anomalous dimension of anisotropic Weyl fermions flows to zero very quickly with decreasing energy, and the quasiparticle residue takes a nonzero value. These results indicate that the quantum fluctuation of superconducting order parameter is irrelevant at low energies, and a simple mean-field calculation suffices to capture the essential physics of the superconducting transition. We thus obtain a phase transition that exhibits trivial quantum criticality, which is unique comparing to other invariably nontrivial quantum critical systems. Our theoretical prediction can be experimentally verified by measuring the fermion spectral function and specific heat.

Steps toward quantitative infrasound propagation modeling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Waxler, Roger; Assink, Jelle; Lalande, Jean-Marie; Velea, Doru

2016-04-01

Realistic propagation modeling requires propagation models capable of incorporating the relevant physical phenomena as well as sufficiently accurate atmospheric specifications. The wind speed and temperature gradients in the atmosphere provide multiple ducts in which low frequency sound, infrasound, can propagate efficiently. The winds in the atmosphere are quite variable, both temporally and spatially, causing the sound ducts to fluctuate. For ground to ground propagation the ducts can be borderline in that small perturbations can create or destroy a duct. In such cases the signal propagation is very sensitive to fluctuations in the wind, often producing highly dispersed signals. The accuracy of atmospheric specifications is constantly improving as sounding technology develops. There is, however, a disconnect between sound propagation and atmospheric specification in that atmospheric specifications are necessarily statistical in nature while sound propagates through a particular atmospheric state. In addition infrasonic signals can travel to great altitudes, on the order of 120 km, before refracting back to earth. At such altitudes the atmosphere becomes quite rare causing sound propagation to become highly non-linear and attenuating. Approaches to these problems will be presented.

Superfluid density of states and pseudogap phenomenon in the BCS-BEC crossover regime of a superfluid Fermi gas

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Watanabe, Ryota; Tsuchiya, Shunji; CREST

2010-10-15

We investigate single-particle excitations and strong-coupling effects in the BCS-BEC crossover regime of a superfluid Fermi gas. Including phase and amplitude fluctuations of the superfluid order parameter within a T-matrix theory, we calculate the superfluid density of states (DOS), as well as single-particle spectral weight, over the entire BCS-BEC crossover region below the superfluid transition temperature T{sub c}. We clarify how the pseudogap in the normal state evolves into the superfluid gap, as one passes through T{sub c}. While the pseudogap in DOS continuously evolves into the superfluid gap in the weak-coupling BCS regime, the superfluid gap in the crossovermore » region is shown to appear in DOS after the pseudogap disappears below T{sub c}. In the phase diagram with respect to the temperature and interaction strength, we determine the region where strong pairing fluctuations dominate over single-particle properties of the system. Our results would be useful for the study of strong-coupling phenomena in the BCS-BEC crossover regime of a superfluid Fermi gas.« less

Unfolding the physics of URu 2Si 2 through silicon to phosphorus substitution

DOE PAGES

Gallagher, A.; Chen, K. -W.; Moir, C. M.; ...

2016-02-19

The heavy fermion intermetallic compound URu 2Si 2 exhibits a hidden-order phase below the temperature of 17.5 K, which supports both anomalous metallic behavior and unconventional superconductivity. While these individual phenomena have been investigated in detail, it remains unclear how they are related to each other and to what extent uranium f-electron valence fluctuations influence each one. Here we use ligand site substituted URu 2Si 2-xP x to establish their evolution under electronic tuning. We find that while hidden order is monotonically suppressed and destroyed for x ≤ 0.035, the superconducting strength evolves non-monotonically with a maximum near x ≈more » 0.01 and that superconductivity is destroyed near x ≈ 0.028. This behavior reveals that hidden order depends strongly on tuning outside of the U f-electron shells. Furthermore, it also suggests that while hidden order provides an environment for superconductivity and anomalous metallic behavior, it’s fluctuations may not be solely responsible for their progression.« less

Direct mapping of electrical noise sources in molecular wire-based devices

PubMed Central

Cho, Duckhyung; Lee, Hyungwoo; Shekhar, Shashank; Yang, Myungjae; Park, Jae Yeol; Hong, Seunghun

2017-01-01

We report a noise mapping strategy for the reliable identification and analysis of noise sources in molecular wire junctions. Here, different molecular wires were patterned on a gold substrate, and the current-noise map on the pattern was measured and analyzed, enabling the quantitative study of noise sources in the patterned molecular wires. The frequency spectra of the noise from the molecular wire junctions exhibited characteristic 1/f2 behavior, which was used to identify the electrical signals from molecular wires. This method was applied to analyze the molecular junctions comprising various thiol molecules on a gold substrate, revealing that the noise in the junctions mainly came from the fluctuation of the thiol bonds. Furthermore, we quantitatively compared the frequencies of such bond fluctuations in different molecular wire junctions and identified molecular wires with lower electrical noise, which can provide critical information for designing low-noise molecular electronic devices. Our method provides valuable insights regarding noise phenomena in molecular wires and can be a powerful tool for the development of molecular electronic devices. PMID:28233821

Perceptual security of encrypted images based on wavelet scaling analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vargas-Olmos, C.; Murguía, J. S.; Ramírez-Torres, M. T.; Mejía Carlos, M.; Rosu, H. C.; González-Aguilar, H.

2016-08-01

The scaling behavior of the pixel fluctuations of encrypted images is evaluated by using the detrended fluctuation analysis based on wavelets, a modern technique that has been successfully used recently for a wide range of natural phenomena and technological processes. As encryption algorithms, we use the Advanced Encryption System (AES) in RBT mode and two versions of a cryptosystem based on cellular automata, with the encryption process applied both fully and partially by selecting different bitplanes. In all cases, the results show that the encrypted images in which no understandable information can be visually appreciated and whose pixels look totally random present a persistent scaling behavior with the scaling exponent α close to 0.5, implying no correlation between pixels when the DFA with wavelets is applied. This suggests that the scaling exponents of the encrypted images can be used as a perceptual security criterion in the sense that when their values are close to 0.5 (the white noise value) the encrypted images are more secure also from the perceptual point of view.

Direct mapping of electrical noise sources in molecular wire-based devices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cho, Duckhyung; Lee, Hyungwoo; Shekhar, Shashank; Yang, Myungjae; Park, Jae Yeol; Hong, Seunghun

2017-02-01

We report a noise mapping strategy for the reliable identification and analysis of noise sources in molecular wire junctions. Here, different molecular wires were patterned on a gold substrate, and the current-noise map on the pattern was measured and analyzed, enabling the quantitative study of noise sources in the patterned molecular wires. The frequency spectra of the noise from the molecular wire junctions exhibited characteristic 1/f2 behavior, which was used to identify the electrical signals from molecular wires. This method was applied to analyze the molecular junctions comprising various thiol molecules on a gold substrate, revealing that the noise in the junctions mainly came from the fluctuation of the thiol bonds. Furthermore, we quantitatively compared the frequencies of such bond fluctuations in different molecular wire junctions and identified molecular wires with lower electrical noise, which can provide critical information for designing low-noise molecular electronic devices. Our method provides valuable insights regarding noise phenomena in molecular wires and can be a powerful tool for the development of molecular electronic devices.

Measured effects of wind turbine generation at the Block Island Power Company

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wilreker, V. F.; Smith, R. F.; Stiller, P. H.; Scot, G. W.; Shaltens, R. K.

1984-01-01

Data measurements made on the NASA MOD-OA 200-kw wind-turbine generator (WTG) installed on a utility grid form the basis for an overall performance analysis. Fuel displacement/-savings, dynamic interactions, and WTG excitation (reactive-power) control effects are studied. Continuous recording of a large number of electrical and mechanical variables on FM magnetic tape permit evaluation and correlation of phenomena over a bandwidth of at least 20 Hz. Because the wind-power penetration reached peaks of 60 percent, the impact of wind fluctuation and wind-turbine/diesel-utility interaction is evaluated in a worst-case scenario. The speed-governor dynamics of the diesel units exhibited an underdamped response, and the utility operation procedures were not altered to optimize overall WTG/utility performance. Primary findings over the data collection period are: a calculated 6.7-percent reduction in fuel consumption while generating 11 percent of the total electrical energy; acceptable system voltage and frequency fluctuations with WTG connected; and applicability of WTG excitation schemes using voltage, power, or VARS as the controlled variable.

The THz Spectrum of Density Fluctuations of Water: The Viscoelastic Regime

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Cunsolo, Alessandro

2015-01-01

Relevant advances in the knowledge of the water dynamics at mesoscopic scales are reviewed, while mainly focusing on the contribution provided by high resolution inelastic X-ray scattering (IXS). In particular it is discussed how the use of IXS has improved our understanding of viscoelastic properties of water at THz frequencies. This specifically involves some solid-like features such as the onset of shear wave propagation, a sound velocity surprisingly similar to the one of ice, and an anomalously low sound absorption coefficient. All these properties can be explained by assuming the coupling of THz density fluctuations with a structural relaxation processmore » connected to the breaking and forming of hydrogen bonds (HBs). This review also includes more recent IXS results demonstrating that, upon approaching supercritical conditions, relaxation phenomena in water gradually lose their structural character becoming essentially collisional in character. Furthermore, GHz spectroscopy results on supercooled water, suggesting the occurrence of a structural arrest, are discussed. An overview of the new opportunities offered by next generation IXS spectrometers finally concludes this review.« less

Active hydrodynamics of synchronization and ordering in moving oscillators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Banerjee, Tirthankar; Basu, Abhik

2017-08-01

The nature of emergent collective behaviors of moving interacting physical agents is a long-standing open issue in physical and biological systems alike. This calls for studies on the control of synchronization and the degree of order in a collection of diffusively moving noisy oscillators. We address this by constructing a generic hydrodynamic theory for active phase fluctuations in a collection of a large number of nearly-phase-coherent moving oscillators in two dimensions. Our theory describes the general situation where phase fluctuations and oscillator mobility mutually affect each other. We show that the interplay between the active effects and the mobility of the oscillators leads to a variety of phenomena, ranging from synchronization with long-range, nearly-long-range, and quasi-long-range orders to instabilities and desynchronization with short-range order of the oscillator phases. We highlight the complex dependences of synchronization on the active effects. These should be testable in wide-ranging systems, e.g., oscillating chemical reactions in the presence of different reaction inhibitors and facilitators, live oriented cytoskeletal extracts, and vertebrate segmentation clocks.

Mixing, ergodicity and slow relaxation phenomena

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Costa, I. V. L.; Vainstein, M. H.; Lapas, L. C.; Batista, A. A.; Oliveira, F. A.

2006-11-01

Investigations on diffusion in systems with memory [I.V.L. Costa, R. Morgado, M.V.B.T. Lima, F.A. Oliveira, Europhys. Lett. 63 (2003) 173] have established a hierarchical connection between mixing, ergodicity, and the fluctuation-dissipation theorem (FDT). This hierarchy means that ergodicity is a necessary condition for the validity of the FDT, and mixing is a necessary condition for ergodicity. In this work, we compare those results with recent investigations using the Lee recurrence relations method [M.H. Lee, Phys. Rev. B 26 (1982) 2547; M.H. Lee, Phys. Rev. Lett. 87 (2001) 250601; M.H. Lee, J. Phys. A: Math. Gen. 39 (2006) 4651]. Lee shows that ergodicity is violated in the dynamics of the electron gas [M.H. Lee, J. Phys. A: Math. Gen. 39 (2006) 4651]. This reinforces both works and implies that the results of [I.V.L. Costa, R. Morgado, M.V.B.T. Lima, F.A. Oliveira, Europhys. Lett. 63 (2003) 173] are more general than the framework in which they were obtained. Some applications to slow relaxation phenomena are discussed.

Using Temperature-Dependent Phenomena at Oxide Surfaces for Species Recognition in Chemical Sensing.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Semancik, Steve; Meier, Douglas; Evju, Jon; Benkstein, Kurt; Boger, Zvi; Montgomery, Chip

2006-03-01

Nanostructured films of SnO2 and TiO2 have been deposited on elements in MEMS arrays to fabricate solid state conductometric gas microsensors. The multilevel platforms within an array, called microhotplates, are individually addressable for localized temperature control and measurement of sensing film electrical conductance. Temperature variations of the microhotplates are employed in thermally-activated CVD oxide film growth, and for rapid temperature-programmed operation of the microsensors. Analytical information on environmental gas phase composition is produced temporally as purposeful thermal fluctuations provide energetic and kinetic control of surface reaction and adsorption/desorption phenomena. Resulting modulations of oxide adsorbate populations cause changing charge transfer behavior and measurable conductance responses. Rich data streams from different sensing films in the arrays have been analyzed by Artificial Neural Networks (ANN) to successfully recognize low concentration species in mixed gases. We illustrate capabilities of the approach and technology in the homeland security area, where dangerous chemicals (TICs, CWSs and CWAs) have been detected at 10-100 ppb levels in interference-spiked air backgrounds.

Numerical simulation of rotating stall and surge alleviation in axial compressors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Niazi, Saeid

Axial compression systems are widely used in many aerodynamic applications. However, the operability of such systems is limited at low-mass flow rates by fluid dynamic instabilities. These instabilities lead the compressor to rotating stall or surge. In some instances, a combination of rotating stall and surge, called modified surge, has also been observed. Experimental and computational methods are two approaches for investigating these adverse aerodynamic phenomena. In this study, numerical investigations have been performed to study these phenomena, and to develop control strategies for alleviation of rotating stall and surge. A three-dimensional unsteady Navier-Stokes analysis capable of modeling multistage turbomachinery components has been developed. This method uses a finite volume approach that is third order accurate in space, and first or second order in time. The scheme is implicit in time, permitting the use of large time steps. A one-equation Spalart-Allmaras model is used to model the effects of turbulence. The analysis is cast in a very general form so that a variety of configurations---centrifugal compressors and multistage compressors---may be analyzed with minor modifications to the analysis. Calculations have been done both at design and off-design conditions for an axial compressor tested at NASA Glenn Research Center. At off-design conditions the calculations show that the tip leakage flow becomes strong, and its interaction with the tip shock leads to compressor rotating stall and modified surge. Both global variations to the mass flow rate, associated with surge, and azimuthal variations in flow conditions indicative of rotating stall, were observed. It is demonstrated that these adverse phenomena may be eliminated, and stable operation restored, by the use of bleed valves located on the diffuser walls. Two types of controls were examined: open-loop and closed-loop. In the open-loop case mass is removed at a fixed, preset rate from the diffuser. In the closed-loop case, the rate of bleed is linked to pressure fluctuations upstream of the compressor face. The bleed valve is activated when the amplitude of pressure fluctuations sensed by the probes exceeds a certain range. Calculations show that both types of bleeding eliminate both rotating stall and modified surge, and suppress the precursor disturbances upstream of the compressor face. It is observed that smaller amounts of compressed air need to be removed with the closed-loop control, as compared to open-loop control.

Generalized liquid crystals: Giant fluctuations and the vestigial chiral order of I , O , and T matter

DOE PAGES

Liu, Ke; Nissinen, Jaakko; Slager, Robert -Jan; ...

2016-10-31

Here, the physics of nematic liquid crystals has been the subject of intensive research since the late 19th century. However, the focus of this pursuit has been centered around uniaxial and biaxial nematics associated with constituents bearing a D ∞h or D 2h symmetry, respectively. In view of general symmetries, however, these are singularly special since nematic order can in principle involve any point-group symmetry. Given the progress in tailoring nanoparticles with particular shapes and interactions, this vast family of “generalized nematics” might become accessible in the laboratory. Little is known because the order parameter theories associated with the highlymore » symmetric point groups are remarkably complicated, involving tensor order parameters of high rank. Here, we show that the generic features of the statistical physics of such systems can be studied in a highly flexible and efficient fashion using a mathematical tool borrowed from high-energy physics: discrete non-Abelian gauge theory. Explicitly, we construct a family of lattice gauge models encapsulating nematic ordering of general three-dimensional point-group symmetries. We find that the most symmetrical generalized nematics are subjected to thermal fluctuations of unprecedented severity. As a result, novel forms of fluctuation phenomena become possible. In particular, we demonstrate that a vestigial phase carrying no more than chiral order becomes ubiquitous departing from high point-group symmetry chiral building blocks, such as I, O, and T symmetric matter.« less

Using a short-pulse diffraction-limited laser beam to probe filamentation of a random phase plate smoothed beam.

PubMed

Kline, J L; Montgomery, D S; Flippo, K A; Johnson, R P; Rose, H A; Shimada, T; Williams, E A

2008-10-01

A short pulse (few picoseconds) laser probe provides high temporal resolution measurements to elucidate details of fast dynamic phenomena not observable with typical longer laser pulse probes and gated diagnostics. Such a short pulse laser probe (SPLP) has been used to measure filamentation of a random phase plate (RPP) smoothed laser beam in a gas-jet plasma. The plasma index of refraction due to driven density and temperature fluctuations by the RPP beam perturbs the phase front of a SPLP propagating at a 90 degree angle with respect to the RPP interaction beam. The density and temperature fluctuations are quasistatic on the time scale of the SPLP (approximately 2 ps). The transmitted near-field intensity distribution from the SPLP provides a measure of the phase front perturbation. At low plasma densities, the transmitted intensity pattern is asymmetric with striations across the entire probe beam in the direction of the RPP smoothed beam. As the plasma density increases, the striations break up into smaller sizes along the direction of the RPP beam propagation. The breakup of the intensity pattern is consistent with self-focusing of the RPP smoothed interaction beam. Simulations of the experiment using the wave propagation code, PF3D, are in qualitative agreement demonstrating that the asymmetric striations can be attributed to the RPP driven density fluctuations. Quantification of the beam breakup measured by the transmitted SPLP could lead to a new method for measuring self-focusing of lasers in underdense plasmas.

Properties of Asymmetric Detrended Fluctuation Analysis in the time series of RR intervals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Piskorski, J.; Kosmider, M.; Mieszkowski, D.; Krauze, T.; Wykretowicz, A.; Guzik, P.

2018-02-01

Heart rate asymmetry is a phenomenon by which the accelerations and decelerations of heart rate behave differently, and this difference is consistent and unidirectional, i.e. in most of the analyzed recordings the inequalities have the same directions. So far, it has been established for variance and runs based types of descriptors of RR intervals time series. In this paper we apply the newly developed method of Asymmetric Detrended Fluctuation Analysis, which so far has mainly been used with economic time series, to the set of 420 stationary 30 min time series of RR intervals from young, healthy individuals aged between 20 and 40. This asymmetric approach introduces separate scaling exponents for rising and falling trends. We systematically study the presence of asymmetry in both global and local versions of this method. In this study global means "applying to the whole time series" and local means "applying to windows jumping along the recording". It is found that the correlation structure of the fluctuations left over after detrending in physiological time series shows strong asymmetric features in both magnitude, with α+ <α-, where α+ is related to heart rate decelerations and α- to heart rate accelerations, and the proportion of the signal in which the above inequality holds. A very similar effect is observed if asymmetric noise is added to a symmetric self-affine function. No such phenomena are observed in the same physiological data after shuffling or with a group of symmetric synthetic time series.

The importance of fluctuations in fluid mixing

PubMed Central

Kadau, Kai; Rosenblatt, Charles; Barber, John L.; Germann, Timothy C.; Huang, Zhibin; Carlès, Pierre; Alder, Berni J.

2007-01-01

A ubiquitous example of fluid mixing is the Rayleigh–Taylor instability, in which a heavy fluid initially sits atop a light fluid in a gravitational field. The subsequent development of the unstable interface between the two fluids is marked by several stages. At first, each interface mode grows exponentially with time before transitioning to a nonlinear regime characterized by more complex hydrodynamic mixing. Unfortunately, traditional continuum modeling of this process has generally been in poor agreement with experiment. Here, we indicate that the natural, random fluctuations of the flow field present in any fluid, which are neglected in continuum models, can lead to qualitatively and quantitatively better agreement with experiment. We performed billion-particle atomistic simulations and magnetic levitation experiments with unprecedented control of initial interface conditions. A comparison between our simulations and experiments reveals good agreement in terms of the growth rate of the mixing front as well as the new observation of droplet breakup at later times. These results improve our understanding of many fluid processes, including interface phenomena that occur, for example, in supernovae, the detachment of droplets from a faucet, and ink jet printing. Such instabilities are also relevant to the possible energy source of inertial confinement fusion, in which a millimeter-sized capsule is imploded to initiate nuclear fusion reactions between deuterium and tritium. Our results suggest that the applicability of continuum models would be greatly enhanced by explicitly including the effects of random fluctuations. PMID:17470811

Outer midplane scrape-off layer profiles and turbulence in simulations of Alcator C-Mod inner-wall limited discharges

DOE PAGES

Halpern, Federico D.; LaBombard, Brian; Terry, James L.; ...

2017-06-27

A region of steep plasma gradients, the so-called ”narrow-feature”, has been found in the near scrape-off layer (SOL) of inner-wall limited (IWL) discharges. Dedicated IWL discharges were carried out in Alcator C-Mod [E.S. Marmar et al., Nucl. Fusion 55, (2015)] to study this phenomenon, allowing detailed observations of the plasma profiles and fluctuations. Langmuir probe (LP) measurements show a clear two decay length n e and T e profile structure at the outer midplane. The Gas-Puff Imaging (GPI) diagnostic shows large turbulent fluctuations across the last closed flux-surface, hence supporting the hypothesis that turbulent phenomena play a role in settingmore » the profile steepness. We have carried out the flux-driven non-linear turbulence simulations of two C-Mod discharges which allows a three-way comparison between LP, GPI, and simulation data. Observations and simulations correlate the steep gradient region characterizing the narrow feature with sheared poloidal flows and a deviation of the plasma potential from its floating value. Furthermore, the E x B shear rate exceeds the linear ballooning growth rate, indicating that the narrow feature could result from the effects of sheared flows, although causality could not be established. The fluctuation level in the narrow feature remains of order unity across the entire SOL, indicating that the transport reduction in the near-SOL cannot result from a simple quench rule.« less

Outer midplane scrape-off layer profiles and turbulence in simulations of Alcator C-Mod inner-wall limited discharges

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Halpern, Federico D.; LaBombard, Brian; Terry, James L.

A region of steep plasma gradients, the so-called ”narrow-feature”, has been found in the near scrape-off layer (SOL) of inner-wall limited (IWL) discharges. Dedicated IWL discharges were carried out in Alcator C-Mod [E.S. Marmar et al., Nucl. Fusion 55, (2015)] to study this phenomenon, allowing detailed observations of the plasma profiles and fluctuations. Langmuir probe (LP) measurements show a clear two decay length n e and T e profile structure at the outer midplane. The Gas-Puff Imaging (GPI) diagnostic shows large turbulent fluctuations across the last closed flux-surface, hence supporting the hypothesis that turbulent phenomena play a role in settingmore » the profile steepness. We have carried out the flux-driven non-linear turbulence simulations of two C-Mod discharges which allows a three-way comparison between LP, GPI, and simulation data. Observations and simulations correlate the steep gradient region characterizing the narrow feature with sheared poloidal flows and a deviation of the plasma potential from its floating value. Furthermore, the E x B shear rate exceeds the linear ballooning growth rate, indicating that the narrow feature could result from the effects of sheared flows, although causality could not be established. The fluctuation level in the narrow feature remains of order unity across the entire SOL, indicating that the transport reduction in the near-SOL cannot result from a simple quench rule.« less

Sources of noise in magneto-optical readout

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mansuripur, M.

1991-01-01

The various sources of noise which are often encountered in magneto-optical readout systems are analyzed. Although the focus is on magneto-optics, most sources of noise are common among the various optical recording systems and one can easily adapt the results to other media and systems. A description of the magneto-optical readout system under consideration is given, and the standard methods and the relevant terminology of signal and noise measurement are described. The characteristics of thermal noise, which originates in the electronic circuitry of the readout system, are described. The most fundamental of all sources of noise, the shot noise, is considered, and a detailed account of its statistical properties is given. Shot noise, which is due to random fluctuations in photon arrival times, is an ever-present noise in optical detection. Since the performance of magneto-optical recording devices in use today is approaching the limit imposed by the shot noise, it is important that the reader have a good grasp of this particular source of noise. A model for the laser noise is described, and measurement results which yield numerical values for the strength of the laser power fluctuations are presented. Spatial variations of the disk reflectivity and random depolarization phenomena also contribute to the overall level of noise in readout; these and related issues are treated. Numerical simulation results describing some of the more frequently encountered sources of noise which accompany the recorded waveform itself, namely, jitter noise and signal-amplitude fluctuation noise are presented.

Geohydrologic, geochemical, and geologic controls on the occurrence of radon in ground water near Conifer, Colorado, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lawrence, E.; Poeter, E.; Wanty, R.

1991-01-01

Integrated studies of geohydrology, geochemistry, and geology of crystalline rocks in the vicinity of Conifer, Colorado, reveal that radon concentrations do not correlate with variations in concentrations of other dissolved species. Concentrations of major ions show systematic variations along selected groundwater flowpaths, whereas radon concentrations are dependent on local geochemical and geologic phenomena (such as localized uranium concentration in the rock or the presence of faults or folds). When radon enters the flow system, concentrations do not increase along flowpaths because its decay rate is fast relative to groundwater flow rates. Radon-222 is not in secular equilibrium with 238U and 226Ra in the water. Therefore, most of the 238U and 226Ra necessary to support the waterborne 222Rn must be present locally in the rock. High concentrations of dissolved radon are not found in zones of high transmissivity, and transmissivity is not correlated with rock type in the study area. A higher transmissivity can be indicative of higher water-volume to rock-surface-area ratios, which could effectively dilute 222Rn entering the water and/or may indicate that emanated radon is carried away more rapidly. Water samples collected from individual wells over periods of several months showed significant fluctuations in the dissolved 222Rn content. This fluctuation may be controlled by changes in the contributions of water-producing zones within the well resulting from seasonal fluctuations of the water table and/or pumping stresses. ?? 1991.

A Mathematical Model of Demand-Supply Dynamics with Collectability and Saturation Factors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Y. Charles; Yang, Hong

We introduce a mathematical model on the dynamics of demand and supply incorporating collectability and saturation factors. Our analysis shows that when the fluctuation of the determinants of demand and supply is strong enough, there is chaos in the demand-supply dynamics. Our numerical simulation shows that such a chaos is not an attractor (i.e. dynamics is not approaching the chaos), instead a periodic attractor (of period-3 under the Poincaré period map) exists near the chaos, and coexists with another periodic attractor (of period-1 under the Poincaré period map) near the market equilibrium. Outside the basins of attraction of the two periodic attractors, the dynamics approaches infinity indicating market irrational exuberance or flash crash. The period-3 attractor represents the product’s market cycle of growth and recession, while period-1 attractor near the market equilibrium represents the regular fluctuation of the product’s market. Thus our model captures more market phenomena besides Marshall’s market equilibrium. When the fluctuation of the determinants of demand and supply is strong enough, a three leaf danger zone exists where the basins of attraction of all attractors intertwine and fractal basin boundaries are formed. Small perturbations in the danger zone can lead to very different attractors. That is, small perturbations in the danger zone can cause the market to experience oscillation near market equilibrium, large growth and recession cycle, and irrational exuberance or flash crash.

Emergence of universal scaling in financial markets from mean-field dynamics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vikram, S. V.; Sinha, Sitabhra

2011-01-01

Collective phenomena with universal properties have been observed in many complex systems with a large number of components. Here we present a microscopic model of the emergence of scaling behavior in such systems, where the interaction dynamics between individual components is mediated by a global variable making the mean-field description exact. Using the example of financial markets, we show that asset price can be such a global variable with the critical role of coordinating the actions of agents who are otherwise independent. The resulting model accurately reproduces empirical properties such as the universal scaling of the price fluctuation and volume distributions, long-range correlations in volatility, and multiscaling.

Modelling directional solidification

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wilcox, William R.

1987-01-01

An improved understanding of the phenomena of importance to directional solidification is attempted to enable explanation and prediction of differences in behavior between solidification on Earth and in space. Emphasis is now on experimentally determining the influence of convection and freezing rate fluctuations on compositional homogeneity and crystalline perfection. A correlation is sought between heater temperature profiles, buoyancy-driven convection, and doping inhomogeneities using naphthalene doped with anthracene. The influence of spin-up/spin-down is determined on compositional homogeneity and microstructure of indium gallium antimonide. The effect is determined of imposed melting - freezing cycles on indium gallium antimonide. The mechanism behind the increase of grain size caused by using spin-up/spin-down in directional solidification of mercury cadimum telluride is sought.

Topological phenomena in classical optical networks

PubMed Central

Shi, T.; Kimble, H. J.; Cirac, J. I.

2017-01-01

We propose a scheme to realize a topological insulator with optical-passive elements and analyze the effects of Kerr nonlinearities in its topological behavior. In the linear regime, our design gives rise to an optical spectrum with topological features and where the bandwidths and bandgaps are dramatically broadened. The resulting edge modes cover a very wide frequency range. We relate this behavior to the fact that the effective Hamiltonian describing the system’s amplitudes is long range. We also develop a method to analyze the scheme in the presence of a Kerr medium. We assess robustness and stability of the topological features and predict the presence of chiral squeezed fluctuations at the edges in some parameter regimes. PMID:29073093

Liquid Behavior at Critical and Supercritical Conditions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chiu, Huei-Huang; Gross, Klaus W.

1989-01-01

At a JANNAF workshop, the issue of fluids at and above the critical point was discussed to obtain a better understanding of similar conditions in combustion chambers of rocket engines. Invited experts from academic, industrial, and government institutions presented the most recent physical, numerical, and experimental advances. During the final discussion period, it was agreed that: (1) no analytical capability exists to simulate subject conditions; (2) mechanisms reflected by opalescence, the solubility of gases, other interfacial phenomena listed, and fluorescence diagnostics are new and important; (3) multicomponent mixtures, radiation, critical fluctuation, and other recorded ones pose unknown effects; and (4) various identified analytical and experimental actions must be initiated in a mutually supporting sequence.

Femtosecond movies of water near interfaces at sub-Angstrom resolution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Coridan, Robert; Hwee Lai, Ghee; Schmidt, Nathan; Abbamonte, Peter; Wong, Gerard C. L.

2010-03-01

The behavior of liquid water near interfaces with nanoscopic variations in chemistry influences a broad range of phenomena in biology. Using inelastic x-ray scattering (IXS) data from 3rd-generation synchrotron x-ray sources, we reconstruct the Greens function of liquid water, which describes the å-scale spatial and femtosecond-scale temporal evolution of density fluctuations. We extend this response function formalism to reconstruct the evolution of hydration structures near dynamic surfaces with different charge distributions, in order to define more precisely the molecular signature of hydrophilicity and hydrophobicity. Moreover, we investigate modifications to surface hydration structures and dynamics as the size of hydrophilic and hydrophobic patches are varied.

Use of the new levodopa agent Stalevo (levodopa/carbidopa/entacapone) in the treatment of Parkinson's disease in out-patient clinical practice (the START-M open trial).

PubMed

Boiko, A N; Batysheva, T T; Minaeva, N G; Babina, L A; Vdovichenko, T V; Zhuravleva, E Yu; Shikhkerimov, R K; Malykhina, E A; Khozova, A A; Zaitsev, K A; Kostenko, E V

2008-11-01

Despite the significant symptomatic effects of levodopa, stable 24-h treatment responses are in the vast majority of patients replaced 2-3 years from the start of treatment by oscillations in motor symptoms (fluctuation, dyskinesia), amelioration of which requires addition of constant (physiological) stimulation of postsynaptic dopamine receptors. To some extent this is provided by Stalevo, which contains levodopa and two enzyme inhibitors: the DDC inhibitor carbidopa and the COMT inhibitor entacapone. The results obtained in the present study demonstrated the advantages of Stalevo over traditional agents in patients with the "wearing off" and "on-off" phenomena.

Data Processing for Atmospheric Phase Interferometers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Acosta, Roberto J.; Nessel, James A.; Morabito, David D.

2009-01-01

This paper presents a detailed discussion of calibration procedures used to analyze data recorded from a two-element atmospheric phase interferometer (API) deployed at Goldstone, California. In addition, we describe the data products derived from those measurements that can be used for site intercomparison and atmospheric modeling. Simulated data is used to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm and as a means for validating our procedure. A study of the effect of block size filtering is presented to justify our process for isolating atmospheric fluctuation phenomena from other system-induced effects (e.g., satellite motion, thermal drift). A simulated 24 hr interferometer phase data time series is analyzed to illustrate the step-by-step calibration procedure and desired data products.

Non-linear characteristics and long-range correlations in Asian stock markets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jiang, J.; Ma, K.; Cai, X.

2007-05-01

We test several non-linear characteristics of Asian stock markets, which indicates the failure of efficient market hypothesis and shows the essence of fractal of the financial markets. In addition, by using the method of detrended fluctuation analysis (DFA) to investigate the long range correlation of the volatility in the stock markets, we find that the crossover phenomena exist in the results of DFA. Further, in the region of small volatility, the scaling behavior is more complicated; in the region of large volatility, the scaling exponent is close to 0.5, which suggests the market is more efficient. All these results may indicate the possibility of characteristic multifractal scaling behaviors of the financial markets.

Random walker in temporally deforming higher-order potential forces observed in a financial crisis.

PubMed

Watanabe, Kota; Takayasu, Hideki; Takayasu, Misako

2009-11-01

Basic peculiarities of market price fluctuations are known to be well described by a recently developed random-walk model in a temporally deforming quadratic potential force whose center is given by a moving average of past price traces [M. Takayasu, T. Mizuno, and H. Takayasu, Physica A 370, 91 (2006)]. By analyzing high-frequency financial time series of exceptional events, such as bubbles and crashes, we confirm the appearance of higher-order potential force in the markets. We show statistical significance of its existence by applying the information criterion. This time series analysis is expected to be applied widely for detecting a nonstationary symptom in random phenomena.

Nonlocality and Short-Range Wetting Phenomena

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Parry, A. O.; Romero-Enrique, J. M.; Lazarides, A.

2004-08-01

We propose a nonlocal interfacial model for 3D short-range wetting at planar and nonplanar walls. The model is characterized by a binding-potential functional depending only on the bulk Ornstein-Zernike correlation function, which arises from different classes of tubelike fluctuations that connect the interface and the substrate. The theory provides a physical explanation for the origin of the effective position-dependent stiffness and binding potential in approximate local theories and also obeys the necessary classical wedge covariance relationship between wetting and wedge filling. Renormalization group and computer simulation studies reveal the strong nonperturbative influence of nonlocality at critical wetting, throwing light on long-standing theoretical problems regarding the order of the phase transition.

Nonlocality and short-range wetting phenomena.

PubMed

Parry, A O; Romero-Enrique, J M; Lazarides, A

2004-08-20

We propose a nonlocal interfacial model for 3D short-range wetting at planar and nonplanar walls. The model is characterized by a binding-potential functional depending only on the bulk Ornstein-Zernike correlation function, which arises from different classes of tubelike fluctuations that connect the interface and the substrate. The theory provides a physical explanation for the origin of the effective position-dependent stiffness and binding potential in approximate local theories and also obeys the necessary classical wedge covariance relationship between wetting and wedge filling. Renormalization group and computer simulation studies reveal the strong nonperturbative influence of nonlocality at critical wetting, throwing light on long-standing theoretical problems regarding the order of the phase transition.

Nonlinear quenching of current fluctuations in a self-exciting homopolar dynamo

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hide, R.

In the interpretation of geomagnetic polarity reversals with their highly variable frequency over geological time it is necessary, as with other irregularly fluctuating geophysical phenomena, to consider the relative importance of forced contributions associated with changing boundary conditions and of free contributions characteristic of the behaviour of nonlinear systems operating under fixed boundary conditions. New evidence -albeit indirect- in favour of the likely predominance of forced contributions is provided by the discovery reported here of the possibility of complete quenching by nonlineax effects of current fluctuations in a self-exciting homopolar dynamo with its single Faraday disk driven into rotation with angular speed y(τ) (where τ denotes time) by a steady applied couple. The armature of an electric motor connected in series with the coil of the dynamo is driven into rotation' with angular speed z(τ) by a torque xf (x) due to Lorentz forces associated with the electric current x(τ) in the system (just as certain parts of the spectrum of eddies within the liquid outer core are generated largely by Lorentz forces associated with currents generated by the self-exciting magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) geodynamo). The discovery is based on bifurcation analysis supported by computational studies of the following (mathematically novel) autonomous set of nonlinear ordinary differential equations: dx/dt = x(y - 1) - βzf(x), dy/dt = α(1 - x²) - κy, dz/dt = xf (x) -λz, where f (x) = 1 - ɛ + ɛσx, in cases when the dimensionless parameters (α, β, κ, λ, σ) are all positive and 0 ≤ ɛ ≤ 1. Within those regions of (α, β, κ, λ, σ) parameter space where the applied couple, as measured by α, is strong enough for persistent dynamo action (i.e. x ≠ 0) to occur at all, there are in general extensive regions where x(τ) exhibits large amplitude regular or irregular (chaotic) fluctuations. But these fluctuating régimes shrink in size as increases from zero, and they disappear altogether when ɛ = 1, leaving only steady régimes of dynamo action.

Electromotive force in strongly compressible magnetohydrodynamic turbulence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yokoi, N.

2017-12-01

Variable density fluid turbulence is ubiquitous in geo-fluids, not to mention in astrophysics. Depending on the source of density variation, variable density fluid turbulence may be divided into two categories: the weak compressible (entropy mode) turbulence for slow flow and the strong compressible (acoustic mode) turbulence for fast flow. In the strong compressible turbulence, the pressure fluctuation induces a strong density fluctuation ρ ', which is represented by the density variance <ρ'2> (<·> denotes the ensemble average). The turbulent effect on the large-scale magnetic-field B induction is represented by the turbulent electromotive force (EMF) (u': velocity fluctuation, b': magnetic-field fluctuation). In the usual treatment in the dynamo theory, the expression for the EMF has been obtained in the framework of incompressible or weak compressible turbulence, where only the variation of the mean density <ρ>, if any, is taken into account. We see from the equation of the density fluctuation ρ', the density variance <ρ'2> is generated by the large mean density variation ∂<ρ> coupled with the turbulent mass flux <ρ'u'>. This means that in the region where the mean density steeply changes, the density variance effect becomes relevant for the magnetic field evolution. This situation is typically the case for phenomena associated with shocks and compositional discontinuities. With the aid of the analytical theory of inhomogeneous compressible magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) turbulence, the expression for the turbulent electromotive force is investigated. It is shown that, among others, an obliqueness (misalignment) between the mean density gradient ∂<ρ> and the mean magnetic field B may contribute to the EMF as ≈χ B×∂<ρ> with the turbulent transport coefficient χ proportional to the density variance (χ <ρ'2>). This density variance effect is expected to strongly affect the EMF near the interface, and changes the transport properties of turbulence. In the case of an interface under the MHD slow shock, the magnetic reconnection rate may be enhanced by this effect. Physical origin of this effect is discussed in some possible geophysical applications.

