Stability of Permanent Magnets,

DTIC Science & Technology

1984-03-06

temperature. The effect of impacts, vibrations and external magnetic fields in less detail is illuminated. The new, accelerated methods of the study of...accelerated methods, developed by the author of the study of the stability of magnets and systems, which do not require prolonged time intervais...the accelerated methods proposed to them of the study of the stability of magnets will contribute to the accumulation of experimental results and to

Stability of holographic superconductors

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

Kanno, Sugumi; Soda, Jiro

We study the dynamical stability of holographic superconductors. We first classify perturbations around black hole background solutions into vector and scalar sectors by means of a 2-dimensional rotational symmetry. We prove the stability of the vector sector by explicitly constructing the positive definite Hamiltonian. To reveal a mechanism for the stabilization of a superconducting phase, we construct a quadratic action for the scalar sector. From the action, we see the stability of black holes near a critical point is determined by the equation of motion for a charged scalar field. We show the effective mass of the charged scalar fieldmore » in hairy black holes is always above the Breitenlohner-Freedman bound near the critical point due to the backreaction of a gauge field. It implies the stability of the superconducting phase. We also argue that the stability continues away from the critical point.« less

Endotoxin Studies And Biosolids Stabilization Research

EPA Science Inventory

This presentation has three parts; a review of bench-scale endotoxin research, a review of observations from a field scale endotoxin release study, and discussion of biosolids stabilization and characterization by PLFA/FAME microbial community analysis. Endotoxins are part of th...

Stabilization effect of Weibel modes in relativistic laser fusion plasma

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

Belghit, Slimen, E-mail: Belghit.slimen@gmail.com; Sid, Abdelaziz, E-mail: Sid-abdelaziz@hotmail.com

In this work, the Weibel instability (WI) due to inverse bremsstrahlung (IB) absorption in a laser fusion plasma has been investigated. The stabilization effect due to the coupling of the self-generated magnetic field by WI with the laser wave field is explicitly shown. In this study, the relativistic effects are taken into account. Here, the basic equation is the relativistic Fokker-Planck (F-P) equation. The main obtained result is that the coupling of self-generated magnetic field with the laser wave causes a stabilizing effect of excited Weibel modes. We found a decrease in the spectral range of Weibel unstable modes. Thismore » decreasing is accompanied by a reduction of two orders in the growth rate of instable Weibel modes or even stabilization of these modes. It has been shown that the previous analysis of the Weibel instability due to IB has overestimated the values of the generated magnetic fields. Therefore, the generation of magnetic fields by the WI due to IB should not affect the experiences of an inertial confinement fusion.« less

Direct-current cathodic vacuum arc system with magnetic-field mechanism for plasma stabilization.

PubMed

Zhang, H-S; Komvopoulos, K

2008-07-01

Filtered cathodic vacuum arc (FCVA) deposition is characterized by plasma beam directionality, plasma energy adjustment via substrate biasing, macroparticle filtering, and independent substrate temperature control. Between the two modes of FCVA deposition, namely, direct current (dc) and pulsed arc, the dc mode yields higher deposition rates than the pulsed mode. However, maintaining the dc arc discharge is challenging because of its inherent plasma instabilities. A system generating a special configuration of magnetic field that stabilizes the dc arc discharge during film deposition is presented. This magnetic field is also part of the out-of-plane magnetic filter used to focus the plasma beam and prevent macroparticle film contamination. The efficiency of the plasma-stabilizing magnetic-field mechanism is demonstrated by the deposition of amorphous carbon (a-C) films exhibiting significantly high hardness and tetrahedral carbon hybridization (sp3) contents higher than 70%. Such high-quality films cannot be produced by dc arc deposition without the plasma-stabilizing mechanism presented in this study.

Potential and flux field landscape theory. I. Global stability and dynamics of spatially dependent non-equilibrium systems.

PubMed

Wu, Wei; Wang, Jin

2013-09-28

We established a potential and flux field landscape theory to quantify the global stability and dynamics of general spatially dependent non-equilibrium deterministic and stochastic systems. We extended our potential and flux landscape theory for spatially independent non-equilibrium stochastic systems described by Fokker-Planck equations to spatially dependent stochastic systems governed by general functional Fokker-Planck equations as well as functional Kramers-Moyal equations derived from master equations. Our general theory is applied to reaction-diffusion systems. For equilibrium spatially dependent systems with detailed balance, the potential field landscape alone, defined in terms of the steady state probability distribution functional, determines the global stability and dynamics of the system. The global stability of the system is closely related to the topography of the potential field landscape in terms of the basins of attraction and barrier heights in the field configuration state space. The effective driving force of the system is generated by the functional gradient of the potential field alone. For non-equilibrium spatially dependent systems, the curl probability flux field is indispensable in breaking detailed balance and creating non-equilibrium condition for the system. A complete characterization of the non-equilibrium dynamics of the spatially dependent system requires both the potential field and the curl probability flux field. While the non-equilibrium potential field landscape attracts the system down along the functional gradient similar to an electron moving in an electric field, the non-equilibrium flux field drives the system in a curly way similar to an electron moving in a magnetic field. In the small fluctuation limit, the intrinsic potential field as the small fluctuation limit of the potential field for spatially dependent non-equilibrium systems, which is closely related to the steady state probability distribution functional, is found to be a Lyapunov functional of the deterministic spatially dependent system. Therefore, the intrinsic potential landscape can characterize the global stability of the deterministic system. The relative entropy functional of the stochastic spatially dependent non-equilibrium system is found to be the Lyapunov functional of the stochastic dynamics of the system. Therefore, the relative entropy functional quantifies the global stability of the stochastic system with finite fluctuations. Our theory offers an alternative general approach to other field-theoretic techniques, to study the global stability and dynamics of spatially dependent non-equilibrium field systems. It can be applied to many physical, chemical, and biological spatially dependent non-equilibrium systems.

Stability of a viscous fluid in a rectangular cavity in the presence of a magnetic field

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Liang, C. Y.; Hung, Y. Y.

1976-01-01

The stability of an electrically conducting fluid subjected to two dimensional disturbance was investigated. A physical system consisting of two parallel infinite vertical plates which are thermally insulated was studied. An external magnetic field of constant strength was applied to normal plates. The fluid was heated from below so that a steady temperature gradient was maintained in the fluid. The governing equations were derived by perturbation technique, and solutions were obtained by a modified Galerkin method. It was found that the presence of the magnetic field increases the stability of the physical system and instability can occur in the form of neutral or oscillatory instability.

A field-validated model for in situ transport of polymer-stabilized nZVI and implications for subsurface injection.

PubMed

Krol, Magdalena M; Oleniuk, Andrew J; Kocur, Chris M; Sleep, Brent E; Bennett, Peter; Xiong, Zhong; O'Carroll, Denis M

2013-07-02

Nanoscale zerovalent iron (nZVI) particles have significant potential to remediate contaminated source zones. However, the transport of these particles through porous media is not well understood, especially at the field scale. This paper describes the simulation of a field injection of carboxylmethyl cellulose (CMC) stabilized nZVI using a 3D compositional simulator, modified to include colloidal filtration theory (CFT). The model includes composition dependent viscosity and spatially and temporally variable velocity, appropriate for the simulation of push-pull tests (PPTs) with CMC stabilized nZVI. Using only attachment efficiency as a fitting parameter, model results were in good agreement with field observations when spatially variable viscosity effects on collision efficiency were included in the transport modeling. This implies that CFT-modified transport equations can be used to simulate stabilized nZVI field transport. Model results show that an increase in solution viscosity, resulting from injection of CMC stabilized nZVI suspension, affects nZVI mobility by decreasing attachment as well as changing the hydraulics of the system. This effect is especially noticeable with intermittent pumping during PPTs. Results from this study suggest that careful consideration of nZVI suspension formulation is important for optimal delivery of nZVI which can be facilitated with the use of a compositional simulator.

Inverse Doppler shift and control field as coherence generators for the stability in superluminal light

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ghafoor, Fazal; Bacha, Bakht Amin; Khan, Salman

2015-05-01

A gain-based four-level atomic medium for the stability in superluminal light propagation using control field and inverse Doppler shift as coherence generators is studied. In regimes of weak and strong control field, a broadband and multiple controllable transparency windows are, respectively, identified with significantly enhanced group indices. The observed Doppler effect for the class of high atomic velocity of the medium is counterintuitive in comparison to the effect of the class of low atomic velocity. The intensity of each of the two pump fields is kept less than the optimum limit reported in [M. D. Stenner and D. J. Gauthier, Phys. Rev. A 67, 063801 (2003), 10.1103/PhysRevA.67.063801] for stability in the superluminal light pulse. Consequently, superluminal stable domains with the generated coherence are explored.

Chemical stabilization of metals and arsenic in contaminated soils using oxides--a review.

PubMed

Komárek, Michael; Vaněk, Aleš; Ettler, Vojtěch

2013-01-01

Oxides and their precursors have been extensively studied, either singly or in combination with other amendments promoting sorption, for in situ stabilization of metals and As in contaminated soils. This remediation option aims at reducing the available fraction of metal(loid)s, notably in the root zone, and thus lowering the risks associated with their leaching, ecotoxicity, plant uptake and human exposure. This review summarizes literature data on mechanisms involved in the immobilization process and presents results from laboratory and field experiments, including the subsequent influence on higher plants and aided phytostabilization. Despite the partial successes in the field, recent knowledge highlights the importance of long-term and large-scale field studies evaluating the stability of the oxide-based amendments in the treated soils and their efficiency in the long-term. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Organic field-effect transistors: a combined study on short-channel effects and the influence of substrate pre-treatment on ambient stability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Klug, A.; Meingast, A.; Wurzinger, G.; Blümel, A.; Schmoltner, K.; Scherf, U.; List, E. J. W.

2011-10-01

For high-performance low-cost applications based on organic field-effect transistors (OFETs) and corresponding sensors essential properties of the applied semiconducting materials include solution-processability, high field-effect mobility, compatibility with adjacent layers and stability with respect to ambient conditions. In this combined study regioregular poly(3-hexylthiophene)- and pentacene-based bottom-gate bottom-contact OFETs with various channel lengths are thoroughly investigated with respect to short-channel effects and the implications of dielectric surface modification with hexamethyldisilazane (HMDS) on device performance. In addition, the influences of oxygen, moisture and HMDStreatment on the ambient stability of the devices are evaluated in detail. While OFETs without surface modification exhibited the expected degradation behavior upon air exposure mainly due to oxygen/moisture-induced doping or charge-carrier trapping, the stability of the investigated semiconductors was found to be distinctly increased when the substrate surface was hydrophobized. The presented results thoroughly summarize important issues which have to be considered when selecting semiconducting materials for high-performance OFETs and OFET-based sensors.