Influence of Sub-Daily Variation on Multi-Fractal Detrended Fluctuation Analysis of Wind Speed Time Series

PubMed Central

Li, Weinan; Kong, Yanjun; Cong, Xiangyu

2016-01-01

Using multi-fractal detrended fluctuation analysis (MF-DFA), the scaling features of wind speed time series (WSTS) could be explored. In this paper, we discuss the influence of sub-daily variation, which is a natural feature of wind, in MF-DFA of WSTS. First, the choice of the lower bound of the segment length, a significant parameter of MF-DFA, was studied. The results of expanding the lower bound into sub-daily scope shows that an abrupt declination and discrepancy of scaling exponents is caused by the inability to keep the whole diel process of wind in one single segment. Additionally, the specific value, which is effected by the sub-daily feature of local meteo-climatic, might be different. Second, the intra-day temporal order of wind was shuffled to determine the impact of diel variation on scaling exponents of MF-DFA. The results illustrate that disregarding diel variation leads to errors in scaling. We propose that during the MF-DFA of WSTS, the segment length should be longer than 1 day and the diel variation of wind should be maintained to avoid abnormal phenomena and discrepancy in scaling exponents. PMID:26741491

Using Multi-scale Dynamic Rupture Models to Improve Ground Motion Estimates: ALCF-2 Early Science Program Technical Report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ely, Geoffrey P.

2013-10-31

This project uses dynamic rupture simulations to investigate high-frequency seismic energy generation. The relevant phenomena (frictional breakdown, shear heating, effective normal-stress fluctuations, material damage, etc.) controlling rupture are strongly interacting and span many orders of magnitude in spatial scale, requiring highresolution simulations that couple disparate physical processes (e.g., elastodynamics, thermal weakening, pore-fluid transport, and heat conduction). Compounding the computational challenge, we know that natural faults are not planar, but instead have roughness that can be approximated by power laws potentially leading to large, multiscale fluctuations in normal stress. The capacity to perform 3D rupture simulations that couple these processes willmore » provide guidance for constructing appropriate source models for high-frequency ground motion simulations. The improved rupture models from our multi-scale dynamic rupture simulations will be used to conduct physicsbased (3D waveform modeling-based) probabilistic seismic hazard analysis (PSHA) for California. These calculation will provide numerous important seismic hazard results, including a state-wide extended earthquake rupture forecast with rupture variations for all significant events, a synthetic seismogram catalog for thousands of scenario events and more than 5000 physics-based seismic hazard curves for California.« less

Unsteady Flow Interactions Between the LH2 Feed Line and SSME LPFP Inducer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dorney, Dan; Griffin, Lisa; Marcu, Bogdan; Williams, Morgan

2006-01-01

An extensive computational effort has been performed in order to investigate the nature of unsteady flow in the fuel line supplying the three Space Shuttle Main Engines during flight. Evidence of high cycle fatigue (HCF) in the flow liner one diameter upstream of the Low Pressure Fuel Pump inducer has been observed in several locations. The analysis presented in this report has the objective of determining the driving mechanisms inducing HCF and the associated fluid flow phenomena. The simulations have been performed using two different computational codes, the NASA MSFC PHANTOM code and the Pratt and Whitney Rocketdyne ENIGMA code. The fuel flow through the flow liner and the pump inducer have been modeled in full three-dimensional geometry, and the results of the computations compared with test data taken during hot fire tests at NASA Stennis Space Center, and cold-flow water flow test data obtained at NASA MSFC. The numerical results indicate that unsteady pressure fluctuations at specific frequencies develop in the duct at the flow-liner location. Detailed frequency analysis of the flow disturbances is presented. The unsteadiness is believed to be an important source for fluctuating pressures generating high cycle fatigue.

Computing Critical Properties with Yang-Yang Anomalies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Orkoulas, Gerassimos; Cerdeirina, Claudio; Fisher, Michael

2017-01-01

Computation of the thermodynamics of fluids in the critical region is a challenging task owing to divergence of the correlation length and lack of particle-hole symmetries found in Ising or lattice-gas models. In addition, analysis of experiments and simulations reveals a Yang-Yang (YY) anomaly which entails sharing of the specific heat singularity between the pressure and the chemical potential. The size of the YY anomaly is measured by the YY ratio Rμ =C μ /CV of the amplitudes of C μ = - T d2 μ /dT2 and of the total specific heat CV. A ``complete scaling'' theory, in which the pressure mixes into the scaling fields, accounts for the YY anomaly. In Phys. Rev. Lett. 116, 040601 (2016), compressible cell gas (CCG) models which exhibit YY and singular diameter anomalies, have been advanced for near-critical fluids. In such models, the individual cell volumes are allowed to fluctuate. The thermodynamics of CCGs can be computed through mapping onto the Ising model via the seldom-used great grand canonical ensemble. The computations indicate that local free volume fluctuations are the origins of the YY effects. Furthermore, local energy-volume coupling (to model water) is another crucial factor underlying the phenomena.

Leo Szilard In Physics and Information

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Garwin, Richard

2014-03-01

The excellent biography by William Lanouette, ``Genius in the Shadows,'' tells it the way it was, incredible though it may seem. The 1972 ``Collected Works of Leo Szilard: Scientific Papers'' Bernard T. Feld and Getrude W. Szilard, Editors, gives the source material both published and unpublished. Szilard's path-breaking but initially little-noticed 1929 paper, ``On the Decrease of Entropy in a Thermodynamic System by the Intervention of Intelligent Beings'' spawned much subsequent research. It connected what we now call a bit of information with a quantity k ln 2 of entropy, and showed that the process of acquiring, exploiting, and resetting this information in a one-molecule engine must dissipate at least kT ln 2 of energy at temperature T. His 1925 paper, ``On the Extension of Phenomenological Thermodynamics to Fluctuation Phenomena,'' showed that fluctuations were consistent with and predicted from equilibrium thermodynamics and did not depend on atomistic theories. His work on physics and technology, demonstrated an astonishing range of interest, ingenuity, foresight, and practical sense. I illustrate this with several of his fundamental contributions nuclear physics, to the neutron chain reaction and to nuclear reactors, and also to electromagnetic pumping of liquid metals.

Stick balancing, falls and Dragon-Kings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cabrera, J. L.; Milton, J. G.

2012-05-01

The extent to which the occurrence of falls, the dominant feature of human attempts to balance a stick at their fingertip, can be predicted is examined in the context of the "Dragon-King" hypothesis. For skilled stick balancers, fluctuations in the controlled variable, namely the vertical displacement angle θ, exhibit power law behaviors. When stick balancing is made less stable by either decreasing the length of the stick or by requiring the subject to balance the stick on the surface of a table tennis racket, systematic departures from the power law behaviors are observed in the range of large θ. This observation raises the possibility that the presence of departures from the power law in the large length scale region, possibly Dragon-Kings, may identify situations in which the occurrence of a fall is more imminent. However, whether or not Dragon-Kings are observed, there is a Weibull-type survival function for stick falling. The possibility that increased risk of falling can, at least to some extent, be predicted from fluctuations in the controlled variable before the event occurs has important implications for the development of preventative strategies for the management of phenomena ranging from earthquakes to epileptic seizures to falls in the elderly.

Resistance to antitumor chemotherapy due to bounded-noise-induced transitions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

D'Onofrio, Alberto; Gandolfi, Alberto

2010-12-01

Tumor angiogenesis is a landmark of solid tumor development, but it is also directly relevant to chemotherapy. Indeed, the density and quality of neovessels may influence the effectiveness of therapies based on blood-born agents. In this paper, first we define a deterministic model of antiproliferative chemotherapy in which the drug efficacy is a unimodal function of vessel density, and then we show that under constant continuous infusion therapy the tumor-vessel system may be multistable. However, the actual drug concentration profiles are affected by bounded even if possibly large fluctuations. Through numerical simulations, we show that the tumor volume may undergo transitions to the higher equilibrium value induced by the bounded noise. In case of periodically delivered boli-based chemotherapy, we model the fluctuations due to time variability of both the drug clearance rate and the distribution volume, as well as those due to irregularities in drug delivery. We observed noise-induced transitions also in case of periodic delivering. By applying a time dense scheduling with constant average delivered drug (metronomic scheduling), we observed an easier suppression of the transitions. Finally, we propose to interpret the above phenomena as an unexpected non-genetic kind of resistance to chemotherapy.

Exploring reconnection, current sheets, and dissipation in a laboratory MHD turbulence experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schaffner, D. A.

2015-12-01

The Swarthmore Spheromak Experiment (SSX) can serve as a testbed for studying MHD turbulence in a controllable laboratory setting, and in particular, explore the phenomena of reconnection, current sheets and dissipation in MHD turbulence. Plasma with turbulently fluctuating magnetic and velocity fields can be generated using a plasma gun source and launched into a flux-conserving cylindrical tunnel. No background magnetic field is applied so internal fields are allowed to evolve dynamically. Point measurements of magnetic and velocity fluctuations yield broadband power-law spectra with a steepening breakpoint indicative of the onset of a dissipation scale. The frequency range at which this steepening occurs can be correlated to the ion inertial scale of the plasma, a length which is characteristic of the size of current sheets in MHD plasmas and suggests a connection to dissipation. Observation of non-Gaussian intermittent jumps in magnetic field magnitude and angle along with measurements of ion temperature bursts suggests the presence of current sheets embedded within the turbulent plasma, and possibly even active reconnection sites. Additionally, structure function analysis coupled with appeals to fractal scaling models support the hypothesis that current sheets are associated with dissipation in this system.

Characterisation of edge turbulence in relation to edge magnetic field configuration in L-mode plasmas in the Mega Amp Spherical Tokamak.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dewhurst, J.; Hnat, B.; Dudson, B.; Dendy, R. O.; Counsell, G. F.; Kirk, A.

2007-12-01

Almost all astrophysical and magnetically confined fusion plasmas are turbulent. Here, we examine ion saturation current (Isat) measurements of edge plasma turbulence for three MAST L-mode plasmas that differ primarily in their edge magnetic field configurations. First, absolute moments of the coarse grained data are examined to obtain accurate values of scaling exponents. The dual scaling behaviour is identified in all samples, with the temporal scale τ ≍ 40-60 μs separating the two regimes. Strong universality is then identified in the functional form of the probability density function (PDF) for Isat fluctuations, which is well approximated by the Fréchet distribution on temporal scales τ ≤ 40μs. For temporal scales τ > 40μs, the PDFs appear to converge to the Gumbel distribution, which has been previously identified as a universal feature of many other complex phenomena. The optimal fitting parameters k=1.15 for Fréchet and a=1.35 for Gumbel provide a simple quantitative characterisation of the full spectrum of fluctuations. We conclude that, to good approximation, the properties of the edge turbulence are independent of the edge magnetic field configuration.

Characterization of edge turbulence in relation to edge magnetic field configuration in Ohmic L-mode plasmas in the Mega Amp Spherical Tokamak

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hnat, B.; Dudson, B. D.; Dendy, R. O.; Counsell, G. F.; Kirk, A.; MAST Team

2008-08-01

Ion saturation current (Isat) measurements of edge plasma turbulence are analysed for six MAST L-mode plasmas that differ primarily in their edge magnetic field configurations. The analysis techniques are designed to capture the strong nonlinearities of the datasets. First, absolute moments of the data are examined to obtain accurate values of scaling exponents. This confirms dual scaling behaviour in all samples, with the temporal scale τ ≈ 40-60 µs separating the two regimes. Strong universality is then identified in the functional form of the probability density function (PDF) for Isat fluctuations, which is well approximated by the Fréchet distribution on temporal scales τ <= 40 µs. For temporal scales τ > 40 µs, the PDFs appear to converge to the Gumbel distribution, which has been previously identified as a universal feature of many other complex phenomena. The optimal fitting parameters k = 1.15 for Fréchet and a = 1.35 for Gumbel provide a simple quantitative characterization of the full spectrum of fluctuations. It is concluded that, to good approximation, the properties of the edge turbulence are independent of the edge magnetic field configuration.

Clinical Applications of Stochastic Dynamic Models of the Brain, Part I: A Primer.

PubMed

Roberts, James A; Friston, Karl J; Breakspear, Michael

2017-04-01

Biological phenomena arise through interactions between an organism's intrinsic dynamics and stochastic forces-random fluctuations due to external inputs, thermal energy, or other exogenous influences. Dynamic processes in the brain derive from neurophysiology and anatomical connectivity; stochastic effects arise through sensory fluctuations, brainstem discharges, and random microscopic states such as thermal noise. The dynamic evolution of systems composed of both dynamic and random effects can be studied with stochastic dynamic models (SDMs). This article, Part I of a two-part series, offers a primer of SDMs and their application to large-scale neural systems in health and disease. The companion article, Part II, reviews the application of SDMs to brain disorders. SDMs generate a distribution of dynamic states, which (we argue) represent ideal candidates for modeling how the brain represents states of the world. When augmented with variational methods for model inversion, SDMs represent a powerful means of inferring neuronal dynamics from functional neuroimaging data in health and disease. Together with deeper theoretical considerations, this work suggests that SDMs will play a unique and influential role in computational psychiatry, unifying empirical observations with models of perception and behavior. Copyright © 2017 Society of Biological Psychiatry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Variability of perceptual multistability: from brain state to individual trait

PubMed Central

Kleinschmidt, Andreas; Sterzer, Philipp; Rees, Geraint

2012-01-01

Few phenomena are as suitable as perceptual multistability to demonstrate that the brain constructively interprets sensory input. Several studies have outlined the neural circuitry involved in generating perceptual inference but only more recently has the individual variability of this inferential process been appreciated. Studies of the interaction of evoked and ongoing neural activity show that inference itself is not merely a stimulus-triggered process but is related to the context of the current brain state into which the processing of external stimulation is embedded. As brain states fluctuate, so does perception of a given sensory input. In multistability, perceptual fluctuation rates are consistent for a given individual but vary considerably between individuals. There has been some evidence for a genetic basis for these individual differences and recent morphometric studies of parietal lobe regions have identified neuroanatomical substrates for individual variability in spontaneous switching behaviour. Moreover, disrupting the function of these latter regions by transcranial magnetic stimulation yields systematic interference effects on switching behaviour, further arguing for a causal role of these regions in perceptual inference. Together, these studies have advanced our understanding of the biological mechanisms by which the brain constructs the contents of consciousness from sensory input. PMID:22371620

Simulating transitional hydrodynamics of the cerebrospinal fluid at extreme scale

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jain, Kartik; Roller, Sabine; Mardal, Kent-Andre

Chiari malformation type I is a disorder characterized by the herniation of cerebellar tonsils into the spinal canal through the foramen magnum resulting in obstruction to cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) outflow. The flow of pulsating bidirectional CSF is of acutely complex nature due to the anatomy of the conduit containing it - the subarachnoid space. We report lattice Boltzmann method based direct numerical simulations on patient specific cases with spatial resolution of 24 μm amounting meshes of up to 2 billion cells conducted on 50000 cores of the Hazelhen supercomputer in Stuttgart. The goal is to characterize intricate dynamics of the CSF at resolutions that are of the order of Kolmogorov microscales. Results unfold velocity fluctuations up to ~ 10 KHz , turbulent kinetic energy ~ 2 times of the mean flow energy in Chiari patients whereas the flow remains laminar in a control subject. The fluctuations confine near the cranio-vertebral junction and are commensurate with the extremeness of pathology and the extent of herniation. The results advocate that the manifestation of pathological conditions like Chiari malformation may lead to transitional hydrodynamics of the CSF, and a prudent calibration of numerical approach is necessary to avoid overlook of such phenomena.

Multifractal analysis for grading complex fractionated electrograms in atrial fibrillation.

PubMed

Orozco-Duque, A; Novak, D; Kremen, V; Bustamante, J

2015-11-01

Complex fractionated atrial electrograms provide an important tool for identifying arrhythmogenic substrates that can be used to guide catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation (AF). However, fractionation is a phenomenon that remains unclear. This paper aims to evaluate the multifractal properties of electrograms in AF in order to propose a method based on multifractal analysis able to discriminate between different levels of fractionation. We introduce a new method, the h-fluctuation index (hFI), where h is the generalised Hurst exponent, to extract information from the shape of the multifractal spectrum. Two multifractal frameworks are evaluated: multifractal detrended fluctuation analysis and wavelet transform modulus maxima. hFI is exemplified through its application in synthetic signals, and it is evaluated in a database of electrograms labeled on the basis of four degrees of fractionation. We compare the performance of hFI with other indexes, and find that hFI outperforms them. The results of the study provide evidence that multifractal analysis is useful for studying fractionation phenomena in AF electrograms, and indicate that hFI can be proposed as a tool for grade fractionation associated with the detection of target sites for ablation in AF.

Continuous measurement of nontidal variations of gravity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Goodkind, John M.

1986-01-01

Records from seven superconducting gravimeters operated at five different locations in California and one in Boulder, CO, are examined after removal of tides and the gravitational attraction of the atmosphere. Fluctuations over periods between a few days and several months were observed at all sites with peak amplitudes of order 10 microgal. By contrast, a 640-day record obtained with one of the instruments in Germany showed peak fluctuations of only 2 microgal. In most of the records the causes of these aperiodic variations were not determined so that they serve to set limits on the vertical motion or displacement of mass at the respective locations. However, at The Geysers geothermal field, much of the gravity variation is correlated with seismic activity, reinjection rate, and rainfall. Measurements of this type were not possible prior to the development of the superconducting device. Consequently, these results provide the first evidence for the existence of gravity variations on the time scale and of the magnitude described here. Vertical crustal motion, motion related to seismic events, and hydrological phenomena can lead to variations on this scale. Unambiguous identification of causal relationships will require either special circumstances such as found at The Geysers or operation of the instruments in pairs.

The effect of bed roughness on the free surface of an open channel flow and implications for remotely monitoring river discharge

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Johnson, Erika; Cowen, Edwin

2013-11-01

The effect of increased bed roughness on the free surface turbulence signature of an open channel flow is investigated with the goal of incorporating the findings into a methodology to remotely monitor volumetric flow rates. Half of a wide (B = 2 m) open channel bed is covered with a 3 cm thick layer of loose gravel (D50 = 0.6 cm). Surface PIV (particle image velocimetry) experiments are conducted for a range of flow depths (B/H = 10-30) and Reynolds numbers (ReH = 10,000-60,000). It is well established that bed roughness in wall-bounded flows enhances the vertical velocity fluctuations (e.g. Krogstad et al. 1992). When the vertical velocity fluctuations approach the free surface they are redistributed (e.g. Cowen et al. 1995) to the surface parallel component directions. It is anticipated and confirmed that the interaction of these two phenomena result in enhanced turbulence at the free surface. The effect of the rough bed on the integral length scales and the second order velocity structure functions calculated at the free surface are investigated. These findings have important implications for developing new technologies in stream gaging.

Puzzle maker in SmB6: accompany-type valence fluctuation state

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Qi; Sun, Liling

2017-11-01

In recent years, studying the Kondo insulator SmB6, a strongly correlated electron material that has been puzzling the community for decades, has again become an attractive topic due to the discovery of its unusual metallic surface state coexisting with the bulk insulating state. Many efforts have been made to understand the microphysics in SmB6, but some puzzles that have been hotly debated and argued have not been solved. In this article, based on the latest progress made in our high-pressure studies on SmB6 and the accumulating results reported by other groups, we propose a notion named the ‘accompany-type valence fluctuation state’, which possibly coexists with the bulk Kondo insulating ground state of SmB6. We expect that this notion could be taken as a common starting point for understanding in a unified way most of the low-temperature phenomena observed by different experimental investigations on SmB6, thus promoting the deciphering of the puzzles. We also expect that this notion could attract rigorous theoretical interpretation and further experimental investigation, or stimulate better thinking on the physics in SmB6.

The role of metacognitive beliefs in stress sensitisation, self-esteem variability, and the generation of paranoia.

PubMed

Palmier-Claus, J E; Dunn, G; Morrison, A P; Lewis, S W

2011-11-01

INTRODUCTION. Stress sensitisation may play a key role in the formation of psychosis. The authors examined whether metacognitive beliefs and self-esteem moderate affective response to stress, and whether subtle fluctuations in self-esteem act as a mediator between stress and attenuated psychotic phenomena. METHOD. 70 healthy volunteers completed two conditions of the same experimental tasks, which were designed to be either neutral or stress inducing. Ambulant assessments of negative affect, self-esteem, and suspicious thoughts were taken before and after each task, and standardised questionnaires were completed at the beginning or end of each session. RESULTS. Metacognitive belief subscales, but not self-esteem, moderated the association between stress and resultant negative affect, and negative affect and suspicious thinking. Individuals who placed greater emphasis on controlling their thoughts had greater variability in their self-esteem during the stress condition, which in turn predicted the severity of their attenuated psychotic phenomena. DISCUSSION. Metacognitive beliefs may sensitise an individual to minor stressors, by increasing affective reactivity and causing subtle shifts in appraisals of self-worth. Psychosocial intervention may wish to target these beliefs in order to desensitise an individual to negative events.

Detailed thermodynamic analyses of high-speed compressible turbulence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Towery, Colin; Darragh, Ryan; Poludnenko, Alexei; Hamlington, Peter

2016-11-01

Interactions between high-speed turbulence and flames (or chemical reactions) are important in the dynamics and description of many different combustion phenomena, including autoignition and deflagration-to-detonation transition. The probability of these phenomena to occur depends on the magnitude and spectral content of turbulence fluctuations, which can impact a wide range of science and engineering problems, from the hypersonic scramjet engine to the onset of Type Ia supernovae. In this talk, we present results from new direct numerical simulations (DNS) of homogeneous isotropic turbulence with turbulence Mach numbers ranging from 0 . 05 to 1 . 0 and Taylor-scale Reynolds numbers as high as 700. A set of detailed analyses are described in both Eulerian and Lagrangian reference frames in order to assess coherent (structural) and incoherent (stochastic) thermodynamic flow features. These analyses provide direct insights into the thermodynamics of strongly compressible turbulence. Furthermore, presented results provide a non-reacting baseline for future studies of turbulence-chemistry interactions in DNS with complex chemistry mechanisms. This work was supported by the Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR) under Award No. FA9550-14-1-0273, and the Department of Defense (DoD) High Performance Computing Modernization Program (HPCMP) under a Frontier project award.

A Computational Approach for Modeling Neutron Scattering Data from Lipid Bilayers

DOE PAGES

Carrillo, Jan-Michael Y.; Katsaras, John; Sumpter, Bobby G.; ...

2017-01-12

Biological cell membranes are responsible for a range of structural and dynamical phenomena crucial to a cell's well-being and its associated functions. Due to the complexity of cell membranes, lipid bilayer systems are often used as biomimetic models. These systems have led to signficant insights into vital membrane phenomena such as domain formation, passive permeation and protein insertion. Experimental observations of membrane structure and dynamics are, however, limited in resolution, both spatially and temporally. Importantly, computer simulations are starting to play a more prominent role in interpreting experimental results, enabling a molecular under- standing of lipid membranes. Particularly, the synergymore » between scattering experiments and simulations offers opportunities for new discoveries in membrane physics, as the length and time scales probed by molecular dynamics (MD) simulations parallel those of experiments. We also describe a coarse-grained MD simulation approach that mimics neutron scattering data from large unilamellar lipid vesicles over a range of bilayer rigidity. Specfically, we simulate vesicle form factors and membrane thickness fluctuations determined from small angle neutron scattering (SANS) and neutron spin echo (NSE) experiments, respectively. Our simulations accurately reproduce trends from experiments and lay the groundwork for investigations of more complex membrane systems.« less

Long-term in situ persistence of biodiversity in tropical sky islands revealed by landscape genomics.

PubMed

Mastretta-Yanes, Alicia; Xue, Alexander T; Moreno-Letelier, Alejandra; Jorgensen, Tove H; Alvarez, Nadir; Piñero, Daniel; Emerson, Brent C

2018-01-01

Tropical mountains are areas of high species richness and endemism. Two historical phenomena may have contributed to this: (i) fragmentation and isolation of habitats may have promoted the genetic differentiation of populations and increased the possibility of allopatric divergence and speciation and (ii) the mountain areas may have allowed long-term population persistence during global climate fluctuations. These two phenomena have been studied using either species occurrence data or estimating species divergence times. However, only few studies have used intraspecific genetic data to analyse the mechanisms by which endemism may emerge at the microevolutionary scale. Here, we use landscape analysis of genomic SNP data sampled from two high-elevation plant species from an archipelago of tropical sky islands (the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt) to test for population genetic differentiation, synchronous demographic changes and habitat persistence. We show that genetic differentiation can be explained by the degree of glacial habitat connectivity among mountains and that mountains have facilitated the persistence of populations throughout glacial/interglacial cycles. Our results support the ongoing role of tropical mountains as cradles for biodiversity by uncovering cryptic differentiation and limits to gene flow. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Experimental characterization of a small custom-built double-acting gamma-type stirling engine

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Intsiful, Peter; Mensah, Francis; Thorpe, Arthur

This paper investigates characterization of a small custom-built double-acting gamma-type stirling engine. Stirling-cycle engine is a reciprocating energy conversion machine with working spaces operating under conditions of oscillating pressure and flow. These conditions may be due to compressibility as wells as pressure and temperature fluctuations. In standard literature, research indicates that there is lack of basic physics to account for the transport phenomena that manifest themselves in the working spaces of reciprocating engines. Previous techniques involve governing equations: mass, momentum and energy. Some authors use engineering thermodynamics. None of these approaches addresses this particular engine. A technique for observing and analyzing the behavior of this engine via parametric spectral profiles has been developed, using laser beams. These profiles enabled the generation of pv-curves and other trajectories for investigating the thermos-physical and thermos-hydrodynamic phenomena that manifest in the exchangers. The engine's performance was examined. The results indicate that with current load of 35.78A, electric power of 0.505 kW was generated at a speed of 240 rpm and 29.50 percent efficiency was obtained. Nasa grants to Howard University NASA/HBCU-NHRETU & CSTEA.

Modeling on Fluid Flow and Inclusion Motion in Centrifugal Continuous Casting Strands

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Qiangqiang; Zhang, Lifeng; Sridhar, Seetharaman

2016-08-01

During the centrifugal continuous casting process, unreasonable casting parameters can cause violent level fluctuation, serious gas entrainment, and formation of frozen shell pieces at the meniscus. Thus, in the current study, a three-dimensional multiphase turbulent model was established to study the transport phenomena during centrifugal continuous casting process. The effects of nozzle position, casting and rotational speed on the flow pattern, centrifugal force acting on the molten steel, level fluctuation, gas entrainment, shear stress on mold wall, and motion of inclusions during centrifugal continuous casting process were investigated. Volume of Fluid model was used to simulate the molten steel-air two-phase. The level fluctuation and the gas entrainment during casting were calculated by user-developed subroutines. The trajectory of inclusions in the rotating system was calculated using the Lagrangian approach. The results show that during centrifugal continuous casting, a large amount of gas was entrained into the molten steel, and broken into bubbles of various sizes. The greater the distance to the mold wall, the smaller the centrifugal force. Rotation speed had the most important influence on the centrifugal force distribution at the side region. Angular moving angle of the nozzle with 8° and keeping the rotation speed with 60 revolutions per minute can somehow stabilize the level fluctuation. The increase of angular angle of nozzle from 8 to 18 deg and rotation speed from 40 to 80 revolutions per minute favored to decrease the total volume of entrained bubbles, while the increase of distance of nozzle moving left and casting speed had reverse effects. The trajectories of inclusions in the mold were irregular, and then rotated along the strand length. After penetrating a certain distance, the inclusions gradually moved to the center of billet and gathered there. More work, such as the heat transfer, the solidification, and the inclusions entrapment during centrifugal continuous casting, will be performed.

Transitional hemodynamics in intracranial aneurysms - Comparative velocity investigations with high resolution lattice Boltzmann simulations, normal resolution ANSYS simulations, and MR imaging.

PubMed

Jain, Kartik; Jiang, Jingfeng; Strother, Charles; Mardal, Kent-André

2016-11-01

Blood flow in intracranial aneurysms has, until recently, been considered to be disturbed but still laminar. Recent high resolution computational studies have demonstrated, in some situations, however, that the flow may exhibit high frequency fluctuations that resemble weakly turbulent or transitional flow. Due to numerous assumptions required for simplification in computational fluid dynamics (CFD) studies, the occurrence of these events, in vivo, remains unsettled. The detection of these fluctuations in aneurysmal blood flow, i.e., hemodynamics by CFD, poses additional challenges as such phenomena cannot be captured in clinical data acquisition with magnetic resonance (MR) due to inadequate temporal and spatial resolutions. The authors' purpose was to address this issue by comparing results from highly resolved simulations, conventional resolution laminar simulations, and MR measurements, identify the differences, and identify their causes. Two aneurysms in the basilar artery, one with disturbed yet laminar flow and the other with transitional flow, were chosen. One set of highly resolved direct numerical simulations using the lattice Boltzmann method (LBM) and another with adequate resolutions under laminar flow assumption were conducted using a commercially available ANSYS Fluent solver. The velocity fields obtained from simulation results were qualitatively and statistically compared against each other and with MR acquisition. Results from LBM, ANSYS Fluent, and MR agree well qualitatively and quantitatively for one of the aneurysms with laminar flow in which fluctuations were <80 Hz. The comparisons for the second aneurysm with high fluctuations of > ∼ 600 Hz showed vivid differences between LBM, ANSYS Fluent, and magnetic resonance imaging. After ensemble averaging and down-sampling to coarser space and time scales, these differences became minimal. A combination of MR derived data and CFD can be helpful in estimating the hemodynamic environment of intracranial aneurysms. Adequately resolved CFD would suffice gross assessment of hemodynamics, potentially in a clinical setting, and highly resolved CFD could be helpful in a detailed and retrospective understanding of the physiological mechanisms.

A study of stress-induced electrical noise in thin wires of iron-based alloys

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Segales, Lyndon Duarte

Electrical noise measurements are utilized in many studies of fluctuation phenomena because they have shown to be useful in extracting information on slow kinetic processes. Slow moving random fluctuations that occur in solids will either affect the current in the sample or the resistivity of the sample, thereby creating electrical noise. The noise is analyzed in the frequency domain for its statistical variables. In the past twenty years, noise measurements on samples under stress have received considerable interests because the method is non-destructive and they provide some insight into the mechanical dynamics of materials not available to other conventional methods. The dynamics of the fluctuation in response to the applied stress, however, has not been clearly identified in recent studies. Most of these studies were performed on thin films of metals and their broadband 1/f noise was analyzed in response to stress. A narrowband stress-induced electrical noise in thin wires of iron-based alloys under tensile stress will be presented in the results of this thesis. The voltage noise displayed narrowband peaks in the low frequency region of the power spectrum that were ˜104 times the background noise. The electrical response to stress was analyzed in terms of the root mean squared (rms) voltage (Vrms) of the noise signal over a 50 Hz bandwidth. The information obtained from such measurements is independent of other non-destructive testing methods and is therefore a useful probe of the stress-strain dynamics in metals and alloys. The magnitude of the voltage noise as function of stress and temperature displayed a maximum over a narrow range. This is a qualitative indication of an activation process, similar to the maxima observed in studies of internal friction as a function of temperature. It is proposed that this noise signal is due to piezo resistance fluctuations as a result of stress-induced re-orientation of defects, similar to the Zener relaxation of solute atoms in a solid solution.

The Magnetic Response of the Solar Atmosphere to Umbral Flashes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Houston, S. J.; Jess, D. B.; Asensio Ramos, A.; Grant, S. D. T.; Beck, C.; Norton, A. A.; Krishna Prasad, S.

2018-06-01

Chromospheric observations of sunspot umbrae offer an exceptional view of magnetoacoustic shock phenomena and the impact they have on the surrounding magnetically dominated plasma. We employ simultaneous slit-based spectro-polarimetry and spectral imaging observations of the chromospheric He I 10830 Å and Ca II 8542 Å lines to examine fluctuations in the umbral magnetic field caused by the steepening of magnetoacoustic waves into umbral flashes. Following the application of modern inversion routines, we find evidence to support the scenario that umbral shock events cause expansion of the embedded magnetic field lines due to the increased adiabatic pressure. The large number statistics employed allow us to calculate the adiabatic index, γ = 1.12 ± 0.01, for chromospheric umbral locations. Examination of the vector magnetic field fluctuations perpendicular to the solar normal revealed changes up to ∼200 G at the locations of umbral flashes. Such transversal magnetic field fluctuations have not been described before. Through comparisons with nonlinear force-free field extrapolations, we find that the perturbations of the transverse field components are oriented in the same direction as the quiescent field geometries. This implies that magnetic field enhancements produced by umbral flashes are directed along the motion path of the developing shock, hence producing relatively small changes, up to a maximum of ∼8°, in the inclination and/or azimuthal directions of the magnetic field. Importantly, this work highlights that umbral flashes are able to modify the full vector magnetic field, with the detection of the weaker transverse magnetic field components made possible by high-resolution data combined with modern inversion routines.

Unsteady Phenomena During Operation of the SSME Fuel Flowmeter

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Marcu, Bogdan; McCool, A. (Technical Monitor)

2000-01-01

This report describes a part of the analysis carried in support of the SSME (Space Shuttle Main Engine) Fuel Flowmeter redesign, addressing an intensely researched phenomenon known as "shifting" of the flowmeter constant value. It consists of a sudden change in the flowmeter indication, which occurs simultaneously with the onset of an oscillatory variation of the rotor speed. The change in the flowmeter indications does not correspond to a real change in the volumetric flow through the device. Several causes have been investigated in detail, in the past, without conclusive evidence towards a cause of this phenomenon. The present analysis addresses the flow physics through the flowmeter by assembling results from 3-D CFD (computational fluid dynamics) calculations, airfoil C(sub D)/C(sub L) performance curves and mass moment of inertia characteristics of the rotor into a synergistic calculation which simulates the unsteady regime of the flowmeter operation. The results show that the 4-bladed rotor interacts with the periodic flow pattern created behind the flow straightener upstream in a manner that generates a steady, periodic fluctuation in the rotor's speed. The amplitude of this fluctuation is significantly smaller than the 0.5% of mean speed threshold which constitutes a flight operational limit. When manufacturing errors occur, however, the fluctuations are amplified and can generate a significant apparent change in the flowmeter indication. Two types of possible fabrication errors-which can occur even for parts fabricated within the accepted tolerances for the blade airfoil-are presented, together with their effect on the flowmeter operation.

Coping with cyclic oxygen availability: evolutionary aspects.

PubMed

Flück, Martin; Webster, Keith A; Graham, Jeffrey; Giomi, Folco; Gerlach, Frank; Schmitz, Anke

2007-10-01

Both the gradual rise in atmospheric oxygen over the Proterozoic Eon as well as episodic fluctuations in oxygen over several million-year time spans during the Phanerozoic Era, have arguably exerted strong selective forces on cellular and organismic respiratory specialization and evolution. The rise in atmospheric oxygen, some 2 billion years after the origin of life, dramatically altered cell biology and set the stage for the appearance of multicelluar life forms in the Vendian (Ediacaran) Period of the Neoproterozoic Era. Over much of the Paleozoic, the level of oxygen in the atmosphere was near the present atmospheric level (21%). In the Late Paleozoic, however, there were extended times during which the level of atmospheric oxygen was either markedly lower or markedly higher than 21%. That these Paleozoic shifts in atmospheric oxygen affected the biota is suggested by the correlations between: (1) Reduced oxygen and the occurrences of extinctions, a lowered biodiversity and shifts in phyletic succession, and (2) During hyperoxia, the corresponding occurrence of phenomena such as arthropod gigantism, the origin of insect flight, and the evolution of vertebrate terrestriality. Basic similarities in features of adaptation to hyopoxia, manifest in living organisms at levels ranging from genetic and cellular to physiological and behavioral, suggest the common and early origin of a suite of adaptive mechanisms responsive to fluctuations in ambient oxygen. Comparative integrative approaches addressing the molecular bases of phenotypic adjustments to cyclic oxygen fluctuation provide broad insight into the incremental steps leading to the early evolution of homeostatic respiratory mechanisms and to the specialization of organismic respiratory function.

Geophysical Global Modeling for Extreme Crop Production Using Photosynthesis Models Coupled to Ocean SST Dipoles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kaneko, D.

2016-12-01

Climate change appears to have manifested itself along with abnormal meteorological disasters. Instability caused by drought and flood disasters is producing poor harvests because of poor photosynthesis and pollination. Fluctuations of extreme phenomena are increasing rapidly because amplitudes of change are much greater than average trends. A fundamental cause of these phenomena derives from increased stored energy inside ocean waters. Geophysical and biochemical modeling of crop production can elucidate complex mechanisms under seasonal climate anomalies. The models have progressed through their combination with global climate reanalysis, environmental satellite data, and harvest data on the ground. This study examined adaptation of crop production to advancing abnormal phenomena related to global climate change. Global environmental surface conditions, i.e., vegetation, surface air temperature, and sea surface temperature observed by satellites, enable global modeling of crop production and monitoring. Basic streams of the concepts of modeling rely upon continental energy flow and carbon circulation among crop vegetation, land surface atmosphere combining energy advection from ocean surface anomalies. Global environmental surface conditions, e.g., vegetation, surface air temperature, and sea surface temperature observed by satellites, enable global modeling of crop production and monitoring. The method of validating the modeling relies upon carbon partitioning in biomass and grains through carbon flow by photosynthesis using carbon dioxide unit in photosynthesis. Results of computations done for this study show global distributions of actual evaporation, stomata opening, and photosynthesis, presenting mechanisms related to advection effects from SST anomalies in the Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian oceans on global and continental croplands. For North America, climate effects appear clearly in severe atmospheric phenomena, which have caused drought and forest fires through seasonal advection thermal effects on potential evaporation by winds blowing eastward over California, the Grand Canyon, Monument Valley, and into the Great Plains. These coupled SST photosynthesis models constitute an advanced approach for crop modeling in the era of recent new climate.

Spatial Harmonic Decomposition as a tool for unsteady flow phenomena analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Duparchy, A.; Guillozet, J.; De Colombel, T.; Bornard, L.

2014-03-01

Hydropower is already the largest single renewable electricity source today but its further development will face new deployment constraints such as large-scale projects in emerging economies and the growth of intermittent renewable energy technologies. The potential role of hydropower as a grid stabilizer leads to operating hydro power plants in "off-design" zones. As a result, new methods of analyzing associated unsteady phenomena are needed to improve the design of hydraulic turbines. The key idea of the development is to compute a spatial description of a phenomenon by using a combination from several sensor signals. The spatial harmonic decomposition (SHD) extends the concept of so-called synchronous and asynchronous pulsations by projecting sensor signals on a linearly independent set of a modal scheme. This mathematical approach is very generic as it can be applied on any linear distribution of a scalar quantity defined on a closed curve. After a mathematical description of SHD, this paper will discuss the impact of instrumentation and provide tools to understand SHD signals. Then, as an example of a practical application, SHD is applied on a model test measurement in order to capture and describe dynamic pressure fields. Particularly, the spatial description of the phenomena provides new tools to separate the part of pressure fluctuations that contribute to output power instability or mechanical stresses. The study of the machine stability in partial load operating range in turbine mode or the comparison between the gap pressure field and radial thrust behavior during turbine brake operation are both relevant illustrations of SHD contribution.

IpexT: Integrated Planning and Execution for Military Satellite Tele-Communications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Plaunt, Christian; Rajan, Kanna

2004-01-01

The next generation of military communications satellites may be designed as a fast packet-switched constellation of spacecraft able to withstand substantial bandwidth capacity fluctuation in the face of dynamic resource utilization and rapid environmental changes including jamming of communication frequencies and unstable weather phenomena. We are in the process of designing an integrated scheduling and execution tool which will aid in the analysis of the design parameters needed for building such a distributed system for nominal and battlefield communications. This paper discusses the design of such a system based on a temporal constraint posting planner/scheduler and a smart executive which can cope with a dynamic environment to make a more optimal utilization of bandwidth than the current circuit switched based approach.

A reinterpretation of the δDH2O of inclusion fluids in contemporaneous quartz and sphalerite, Creede mining district, Colorodo: a generic problem for shallow orebodies?

USGS Publications Warehouse

Foley, Nora K.; Bethke, Philip M.; Rye, Robert O.

1989-01-01

The unusually high contrast between the salinities of the ore-depositing fluids and the ground water overlying the ore zone allowed recognition of this phenomenon at Creede. It is likely, however, that Creede is not unique. Similar phenomena may be common in shallow ore zones where rapid fluctuation of an interface between a deep, high-temperature thermal plume and an overlying, cooler ground water may be expected to occur. Careful study of the origins of fluid inclusions, particularly in quartz, is essential to characterize the primary ore fluids and to assess the role of ground water in the hydrology of shallow ore deposits.

The spectrum of density fluctuations of noble gases probed by THz neutron and x-ray spectroscopy

DOE PAGES

Cunsolo, Alessandro

2016-02-26

Approximately 50 years of inelastic scattering studies of noble gases are reviewed to illustrate the main advances achieved in the understanding of the THz dynamics of simple systems. The gradual departure of the spectral shape from the hydrodynamic regime is discussed with an emphasis on the phenomenology of fast (sub- ps) relaxation processes. This review shows that relaxation phenomena in noble gases have an essentially collisional origin, which is also revealed by the parallelism between their characteristic timescale and the interatomic collision time. In addition, recent THz spectroscopy results on noble gases at extreme thermodynamic conditions are discussed to illustratemore » the need for a revision of our current understanding of the supercritical phase.« less

Using entropy to cut complex time series

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mertens, David; Poncela Casasnovas, Julia; Spring, Bonnie; Amaral, L. A. N.

2013-03-01

Using techniques from statistical physics, physicists have modeled and analyzed human phenomena varying from academic citation rates to disease spreading to vehicular traffic jams. The last decade's explosion of digital information and the growing ubiquity of smartphones has led to a wealth of human self-reported data. This wealth of data comes at a cost, including non-uniform sampling and statistically significant but physically insignificant correlations. In this talk I present our work using entropy to identify stationary sub-sequences of self-reported human weight from a weight management web site. Our entropic approach-inspired by the infomap network community detection algorithm-is far less biased by rare fluctuations than more traditional time series segmentation techniques. Supported by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute

Stochastic hybrid delay population dynamics: well-posed models and extinction.

PubMed

Yuan, Chenggui; Mao, Xuerong; Lygeros, John

2009-01-01

Nonlinear differential equations have been used for decades for studying fluctuations in the populations of species, interactions of species with the environment, and competition and symbiosis between species. Over the years, the original non-linear models have been embellished with delay terms, stochastic terms and more recently discrete dynamics. In this paper, we investigate stochastic hybrid delay population dynamics (SHDPD), a very general class of population dynamics that comprises all of these phenomena. For this class of systems, we provide sufficient conditions to ensure that SHDPD have global positive, ultimately bounded solutions, a minimum requirement for a realistic, well-posed model. We then study the question of extinction and establish conditions under which an ecosystem modelled by SHDPD is doomed.

Quantitative analysis of backflow of reversible pump-turbine in generating mode

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, K. H.; Zhang, Y. N.; Li, J. W.; Xian, H. Z.

2016-05-01

Significant vibration and pressure fluctuations are usually observed when pump- turbine is operated during the off-design conditions, especially turbine brake and runaway. The root cause of these instability phenomena is the abnormal unsteady flow (especially the backflow) inside the pump-turbine. In the present paper, numerical simulation method is adopted to investigate the characteristics of the flow inside the whole passage of pump-turbine with two guide vane openings (6° and 21° respectively) and three kinds of operating conditions (turbine, runaway and turbine braking respectively). A quantitative analysis of backflow is performed in both the axial and radial directions and the generation and development of backflow in the pump turbine are revealed with great details.

Single-event effects experienced by astronauts and microelectronic circuits flown in space

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

McNulty, P.J.

Models developed for explaining the light flashes experienced by astronauts on Apollo and Skylab missions were used with slight modification to explain upsets observed in microelectronic circuits. Both phenomena can be explained by the simple assumption that an event occurs whenever a threshold number of ionizations or isomerizations are generated within a sensitive volume. Evidence is consistent with the threshold being sharp in both cases, but fluctuations in the physical stimuli lead to a gradual rather than sharp increase in cross section with LET. Successful use of the model requires knowledge of the dimensions of the sensitive volume and themore » value of threshold. Techniques have been developed to determine these SEU parameters in modern circuits.« less

Fluctuation correlation models for receptor immobilization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fourcade, B.

2017-12-01

Nanoscale dynamics with cycles of receptor diffusion and immobilization by cell-external-or-internal factors is a key process in living cell adhesion phenomena at the origin of a plethora of signal transduction pathways. Motivated by modern correlation microscopy approaches, the receptor correlation functions in physical models based on diffusion-influenced reaction is studied. Using analytical and stochastic modeling, this paper focuses on the hybrid regime where diffusion and reaction are not truly separable. The time receptor autocorrelation functions are shown to be indexed by different time scales and their asymptotic expansions are given. Stochastic simulations show that this analysis can be extended to situations with a small number of molecules. It is also demonstrated that this analysis applies when receptor immobilization is coupled to environmental noise.

[Transmission efficiency analysis of near-field fiber probe using FDTD simulation].

PubMed

Huang, Wei; Dai, Song-Tao; Wang, Huai-Yu; Zhou, Yun-Song

2011-10-01

A fiber probe is the key component of near-field optical technology which is widely used in high resolution imaging, spectroscopy detection and nano processing. How to improve the transmission efficiency of the fiber probe is a very important problem in the application of near-field optical technology. Based on the results of 3D-FDTD computation, the dependence of the transmission efficiency on the cone angle, the aperture diameter, the wavelength and the thickness of metal cladding is revealed. The authors have also made a comparison between naked probe and the probe with metal cladding in terms of transmission efficiency and spatial resolution. In addition, the authors have discovered the fluctuation phenomena of transmission efficiency as the wavelength of incident laser increases.

ECE-imaging of the H-mode pedestal (invited).

PubMed

Tobias, B J; Austin, M E; Boom, J E; Burrell, K H; Classen, I G J; Domier, C W; Luhmann, N C; Nazikian, R; Snyder, P B

2012-10-01

A synthetic diagnostic has been developed that reproduces the highly structured electron cyclotron emission (ECE) spectrum radiated from the edge region of H-mode discharges. The modeled dependence on local perturbations of the equilibrium plasma pressure allows for interpretation of ECE data for diagnosis of local quantities. Forward modeling of the diagnostic response in this region allows for improved mapping of the observed fluctuations to flux surfaces within the plasma, allowing for the poloidal mode number of coherent structures to be resolved. In addition, other spectral features that are dependent on both T(e) and n(e) contain information about pedestal structure and the electron energy distribution of localized phenomena, such as edge filaments arising during edge-localized mode (ELM) activity.

Transition to Chaos in Random Neuronal Networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kadmon, Jonathan; Sompolinsky, Haim

2015-10-01

Firing patterns in the central nervous system often exhibit strong temporal irregularity and considerable heterogeneity in time-averaged response properties. Previous studies suggested that these properties are the outcome of the intrinsic chaotic dynamics of the neural circuits. Indeed, simplified rate-based neuronal networks with synaptic connections drawn from Gaussian distribution and sigmoidal nonlinearity are known to exhibit chaotic dynamics when the synaptic gain (i.e., connection variance) is sufficiently large. In the limit of an infinitely large network, there is a sharp transition from a fixed point to chaos, as the synaptic gain reaches a critical value. Near the onset, chaotic fluctuations are slow, analogous to the ubiquitous, slow irregular fluctuations observed in the firing rates of many cortical circuits. However, the existence of a transition from a fixed point to chaos in neuronal circuit models with more realistic architectures and firing dynamics has not been established. In this work, we investigate rate-based dynamics of neuronal circuits composed of several subpopulations with randomly diluted connections. Nonzero connections are either positive for excitatory neurons or negative for inhibitory ones, while single neuron output is strictly positive with output rates rising as a power law above threshold, in line with known constraints in many biological systems. Using dynamic mean field theory, we find the phase diagram depicting the regimes of stable fixed-point, unstable-dynamic, and chaotic-rate fluctuations. We focus on the latter and characterize the properties of systems near this transition. We show that dilute excitatory-inhibitory architectures exhibit the same onset to chaos as the single population with Gaussian connectivity. In these architectures, the large mean excitatory and inhibitory inputs dynamically balance each other, amplifying the effect of the residual fluctuations. Importantly, the existence of a transition to chaos and its critical properties depend on the shape of the single-neuron nonlinear input-output transfer function, near firing threshold. In particular, for nonlinear transfer functions with a sharp rise near threshold, the transition to chaos disappears in the limit of a large network; instead, the system exhibits chaotic fluctuations even for small synaptic gain. Finally, we investigate transition to chaos in network models with spiking dynamics. We show that when synaptic time constants are slow relative to the mean inverse firing rates, the network undergoes a transition from fast spiking fluctuations with constant rates to a state where the firing rates exhibit chaotic fluctuations, similar to the transition predicted by rate-based dynamics. Systems with finite synaptic time constants and firing rates exhibit a smooth transition from a regime dominated by stationary firing rates to a regime of slow rate fluctuations. This smooth crossover obeys scaling properties, similar to crossover phenomena in statistical mechanics. The theoretical results are supported by computer simulations of several neuronal architectures and dynamics. Consequences for cortical circuit dynamics are discussed. These results advance our understanding of the properties of intrinsic dynamics in realistic neuronal networks and their functional consequences.

Turbulence intensities in large-eddy simulation of wall-bounded flows

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bae, H. J.; Lozano-Durán, A.; Bose, S. T.; Moin, P.

2018-01-01

A persistent problem in wall-bounded large-eddy simulations (LES) with Dirichlet no-slip boundary conditions is that the near-wall streamwise velocity fluctuations are overpredicted, while those in the wall-normal and spanwise directions are underpredicted. The problem may become particularly pronounced when the near-wall region is underresolved. The prediction of the fluctuations is known to improve for wall-modeled LES, where the no-slip boundary condition at the wall is typically replaced by Neumann and no-transpiration conditions for the wall-parallel and wall-normal velocities, respectively. However, the turbulence intensity peaks are sensitive to the grid resolution and the prediction may degrade when the grid is refined. In the present study, a physical explanation of this phenomena is offered in terms of the behavior of the near-wall streaks. We also show that further improvements are achieved by introducing a Robin (slip) boundary condition with transpiration instead of the Neumann condition. By using a slip condition, the inner energy production peak is damped, and the blocking effect of the wall is relaxed such that the splatting of eddies at the wall is mitigated. As a consequence, the slip boundary condition provides an accurate and consistent prediction of the turbulence intensities regardless of the near-wall resolution.

Development of a linearized unsteady aerodynamic analysis for cascade gust response predictions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Verdon, Joseph M.; Hall, Kenneth C.

1990-01-01

A method for predicting the unsteady aerodynamic response of a cascade of airfoils to entropic, vortical, and acoustic gust excitations is being developed. Here, the unsteady flow is regarded as a small perturbation of a nonuniform isentropic and irrotational steady background flow. A splitting technique is used to decompose the linearized unsteady velocity into rotational and irrotational parts leading to equations for the complex amplitudes of the linearized unsteady entropy, rotational velocity, and velocity potential that are coupled only sequentially. The entropic and rotational velocity fluctuations are described by transport equations for which closed-form solutions in terms of the mean-flow drift and stream functions can be determined. The potential fluctuation is described by an inhomogeneous convected wave equation in which the source term depends on the rotational velocity field, and is determined using finite-difference procedures. The analytical and numerical techniques used to determine the linearized unsteady flow are outlined. Results are presented to indicate the status of the solution procedure and to demonstrate the impact of blade geometry and mean blade loading on the aerodynamic response of cascades to vortical gust excitations. The analysis described herein leads to very efficient predictions of cascade unsteady aerodynamic response phenomena making it useful for turbomachinery aeroelastic and aeroacoustic design applications.

In-situ multianalytical approach to analyze and compare the degradation pathways jeopardizing two murals exposed to different environments (Ariadne House, Pompeii, Italy).

PubMed

Veneranda, M; Prieto-Taboada, N; Fdez-Ortiz de Vallejuelo, S; Maguregui, M; Morillas, H; Marcaida, I; Castro, K; Garcia-Diego, F-J; Osanna, M; Madariaga, J M

2018-05-29

This study aimed at using portable analytical techniques to characterize original and decayed materials from two murals paintings of Ariadne House (archaeological site of Pompeii, Italy) and define the degradation pathways threatening their conservation. The first wall, located in an outdoor environment, has been directly exposed to degradation processes triggered by weathering and atmospheric pollution. The second wall, placed in a basement under the ground floor, has been constantly sheltered from sunlight exposure and drastic temperature fluctuations. The analytical data obtained in-situ by using Raman spectroscopy and Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) correlates the degradation patterns affecting the two surfaces to their environmental context. The deterioration processes detected on the outdoor wall, which entailed the complete loss of the paint layer, were mostly related to leaching and thermal fluctuation phenomena. The mural painting from the basement instead, showed deep degradation issues due to soluble salt infiltration and biological colonization. The results obtained from this unique case of study highlight the indispensable role of in-situ spectroscopic analysis to understand and predict the degradation pathways jeopardizing the cultural heritage and provide to the Archaeological Park of Pompeii important inference to consider in future conservation projects. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Damage detection of structures with detrended fluctuation and detrended cross-correlation analyses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lin, Tzu-Kang; Fajri, Haikal

2017-03-01

Recently, fractal analysis has shown its potential for damage detection and assessment in fields such as biomedical and mechanical engineering. For its practicability in interpreting irregular, complex, and disordered phenomena, a structural health monitoring (SHM) system based on detrended fluctuation analysis (DFA) and detrended cross-correlation analysis (DCCA) is proposed. First, damage conditions can be swiftly detected by evaluating ambient vibration signals measured from a structure through DFA. Damage locations can then be determined by analyzing the cross correlation of signals of different floors by applying DCCA. A damage index is also proposed based on multi-scale DCCA curves to improve the damage location accuracy. To verify the performance of the proposed SHM system, a four-story numerical model was used to simulate various damage conditions with different noise levels. Furthermore, an experimental verification was conducted on a seven-story benchmark structure to assess the potential damage. The results revealed that the DFA method could detect the damage conditions satisfactorily, and damage locations can be identified through the DCCA method with an accuracy of 75%. Moreover, damage locations can be correctly assessed by the damage index method with an improved accuracy of 87.5%. The proposed SHM system has promising application in practical implementations.

Polymer electrolyte membrane water electrolysis: Restraining degradation in the presence of fluctuating power

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rakousky, Christoph; Reimer, Uwe; Wippermann, Klaus; Kuhri, Susanne; Carmo, Marcelo; Lueke, Wiebke; Stolten, Detlef

2017-02-01

Polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) water electrolysis generates 'green' hydrogen when conducted with electricity from renewable - but fluctuating - sources like wind or solar photovoltaic. Unfortunately, the long-term stability of the electrolyzer performance is still not fully understood under these input power profiles. In this study, we contrast the degradation behavior of our PEM water electrolysis single cells that occurs under operation with constant and intermittent power and derive preferable operating states. For this purpose, five different current density profiles are used, of which two were constant and three dynamic. Cells operated at 1 A cm-2 show no degradation. However, degradation was observed for the remaining four profiles, all of which underwent periods of high current density (2 A cm-2). Hereby, constant operation at 2 A cm-2 led to the highest degradation rate (194 μV h-1). Degradation can be greatly reduced when the cells are operated with an intermittent profile. Current density switching has a positive effect on durability, as it causes reversible parts of degradation to recover and results in a substantially reduced degradation per mole of hydrogen produced. Two general degradation phenomena were identified, a decreased anode exchange current density and an increased contact resistance at the titanium porous transport layer (Ti-PTL).

Acoustic Resonance and Vortex Shedding from Tube Banks of Boiler Plant

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hamakawa, Hiromitsu; Matsue, Hiroto; Nishida, Eiichi; Fukano, Tohru

This paper focuses on the relationship between acoustic resonance and vortex shedding from the tube banks of a boiler plant. We have built a model similar to the actual boiler plant to clarify the characteristics of acoustic resonance phenomena and vortex shedding. The model used in-line tube banks with a small tube pitch ratio. We examined the relationship between the acoustic resonance of the actual plant and that of the model, and measured the sound pressure level, acoustic pressure mode shape, spectrum of velocity fluctuation, and gap velocity. Gap velocity was defined as the mean velocity in the smallest gaps between two neighboring tubes in the transverse direction. As a result, the resonant frequencies and mode shapes of the acoustic resonances in the actual boiler plant agreed well with those in the similar model. We found many peak frequencies in the sound pressure level spectrum when acoustic resonances occurred. The typical Strouhal numbers at the onset velocity of acoustic resonances were about 0.19, 0.26 and 0.52. Periodic velocity fluctuation caused by vortex shedding was observed inside the tube banks without acoustic resonance. The Strouhal number measured for vortex shedding was 0.15. Acoustic resonances of higher-order modes were generated in this plant.

Are metastable, precrystallisation, density-fluctuations a universal phenomena?

PubMed

Heeley, Ellen L; Poh, C Kit; Li, Wu; Maidens, Anna; Bras, Wim; Dolbnya, Igor P; Gleeson, Anthony J; Terrill, Nicolas J; Fairclough, J Patrick A; Olmsted, Peter D; Ristic, Rile I; Hounslow, Micheal J; Ryan, Anthony J

2003-01-01

In-situ observations of crystallisation in minerals and organic polymers have been made by simultaneous, time-resolved small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) and wide angle X-ray scattering (WAXS) techniques. In isotactic polypropylene slow quiescent crystallisation shows the onset of large scale ordering prior to crystal growth. Rapid crystallisations studied by melt extrusion indicate the development of well resolved oriented SAXS patterns associated with long range order before the development of crystalline peaks in the WAXS region. Block copolymers self-assemble into mesophases in polymer melts above a critical chain length (or above a critical temperature) and this self-assembly process is shown to be susceptible to an incipient crystallisation. Mesophase formation is observed at anomalously high temperatures in ethylene-oxide containing block copolymers below the normal melting point of the polyoxy ethylene chains. Formation of calcium carbonate from aqueous solutions of sodium carbonate and calcium nitrate is observed to be a two-stage process and precipitation proceeds by the production of an amorphous metastable phase. This phase grows until it is volume filling and leads to the formation of the two polymorphs Calcite and Vaterite. These three sets of results suggest pre-nucleation density fluctuations, leading to a metastable phase, play an integral role in all three classes of crystallisation. In due course, this phase undergoes transformation to "normal" crystals.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Düchs, Dominik; Delaney, Kris T., E-mail: kdelaney@mrl.ucsb.edu; Fredrickson, Glenn H., E-mail: ghf@mrl.ucsb.edu

Field-theoretic models have been used extensively to study the phase behavior of inhomogeneous polymer melts and solutions, both in self-consistent mean-field calculations and in numerical simulations of the full theory capturing composition fluctuations. The models commonly used can be grouped into two categories, namely, species models and exchange models. Species models involve integrations of functionals that explicitly depend on fields originating both from species density operators and their conjugate chemical potential fields. In contrast, exchange models retain only linear combinations of the chemical potential fields. In the two-component case, development of exchange models has been instrumental in enabling stable complexmore » Langevin (CL) simulations of the full complex-valued theory. No comparable stable CL approach has yet been established for field theories of the species type. Here, we introduce an extension of the exchange model to an arbitrary number of components, namely, the multi-species exchange (MSE) model, which greatly expands the classes of soft material systems that can be accessed by the complex Langevin simulation technique. We demonstrate the stability and accuracy of the MSE-CL sampling approach using numerical simulations of triblock and tetrablock terpolymer melts, and tetrablock quaterpolymer melts. This method should enable studies of a wide range of fluctuation phenomena in multiblock/multi-species polymer blends and composites.« less

A persistent circhoral ultradian rhythm is identified in human core temperature.

PubMed

Lindsley, G; Dowse, H B; Burgoon, P W; Kolka, M A; Stephenson, L A

1999-01-01

There have been inconclusive reports of intermittent rhythmic fluctuations in human core temperature, with the fluctuations having a period of about an hour. However, there has been no definitive demonstration of the phenomenon. This is likely due to the intermittency and seeming instability of the events. They have been assumed to be secondary rather than autonomous phenomena, putatively arising from the oscillation between rapid eye movement (REM) and non-REM (NREM) sleep. In this study, we report identification of a clear, persistent circhoral ultradian rhythm in core temperature with a period for this study sample of 64 +/- 8 minutes. It appeared simultaneously with an intact circadian core temperature rhythm, persisted despite complex perturbations in core temperature brought about by the sequelae of 40 h of sleep deprivation, and could not be attributed to sleep stage alternation or other endogenous or exogenous factors. Analysis of power spectra using the maximum entropy spectral analysis (MESA) method, which can uncover hidden rhythmicities, demonstrated that the apparent intermittency of the rhythm is due to periodic interference of this rhythm by other rhythmic events. The persistence of this oscillation suggests that, in this system as in the endocrine system, circhoral regulation is an integral component of thermoregulatory control. Identifying the source and functional role of this novel rhythm warrants further work.

Comparison of level discrimination, increment detection, and comodulation masking release in the audio- and envelope-frequency domains

PubMed Central

Nelson, Paul C.; Ewert, Stephan D.; Carney, Laurel H.; Dau, Torsten

2008-01-01

In general, the temporal structure of stimuli must be considered to account for certain observations made in detection and masking experiments in the audio-frequency domain. Two such phenomena are (1) a heightened sensitivity to amplitude increments with a temporal fringe compared to gated level discrimination performance and (2) lower tone-in-noise detection thresholds using a modulated masker compared to those using an unmodulated masker. In the current study, translations of these two experiments were carried out to test the hypothesis that analogous cues might be used in the envelope-frequency domain. Pure-tone carrier amplitude-modulation (AM) depth-discrimination thresholds were found to be similar using both traditional gated stimuli and using a temporally modulated fringe for a fixed standard depth (ms=0.25) and a range of AM frequencies (4-64 Hz). In a second experiment, masked sinusoidal AM detection thresholds were compared in conditions with and without slow and regular fluctuations imposed on the instantaneous masker AM depth. Release from masking was obtained only for very slow masker fluctuations (less than 2 Hz). A physiologically motivated model that effectively acts as a first-order envelope change detector accounted for several, but not all, of the key aspects of the data. PMID:17471731

Pedestal and edge electrostatic turbulence characteristics from an XGC1 gyrokinetic simulation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Churchill, R. M.; Chang, C. S.; Ku, S.; Dominski, J.

2017-10-01

Understanding the multi-scale neoclassical and turbulence physics in the edge region (pedestal + scrape-off layer (SOL)) is required in order to reliably predict performance in future fusion devices. We explore turbulent characteristics in the edge region from a multi-scale neoclassical and turbulent XGC1 gyrokinetic simulation in a DIII-D like tokamak geometry, here excluding neutrals and collisions. For an H-mode type plasma with steep pedestal, it is found that the electron density fluctuations increase towards the separatrix, and stay high well into the SOL, reaching a maximum value of δ {n}e/{\\bar{n}}e˜ 0.18. Blobs are observed, born around the magnetic separatrix surface and propagate radially outward with velocities generally less than 1 km s-1. Strong poloidal motion of the blobs is also present, near 20 km s-1, consistent with E × B rotation. The electron density fluctuations show a negative skewness in the closed field-line pedestal region, consistent with the presence of ‘holes’, followed by a transition to strong positive skewness across the separatrix and into the SOL. These simulations indicate that not only neoclassical phenomena, but also turbulence, including the blob-generation mechanism, can remain important in the steep H-mode pedestal and SOL. Qualitative comparisons will be made to experimental observations.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Churchill, R. M.; Chang, C. S.; Ku, S.

Understanding the multi-scale neoclassical and turbulence physics in the edge region (pedestal + scrape-off layer (SOL)) is required in order to reliably predict performance in future fusion devices. We explore turbulent characteristics in the edge region from a multi-scale neoclassical and turbulent XGC1 gyrokinetic simulation in a DIII-D like tokamak geometry, here excluding neutrals and collisions. For an H-mode type plasma with steep pedestal, it is found that the electron density fluctuations increase towards the separatrix, and stay high well into the SOL, reaching a maximum value ofmore » $$\\delta {n}_{e}/{\\bar{n}}_{e}\\sim 0.18$$. Blobs are observed, born around the magnetic separatrix surface and propagate radially outward with velocities generally less than 1 km s –1. Strong poloidal motion of the blobs is also present, near 20 km s –1, consistent with E × B rotation. The electron density fluctuations show a negative skewness in the closed field-line pedestal region, consistent with the presence of 'holes', followed by a transition to strong positive skewness across the separatrix and into the SOL. These simulations indicate that not only neoclassical phenomena, but also turbulence, including the blob-generation mechanism, can remain important in the steep H-mode pedestal and SOL. Lastly, qualitative comparisons will be made to experimental observations.« less

Extraction of crustal deformations and oceanic fluctuations from ocean bottom pressures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ariyoshi, Keisuke; Nagano, Akira; Hasegawa, Takuya; Matsumoto, Hiroyuki; Kido, Motoyuki; Igarashi, Toshihiro; Uchida, Naoki; Iinuma, Takeshi; Yamashita, Yusuke

2017-04-01

It has been well known that megathrust earthquakes such as the 2004 Sumatra-Andaman Earthquake (Mw 9.1) and the 2011 the Pacific Coast of Tohoku Earthquake (Mw 9.0) had devastated the coastal areas in the western of Indonesia and in the north-eastern of Japan, respectively. To mitigate the disaster of those forthcoming megathrust earthquakes along Nankai Trough, the Japanese government has established seafloor networks of cable-linked observatories around Japan: DONET (Dense Oceanfloor Network system for Earthquakes and Tsunamis along the Nankai Trough) and S-net (Seafloor Observation Network for Earthquakes and Tsunamis along the Japan Trench). The advantage of the cable-linked network is to monitor the propagation process of tsunami and seismic waves as well as seismic activity in real time. DONET contains pressure gauges as well as seismometers, which are expected to detect crustal deformations driven by peeling off subduction plate coupling process. From our simulation results, leveling changes are different sense among the DONET points even in the same science node. On the other hand, oceanic fluctuations such as melting ice masses through the global warming have so large scale as to cause ocean bottom pressure change coherently for all of DONET points especially in the same node. This difference suggests the possibility of extracting crustal deformations component from ocean bottom pressure data by differential of stacking data. However, this operation cannot be applied to local-scale fluctuations related to ocean mesoscale eddies and current fluctuations, which affect ocean bottom pressure through water density changes in the water column (from the sea surface to the bottom). Therefore, we need integral analysis by combining seismology, ocean physics and tsunami engineering so as to decompose into crustal deformation, oceanic fluctuations and instrumental drift, which will bring about high precision data enough to find geophysical phenomena. In this study, we propose a new interpretation of seismic plate coupling around the Tonankai region along the Nankai Trough, and discuss how to detect it by using the DONET data effectively. In the future, we have to extract the crustal deformation component by separating other components such as instrumental drift and oceanic changes as an integral study collaborated by seismology, geodesy, physical oceanography, and mechanical engineering.

Materials perspective on Casimir and van der Waals interactions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Woods, L. M.; Dalvit, D. A. R.; Tkatchenko, A.; Rodriguez-Lopez, P.; Rodriguez, A. W.; Podgornik, R.

2016-10-01

Interactions induced by electromagnetic fluctuations, such as van der Waals and Casimir forces, are of universal nature present at any length scale between any types of systems. Such interactions are important not only for the fundamental science of materials behavior, but also for the design and improvement of micro- and nanostructured devices. In the past decade, many new materials have become available, which has stimulated the need for understanding their dispersive interactions. The field of van der Waals and Casimir forces has experienced an impetus in terms of developing novel theoretical and computational methods to provide new insights into related phenomena. The understanding of such forces has far reaching consequences as it bridges concepts in materials, atomic and molecular physics, condensed-matter physics, high-energy physics, chemistry, and biology. This review summarizes major breakthroughs and emphasizes the common origin of van der Waals and Casimir interactions. Progress related to novel ab initio modeling approaches and their application in various systems, interactions in materials with Dirac-like spectra, force manipulations through nontrivial boundary conditions, and applications of van der Waals forces in organic and biological matter are examined. The outlook of the review is to give the scientific community a materials perspective of van der Waals and Casimir phenomena and stimulate the development of experimental techniques and applications.

Solar Wind - Magnetosheath - Magnetopause Interactions in Global Hybrid-Vlasov Simulations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hoilijoki, S.; Pfau-Kempf, Y.; Ganse, U.; Hietala, H.; Cassak, P.; Walsh, B.; Juusola, L.; Jarvinen, R.; von Alfthan, S.; Palmroth, M.

2017-12-01

We present results of interactions of solar wind and Earth's magnetosphere in global hybrid-Vlasov simulations carried out using the Vlasiator model. Vlasiator propagates ions as velocity distribution functions by solving the Vlasov equation and electrons are treated as charge-neutralizing massless fluid. Vlasiator simulations show a strong coupling between the ion scale and global scale physics. Global scale phenomena affect the local physics and the local phenomena impact the global system. Our results have shown that mirror mode waves growing in the quasi-perpendicular magnetosheath have an impact on the local reconnection rates at the dayside magnetopause. Furthermore, multiple X-line reconnection at the dayside magnetopause leads to the formation of magnetic islands (2D flux transfer events), which launch bow waves upstream propagating through the magnetosheath. These steep bow waves have the ability to accelerate ions in the magnetosheath. When the bow waves reach the bow shock they are able to bulge the shock locally. The bulge in the shock decreases the angle between the interplanetary magnetic field and the shock normal and allows ions to be reflected back to the solar wind along the magnetic field lines. Consequently, Vlasiator simulations show that magnetosheath fluctuations affect magnetopause reconnection and reconnection may influence particle acceleration and reflection in the magnetosheath and solar wind.

Water-mediated ion-ion interactions are enhanced at the water vapor-liquid interface.

PubMed

Venkateshwaran, Vasudevan; Vembanur, Srivathsan; Garde, Shekhar

2014-06-17

There is overwhelming evidence that ions are present near the vapor-liquid interface of aqueous salt solutions. Charged groups can also be driven to interfaces by attaching them to hydrophobic moieties. Despite their importance in many self-assembly phenomena, how ion-ion interactions are affected by interfaces is not understood. We use molecular simulations to show that the effective forces between small ions change character dramatically near the water vapor-liquid interface. Specifically, the water-mediated attraction between oppositely charged ions is enhanced relative to that in bulk water. Further, the repulsion between like-charged ions is weaker than that expected from a continuum dielectric description and can even become attractive as the ions are drawn to the vapor side. We show that thermodynamics of ion association are governed by a delicate balance of ion hydration, interfacial tension, and restriction of capillary fluctuations at the interface, leading to nonintuitive phenomena, such as water-mediated like charge attraction. "Sticky" electrostatic interactions may have important consequences on biomolecular structure, assembly, and aggregation at soft liquid interfaces. We demonstrate this by studying an interfacially active model peptide that changes its structure from α-helical to a hairpin-turn-like one in response to charging of its ends.

Water-mediated ion–ion interactions are enhanced at the water vapor–liquid interface

PubMed Central

Venkateshwaran, Vasudevan; Vembanur, Srivathsan; Garde, Shekhar

2014-01-01

There is overwhelming evidence that ions are present near the vapor–liquid interface of aqueous salt solutions. Charged groups can also be driven to interfaces by attaching them to hydrophobic moieties. Despite their importance in many self-assembly phenomena, how ion–ion interactions are affected by interfaces is not understood. We use molecular simulations to show that the effective forces between small ions change character dramatically near the water vapor–liquid interface. Specifically, the water-mediated attraction between oppositely charged ions is enhanced relative to that in bulk water. Further, the repulsion between like-charged ions is weaker than that expected from a continuum dielectric description and can even become attractive as the ions are drawn to the vapor side. We show that thermodynamics of ion association are governed by a delicate balance of ion hydration, interfacial tension, and restriction of capillary fluctuations at the interface, leading to nonintuitive phenomena, such as water-mediated like charge attraction. “Sticky” electrostatic interactions may have important consequences on biomolecular structure, assembly, and aggregation at soft liquid interfaces. We demonstrate this by studying an interfacially active model peptide that changes its structure from α-helical to a hairpin-turn–like one in response to charging of its ends. PMID:24889634

The digital traces of bubbles: feedback cycles between socio-economic signals in the Bitcoin economy.

PubMed

Garcia, David; Tessone, Claudio J; Mavrodiev, Pavlin; Perony, Nicolas

2014-10-06

What is the role of social interactions in the creation of price bubbles? Answering this question requires obtaining collective behavioural traces generated by the activity of a large number of actors. Digital currencies offer a unique possibility to measure socio-economic signals from such digital traces. Here, we focus on Bitcoin, the most popular cryptocurrency. Bitcoin has experienced periods of rapid increase in exchange rates (price) followed by sharp decline; we hypothesize that these fluctuations are largely driven by the interplay between different social phenomena. We thus quantify four socio-economic signals about Bitcoin from large datasets: price on online exchanges, volume of word-of-mouth communication in online social media, volume of information search and user base growth. By using vector autoregression, we identify two positive feedback loops that lead to price bubbles in the absence of exogenous stimuli: one driven by word of mouth, and the other by new Bitcoin adopters. We also observe that spikes in information search, presumably linked to external events, precede drastic price declines. Understanding the interplay between the socio-economic signals we measured can lead to applications beyond cryptocurrencies to other phenomena that leave digital footprints, such as online social network usage. © 2014 The Author(s) Published by the Royal Society. All rights reserved.

The digital traces of bubbles: feedback cycles between socio-economic signals in the Bitcoin economy

PubMed Central

Garcia, David; Tessone, Claudio J.; Mavrodiev, Pavlin; Perony, Nicolas

2014-01-01

What is the role of social interactions in the creation of price bubbles? Answering this question requires obtaining collective behavioural traces generated by the activity of a large number of actors. Digital currencies offer a unique possibility to measure socio-economic signals from such digital traces. Here, we focus on Bitcoin, the most popular cryptocurrency. Bitcoin has experienced periods of rapid increase in exchange rates (price) followed by sharp decline; we hypothesize that these fluctuations are largely driven by the interplay between different social phenomena. We thus quantify four socio-economic signals about Bitcoin from large datasets: price on online exchanges, volume of word-of-mouth communication in online social media, volume of information search and user base growth. By using vector autoregression, we identify two positive feedback loops that lead to price bubbles in the absence of exogenous stimuli: one driven by word of mouth, and the other by new Bitcoin adopters. We also observe that spikes in information search, presumably linked to external events, precede drastic price declines. Understanding the interplay between the socio-economic signals we measured can lead to applications beyond cryptocurrencies to other phenomena that leave digital footprints, such as online social network usage. PMID:25100315

Scale invariance and universality in economic phenomena

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stanley, H. E.; Amaral, L. A. N.; Gopikrishnan, P.; Plerou, V.; Salinger, M. A.

2002-03-01

This paper discusses some of the similarities between work being done by economists and by computational physicists seeking to contribute to economics. We also mention some of the differences in the approaches taken and seek to justify these different approaches by developing the argument that by approaching the same problem from different points of view, new results might emerge. In particular, we review two such new results. Specifically, we discuss the two newly discovered scaling results that appear to be `universal', in the sense that they hold for widely different economies as well as for different time periods: (i) the fluctuation of price changes of any stock market is characterized by a probability density function, which is a simple power law with exponent -4 extending over 102 standard deviations (a factor of 108 on the y-axis); this result is analogous to the Gutenberg-Richter power law describing the histogram of earthquakes of a given strength; (ii) for a wide range of economic organizations, the histogram that shows how size of organization is inversely correlated to fluctuations in size with an exponent ≈0.2. Neither of these two new empirical laws has a firm theoretical foundation. We also discuss results that are reminiscent of phase transitions in spin systems, where the divergent behaviour of the response function at the critical point (zero magnetic field) leads to large fluctuations. We discuss a curious `symmetry breaking' for values of Σ above a certain threshold value Σc here Σ is defined to be the local first moment of the probability distribution of demand Ω - the difference between the number of shares traded in buyer-initiated and seller-initiated trades. This feature is qualitatively identical to the behaviour of the probability density of the magnetization for fixed values of the inverse temperature.