Impact of heterozygosity and heterogeneity on cotton lint yield stability: II. Lint yield components

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

In order to determine which yield components may contribute to yield stability, an 18-environment field study was undertaken to observe the mean, standard deviation (SD), and coefficient of variation (CV) for cotton lint yield components in population types that differed for lint yield stability. Th...

The development and reliability of a simple field based screening tool to assess core stability in athletes.

PubMed

O'Connor, S; McCaffrey, N; Whyte, E; Moran, K

2016-07-01

To adapt the trunk stability test to facilitate further sub-classification of higher levels of core stability in athletes for use as a screening tool. To establish the inter-tester and intra-tester reliability of this adapted core stability test. Reliability study. Collegiate athletic therapy facilities. Fifteen physically active male subjects (19.46 ± 0.63) free from any orthopaedic or neurological disorders were recruited from a convenience sample of collegiate students. The intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) and 95% Confidence Intervals (CI) were computed to establish inter-tester and intra-tester reliability. Excellent ICC values were observed in the adapted core stability test for inter-tester reliability (0.97) and good to excellent intra-tester reliability (0.73-0.90). While the 95% CI were narrow for inter-tester reliability, Tester A and C 95% CI's were widely distributed compared to Tester B. The adapted core stability test developed in this study is a quick and simple field based test to administer that can further subdivide athletes with high levels of core stability. The test demonstrated high inter-tester and intra-tester reliability. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Stability phase diagram of a perpendicular magnetic tunnel junction in noncollinear geometry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Strelkov, N.; Timopheev, A.; Sousa, R. C.; Chshiev, M.; Buda-Prejbeanu, L. D.; Dieny, B.

2017-05-01

Experimental measurements performed on MgO-based perpendicular magnetic tunnel junctions show a strong dependence of the stability voltage-field diagrams as a function of the direction of the magnetic field with respect to the plane of the sample. When the magnetic field is applied in-plane, systematic nonlinear phase boundaries are observed for various lateral sizes. The simulation results based on the phenomenological Landau-Lifshitz-Gilbert equation including the in-plane and out-of-plane spin transfer torques are consistent with the measurements if a second-order anisotropy contribution is considered. Furthermore, performing the stability analysis in linear approximation allowed us to analytically extract the critical switching voltage at zero temperature in the presence of an in-plane field. This study indicates that in the noncollinear geometry investigations are suitable to detect the presence of the second-order term in the anisotropy. Such higher order anisotropy term can yield an easy-cone anisotropy which reduces the thermal stability factor but allows for more reproducible spin transfer torque switching due to a reduced stochasticity of the switching. As a result, the energy per write event decreases much faster than the thermal stability factor as the second-order anisotropy becomes more negative. Easy-cone anisotropy can be useful for fast-switching spin transfer torque magnetic random access memories provided the thermal stability can be maintained above the required value for a given memory specification.

Effect of Electrodynamic Forces on the Attitude Stabilization of a Satellite in Ecliptic orbits

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abdel-Aziz, Yehia

This work is based on the previous paper of the author [1]. The present paper is devoted to the investigation of the attitude dynamics of an ecliptic satellite moving in the magnetic field of the Earth. Eelectrodynamic forces result from the motion of a charged satelite relative to the magnetic field of the Earth. The torque due to electrodynamic effect of the Lorentz forces on the attitude stabilization of the satellite is studied with the detailed model of the Earth's magnetic field. A method for estimating the stable and unstable regions of the equilibrium positions based on Euler's equation is also discussed. The results show that Lorentz forces can affect the stablization of the satellite, in particular for highly eccentric orbits and also for large satellte. [1] Abdel-Aziz, Y. A. Attitude Stabilization of a Rigid Spacecraft in the Geomagnetic Field. AdSpR 40, 18-24, 2007.

Stability of parallel electroosmotic flow subject to an axial modulated electric field

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Suresh, Vinod; Homsy, George

2001-11-01

The stability of parallel electroosmotic flow in a micro-channel subjected to an AC electric field is studied. A spatially uniform time harmonic electric field is applied along the length of a two-dimensional micro-channel containing a dilute electrolytic solution, resulting in a time periodic parallel flow. The top and bottom walls of the channel are maintained at constant potential. The base state ion concentrations and double layer potential are determined using the Poisson-Boltzmann equation in the Debye-Hückel approximation. Experiments by other workers (Santiago et. al., unpublished) have shown that such a system can exhibit instabilities that take the form of mixing motion occurring in the bulk flow outside the double layer. It is shown that such instabilities can potentially result from the coupling of disturbances in the ion concentrations or electric potential to the base state velocity or ion concentrations, respectively. The stability boundary of the system is determined using Floquet theory and its dependence on the modulation frequency and amplitude of the axial electric field is studied.

Guidelines for LTS magnet design based on transient stability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Seo, Kazutaka; Morita, Masao

2006-05-01

Stabilities of low critical temperature superconducting (LTS) magnets and their designs are studied and discussed. There are two contradictory necessities; those are low cost and high performance, in the other words, high magnetic field and large current density. Especially, the maximum magnetic fields of the latest high performance Nb 3Sn magnets are around 20 T. Mentioned necessities result in the small stability margins. Needless to say, the superconducting magnet must produce its nominal field reliably. Therefore, maintaining adequate stability margin, the magnet design to draw out the high potential of the superconductor is required. The transient stability of the superconducting magnet is determined by the relationship between mechanical disturbance energy and stability margin. The minimum quench energy (MQE) is one of the index of stability margin and it is defined as the minimum energy to trigger quenching of a superconductor. MQE should be beyond any possible disturbance energy during the operation. It is difficult to identify the mechanical disturbance energy quantitatively. On the contrary, MQE had been evaluated precisely by means of our developed resistive carbon paste heater (CPH). At the same time, we can predict MQE by numerical simulations. Because the magnet comes to quench if the mechanical disturbance exceeds the MQE, the disturbance energies are suspected to be equivalent to MQEs during the magnet-training. When we achieved somewhat larger MQE, we may exclude numbers of training quenches. In this paper, we discuss the guidelines of LTS magnet design from the standpoint of MQE. We represent some case studies for various superconducting magnets and/or some different winding methods.

Stability estimate for the aligned magnetic field in a periodic quantum waveguide from Dirichlet-to-Neumann map

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

Mejri, Youssef, E-mail: josef-bizert@hotmail.fr; Dép. des Mathématiques, Faculté des Sciences de Bizerte, 7021 Jarzouna; Laboratoire de Modélisation Mathématique et Numérique dans les Sciences de l’Ingénieur, ENIT BP 37, Le Belvedere, 1002 Tunis

In this article, we study the boundary inverse problem of determining the aligned magnetic field appearing in the magnetic Schrödinger equation in a periodic quantum cylindrical waveguide, by knowledge of the Dirichlet-to-Neumann map. We prove a Hölder stability estimate with respect to the Dirichlet-to-Neumann map, by means of the geometrical optics solutions of the magnetic Schrödinger equation.

Stability of field emission current from porous n-GaAs(110)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tondare, V. N.; Naddaf, M.; Bhise, A. B.; Bhoraskar, S. V.; Joag, D. S.; Mandale, A. B.; Sainkar, S. R.

2002-02-01

Field electron emission from porous GaAs has been investigated. The emitter was prepared by anodic etching of n-GaAs (110) in 0.1 M HCl solution. The as-etched porous GaAs shows nonlinear Fowler-Nordheim (FN) characteristics, with a low onset voltage. The emitter, after operating for 6 h at the residual gas pressure of 1×10-8 mbar, shows a linear FN characteristics with a relatively high onset voltage and poor field emission current stability as compared to the as-etched emitter. The change in the behavior was attributed to the residual gas ion bombardment during field electron emission. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopic investigations were carried out on as-etched sample and the one which was studied for field emission. The studies indicate that the as-etched surface contains As2O3 and the surface after field electron emission for about 6 h becomes gallium rich. The presence of As2O3 seems to be a desirable feature for the stable field emission current.

Connective stability of nonlinear matrix systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Siljak, D. D.

1974-01-01

Consideration of stability under structural perturbations of free dynamic systems described by the differential equation dx/dt = A(t,x)x, where the matrix A(t,x) has time-varying nonlinear elements. The concept of 'connective stability' is introduced to study the structural properties of competitive-cooperative nonlinear matrix systems. It is shown that stability reliability in such systems is high and that they remain stable despite time-varying (including 'on-off') interaction among individual agents present in the system. The results obtained can be used to study stability aspects of mathematical models arising in as diverse fields as economics, biology, arms races, and transistor circuits.

Evaluation of seismic testing for quality assurance of lime-stabilized soil.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2013-08-01

This study sought to determine the technical feasibility of using seismic techniques to measure the : laboratory and field seismic modulus of lime-stabilized soils (LSS), and to compare/correlate test results : from bench-top (free-free resonance) se...

Stability of Alfvén eigenmodes in the vicinity of auroral arc

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hiraki, Yasutaka

2013-08-01

The purpose of this study is to give a theoretical suggestion to the essential question why east-west elongated auroral arc can keep its anisotropic structure for a long time. It could be related to the stability of east-westward traveling modes in the vicinity of arc, which may develop into wavy or spiral structures, whereas north-southward modes are related to splitting of arcs. Taking into account the arc-inducing field-aligned current and magnetic shears, we examine changes in the stability of Alfvén eigenmodes that are coupled to perpendicular modes in the presence of convection electric field. It is demonstrated that the poleward current shear suppresses growth of the westward mode in case of the westward convection electric field. Only the poleward mode is still unstable because of the properties of feedback shear waves. It is suggested that this tends to promote (poleward) arc splitting as often observed during quiet times. We further draw a diagram of the westward mode growth rate as a function of convection electric field and current shear, evaluating critical fields for instabilities of lower Alfvén harmonics. It is discovered that a switching phenomenon of fast-growing mode from fundamental to the first harmonic occurs for a high electric field regime. Our stability criterion is applied to some observed situations of auroral arc current system during pre-breakup active times.

Controlling the stability of nonlinear optical modes via electromagnetically induced transparency

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Kun; Liang, Yi-zeng; Lin, Ji; Li, Hui-jun

2018-02-01

We propose a scheme to generate and stabilize the high-dimensional spatial solitons via electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT). The system we consider is a resonant atomic ensemble having Λ configuration. We illustrate that under EIT conditions the equation satisfied by the probe field envelope is reduced to a saturable nonlinear Schrödinger equation with the trapping potential, provided by a far-detuned laser field and a random magnetic field. We present high-dimensional soliton solutions exhibiting many interesting characteristics, including diversity (i.e., many different types of soliton solutions can be found, including bright, ring multipole bright, ring multipole defect mode, multiring bright, multiring defect mode, and vortices solitons), the phase transition between bright soliton and higher-order defect modes (i.e., the phase transition can be realized by controlling the nonlinear coefficient or the intensity of the trapping potential), and stability (i.e., various solitons can be stabilized by the Gaussian potential provided by the far detuned laser field, or the random potential provided by the magnetic field). We also find that some solitons are the extension of the linear eigenmode, whereas others entirely derive from the role of nonlinearity. Compared with previous studies, we not only show the diverse soliton solutions in the same system but also find the boundary of the phase transition for the type of solitons. In addition, we present the possibility of using the random potential to stabilize various solitons and vortices.

Equilibrium and stability of flow-dominated Plasmas in the Big Red Ball

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Siller, Robert; Flanagan, Kenneth; Peterson, Ethan; Milhone, Jason; Mirnov, Vladimir; Forest, Cary

2017-10-01

The equilibrium and linear stability of flow-dominated plasmas are studied numerically using a spectral techniques to model MRI and dynamo experiments in the Big Red Ball device. The equilibrium code solves for steady-state magnetic fields and plasma flows subject to boundary conditions in a spherical domain. It has been benchmarked with NIMROD (non-ideal MHD with rotation - open discussion), Two different flow scenarios are studied. The first scenario creates a differentially rotating toroidal flow that is peaked at the center. This is done to explore the onset of the magnetorotational instability (MRI) in a spherical geometry. The second scenario creates a counter-rotating von Karman-like flow in the presence of a weak magnetic field. This is done to explore the plasma dynamo instability in the limit of a weak applied field. Both scenarios are numerically modeled as axisymmetric flow to create a steady-state equilibrium solution, the stability and normal modes are studied in the lowest toroidal mode number. The details of the observed flow, and the structure of the fastest growing modes will be shown. DoE, NSF.

STORAGE STABILITY OF PESTICIDES IN EXTRACT SOLVENTS AND SAMPLING MEDIA

EPA Science Inventory

Demonstrating that pesticides are stable in field media and their extracts over extended storage periods allows operational flexibility and cost efficiency. Stability of the 31 neutral pesticides and 2 acid herbicides of the Agricultural Health Study exposure pilot was evaluate...

De Sitter and scaling solutions in a higher-order modified teleparallel theory

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

Paliathanasis, Andronikos, E-mail: anpaliat@phys.uoa.gr

The existence and the stability conditions for some exact relativistic solutions of special interest are studied in a higher-order modified teleparallel gravitational theory. The theory with the use of a Lagrange multiplier is equivalent with that of General Relativity with a minimally coupled noncanonical field. The conditions for the existence of de Sitter solutions and ideal gas solutions in the case of vacuum are studied as also the stability criteria. Furthermore, in the presence of matter the behaviour of scaling solutions is given. Finally, we discuss the degrees of freedom of the field equations and we reduce the field equationsmore » in an algebraic equation, where in order to demonstrate our result we show how this noncanonical scalar field can reproduce the Hubble function of Λ-cosmology.« less

Highly stable field emission from ZnO nanowire field emitters controlled by an amorphous indium–gallium–zinc-oxide thin film transistor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Xiaojie; Wang, Ying; Zhang, Zhipeng; Ou, Hai; She, Juncong; Deng, Shaozhi; Xu, Ningsheng; Chen, Jun

2018-04-01

Lowering the driving voltage and improving the stability of nanowire field emitters are essential for them to be applied in devices. In this study the characteristics of zinc oxide (ZnO) nanowire field emitter arrays (FEAs) controlled by an amorphous indium–gallium–zinc-oxide thin film transistor (a-IGZO TFT) were studied. A low driving voltage along with stabilization of the field emission current were achieved. Modulation of field emission currents up to three orders of magnitude was achieved at a gate voltage of 0–32 V for a constant anode voltage. Additionally, a-IGZO TFT control can dramatically reduce the emission current fluctuation (i.e., from 46.11 to 1.79% at an emission current of ∼3.7 µA). Both the a-IGZO TFT and ZnO nanowire FEAs were prepared on glass substrates in our research, demonstrating the feasibility of realizing large area a-IGZO TFT-controlled ZnO nanowire FEAs.

Vegetated dune morphodynamics during recent stabilization of the Mu Us dune field, north-central China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Zhiwei; Mason, Joseph A.; Lu, Huayu

2015-01-01

The response of dune fields to changing environmental conditions can be better understood by investigating how changing vegetation cover affects dune morphodynamics. Significant increases in vegetation and widespread dune stabilization over the years 2000-2012 are evident in high-resolution satellite imagery of the Mu Us dune field in north-central China, possibly a lagged response to changing wind strength and temperature since the 1970s. These trends provide an opportunity to study how dune morphology changes with increasing vegetation stabilization. Vegetation expansion occurs mainly by expansion of pre-existing patches in interdunes. As vegetation spreads from interdunes onto surrounding dunes, it modifies their shapes in competition with wind-driven sand movement, primarily in three ways: 1) vegetation anchoring horns of barchans transforms them to parabolic dunes; 2) vegetation colonizes stoss faces of barchan and transverse dunes, resulting in lower dune height and an elongated stoss face, with shortening of barchan horns; and 3) on transverse dunes, the lee face is fixed by plants that survive sand burial. Along each of these pathways of stabilization, dune morphology tends to change from more barchanoid to more parabolic forms, but that transformation is not always completed before full stabilization. Artificial stabilization leads to an extreme case of "frozen" barchans or transverse dunes with original shapes preserved by rapid establishment of vegetation. Observations in the Mu Us dune field emphasize the point that vegetation growth and aeolian sand transport not only respond to external factors such as climate but also interact with each other. For example, some barchans lose sand mass during vegetation fixation, and actually migrate faster as they become smaller, and vegetation growth on a barchan's lower stoss face may alter sand transport over the dune in a way that favors more rapid stabilization. Conceptual models were generalized for the development of vegetation-stabilized dunes, which should be helpful in better understanding of vegetated dune morphology, model verification and prediction, and guiding practical dune stabilization efforts.

Evaluating the Effect of Rainfall Infiltration on the Slope Stability of T16 tower of Taipei Mao-kong Gondola by Numerical Methods

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

RUNG, J.

2013-12-01

In this study, a series of rainfall-stability analyses were performed to simulate the failure mechanism and the function of remediation works of the down slope of T-16 tower pier, Mao-Kong gondola (or T-16 Slope) at the hillside of Taipei City using two-dimensional finite element method. The failure mechanism of T-16 Slope was simulated using the rainfall hyetograph of Jang-Mi typhoon in 2008 based on the field investigation data, monitoring data, soil/rock mechanical testing data and detail design plots of remediation works. Eventually, the numerical procedures and various input parameters in the analysis were verified by comparing the numerical results with the field observations. In addition, 48 hrs design rainfalls corresponding to 5, 10, 25 and 50 years return periods were prepared using the 20 years rainfall data of Mu-Zha rainfall observation station, Central Weather Bureau for the rainfall-stability analyses of T-16 Slope to inspect the effect of the compound stabilization works on the overall stability of the slope. At T-16 Slope, without considering the longitudinal and transverse drainages on the ground surface, there totally 4 types of stabilization works were installed to stabilize the slope. From the slope top to the slope toe, the stabilization works of T-16 Slope consists of RC-retaining wall with micro-pile foundation at the up-segment, earth anchor at the up-middle-segment, soil nailing at the middle-segment and retaining pile at the down-segment of the slope. The effect of each individual stabilization work on the slope stability under rainfall condition was examined and evaluated by raising field groundwater level.

Pressure potential and stability analysis in an acoustical noncontact transportation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, J.; Liu, C. J.; Zhang, W. J.

2017-01-01

Near field acoustic traveling wave is one of the most popular principles in noncontact manipulations and transportations. The stability behavior is a key factor in the industrial applications of acoustical noncontact transportation. We present here an in-depth analysis of the transportation stability of a planar object levitated in near field acoustic traveling waves. To more accurately describe the pressure distributions on the radiation surface, a 3D nonlinear traveling wave model is presented. A closed form solution is derived based on the pressure potential to quantitatively calculate the restoring forces and moments under small disturbances. The physical explanations of the effects of fluid inertia and the effects of non-uniform pressure distributions are provided in detail. It is found that a vibration rail with tapered cross section provides more stable transportation than a rail with rectangular cross section. The present study sheds light on the issue of quantitative evaluation of stability in acoustic traveling waves and proposes three main factors that influence the stability: (a) vibration shape, (b) pressure distribution and (c) restoring force/moment. It helps to provide a better understanding of the physics behind the near field acoustic transportation and provide useful design and optimization tools for industrial applications.

Structural stability of interaction networks against negative external fields

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yoon, S.; Goltsev, A. V.; Mendes, J. F. F.

2018-04-01

We explore structural stability of weighted and unweighted networks of positively interacting agents against a negative external field. We study how the agents support the activity of each other to confront the negative field, which suppresses the activity of agents and can lead to collapse of the whole network. The competition between the interactions and the field shape the structure of stable states of the system. In unweighted networks (uniform interactions) the stable states have the structure of k -cores of the interaction network. The interplay between the topology and the distribution of weights (heterogeneous interactions) impacts strongly the structural stability against a negative field, especially in the case of fat-tailed distributions of weights. We show that apart from critical slowing down there is also a critical change in the system structure that precedes the network collapse. The change can serve as an early warning of the critical transition. To characterize changes of network structure we develop a method based on statistical analysis of the k -core organization and so-called "corona" clusters belonging to the k -cores.