Laminar and Turbulent Dynamos in Chiral Magnetohydrodynamics. I. Theory

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Rogachevskii, Igor; Kleeorin, Nathan; Ruchayskiy, Oleg

2017-09-10

The magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) description of plasmas with relativistic particles necessarily includes an additional new field, the chiral chemical potential associated with the axial charge (i.e., the number difference between right- and left-handed relativistic fermions). This chiral chemical potential gives rise to a contribution to the electric current density of the plasma ( chiral magnetic effect ). We present a self-consistent treatment of the chiral MHD equations , which include the back-reaction of the magnetic field on a chiral chemical potential and its interaction with the plasma velocity field. A number of novel phenomena are exhibited. First, we show that themore » chiral magnetic effect decreases the frequency of the Alfvén wave for incompressible flows, increases the frequencies of the Alfvén wave and of the fast magnetosonic wave for compressible flows, and decreases the frequency of the slow magnetosonic wave. Second, we show that, in addition to the well-known laminar chiral dynamo effect, which is not related to fluid motions, there is a dynamo caused by the joint action of velocity shear and chiral magnetic effect. In the presence of turbulence with vanishing mean kinetic helicity, the derived mean-field chiral MHD equations describe turbulent large-scale dynamos caused by the chiral alpha effect, which is dominant for large fluid and magnetic Reynolds numbers. The chiral alpha effect is due to an interaction of the chiral magnetic effect and fluctuations of the small-scale current produced by tangling magnetic fluctuations (which are generated by tangling of the large-scale magnetic field by sheared velocity fluctuations). These dynamo effects may have interesting consequences in the dynamics of the early universe, neutron stars, and the quark–gluon plasma.« less

Synchronization, non-linear dynamics and low-frequency fluctuations: Analogy between spontaneous brain activity and networked single-transistor chaotic oscillators

PubMed Central

Minati, Ludovico; Chiesa, Pietro; Tabarelli, Davide; D'Incerti, Ludovico

2015-01-01

In this paper, the topographical relationship between functional connectivity (intended as inter-regional synchronization), spectral and non-linear dynamical properties across cortical areas of the healthy human brain is considered. Based upon functional MRI acquisitions of spontaneous activity during wakeful idleness, node degree maps are determined by thresholding the temporal correlation coefficient among all voxel pairs. In addition, for individual voxel time-series, the relative amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations and the correlation dimension (D2), determined with respect to Fourier amplitude and value distribution matched surrogate data, are measured. Across cortical areas, high node degree is associated with a shift towards lower frequency activity and, compared to surrogate data, clearer saturation to a lower correlation dimension, suggesting presence of non-linear structure. An attempt to recapitulate this relationship in a network of single-transistor oscillators is made, based on a diffusive ring (n = 90) with added long-distance links defining four extended hub regions. Similarly to the brain data, it is found that oscillators in the hub regions generate signals with larger low-frequency cycle amplitude fluctuations and clearer saturation to a lower correlation dimension compared to surrogates. The effect emerges more markedly close to criticality. The homology observed between the two systems despite profound differences in scale, coupling mechanism and dynamics appears noteworthy. These experimental results motivate further investigation into the heterogeneity of cortical non-linear dynamics in relation to connectivity and underline the ability for small networks of single-transistor oscillators to recreate collective phenomena arising in much more complex biological systems, potentially representing a future platform for modelling disease-related changes. PMID:25833429

Twitter-Based Analysis of the Dynamics of Collective Attention to Political Parties

PubMed Central

Eom, Young-Ho; Puliga, Michelangelo; Smailović, Jasmina; Mozetič, Igor; Caldarelli, Guido

2015-01-01

Large-scale data from social media have a significant potential to describe complex phenomena in the real world and to anticipate collective behaviors such as information spreading and social trends. One specific case of study is represented by the collective attention to the action of political parties. Not surprisingly, researchers and stakeholders tried to correlate parties' presence on social media with their performances in elections. Despite the many efforts, results are still inconclusive since this kind of data is often very noisy and significant signals could be covered by (largely unknown) statistical fluctuations. In this paper we consider the number of tweets (tweet volume) of a party as a proxy of collective attention to the party, identify the dynamics of the volume, and show that this quantity has some information on the election outcome. We find that the distribution of the tweet volume for each party follows a log-normal distribution with a positive autocorrelation of the volume over short terms, which indicates the volume has large fluctuations of the log-normal distribution yet with a short-term tendency. Furthermore, by measuring the ratio of two consecutive daily tweet volumes, we find that the evolution of the daily volume of a party can be described by means of a geometric Brownian motion (i.e., the logarithm of the volume moves randomly with a trend). Finally, we determine the optimal period of averaging tweet volume for reducing fluctuations and extracting short-term tendencies. We conclude that the tweet volume is a good indicator of parties' success in the elections when considered over an optimal time window. Our study identifies the statistical nature of collective attention to political issues and sheds light on how to model the dynamics of collective attention in social media. PMID:26161795

Synchronization, non-linear dynamics and low-frequency fluctuations: Analogy between spontaneous brain activity and networked single-transistor chaotic oscillators

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Minati, Ludovico, E-mail: lminati@ieee.org, E-mail: ludovico.minati@unitn.it, E-mail: lminati@istituto-besta.it; Center for Mind/Brain Sciences, University of Trento, Trento; Chiesa, Pietro

In this paper, the topographical relationship between functional connectivity (intended as inter-regional synchronization), spectral and non-linear dynamical properties across cortical areas of the healthy human brain is considered. Based upon functional MRI acquisitions of spontaneous activity during wakeful idleness, node degree maps are determined by thresholding the temporal correlation coefficient among all voxel pairs. In addition, for individual voxel time-series, the relative amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations and the correlation dimension (D{sub 2}), determined with respect to Fourier amplitude and value distribution matched surrogate data, are measured. Across cortical areas, high node degree is associated with a shift towards lower frequencymore » activity and, compared to surrogate data, clearer saturation to a lower correlation dimension, suggesting presence of non-linear structure. An attempt to recapitulate this relationship in a network of single-transistor oscillators is made, based on a diffusive ring (n = 90) with added long-distance links defining four extended hub regions. Similarly to the brain data, it is found that oscillators in the hub regions generate signals with larger low-frequency cycle amplitude fluctuations and clearer saturation to a lower correlation dimension compared to surrogates. The effect emerges more markedly close to criticality. The homology observed between the two systems despite profound differences in scale, coupling mechanism and dynamics appears noteworthy. These experimental results motivate further investigation into the heterogeneity of cortical non-linear dynamics in relation to connectivity and underline the ability for small networks of single-transistor oscillators to recreate collective phenomena arising in much more complex biological systems, potentially representing a future platform for modelling disease-related changes.« less

Twitter-Based Analysis of the Dynamics of Collective Attention to Political Parties.

PubMed

Eom, Young-Ho; Puliga, Michelangelo; Smailović, Jasmina; Mozetič, Igor; Caldarelli, Guido

2015-01-01

Large-scale data from social media have a significant potential to describe complex phenomena in the real world and to anticipate collective behaviors such as information spreading and social trends. One specific case of study is represented by the collective attention to the action of political parties. Not surprisingly, researchers and stakeholders tried to correlate parties' presence on social media with their performances in elections. Despite the many efforts, results are still inconclusive since this kind of data is often very noisy and significant signals could be covered by (largely unknown) statistical fluctuations. In this paper we consider the number of tweets (tweet volume) of a party as a proxy of collective attention to the party, identify the dynamics of the volume, and show that this quantity has some information on the election outcome. We find that the distribution of the tweet volume for each party follows a log-normal distribution with a positive autocorrelation of the volume over short terms, which indicates the volume has large fluctuations of the log-normal distribution yet with a short-term tendency. Furthermore, by measuring the ratio of two consecutive daily tweet volumes, we find that the evolution of the daily volume of a party can be described by means of a geometric Brownian motion (i.e., the logarithm of the volume moves randomly with a trend). Finally, we determine the optimal period of averaging tweet volume for reducing fluctuations and extracting short-term tendencies. We conclude that the tweet volume is a good indicator of parties' success in the elections when considered over an optimal time window. Our study identifies the statistical nature of collective attention to political issues and sheds light on how to model the dynamics of collective attention in social media.

Analytical mesoscale modeling of aeolian sand transport

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lämmel, Marc; Kroy, Klaus

2017-11-01

The mesoscale structure of aeolian sand transport determines a variety of natural phenomena studied in planetary and Earth science. We analyze it theoretically beyond the mean-field level, based on the grain-scale transport kinetics and splash statistics. A coarse-grained analytical model is proposed and verified by numerical simulations resolving individual grain trajectories. The predicted height-resolved sand flux and other important characteristics of the aeolian transport layer agree remarkably well with a comprehensive compilation of field and wind-tunnel data, suggesting that the model robustly captures the essential mesoscale physics. By comparing the predicted saturation length with field data for the minimum sand-dune size, we elucidate the importance of intermittent turbulent wind fluctuations for field measurements and reconcile conflicting previous models for this most enigmatic emergent aeolian scale.

An eye for an I: a 35-year-old woman with fluctuating oculomotor deficits and dissociative identity disorder.

PubMed

Bhuvaneswar, Chaya; Spiegel, David

2013-01-01

Physiologic changes, including neurological or pseudo-neurological symptoms, occur across identity states in dissociative identity disorder DID) and can be objectively measured. The idea that dissociative phenomena might be associated with changes in brain function is consistent with research on the brain effects of hypnosis. The authors report a case of psycho-physiologic differences among 4 alter personalities manifested by a 35-year-old woman with DID. Differences in visual acuity, frequency of pendular nystagmus, and handedness were observed in this patient both when the alter personalities appeared spontaneously and when elicited under hypnosis. The authors consider several diagnostic possibilities for these findings and discuss whether prevailing treatment recommendations for DID patients could possibly be modified to ameliorate such visual and neurologic symptoms.

An extensive study of Bose-Einstein condensation in liquid helium using Tsallis statistics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guha, Atanu; Das, Prasanta Kumar

2018-05-01

Realistic scenario can be represented by general canonical ensemble way better than the ideal one, with proper parameter sets involved. We study the Bose-Einstein condensation phenomena of liquid helium within the framework of Tsallis statistics. With a comparatively high value of the deformation parameter q(∼ 1 . 4) , the theoretically calculated value of the critical temperature (Tc) of the phase transition of liquid helium is found to agree with the experimentally determined value (Tc = 2 . 17 K), although they differs from each other for q = 1 (undeformed scenario). This throws a light on the understanding of the phenomenon and connects temperature fluctuation(non-equilibrium conditions) with the interactions between atoms qualitatively. More interactions between atoms give rise to more non-equilibrium conditions which is as expected.

Parametric amplification of a superconducting plasma wave

DOE PAGES

Rajasekaran, S.; Casandruc, E.; Laplace, Y.; ...

2016-07-11

Many applications in photonics require all-optical manipulation of plasma waves, which can concentrate electromagnetic energy on sub-wavelength length scales. This is difficult in metallic plasmas because of their small optical nonlinearities. Some layered superconductors support Josephson plasma waves, involving oscillatory tunnelling of the superfluid between capacitively coupled planes. Josephson plasma waves are also highly nonlinear, and exhibit striking phenomena such as cooperative emission of coherent terahertz radiation, superconductor–metal oscillations and soliton formation. In this paper, we show that terahertz Josephson plasma waves can be parametrically amplified through the cubic tunnelling nonlinearity in a cuprate superconductor. Finally, parametric amplification is sensitivemore » to the relative phase between pump and seed waves, and may be optimized to achieve squeezing of the order-parameter phase fluctuations or terahertz single-photon devices.« less

Basic physics of nuclear magnetic resonance.

PubMed

Patz, S

1986-01-01

This review of basic physics of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) discusses precession of magnetic nuclei in a static external field, introduces the concept of the rotating frame, and describes excitation of nuclei by an RF field. Treats subject of T1 and T2 relaxation from the dual viewpoints of (1) phenomena of relaxation times for both the longitudinal and transverse magnetization and (2) relaxation resulting from local field fluctuations. It describes practical ways in which T1 and T2 are measured (i.e., inversion recovery and spin-echo) and gives the value of the nuclear magnetization in thermodynamic equilibrium with a static external field. It discusses the reduction of NMR signal resulting from saturation. These concepts are related to clinical use with a set of four spin-echo images of a human head.

IUTAM Symposium on Hydrodynamic Diffusion of Suspended Particles

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Davis, R. H.

1995-01-01

The focus of the symposium was on multiparticle hydrodynamic interactions which lead to fluctuating motion of the particles and resulting particle migration and dispersion or diffusion. Implications of these phenomena were described for sedimentation, fluidization, suspension flows, granular flows, and fiber suspensions. Computer simulation techniques as well as experimental techniques were described. Each session had an invited leadoff talk which overviewed the session topic as well as described the speaker's own related research. Ample time for discussion was included after each talk as well as at the end of each session. The symposium started with a keynote talk on the first evening on What is so puzzling about hydrodynamic diffusion?, which set the tone for the rest of the meeting by emphasizing both recent advances and unanswered issues.

Chromatic refraction with global ozone monitoring by occultation of stars. I. Description and scintillation correction.

PubMed

Dalaudier, F; Kan, V; Gurvich, A S

2001-02-20

We describe refractive and chromatic effects, both regular and random, that occur during star occultations by the Earth's atmosphere. The scintillation that results from random density fluctuations, as well as the consequences of regular chromatic refraction, is qualitatively described. The resultant chromatic scintillation will produce random features on the Global Ozone Monitoring by Occultation of Stars (GOMOS) spectrometer, with an amplitude comparable with that of some of the real absorbing features that result from atmospheric constituents. A correction method that is based on the use of fast photometer signals is described, and its efficiency is discussed. We give a qualitative (although accurate) description of the phenomena, including numerical values when needed. Geometrical optics and the phase-screen approximation are used to keep the description simple.

Efficiency and multifractality analysis of CSI 300 based on multifractal detrending moving average algorithm

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhou, Weijie; Dang, Yaoguo; Gu, Rongbao

2013-03-01

We apply the multifractal detrending moving average (MFDMA) to investigate and compare the efficiency and multifractality of 5-min high-frequency China Securities Index 300 (CSI 300). The results show that the CSI 300 market becomes closer to weak-form efficiency after the introduction of CSI 300 future. We find that the CSI 300 is featured by multifractality and there are less complexity and risk after the CSI 300 index future was introduced. With the shuffling, surrogating and removing extreme values procedures, we unveil that extreme events and fat-distribution are the main origin of multifractality. Besides, we discuss the knotting phenomena in multifractality, and find that the scaling range and the irregular fluctuations for large scales in the Fq(s) vs s plot can cause a knot.

Dynamic order in a surface process

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eiswirth, M.; Ertl, G.

1988-09-01

Under certain well-defined conditions ( p co,p_{{text{O}}_{text{2}} } , T) the rate of catalytic oxidation of CO on a Pt(110) surface may exhibit sustained temporal oscillations with an autonomous frequency v 0. Small amplitude modulation ofp_{{text{O}}_{text{2}} } with frequency v p causes a variety of phenomena characteristic for systems of nonlinear dynamics which may be identified with temporal order and show formal similarities to spatial order of surface phases: Periodic behavior for certain rational numbers of v p/v0 — corresponding to commensurate surface structures; quasiperiodic behavior characterized by an irrational ratio of the periods of perturbation and response — corresponding to incommensurate structures; and critical slowing down near the boundary of a transition to quasiperiodicity which has its counterpart in the critical fluctuations near a (spatial) phase transition.

Cross spectra between temperature and pressure in a constant area duct downstream of a combustor

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Miles, J. H.; Wasserbauer, C. A.; Krejsa, E. A.

1983-01-01

The feasibility of measuring pressure temperature cross spectra and coherence and temperature-temperature cross spectra and coherence at spatially separated points along with pressure and temperature auto-spectra in a combustion rig was investigated. The measurements were made near the inlet and exit of a 6.44 m long duct attached to a J-47 combustor. The fuel used was Jet A. The cross spectra and coherence measurements show the pressure and temperature fluctuations correlate best at low frequencies. At the inlet the phenomena controlling the phase relationship between pressure and temperature could not be identified. However, at the duct exit the phase angle of the pressure is related to the phase angle of the temperature by the convected flow time delay.

Signatures of exciton condensation in a transition metal dichalcogenide

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kogar, Anshul; Rak, Melinda S.; Vig, Sean; Husain, Ali A.; Flicker, Felix; Joe, Young Il; Venema, Luc; MacDougall, Greg J.; Chiang, Tai C.; Fradkin, Eduardo; van Wezel, Jasper; Abbamonte, Peter

2017-12-01

Bose condensation has shaped our understanding of macroscopic quantum phenomena, having been realized in superconductors, atomic gases, and liquid helium. Excitons are bosons that have been predicted to condense into either a superfluid or an insulating electronic crystal. Using the recently developed technique of momentum-resolved electron energy-loss spectroscopy (M-EELS), we studied electronic collective modes in the transition metal dichalcogenide semimetal 1T-TiSe2. Near the phase-transition temperature (190 kelvin), the energy of the electronic mode fell to zero at nonzero momentum, indicating dynamical slowing of plasma fluctuations and crystallization of the valence electrons into an exciton condensate. Our study provides compelling evidence for exciton condensation in a three-dimensional solid and establishes M-EELS as a versatile technique sensitive to valence band excitations in quantum materials.

Unusual Phase Diagram of CeOs 4Sb 12

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ho, P. -C.; Goddard, P. A.; Maple, M. B.

2017-03-01

Filled skutterudite compounds, with the formula MT 4X 12, where M is an alkali metal, alkaline-earth, lanthanide, or actinide, T is Fe, Ru, or Os, and X is P, As, or Sb, display a wide variety of interesting phenomena caused by strong electron correlations [1]. Among these, the three compounds CeOs 4Sb 12, PrOs 4Sb 12, and NdOs 4Sb 12, formed by employing Periodic Table neighbors for M, span the range from an antiferromagnetic (AFM) semimetal (M = Ce) via a 1.85 K unconventional (quadrupolar-fluctuation mediated) superconductor (M = Pr) to a 1 K ferromagnet (FM; M = Nd). Inmore » the course of an extended study of these compounds, we uncovered an unusual phase diagram for CeOs 4Sb 12.« less

Long-term variability of importance of brain regions in evolving epileptic brain networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Geier, Christian; Lehnertz, Klaus

2017-04-01

We investigate the temporal and spatial variability of the importance of brain regions in evolving epileptic brain networks. We construct these networks from multiday, multichannel electroencephalographic data recorded from 17 epilepsy patients and use centrality indices to assess the importance of brain regions. Time-resolved indications of highest importance fluctuate over time to a greater or lesser extent, however, with some periodic temporal structure that can mostly be attributed to phenomena unrelated to the disease. In contrast, relevant aspects of the epileptic process contribute only marginally. Indications of highest importance also exhibit pronounced alternations between various brain regions that are of relevance for studies aiming at an improved understanding of the epileptic process with graph-theoretical approaches. Nonetheless, these findings may guide new developments for individualized diagnosis, treatment, and control.

Microscopic analysis of currency and stock exchange markets.

PubMed

Kador, L

1999-08-01

Recently it was shown that distributions of short-term price fluctuations in foreign-currency exchange exhibit striking similarities to those of velocity differences in turbulent flows. Similar profiles represent the spectral-diffusion behavior of impurity molecules in disordered solids at low temperatures. It is demonstrated that a microscopic statistical theory of the spectroscopic line shapes can be applied to the other two phenomena. The theory interprets the financial data in terms of information which becomes available to the traders and their reactions as a function of time. The analysis shows that there is no characteristic time scale in financial markets, but that instead stretched-exponential or algebraic memory functions yield good agreement with the price data. For an algebraic function, the theory yields truncated Lévy distributions which are often observed in stock exchange markets.

Microscopic analysis of currency and stock exchange markets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kador, L.

1999-08-01

Recently it was shown that distributions of short-term price fluctuations in foreign-currency exchange exhibit striking similarities to those of velocity differences in turbulent flows. Similar profiles represent the spectral-diffusion behavior of impurity molecules in disordered solids at low temperatures. It is demonstrated that a microscopic statistical theory of the spectroscopic line shapes can be applied to the other two phenomena. The theory interprets the financial data in terms of information which becomes available to the traders and their reactions as a function of time. The analysis shows that there is no characteristic time scale in financial markets, but that instead stretched-exponential or algebraic memory functions yield good agreement with the price data. For an algebraic function, the theory yields truncated Lévy distributions which are often observed in stock exchange markets.

Altered swelling and ion fluxes in articular cartilage as a biomarker in osteoarthritis and joint immobilization: a computational analysis

PubMed Central

Manzano, Sara; Manzano, Raquel; Doblaré, Manuel; Doweidar, Mohamed Hamdy

2015-01-01

In healthy cartilage, mechano-electrochemical phenomena act together to maintain tissue homeostasis. Osteoarthritis (OA) and degenerative diseases disrupt this biological equilibrium by causing structural deterioration and subsequent dysfunction of the tissue. Swelling and ion flux alteration as well as abnormal ion distribution are proposed as primary indicators of tissue degradation. In this paper, we present an extension of a previous three-dimensional computational model of the cartilage behaviour developed by the authors to simulate the contribution of the main tissue components in its behaviour. The model considers the mechano-electrochemical events as concurrent phenomena in a three-dimensional environment. This model has been extended here to include the effect of repulsion of negative charges attached to proteoglycans. Moreover, we have studied the fluctuation of these charges owning to proteoglycan variations in healthy and pathological articular cartilage. In this sense, standard patterns of healthy and degraded tissue behaviour can be obtained which could be a helpful diagnostic tool. By introducing measured properties of unhealthy cartilage into the computational model, the severity of tissue degeneration can be predicted avoiding complex tissue extraction and subsequent in vitro analysis. In this work, the model has been applied to monitor and analyse cartilage behaviour at different stages of OA and in both short (four, six and eight weeks) and long-term (11 weeks) fully immobilized joints. Simulation results showed marked differences in the corresponding swelling phenomena, in outgoing cation fluxes and in cation distributions. Furthermore, long-term immobilized patients display similar swelling as well as fluxes and distribution of cations to patients in the early stages of OA, thus, preventive treatments are highly recommended to avoid tissue deterioration. PMID:25392400

Thermal phenomena under microwave field in the organic synthesis processes: Application to the Diels Alder reaction

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Saillard, R.; Poux, M.; Audhuy-Peaudecerf, M.

1996-12-31

The influence of the microwave heating on chemical reactions were investigated. The kinetic of the Diels Alder reaction were studied under microwave irradiation at a frequency of 2.45 GHz in a single mode cavity and were compared to the kinetic obtained by a conventional heating. Experiments were carried out in a liquid solvent in order to have a better control of the medium temperature measurement. In a second part, the presence of a catalytic solid phase was introduced. Some thermal fluctuations which are due to an heterogeneity of the electric field were detected in the medium. They reduce the precisionmore » of the results and cause problems of experimental reproducibility. A thermoluminescent material allow a good visualization of these phenomena. In addition, the profiles of the electric field intensity were modelled by a 2D finite elements method in the reactor in the presence of a solvent. Despite the small size of the sample and the use of a monomode cavity which both limited the heterogeneities of the medium temperature, the authors showed a great heterogeneity of the electric field intensity and as a result the heterogeneity of the temperature in their sample. In order to avoid these phenomena which induce a lack of reproducibility, a stirring device was developed. The values of the kinetics obtained under the 2 heating modes with the introduction of the stirring device. So, it induces a good control of the medium temperature. All those investigations prompted the authors to the conclusion that there is no difference between microwave heating and a classical heating in the studied reaction.« less

Forced convection flow boiling and two-phase flow phenomena in a microchannel

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Na, Yun Whan

2008-07-01

The present study was performed to numerically analyze the evaporation phenomena through the liquid-vapor interface and to investigate bubble dynamics and heat transfer behavior during forced convective flow boiling in a microchannel. Flow instabilities of two-phase flow boiling in a microchannel were studied as well. The main objective of this research is to investigate the fundamental mechanisms of two-phase flow boiling in a microchannel and provide predictive tools to design thermal management systems, for example, microchannel heat sinks. The numerical results obtained from this study were qualitatively and quantitatively compared with experimental results in the open literature. Physical and mathematical models, accounting for evaporating phenomena through the liquid-vapor interface in a microchannel at constant heat flux and constant wall temperature, have been developed, respectively. The heat transfer mechanism is affected by the dominant heat conduction through the thin liquid film and vaporization at the liquid-vapor interface. The thickness of the liquid film and the pressure of the liquid and vapor phases were simultaneously solved by the governing differential equations. The developed semi-analytical evaporation model that takes into account of the interfacial phenomena and surface tension effects was used to obtain solutions numerically using the fourth-order Runge-Kutta method. The effects of heat flux 19 and wall temperature on the liquid film were evaluated. The obtained pressure drops in a microchannel were qualitatively consistent with the experimental results of Qu and Mudawar (2004). Forced convective flow boiling in a single microchannel with different channel heights was studied through a numerical simulation to investigate bubble dynamics, flow patterns, and heat transfer. The momentum and energy equations were solved using the finite volume method while the liquid-vapor interface of a bubble is captured using the VOF (Volume of Fluid) technique. The effects of different constant heat fluxes and different channel heights on the boiling mechanisms were investigated. The effects of liquid velocity on the bubble departure diameter were analyzed. The obtained results showed that the wall superheats at the position of nucleate boiling are relatively independent of the mass flow rates at the same channel height. The obtained results, however, showed that the heat flux at the onset of nucleate boiling strongly depends on the channel height. With a decrease of the channel height and an increase of the liquid velocity at the channel inlet, the departure diameter of a bubble was smaller. The periodic flow patterns, such as the bubbly flow, elongated slug flow, and churn flow were observed in the microchannel. Flow instabilities of two-phase flow boiling in a trapezoidal microchannel using a three-dimensional model were investigated. Fluctuation behaviors of flow boiling parameters such as wall temperature and inlet pressure caused by periodic flow patterns were studied at different heat fluxes and mass fluxes. The numerical results showed large amplitude and short period oscillations for wall temperature and inlet pressure fluctuations. Stable and unstable flow boiling regime with short period oscillations were investigated. Those flow boiling regimes were not listed in stable and unstable boiling regime map proposed by Wang et al. (2007).

Transverse-energy production and fluctuations over centrality and acceptance in relativistic heavy-ion and nucleon-nucleon collisions: Quark versus nucleon interactions and a search for the quark-gluon plasma

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Armendariz, Raul L.

Measuring energy produced in relativistic heavy-ion collisions is a way to investigate if a model of quark participants, or nucleon participants better describes the internal dynamics of the collision. The energy produced is proportional to the energy density in the interaction region; changes in fluctuations of energy production could be a signature for a phase transition between ordinary hadronic matter to a liberated quark-gluon plasma phase, QGP, thought to have existed one millionth of a second after the Big Bang creation of the Universe and before protons and neutrons had formed. Three experimental nuclear physics data-analyses were conducted using the sum energy of all particles produced in the direction transverse to the beam, ET, when nuclei collide in a 2.4 mile long circular atom smasher. The nuclei are accelerated in opposite directions at 99.995% the speed of light, and center-of-mass energies available for new particle production of sNN = 62.4 GeV, and 200 GeV per colliding nucleon pair were studied. The ET was recorded by the lead-scintillator electromagnetic calorimeter detectors of the Pioneering High Energy Interactions Experiment (PHENIX), at the Relativistic heavy Ion Collider (RHIC), of Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL). The collision systems studied were 200 GeV protons with protons ( p + p), deuterons with Au ions (d+Au), and 62.4 GeV and 200 GeV gold ions with gold ions (Au+Au). The first analysis, mean ET in collision centrality, explores whether a model of nucleon participants, or quark participants, better describes energy production with collision impact. The second analysis, ET fluctuations in collision centrality, looks for non-random fluctuations in ET distributions when the density of colliding partons becomes high. The third analysis, ET fluctuations in geometric acceptance, examines fluctuations as a function of detector fiducial volume in a search for correlated energy distribution in space (correlations ), known to occur in phenomena such as elliptic flow and particle jets. The Au+Au results are as follows. In both 62.4 GeV and 200 GeV interactions mean ET production per participant nucleon rises steadily, and per participant quark remains constant to within the identified errors. In both 62.4 GeV and 200 GeV collisions energy densities estimated for QGP formation were measured: at 200 GeV these levels of 1 GeV/fm 3, to 3 GeV/fm3 were measured in interactions of 30 and 150 participant nucleons respectively (corresponding to the 60-65%, and 25-30% centrality classes of data). In neither 62.4 GeV nor 200 GeV interactions are changes in fluctuations over collision impact observed above the 40% systematic errors introduced by the centrality definitions. Fluctuations in acceptance for the 200 GeV 0-5% most central class of collisions, corresponding to 350 participant nucleons, exhibit a 115% rise in a 6-fold increase of the transverse angle; from this a correlation-length of 3.1° is calculated; removal of known contamination effects to the fluctuations from event reaction-plane rotation and elliptic-flow are under investigation.

Quantum dynamics in strong fluctuating fields

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goychuk, Igor; Hänggi, Peter

A large number of multifaceted quantum transport processes in molecular systems and physical nanosystems, such as e.g. nonadiabatic electron transfer in proteins, can be treated in terms of quantum relaxation processes which couple to one or several fluctuating environments. A thermal equilibrium environment can conveniently be modelled by a thermal bath of harmonic oscillators. An archetype situation provides a two-state dissipative quantum dynamics, commonly known under the label of a spin-boson dynamics. An interesting and nontrivial physical situation emerges, however, when the quantum dynamics evolves far away from thermal equilibrium. This occurs, for example, when a charge transferring medium possesses nonequilibrium degrees of freedom, or when a strong time-dependent control field is applied externally. Accordingly, certain parameters of underlying quantum subsystem acquire stochastic character. This may occur, for example, for the tunnelling coupling between the donor and acceptor states of the transferring electron, or for the corresponding energy difference between electronic states which assume via the coupling to the fluctuating environment an explicit stochastic or deterministic time-dependence. Here, we review the general theoretical framework which is based on the method of projector operators, yielding the quantum master equations for systems that are exposed to strong external fields. This allows one to investigate on a common basis, the influence of nonequilibrium fluctuations and periodic electrical fields on those already mentioned dynamics and related quantum transport processes. Most importantly, such strong fluctuating fields induce a whole variety of nonlinear and nonequilibrium phenomena. A characteristic feature of such dynamics is the absence of thermal (quantum) detailed balance.ContentsPAGE1. Introduction5262. Quantum dynamics in stochastic fields531 2.1. Stochastic Liouville equation531 2.2. Non-Markovian vs. Markovian discrete state fluctuations531 2.3. Averaging the quantum propagator533  2.3.1. Kubo oscillator535  2.3.2. Averaged dynamics of two-level quantum systems exposed to two-state stochastic fields537 2.4. Projection operator method: a primer5403. Two-state quantum dynamics in periodic fields542 3.1. Coherent destruction of tunnelling542 3.2. Driving-induced tunnelling oscillations (DITO)5434. Dissipative quantum dynamics in strong time-dependent fields544 4.1. General formalism544  4.1.1. Weak-coupling approximation545  4.1.2. Markovian approximation: Generalised Redfield Equations5475. Application I: Quantum relaxation in driven, dissipative two-level systems548 5.1. Decoupling approximation for fast fluctuating energy levels550  5.1.1. Control of quantum rates551  5.1.2. Stochastic cooling and inversion of level populations552  5.1.3. Emergence of an effective energy bias553 5.2. Quantum relaxation in strong periodic fields554 5.3. Approximation of time-dependent rates554 5.4. Exact averaging for dichotomous Markovian fluctuations5556. Application II: Driven electron transfer within a spin-boson description557 6.1. Curve-crossing problems with dissipation558 6.2. Weak system-bath coupling559 6.3. Beyond weak-coupling theory: Strong system-bath coupling563  6.3.1. Fast fluctuating energy levels565  6.3.2. Exact averaging over dichotomous fluctuations of the energy levels566  6.3.3. Electron transfer in fast oscillating periodic fields567  6.3.4. Dichotomously fluctuating tunnelling barrier5687. Quantum transport in dissipative tight-binding models subjected tostrong external fields569 7.1. Noise-induced absolute negative mobility571 7.2. Dissipative quantum rectifiers573 7.3. Limit of vanishing dissipation575 7.4. Case of harmonic mixing drive5758. Summary576Acknowledgements578References579

THREE-DIMENSIONAL SIMULATIONS OF MAGNETOHYDRODYNAMIC TURBULENCE BEHIND RELATIVISTIC SHOCK WAVES AND THEIR IMPLICATIONS FOR GAMMA-RAY BURSTS

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Inoue, Tsuyoshi; Asano, Katsuaki; Ioka, Kunihito, E-mail: inouety@phys.aoyama.ac.jp

2011-06-20

Relativistic astrophysical phenomena such as gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) and active galactic nuclei often require long-lived strong magnetic fields that cannot be achieved by shock compression alone. Here, we report on three-dimensional special-relativistic magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) simulations that we performed using a second-order Godunov-type conservative code to explore the amplification and decay of macroscopic turbulence dynamo excited by the so-called Richtmyer-Meshkov instability (RMI; a Rayleigh-Taylor-type instability). This instability is an inevitable outcome of interactions between shock and ambient density fluctuations. We find that the magnetic energy grows exponentially in a few eddy-turnover times because of field-line stretching and then, following the decaymore » of kinetic turbulence, decays with a temporal power-law exponent of -0.7. The magnetic energy fraction can reach {epsilon}{sub B} {approx} 0.1 but depends on the initial magnetic field strength, which can diversify the observed phenomena. We find that the magnetic energy grows by at least two orders of magnitude compared to the magnetic energy immediately behind the shock, provided the kinetic energy of turbulence injected by the RMI is greater than the magnetic energy. This minimum degree of amplification does not depend on the amplitude of the initial density fluctuations, while the growth timescale and the maximum magnetic energy depend on the degree of inhomogeneity in the density. The transition from Kolmogorov cascade to MHD critical balance cascade occurs at {approx}1/10th the initial inhomogeneity scale, which limits the maximum synchrotron polarization to less than {approx}2%. We derive analytical formulas for these numerical results and apply them to GRBs. New results include the avoidance of electron cooling with RMI turbulence, the turbulent photosphere model via RMI, and the shallow decay of the early afterglow from RMI. We also perform a simulation of freely decaying turbulence with relativistic velocity dispersion. We find that relativistic turbulence begins to decay much more quickly than one eddy-turnover time because of rapid shock dissipation, which does not support the relativistic turbulence model by Narayan and Kumar.« less

Specific heat and Nernst effect of electron-doped cuprate superconductors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Balci, Hamza

This thesis consists of two separate studies on Pr2- xCexCuO4 (PCCO), a member of the electron-doped high temperature cuprate superconductor family: specific heat and the Nernst effect. We measured the specific heat of PCCO single crystals in order to probe the symmetry of the superconducting order parameter, to study the effect of oxygen reduction (annealing) on bulk properties of the crystals, and to determine proper ties like the condensation energy and the thermodynamic critical field. The order parameter symmetry has been established to be d-wave in the hole-doped cuprates. Experiments performed on electron-doped cuprates show conflicting results. Different experiments suggest s-wave symmetry, d-wave symmetry, or a transition from d-wave to s-wave symmetry with increasing cerium doping. However, most of these experiments are surface sensitive experiments. Specific heat, as a bulk method of probing the gap symmetry is essential in order to convincingly determine the gap symmetry. Our data proposes a way to reconcile all these conflicting results regarding the gap symmetry. In addition, prior specific heat measurements attempting to determine thermodynamic properties like the condensation energy were not successful due to inefficient methods of data analysis or poor sample quality. With improvements on sample quality and data analysis, we reliably determined these properties. The second part of this thesis is a study of the Nernst effect in PCCO thin films with different cerium dopings. We probed the superconducting fluctuations, studied transport phenomena in the normal state, and accurately measured H c2 by using the Nernst effect. After the discovery of the anomalous Nernst effect in the normal state of the hole-doped cuprates, many alternative explanations have been proposed. Vortex-like excitations above Tc, superconducting fluctuations, AFM fluctuations, and preformed Cooper pairs are some of these proposals. The electron-doped cuprates, due to their significant differences from the hole-doped cuprates in terms of coherence length and the phase stiffness temperature (a measure of superfluid density) are the ideal materials to test these ideas. Our data on the electron-doped cuprates does not show any anomalous Nernst effect, and hence it supports the superconducting fluctuations picture among the various proposals.

The Fragility of Interdependency: Coupled Networks Switching Phenomena

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stanley, H. Eugene

2013-03-01

Recent disasters ranging from abrupt financial ``flash crashes'' and large-scale power outages to sudden death among the elderly dramatically exemplify the fact that the most dangerous vulnerability is hiding in the many interdependencies among different networks. In the past year, we have quantified failures in model of interconnected networks, and demonstrated the need to consider mutually dependent network properties in designing resilient systems. Specifically, we have uncovered new laws governing the nature of switching phenomena in coupled networks, and found that phenomena that are continuous ``second order'' phase transitions in isolated networks become discontinuous abrupt ``first order'' transitions in interdependent networks [S. V. Buldyrev, R. Parshani, G. Paul, H. E. Stanley, and S. Havlin, ``Catastrophic Cascade of Failures in Interdependent Networks,'' Nature 464, 1025 (2010); J. Gao, S. V. Buldyrev, H. E. Stanley, and S. Havlin, ``Novel Behavior of Networks Formed from Interdependent Networks,'' Nature Physics 8, 40 (2012). We conclude by discussing the network basis for understanding sudden death in the elderly, and the possibility that financial ``flash crashes'' are not unlike the catastrophic first-order failure incidents occurring in coupled networks. Specifically, we study the coupled networks that are responsible for financial fluctuations. It appears that ``trend switching phenomena'' that we uncover are remarkably independent of the scale over which they are analyzed. For example, we find that the same laws governing the formation and bursting of the largest financial bubbles also govern the tiniest finance bubbles, over a factor of 1,000,000,000 in time scale [T. Preis, J. Schneider, and H. E. Stanley, ``Switching Processes in Financial Markets,'' Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 108, 7674 (2011); T. Preis and H. E. Stanley, ``Bubble Trouble: Can a Law Describe Bubbles and Crashes in Financial Markets?'' Physics World 24, No. 5, 29 (May 2011)]. This work was carried out in collaboration with a number of colleagues, including T. Preis, J. J. Schneider, S. Havlin, R. Parshani, S. V. Buldyrev, J. Gao, and G. Paul-see ``When Networks Network,'' Science News, 22 Sept. 2012.