Stability of the line preserving flows

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Figura, Przemysław

2017-11-01

We examine the equations that are used to describe flows which preserve field lines. We study what happens if we introduce perturbations to the governing equations. The stability of the line preserving flows in the case of the magneto-fluids permeated by magnetic fields is strictly connected to the non-null magnetic reconnection processes. In most of our study we use the Euler potential representation of the external magnetic field. We provide general expressions for the perturbations of the Euler potentials that describe the magnetic field. Similarly, we provide expressions for the case of steady flow as well as we obtain certain conditions required for the stability of the flow. In addition, for steady flows we formulate conditions under which the perturbations of the external field are negligible and the field may be described by its initial unperturbed form. Then we consider the flow equation that transforms quantities from the laboratory coordinate system to the related external field coordinate system. We introduce perturbations to the equation and obtain its simplified versions for the case of a steady flow. For a given system, use of this method allows us to simplify the considerations provided that some part of the system may be described as a perturbation. Next, to study regions favourable for the magnetic reconnection to occur we introduce a deviation vector to the basic line preserving flows condition equation. We provide expressions of the vector for some simplifying cases. This method allows us to examine if given perturbations either stabilise the system or induce magnetic reconnection. To illustrate some of our results we study two examples, namely a simple laboratory plasma flow and a simple planetary magnetosphere model.

Connective stability of competitive equilibrium

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Siljak, D. D.

1975-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to derive necessary and sufficient conditions for the connective stability of nonlinear matrix systems described by the equation x-dot = A(t, x) x, where the matrix A(t, x) has time-varying nonlinear elements. The results obtained can be used to study the stability of competitive equilibrium in fields as diverse as economics and engineering, model ecosystems, and the arms race.-

Improved Storage Stability of Meal, Ready-To-Eat Cheese Spread Under Heat-Stressing Conditions

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-11-01

7 3.2 Hunter L*a*b Colorimetry ...10 4.2 Hunter L*a*b Colorimetry ...testing, the study consisted of L*a*b* colorimetry , photography, emulsion stability testing, and First Strike Ration™ field testing at Fort Bragg, NC

Design and construction control guidance for chemically stabilized pavement base layers.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2013-12-01

A laboratory and field study was conducted related to chemically stabilized pavement layers, which is also : referred to as soil-cement. Soil-cement practices within MDOT related to Class 9C soils used for base layers : were evaluated in this report....

Improvement of the stability and activity of immobilized glucose oxidase on modified iron oxide magnetic nanoparticles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abbasi, Mahboube; Amiri, Razieh; Bordbar, Abdol-Kalegh; Ranjbakhsh, Elnaz; Khosropour, Ahmad-Reza

2016-02-01

Immobilized proteins and enzymes are widely investigated in the medical field as well as the food and environmental fields. In this study, glucose oxidase (GOX) was covalently immobilized on the surface of modified iron oxide magnetic nanoparticles (MIMNs) to produce a bioconjugate complex. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) were used to the size, shape and structure characterization of the MIMNs. Binding of GOX to these MIMNs was confirmed by using FT-IR spectroscopy. The stability of the immobilized and free enzyme at different temperature and pH values was investigated by measuring the enzymatic activity. These studies reveal that the enzyme's stability is enhanced by immobilization. Further experiments showed that the storage stability of the enzyme is improved upon binding to the MIMNs. The results of kinetic measurements suggest that the effect of the immobilization process on substrate and product diffusion is small. Such bioconjugates can be considered as a catalytic nanodevice for accelerating the glucose oxidation reaction for biotechnological purposes.

Noether symmetries and stability of ideal gas solutions in Galileon cosmology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dimakis, N.; Giacomini, Alex; Jamal, Sameerah; Leon, Genly; Paliathanasis, Andronikos

2017-03-01

A class of generalized Galileon cosmological models, which can be described by a pointlike Lagrangian, is considered in order to utilize Noether's theorem to determine conservation laws for the field equations. In the Friedmann-Lemaître-Robertson-Walker universe, the existence of a nontrivial conservation law indicates the integrability of the field equations. Because of the complexity of the latter, we apply the differential invariants approach in order to construct special power-law solutions and study their stability.

On the stability of a class of isothermal, magnetostatic atmospheres. [in sun

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Webb, G. M.; Ko, C. M.

1989-01-01

The stability of a class of isothermal magnetostatic atmospheres with one ignorable coordinate corresponding to a uniform gravitational field in a plane geometry is explored. Special attention is given to the stability of nonpotential equilibria that have the same magnetic field geometry as the potential equilibrium of the solution family. It is found that equilibria in which the source currents for the potential field are buried at large distances below the photospheric base are stable. Also considered is the stability of configurations in which the source currents for the potential field are located at a finite depth below the base.

Field testing of fugitive dust control techniques at a uranium mill tailings pile - 1982 Field Test, Gas Hills, Wyoming.

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

Elmore, M.R.; Hartley, J.N.

A field test was conducted on a uranium tailings pile to evaluate the effectiveness of 15 chemical stabilizers for control of fugitive dust from uranium mill tailings. A tailings pile at the Federal American Partners (FAP) Uranium Mill, Gas Hills, Wyoming, was used for the field test. Preliminary laboratory tests using a wing tunnel were conducted to select the more promising stabilizers for field testing. Fourteen of the chemical stabilizers were applied with a field spray system pulled behind a tractor; one--Hydro Mulch--was applied with a hydroseeder. A portable weather station and data logger were installed to record the weathermore » conditions at the test site. After 1 year of monitoring (including three site visits), all of the stabilizers have degraded to some degree; but those applied at the manufacturers' recommended rate are still somewhat effective in reducing fugitive emissions. The following synthetic polymer emulsions appear to be the more effective stabilizers: Wallpol 40-133 from Reichold Chemicals, SP-400 from Johnson and March Corporation, and CPB-12 from Wen Don Corporation. Installed costs for the test plots ranged from $8400 to $11,300/ha; this range results from differences in stabilizer costs. Large-scale stabilization costs of the test materials are expected to range from $680 to $3600/ha based on FAP experience. Evaluation of the chemical stabilizers will continue for approximately 1 year. 2 references, 33 figures, 22 tables.« less

Persistence in soil of Miscanthus biochar in laboratory and field conditions

PubMed Central

Budai, Alice; O’Toole, Adam; Ma, Xingzhu; Rumpel, Cornelia; Abiven, Samuel

2017-01-01

Evaluating biochars for their persistence in soil under field conditions is an important step towards their implementation for carbon sequestration. Current evaluations might be biased because the vast majority of studies are short-term laboratory incubations of biochars produced in laboratory-scale pyrolyzers. Here our objective was to investigate the stability of a biochar produced with a medium-scale pyrolyzer, first through laboratory characterization and stability tests and then through field experiment. We also aimed at relating properties of this medium-scale biochar to that of a laboratory-made biochar with the same feedstock. Biochars were made of Miscanthus biomass for isotopic C-tracing purposes and produced at temperatures between 600 and 700°C. The aromaticity and degree of condensation of aromatic rings of the medium-scale biochar was high, as was its resistance to chemical oxidation. In a 90-day laboratory incubation, cumulative mineralization was 0.1% for the medium-scale biochar vs. 45% for the Miscanthus feedstock, pointing to the absence of labile C pool in the biochar. These stability results were very close to those obtained for biochar produced at laboratory-scale, suggesting that upscaling from laboratory to medium-scale pyrolyzers had little effect on biochar stability. In the field, the medium-scale biochar applied at up to 25 t C ha-1 decomposed at an estimated 0.8% per year. In conclusion, our biochar scored high on stability indices in the laboratory and displayed a mean residence time > 100 years in the field, which is the threshold for permanent removal in C sequestration projects. PMID:28873471

On the stability of self-gravitating magnetized dusty plasmas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Salimullah, M.; Shukla, P. K.

1999-03-01

The effects of a homogeneous magnetic field and the plasma nonuniformity on the dispersion relations of various electrostatic waves in self-gravitating magnetized dusty plasmas have been investigated. For this purpose, the kinetic dielectric response functions for the electrons and ions distributions have been used and the dielectric response function for the magnetized dust grains has been derived from the hydrodynamic equations that include the self-gravitational potential. Thus, extremely massive charged dust grains are subjected to both the electromagnetic and gravitational forces. Analytical studies of the dispersion relations in various frequency and wave number regimes reveal that both the magnetic fields and plasma inhomogeneities contribute to the stability of a self-gravitating dusty plasma system. The results of this investigation should be useful in understanding the stability of dusty proto-stars and dusty dark molecular clouds, which are held in strong magnetic fields and equilibrium density gradients.

A High Stability Time Difference Readout Technique of RTD-Fluxgate Sensors

PubMed Central

Pang, Na; Cheng, Defu; Wang, Yanzhang

2017-01-01

The performance of Residence Times Difference (RTD)-fluxgate sensors is closely related to the time difference readout technique. The noise of the induction signal affects the quality of the output signal of the following circuit and the time difference detection, so the stability of the sensor is limited. Based on the analysis of the uncertainty of the RTD-fluxgate using the Bidirectional Magnetic Saturation Time Difference (BMSTD) readout scheme, the relationship between the saturation state of the magnetic core and the target (DC) magnetic field is studied in this article. It is proposed that combining the excitation and induction signals can provide the Negative Magnetic Saturation Time (NMST), which is a detection quantity used to measure the target magnetic field. Also, a mathematical model of output response between NMST and the target magnetic field is established, which analyzes the output NMST and sensitivity of the RTD-fluxgate sensor under different excitation conditions and is compared to the BMSTD readout scheme. The experiment results indicate that this technique can effectively reduce the noise influence. The fluctuation of time difference is less than ±0.1 μs in a target magnetic field range of ±5 × 104 nT. The accuracy and stability of the sensor are improved, so the RTD-fluxgate using the readout technique of high stability time difference is suitable for detecting weak magnetic fields. PMID:29023409

Magnetic field effect in stripe-ordered 214 (La1.6 -xNd0.4) SrxCuO4 and La2 -xBaxCuO4 superconducting cuprates studied by resonant soft x-ray scattering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Blanco-Canosa, S.; Schierle, E.; Li, Z. W.; Guo, H.; Adachi, T.; Koike, Y.; Sobolev, O.; Weschke, E.; Komarek, A. C.; Schüßler-Langeheine, C.

2018-05-01

We present a study of the charge order of 214 stripe ordered superconducting cuprates (La1.6 -xNd0.4) SrxCuO4 and La2 -xBaxCuO4 for doping levels 0.11 ≤p ≤0.14 by means of resonant x-ray scattering. Up to 6 T, we find no field dependence on either the integrated intensity or the correlation length of the charge modulations, providing evidence for strong stability of charge order under applied fields. The magnetic field data support a strong pinning scenario induced by the low-temperature tetragonal distortion and static disorder, and they highlight the role of the symmetry of the lattice on the stabilization of electronic periodicities.

The effect of heat treatment on the stability of Nb 3Sn RRP-150/169 strands

DOE PAGES

Li, Pei; Turrioni, Daniele; Barzi, Emanuela; ...

2017-02-17

Here, the magnetic stability of superconductor strands and cables is a key issue in the successful building and operation of high-field accelerator magnets. In this paper, we report the study of a state-of-the-art 0.7 mm Nb 3Sn restacked-rod-process strand manufactured by Oxford Instrument Superconductor Technology. This conductor will be used in Rutherford cable for a 15-T Nb 3Sn dipole demonstrator being built at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory. Particularly, this study focuses on the impact of varying heat treatment conditions on the stability of the strand. Both the stability against internal flux jumps and external thermal perturbations are studied.

The effect of heat treatment on the stability of Nb 3Sn RRP-150/169 strands

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

Li, Pei; Turrioni, Daniele; Barzi, Emanuela

Here, the magnetic stability of superconductor strands and cables is a key issue in the successful building and operation of high-field accelerator magnets. In this paper, we report the study of a state-of-the-art 0.7 mm Nb 3Sn restacked-rod-process strand manufactured by Oxford Instrument Superconductor Technology. This conductor will be used in Rutherford cable for a 15-T Nb 3Sn dipole demonstrator being built at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory. Particularly, this study focuses on the impact of varying heat treatment conditions on the stability of the strand. Both the stability against internal flux jumps and external thermal perturbations are studied.

Local study of helical magnetorotational instability in viscous Keplerian disks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

MahdaviGharavi, M.; Hajisharifi, K.; Mehidan, H.

2018-03-01

In this paper, regarding the recent detection of significant azimuthal magnetic field in some accretion disks such as protostellar (Donati et al. in Nature 438:466, 2005), the multi-fluid model has been employed to analysis the stability of Keplerian rotational viscous dusty plasma system in a current-free helical magnetic field structure. Using the fluid-Maxwell equations, the general dispersion relation of the excited modes in the system has been obtained by applying the local approximation method in the linear perturbation theory. The typical numerical analysis of the obtained dispersion relation in the high-frequency regime shows that the presence of azimuthal magnetic field component in Keplerian flow has a considerable role in the stability conditions of the system. It also shows that the magnetic field helicity has a stabilization role against the magnetorotational instability (MRI) in the system due to contraction of the unstable wavelength region and decreasing the maximum growth rate of the instability. In this sense, the stabilization role of the viscosity term is more considerable for HMRI (instability in the presence of azimuthal magnetic field component) than the corresponding MRI (instability in the absence of azimuthal magnetic field component). Moreover, considering the discovered azimuthal magnetic field in these systems, the MRI can be arisen in the over-all range of dust grains construction values in contract with traditional MRI. This investigation can greatly contribute to better understanding the physics of some astrophysical phenomena, such as the main source of turbulence and angular momentum transport in protostellar and the other sufficiently ionized astrophysical disks, where the azimuthal magnetic field component in these systems can play a significant role.

Bulk magnetic domain stability controls paleointensity fidelity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Paterson, Greig A.; Muxworthy, Adrian R.; Yamamoto, Yuhji; Pan, Yongxin

2017-12-01

Nonideal, nonsingle-domain magnetic grains are ubiquitous in rocks; however, they can have a detrimental impact on the fidelity of paleomagnetic records—in particular the determination of ancient magnetic field strength (paleointensity), a key means of understanding the evolution of the earliest geodynamo and the formation of the solar system. As a consequence, great effort has been expended to link rock magnetic behavior to paleointensity results, but with little quantitative success. Using the most comprehensive rock magnetic and paleointensity data compilations, we quantify a stability trend in hysteresis data that characterizes the bulk domain stability (BDS) of the magnetic carriers in a paleomagnetic specimen. This trend is evident in both geological and archeological materials that are typically used to obtain paleointensity data and is therefore pervasive throughout most paleomagnetic studies. Comparing this trend to paleointensity data from both laboratory and historical experiments reveals a quantitative relationship between BDS and paleointensity behavior. Specimens that have lower BDS values display higher curvature on the paleointensity analysis plot, which leads to more inaccurate results. In-field quantification of BDS therefore reflects low-field bulk remanence stability. Rapid hysteresis measurements can be used to provide a powerful quantitative method for preselecting paleointensity specimens and postanalyzing previous studies, further improving our ability to select high-fidelity recordings of ancient magnetic fields. BDS analyses will enhance our ability to understand the evolution of the geodynamo and can help in understanding many fundamental Earth and planetary science questions that remain shrouded in controversy.

Bulk magnetic domain stability controls paleointensity fidelity

PubMed Central

Muxworthy, Adrian R.; Yamamoto, Yuhji; Pan, Yongxin

2017-01-01

Nonideal, nonsingle-domain magnetic grains are ubiquitous in rocks; however, they can have a detrimental impact on the fidelity of paleomagnetic records—in particular the determination of ancient magnetic field strength (paleointensity), a key means of understanding the evolution of the earliest geodynamo and the formation of the solar system. As a consequence, great effort has been expended to link rock magnetic behavior to paleointensity results, but with little quantitative success. Using the most comprehensive rock magnetic and paleointensity data compilations, we quantify a stability trend in hysteresis data that characterizes the bulk domain stability (BDS) of the magnetic carriers in a paleomagnetic specimen. This trend is evident in both geological and archeological materials that are typically used to obtain paleointensity data and is therefore pervasive throughout most paleomagnetic studies. Comparing this trend to paleointensity data from both laboratory and historical experiments reveals a quantitative relationship between BDS and paleointensity behavior. Specimens that have lower BDS values display higher curvature on the paleointensity analysis plot, which leads to more inaccurate results. In-field quantification of BDS therefore reflects low-field bulk remanence stability. Rapid hysteresis measurements can be used to provide a powerful quantitative method for preselecting paleointensity specimens and postanalyzing previous studies, further improving our ability to select high-fidelity recordings of ancient magnetic fields. BDS analyses will enhance our ability to understand the evolution of the geodynamo and can help in understanding many fundamental Earth and planetary science questions that remain shrouded in controversy. PMID:29187534

Field and lab evaluation of the use of lime fly ash to replace soil cement as a base course : final report.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1997-09-01

This study evaluates the performance of lime/fly ash stabilized base as an alternative to soil cement stabilized base for flexible pavement systems on reconstructed highways in Louisiana. Louisiana has historically used soil cement for most flexible ...

FIELD DEMONSTRATION OF LEAD-BASED PAINT REMOVAL AND INORGANIC STABILIZATION TECHNOLOGIES

EPA Science Inventory

A study was conducted to demonstrate the effectiveness of a wet abrasive blasting technology to remove lead-based paint from exterior wood siding and brock substrates and to stabilize the resultant blasting media (coal slag and mineral sand) paint debris to reduce the leachable l...

Determination of Stability and Translation in a Boundary Layer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Crepeau, John; Tobak, Murray

1996-01-01

Reducing the infinite degrees of freedom inherent in fluid motion into a manageable number of modes to analyze fluid motion is presented. The concepts behind the center manifold technique are used. Study of the Blasius boundary layer and a precise description of stability within the flow field are discussed.

Personality and Field of Study Choice in University

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Humburg, Martin

2017-01-01

This paper demonstrates that the Big five personality traits (openness to experience, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and emotional stability) measured at age 14 can be linked to field of study choice in university at around age 19. While personality matters less than cognitive skills, such as math ability and verbal ability, for…

Effect of polarization on the stability of a helix dimer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Xing Y.; Zhang, John Z. H.

2011-01-01

Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations have been carried out to study helix-helix interaction using both standard AMBER and polarized force fields. Comparison of the two simulations shows that electrostatic polarization of intra-protein hydrogen bonds plays a significant role in stabilizing the structure of helix dimer. This stabilizing effect is clearly demonstrated by examining the monomer structure, helix crossing angle and stability of backbone hydrogen bonds under AMBER and PPC. Since reliable prediction of protein-protein structure is a significant challenge, the current study should help shed light on the importance of electrostatic polarization of protein in helix-helix interaction and helix bundle structures.

Predictability of dune activity in real dune fields under unidirectional wind regimes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barchyn, Thomas E.; Hugenholtz, Chris H.

2015-02-01

We present an analysis of 10 dune fields to test a model-derived hypothesis of dune field activity. The hypothesis suggests that a quantifiable threshold exists for stabilization in unidirectional wind regimes: active dunes have slipface deposition rates that exceed the vegetation deposition tolerance, and stabilizing dunes have the opposite. We quantified aeolian sand flux, slipface geometry, and vegetation deposition tolerance to directly test the hypothesis at four dune fields (Bigstick, White Sands Stable, White Sands Active, and Cape Cod). We indirectly tested the hypothesis at six additional dune fields with limited vegetation data (Hanford, Año Nuevo, Skagen Odde, Salton Sea, Oceano Stable, and Oceano Active, "inverse calculation sites"). We used digital topographic data and estimates of aeolian sand flux to approximate the slipface deposition rates prior to stabilization. Results revealed a distinct, quantifiable, and consistent pattern despite diverse environmental conditions: the modal peak of prestabilization slipface deposition rates was 80% of the vegetation deposition tolerance at stabilized or stabilizing dune fields. Results from inverse calculation sites indicate deposition rates at stabilized sites were near a hypothesized maximum vegetation deposition tolerance (1 m a-1), and active sites had slipface deposition rates much higher. Overall, these results confirm the hypothesis and provide evidence of a globally applicable, simple, and previously unidentified predictor for the dynamics of vegetation cover in dune fields under unidirectional wind regimes.