From e+e- to Heavy Ion Collisions - Proceedings of the XXX International Symposium on Multiparticle Dynamics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Csörgő, Tamás Hegyi, Sándor Kittel, Wolfram

The Table of Contents for the book is as follows: * Preface * QCD IN MULTIPARTICLE PRODUCTION * QCD and multiparticle production - The status of the perturbative cascade * Test of QCD predictions for multiparticle production at LEP * Multijet final states in e+e- annihilation * Tests of QCD in two photon physics at LEP * Interplay between perturbative and non-perturbative QCD in three-jet events * QCD and hadronic final states at the LHC * Transverse energy and minijets in high energy collisions * Multiparticle production at RHIC and LHC: A classical point of view * High energy interaction with the nucleus in the perturbative QCD with Nc → ∞ * DIFFRACTIVE PRODUCTION AND SMALL-x * Introduction to low-x physics and diffraction * Low-x physics at HERA * Diffractive structure functions at the Tevatron * What is the experimental evidence for the BFKL Pomeron? * Self-organized criticality in gluon systems and its consequences * Scale anomaly and dipole scattering in QCD * Pomeron and AdS/CFT correspondence for QCD * INTERPLAY BETWEEN SOFT AND HARD PHENOMENA * Inclusive jet cross sections and BFKL dynamics searches in dijet cross sections * Soft and hard interactions in p bar{p} Collisions at √ s = 1800 and 630 GeV * Recent results on particle production from OPAL * New results on αs and optimized scales * Preliminary results of the standard model Higgs boson search at LEP 2 in 2000 * Ways to go between hard and soft QCD * Alternative scenarios for fragmentation of a gluonic Lund String * A simultaneous measurement of the QCD colour charges and the strong coupling from LEP multijet data * Branching processes and Koenigs function * Soft and hard QCD dynamics in J/ψ hadroproduction * HADRONIC FINAL STATES IN 1+1, 1+h AND h+h REACTIONS * Universality in hadron production in electron-positron, lepton-hadron and hadron-hadron reactions * Search for gluonic mesons in gluon jets * Vector-to-pseudoscalar and meson-to-baryon ratios in hadronic Z decays at LEP * Polarization and spin alignment in multihadronic Z0 decays * Jet physics at HERA * Final state studies at HERA * A gauge-invariant subtraction technique for non-inclusive observables in QCD * Baryon transport in dual models and the possibility of a backward peak in diffraction * ASTROPARTICLE PHYSICS * Cosmic rays in the energy range of the knee - Recent results from KASCADE * Imaging atmospheric Čerenkov telescopes: Techniques and results * Extensive air shower simulations with CORSIKA and the influence of high-energy hadronic interaction models * Future directions in astroparticle physics and the AUGER experiment * p+A COLLISIONS * pp and pA collisions at CERN SPS * Charmonium attenuation and the quark-gluon plasma * Gluon depletion and J/ψ suppression in pA collisions * CORRELATIONS AND FLUCTUATIONS - EXPERIMENT * Experimental correlation analysis: Foundations and practice * Intermittency and correlations at LEP and at HERA * Moments of the charged-particle multiplicity distribution in Z decays at LEP * On the scale of visible jets in high energy electron-positron collisions * HBT in relativistic heavy ion collisions * Comparison of the pion emission function in hadron-hadron and heavy ion collisions * Multiparticle correlations at LEP1 * Inter-W Bose-Einstein correlations ellipse ... or not? * Colour reconnection at LEP2 * CORRELATIONS AND FLUCTUATIONS - THEORY * Correlations and fluctuations - introduction * Coherence and incoherence in Bose-Einstein correlations * Bose-Einstein correlations in cascade processes and non-extensive statistics * A systematic approach to anomalous phenomena at high energies * Reconstruction of hadronization stage in Pb+Pb collisions at 158A GeV/c * Status of ring-like correlations and wavelets * Fluctuation probes of quark deconfinement * PQCD structure and hadronization in jets and heavy-ion collisions * Net-baryon fluctuations at the QCD critical point * Fractional Fokker-Planck equation in time variable and oscillation of cumulant moments * QCD and multiplicity scaling * RELATIVISTIC HEAVY ION COLLISIONS - EXPERIMENT * Introduction to multiparticle dynamics at RHIC * First results from the STAR experiment at RHIC * Preliminary results from the PHENIX experiment at RHIC * Forward energy and multiplicity in Au-Au reactions at √ {s_{nn} } = 130{text{GeV}} * Results from the PHOBOS experiment on Au+Au collisions at RHIC * Strangeness production in Pb-Pb collisions at the CERN SPS: Results from the WA97 experiment * Direct photon production in 158A GeV 208Pb+208Pb collisions * Search for critical phenomena in Pb+Pb collisions * Recent NA49 results on Pb+Pb collisions at CERN SPS * J/ψ suppression in Pb+Pb collisions at CERN SPS * RELATIVISTIC HEAVY ION COLLISIONS - THEORY * Hyperon ratios at RHIC and the coalescence predictions at mid-rapidity * Dynamics of nuclear collisions and the dependence of the onset of anomalous J/ψ suppression on nucleon numbers of colliding nuclei * Multi-boson effects in Bose-Einstein interferometry * The source of the "third flow component" * Collective flow and multiparticle azimuthal correlations * Microscopic strangeness enhancement mechanisms at the SPS * Jet quenching at finite opacity and its application at RHIC energy * Particle rapidity density and collective phenomena in heavy ion collisions * Elliptic flow from an on-shell parton cascade * Dilepton production in ultrarelativistic heavy ion collisions * Coulomb and core/halo corrections to Bose-Einstein n-particle correlations * CP VIOLATION IN MULTIPARTICLE DYNAMICS * New results from NA48 experiment on neutral kaon rare decays * Measurement of direct CP violation by the NA48 experiment at CERN * Aspects of parity, CP, and time reversal violation in hot QCD * Decay of parity odd bubbles * Parity and time reversal studies at RHIC * Constraining CP-violating TGCS and measuring W-polarization at OPAL * Buckyballs of QCD: Gluon junction networks * List of participants

Preface: Special issue featuring papers from the International Conference on Nonequilibrium Carrier Dynamics in Semiconductors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reggiani, L.; Bordone, P.; Brunetti, R.

2004-02-01

The International Conference on Nonequilibrium Carrier Dynamics in Semiconductors (HCIS-13) celebrates 30 years since it first took place in Modena. Nonequilibrium dynamics of charge carriers, pioneered by the hot-electron concept, is an important issue for understanding electro-optic transport properties in semiconductor materials and structures. In these 30 years several topics have matured, and new ones have emerged thus fertilizing the field with a variety of physical problems and new ideas. The history of the conference is summarized in the opening paper `30 years of HCIS'. The future of the conference seems secure considering the continued lively interest of the participants. The conference addressed eleven major topics which constitute the backbone of the proceedings and are summarized as follows: carrier transport in low dimensional and nanostructure systems, nonequilibrium carriers in superlattices and devices, small devices and related phenomena, carrier dynamics and fluctuations, carrier quantum dynamics, coherent/incoherent carrier dynamics of optical excitations and ultra-fast optical phenomena, nonlinear optical effects, transport in organic matter, semiconductor-based spintronics, coherent dynamics in solid state systems for quantum processing and communication, novel materials and devices. Nanometric space scale and femtosecond time scale represent the ultimate domains of theoretical, experimental and practical interest. Traditional fields such as bulk properties, quantum transport, fluctuations and chaotic phenomena, etc, have received thorough and continuous attention. Emerging fields from previous conferences, such as quantum processing and communication, have been better assessed. New fields, such as spintronics and electron transport in organic matter, have appeared for the first time. One plenary talk, 11 invited talks, 230 submitted abstracts covering all these topics constituted a single-session conference. Following scientific selection through the Advisory and Program Committees and peer review, 162 papers were selected for publication by the Institute of Physics Publishing in this special issue of Semiconductor Science and Technology. The financial support that allowed conference organization and helped researchers with budget difficulties to attend came from the following institutions which are gratefully acknowledged: Office of Naval Research (ONR), Defense Advanced Research Project Agency (DARPA), Office of Naval Research International Field Office (ONRIFO), International Union of Pure and Applied Physics (IUPAP), Italian Ministry of Education University and Research (MIUR), National Institute for the Physics of Matter (INFM), University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Dipartimento di Ingegneria dell’ Innovazione of the Lecce University. Finally, sincere thanks are addressed to the technical staff who provided assistance during the conference: G Angelone, M Benassi, F Grossi, M Leuzzi, A Magnani, S Montanto, L Zagni and D Zanfi. The staff of the University Press Office together with F Goggi and N Minto are acknowledged for their excellent job in printing the conference documents.

Effect of fast electrons on the stability of resistive interchange modes in the TJ-II stellarator

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

García, L.; Ochando, M. A.; Hidalgo, C.

2016-06-15

In this paper, we report on electromagnetic phenomena in low-β plasmas at the TJ-II stellarator, controlled by external heating. To understand the observations qualitatively, we introduce a simple modification of the standard resistive MHD equations, to include the potential impact of fast electrons on instabilities. The dominant instabilities of the modeling regime are resistive interchange modes, and calculations are performed in a configuration with similar characteristics as the TJ-II stellarator. The main effect of the trapping of fast electrons by magnetic islands induced by MHD instabilities is to increase the magnetic component of the fluctuations, changing the character of themore » instability to tearing-like and modifying the frequency of the modes. These effects seem to be consistent with some of the experimental observations.« less

A Multi-agent Based Cooperative Voltage and Reactive Power Control

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ishida, Masato; Nagata, Takeshi; Saiki, Hiroshi; Shimada, Ikuhiko; Hatano, Ryousuke

In order to maintain system voltage within the optimal range and prevent voltage instability phenomena before they occur, a variety of phase modifying equipment is installed in optimal locations throughout the power system network and a variety of methods of voltage reactive control are employed. The proposed system divided the traditional method to control voltage and reactive power into two sub problems; “voltage control” to adjust the secondary bus voltage of substations, and “reactive power control” to adjust the primary bus voltage. In this system, two types of agents are installed in substations in order to cooperate “voltage control” and “reactive power control”. In order to verify the performance of the proposed method, it has been applied to the model network system. The results confirm that our proposed method is able to control violent fluctuations in load.

Stability and Metastability of Trapless Bose-Einstein Condensates and Quantum Liquids

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zloshchastiev, Konstantin G.

2017-07-01

Various kinds of Bose-Einstein condensates are considered, which evolve without any geometric constraints or external trap potentials including gravitational. For studies of their collective oscillations and stability, including the metastability and macroscopic tunneling phenomena, both the variational approach and the Vakhitov-Kolokolov (VK) criterion are employed; calculations are done for condensates of an arbitrary spatial dimension. It is determined that that the trapless condensate described by the logarithmic wave equation is essentially stable, regardless of its dimensionality, while the trapless condensates described by wave equations of a polynomial type with respect to the wavefunction, such as the Gross-Pitaevskii (cubic), cubic-quintic, and so on, are at best metastable. This means that trapless "polynomial" condensates are unstable against spontaneous delocalization caused by fluctuations of their width, density and energy, leading to a finite lifetime.

Impact of pairing on clustering and neutrino transport properties in low-density stellar matter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Burrello, S.; Colonna, M.; Matera, F.

2017-11-01

We analyze the effects of pairing correlations on the behavior of stellar matter, focusing on thermodynamical conditions close to the onset of the liquid-gas phase transition, which are characterized by quite large density fluctuations and where clustering phenomena occur. We concentrate on the neutrino transport properties and we show, within a thermodynamical treatment, that at moderate temperatures, where pairing effects are still active, the scattering of neutrinos in the nuclear medium is significantly affected by the matter superfluidity. The pairing correlations can indeed enhance neutrino trapping and reduce the energy flux carried out by neutrino emission. New hints about an important impact of pairing on the cooling mechanism, by neutrino emission, are so envisaged and therefore this study could be of relevant interest for the evolution of proto-neutron stars and in modelization of supernova explosions.

Towards ab initio Calculations with the Dynamical Vertex Approximation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Galler, Anna; Kaufmann, Josef; Gunacker, Patrik; Pickem, Matthias; Thunström, Patrik; Tomczak, Jan M.; Held, Karsten

2018-04-01

While key effects of the many-body problem — such as Kondo and Mott physics — can be understood in terms of on-site correlations, non-local fluctuations of charge, spin, and pairing amplitudes are at the heart of the most fascinating and unresolved phenomena in condensed matter physics. Here, we review recent progress in diagrammatic extensions to dynamical mean-field theory for ab initio materials calculations. We first recapitulate the quantum field theoretical background behind the two-particle vertex. Next we discuss latest algorithmic advances in quantum Monte Carlo simulations for calculating such two-particle quantities using worm sampling and vertex asymptotics, before giving an introduction to the ab initio dynamical vertex approximation (AbinitioDΓA). Finally, we highlight the potential of AbinitioDΓA by detailing results for the prototypical correlated metal SrVO3.

Satellite-borne study of seismic phenomena by low frequency magnetic field observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schwingenschuh, Konrad; Magnes, Werner; Xuhui, Shen; Wang, Jindong; Pollinger, Andreas; Hagen, Christian; Prattes, Gustav; Eichelberger, Hans-Ulrich; Wolbang, Daniel; Boudjada, Mohammed Y.; Besser, Bruno P.; Rozhnoi, Alexander A.; Zhang, Tielong

2015-04-01

A combined scalar-vector magnetic field experiment will be flown on the upcoming CSES mission (China Seismo-Electromagnetic Satellite). Magnetic field data from DC to 30 Hz will be measured with an accuracy of about 10 pT. A fluxgate instrument will provide the 3 magnetic field components and a new type of an optically pumped magnetometer [see Pollinger, 2010] will measure the magnitude of the ambient magnetic field. The satellite will operate in a Sun synchronous polar orbit at an altitude of about 500 km and with an inclination of 97°. We present a model of magnetic field fluctuations in the upper ionosphere based on previous satellite observations and on a model of the lithospheric-atmospheric-ionospheric coupling. Pollinger et al., CDSM-a new scalar magnetometer, EGU General Assembly 2010

Transport and Quantum Coherence in Graphene Rings: Aharonov-Bohm Oscillations, Klein Tunneling, and Particle Localization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Filusch, Alexander; Wurl, Christian; Pieper, Andreas; Fehske, Holger

2018-06-01

Simulating quantum transport through mesoscopic, ring-shaped graphene structures, we address various quantum coherence and interference phenomena. First, a perpendicular magnetic field, penetrating the graphene ring, gives rise to Aharonov-Bohm oscillations in the conductance as a function of the magnetic flux, on top of the universal conductance fluctuations. At very high fluxes, the interference gets suppressed and quantum Hall edge channels develop. Second, applying an electrostatic potential to one of the ring arms, nn'n- or npn-junctions can be realized with particle transmission due to normal tunneling or Klein tunneling. In the latter case, the Aharonov-Bohm oscillations weaken for smooth barriers. Third, if potential disorder comes in to play, both Aharonov-Bohm and Klein tunneling effects rate down, up to the point where particle localization sets in.

Hidden imperfect synchronization of wall turbulence.

PubMed

Tardu, Sedat F

2010-03-01

Instantaneous amplitude and phase concept emerging from analytical signal formulation is applied to the wavelet coefficients of streamwise velocity fluctuations in the buffer layer of a near wall turbulent flow. Experiments and direct numerical simulations show both the existence of long periods of inert zones wherein the local phase is constant. These regions are separated by random phase jumps. The local amplitude is globally highly intermittent, but not in the phase locked regions wherein it varies smoothly. These behaviors are reminiscent of phase synchronization phenomena observed in stochastic chaotic systems. The lengths of the constant phase inert (laminar) zones reveal a type I intermittency behavior, in concordance with saddle-node bifurcation, and the periodic orbits of saddle nature recently identified in Couette turbulence. The imperfect synchronization is related to the footprint of coherent Reynolds shear stress producing eddies convecting in the low buffer.

Studying Solar Wind Properties Around CIRs and Their Effects on GCR Modulation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ghanbari, K.; Florinski, V. A.

2017-12-01

Corotating interaction region (CIR) events occur when a fast solar wind stream overtakes slow solar wind, forming a compression region ahead and a rarefaction region behind in the fast solar wind. Usually this phenomena occurs along with a crossing of heliospheric current sheet which is the surface separating solar magnetic fields of opposing polarities. In this work, the solar plasma data provided by the ACE science center are utilized to do a superposed epoch analysis on solar parameters including proton density, proton temperature, solar wind speed and solar magnetic field in order to study how the variations of these parameters affect the modulation of galactic cosmic rays. Magnetic fluctuation variances in different parts a of CIR are computed and analyzed using similar techniques in order to understand the cosmic-ray diffusive transport in these regions.

Unified presentation of four fundamental inequalities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lajzerowicz, Joseph; Lehoucq, Roland; Graner, François

2018-03-01

We suggest an unified presentation to teach fundamental constants to graduate students, by introducing four lower limits to observed phenomena. The reduced Planck constant ℏ is the lowest classically definable action. The inverse of invariant speed, s, is the lowest observable slowness. The Planck time, {t}{{P}}, is the lowest observable time scale. The Boltzmann constant, k, determines the lowest coherent degree of freedom; we recall an Einstein criterion on the fluctuations of small thermal systems and show that it has far-reaching implications, such as demonstrating the relations between critical exponents. Each of these four fundamental limits enters in an inequality, which marks a horizon of the Universe we can perceive. This compact presentation can resolve some difficulties encountered when trying to defining the epistemologic status of these constants, and emphasizes their useful role in shaping our intuitive vision of the Universe.

Numerical Simulations of Strong MHD Turbulence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mason, J.; Cattaneo, F.; Boldyrev, S.

2007-11-01

Magnetohydrodynamic turbulence plays an important role in many astrophysical phenomena, including the solar wind, angular momentum transport in accretion disks and interstellar scintillation. Despite more than 40 years of investigations much within the subject remains controversial. Recently a new theory has been developed [1, 2]. It predicts a scale-dependent dynamic alignment between the velocity and magnetic fluctuations and leads to the field-perpendicular energy spectrum E(k)k-3/2. Here we discuss this new theory and present the results of a series of numerical tests. Quantities measured include the alignment angle, the spectrum and the third order structure functions for which the exact relations due to Politano & Pouquet [3] hold. [1] Boldyrev, S. (2005) Astrophys. J. 626, L37. [2] Boldyrev, S. (2006) Phys. Rev. Lett. 96, 115002. [3] Politano, H. & Pouquet, A. (1998) Geophys. Res. Lett. 25, 273.

Noise analysis for CCD-based ultraviolet and visible spectrophotometry.

PubMed

Davenport, John J; Hodgkinson, Jane; Saffell, John R; Tatam, Ralph P

2015-09-20

We present the results of a detailed analysis of the noise behavior of two CCD spectrometers in common use, an AvaSpec-3648 CCD UV spectrometer and an Ocean Optics S2000 Vis spectrometer. Light sources used include a deuterium UV/Vis lamp and UV and visible LEDs. Common noise phenomena include source fluctuation noise, photoresponse nonuniformity, dark current noise, fixed pattern noise, and read noise. These were identified and characterized by varying light source, spectrometer settings, or temperature. A number of noise-limiting techniques are proposed, demonstrating a best-case spectroscopic noise equivalent absorbance of 3.5×10(-4)  AU for the AvaSpec-3648 and 5.6×10(-4)  AU for the Ocean Optics S2000 over a 30 s integration period. These techniques can be used on other CCD spectrometers to optimize performance.

REVIEWS OF TOPICAL PROBLEMS: The hydromagnetic dynamo as the source of planetary, solar, and galactic magnetism

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zeldovich, Ya B.; Ruzmaĭkin, A. A.

1987-06-01

The magnetism of most celestial bodies, i.e., planets, stars, and galaxies, is of hydromagnetic origin. The turbulent hydromagnetic dynamo is the principal mechanism whereby the magnetic field is amplified and maintained, and the theory of this phenomenon has advanced significantly in recent years. This review discusses applications of the theory of the turbulent dynamo to real objects, taking the Sun, the Earth, and the Galaxy as examples. Most of the discussion is concentrated on the large-scale magnetic field averaged over turbulent fluctuations. The average field is amplified and maintained by the average helicity of turbulent motion and large-scale shear flows such as differential rotation. The dynamo theory explains striking phenomena such as geomagnetic field reversal, the solar cycle, and the ring and bisymmetric structure of spiral galaxies.

Propulsive jet simulation with air and helium in launcher wake flows

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stephan, Sören; Radespiel, Rolf

2017-06-01

The influence on the turbulent wake of a generic space launcher model due to the presence of an under-expanded jet is investigated experimentally. Wake flow phenomena represent a significant source of uncertainties in the design of a space launcher. Especially critical are dynamic loads on the structure. The wake flow is investigated at supersonic (M=2.9) and hypersonic (M=5.9) flow regimes. The jet flow is simulated using air and helium as working gas. Due to the lower molar mass of helium, higher jet velocities are realized, and therefore, velocity ratios similar to space launchers can be simulated. The degree of under-expansion of the jet is moderate for the supersonic case (p_e/p_∞ ≈ 5) and high for the hypersonic case (p_e/p_∞ ≈ 90). The flow topology is described by Schlieren visualization and mean-pressure measurements. Unsteady pressure measurements are performed to describe the dynamic wake flow. The influences of the under-expanded jet and different jet velocities are reported. On the base fluctuations at a Strouhal number, around St_D ≈ 0.25 dominate for supersonic free-stream flows. With air jet, a fluctuation-level increase on the base is observed for Strouhal numbers above St_D ≈ 0.75 in hypersonic flow regime. With helium jet, distinct peaks at higher frequencies are found. This is attributed to the interactions of wake flow and jet.

Pedestal and edge electrostatic turbulence characteristics from an XGC1 gyrokinetic simulation

DOE PAGES

Churchill, R. M.; Chang, C. S.; Ku, S.; ...

2017-08-30

Understanding the multi-scale neoclassical and turbulence physics in the edge region (pedestal + scrape-off layer (SOL)) is required in order to reliably predict performance in future fusion devices. We explore turbulent characteristics in the edge region from a multi-scale neoclassical and turbulent XGC1 gyrokinetic simulation in a DIII-D like tokamak geometry, here excluding neutrals and collisions. For an H-mode type plasma with steep pedestal, it is found that the electron density fluctuations increase towards the separatrix, and stay high well into the SOL, reaching a maximum value ofmore » $$\\delta {n}_{e}/{\\bar{n}}_{e}\\sim 0.18$$. Blobs are observed, born around the magnetic separatrix surface and propagate radially outward with velocities generally less than 1 km s –1. Strong poloidal motion of the blobs is also present, near 20 km s –1, consistent with E × B rotation. The electron density fluctuations show a negative skewness in the closed field-line pedestal region, consistent with the presence of 'holes', followed by a transition to strong positive skewness across the separatrix and into the SOL. These simulations indicate that not only neoclassical phenomena, but also turbulence, including the blob-generation mechanism, can remain important in the steep H-mode pedestal and SOL. Lastly, qualitative comparisons will be made to experimental observations.« less

Turbulent flame spreading mechanisms after spark ignition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Subramanian, V.; Domingo, Pascale; Vervisch, Luc

2009-12-01

Numerical simulation of forced ignition is performed in the framework of Large-Eddy Simulation (LES) combined with a tabulated detailed chemistry approach. The objective is to reproduce the flame properties observed in a recent experimental work reporting probability of ignition in a laboratory-scale burner operating with Methane/air non premixed mixture [1]. The smallest scales of chemical phenomena, which are unresolved by the LES grid, are approximated with a flamelet model combined with presumed probability density functions, to account for the unresolved part of turbulent fluctuations of species and temperature. Mono-dimensional flamelets are simulated using GRI-3.0 [2] and tabulated under a set of parameters describing the local mixing and progress of reaction. A non reacting case was simulated at first, to study the unsteady velocity and mixture fields. The time averaged velocity and mixture fraction, and their respective turbulent fluctuations, are compared against the experimental measurements, in order to estimate the prediction capabilities of LES. The time history of axial and radial components of velocity and mixture fraction is cumulated and analysed for different burner regimes. Based on this information, spark ignition is mimicked on selected ignition spots and the dynamics of kernel development analyzed to be compared against the experimental observations. The possible link between the success or failure of the ignition and the flow conditions (in terms of velocity and composition) at the sparking time are then explored.

Observation of finite-. beta. MHD phenomena in tokamaks

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

McGuire, K.M.

1984-09-01

Stable high-beta plasmas are required for the tokamak to attain an economical fusion reactor. Recently, intense neutral beam heating experiments in tokamaks have shown new effects on plasma stability and confinement associated with high beta plasmas. The observed spectrum of MHD fluctuations at high beta is clearly dominated by the n = 1 mode when the q = 1 surface is in the plasma. The m/n = 1/1 mode drives other n = 1 modes through toroidal coupling and n > 1 modes through nonlinear coupling. On PDX, with near perpendicular injection, a resonant interaction between the n = 1more » internal kink and the trapped fast ions results in loss of beam particles and heating power. Key parameters in the theory are the value of q/sub 0/ and the injection angle. High frequency broadband magnetic fluctuations have been observed on ISX-B and D-III and a correlation with the deterioration of plasma confinement was reported. During enhanced confinement (H-mode) discharges in divertor plasmas, two new edge instabilities were observed, both localized radially near the separatrix. By assembling results from the different tokamak experiments, it is found that the simple theoretical ideal MHD beta limit has not been exceeded. Whether this represents an ultimate tokamak limit or if beta optimized configurations (Dee- or bean-shaped plasmas) can exceed this limit and perhaps enter a second regime of stability remains to be clarified.« less

The role of dimension and shape in colloidal liquids and glasses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vivek, Skanda

In two-dimensions, the laws of physics give rise to intriguing phenomena such as long-range correlations that do not decay at infinity. However, reality can only be quasi-2D at best. This thesis is an effort to bridge the gap between 2D theory and reality, by doing experiments. Here we consider two different model systems - soap films as 2D fluids, and 2D colloidal glass formers. We look at diffusion of tracer particles in soap films and test the validity of 2D theory. We find that for thin films, both 2D surface viscosity and 3D viscosity are important. To a good approximation, soap films are thin films and can be considered 2D for flow. Next, we look at glassy dynamics in 2D and 3D colloidal glass formers. We demonstrate that the differences between 2D and 3D are long-wavelength fluctuations, precisely those that distinguish 2D and 3D phase transitions. Through a novel analysis method that removes the influence of these fluctuations, we show that 2D and 3D glass transitions are otherwise similar. Finally, we look at the effect of shape anisotropy of dimers in 2D glasses, and find that glass dynamics are highly dependent on shape, both in experiments and simulations. These colloidal and simulation results are a prediction of aspect ratio dependent diffusion in real glasses.

Chocolate: food or drug?

PubMed

Bruinsma, K; Taren, D L

1999-10-01

Although addictive behavior is generally associated with drug and alcohol abuse or compulsive sexual activity, chocolate may evoke similar psychopharmacologic and behavioral reactions in susceptible persons. A review of the literature on chocolate cravings indicates that the hedonic appeal of chocolate (fat, sugar, texture, and aroma) is likely to be a predominant factor in such cravings. Other characteristics of chocolate, however, may be equally as important contributors to the phenomena of chocolate cravings. Chocolate may be used by some as a form of self-medication for dietary deficiencies (eg, magnesium) or to balance low levels of neurotransmitters involved in the regulation of mood, food intake, and compulsive behaviors (eg, serotonin and dopamine). Chocolate cravings are often episodic and fluctuate with hormonal changes just before and during the menses, which suggests a hormonal link and confirms the assumed gender-specific nature of chocolate cravings. Chocolate contains several biologically active constituents (methylxanthines, biogenic amines, and cannabinoid-like fatty acids), all of which potentially cause abnormal behaviors and psychological sensations that parallel those of other addictive substances. Most likely, a combination of chocolate's sensory characteristics, nutrient composition, and psychoactive ingredients, compounded with monthly hormonal fluctuations and mood swings among women, will ultimately form the model of chocolate cravings. Dietetics professionals must be aware that chocolate cravings are real. The psychopharmacologic and chemosensory effects of chocolate must be considered when formulating recommendations for overall healthful eating and for treatment of nutritionally related health issues.

Multi-field/-scale interactions of turbulence with neoclassical tearing mode magnetic islands in the DIII-D tokamak

DOE PAGES

Bardoczi, Laszlo; Rhodes, Terry L.; Navarro, Alejandro Banon; ...

2017-03-03

We present the first localized measurements of long and intermediate wavelength turbulent density fluctuations (more » $$\\sim\\atop{n}$$) and long wavelength turbulent electron temperature fluctuations ($$\\sim\\atop{T}$$ e) modified by m/n = 2/1 Neoclassical Tearing Mode (NTM) islands (m and n are the poloidal and toroidal mode numbers, respectively). These long and intermediate wavelengths correspond to the expected Ion Temperature Gradient and Trapped Electron Mode scales, respectively. Two regimes have been observed when tracking $$\\sim\\atop{n}$$ during NTM evolution: (1) small islands are characterized by a steep T e radial profile and turbulence levels comparable to those of the background; (2) large islands have a flat T e profile and reduced turbulence level at the O-point. Radially outside the large island, the T e profile is steeper and the turbulence level increased compared to the no or small island case. Reduced turbulence at the O-point compared to the X-point leads to a 15% modulation of $$\\sim\\atop{n}$$ 2 across the island that is nearly in phase with the T e modulation. Qualitative comparisons to the GENE non-linear gyrokinetic code are promising with GENE replicating the observed scaling of turbulence modification with island size. Furthermore, these results are significant as they allow the validation of gyrokinetic simulations modeling the interaction of these multi-scale phenomena.« less

Analysis in natural time domain of geoelectric time series monitored prior two strong earthquakes occurred in Mexico

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ramírez-Rojas, A.; Flores-Marquez, L. E.

2009-12-01

The short-time prediction of seismic phenomena is currently an important problem in the scientific community. In particular, the electromagnetic processes associated with seismic events take in great interest since the VAN method was implemented. The most important features of this methodology are the seismic electrical signals (SES) observed prior to strong earthquakes. SES has been observed in the electromagnetic series linked to EQs in Greece, Japan and Mexico. By mean of the so-called natural time domain, introduced by Varotsos et al. (2001), they could characterize signals of dichotomic nature observed in different systems, like SES and ionic current fluctuations in membrane channels. In this work we analyze SES observed in geoelectric time series monitored in Guerrero, México. Our analysis concern with two strong earthquakes occurred, on October 24, 1993 (M=6.6) and September 14, 1995 (M=7.3). The time series of the first one displayed a seismic electric signal six days before the main shock and for the second case the time series displayed dichotomous-like fluctuations some months before the EQ. In this work we present the first results of the analysis in natural time domain for the two cases which seems to be agreeing with the results reported by Varotsos. P. Varotsos, N. Sarlis, and E. Skordas, Practica of the Athens Academy 76, 388 (2001).

A stochastic approach for quantifying immigrant integration: the Spanish test case

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Agliari, Elena; Barra, Adriano; Contucci, Pierluigi; Sandell, Richard; Vernia, Cecilia

2014-10-01

We apply stochastic process theory to the analysis of immigrant integration. Using a unique and detailed data set from Spain, we study the relationship between local immigrant density and two social and two economic immigration quantifiers for the period 1999-2010. As opposed to the classic time-series approach, by letting immigrant density play the role of ‘time’ and the quantifier the role of ‘space,’ it becomes possible to analyse the behavior of the quantifiers by means of continuous time random walks. Two classes of results are then obtained. First, we show that social integration quantifiers evolve following diffusion law, while the evolution of economic quantifiers exhibits ballistic dynamics. Second, we make predictions of best- and worst-case scenarios taking into account large local fluctuations. Our stochastic process approach to integration lends itself to interesting forecasting scenarios which, in the hands of policy makers, have the potential to improve political responses to integration problems. For instance, estimating the standard first-passage time and maximum-span walk reveals local differences in integration performance for different immigration scenarios. Thus, by recognizing the importance of local fluctuations around national means, this research constitutes an important tool to assess the impact of immigration phenomena on municipal budgets and to set up solid multi-ethnic plans at the municipal level as immigration pressures build.

Learning about the very local interstellar medium from the Voyagers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Florinski, V. A.; Guo, X.; Burlaga, L. F.

2017-12-01

The outer heliosheath is the region in front of the heliopause affected by the interaction between the solar wind and the flow of interstellar gas. Voyager 1 has been exploring this region for over five years uncovering a number of remarkable phenomena not present elsewhere in space directly accessible by spacecraft. The very local interstellar medium (VLISM) is characterized by remarkably low levels of magnetic fluctuation intensities presenting a nearly scatter free environment for energetic particle propagation. The fluctuations have power law spectra and probably belong to the inertial range of a turbulent cascade fed by a variety of sources, including large and kinetic scale instabilities and the inner heliosheath structures transmitted across the heliopause. While the fluxes of galactic cosmic rays are, on average, very steady in the VLISM, in agreement with theoretical expectations, they also show episodic depletions at the 90 degree pitch angle. These anisotropy events may be associated with the passage of weak compressive magnetic structures resembling shock waves, but with ramp widths orders of magnitude broader than the relevant kinetic plasma scales. The key to understanding the VLISM lies in recognizing the interconnections between the magnetic field data, which has a "local" character, the highly mobile cosmic rays that sample vast regions of space along magnetic field lines, and neutral atom populations measured by IBEX that can reveal kinetic scale physics of energetic ions produced in charge exchange events.

Modeling the influence of string collective phenomena on the long range rapidity correlations between the transverse momentum and the multiplicities

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Andronov, E.; Vechernin, V.

2016-01-22

The long-range rapidity correlations between the multiplicities (n-n) and the transverse momentum and the multiplicity (pT-n) of charge particles are analyzed in the framework of the simple string inspired model with two types of sources. The sources of the first type correspond to the initial strings formed in a hadronic collision. The sources of the second type imitate the appearance of the emitters of a new kind resulting from interaction (fusion) of the initial strings. The model enabled to describe effectively the influence of the string fusion effects on the strength both the n-n and the pT-n correlations. It wasmore » found that in the region, where the process of string fusion comes into play, the calculation results predict the non-monotonic behaviour of the n-n and pT-n correlation coefficients with the growth of the mean number of initial strings, i.e. with the increase of the collision centrality. It was shown also that the increase of the event-by-event fluctuation in the number of primary strings leads to the change of the pT-n correlation sign from negative to positive. One can try to search these signatures of string collective phenomena in interactions of various nuclei at different energies varying the class of collision centrality and its width.« less

Glacier Geophysics: Dynamic response of glaciers to changing climate may shed light on processes in the earth's interior.

PubMed

Kamb, B

1964-10-16

From physical measurements on glaciers and experimental studies of ice properties a framework of concept and theory is being built which bids fair to place glaciers among the more quantitatively understandable phenomena in the earth sciences. Measurements of flow velocity, deformation and stress, ice thickness and channel configuration, temperature, internal structure of theice, mass and energy balance, and response to meteorological variables all contribute to this understanding, as do still other measurements hardly discussed here, such as electrical properties, radioactive age measurements, and detailed studies of chemical and isotopic composition. The obvious goals of this work-the interpretation of past and present glacier fluctuations in terms of changes in world climate, and the prediction of glacier behavior-remain elusive, even though a good conceptual groundwork has been laid for dealing with the more tractable aspects of these problems. Intriguing recent discoveries have been made about such matters as the way in which glaciers react dynamically to changing conditions, the inter-relations between thermal regime and ice motion, the structural mechanisms of glacier flow, and the changes produced in ice by flow. One can recognize in these developments the possibility that concepts derived from the study of glacier flow may be applicable to phenomena of solid deformation deep in the earth. In this way glacier geophysics may have a useful impact beyond the study of glaciers themselves.

Materials perspective on Casimir and van der Waals interactions

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Woods, L. M.; Dalvit, D. A. R.; Tkatchenko, A.

Interactions induced by electromagnetic fluctuations, such as van der Waals and Casimir forces, are of universal nature present at any length scale between any types of systems. In such interactions these are important not only for the fundamental science of materials behavior, but also for the design and improvement of micro- and nanostructured devices. In the past decade, many new materials have become available, which has stimulated the need for understanding their dispersive interactions. The field of van der Waals and Casimir forces has experienced an impetus in terms of developing novel theoretical and computational methods to provide new insightsmore » into related phenomena. The understanding of such forces has far reaching consequences as it bridges concepts in materials, atomic and molecular physics, condensed-matter physics, high-energy physics, chemistry, and biology. Our review summarizes major breakthroughs and emphasizes the common origin of van der Waals and Casimir interactions. Progress related to novel ab initio modeling approaches and their application in various systems, interactions in materials with Dirac-like spectra, force manipulations through nontrivial boundary conditions, and applications of van der Waals forces in organic and biological matter are examined. Finally, the outlook of the review is to give the scientific community a materials perspective of van der Waals and Casimir phenomena and stimulate the development of experimental techniques and applications.« less

Materials perspective on Casimir and van der Waals interactions

DOE PAGES

Woods, L. M.; Dalvit, D. A. R.; Tkatchenko, A.; ...

2016-11-02

Interactions induced by electromagnetic fluctuations, such as van der Waals and Casimir forces, are of universal nature present at any length scale between any types of systems. In such interactions these are important not only for the fundamental science of materials behavior, but also for the design and improvement of micro- and nanostructured devices. In the past decade, many new materials have become available, which has stimulated the need for understanding their dispersive interactions. The field of van der Waals and Casimir forces has experienced an impetus in terms of developing novel theoretical and computational methods to provide new insightsmore » into related phenomena. The understanding of such forces has far reaching consequences as it bridges concepts in materials, atomic and molecular physics, condensed-matter physics, high-energy physics, chemistry, and biology. Our review summarizes major breakthroughs and emphasizes the common origin of van der Waals and Casimir interactions. Progress related to novel ab initio modeling approaches and their application in various systems, interactions in materials with Dirac-like spectra, force manipulations through nontrivial boundary conditions, and applications of van der Waals forces in organic and biological matter are examined. Finally, the outlook of the review is to give the scientific community a materials perspective of van der Waals and Casimir phenomena and stimulate the development of experimental techniques and applications.« less

EDITORIAL: Fluctuations and noise in photonics and quantum optics: a special issue in memory of Hermann Haus

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abbott, Derek; Shapiro, Jeffrey H.; Yamamoto, Yoshihisa

2004-08-01

This Special Issue of Journal of Optics B: Quantum and Semiclassical Optics brings together the contributions of various researchers working on theoretical and experimental aspects of fluctuational phenomena in photonics and quantum optics. The topics discussed in this issue extend from fundamental physics to applications of noise and fluctuational methods from quantum to classical systems, and include: bullet Quantum measurement bullet Quantum squeezing bullet Solitons and fibres bullet Gravitational wave inferometers bullet Fluorescence phenomena bullet Cavity QED bullet Photon statistics bullet Noise in lasers and laser systems bullet Quantum computing and information bullet Quantum lithography bullet Teleportation. This Special Issue is published in connection with the SPIE International Symposium on Fluctuations and Noise, held in Santa Fe, New Mexico, on 1-4 June 2003. The symposium contained six parallel conferences, and the papers in this Special Issue are connected to the conference entitled `Fluctuations and Noise in Photonics and Quantum Optics'. This was the first in a series of symposia organized with the support of the SPIE that have greatly contributed to progress in this area. The co-founders of the symposium series were Laszlo B Kish (Texas A&M University) and Derek Abbott (The University of Adelaide). The Chairs of the `Fluctuations and Noise in Photonics and Quantum Optics' conference were Derek Abbott, Jeffrey H Shapiro and Yoshihisa Yamamoto. The practical aspects of the organization were ably handled by Kristi Kelso and Marilyn Gorsuch of the SPIE, USA. Sadly, less than two weeks before the conference, Hermann A Haus passed away. Hermann Haus was a founding father of the field of noise in optics and quantum optics. He submitted three papers to the conference and was very excited to attend; as can be seen in the collection of papers, he was certainly present in spirit. In honour of his creativity and pioneering work in this field, we have dedicated this Special Issue to him. The first item is an obituary reflecting on his life and work. The first technical paper in this issue represents Hermann’s last sole author publication; a special thanks is due to A P Flitney for organizing this manuscript into publishable form. We thank the members of the International Programme Committee, listed below, and all those who contributed to making the event such a success. At this point we take the opportunity to express our gratitude to both the authors and reviewers, for their unfailing efforts in preparing and ensuring the high quality of the papers in this Special Issue. International Programme Committee David A Cardimona Air Force Research Laboratory, USA Howard Carmichael University of Auckland, New Zealand Carlton M Caves University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, USA Peter D Drummond University of Queensland, St Lucia, Australia Paul J Edwards University of Canberra, Australia Luca Gammaitoni Università degli Studi di Perugia, Italy Brage Golding Michigan State University, East Lansing, USA Gabriela Gonzalez Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, USA Guangcan Guo University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China Salman Habib Los Alamos National Laboratory, NM, USA Murray Hamilton University of Adelaide, Australia Bei-Lok Hu University of Maryland/College Park, USA Daniel K Johnstone Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, USA Franz X Kärtner Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, USA Prem Kumar Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA Zachary Lemnios DARPA, Arlington, VA, USA Gerd Leuchs Friedrich-Alexander Universität Erlangen--Nürnberg, Germany Hideo Mabuchi California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, USA Peter W Milonni Los Alamos National Laboratory, NM, USA Adrian C Ottewill University College Dublin, Ireland Martin B Plenio Imperial College, London, UK Rajeev J Ram Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, USA Farhan Rana Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, USA Peter R Smith Loughborough University of Technology, UK Rodney S Tucker University of Melbourne, Australia Howard M Wiseman Griffith University, Brisbane, Australia Stuart A Wolf DARPA, Arlington, VA, USA Anton Zeilinger University of Vienna, Austria Xi-Cheng Zhang Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY, USA

Mathematical methods of studying physical phenomena

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Man'ko, Margarita A.

2013-03-01

In recent decades, substantial theoretical and experimental progress was achieved in understanding the quantum nature of physical phenomena that serves as the foundation of present and future quantum technologies. Quantum correlations like the entanglement of the states of composite systems, the phenomenon of quantum discord, which captures other aspects of quantum correlations, quantum contextuality and, connected with these phenomena, uncertainty relations for conjugate variables and entropies, like Shannon and Rényi entropies, and the inequalities for spin states, like Bell inequalities, reflect the recently understood quantum properties of micro and macro systems. The mathematical methods needed to describe all quantum phenomena mentioned above were also the subject of intense studies in the end of the last, and beginning of the new, century. In this section of CAMOP 'Mathematical Methods of Studying Physical Phenomena' new results and new trends in the rapidly developing domain of quantum (and classical) physics are presented. Among the particular topics under discussion there are some reviews on the problems of dynamical invariants and their relations with symmetries of the physical systems. In fact, this is a very old problem of both classical and quantum systems, e.g. the systems of parametric oscillators with time-dependent parameters, like Ermakov systems, which have specific constants of motion depending linearly or quadratically on the oscillator positions and momenta. Such dynamical invariants play an important role in studying the dynamical Casimir effect, the essence of the effect being the creation of photons from the vacuum in a cavity with moving boundaries due to the presence of purely quantum fluctuations of the electromagnetic field in the vacuum. It is remarkable that this effect was recently observed experimentally. The other new direction in developing the mathematical approach in physics is quantum tomography that provides a new vision of quantum states. In the tomographic picture of quantum mechanics, the states are identified with fair conditional probability distributions, which contain the same information on the states as the wave function or the density matrix. The mathematical methods of the tomographic approach are based on studying the star-product (associative product) quantization scheme. The tomographic star-product technique provides an additional understanding of the associative product, which is connected with the existence of specific pairs of operators called quantizers and dequantizers. These operators code information on the kernels of all the star-product schemes, including the traditional phase-space Weyl-Wigner-Moyal picture describing the quantum-system evolution. The new equation to find quantizers, if the kernel of the star product of functions is given, is presented in this CAMOP section. For studying classical systems, the mathematical methods developed in quantum mechanics can also be used. The case of paraxial-radiation beams propagating in waveguides is a known example of describing a purely classical phenomenon by means of quantum-like equations. Thus, some quantum phenomenon like the entanglement can be mimicked by the properties of classical beams, for example, Gaussian modes. The mathematical structures and relations to the symplectic symmetry group are analogous for both classical and quantum phenomena. Such analogies of the mathematical classical and quantum methods used in research on quantum-like communication channels provide new tools for constructing a theoretical basis of the new information-transmission technologies. The conventional quantum mechanics and its relation to classical mechanics contain mathematical recipes of the correspondence principle and quantization rules. Attempts to find rules for deriving the quantum-mechanical formalism starting from the classical field theory, taking into account the influence of classical fluctuations of the field, is considered in these papers. The methods to solve quantum equations and formulate the boundary conditions in the problems with singular potentials are connected with the mathematical problems of self-adjointness of the Hamiltonians. The progress and some new results in this direction are reflected in this CAMOP section. The Gaussian states of the photons play an important role in quantum optics. The multimode electromagnetic field and quantum correlations in the Gaussian states are considered in this section. The new results in the statistical properties of the laser radiation discussed here are based on applications of mathematical methods in this traditional domain of physics. It is worth stressing that the universality of the mathematical procedures permitted to consider the physical phenomena in the ocean is on the same footing as the phenomena in the microworld. In this CAMOP section, there are also papers devoted to traditional problems of solving the Schrödinger equation for interesting quantum systems. Recently obtained results related to different domains of theoretical physics are united by applying mathematical methods and tools, that provide new possibilities to better understand the theoretical foundations needed to develop new quantum technologies like quantum computing and quantum communications. The papers are arranged alphabetically by the name of the first author. We are grateful to all authors who accepted our invitation to contribute to this CAMOP section.

On the sloshing free surface in the draft tube cone of a Francis turbine operating in synchronous condenser mode

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vagnoni, E.; Andolfatto, L.; Avellan, F.

2017-04-01

Hydropower plants may be required to operate in synchronous condenser mode in order to supply reactive power to the grid for compensating the fluctuations introduced by the intermittent renewable energies such wind and solar. When operating in this mode, the tail water in the Francis turbine or pump-turbine is depressed below the runner by injecting pressurized air in order to spin in air to reduce the power consumption. Many air-water interaction phenomena occur in the machine causing air losses and a consequent power consumption to recover the air lost. In this paper, the experimental investigation of the sloshing motion in the cone of a dewatered Francis turbine performed by image visualization and pressure measurements is presented. The developed image post processing method for identifying the amplitude and frequency of the oscillation of the free surface is described and the results obtained are illustrated and discussed.

Non-equilibrium behaviour in coacervate-based protocells under electric-field-induced excitation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yin, Yudan; Niu, Lin; Zhu, Xiaocui; Zhao, Meiping; Zhang, Zexin; Mann, Stephen; Liang, Dehai

2016-02-01

Although numerous strategies are now available to generate rudimentary forms of synthetic cell-like entities, minimal progress has been made in the sustained excitation of artificial protocells under non-equilibrium conditions. Here we demonstrate that the electric field energization of coacervate microdroplets comprising polylysine and short single strands of DNA generates membrane-free protocells with complex, dynamical behaviours. By confining the droplets within a microfluidic channel and applying a range of electric field strengths, we produce protocells that exhibit repetitive cycles of vacuolarization, dynamical fluctuations in size and shape, chaotic growth and fusion, spontaneous ejection and sequestration of matter, directional capture of solute molecules, and pulsed enhancement of enzyme cascade reactions. Our results highlight new opportunities for the study of non-equilibrium phenomena in synthetic protocells, provide a strategy for inducing complex behaviour in electrostatically assembled soft matter microsystems and illustrate how dynamical properties can be activated and sustained in microcompartmentalized media.

Effects of Medieval Warm Period and Little Ice Age on the hydrology of Mediterranean region

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Markonis, Y.; Kossieris, P.; Lykou, A.; Koutsoyiannis, D.

2012-04-01

Medieval Warm Period (950 - 1250) and Little Ice Age (1450 - 1850) are the most recent periods that reflect the magnitude of natural climate variability. As their names suggest, the first one was characterized by higher temperatures and a generally moister climate, while the opposite happened during the second period. Although their existence is well documented for Northern Europe and North America, recent findings suggest strong evidence in lower latitudes as well. Here we analyze qualitatively the influence of these climatic fluctuations on the hydrological cycle all over the Mediterranean basin, highlighting the spatial characteristics of precipitation and runoff. We use both qualitative estimates from literature review in the field of paleoclimatology and statistical analysis of proxy data series. We investigate possible regional patterns and possible tele-connections with large scale atmospheric circulation phenomena such as North Atlantic Oscillation, Siberian High, African Sahel Rainfall and Indian Monsoon.

Suicide and changing values and beliefs in Ireland.

PubMed

Cleary, Anne; Brannick, Teresa

2007-01-01

This paper addresses some of the generalized theories explaining rising suicide rates in Ireland. The conclusion here is that linking suicide patterns to changing beliefs and values is problematic. Church attendance as well as adherence to traditional values remain high in this country compared to European levels, and variations in beliefs and values, especially rural/urban differences, do not fit with general explanations. Moreover, attitudes to value areas fluctuate in that justification for suicide--which showed an upward trend in the 1980s--was reversed in the 1990s, and this may have resulted from increased public focus and debate. Generalized explanations are unlikely to decipher complex phenomena such as suicidal behavior. Religious belief, if protective in relation to suicide, is unlikely to act alone. Social transformations have a differential impact depending on one's socio-economic positioning, which translates ideas of a general male vulnerability to suicide into focused areas of male distress.

Collisionless relaxation in spiral galaxy models

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hohl, F.

1974-01-01

The increase in random kinetic energy of stars by rapidly fluctuating gravitational fields (collisionless or violent relaxation) in disk galaxy models is investigated for three interaction potentials of the stars corresponding to (1) point stars, (2) rod stars of length 2 kpc, and (3) uniform density spherical stars of radius 2 kpc. To stabilize the galaxy against the large scale bar forming instability, a fixed field corresponding to a central core or halo component of stars was added with the stars containing at most 20 percent of the total mass of the galaxy. Considerable heating occurred for both the point stars and the rod stars, whereas the use of spherical stars resulted in a very low heating rate. The use of spherical stars with the resulting low heating rate will be desirable for the study of large scale galactic stability or density wave propagation, since collective heating effects will no longer mask the phenomena under study.

Critical phenomena in active matter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Paoluzzi, M.; Maggi, C.; Marini Bettolo Marconi, U.; Gnan, N.

2016-11-01

We investigate the effect of self-propulsion on a mean-field order-disorder transition. Starting from a φ4 scalar field theory subject to an exponentially correlated noise, we exploit the unified colored-noise approximation to map the nonequilibrium active dynamics onto an effective equilibrium one. This allows us to follow the evolution of the second-order critical point as a function of the noise parameters: the correlation time τ and the noise strength D . Our results suggest that the universality class of the model remains unchanged. We also estimate the effect of Gaussian fluctuations on the mean-field approximation finding an Ornstein-Zernike-like expression for the static structure factor at long wavelengths. Finally, to assess the validity of our predictions, we compare the mean-field theoretical results with numerical simulations of active Lennard-Jones particles in two and three dimensions, finding good qualitative agreement at small τ values.

On the economic growth theory with Kadiyala production function

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grassetti, Francesca; Hunanyan, Gevorg

2018-05-01

We study the discrete time neoclassical one-sector growth model with differential savings while assuming Kadiyala production function which shows a variable elasticity of substitution symmetric with respect to capital and labor. We show that, if workers save more than shareholders, then the growth path is bounded from above and the boundary is independent from the savings rate of shareholders. Moreover, the growth path for non-developed countries is influenced only by the savings rate of shareholders while level of capital per capita of developed economies is influenced by the savings rate of workers. We also show that multistability phenomena may occur so that the model is able to explain co-existence of under-developed, developing and developed economies. We prove that fluctuations and complex dynamics may arise when the elasticity of substitution between production factors is lower than one and shareholders save more than workers.

Three dimensional δf simulations of beams in the SSC

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Koga, J.; Tajima, T.; Machida, S.

1993-12-01

A three dimensional δf strong-strong algorithm has been developed to apply to the study of such effects as space charge and beam-beam interaction phenomena in the Superconducting Super Collider (SSC). The algorithm is obtained from the merging of the particle tracking code Simpsons used for 3 dimensional space charge effects and a δf code. The δf method is used to follow the evolution of the non-gaussian part of the beam distribution. The advantages of this method are twofold. First, the Simpsons code utilizes a realistic accelerator model including synchrotron oscillations and energy ramping in 6 dimensional phase space with electromagnetic fields of the beams calculated using a realistic 3 dimensional field solver. Second, the beams are evolving in the fully self-consistent strong-strong sense with finite particle fluctuation noise is greatly reduced as opposed to the weak-strong models where one beam is fixed.

Modeling of heat conduction via fractional derivatives

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fabrizio, Mauro; Giorgi, Claudio; Morro, Angelo

2017-09-01

The modeling of heat conduction is considered by letting the time derivative, in the Cattaneo-Maxwell equation, be replaced by a derivative of fractional order. The purpose of this new approach is to overcome some drawbacks of the Cattaneo-Maxwell equation, for instance possible fluctuations which violate the non-negativity of the absolute temperature. Consistency with thermodynamics is shown to hold for a suitable free energy potential, that is in fact a functional of the summed history of the heat flux, subject to a suitable restriction on the set of admissible histories. Compatibility with wave propagation at a finite speed is investigated in connection with temperature-rate waves. It follows that though, as expected, this is the case for the Cattaneo-Maxwell equation, the model involving the fractional derivative does not allow the propagation at a finite speed. Nevertheless, this new model provides a good description of wave-like profiles in thermal propagation phenomena, whereas Fourier's law does not.

[SKF index as a new non-invasive parameter for the evaluation of the biological age for healthy and sick people].

PubMed

Faĭn, I A; Kuznik, B I; Kaminskiĭ, A V; Shenkman, L; Kustovskaia, E M; Maksimova, O G

2012-01-01

We have conducted a study on a large group of healthy and sick subjects and have demonstrated that a new index of coagulativety (SKF), based on measurement of the laser speckle signal from the finger root, correlates with chronological age ranging from 1 to 85 years old. The kinds of non-invasive measurements were obtained during two measurement sessions: one with the application of over-systolic occlusion and another without application of the occlusion. The very significant correlation with age was noted both during the stasis stage and during the non-occluding stage. We observed a higher SKF index in sick subjects, correlating directly with severity of illness. We speculated that the observed phenomena are caused by temporarily fluctuations in local blood viscosity associated with interactions of the Red Blood Cells and endothelial cells.

Non-equilibrium behaviour in coacervate-based protocells under electric-field-induced excitation

PubMed Central

Yin, Yudan; Niu, Lin; Zhu, Xiaocui; Zhao, Meiping; Zhang, Zexin; Mann, Stephen; Liang, Dehai

2016-01-01

Although numerous strategies are now available to generate rudimentary forms of synthetic cell-like entities, minimal progress has been made in the sustained excitation of artificial protocells under non-equilibrium conditions. Here we demonstrate that the electric field energization of coacervate microdroplets comprising polylysine and short single strands of DNA generates membrane-free protocells with complex, dynamical behaviours. By confining the droplets within a microfluidic channel and applying a range of electric field strengths, we produce protocells that exhibit repetitive cycles of vacuolarization, dynamical fluctuations in size and shape, chaotic growth and fusion, spontaneous ejection and sequestration of matter, directional capture of solute molecules, and pulsed enhancement of enzyme cascade reactions. Our results highlight new opportunities for the study of non-equilibrium phenomena in synthetic protocells, provide a strategy for inducing complex behaviour in electrostatically assembled soft matter microsystems and illustrate how dynamical properties can be activated and sustained in microcompartmentalized media. PMID:26876162

Tribology Experiment in Zero Gravity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pan, C. H. T.; Gause, R. L.; Whitaker, A. F.; Finckenor, M. M.

2015-01-01

A tribology experiment in zero gravity was performed during the orbital flight of Spacelab 1 to study the motion of liquid lubricants over solid surfaces. The absence of a significant gravitational force facilitates observation of such motions as controlled by interfacial and capillary forces. Two experimental configurations were used. One deals with the liquid on one solid surface, and the other with the liquid between a pair of closed spaced surfaces. Time sequence photographs of fluid motion on a solid surface yielded spreading rate data of several fluid-surface combinations. In general, a slow spreading process as governed by the tertiary junction can be distinguished from a more rapid process which is driven by surface tension controlled internal fluid pressure. Photographs were also taken through the transparent bushings of several experimental journal bearings. Morphology of incomplete fluid films and its fluctuation with time suggest the presence or absence of unsteady phenomena of the bearing-rotor system in various arrangements.

Characterization of Stress in Thallium Bromide Devices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Datta, Amlan; Motakef, Shariar

2015-04-01

Thallium bromide (TlBr) is a wide bandgap, compound semiconductor with high gamma-ray stopping power and promising physical properties. Several surface modification techniques have been demonstrated to increase the lifetime of TlBr devices at room temperature. However, absence of reproducibility in the performance of TlBr detectors (even with low ionic conduction at -20°C) suggests presence of unexplored bulk phenomena. Stress in the TlBr crystal due to various intrinsic (e.g. grain boundaries and dislocations networks) in conjunction with external factors such as thermal, mechanical, and electrical loadings explains detector-to-detector variations. Photoelasticity and opto-electrical techniques were applied to visualize and qualitatively correlate the device performance with stress. Changes in stress patterns with variations in ambient temperature were clearly demonstrated. Electric field fluctuations in TlBr detectors with time were for the first time observed using the Pockels effect.

PANCREATITIS AND CARCINOMA OF THE PANCREAS—Some Aspects of the Pathologic Physiology

PubMed Central

Edmondson, Hugh A.

1952-01-01

The physiological phenomena accompanying pancreatic disease in adults are related to the local and generalized reaction of the body to the blockage and/or leakage of the three enzymes—amylase, lipase and trypsin. The measurements of amylase and lipase in the serum are the most reliable criteria in the diagnosis of acute disease. Related changes may include hypocalcemia, hypopotassemia, hyperlipemia, hyperglycemia and decreased renal function. In chronic pancreatitis, there is less fluctuation in the amounts of the enzymes in the blood. The presence of diabetes mellitus, demonstration of calculi by x-ray, and examination of the stools for excess fat and meat fibers are more important diagnostic guides. In cancer of the pancreas, function tests using secretin stimulation of the gland followed by an examination of the external secretion or determination of the serum amylase have been used with some success. PMID:12988052

Pancreatitis and carcinoma of the pancreas; some aspects of the pathologic physiology.

PubMed

EDMONDSON, H A

1952-09-01

The physiological phenomena accompanying pancreatic disease in adults are related to the local and generalized reaction of the body to the blockage and/or leakage of the three enzymes-amylase, lipase and trypsin. The measurements of amylase and lipase in the serum are the most reliable criteria in the diagnosis of acute disease. Related changes may include hypocalcemia, hypopotassemia, hyperlipemia, hyperglycemia and decreased renal function. In chronic pancreatitis, there is less fluctuation in the amounts of the enzymes in the blood. The presence of diabetes mellitus, demonstration of calculi by x-ray, and examination of the stools for excess fat and meat fibers are more important diagnostic guides. In cancer of the pancreas, function tests using secretin stimulation of the gland followed by an examination of the external secretion or determination of the serum amylase have been used with some success.

Theory connecting nonlocal sediment transport, earth surface roughness, and the Sadler effect

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schumer, Rina; Taloni, Alessandro; Furbish, David Jon

2017-03-01

Earth surface evolution, like many natural phenomena typified by fluctuations on a wide range of scales and deterministic smoothing, results in a statistically rough surface. We present theory demonstrating that scaling exponents of topographic and stratigraphic statistics arise from long-time averaging of noisy surface evolution rather than specific landscape evolution processes. This is demonstrated through use of "elastic" Langevin equations that generically describe disturbance from a flat earth surface using a noise term that is smoothed deterministically via sediment transport. When smoothing due to transport is a local process, the geologic record self organizes such that a specific Sadler effect and topographic power spectral density (PSD) emerge. Variations in PSD slope reflect the presence or absence and character of nonlocality of sediment transport. The range of observed stratigraphic Sadler slopes captures the same smoothing feature combined with the presence of long-range spatial correlation in topographic disturbance.

Adaptation to stimulus statistics in the perception and neural representation of auditory space.

PubMed

Dahmen, Johannes C; Keating, Peter; Nodal, Fernando R; Schulz, Andreas L; King, Andrew J

2010-06-24

Sensory systems are known to adapt their coding strategies to the statistics of their environment, but little is still known about the perceptual implications of such adjustments. We investigated how auditory spatial processing adapts to stimulus statistics by presenting human listeners and anesthetized ferrets with noise sequences in which interaural level differences (ILD) rapidly fluctuated according to a Gaussian distribution. The mean of the distribution biased the perceived laterality of a subsequent stimulus, whereas the distribution's variance changed the listeners' spatial sensitivity. The responses of neurons in the inferior colliculus changed in line with these perceptual phenomena. Their ILD preference adjusted to match the stimulus distribution mean, resulting in large shifts in rate-ILD functions, while their gain adapted to the stimulus variance, producing pronounced changes in neural sensitivity. Our findings suggest that processing of auditory space is geared toward emphasizing relative spatial differences rather than the accurate representation of absolute position.

Optics design for J-TEXT ECE imaging with field curvature adjustment lens.

PubMed

Zhu, Y; Zhao, Z; Liu, W D; Xie, J; Hu, X; Muscatello, C M; Domier, C W; Luhmann, N C; Chen, M; Ren, X; Tobias, B J; Zhuang, G; Yang, Z

2014-11-01

Significant progress has been made in the imaging and visualization of magnetohydrodynamic and microturbulence phenomena in magnetic fusion plasmas. Of particular importance has been microwave electron cyclotron emission imaging (ECEI) for imaging Te fluctuations. Key to the success of ECEI is a large Gaussian optics system constituting a major portion of the focusing of the microwave radiation from the plasma to the detector array. Both the spatial resolution and observation range are dependent upon the imaging optics system performance. In particular, it is critical that the field curvature on the image plane is reduced to decrease crosstalk between vertical channels. The receiver optics systems for two ECEI on the J-TEXT device have been designed to ameliorate these problems and provide good performance with additional field curvature adjustment lenses with a meniscus shape to correct the aberrations from several spherical surfaces.

Entangled communities and spatial synchronization lead to criticality in urban traffic

PubMed Central

Petri, Giovanni; Expert, Paul; Jensen, Henrik J.; Polak, John W.

2013-01-01

Understanding the relation between patterns of human mobility and the scaling of dynamical features of urban environments is a great importance for today's society. Although recent advancements have shed light on the characteristics of individual mobility, the role and importance of emerging human collective phenomena across time and space are still unclear. In this Article, we show by using two independent data-analysis techniques that the traffic in London is a combination of intertwined clusters, spanning the whole city and effectively behaving as a single correlated unit. This is due to algebraically decaying spatio-temporal correlations, that are akin to those shown by systems near a critical point. We describe these correlations in terms of Taylor's law for fluctuations and interpret them as the emerging result of an underlying spatial synchronisation. Finally, our results provide the first evidence for a large-scale spatial human system reaching a self-organized critical state. PMID:23660823

Neural evidence that human emotions share core affective properties.

PubMed

Wilson-Mendenhall, Christine D; Barrett, Lisa Feldman; Barsalou, Lawrence W

2013-06-01

Research on the "emotional brain" remains centered around the idea that emotions like fear, happiness, and sadness result from specialized and distinct neural circuitry. Accumulating behavioral and physiological evidence suggests, instead, that emotions are grounded in core affect--a person's fluctuating level of pleasant or unpleasant arousal. A neuroimaging study revealed that participants' subjective ratings of valence (i.e., pleasure/displeasure) and of arousal evoked by various fear, happiness, and sadness experiences correlated with neural activity in specific brain regions (orbitofrontal cortex and amygdala, respectively). We observed these correlations across diverse instances within each emotion category, as well as across instances from all three categories. Consistent with a psychological construction approach to emotion, the results suggest that neural circuitry realizes more basic processes across discrete emotions. The implicated brain regions regulate the body to deal with the world, producing the affective changes at the core of emotions and many other psychological phenomena.

Neural Evidence that Human Emotions Share Core Affective Properties

PubMed Central

Wilson-Mendenhall, Christine D.; Barrett, Lisa Feldman; Barsalou, Lawrence W.

2014-01-01

Research on the “emotional brain” remains centered around the idea that emotions like fear, happiness, and sadness result from specialized and distinct neural circuitry. Accumulating behavioral and physiological evidence suggests, instead, that emotions are grounded in core affect – a person's fluctuating level of pleasant or unpleasant arousal. A neuroimaging study revealed that participants' subjective ratings of valence (i.e., pleasure/displeasure) and of arousal evoked by various fear, happiness, and sadness experiences correlated with neural activity in specific brain regions (orbitofrontal cortex and amygdala, respectively). We observed these correlations across diverse instances within each emotion category, as well as across instances from all three categories. Consistent with a psychological construction approach to emotion, the results suggest that neural circuitry realizes more basic processes across discrete emotions. The implicated brain regions regulate the body to deal with the world, producing the affective changes at the core of emotions and many other psychological phenomena. PMID:23603916

Culture and comorbidity in East and West berliners.

PubMed

Fechner, Mary J

2010-03-01

Following the collapse of socialism, fluctuations in cardiac mortality rates in East Germany and a West-to-East cardiac health gradient became topics of interest. Researchers suggested possible causes for these phenomena, including stress from postsocialism. I proposed that a cultural investigation of heart disease comorbid with depression could inform our understanding of the potential health effects of the postsocialist transition. I conducted ethnographic and survey research. In the study described here, I administered a depression scale (CES-D) and an ethnographically derived measure of cultural stress (Good Life Survey) to over 200 East and West Berliners with cardiovascular disease. Comparison of the groups' depression means revealed no difference. However, correlation of the Good Life Survey and the CES-D revealed unique profiles of cultural variables associated with depression in the two groups, suggesting that culture shapes depression and cardiac risk. I discuss the value of cultural studies to comorbidity research.

Polarization swings reveal magnetic energy dissipation in blazars

DOE PAGES

Zhang, Haocheng; Chen, Xuhui; Böttcher, Markus; ...

2015-05-01

The polarization signatures of blazar emissions are known to be highly variable. In addition to small fluctuations of the polarization angle around a mean value, large (≳ 180°) polarization angle swings are observed. We suggest that such phenomena can be interpreted as arising from light-travel-time effects within an underlying axisymmetric emission region. We present the first simultaneous fitting of the multi-wavelength spectrum, variability, and time-dependent polarization features of a correlated optical and gamma-ray flaring event of the prominent blazar 3C279, which was accompanied by a drastic change in its polarization signatures. This unprecedented combination of spectral, variability, and polarization informationmore » in a coherent physical model allows us to place stringent constraints on the particle acceleration and magnetic-field topology in the relativistic jet of a blazar, strongly favoring a scenario in which magnetic energy dissipation is the primary driver of the flare event.« less

Feasibility analysis of marine ecological on-line integrated monitoring system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chu, D. Z.; Cao, X.; Zhang, S. W.; Wu, N.; Ma, R.; Zhang, L.; Cao, L.

2017-08-01

The in-situ water quality sensors were susceptible to biological attachment. Moreover, sea water corrosion and wave impact damage, and many sensors scattered distribution would cause maintenance inconvenience. The paper proposed a highly integrated marine ecological on-line integrated monitoring system, which can be used inside monitoring station. All sensors were reasonably classified, the similar in series, the overall in parallel. The system composition and workflow were described. In addition, the paper proposed attention issues of the system design and corresponding solutions. Water quality multi-parameters and 5 nutrient salts as the verification index, in-situ and systematic data comparison experiment were carried out. The results showed that the data consistency of nutrient salt, PH and salinity was better. Temperature and dissolved oxygen data trend was consistent, but the data had deviation. Turbidity fluctuated greatly; the chlorophyll trend was similar with it. Aiming at the above phenomena, three points system optimization direction were proposed.

A prospectus for a theory of variable variability

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Childress, S.; Spiegel, E. A.

1981-01-01

It is proposed that the kind of stellar variability exhibited by the Sun in its magnetic activity cycle should be considered as a prototype of a class of stellar variability. The signature includes long 'periods' (compared to that of the radial fundamental model), erratic behavior, and intermittency. As other phenomena in the same variability class we nominate the liminosity fluctuations of ZZ Ceti stars and the solar 160 m oscillation. We discuss the possibility that analogous physical mechanisms are at work in all these cases, namely instabilities driven in a thin layer. These instabilities should be favorable to grave modes (in angle) and should arise in conditions that may allow more than one kind of instability to occur at once. The interaction of these competing instabilities produces complicated temporal variations. Given suitable idealizations, it is shown how to begin to compute solutions of small, but finite, amplitude.

Dynamics of electrostatic fluctuations in the edge plasma in the U-3M torsatron

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Olshansky, V. V.; Stepanov, K. N.; Tarasov, M. I.

2010-10-15

Results are presented from experimental and theoretical investigations of oscillatory and wave phenomena observed in the edge region in the U-3M torsatron during plasma creation and heating by an RF discharge in the ICR frequency range, accompanied by a transition to improved confinement. The main results are reported of diagnostic measurements of the spectral composition of oscillations, as well as of how the phase and amplitude relationships depend on time and on the RF power during its injection into the plasma. The measurements were carried out with electrostatic probes positioned at the edge of the plasma confinement region. The experimentalmore » results are interpreted using the kinetic theory of the electron-ion parametric instability of a plasma in the ion cyclotron frequency range and are compared with the results of numerical simulations.« less

Noise temperature improvement for magnetic fusion plasma millimeter wave imaging systems.

PubMed

Lai, J; Domier, C W; Luhmann, N C

2014-03-01

Significant progress has been made in the imaging and visualization of magnetohydrodynamic and microturbulence phenomena in magnetic fusion plasmas [B. Tobias et al., Plasma Fusion Res. 6, 2106042 (2011)]. Of particular importance have been microwave electron cyclotron emission imaging and microwave imaging reflectometry systems for imaging T(e) and n(e) fluctuations. These instruments have employed heterodyne receiver arrays with Schottky diode mixer elements directly connected to individual antennas. Consequently, the noise temperature has been strongly determined by the conversion loss with typical noise temperatures of ~60,000 K. However, this can be significantly improved by making use of recent advances in Monolithic Microwave Integrated Circuit chip low noise amplifiers to insert a pre-amplifier in front of the Schottky diode mixer element. In a proof-of-principle design at V-Band (50-75 GHz), significant improvement of noise temperature from the current 60,000 K to measured 4000 K has been obtained.

Fermi-edge transmission resonance in graphene driven by a single Coulomb impurity.

PubMed

Karnatak, Paritosh; Goswami, Srijit; Kochat, Vidya; Pal, Atindra Nath; Ghosh, Arindam

2014-07-11

The interaction between the Fermi sea of conduction electrons and a nonadiabatic attractive impurity potential can lead to a power-law divergence in the tunneling probability of charge through the impurity. The resulting effect, known as the Fermi edge singularity (FES), constitutes one of the most fundamental many-body phenomena in quantum solid state physics. Here we report the first observation of FES for Dirac fermions in graphene driven by isolated Coulomb impurities in the conduction channel. In high-mobility graphene devices on hexagonal boron nitride substrates, the FES manifests in abrupt changes in conductance with a large magnitude ≈e(2)/h at resonance, indicating total many-body screening of a local Coulomb impurity with fluctuating charge occupancy. Furthermore, we exploit the extreme sensitivity of graphene to individual Coulomb impurities and demonstrate a new defect-spectroscopy tool to investigate strongly correlated phases in graphene in the quantum Hall regime.

A Review of Ionospheric Scintillation Models.

PubMed

Priyadarshi, S

This is a general review of the existing climatological models of ionospheric radio scintillation for high and equatorial latitudes. Trans-ionospheric communication of radio waves from transmitter to user is affected by the ionosphere which is highly variable and dynamic in both time and space. Scintillation is the term given to irregular amplitude and phase fluctuations of the received signals and related to the electron density irregularities in the ionosphere. Key sources of ionospheric irregularities are plasma instabilities; every irregularities model is based on the theory of radio wave propagation in random media. It is important to understand scintillation phenomena and the approach of different theories. Therefore, we have briefly discussed the theories that are used to interpret ionospheric scintillation data. The global morphology of ionospheric scintillation is also discussed briefly. The most important (in our opinion) analytical and physical models of scintillation are reviewed here.

Noise focusing in neuronal tissues: Symmetry breaking and localization in excitable networks with quenched disorder

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Orlandi, Javier G.; Casademunt, Jaume

2017-05-01

We introduce a coarse-grained stochastic model for the spontaneous activity of neuronal cultures to explain the phenomenon of noise focusing, which entails localization of the noise activity in excitable networks with metric correlations. The system is modeled as a continuum excitable medium with a state-dependent spatial coupling that accounts for the dynamics of synaptic connections. The most salient feature is the emergence at the mesoscale of a vector field V (r ) , which acts as an advective carrier of the noise. This entails an explicit symmetry breaking of isotropy and homogeneity that stems from the amplification of the quenched fluctuations of the network by the activity avalanches, concomitant with the excitable dynamics. We discuss the microscopic interpretation of V (r ) and propose an explicit construction of it. The coarse-grained model shows excellent agreement with simulations at the network level. The generic nature of the observed phenomena is discussed.

Enhanced correlation of received power-signal fluctuations in bidirectional optical links

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Minet, Jean; Vorontsov, Mikhail A.; Polnau, Ernst; Dolfi, Daniel

2013-02-01

A study of the correlation between the power signals received at both ends of bidirectional free-space optical links is presented. By use of the quasi-optical approximation, we show that an ideal (theoretically 100%) power-signal correlation can be achieved in optical links with specially designed monostatic transceivers based on single-mode fiber collimators. The theoretical prediction of enhanced correlation is supported both by experiments conducted over a 7 km atmospheric path and wave optics numerical analysis of the corresponding bidirectional optical link. In the numerical simulations, we also compare correlation properties of received power signals for different atmospheric conditions and for optical links with monostatic and bistatic geometries based on single-mode fiber collimator and on power-in-the-bucket transceiver types. Applications of the observed phenomena for signal fading mitigation and turbulence-enhanced communication link security in free-space laser communication links are discussed.

Nonrelativistic Quantum Mechanics with Fundamental Environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gevorkyan, Ashot S.

2011-03-01

Spontaneous transitions between bound states of an atomic system, "Lamb Shift" of energy levels and many other phenomena in real nonrelativistic quantum systems are connected within the influence of the quantum vacuum fluctuations ( fundamental environment (FE)) which are impossible to consider in the limits of standard quantum-mechanical approaches. The joint system "quantum system (QS) + FE" is described in the framework of the stochastic differential equation (SDE) of Langevin-Schrödinger (L-Sch) type, and is defined on the extended space R 3 ⊗ R { ξ}, where R 3 and R { ξ} are the Euclidean and functional spaces, respectively. The density matrix for single QS in FE is defined. The entropy of QS entangled with FE is defined and investigated in detail. It is proved that as a result of interaction of QS with environment there arise structures of various topologies which are a new quantum property of the system.

New method for rekindling the nonlinear solitary waves in Maxwellian complex space plasma

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Das, G. C.; Sarma, Ridip

2018-04-01

Our interest is to study the nonlinear wave phenomena in complex plasma constituents with Maxwellian electrons and ions. The main reason for this consideration is to exhibit the effects of dust charge fluctuations on acoustic modes evaluated by the use of a new method. A special method (G'/G) has been developed to yield the coherent features of nonlinear waves augmented through the derivation of a Korteweg-de Vries equation and found successfully the different nature of solitons recognized in space plasmas. Evolutions have shown with the input of appropriate typical plasma parameters to support our theoretical observations in space plasmas. All conclusions are in good accordance with the actual occurrences and could be of interest to further the investigations in experiments and satellite observations in space. In this paper, we present not only the model that exhibited nonlinear solitary wave propagation but also a new mathematical method to the execution.

Nutrient metal elements in plants.

PubMed

DalCorso, Giovanni; Manara, Anna; Piasentin, Silvia; Furini, Antonella

2014-10-01

Plants need many different metal elements for growth, development and reproduction, which must be mobilized from the soil matrix and absorbed by the roots as metal ions. Once taken up by the roots, metal ions are allocated to different parts of the plant by the vascular tissues. Metals are naturally present in the soil, but human activities, ranging from mining and agriculture to sewage processing and heavy industry, have increased the amount of metal pollution in the environment. Plants are challenged by environmental metal ion concentrations that fluctuate from low to high toxic levels, and have therefore evolved mechanisms to cope with such phenomena. In this review, we focus on recent data that provide insight into the molecular mechanisms of metal absorption and transport by plants, also considering the effect of metal deficiency and toxicity. We also highlight the positive effects of some non-essential metals on plant fitness.

Non-classicality of the molecular vibrations assisting exciton energy transfer at room temperature

PubMed Central

O’Reilly, Edward J.; Olaya-Castro, Alexandra

2014-01-01

Advancing the debate on quantum effects in light-initiated reactions in biology requires clear identification of non-classical features that these processes can exhibit and utilize. Here we show that in prototype dimers present in a variety of photosynthetic antennae, efficient vibration-assisted energy transfer in the sub-picosecond timescale and at room temperature can manifest and benefit from non-classical fluctuations of collective pigment motions. Non-classicality of initially thermalized vibrations is induced via coherent exciton–vibration interactions and is unambiguously indicated by negativities in the phase–space quasi-probability distribution of the effective collective mode coupled to the electronic dynamics. These quantum effects can be prompted upon incoherent input of excitation. Our results therefore suggest that investigation of the non-classical properties of vibrational motions assisting excitation and charge transport, photoreception and chemical sensing processes could be a touchstone for revealing a role for non-trivial quantum phenomena in biology. PMID:24402469

Exploitation of Ubiquitous Wi-Fi Devices as Building Blocks for Improvised Motion Detection Systems.

PubMed

Soldovieri, Francesco; Gennarelli, Gianluca

2016-02-27

This article deals with a feasibility study on the detection of human movements in indoor scenarios based on radio signal strength variations. The sensing principle exploits the fact that the human body interacts with wireless signals, introducing variations of the radiowave fields due to shadowing and multipath phenomena. As a result, human motion can be inferred from fluctuations of radiowave power collected by a receiving terminal. In this paper, we investigate the potentialities of widely available wireless communication devices in order to develop an improvised motion detection system (IMDS). Experimental tests are performed in an indoor environment by using a smartphone as a Wi-Fi access point and a laptop with dedicated software as a receiver. Simple detection strategies tailored for real-time operation are implemented to process the received signal strength measurements. The achieved results confirm the potentialities of the simple system here proposed to reliably detect human motion in operational conditions.