In-tank precipitation facility (ITP) and H-Tank Farm (HTF) geotechnical report, WSRC-TR-95-0057, Revision 0, Volume 5

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

NONE

A geotechnical study has been completed in H-Area for the In-Tank Precipitation Facility (ITP) and the balance of the H-Area Tank Farm (HTF) at the Savannah River Site (SRS) in South Carolina. The study consisted of subsurface field exploration, field and laboratory testing, and engineering analyses. The purpose of these investigations is to evaluate the overall stability of the H-Area tanks under static and dynamic conditions. The objectives of the study are to define the site-specific geological conditions at ITP and HTF, obtain engineering properties for the assessment of the stability of the native soils and embankment under static andmore » dynamic loads (i.e., slope stability, liquefaction potential, and potential settlements), and derive properties for soil-structure interaction studies. This document (Volume 5) contains the laboratory test results for the In-Tank Precipitation Facility (ITP) and H-Tank Farm (HTF) Geotechnical Report.« less

Stability of two layers dielectric-electrolyte microflow subjected to an alternating external electric field.

PubMed

Demekhin, Evgeny A; Ganchenko, Georgy S; Gorbacheva, Ekaterina V; Amiroudine, Sakir

2018-04-16

The stability of the electroosmotic flow of the two-phase system electrolyte-dielectric with a free interface in the microchannel under an external electric field is examined theoretically. The mathematical model includes the Nernst-Plank equations for the ion concentrations. The linear stability of the 1D nonstationary solution with respect to the small, periodic perturbations along the channel, is studied. Two types of instability have been highlighted. The first is known as the long-wave instability and is connected with the distortion of the free charge on the interface. In the long-wave area, the results are in good agreement with the ones obtained theoretically and experimentally in the literature. The second type of instability is a short-wave and mostly connected with the disturbance of the electrolyte conductivity. The short-wave type of instability has not been found previously in the literature and constitutes the basis and the strength of the present work. It is revealed that with the increase of the external electric field frequency, the 1D flow is stabilized. The dependence of the flow on the other parameters of the system is qualitatively the same as for the constant electric field. © 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Soil stabilization field trial : final report.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2006-01-01

A five-year study was initiated seeking materials/additives and procedures that help to mitigate : crack susceptibility in cement-treated material (CTM). A field test program of six 305-m (1000-ft) test : sections was implemented in August 2000. The ...

Nano iron particles transport in fractured rocks: laboratory and field scale

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cohen, Meirav; Weisbrod, Noam

2017-04-01

Our study deals with the transport potential of nano iron particles (NIPs) in fractured media. Two different systemswere used to investigate transport on two scales: (1 )a laboratory flow system of a naturally discrete fractured chalk core, 0.43 and 0.18 m in length and diamater, respectively; and (2) a field system of hydraulically connected boreholes located 47 m apart which penetrate a fractured chalk aquifer. We started by testing the transport potential of various NIPs under different conditions. Particle stability experiments were conducted using various NIPs and different stabilizersat two ionic strengths. Overall, four different NIPs and three stabilizers were tested. Particles and solution properties (stability, aggregate/particle size, viscosity and density) were tested in batch experiments, and transport experiments (breakthrough curves (BTCs) and recovery) were conduted in the fractured chalk core. We have learned that the key parameters controlling particle transport are the particle/aggregate size and stability, which govern NIP settling rates and ultimately their migration distance. The governing mechanism controlling NIP transport was found to be sedimentation, and to a much lesser extent, processes such as diffusion, straining or interception. On the basis of these experiments, Carbo-Iron® particles ( 800 nm activated carbon particles doped with nano zero valent iron particles) and Carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) stabilizer were selected for the field test injection. In the field, Carbo-Iron particles were initially injected into the fractured aquifer using an excess of stabilizer in order to ensure maximum recovery. This resulted in high particle recovery and fast arrival time, similar to the ideal tracer (iodide). The high recovery of the stable particle solution emphasized the importance of particle stability for transport in fractures. To test mobility manipulation potential of the particles and simulate more realistic scenarios, a second field experiment was conducted where the CMC - Carbo Iron ratio was reduced from 0.8:1 to 0.05:1. As expected, the lower stabilizer ratio resulted in lower recovery of the particles, demonstrating that particle mobility can be manipulated by changing stabilizer concentration. Additionally, a sudden increase in the hydraulic gradient between the injection and pumping well resulted in the release and remobilization of Carbo-iron particles which had settled within the fractures, indicating thatparticle settling is reversible within the aquifer.

Influence of the particle parameters on the stability of magnetic dopants in a ferrolyotropic suspension

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Appel, Ingo; Behrens, Silke

2017-06-01

The doping of liquid crystals with magnetic nanoparticles increases the magnetic susceptibility and the sensitivity to small magnetic fields. This offers interesting possibilities for controlling optical properties via external magnetic fields. The stabilization of magnetic nanoparticles in the liquid crystalline host, however, is challenging, since magnetic dipolar interactions and LC-mediated forces may result in their aggregation and even phase separation. So far, only few groups have investigated the long-term stability of these systems. In the present study, a set of magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles with different particle size, shape and surface properties was synthesized by thermal decomposition or co-precipitation. The magnetic nanoparticles were further integrated in a model liquid crystalline host (i.e., the lyotropic system potassium laurate/1-decanol/water) to investigate the effect of the different particle parameters on the stability of the resulting ferrolyotrope.

Improving Keyhole Stability by External Magnetic Field in Full Penetration Laser Welding

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Min; Xu, Jiajun; Huang, Yu; Rong, Youmin

2018-05-01

An external magnetic field was used to improve the keyhole stability in full penetration laser welding 316L steel. The increase of magnetic field strength gave rise to a shorter flying time of the spatter, a weaker size and brightness of the spatter, and a larger spreading area of vapor plume. This suggested that the dynamic behavior of the keyhole was stabilized by the external magnetic field. In addition, a stronger magnetic field could result in a more homogeneous distribution of laser energy, which increased the width of the weld zone, and the height of the bottom weld zone from 381 μm (0 mT) to 605 μm (50 mT). Dendrite and cellular crystal near the weld center disappeared, and grain size was refined. The external magnetic field was beneficial to the keyhole stability and improved the joint quality, because the weld pool was stirred by a Lorentz force resulting from the coupling effect of the magnetic field and inner thermocurrent.

Field findings about milk ethanol stability: a first report of interrelationship between α-lactalbumin and lactose.

PubMed

Fagnani, Rafael; de Araújo, João Paulo Andrade; Botaro, Bruno Garcia

2018-05-01

Milk ethanol stability is not only associated with microbiological acidification, but is a phenomenon with many variables that influence the balance of soluble salts, mainly calcium ion activity. On this basis, we wanted to find out more about milk ethanol stability by studying its relationship with milk protein fractions and others major components. The influence of milk composition on ethanol stability was assessed through a predictive model comprising 180 individual raw milk samples. An additional model was used to assess the ethanol stability status as a response to the proteins fractions quantified by electrophoresis. Of the total samples, 68% were classified as stable and 32% as unstable to alcohol. Milk ethanol instability increased at low values of lactose content and high values of ash percentage. α-Lactalbumin (α-La) was also associated with ethanol stability, and the higher the α-La percentage the lower were the chances of ethanol instability. The lower values of α-La in unstable milk samples might be related to lower content of lactose, as α-La promotes lactose synthesis, a key component for the osmotic balance of milk and thus its ethanol stability. This is the first field report linking ethanol stability indirectly with α-La. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.

[Physicochemical properties of Guanting Reservoir sediment and its land application].

PubMed

Su, De-Chun; Hu, Yu-Feng; Song, Chong-Wei; Wu, Fei-Long; Liu, Pei-Bin

2007-06-01

Surface sediment of Guanting Reservoir was dredged up and dewatered in field, and pollutant and physicochemical characterizations were mensurated. The stabilization and agricultural land use of the sediment was also studied in the field. Results showed that the sediments have a higher clay content, bulk density (1.89 g x cm(-3)) and lower porosity (23.8%), higher deoxidize material and available nitrogen, phosphorus concentration. Heavy metal and organochlorinated pesticides concentration was lower than the class II of national standard for soil. Stabilized the sediment with sand soil and straw could improve the physical property and decrease the concentration of deoxidize material and available nitrogen, phosphorus. Stabilized sediment could be a suitable medium for alfalfa, tree and corn growth and used for agricultural land.

Video Image Stabilization and Registration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hathaway, David H. (Inventor); Meyer, Paul J. (Inventor)

2002-01-01

A method of stabilizing and registering a video image in multiple video fields of a video sequence provides accurate determination of the image change in magnification, rotation and translation between video fields, so that the video fields may be accurately corrected for these changes in the image in the video sequence. In a described embodiment, a key area of a key video field is selected which contains an image which it is desired to stabilize in a video sequence. The key area is subdivided into nested pixel blocks and the translation of each of the pixel blocks from the key video field to a new video field is determined as a precursor to determining change in magnification, rotation and translation of the image from the key video field to the new video field.

Video Image Stabilization and Registration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hathaway, David H. (Inventor); Meyer, Paul J. (Inventor)

2003-01-01

A method of stabilizing and registering a video image in multiple video fields of a video sequence provides accurate determination of the image change in magnification, rotation and translation between video fields, so that the video fields may be accurately corrected for these changes in the image in the video sequence. In a described embodiment, a key area of a key video field is selected which contains an image which it is desired to stabilize in a video sequence. The key area is subdivided into nested pixel blocks and the translation of each of the pixel blocks from the key video field to a new video field is determined as a precursor to determining change in magnification, rotation and translation of the image from the key video field to the new video field.

Stability properties of a general class of nonlinear dynamical systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gléria, I. M.; Figueiredo, A.; Rocha Filho, T. M.

2001-05-01

We establish sufficient conditions for the boundedness of the trajectories and the stability of the fixed points in a class of general nonlinear systems, the so-called quasi-polynomial vector fields, with the help of a natural embedding of such systems in a family of generalized Lotka-Volterra (LV) equations. A purely algebraic procedure is developed to determine such conditions. We apply our method to obtain new results for LV systems, by a reparametrization in time variable, and to study general nonlinear vector fields, originally far from the LV format.

Instabilities and turbulence in highly ionized plasmas in a magnetic field

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jennings, W. C.

1972-01-01

Physical mechanisms were considered which are responsible for plasma turbulence and the establishment of necessary conditions for energy exchange and transfer in the frequency spectrum. In addition, work was performed to better understand the drift instability in the highly inhomogeneous Rensselaer arc, and methods to suppress this instability using feedback stabilization techniques. Correlation techniques were refined to study plasma turbulence, the diffusion wave technique for monitoring cross-field diffusion was extended to include regimes of high turbulence levels, and a technique for coupling stabilizing RF power to the Rensselaer arc was developed.