Signature of a polyamorphic transition in the THz spectrum of vitreous GeO 2

DOE PAGES

Cunsolo, Alessandro; Li, Yan; Kodituwakku, Chaminda N.; ...

2015-10-13

The THz spectrum of density fluctuations, S(Q, ω), of vitreous GeO 2 at ambient temperature was measured by inelastic x-ray scattering from ambient pressure up to pressures well beyond that of the known α-quartz to rutile polyamorphic (PA) transition. We observe significant differences in the spectral shape measured below and above the PA transition, in particular, in the 30–80 meV range. Guided by first-principle lattice dynamics calculations, we interpret the changes in the phonon dispersion as the evolution from a quartz-like to a rutile-like coordination. Notably, such a crossover is accompanied by a cusp-like behavior in the pressure dependence ofmore » the elastic response of the system. Altogether, the presented results highlight the complex fingerprint of PA phenomena on the high-frequency phonon dispersion.« less

Singular Spectrum Analysis for Astronomical Time Series: Constructing a Parsimonious Hypothesis Test

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Greco, G.; Kondrashov, D.; Kobayashi, S.; Ghil, M.; Branchesi, M.; Guidorzi, C.; Stratta, G.; Ciszak, M.; Marino, F.; Ortolan, A.

We present a data-adaptive spectral method - Monte Carlo Singular Spectrum Analysis (MC-SSA) - and its modification to tackle astrophysical problems. Through numerical simulations we show the ability of the MC-SSA in dealing with 1/f β power-law noise affected by photon counting statistics. Such noise process is simulated by a first-order autoregressive, AR(1) process corrupted by intrinsic Poisson noise. In doing so, we statistically estimate a basic stochastic variation of the source and the corresponding fluctuations due to the quantum nature of light. In addition, MC-SSA test retains its effectiveness even when a significant percentage of the signal falls below a certain level of detection, e.g., caused by the instrument sensitivity. The parsimonious approach presented here may be broadly applied, from the search for extrasolar planets to the extraction of low-intensity coherent phenomena probably hidden in high energy transients.

Frustration by design

DOE PAGES

Gilbert, Ian; Nisoli, Cristiano; Schiffer, Peter

2016-07-01

Geometrical frustration is a condition that occurs when a material’s lattice geometry precludes minimizing the energy of all the interactions among pairs of neighbors simultaneously. Moreover, the simplest example is three antiferromagnetically coupled Ising spins, pointing up or down, on the corners of an equilateral triangle: It is also impossible to arrange the spins so that each pair is antiparallel. In more complex magnetic lattices, the frustrated state can arise from the combination of lattice geometry and the strength and sign of the interactions among the magnetic dipole moments.1 (See the article by Roderich Moessner and Art Ramirez, Physics Today,more » February 2006, page 24.) A wide variety of exotic and collective phenomena sometimes arises from the competing interactions. One prime example is spin liquids, materials in which the local atomic moments fluctuate down to the lowest accessible temperatures and never settle into a static ground-state configuration.« less

Colloidal layers in magnetic fields and under shear flow

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Löwen, H.; Messina, R.; Hoffmann, N.; Likos, C. N.; Eisenmann, C.; Keim, P.; Gasser, U.; Maret, G.; Goldberg, R.; Palberg, T.

2005-11-01

The behaviour of colloidal mono- and bilayers in external magnetic fields and under shear is discussed and recent progress is summarized. Superparamagnetic colloidal particles form monolayers when they are confined to a air-water interface in a hanging water droplet. An external magnetic field allows us to tune the strength of the mutual dipole-dipole interaction between the colloids and the anisotropy of the interaction can be controlled by the tilt angle of the magnetic field relative to the surface normal of the air-water interface. For sufficiently large magnetic field strength crystalline monolayers are found. The role of fluctuations in these two-dimensional crystals is discussed. Furthermore, clustering phenomena in binary mixtures of superparamagnetic particles forming fluid monolayers are predicted. Finally, we address sheared colloidal bilayers and find that the orientation of confined colloidal crystals can be tailored by a previously applied shear direction.

Patterns and Correlations in Economic Phenomena Uncovered Using Concepts of Statistical Physics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stanley, H.E.; Gopikrishnan, P.; Plerou, H.V.; Salinger, M.A.

This paper discusses some of the similarities between work being done by economists and by physicists seeking to find "patterns" in economics. We also mention some of the differences in the approaches taken and seek to justify these different approaches by developing the argument that by approaching the same problem from different points of view, new results might emerge. In particular, we review two such new results. Specifically, we discuss the two newly-discovered scaling results that appear to be "universal", in the sense that they hold for widely different economies as well as for different time periods: (i) the fluctuation of price changes of any stock market is characterized by a probability density function (PDF), which is a simple power law with exponent alpha + 1 = 4 extending over 102 standard deviations (a factor of 108 on the y-axis); this result is analogous to the Gutenberg-Richter power law describing the histogram of earthquakes of a given strength; (ii) for a wide range of economic organizations, the histogram that shows how size of organization is inversely correlated to fluctuations in size with an exponent approx 0.2. Neither of these two new empirical laws has a firm theoretical foundation. We also discuss results that are reminiscent of phase transitions in spin systems, where the divergent behavior of the response function at the critical point (zero magnetic field) leads to large fluctuations. We discuss a curious "symmetry breaking" for values of Sigma above a certain threshold value Σ_c; here Σ is defined to be the local first moment of the probability distribution of demand Ω - the difference between the number of shares traded in buyer-initiated and seller-initiated trades. This feature is qualitatively identical to the behavior of the probability density of the magnetization for fixed values of the inverse temperature.

Application of computational statistical physics to scale invariance and universality in economic phenomena

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stanley, H. E.; Amaral, L. A. N.; Gopikrishnan, P.; Plerou, V.; Salinger, M. A.

2002-06-01

This paper discusses some of the similarities between work being done by economists and by computational physicists seeking to contribute to economics. We also mention some of the differences in the approaches taken and seek to justify these different approaches by developing the argument that by approaching the same problem from different points of view, new results might emerge. In particular, we review two such new results. Specifically, we discuss the two newly-discovered scaling results that appear to be "universal", in the sense that they hold for widely different economies as well as for different time periods: (i) the fluctuation of price changes of any stock market is characterized by a probability density function (PDF), which is a simple power law with exponent -4 extending over 10 2 standard deviations (a factor of 10 8 on the y-axis); this result is analogous to the Gutenberg-Richter power law describing the histogram of earthquakes of a given strength; (ii) for a wide range of economic organizations, the histogram that shows how size of organization is inversely correlated to fluctuations in size with an exponent ≈0.2. Neither of these two new empirical laws has a firm theoretical foundation. We also discuss results that are reminiscent of phase transitions in spin systems, where the divergent behavior of the response function at the critical point (zero magnetic field) leads to large fluctuations. We discuss a curious "symmetry breaking" for values of Σ above a certain threshold value Σc; here Σ is defined to be the local first moment of the probability distribution of demand Ω—the difference between the number of shares traded in buyer-initiated and seller-initiated trades. This feature is qualitatively identical to the behavior of the probability density of the magnetization for fixed values of the inverse temperature.

How the fluctuations of water levels affect populations of invasive bivalve Corbicula fluminea (Müller, 1774) in a Neotropical reservoir?

PubMed

Paschoal, L R P; Andrade, D P; Darrigran, G

2015-01-01

Corbicula fluminea is an invasive bivalve responsible for several environmental and financial problems around the globe. Despite the invasive potential of this species, it suffers certain restrictions in lentic environments due to natural phenomena that significantly affect its population structure (e.g. water column fluctuation and sunlight exposure). The present study addresses how temporal decline of the water level in a Neotropical reservoir and exposure to sunlight affect the population structure of C. fluminea. Samplings were carried out twice in the reservoir of Furnas Hydroelectric Power Station (HPS) (Minas Gerais, Brazil), in 2011 and 2012. Population density, spatial distribution and mean shell length of C. fluminea were estimated for each year after sampling in 51 quadrats (0.0625m2) placed on three transects at different distances along the reservoir margins (0, 10 and 20 m from a fixed-point). We observed a predominance of C. fluminea in both years, with a simultaneous gradual decrease in density and richness of native species in the sampling area. Significant differences in density of C. fluminea were registered at different distances from the margin, and are related to the temporal variability of physical conditions of the sediment and water in these environments. We also registered a trend toward an increase in the density and aggregation of C. fluminea as we moved away from the margin, due to the greater stability of these areas (>10 m). The mean shell length of C. fluminea showed significant difference between the distinct distances from the margin and during the years, as well as the interaction of these factors (Distances vs.Years). These results were associated with the reproductive and invasive capacity of this species. This study reveals that these temporal events (especially water column fluctuation) may cause alterations in density, spatial distribution and mean shell length of C. fluminea and the composition of the native malacofauna in Neotropical lentic environments.

In-situ studies of plasma irregularities in high latitude ionosphere with the ICI-2 sounding rocket within the 4DSpace project

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miloch, Wojciech; Moen, Joran; Spicher, Andres

Ionospheric plasma is often characterized by irregularities, instabilities, and turbulence. Two regions of the ionospheric F-layer are of particular interest: low-latitudes for the equatorial anomaly and electrojet, and high-latitude regions where the most dynamic phenomena occur due to magnetic field lines coupling to the magnetosphere and the solar wind. The spectra of plasma fluctuations in the low-latitude F-layer usually exhibit a power law with a steeper slope at high frequencies [1]. Until recently, there was no clear evidence of the corresponding double slope spectra for plasma fluctuations in the high latitude ionospheric F-layer, and this difference was not well understood. We report the first direct observations of the double slope power spectra for plasma irregularities in the F-layer of the polar ionosphere [2]. The ICI-2 sounding rocket, which intersected enhanced plasma density regions with decameter scale irregularities in the cusp region, measured the electron density with unprecedented high resolution. This allowed for a detailed study of the plasma irregularities down to kinetic scales. Spectral analysis reveals double slope power spectra for regions of enhanced fluctuations associated mainly with density gradients, with the steepening of the spectra occurring close to the oxygen gyro-frequency. The double slope spectra are further supported by the results from the ICI-3 sounding rocket. Double slope spectra were not resolved in previous works presumably due to limited resolution of instruments. The study is a part of the 4DSpace initiative for integrated studies of the ionospheric plasma turbulence with multi-point, multi-scale in-situ studies by sounding rockets and satellites, and numerical and analytical models. A brief overview of the 4DSpace initiative is given. [1] M.C. Kelley, The Earth’s Ionosphere Plasma Physics and Electrodynamics (Elsevier, Amsterdam 2009). [2] A. Spicher, W. J. Miloch, and J. I. Moen, Geophys. Res. Lett. 40, (in press, accepted 13.02.2014).

Probing the origin of UX Ori-type variability in the YSO binary CO Ori with VLTI/GRAVITY

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Davies, C. L.; Kreplin, A.; Kluska, J.; Hone, E.; Kraus, S.

2018-03-01

The primary star in the young stellar object binary CO Ori displays UX Ori-type variability: irregular, high amplitude optical, and near-infrared photometric fluctuations where flux minima coincide with polarization maxima. This is attributed to changes in local opacity. In CO Ori A, these variations exhibit a 12.4 yr cycle. Here, we investigate the physical origin of the fluctuating opacity and its periodicity using interferometric observations of CO Ori obtained using VLTI/GRAVITY. Continuum K-band circum-primary and circum-secondary emission are marginally spatially resolved for the first time, while Brγ emission is detected in the spectrum of the secondary. We estimate a spectral type range for CO Ori B of K2-K5 assuming visual extinction, AV = 2 and a distance of 430 pc. From geometric modelling of the continuum visibilities, the circum-primary emission is consistent with a central point source plus a Gaussian component with a full width at half-maximum of 2.31 ± 0.04 mas, inclined at 30.2° ± 2.2° and with a major axis position angle of 40° ± 6°. This inclination is lower than that reported for the discs of other UX Ori-type stars, providing a first indication that the UX Ori phenomena may arise through fluctuations in circum-stellar material exterior to a disc, for example, in a dusty outflow. An additional wide, symmetric Gaussian component is required to fit the visibilities of CO Ori B, signifying a contribution from scattered light. Finally, closure phases of CO Ori A were used to investigate whether the 12.4 yr periodicity is associated with an undetected third component, as has been previously suggested. We rule out any additional companions contributing more than 3.6 per cent to the K-band flux within ˜7.3-20 mas of CO Ori A.

Diagnostics of Thermal Spraying Plasma Jets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fauchais, P.; Coudert, J. F.; Vardelle, M.; Vardelle, A.; Denoirjean, A.

D.C. thermal plasma jets are strongly affected on the one hand by the arc root fluctuations at the anode, resulting in a type of pulsed flow and enhanced turbulence, and on the other hand by the entrainment of surrounding cold gas in the plasma jet. These phenomena and the resulting temperature distributions have been studied using a wide range of diagnostic techniques including fast cameras, laser doppler anemometry (LDA), coherent anti-Stokes Raman spectroscopy (CARS), Rayleigh scattering, emission spectroscopy, Schlieren photography, enthalpy probes and sampling probes. The information given by these techniques is evaluated and compared. The effect of the arc fluctuations on the spectroscopic measurements is emphasized and the possibility of using these fluctuations to determine informations on the arc behaviour and the axial velocity of the jet is presented. Optimization of plasma processing of solid particules requires information about their size and surface temperature, as well as number flux and velocity distributions at various locations in the flow field. The different statistical techniques of in-flight measurements are discussed together with their limitations. A method to determine the temperature and species density of the vapor cloud or comet travelling with each particule in flight is then presented. However, such statistical measurements present ambiguities in their interpretation, which can be adressed only by additional measurements to determine the velocity, diameter, and surface temperature of a single particule in flight. Moreover, information on single particules is required in order to understand the coating properties, which depend strongly on the way the particules flatten and solidify upon impact. A method to obtain data related to a single particule in flight and to follow the temperature evolution of the corresponding splat upon cooling is presented. The paper concludes with the description of the experimental techniques to follow the temperature evolution of the successive layers and passes. This is important because temperature distribution within coating and substrate controls the adhesion and cohesion of coatings as well as their residual stress.

On the Transport and Radiative Properties of Plasmas with Small-Scale Electromagnetic Fluctuations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Keenan, Brett D.

Plasmas with sub-Larmor-scale ("small-scale") electromagnetic fluctuations are a feature of a wide variety of high-energy-density environments, and are essential to the description of many astrophysical/laboratory plasma phenomena. Radiation from particles, whether they be relativistic or non-relativistic, moving through small-scale electromagnetic turbulence has spectral characteristics distinct from both synchrotron and cyclotron radiation. The radiation, carrying information on the statistical properties of the turbulence, is also intimately related to the particle diffusive transport. We investigate, both theoretically and numerically, the transport of non-relativistic and transrelativistic particles in plasmas with high-amplitude isotropic sub-Larmor-scale magnetic turbulence---both with and without a mean field component---and its relation to the spectra of radiation simultaneously produced by these particles. Furthermore, the transport of particles through small-scale electromagnetic turbulence---under certain conditions---resembles the random transport of particles---via Coulomb collisions---in collisional plasmas. The pitch-angle diffusion coefficient, which acts as an effective "collision" frequency, may be substantial in these, otherwise, collisionless environments. We show that this effect, colloquially referred to as the plasma "quasi-collisionality", may radically alter the expected radiative transport properties of candidate plasmas. We argue that the modified magneto-optic effects in these plasmas provide an attractive, novel, diagnostic tool for the exploration and characterization of small-scale electromagnetic turbulence. Lastly, we speculate upon the manner in which quasi-collisions may affect inertial confinement fusion (ICF), and other laser-plasma experiments. Finally, we show that mildly relativistic jitter radiation, from laser-produced plasmas, may offer insight into the underlying electromagnetic turbulence. Here we investigate the prospects for, and demonstrate the feasibility of, such direct radiative diagnostics for mildly relativistic, solid-density laser plasmas produced in lab experiments. In effect, we demonstrate how the diffusive and radiative properties of plasmas with small-scale, turbulent, electromagnetic fluctuations may serve as a powerful tool for the diagnosis of laboratory, astrophysical, and space plasmas.

Model for predicting mountain wave field uncertainties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Damiens, Florentin; Lott, François; Millet, Christophe; Plougonven, Riwal

2017-04-01

Studying the propagation of acoustic waves throughout troposphere requires knowledge of wind speed and temperature gradients from the ground up to about 10-20 km. Typical planetary boundary layers flows are known to present vertical low level shears that can interact with mountain waves, thereby triggering small-scale disturbances. Resolving these fluctuations for long-range propagation problems is, however, not feasible because of computer memory/time restrictions and thus, they need to be parameterized. When the disturbances are small enough, these fluctuations can be described by linear equations. Previous works by co-authors have shown that the critical layer dynamics that occur near the ground produces large horizontal flows and buoyancy disturbances that result in intense downslope winds and gravity wave breaking. While these phenomena manifest almost systematically for high Richardson numbers and when the boundary layer depth is relatively small compare to the mountain height, the process by which static stability affects downslope winds remains unclear. In the present work, new linear mountain gravity wave solutions are tested against numerical predictions obtained with the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model. For Richardson numbers typically larger than unity, the mesoscale model is used to quantify the effect of neglected nonlinear terms on downslope winds and mountain wave patterns. At these regimes, the large downslope winds transport warm air, a so called "Foehn" effect than can impact sound propagation properties. The sensitivity of small-scale disturbances to Richardson number is quantified using two-dimensional spectral analysis. It is shown through a pilot study of subgrid scale fluctuations of boundary layer flows over realistic mountains that the cross-spectrum of mountain wave field is made up of the same components found in WRF simulations. The impact of each individual component on acoustic wave propagation is discussed in terms of absorption and dispersion and a stochastic model is constructed for ground-based acoustic signals in mountain environments.

Low Speed Aerodynamics of the X-38 CRV

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Komerath, N. M.; Funk, R.; Ames, R. G.; Mahalingam, R.; Matos, C.

1998-01-01

This project was performed in support of the engineering development of the NASA X-38 Crew Return Vehicle (CRV)system. Wind tunnel experiments were used to visualize various aerodynamic phenomena encountered by the CRV during the final stages of descent and landing. Scale models of the CRV were used to visualize vortex structures above and below the vehicle, and in its wake, and to quantify their trajectories. The effect of flaperon deflection on these structures was studied. The structure and dynamics of the CRV's wake during the drag parachute deployment stage were measured. Regions of high vorticity were identified using surveys conducted in several planes using a vortex meter. Periodic shedding of the vortex sheets from the sides of the CRV was observed using laser sheet videography as the CRV reached high angles of attack during the quasi-steady pitch-up prior to parafoil deployment. Using spectral analysis of hot-film anemometer data, the Strouhal number of these wake fluctuations was found to be 0.14 based on the model span. Phenomena encountered in flight test during parafoil operation were captured in scale-model tests, and a video photogrammetry technique was implemented to obtain parafoil surface shapes during flight in the tunnel. Forces on the parafoil were resolved using tension gages on individual lines. The temporal evolution of the phenomenon of leading edge collapse was captured. Laser velocimetry was used to demonstrate measurement of the porosity of the parafoil surface. From these measurements, several physical explanations have been developed for phenomena observed at various stages of the X-38 development program. Quantitative measurement capabilities have also been demonstrated for continued refinement of the aerodynamic technologies employed in the X-38 project. Detailed results from these studies are given in an AIAA Paper, two slide presentations, and other material which are given on a Web-based archival resource. This is the Digital Library of the Georgia Tech Experimental Aerodynamics Group.

Structure, Hydrodynamics, and Phase Transition of Freely Suspended Liquid Crystals

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Clark, Noel A.

2000-01-01

Smectic liquid crystals are phases of rod shaped molecules organized into one dimensionally (1D) periodic arrays of layers, each layer being between one and two molecular lengths thick. In the least ordered smectic phases, the smectics A and C, each layer is a two dimensional (2D) liquid. Additionally there are a variety of more ordered smectic phases having hexatic short range translational order or 2D crystalline quasi long range translational order within the layers. The inherent fluid-layer structure and low vapor pressure of smectic liquid crystals enable the long term stabilization of freely suspended, single component, layered fluid films as thin as 30A, a single molecular layer. The layering forces the films to be an integral number of smectic layers thick, quantizing their thickness in layer units and forcing a film of a particular number of layers to be physically homogeneous with respect to its layer structure over its entire area. Optical reflectivity enables the precise determination of the number of layers. These ultrathin freely suspended liquid crystal films are structures of fundamental interest in condensed matter and fluid physics. They are the thinnest known stable condensed phase fluid structures and have the largest surface-to-volume ratio of any stable fluid preparation, making them ideal for the study of the effects of reduced dimensionality on phase behavior and on fluctuation and interface phenomena. Their low vapor pressure and quantized thickness enable the effective use of microgravity to extend the study of basic capillary phenomena to ultrathin fluid films. Freely suspended films have been a wellspring of new liquid crystal physics. They have been used to provide unique experimental conditions for the study of condensed phase transitions in two dimensions. They are the only system in which the hexatic has been unambiguously identified as a phase of matter, and the only physical system in which fluctuations of a 2D XY system and Kosterlitz Thouless phase transition has been observed and 2D XY quasi long range order verified. Smectic films have enabled the precise determination of smectic layer electron density and positional fluctuation profile and have been used to show that the interlayer interactions in anti-ferroelectric tilted smectics do not extend significantly beyond nearest neighbors. The interactions which are operative in liquid crystals are generally weak in comparison to those in crystalline phases, leading to the facile manipulation of the order in liquid crystals by external agents such as applied fields and surfaces. Effects arising from weak ordering are significantly enhanced in ultrathin free films and filaments wherein the intermolecular coupling is effectively reduced by loss of neighbors. Over the past four years this research, which we now detail, has produced a host of exciting new discoveries and unexpected results, maintaining the position of the study of freely suspended liquid crystal structures as one of most exciting and fruitful areas of complex fluid physics. In addition, several potentially interesting microgravity free film experiments have been identified.

Coarse-graining and hybrid methods for efficient simulation of stochastic multi-scale models of tumour growth.

PubMed

de la Cruz, Roberto; Guerrero, Pilar; Calvo, Juan; Alarcón, Tomás

2017-12-01

The development of hybrid methodologies is of current interest in both multi-scale modelling and stochastic reaction-diffusion systems regarding their applications to biology. We formulate a hybrid method for stochastic multi-scale models of cells populations that extends the remit of existing hybrid methods for reaction-diffusion systems. Such method is developed for a stochastic multi-scale model of tumour growth, i.e. population-dynamical models which account for the effects of intrinsic noise affecting both the number of cells and the intracellular dynamics. In order to formulate this method, we develop a coarse-grained approximation for both the full stochastic model and its mean-field limit. Such approximation involves averaging out the age-structure (which accounts for the multi-scale nature of the model) by assuming that the age distribution of the population settles onto equilibrium very fast. We then couple the coarse-grained mean-field model to the full stochastic multi-scale model. By doing so, within the mean-field region, we are neglecting noise in both cell numbers (population) and their birth rates (structure). This implies that, in addition to the issues that arise in stochastic-reaction diffusion systems, we need to account for the age-structure of the population when attempting to couple both descriptions. We exploit our coarse-graining model so that, within the mean-field region, the age-distribution is in equilibrium and we know its explicit form. This allows us to couple both domains consistently, as upon transference of cells from the mean-field to the stochastic region, we sample the equilibrium age distribution. Furthermore, our method allows us to investigate the effects of intracellular noise, i.e. fluctuations of the birth rate, on collective properties such as travelling wave velocity. We show that the combination of population and birth-rate noise gives rise to large fluctuations of the birth rate in the region at the leading edge of front, which cannot be accounted for by the coarse-grained model. Such fluctuations have non-trivial effects on the wave velocity. Beyond the development of a new hybrid method, we thus conclude that birth-rate fluctuations are central to a quantitatively accurate description of invasive phenomena such as tumour growth.

Robust synchronization control scheme of a population of nonlinear stochastic synthetic genetic oscillators under intrinsic and extrinsic molecular noise via quorum sensing.

PubMed

Chen, Bor-Sen; Hsu, Chih-Yuan

2012-10-26

Collective rhythms of gene regulatory networks have been a subject of considerable interest for biologists and theoreticians, in particular the synchronization of dynamic cells mediated by intercellular communication. Synchronization of a population of synthetic genetic oscillators is an important design in practical applications, because such a population distributed over different host cells needs to exploit molecular phenomena simultaneously in order to emerge a biological phenomenon. However, this synchronization may be corrupted by intrinsic kinetic parameter fluctuations and extrinsic environmental molecular noise. Therefore, robust synchronization is an important design topic in nonlinear stochastic coupled synthetic genetic oscillators with intrinsic kinetic parameter fluctuations and extrinsic molecular noise. Initially, the condition for robust synchronization of synthetic genetic oscillators was derived based on Hamilton Jacobi inequality (HJI). We found that if the synchronization robustness can confer enough intrinsic robustness to tolerate intrinsic parameter fluctuation and extrinsic robustness to filter the environmental noise, then robust synchronization of coupled synthetic genetic oscillators is guaranteed. If the synchronization robustness of a population of nonlinear stochastic coupled synthetic genetic oscillators distributed over different host cells could not be maintained, then robust synchronization could be enhanced by external control input through quorum sensing molecules. In order to simplify the analysis and design of robust synchronization of nonlinear stochastic synthetic genetic oscillators, the fuzzy interpolation method was employed to interpolate several local linear stochastic coupled systems to approximate the nonlinear stochastic coupled system so that the HJI-based synchronization design problem could be replaced by a simple linear matrix inequality (LMI)-based design problem, which could be solved with the help of LMI toolbox in MATLAB easily. If the synchronization robustness criterion, i.e. the synchronization robustness ≥ intrinsic robustness + extrinsic robustness, then the stochastic coupled synthetic oscillators can be robustly synchronized in spite of intrinsic parameter fluctuation and extrinsic noise. If the synchronization robustness criterion is violated, external control scheme by adding inducer can be designed to improve synchronization robustness of coupled synthetic genetic oscillators. The investigated robust synchronization criteria and proposed external control method are useful for a population of coupled synthetic networks with emergent synchronization behavior, especially for multi-cellular, engineered networks.

Robust synchronization control scheme of a population of nonlinear stochastic synthetic genetic oscillators under intrinsic and extrinsic molecular noise via quorum sensing

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Collective rhythms of gene regulatory networks have been a subject of considerable interest for biologists and theoreticians, in particular the synchronization of dynamic cells mediated by intercellular communication. Synchronization of a population of synthetic genetic oscillators is an important design in practical applications, because such a population distributed over different host cells needs to exploit molecular phenomena simultaneously in order to emerge a biological phenomenon. However, this synchronization may be corrupted by intrinsic kinetic parameter fluctuations and extrinsic environmental molecular noise. Therefore, robust synchronization is an important design topic in nonlinear stochastic coupled synthetic genetic oscillators with intrinsic kinetic parameter fluctuations and extrinsic molecular noise. Results Initially, the condition for robust synchronization of synthetic genetic oscillators was derived based on Hamilton Jacobi inequality (HJI). We found that if the synchronization robustness can confer enough intrinsic robustness to tolerate intrinsic parameter fluctuation and extrinsic robustness to filter the environmental noise, then robust synchronization of coupled synthetic genetic oscillators is guaranteed. If the synchronization robustness of a population of nonlinear stochastic coupled synthetic genetic oscillators distributed over different host cells could not be maintained, then robust synchronization could be enhanced by external control input through quorum sensing molecules. In order to simplify the analysis and design of robust synchronization of nonlinear stochastic synthetic genetic oscillators, the fuzzy interpolation method was employed to interpolate several local linear stochastic coupled systems to approximate the nonlinear stochastic coupled system so that the HJI-based synchronization design problem could be replaced by a simple linear matrix inequality (LMI)-based design problem, which could be solved with the help of LMI toolbox in MATLAB easily. Conclusion If the synchronization robustness criterion, i.e. the synchronization robustness ≥ intrinsic robustness + extrinsic robustness, then the stochastic coupled synthetic oscillators can be robustly synchronized in spite of intrinsic parameter fluctuation and extrinsic noise. If the synchronization robustness criterion is violated, external control scheme by adding inducer can be designed to improve synchronization robustness of coupled synthetic genetic oscillators. The investigated robust synchronization criteria and proposed external control method are useful for a population of coupled synthetic networks with emergent synchronization behavior, especially for multi-cellular, engineered networks. PMID:23101662

Coarse-graining and hybrid methods for efficient simulation of stochastic multi-scale models of tumour growth

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

de la Cruz, Roberto; Guerrero, Pilar; Calvo, Juan; Alarcón, Tomás

2017-12-01

The development of hybrid methodologies is of current interest in both multi-scale modelling and stochastic reaction-diffusion systems regarding their applications to biology. We formulate a hybrid method for stochastic multi-scale models of cells populations that extends the remit of existing hybrid methods for reaction-diffusion systems. Such method is developed for a stochastic multi-scale model of tumour growth, i.e. population-dynamical models which account for the effects of intrinsic noise affecting both the number of cells and the intracellular dynamics. In order to formulate this method, we develop a coarse-grained approximation for both the full stochastic model and its mean-field limit. Such approximation involves averaging out the age-structure (which accounts for the multi-scale nature of the model) by assuming that the age distribution of the population settles onto equilibrium very fast. We then couple the coarse-grained mean-field model to the full stochastic multi-scale model. By doing so, within the mean-field region, we are neglecting noise in both cell numbers (population) and their birth rates (structure). This implies that, in addition to the issues that arise in stochastic-reaction diffusion systems, we need to account for the age-structure of the population when attempting to couple both descriptions. We exploit our coarse-graining model so that, within the mean-field region, the age-distribution is in equilibrium and we know its explicit form. This allows us to couple both domains consistently, as upon transference of cells from the mean-field to the stochastic region, we sample the equilibrium age distribution. Furthermore, our method allows us to investigate the effects of intracellular noise, i.e. fluctuations of the birth rate, on collective properties such as travelling wave velocity. We show that the combination of population and birth-rate noise gives rise to large fluctuations of the birth rate in the region at the leading edge of front, which cannot be accounted for by the coarse-grained model. Such fluctuations have non-trivial effects on the wave velocity. Beyond the development of a new hybrid method, we thus conclude that birth-rate fluctuations are central to a quantitatively accurate description of invasive phenomena such as tumour growth.

Automated classification of Permanent Scatterers time-series based on statistical characterization tests

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Berti, Matteo; Corsini, Alessandro; Franceschini, Silvia; Iannacone, Jean Pascal

2013-04-01

The application of space borne synthetic aperture radar interferometry has progressed, over the last two decades, from the pioneer use of single interferograms for analyzing changes on the earth's surface to the development of advanced multi-interferogram techniques to analyze any sort of natural phenomena which involves movements of the ground. The success of multi-interferograms techniques in the analysis of natural hazards such as landslides and subsidence is widely documented in the scientific literature and demonstrated by the consensus among the end-users. Despite the great potential of this technique, radar interpretation of slope movements is generally based on the sole analysis of average displacement velocities, while the information embraced in multi interferogram time series is often overlooked if not completely neglected. The underuse of PS time series is probably due to the detrimental effect of residual atmospheric errors, which make the PS time series characterized by erratic, irregular fluctuations often difficult to interpret, and also to the difficulty of performing a visual, supervised analysis of the time series for a large dataset. In this work is we present a procedure for automatic classification of PS time series based on a series of statistical characterization tests. The procedure allows to classify the time series into six distinctive target trends (0=uncorrelated; 1=linear; 2=quadratic; 3=bilinear; 4=discontinuous without constant velocity; 5=discontinuous with change in velocity) and retrieve for each trend a series of descriptive parameters which can be efficiently used to characterize the temporal changes of ground motion. The classification algorithms were developed and tested using an ENVISAT datasets available in the frame of EPRS-E project (Extraordinary Plan of Environmental Remote Sensing) of the Italian Ministry of Environment (track "Modena", Northern Apennines). This dataset was generated using standard processing, then the time series are typically affected by a significant noise to signal ratio. The results of the analysis show that even with such a rough-quality dataset, our automated classification procedure can greatly improve radar interpretation of mass movements. In general, uncorrelated PS (type 0) are concentrated in flat areas such as fluvial terraces and valley bottoms, and along stable watershed divides; linear PS (type 1) are mainly located on slopes (both inside or outside mapped landslides) or near the edge of scarps or steep slopes; non-linear PS (types 2 to 5) typically fall inside landslide deposits or in the surrounding areas. The spatial distribution of classified PS allows to detect deformation phenomena not visible by considering the average velocity alone, and provide important information on the temporal evolution of the phenomena such as acceleration, deceleration, seasonal fluctuations, abrupt or continuous changes of the displacement rate. Based on these encouraging results we integrated all the classification algorithms into a Graphical User Interface (called PSTime) which is freely available as a standalone application.

Rogue Waves and Extreme Events in Optics - Challenges and Questions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dudley, John; Lacourt, Pierre-Ambroise; Genty, Goery; Dias, Frederic; Akhmediev, Nail

2010-05-01

A central challenge in understanding extreme events in physics is to develop rigorous models linking the complex generation dynamics and the associated statistical behavior. Quantitative studies of extreme phenomena, however, are often hampered in two ways: (i) the intrinsic scarcity of the events under study and (ii) the fact that such events often appear in environments where measurements are difficult. A particular case of interest concerns the infamous oceanic rogue waves that have been associated with many catastrophic maritime disasters. Studying rogue waves under controlled conditions is problematic, and the phenomenon remains a subject of intensive research. On the other hand, there are many qualitative and quantitative links between wave propagation in optics and in hydrodynamics, and it is thus natural to consider to what degree (if any) insights from studying instability phenomena in optics can be applied to other systems. In this context, significant experiments were reported by Solli et al. in late 2007 ["Optical rogue waves," Nature 450, 1054 (2007)], where a wavelength-to-time detection technique allowed the direct characterization of shot-to-shot instabilities in the extreme nonlinear optical spectral broadening process of supercontinuum generation. Specifically, although the process of supercontinuum generation is well-known to exhibit fluctuations in both the time and frequency domains, Solli et al. have shown that these fluctuations contain a small number of statistically-rare "rogue" events associated with a greatly enhanced spectral bandwidth and the generation of localized temporal solitons with greatly increased intensity. Crucially, because these experiments were performed in a regime where modulation instability (MI) plays a key role in the dynamics, an analogy was drawn with hydrodynamic rogue waves, whose origin and dynamics has also been discussed in terms of MI or, as it often referred to in hydrodynamics, the Benjamin-Feir instability. The analogy between the appearance of localized structures in optics and the rogue waves on the ocean's surface is both intriguing and attractive, as it opens up possibilities to explore the extreme value dynamics in a convenient benchtop optical environment. In addition to the proposed links with solitons suggested by Solli et al., other recent studies motivated from an optical context have experimentally demonstrated links with nonlinear breather propagation. The purpose of this paper will be to discuss these results that have been obtained in optics, and to consider possible similarities and differences with oceanic rogue wave counterparts.

Correlation between elevation change and groundwater level following the termination of salt exploitation in the city of Tuzla (BiH)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mancini, F.; Stecchi, F.; Gabbianelli, G.

2012-04-01

Ground subsidence triggered by salt mining from deposits located beneath the city of Tuzla (Bosnia & Herzegovina) is one of the major dangerous factor acting on a very densely urbanized area since 1950, when the salt deposits exploitation by means of boreholes began. As demonstrated in previous work, subsidence induced several hazard factors such as a severe ground deformation, the arising of deep and superficial fractures and very fast water table fluctuations depending on the net amount of brine extraction. The historical ground deformation rates have been investigated by means of traditional geodetic surveys carried out within two periods. The first leg spans from 1956 to 1991, when measurements were ceased due to the Balkans' conflict, and the second from 1996 to 2003. More recently, the monitoring of ground deformation processes is being performed by the use of novel geomatic methodologies and subsequent analysis of geospatial data. The analysis of the historical dataset revealed a cumulative subsidence as high as 12 meters during the whole period, causing damage to buildings and infrastructures within an area that includes a large portion of the historical town, nowadays almost entirely destroyed. In this study we present a detailed analysis and correlation between the water table fluctuation under the city of Tuzla and recent surface deformation processes detected by close and accurate elevation surveys. The analysis highlighted a very complex spatial and temporal pattern of surface deformation. From 2006 and 2010 various stages in the deformation processes were observed in the spatial and temporal domains. The main subsidence trend show significant rates at the beginning of the time period, with gradual stabilization that, somewhere, turns to a significant ground uplift rate. This behavior seems to be strongly correlated to the water table movement that, after a reduction in the brine exploitation experienced in the first part of the mentioned period, shows a sudden rise of piezometric levels. The new hydrostatic equilibrium is now counterbalancing the sinking phenomena and the vertical displacements are nowadays ranging from -100mm/yr to +20mm/yr. Final conclusions focus on the strict relationship between the two investigated phenomena, pointing out the importance of control the water table movements to identify and prevent further ground deformations.

Influence of the rotor-stator interaction on the dynamic stresses of Francis runners

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guillaume, R.; Deniau, J. L.; Scolaro, D.; Colombet, C.

2012-11-01

Thanks to advances in computing capabilities and Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) techniques, it is now possible to calculate realistic unsteady pressure fields in Francis turbines. This paper will explain methods to calculate the structural loads and the dynamic behaviour in order to optimize the turbine design and maximize its reliability and lifetime. Depending on the operating conditions of a Francis turbine, different hydraulic phenomena may impact the mechanical behaviour of the structure. According to their nature, these highly variable phenomena should be treated differently and specifically in order to estimate the potential risks arising on submerged structures, in particular the runner. The operating condition studied thereafter is the point at maximum power with the maximum head. Under this condition, the runner is excited by only one dynamic phenomenon named the Rotor-Stator Interaction (RSI). The origin of the phenomenon is located on the radial gap of the turbine and is the source of pressure fluctuations. A fluid-structure analysis is performed to observe the influence of that dynamic pressure field on the runner behaviour. The first part of the paper deals with the unsteady fluid computation. The RSI phenomenon is totally unsteady so the fluid simulation must take into account the entire machine and its rotation movement, in order to obtain a dynamic pressure field. In the second part of the paper, a method suitable for the RSI study is developed. It is known that the fluctuating pressure in this gap can be described as a sum of spatial components. By evaluating these components in the CFD results and on the scale model, it is possible to assess the relevance of the numerical results on the whole runner. After this step, the numerical pressure field can be used as the dynamic load of the structure. The final part of the paper presentsthe mechanical finite element calculations. A modal analysis of the runner in water and a harmonic analysis of its dynamic behaviour using the CFD results are carried out. These calculations will show that the RSI on the medium head Francis runner does not create damage on the runner even if the natural frequencies are closed to the wicket gates passing frequency. The numerical results are reinforced by experimental observations done on runner prototypes showing that the wicket gates passing frequency does not have significant influence on low and medium head Francis runner behaviour.