A review of atomic clock technology, the performance capability of present spaceborne and terrestrial atomic clocks, and a look toward the future

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Vessot, Robert F. C.

1989-01-01

Clocks have played a strong role in the development of general relativity. The concept of the proper clock is presently best realized by atomic clocks, whose development as precision instruments has evolved very rapidly in the last decades. To put a historical prospective on this progress since the year AD 1000, the time stability of various clocks expressed in terms of seconds of time error over one day of operation is shown. This stability of operation must not be confused with accuracy. Stability refers to the constancy of a clock operation as compared to that of some other clocks that serve as time references. Accuracy, on the other hand, is the ability to reproduce a previously defined frequency. The issues are outlined that must be considered when accuracy and stability of clocks and oscillators are studied. In general, the most widely used resonances result from the hyperfine interaction of the nuclear magnetic dipole moment and that of the outermost electron, which is characteristic of hydrogen and the alkali atoms. During the past decade hyperfine resonances of ions have also been used. The principal reason for both the accuracy and the stability of atomic clocks is the ability of obtaining very narrow hyperfine transition resonances by isolating the atom in some way so that only the applied stimulating microwave magnetic field is a significant source of perturbation. It is also important to make resonance transitions among hyperfine magnetic sublevels where separation is independent, at least to first order, of the magnetic field. In the case of ions stored in traps operating at high magnetic fields, one selects the trapping field to be consistent with a field-independent transition of the trapped atoms.

Evidence of Active Dune Sand on the Great Plains in the 19th Century from Accounts of Early Explorers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Muhs, Daniel R.; Holliday, Vance T.

1995-03-01

Eolian sand is extensive over the Great Plains of North America, but is at present mostly stabilized by vegetation. Accounts published by early explorers, however, indicate that at least parts of dune fields in Nebraska, Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico, and Texas were active in the 19th century. Based on an index of dune mobility and a regional tree-ring record, the probable causes for these periods of greater eolian activity are droughts, accompanied by higher temperatures, which greatly lowered the precipitation-to-evapotranspiration ratio and diminished the cover of stabilizing vegetation. In addition, observations by several explorers, and previous historical studies, indicate that rivers upwind of Great Plains dune fields had shallow, braided, sandy channels, as well as intermittent flow in the 19th century. Wide, braided, sandy rivers that were frequently dry would have increased sand supplies to active dune fields. We conclude that dune fields in the Great Plains are extremely sensitive to climate change and that the potential for reactivation of stabilized dunes in the future is high, with or without greenhouse warming.

MHD Studies of Advanced Tokamak Equilibria

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Strumberger, E.

2005-10-01

Advanced tokamak scenarios are often characterized by an extremely reversed profile of the safety factor, q, and a fast toroidal rotation. ASDEX Upgrade type equilibria with toroidal flow are computed up to a toroidal Mach number of Mta= 0.5, and compared with the static solution. Using these equilibria, the stabilizing effect of differential toroidal rotation on double tearing modes (DTMs) is investigated. These studies show that the computation of equilibria with flow is necessary for toroidally rotating plasma with Mta>=0.2. The use of ρtor instead of ρpol as radial coordinate enables us also to investigate the stability of equilibria with current holes. For numerical reasons, the rotational transform, = 1/q, has to be unequal zero in the CASTOR$FLOW code, but values of a>=0.001 (qa<=1000) can be easily handled. Stability studies of DTMs in the presence of a current hole are presented. Tokamak equilibria are only approximately axisymmetric. The finite number of toroidal field coils destroys the perfect axisymmetry of the device, and the coils produce a short wavelength ripple in the magnetic field strength. This toroidal field ripple plays a crucial role for the loss of high energy particles. Therefore, three-dimensional tokamak equilibria with and without current holes are computed for various plasma beta values. In addition the influence of the plasma beta on the toroidal field ripple is investigated.

Dynamic stability and bifurcation analysis in fractional thermodynamics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Béda, Péter B.

2018-02-01

In mechanics, viscoelasticity was the first field of applications in studying geomaterials. Further possibilities arise in spatial non-locality. Non-local materials were already studied in the 1960s by several authors as a part of continuum mechanics and are still in focus of interest because of the rising importance of materials with internal micro- and nano-structure. When material instability gained more interest, non-local behavior appeared in a different aspect. The problem was concerned to numerical analysis, because then instability zones exhibited singular properties for local constitutive equations. In dynamic stability analysis, mathematical aspects of non-locality were studied by using the theory of dynamic systems. There the basic set of equations describing the behavior of continua was transformed to an abstract dynamic system consisting of differential operators acting on the perturbation field variables. Such functions should satisfy homogeneous boundary conditions and act as indicators of stability of a selected state of the body under consideration. Dynamic systems approach results in conditions for cases, when the differential operators have critical eigenvalues of zero real parts (dynamic stability or instability conditions). When the critical eigenvalues have non-trivial eigenspace, the way of loss of stability is classified as a typical (or generic) bifurcation. Our experiences show that material non-locality and the generic nature of bifurcation at instability are connected, and the basic functions of the non-trivial eigenspace can be used to determine internal length quantities of non-local mechanics. Fractional calculus is already successfully used in thermo-elasticity. In the paper, non-locality is introduced via fractional strain into the constitutive relations of various conventional types. Then, by defining dynamic systems, stability and bifurcation are studied for states of thermo-mechanical solids. Stability conditions and genericity conditions are presented for constitutive relations under consideration.

Laboratory studies of lean combustion

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sawyer, R. F.; Schefer, R. W.; Ganji, A. R.; Daily, J. W.; Pitz, R. W.; Oppenheim, A. K.; Angeli, J. W.

1977-01-01

The fundamental processes controlling lean combustion were observed for better understanding, with particular emphasis on the formation and measurement of gas-phase pollutants, the stability of the combustion process (blowout limits), methods of improving stability, and the application of probe and optical diagnostics for flow field characterization, temperature mapping, and composition measurements. The following areas of investigation are described in detail: (1) axisymmetric, opposed-reacting-jet-stabilized combustor studies; (2) stabilization through heat recirculation; (3) two dimensional combustor studies; and (4) spectroscopic methods. A departure from conventional combustor design to a premixed/prevaporized, lean combustion configuration is attractive for the control of oxides of nitrogen and smoke emissions, the promotion of uniform turbine inlet temperatures, and, possibly, the reduction of carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons at idle.

FIELD STUDIES ON USBM AND TOSCO II RETORTED OIL SHALES: VEGETATION, MOISTURE, SALINITY, AND RUNOFF, 1977-1980

EPA Science Inventory

Field studies were initiated in 1973 to investigate the vegetative stabilization of processed oil shales and to follow moisture and soluble salt movement within the soil/shale profile. Research plots with two types of retorted shales (TOSCO II and USBM) with leaching and soil cov...

Litter quality impacts short- but not long-term soil carbon dynamics in soil aggregate fractions.

PubMed

Gentile, Roberta; Vanlauwe, Bernard; Six, Johan

2011-04-01

Complex molecules are presumed to be preferentially stabilized as soil organic carbon (SOC) based on the generally accepted concept that the chemical composition of litter is a major factor in its rate of decomposition. Hence, a direct link between litter quality and SOC quantity has been assumed, accepted, and ultimately incorporated in SOC models. Here, however, we present data from an incubation and field experiment that refutes the influence of litter quality on the quantity of stabilized SOC. Three different qualities of litter (Tithonia diversifolia, Calliandra calothyrsus, and Zea mays stover; 4 Mg C x ha(-1) yr(-1)) with and without the addition of mineral N fertilizer (0 or 120 kg N x ha(-1)season(-1) were added to a red clay Humic Nitisol in a 3-yr field trial and a 1.5-yr incubation experiment. The litters differed in their concentrations of N, lignin, and polyphenols with the ratio of (lignin + polyphenols): N ranging from 3.5 to 9.8 for the field trial and from 2.3 to 4.0 for the incubation experiment in the order of T. diversifolia < C. calothyrsus < or = Z. mays. Litter quality did not affect the amount of SOC stabilized after three annual additions in the field trial. Even within the most sensitive soil aggregate fractions, SOC contents and C:N ratios did not differ with litter quality, indicating that litter quality did not influence the mechanisms by which SOC was stabilized. While increasing litter quality displayed faster decomposition and incorporation of C into soil aggregates after 0.25 yr in the incubation study, all litters resulted in equivalent amounts of C stabilized in the soil after 1.5 yr, further corroborating the results of the field trial. The addition of N fertilizer did not affect SOC stabilization in either the field or the incubation trial. Thus, we conclude that, while litter quality controls shorter-term dynamics of C decomposition and accumulation in the soil, longer-term SOC patterns cannot be predicted based on initial litter quality effects. Hence, the formation and stabilization of SOC is more controlled by the quantity of litter input and its interaction with the soil matrix than by litter quality.

Effects of external stress field on the charge stability of nitrogen vacancy centers in diamond

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yao, Miao-Miao; Zhu, Tian-Yuan; Shu, Da-Jun

2017-07-01

The interaction of the atom-like defects in semiconductors with external fields provides an avenue to quantum information processing and nanoscale sensors. Meanwhile, external fields may induce instability of the desired charge state of the defects. It is essential to understand how the charge state of a defect is affected by external fields that introduced in diverse applications. In this letter, we explore the stability of the negatively charged state (NV-) and the neutral state (NV0) of the nitrogen vacancy (NV) center in diamond under stress by first-principles calculations. We find that the relative stability of NV- to NV0 is always reduced by the stress if the NV center is free to relax its orientation. Once the NV center has formed and retains its orientation, however, the relative stability of NV- can be always enhanced by compressive stress along its trigonal symmetry axis. We believe that the results are not only significant for control of the charge stability of NV center but also enlightening for applications based on specific charge states of other kinds of defects in the stress field.

Estimating Stability Class in the Field

Treesearch

Leonidas G. Lavdas

1997-01-01

A simple and easily remembered method is described for estimating cloud ceiling height in the field. Estimating ceiling height provides the means to estimate stability class, a parameter used to help determine Dispersion Index and Low Visibility Occurrence Risk Index, indices used as smoke management aids. Stability class is also used as an input to VSMOKE, an...

The role of non-ionizing radiation pressure in star formation: the stability of cores and filaments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Seo, Young Min; Youdin, Andrew N.