Noise-Driven Phenotypic Heterogeneity with Finite Correlation Time in Clonal Populations.

PubMed

Lee, UnJin; Skinner, John J; Reinitz, John; Rosner, Marsha Rich; Kim, Eun-Jin

2015-01-01

There has been increasing awareness in the wider biological community of the role of clonal phenotypic heterogeneity in playing key roles in phenomena such as cellular bet-hedging and decision making, as in the case of the phage-λ lysis/lysogeny and B. Subtilis competence/vegetative pathways. Here, we report on the effect of stochasticity in growth rate, cellular memory/intermittency, and its relation to phenotypic heterogeneity. We first present a linear stochastic differential model with finite auto-correlation time, where a randomly fluctuating growth rate with a negative average is shown to result in exponential growth for sufficiently large fluctuations in growth rate. We then present a non-linear stochastic self-regulation model where the loss of coherent self-regulation and an increase in noise can induce a shift from bounded to unbounded growth. An important consequence of these models is that while the average change in phenotype may not differ for various parameter sets, the variance of the resulting distributions may considerably change. This demonstrates the necessity of understanding the influence of variance and heterogeneity within seemingly identical clonal populations, while providing a mechanism for varying functional consequences of such heterogeneity. Our results highlight the importance of a paradigm shift from a deterministic to a probabilistic view of clonality in understanding selection as an optimization problem on noise-driven processes, resulting in a wide range of biological implications, from robustness to environmental stress to the development of drug resistance.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mehrez, Loujaine; Ghanem, Roger; Aitharaju, Venkat

Design of non-crimp fabric (NCF) composites entails major challenges pertaining to (1) the complex fine-scale morphology of the constituents, (2) the manufacturing-produced inconsistency of this morphology spatially, and thus (3) the ability to build reliable, robust, and efficient computational surrogate models to account for this complex nature. Traditional approaches to construct computational surrogate models have been to average over the fluctuations of the material properties at different scale lengths. This fails to account for the fine-scale features and fluctuations in morphology, material properties of the constituents, as well as fine-scale phenomena such as damage and cracks. In addition, it failsmore » to accurately predict the scatter in macroscopic properties, which is vital to the design process and behavior prediction. In this work, funded in part by the Department of Energy, we present an approach for addressing these challenges by relying on polynomial chaos representations of both input parameters and material properties at different scales. Moreover, we emphasize the efficiency and robustness of integrating the polynomial chaos expansion with multiscale tools to perform multiscale assimilation, characterization, propagation, and prediction, all of which are necessary to construct the data-driven surrogate models required to design under the uncertainty of composites. These data-driven constructions provide an accurate map from parameters (and their uncertainties) at all scales and the system-level behavior relevant for design. While this perspective is quite general and applicable to all multiscale systems, NCF composites present a particular hierarchy of scales that permits the efficient implementation of these concepts.« less

Emergence of nontrivial magnetic excitations in a spin-liquid state of kagomé volborthite

PubMed Central

Watanabe, Daiki; Sugii, Kaori; Shimozawa, Masaaki; Suzuki, Yoshitaka; Yajima, Takeshi; Ishikawa, Hajime; Hiroi, Zenji; Shibauchi, Takasada; Matsuda, Yuji; Yamashita, Minoru

2016-01-01

When quantum fluctuations destroy underlying long-range ordered states, novel quantum states emerge. Spin-liquid (SL) states of frustrated quantum antiferromagnets, in which highly correlated spins fluctuate down to very low temperatures, are prominent examples of such quantum states. SL states often exhibit exotic physical properties, but the precise nature of the elementary excitations behind such phenomena remains entirely elusive. Here, we use thermal Hall measurements that can capture the unexplored property of the elementary excitations in SL states, and report the observation of anomalous excitations that may unveil the unique features of the SL state. Our principal finding is a negative thermal Hall conductivity κxy which the charge-neutral spin excitations in a gapless SL state of the 2D kagomé insulator volborthite Cu3V2O7(OH)2⋅2H2O exhibit, in much the same way in which charged electrons show the conventional electric Hall effect. We find that κxy is absent in the high-temperature paramagnetic state and develops upon entering the SL state in accordance with the growth of the short-range spin correlations, demonstrating that κxy is a key signature of the elementary excitation formed in the SL state. These results suggest the emergence of nontrivial elementary excitations in the gapless SL state which feel the presence of fictitious magnetic flux, whose effective Lorentz force is found to be less than 1/100 of the force experienced by free electrons. PMID:27439874

Fluid front displacement dynamics affecting pressure fluctuations and phase entrapment in porous media

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moebius, F.; Or, D.

2012-04-01

Many natural and engineering processes involve motion of fluid fronts in porous media, from infiltration and drainage in hydrology to reservoir management in petroleum engineering. Macroscopically smooth and continuous motion of displacement fronts involves numerous rapid interfacial jumps and local reconfigurations. Detailed observations of displacement processes in micromodels illustrate the wide array of fluid interfacial dynamics ranging from irregular jumping-pinning motions to gradual pore scale invasions. The pressure fluctuations associated with interfacial motions reflect not only pore geometry (as traditionally hypothesized) but there is a strong influence of boundary conditions (e.g., mean drainage rate). The time scales associated with waiting time distribution of individual invasion events and decay time of inertial oscillations (following a rapid interfacial jump) provide a means for distinguishing between displacement regimes. Direct observations using high-speed camera combined with concurrent pressure signal measurements were instrumental in clarifying influences of flow rates, pore size, and gravity on burst size distribution and waiting times. We compared our results with the early experimental and theoretical study on burst size and waiting time distribution during slow drainage processes of Måløy et al. [Måløy et al., 1992]. Results provide insights on critical invasion events that exert strong influence on macroscopic phenomena such as front morphology and residual phase entrapment behind leading to hysteresis. Måløy, K. J., L. Furuberg, J. Feder, and T. Jossang (1992), Dynamics of Slow Drainage in Porous-Media, Phys Rev Lett, 68(14), 2161-2164.

Blue Hill Observatory Sunshine - Assessment of Climate Signals in the Longest Continuous Meteorological Record in North America

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Magee, N. B.; Finocchio, P.; Melaas, E. K.; Iacono, M. J.

2014-12-01

The Blue Hill Meteorological Observatory occupies a unique place in the history of the American Meteorological Society and the development of atmospheric science. Through its 129-year history, the Observatory has been operated by founder Abbott Lawrence Rotch (1861-1912), Harvard University, and the National Weather Service, and it is presently run by the non-profit Blue Hill Observatory Science Center. While daily temperature and precipitation records are available through the National Climatic Data Center, they do not include the full record of sunshine duration data that were measured using a Campbell-Stokes sunshine recorder. We have recently digitized the Observatory's original daily sunshine archives, and now present the first full collection and analysis of sunshine records extending from 1889 to the present. This data set is unique and salient to modern climate research because the collection represents the earliest and longest continuous measurements of insolation outside of Western Europe. Together the record provides an unprecedented glimpse into regional climate features, as well as important links between global phenomena and regional climate. Analysis reveals long-term fluctuations of cloud-cover and solar radiation, including signals of regional industrialization, global-dimming, volcanic eruptions, the 11-Year Solar Cycle, and the El Niño Southern Oscillation. Shorter period fluctuations include evidence of an intricate annual pattern of sunshine duration and correlations with the Arctic Oscillation, North Atlantic Oscillation, and galactic cosmic rays.

Spatial organization and correlation properties quantify structural changes on mesoscale of parenchymatous plant tissue

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Valous, N. A.; Delgado, A.; Drakakis, K.; Sun, D.-W.

2014-02-01

The study of plant tissue parenchyma's intercellular air spaces contributes to the understanding of anatomy and physiology. This is challenging due to difficulty in making direct measurements of the pore space and the complex mosaic of parenchymatous tissue. The architectural complexity of pore space has shown that single geometrical measurements are not sufficient for characterization. The inhomogeneity of distribution depends not only on the percentage content of phase, but also on how the phase fills the space. The lacunarity morphometric, as multiscale measure, provides information about the distribution of gaps that correspond to degree of spatial organization in parenchyma. Additionally, modern theories have suggested strategies, where the focus has shifted from the study of averages and histograms to the study of patterns in data fluctuations. Detrended fluctuation analysis provides information on the correlation properties of the parenchyma at different spatial scales. The aim is to quantify (with the aid of the aforementioned metrics), the mesostructural changes—that occur from one cycle of freezing and thawing—in the void phase of pome fruit parenchymatous tissue, acquired with X-ray microcomputed tomography. Complex systems methods provide numerical indices and detailed insights regarding the freezing-induced modifications upon the arrangement of cells and voids. These structural changes have the potential to lead to physiological disorders. The work can further stimulate interest for the analysis of internal plant tissue structures coupled with other physico-chemical processes or phenomena.

From prediction error to incentive salience: mesolimbic computation of reward motivation

PubMed Central

Berridge, Kent C.

2011-01-01

Reward contains separable psychological components of learning, incentive motivation and pleasure. Most computational models have focused only on the learning component of reward, but the motivational component is equally important in reward circuitry, and even more directly controls behavior. Modeling the motivational component requires recognition of additional control factors besides learning. Here I will discuss how mesocorticolimbic mechanisms generate the motivation component of incentive salience. Incentive salience takes Pavlovian learning and memory as one input and as an equally important input takes neurobiological state factors (e.g., drug states, appetite states, satiety states) that can vary independently of learning. Neurobiological state changes can produce unlearned fluctuations or even reversals in the ability of a previously-learned reward cue to trigger motivation. Such fluctuations in cue-triggered motivation can dramatically depart from all previously learned values about the associated reward outcome. Thus a consequence of the difference between incentive salience and learning can be to decouple cue-triggered motivation of the moment from previously learned values of how good the associated reward has been in the past. Another consequence can be to produce irrationally strong motivation urges that are not justified by any memories of previous reward values (and without distorting associative predictions of future reward value). Such irrationally strong motivation may be especially problematic in addiction. To comprehend these phenomena, future models of mesocorticolimbic reward function should address the neurobiological state factors that participate to control generation of incentive salience. PMID:22487042

On the multifractal effects generated by monofractal signals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grech, Dariusz; Pamuła, Grzegorz

2013-12-01

We study quantitatively the level of false multifractal signal one may encounter while analyzing multifractal phenomena in time series within multifractal detrended fluctuation analysis (MF-DFA). The investigated effect appears as a result of finite length of used data series and is additionally amplified by the long-term memory the data eventually may contain. We provide the detailed quantitative description of such apparent multifractal background signal as a threshold in spread of generalized Hurst exponent values Δh or a threshold in the width of multifractal spectrum Δα below which multifractal properties of the system are only apparent, i.e. do not exist, despite Δα≠0 or Δh≠0. We find this effect quite important for shorter or persistent series and we argue it is linear with respect to autocorrelation exponent γ. Its strength decays according to power law with respect to the length of time series. The influence of basic linear and nonlinear transformations applied to initial data in finite time series with various levels of long memory is also investigated. This provides additional set of semi-analytical results. The obtained formulas are significant in any interdisciplinary application of multifractality, including physics, financial data analysis or physiology, because they allow to separate the ‘true’ multifractal phenomena from the apparent (artificial) multifractal effects. They should be a helpful tool of the first choice to decide whether we do in particular case with the signal with real multiscaling properties or not.

Nonlinear rocket motor stability prediction: Limit amplitude, triggering, and mean pressure shifta)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Flandro, Gary A.; Fischbach, Sean R.; Majdalani, Joseph

2007-09-01

High-amplitude pressure oscillations in solid propellant rocket motor combustion chambers display nonlinear effects including: (1) limit cycle behavior in which the fluctuations may dwell for a considerable period of time near their peak amplitude, (2) elevated mean chamber pressure (DC shift), and (3) a triggering amplitude above which pulsing will cause an apparently stable system to transition to violent oscillations. Along with the obvious undesirable vibrations, these features constitute the most damaging impact of combustion instability on system reliability and structural integrity. The physical mechanisms behind these phenomena and their relationship to motor geometry and physical parameters must, therefore, be fully understood if instability is to be avoided in the design process, or if effective corrective measures must be devised during system development. Predictive algorithms now in use have limited ability to characterize the actual time evolution of the oscillations, and they do not supply the motor designer with information regarding peak amplitudes or the associated critical triggering amplitudes. A pivotal missing element is the ability to predict the mean pressure shift; clearly, the designer requires information regarding the maximum chamber pressure that might be experienced during motor operation. In this paper, a comprehensive nonlinear combustion instability model is described that supplies vital information. The central role played by steep-fronted waves is emphasized. The resulting algorithm provides both detailed physical models of nonlinear instability phenomena and the critically needed predictive capability. In particular, the origin of the DC shift is revealed.

Experimental investigation of the sloshing motion of the water free surface in the draft tube of a Francis turbine operating in synchronous condenser mode

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vagnoni, Elena; Favrel, Arthur; Andolfatto, Loïc; Avellan, François

2018-06-01

Hydropower units may be required to operate in condenser mode to supply reactive power. In this operating mode, the water level in the turbine or pump-turbine is decreased below the runner by closing the guide vanes and injecting pressurized air. While operating in condenser mode the machine experiences power losses due to several air-water interaction phenomena which cause air losses. One of such phenomena is the sloshing motion of the water free surface below the runner in the draft tube cone of a Francis turbine. The objective of the present work is to experimentally investigate the sloshing motion of the water free surface in the draft tube cone of a reduced scale physical model of a Francis turbine operating in condenser mode. Images acquisition and simultaneous pressure fluctuation measurements are performed and an image processing method is developed to investigate amplitude and frequency of the sloshing motion of the free surface. It is found that this motion is excited at the natural frequency of the water volume and corresponds to the azimuthal wavenumber m = 1 of a rotating gravity wave. The amplitude of the motion is perturbed by wave breaking and it decreases by increasing the densimetric Froude number. The sloshing frequency slightly increases with respect to the natural frequency of the water volume by increasing the densimetric Froude number. Moreover, it results that this resonant phenomenon is not related to the torque perturbation.

Gas hydrate and spatial venting variations in the continental margin offshore Southwestern Taiwan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lin, S.; Lim, Y.; Hsieh, W.; Yang, T.; Wang, Y.

2006-12-01

Strong BSR, high methane contents and rapid sulfate reduction were found in the continental margin sediments offshore southwestern Taiwan. In order to identify the venting phenomena and its relationship with gas hydrate, this research investigate sea floor vent features using WHOI?|s Towcam system as well as piston core in the study region. A total of 10 dives were conducted on board the r/v OR-1. Pore water sulfate, dissolved sulfide, methane, chloride, del O18 ratio, sediment organic carbon, carbonate content and carbonate del C13 ratio, pyrite-S were measured Large spatial variations were found based on pictures obtained from Towcam system and piston cores. Active venting features include bacteria mat, live dense bivalve patches, gas plume, temperature and salinity fluctuations, rapid sulfate reduction and high concentrations of methane in sediments. In addition, vent chimney, pockmark and large authigenic carbonate buildup were also observed in the active venting area. In contrast, in some areas without active venting features, scatter dead chimney, semi- buried carbonate structures, and dead bivalves were found. Total sulfate depletion was found at depth as shallow as 1 meter below sediment water interface in area near active vent whereas almost no sulfate depletion was observed in areas without any vent feature. Stages of carbonate build up existed, with initial phase dominated by small tube, chimney, and later with massive carbonate structures protruding the sea floor. The appearances of massive carbonate buildup structures seemed to indicate the end stage of gas hydrate venting phenomena.

Discrimination between pre-seismic electromagnetic anomalies and solar activity effects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Koulouras, G.; Balasis, G.; Kiourktsidis, I.; Nannos, E.; Kontakos, K.; Stonham, J.; Ruzhin, Y.; Eftaxias, K.; Cavouras, D.; Nomicos, C.

2009-04-01

Laboratory studies suggest that electromagnetic emissions in a wide frequency spectrum ranging from kilohertz (kHz) to very high megahertz (MHz) frequencies are produced by the opening of microcracks, with the MHz radiation appearing earlier than the kHz radiation. Earthquakes are large-scale fracture phenomena in the Earth's heterogeneous crust. Thus, the radiated kHz-MHz electromagnetic emissions are detectable not only in the laboratory but also at a geological scale. Clear MHz-to-kHz electromagnetic anomalies have been systematically detected over periods ranging from a few days to a few hours prior to recent destructive earthquakes in Greece. We should bear in mind that whether electromagnetic precursors to earthquakes exist is an important question not only for earthquake prediction but mainly for understanding the physical processes of earthquake generation. An open question in this field of research is the classification of a detected electromagnetic anomaly as a pre-seismic signal associated with earthquake occurrence. Indeed, electromagnetic fluctuations in the frequency range of MHz are known to be related to a few sources, including atmospheric noise (due to lightning), man-made composite noise, solar-terrestrial noise (resulting from the Sun-solar wind-magnetosphere-ionosphere-Earth's surface chain) or cosmic noise, and finally, the lithospheric effect, namely pre-seismic activity. We focus on this point in this paper. We suggest that if a combination of detected kHz and MHz electromagnetic anomalies satisfies the set of criteria presented herein, these anomalies could be considered as candidate precursory phenomena of an impending earthquake.

Discrimination between preseismic electromagnetic anomalies and solar activity effects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Koulouras, Gr; Balasis, G.; Kontakos, K.; Ruzhin, Y.; Avgoustis, G.; Kavouras, D.; Nomicos, C.

2009-04-01

Laboratory studies suggest that electromagnetic emissions in a wide frequency spectrum ranging from kHz to very high MHz frequencies are produced by the opening of microcracks, with the MHz radiation appearing earlier than the kHz radiation. Earthquakes are large-scale fracture phenomena in the Earth's heterogeneous crust. Thus, the radiated kHz-MHz electromagnetic emissions are detectable not only at laboratory but also at geological scale. Clear MHz-to-kHz electromagnetic anomalies have been systematically detected over periods ranging from a few days to a few hours prior to recent destructive earthquakes in Greece. We bear in mind that whether electromagnetic precursors to earthquakes exist is an important question not only for earthquake prediction but mainly for understanding the physical processes of earthquake generation. An open question in this field of research is the classification of a detected electromagnetic anomaly as a pre-seismic signal associated to earthquake occurrence. Indeed, electromagnetic fluctuations in the frequency range of MHz are known to related to a few sources, i.e., they might be atmospheric noise (due to lightning), man-made composite noise, solar-terrestrial noise (resulting from the Sun-solar wind-magnetosphere-ionosphere-Earth's surface chain) or cosmic noise, and finally, lithospheric effect, namely pre-seismic activity. We focus on this point. We suggest that if a combination of detected kHz and MHz electromagnetic anomalies satisfies the herein presented set of criteria these anomalies could be considered as candidate precursory phenomena of an impending earthquake.

Impact of proton transfer phenomena on the electronic structure of model Schiff bases: an AIM/NBO/ELF study.

PubMed

Panek, Jarosław J; Filarowski, Aleksander; Jezierska-Mazzarello, Aneta

2013-10-21

Understanding of the electronic structure evolution due to a proton dynamics is a key issue in biochemistry and material science. This paper reports on density functional theory calculations of Schiff bases containing short, strong intramolecular hydrogen bonds where the bridged proton is located: (i) at the donor site, (ii) strongly delocalized, and (iii) at the acceptor site. The mobility of the bridged proton and its influence on the molecular structure and properties of the chosen Schiff base derivatives have been investigated on the basis of Atoms in Molecules, Natural Bond Orbitals, and Electron Localization Function theories. It has been observed that the extent of the bridged proton delocalization is strongly modified by the steric and inductive effects present in the studied compounds introduced by various substituents. It has been shown that: (i) potential energy profiles for the proton motion are extremely dependent on the substitution of the aromatic ring, (ii) the topology of the free electron pairs present at the donor∕acceptor site, as well as their electron populations, are affected qualitatively by the bridged proton position, (iii) the distortion of the molecular structure due to the bridged proton dynamics includes the atomic charge fluctuations, which are in some cases non-monotonic, and (iv) topology of the ELF recognizes events of proton detachment from the donor and attachment to the acceptor. The quantitative and qualitative results shed light onto molecular consequences of the proton transfer phenomena.

Flowfield-Dependent Mixed Explicit-Implicit (FDMEL) Algorithm for Computational Fluid Dynamics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Garcia, S. M.; Chung, T. J.

1997-01-01

Despite significant achievements in computational fluid dynamics, there still remain many fluid flow phenomena not well understood. For example, the prediction of temperature distributions is inaccurate when temperature gradients are high, particularly in shock wave turbulent boundary layer interactions close to the wall. Complexities of fluid flow phenomena include transition to turbulence, relaminarization separated flows, transition between viscous and inviscid incompressible and compressible flows, among others, in all speed regimes. The purpose of this paper is to introduce a new approach, called the Flowfield-Dependent Mixed Explicit-Implicit (FDMEI) method, in an attempt to resolve these difficult issues in Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD). In this process, a total of six implicitness parameters characteristic of the current flowfield are introduced. They are calculated from the current flowfield or changes of Mach numbers, Reynolds numbers, Peclet numbers, and Damkoehler numbers (if reacting) at each nodal point and time step. This implies that every nodal point or element is provided with different or unique numerical scheme according to their current flowfield situations, whether compressible, incompressible, viscous, inviscid, laminar, turbulent, reacting, or nonreacting. In this procedure, discontinuities or fluctuations of an variables between adjacent nodal points are determined accurately. If these implicitness parameters are fixed to certain numbers instead of being calculated from the flowfield information, then practically all currently available schemes of finite differences or finite elements arise as special cases. Some benchmark problems to be presented in this paper will show the validity, accuracy, and efficiency of the proposed methodology.

Simulation Tools and Techniques for Analyzing the Impacts of Photovoltaic System Integration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hariri, Ali

Solar photovoltaic (PV) energy integration in distribution networks is one of the fastest growing sectors of distributed energy integration. The growth in solar PV integration is incentivized by various clean power policies, global interest in solar energy, and reduction in manufacturing and installation costs of solar energy systems. The increase in solar PV integration has raised a number of concerns regarding the potential impacts that might arise as a result of high PV penetration. Some impacts have already been recorded in networks with high PV penetration such as in China, Germany, and USA (Hawaii and California). Therefore, network planning is becoming more intricate as new technologies are integrated into the existing electric grid. The integrated new technologies pose certain compatibility concerns regarding the existing electric grid infrastructure. Therefore, PV integration impact studies are becoming more essential in order to have a better understanding of how to advance the solar PV integration efforts without introducing adverse impacts into the network. PV impact studies are important for understanding the nature of the new introduced phenomena. Understanding the nature of the potential impacts is a key factor for mitigating and accommodating for said impacts. Traditionally, electric power utilities relied on phasor-based power flow simulations for planning their electric networks. However, the conventional, commercially available, phasor-based simulation tools do not provide proper visibility across a wide spectrum of electric phenomena. Moreover, different types of simulation approaches are suitable for specific types of studies. For instance, power flow software cannot be used for studying time varying phenomena. At the same time, it is not practical to use electromagnetic transient (EMT) tools to perform power flow solutions. Therefore, some electric phenomena caused by the variability of PV generation are not visible using the conventional utility simulation software. On the other hand, EMT simulation tools provide high accuracy and visibility over a wide bandwidth of frequencies at the expense of larger processing and memory requirements, limited network size, and long simulation time. Therefore, there is a gap in simulation tools and techniques that can efficiently and effectively identify potential PV impact. New planning simulation tools are needed in order to accommodate for the simulation requirements of new integrated technologies in the electric grid. The dissertation at hand starts by identifying some of the potential impacts that are caused by high PV penetration. A phasor-based quasi-static time series (QSTS) analysis tool is developed in order to study the slow dynamics that are caused by the variations in the PV generation that lead to voltage fluctuations. Moreover, some EMT simulations are performed in order to study the impacts of PV systems on the electric network harmonic levels. These studies provide insights into the type and duration of certain impacts, as well as the conditions that may lead to adverse phenomena. In addition these studies present an idea about the type of simulation tools that are sufficient for each type of study. After identifying some of the potential impacts, certain planning tools and techniques are proposed. The potential PV impacts may cause certain utilities to refrain from integrating PV systems into their networks. However, each electric network has a certain limit beyond which the impacts become substantial and may adversely interfere with the system operation and the equipment along the feeder; this limit is referred to as the hosting limit (or hosting capacity). Therefore, it is important for utilities to identify the PV hosting limit on a specific electric network in order to safely and confidently integrate the maximum possible PV systems. In the following dissertation, two approaches have been proposed for identifying the hosing limit: 1. Analytical approach: this is a theoretical mathematical approach that demonstrated the understanding of the fundamentals of electric power system operation. It provides an easy way to estimate the maximum amount of PV power that can be injected at each node in the network. This approach has been tested and validated. 2. Stochastic simulation software approach: this approach provides a comprehensive simulation software that can be used in order to identify the PV hosting limit. The software performs a large number of stochastic simulation while varying the PV system size and location. The collected data is then analyzed for violations in the voltage levels, voltage fluctuations and reverse power flow. (Abstract shortened by ProQuest.).

Multi-scaling in the critical phenomena in the quenched disordered systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, X. T.

2018-04-01

The Landau-Ginzburg-Wilson Hamiltonian with random temperature for the phase transition in disordered systems from the Griffiths phase to ordered phase is reexamined. From the saddle point solutions, especially the excited state solutions, it is shown that the system self-organizes into blocks coupled with their neighbors like superspins, which are emergent variables. Taking the fluctuation around these saddle point solutions into account, we get an effective Hamiltonian, including the emergent superspins of the blocks, the fluctuation around the saddle point solutions, and their couplings. Applying Stratonovich-Hubbard transformation to the part of superspins, we get a Landau-Ginzburg-Wilson Hamiltonian for the blocks. From the saddle point equations for the blocks, we can get the second generation blocks, of which sizes are much larger than the first generation blocks. Repeating this procedure again and again, we get many generations of blocks to describe the asymptotic behavior. If a field is applied, the effective field on the superspins is multiplied greatly and proportional to the block size. For a very small field, the effective field on the higher generation superspins can be so strong to cause the superspins polarized radically. This can explain the extra large critical isotherm exponent discovered in the experiments. The phase space of reduced temperature vs. field is divided into many layers , in which different generation blocks dominate the critical behavior. The sizes of the different generation emergent blocks are new relevant length scales. This can explain a lot of puzzles in the experiments and the Monte Carlo simulation.

The statistical mechanics of relativistic orbits around a massive black hole

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bar-Or, Ben; Alexander, Tal

2014-12-01

Stars around a massive black hole (MBH) move on nearly fixed Keplerian orbits, in a centrally-dominated potential. The random fluctuations of the discrete stellar background cause small potential perturbations, which accelerate the evolution of orbital angular momentum by resonant relaxation. This drives many phenomena near MBHs, such as extreme mass-ratio gravitational wave inspirals, the warping of accretion disks, and the formation of exotic stellar populations. We present here a formal statistical mechanics framework to analyze such systems, where the background potential is described as a correlated Gaussian noise. We derive the leading order, phase-averaged 3D stochastic Hamiltonian equations of motion, for evolving the orbital elements of a test star, and obtain the effective Fokker-Planck equation for a general correlated Gaussian noise, for evolving the stellar distribution function. We show that the evolution of angular momentum depends critically on the temporal smoothness of the background potential fluctuations. Smooth noise has a maximal variability frequency {{ν }max }. We show that in the presence of such noise, the evolution of the normalized angular momentum j=\\sqrt{1-{{e}2}} of a relativistic test star, undergoing Schwarzschild (in-plane) general relativistic precession with frequency {{ν }GR}/{{j}2}, is exponentially suppressed for j\\lt {{j}b}, where {{ν }GR}/jb2˜ {{ν }max }, due to the adiabatic invariance of the precession against the slowly varying random background torques. This results in an effective Schwarzschild precession-induced barrier in angular momentum. When jb is large enough, this barrier can have significant dynamical implications for processes near the MBH.

From prediction error to incentive salience: mesolimbic computation of reward motivation.

PubMed

Berridge, Kent C

2012-04-01

Reward contains separable psychological components of learning, incentive motivation and pleasure. Most computational models have focused only on the learning component of reward, but the motivational component is equally important in reward circuitry, and even more directly controls behavior. Modeling the motivational component requires recognition of additional control factors besides learning. Here I discuss how mesocorticolimbic mechanisms generate the motivation component of incentive salience. Incentive salience takes Pavlovian learning and memory as one input and as an equally important input takes neurobiological state factors (e.g. drug states, appetite states, satiety states) that can vary independently of learning. Neurobiological state changes can produce unlearned fluctuations or even reversals in the ability of a previously learned reward cue to trigger motivation. Such fluctuations in cue-triggered motivation can dramatically depart from all previously learned values about the associated reward outcome. Thus, one consequence of the difference between incentive salience and learning can be to decouple cue-triggered motivation of the moment from previously learned values of how good the associated reward has been in the past. Another consequence can be to produce irrationally strong motivation urges that are not justified by any memories of previous reward values (and without distorting associative predictions of future reward value). Such irrationally strong motivation may be especially problematic in addiction. To understand these phenomena, future models of mesocorticolimbic reward function should address the neurobiological state factors that participate to control generation of incentive salience. © 2012 The Author. European Journal of Neuroscience © 2012 Federation of European Neuroscience Societies and Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Magnetic proximity control of spin currents and giant spin accumulation in graphene

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Singh, Simranjeet

Two dimensional (2D) materials provide a unique platform to explore the full potential of magnetic proximity driven phenomena. We will present the experimental study showing the strong modulation of spin currents in graphene layers by controlling the direction of the exchange field due to the ferromagnetic-insulator (FMI) magnetization in graphene/FMI heterostructures. Owing to clean interfaces, a strong magnetic exchange coupling leads to the experimental observation of complete spin modulation at low externally applied magnetic fields in short graphene channels. We also discover that the graphene spin current can be fully dephased by randomly fluctuating exchange fields. This is manifested as an unusually strong temperature dependence of the non-local spin signals in graphene, which is due to spin relaxation by thermally-induced transverse fluctuations of the FMI magnetization. Additionally, it has been a challenge to grow a smooth, robust and pin-hole free tunnel barriers on graphene, which can withstand large current densities for efficient electrical spin injection. We have experimentally demonstrated giant spin accumulation in graphene lateral spin valves employing SrO tunnel barriers. Nonlocal spin signals, as large as 2 mV, are observed in graphene lateral spin valves at room temperature. This high spin accumulations observed using SrO tunnel barriers puts graphene on the roadmap for exploring the possibility of achieving a non-local magnetization switching due to the spin torque from electrically injected spins. Financial support from ONR (No. N00014-14-1-0350), NSF (No. DMR-1310661), and C-SPIN, one of the six SRC STARnet Centers, sponsored by MARCO and DARPA.

Likelihood for transcriptions in a genetic regulatory system under asymmetric stable Lévy noise

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Hui; Cheng, Xiujun; Duan, Jinqiao; Kurths, Jürgen; Li, Xiaofan

2018-01-01

This work is devoted to investigating the evolution of concentration in a genetic regulation system, when the synthesis reaction rate is under additive and multiplicative asymmetric stable Lévy fluctuations. By focusing on the impact of skewness (i.e., non-symmetry) in the probability distributions of noise, we find that via examining the mean first exit time (MFET) and the first escape probability (FEP), the asymmetric fluctuations, interacting with nonlinearity in the system, lead to peculiar likelihood for transcription. This includes, in the additive noise case, realizing higher likelihood of transcription for larger positive skewness (i.e., asymmetry) index β, causing a stochastic bifurcation at the non-Gaussianity index value α = 1 (i.e., it is a separating point or line for the likelihood for transcription), and achieving a turning point at the threshold value β ≈ - 0.5 (i.e., beyond which the likelihood for transcription suddenly reversed for α values). The stochastic bifurcation and turning point phenomena do not occur in the symmetric noise case (β = 0). While in the multiplicative noise case, non-Gaussianity index value α = 1 is a separating point or line for both the MFET and the FEP. We also investigate the noise enhanced stability phenomenon. Additionally, we are able to specify the regions in the whole parameter space for the asymmetric noise, in which we attain desired likelihood for transcription. We have conducted a series of numerical experiments in "regulating" the likelihood of gene transcription by tuning asymmetric stable Lévy noise indexes. This work offers insights for possible ways of achieving gene regulation in experimental research.

In search of discernible infrasound emitted by numerically simulated tornadoes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schecter, David A.

2012-09-01

The comprehensive observational study of Bedard (2005) provisionally found that the infrasound of a tornado is discernible from the infrasound of generic cloud processes in a convective storm. This paper discusses an attempt to corroborate the reported observations of distinct tornado infrasound with numerical simulations. Specifically, this paper investigates the infrasound of an ordinary tornado in a numerical experiment with the Regional Atmospheric Modeling System, customized to simulate acoustic phenomena. The simulation has no explicit parameterization of microphysical cloud processes, but creates an unsteady tornado of moderate strength by constant thermal forcing in a rotational environment. Despite strong fluctuations in the lower corner flow and upper outflow regions, a surprisingly low level of infrasound is radiated by the vortex. Infrasonic pressure waves in the 0.1 Hz frequency regime are less intense than those which could be generated by core-scale vortex Rossby (VR) waves of modest amplitude in similar vortices. Higher frequency infrasound is at least an order of magnitude weaker than expected based on infrasonic observations of tornadic thunderstorms. Suppression of VR waves (and their infrasound) is explained by the gradual decay of axial vorticity with increasing radius from the center of the vortex core. Such non-Rankine wind-structure is known to enable the rapid damping of VR waves by inviscid mechanisms, including resonant wave-mean flow interaction and "spiral wind-up" of vorticity. Insignificant levels of higher frequency infrasound may be due to oversimplifications in the computational setup, such as the neglect of thermal fluctuations caused by phase transitions of moisture in vigorous cloud turbulence.

Short-Term Moderately Elevated Intraocular Pressure Is Associated With Elevated Scotopic Electroretinogram Responses

PubMed Central

Choh, Vivian; Gurdita, Akshay; Tan, Bingyao; Prasad, Ratna C.; Bizheva, Kostadinka; Joos, Karen M.

2016-01-01

Purpose Moderately elevated intraocular pressure (IOP) is a risk factor for open-angle glaucoma. Some patients suffer glaucoma despite clinically measured normal IOPs. Fluctuations in IOP may have a significant role since IOPs are higher during sleep and inversion activities. Controlled transient elevations of IOPs in rats over time lead to optic nerve structural changes that are similar to the early changes observed in constant chronic models of glaucoma. Because early intervention decreases glaucoma progression, this study was done to determine if early physiological changes to the retina could be detected with noninvasive electrophysiological and optical imaging tests during moderately elevated IOP. Methods Intraocular pressures were raised to moderately high levels (35 mm Hg) in one eye of Sprague-Dawley rats while the other (control) eye was untreated. One group of rats underwent scotopic threshold response (STR) and electroretinogram (ERG) testing, while another 3 groups underwent optical coherence tomography (OCT) imaging, Western blot, or histologic evaluation. Results The amplitudes of the STR and ERG responses in eyes with moderately elevated IOPs were enhanced compared to the values before IOP elevation, and compared to untreated contralateral eyes. Structural changes to the optic nerve also occurred during IOP elevation. Conclusions Although ischemic IOP elevations are well-known to globally reduce components of the scotopic ERG, acute elevation in rats to levels often observed in untreated glaucoma patients caused an increase in these parameters. Further exploration of these phenomena may be helpful in better understanding the mechanisms mediating early retinal changes during fluctuating or chronically elevated IOP. PMID:27100161

Impact of Salinity Gradients on Ammonia Bioattenuation Processes in a Photosynthetic Wetland Biomat

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vega, M.; Jones, Z.; Sharp, J.

2017-12-01

Shallow, open water treatment wetlands may be able to offset challenges associated with the reclamation of impaired waters (e.g., membrane fouling, aeration costs, etc.) due to natural biogeochemical fluctuations produced by a benthic, photoactive biomat. This diatomaceous, redox-stratified biomat has demonstrated significant nitrate and trace organic removal from municipal wastewater streams and the microbial community has been thoroughly characterized. However, research is required to predict shifts in community structure and function in response to the excess salinity, ammonia, and metal gradients of impaired waters. Batch microcosm studies inoculating biomat from an active open water treatment wetland with incremental dilutions of hydraulic fracturing produced water were conducted in a light chamber with oscillating twelve-hour light and dark cycles to assess the effect of an impaired water matrix on biomat functionality. Diurnal photosynthetic signatures and ammonia removal kinetics were quantified in various experiments probing the effects of oscillating light conditions, biomat depth, water column isolation, nitrogen source, and salinity gradients in conjunction with phylogenetic profiles and morphological characterization. Diurnal pH and dissolved oxygen fluctuations were present at all produced water permutations, perhaps indicating stabilization of photosynthetic communities. Ammonia attenuation results suggest that the biomat is effective at removing ammonia, although first order rate constants decrease with increasing produced water abundance. Microbial community diversity appears to decrease with increasing salinity, and it is likely that these shifts correspond to variation in ecosystem function and thus treatment effectiveness. The application of shallow, open water treatment wetlands to remediate impaired waters has the potential to address societally relevant problems while discerning fundamental biogeochemical phenomena.

Predicting Rift Valley Fever Inter-epidemic Activities and Outbreak Patterns: Insights from a Stochastic Host-Vector Model

PubMed Central

Pedro, Sansao A.; Abelman, Shirley; Tonnang, Henri E. Z.

2016-01-01

Rift Valley fever (RVF) outbreaks are recurrent, occurring at irregular intervals of up to 15 years at least in East Africa. Between outbreaks disease inter-epidemic activities exist and occur at low levels and are maintained by female Aedes mcintoshi mosquitoes which transmit the virus to their eggs leading to disease persistence during unfavourable seasons. Here we formulate and analyse a full stochastic host-vector model with two routes of transmission: vertical and horizontal. By applying branching process theory we establish novel relationships between the basic reproduction number, R0, vertical transmission and the invasion and extinction probabilities. Optimum climatic conditions and presence of mosquitoes have not fully explained the irregular oscillatory behaviour of RVF outbreaks. Using our model without seasonality and applying van Kampen system-size expansion techniques, we provide an analytical expression for the spectrum of stochastic fluctuations, revealing how outbreaks multi-year periodicity varies with the vertical transmission. Our theory predicts complex fluctuations with a dominant period of 1 to 10 years which essentially depends on the efficiency of vertical transmission. Our predictions are then compared to temporal patterns of disease outbreaks in Tanzania, Kenya and South Africa. Our analyses show that interaction between nonlinearity, stochasticity and vertical transmission provides a simple but plausible explanation for the irregular oscillatory nature of RVF outbreaks. Therefore, we argue that while rainfall might be the major determinant for the onset and switch-off of an outbreak, the occurrence of a particular outbreak is also a result of a build up phenomena that is correlated to vertical transmission efficiency. PMID:28002417