2016-09-01

Stars form when filaments and dense cores in molecular clouds fragment and collapse due to self-gravity. In the most basic analyses of gravitational stability, the competition between self-gravity and thermal pressure sets the critical (I.e. maximum stable) mass of spheres and the critical line density of cylinders. Previous work has considered additional support from magnetic fields and turbulence. Here, we consider the effects of non-ionizing radiation, specifically the inward radiation pressure force that acts on dense structures embedded in an isotropic radiation field. Using hydrostatic, isothermal models, we find that irradiation lowers the critical mass and line density for gravitational collapse, and can thus act as a trigger for star formation. For structures with moderate central densities, ˜103 cm-3, the interstellar radiation field in the Solar vicinity has an order unity effect on stability thresholds. For more evolved objects with higher central densities, a significant lowering of stability thresholds requires stronger irradiation, as can be found closer to the Galactic centre or near stellar associations. Even when strong sources of ionizing radiation are absent or extincted, our study shows that interstellar irradiation can significantly influence the star formation process.

Stabilization and Structure of wave packets in Rydberg atoms ionized by a strong light field.

PubMed

Fedorov, M; Fedorov, S

1998-09-28

New features of the phenomenon of interference stabilization of Rydberg atoms are found to exist. The main of them are: (i) dynamical stabilization, which means that in case of pulses with a smooth envelope the time-dependent residual probability for an atom to survive in bound states remains almost constant in the middle part of a pulse (at the strongest fields); (ii) existence of the strong-field stabilization of the after-pulse residual probability in case of pulses longer than the classical Kepler period; and (iii) pulsation of the time-dependent Rydberg wave packet formed in the process of photoionization.

Paramagnetic Liquid Bridge in a Gravity-Compensating Magnetic Field

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mahajan, Milind P.; Tsige, Mesfin; Taylor, P. L.; Rosenblatt, Charles

1999-01-01

Magnetic levitation was used to stabilize cylindrical columns of a paramagnetic liquid in air between two solid supports. The maximum achievable length to diameter ratio R(sub max) was approx. (3.10 +/- 0.07), very close to the Rayleigh-Plateau limit of pi. For smaller R, the stability of the column was measured as a function of the Bond number, which could be continuously varied by adjusting the strength of the magnetic field. Liquid bridges supported by two solid surfaces have been attracting scientific attention since the time of Rayleigh and Plateau. For a cylindrical bridge of length L and diameter d, it was shown theoretically that in zero gravity the maximum slenderness ratio R (identically = L/d) is pi. The stability and ultimate collapse of such bridges is of interest because of their importance in a number of industrial processes and their potential for low gravity applications. In the presence of gravity, however, the cylindrical shape of an axisymmetric bridge tends to deform, limiting its stability and decreasing the maximum achievable value of R. Theoretical studies have discussed the stability and possible shapes of axisymmetric bridges. Experiments typically are performed in either a Plateau tank, in which the bridge is surrounded by a density-matched immiscible fluid, or in a space-borne microgravity environment. It has been shown, for example, that the stability limit R can be pushed beyond pi by using flow stabilization, by acoustic radiation pressure, or by forming columns in the presence of an axial electric field. In this work, magnetic levitation was used to simulate a low gravity environment and create quasi-cylindrical liquid columns in air. Use of a magnetic field permits us to continuously vary the Bond number B identically equal to (g)(rho)d(exp 2)/4(sigma), where g is the gravitational acceleration, rho is the density of the liquid, and sigma is the surface tension of the liquid in air. The dimensionless Bond number represents the relative importance of external forces acting on the liquid column to those due to surface tension. Our central result is that in a large magnetic field gradient we could create and stabilize columns of mixtures of water and paramagnetic manganese chloride tetrahydrate (MnCl2.4H2O), achieving a length to diameter ratio very close to pi.

Stabilization of lower hybrid drift modes by finite parallel wavenumber and electron temperature gradients in field-reversed configurations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Farengo, R.; Guzdar, P. N.; Lee, Y. C.

1989-08-01

The effect of finite parallel wavenumber and electron temperature gradients on the lower hybrid drift instability is studied in the parameter regime corresponding to the TRX-2 device [Fusion Technol. 9, 48 (1986)]. Perturbations in the electrostatic potential and all three components of the vector potential are considered and finite beta electron orbit modifications are included. The electron temperature gradient decreases the growth rate of the instability but, for kz=0, unstable modes exist for ηe(=T'en0/Ten0)>6. Since finite kz effects completely stabilize the mode at small values of kz/ky(≂5×10-3), magnetic shear could be responsible for stabilizing the lower hybrid drift instability in field-reversed configurations.

Margins of stability in young adults with traumatic transtibial amputation walking in destabilizing environments✫

PubMed Central

Beltran, Eduardo J.; Dingwell, Jonathan B.; Wilken, Jason M.

2014-01-01

Understanding how lower-limb amputation affects walking stability, specifically in destabilizing environments, is essential for developing effective interventions to prevent falls. This study quantified mediolateral margins of stability (MOS) and MOS sub-components in young individuals with traumatic unilateral transtibial amputation (TTA) and young able-bodied individuals (AB). Thirteen AB and nine TTA completed five 3-minute walking trials in a Computer Assisted Rehabilitation ENvironment (CAREN) system under three each of three test conditions: no perturbations, pseudo-random mediolateral translations of the platform, and pseudo-random mediolateral translations of the visual field. Compared to the unperturbed trials, TTA exhibited increased mean MOS and MOS variability during platform and visual field perturbations (p < 0.010). Also, AB exhibited increased mean MOS during visual field perturbations and increased MOS variability during both platform and visual field perturbations (p < 0.050). During platform perturbations, TTA exhibited significantly greater values than AB for mean MOS (p < 0.050) and MOS variability (p < 0.050); variability of the lateral distance between the center of mass (COM) and base of support at initial contact (p < 0.005); mean and variability of the range of COM motion (p < 0.010); and variability of COM peak velocity (p < 0.050). As determined by mean MOS and MOS variability, young and otherwise healthy individuals with transtibial amputation achieved stability similar to that of their able-bodied counterparts during unperturbed and visually-perturbed walking. However, based on mean and variability of MOS, unilateral transtibial amputation was shown to have affected walking stability during platform perturbations. PMID:24444777

3-D MHD modeling and stability analysis of jet and spheromak plasmas launched into a magnetized plasma

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fisher, Dustin; Zhang, Yue; Wallace, Ben; Gilmore, Mark; Manchester, Ward; Arge, C. Nick

2016-10-01

The Plasma Bubble Expansion Experiment (PBEX) at the University of New Mexico uses a coaxial plasma gun to launch jet and spheromak magnetic plasma configurations into the Helicon-Cathode (HelCat) plasma device. Plasma structures launched from the gun drag frozen-in magnetic flux into the background magnetic field of the chamber providing a rich set of dynamics to study magnetic turbulence, force-free magnetic spheromaks, and shocks. Preliminary modeling is presented using the highly-developed 3-D, MHD, BATS-R-US code developed at the University of Michigan. BATS-R-US employs an adaptive mesh refinement grid that enables the capture and resolution of shock structures and current sheets, and is particularly suited to model the parameter regime under investigation. CCD images and magnetic field data from the experiment suggest the stabilization of an m =1 kink mode trailing a plasma jet launched into a background magnetic field. Results from a linear stability code investigating the effect of shear-flow as a cause of this stabilization from magnetic tension forces on the jet will be presented. Initial analyses of a possible magnetic Rayleigh Taylor instability seen at the interface between launched spheromaks and their entraining background magnetic field will also be presented. Work supported by the Army Research Office Award No. W911NF1510480.

Stability Results, Almost Global Generalized Beltrami Fields and Applications to Vortex Structures in the Euler Equations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Enciso, Alberto; Poyato, David; Soler, Juan

2018-05-01

Strong Beltrami fields, that is, vector fields in three dimensions whose curl is the product of the field itself by a constant factor, have long played a key role in fluid mechanics and magnetohydrodynamics. In particular, they are the kind of stationary solutions of the Euler equations where one has been able to show the existence of vortex structures (vortex tubes and vortex lines) of arbitrarily complicated topology. On the contrary, there are very few results about the existence of generalized Beltrami fields, that is, divergence-free fields whose curl is the field times a non-constant function. In fact, generalized Beltrami fields (which are also stationary solutions to the Euler equations) have been recently shown to be rare, in the sense that for "most" proportionality factors there are no nontrivial Beltrami fields of high enough regularity (e.g., of class {C^{6,α}}), not even locally. Our objective in this work is to show that, nevertheless, there are "many" Beltrami fields with non-constant factor, even realizing arbitrarily complicated vortex structures. This fact is relevant in the study of turbulent configurations. The core results are an "almost global" stability theorem for strong Beltrami fields, which ensures that a global strong Beltrami field with suitable decay at infinity can be perturbed to get "many" Beltrami fields with non-constant factor of arbitrarily high regularity and defined in the exterior of an arbitrarily small ball, and a "local" stability theorem for generalized Beltrami fields, which is an analogous perturbative result which is valid for any kind of Beltrami field (not just with a constant factor) but only applies to small enough domains. The proof relies on an iterative scheme of Grad-Rubin type. For this purpose, we study the Neumann problem for the inhomogeneous Beltrami equation in exterior domains via a boundary integral equation method and we obtain Hölder estimates, a sharp decay at infinity and some compactness properties for these sequences of approximate solutions. Some of the parts of the proof are of independent interest.

Field Validation of the Stability Limit of a Multi MW Turbine

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kallesøe, Bjarne S.; Kragh, Knud A.

2016-09-01

Long slender blades of modern multi-megawatt turbines exhibit a flutter like instability at rotor speeds above a critical rotor speed. Knowing the critical rotor speed is crucial to a safe turbine design. The flutter like instability can only be estimated using geometrically non-linear aeroelastic codes. In this study, the estimated rotor speed stability limit of a 7 MW state of the art wind turbine is validated experimentally. The stability limit is estimated using Siemens Wind Powers in-house aeroelastic code, and the results show that the predicted stability limit is within 5% of the experimentally observed limit.

Stability analysis of ultrasound thick-shell contrast agents

PubMed Central

Lu, Xiaozhen; Chahine, Georges L.; Hsiao, Chao-Tsung

2012-01-01

The stability of thick shell encapsulated bubbles is studied analytically. 3-D small perturbations are introduced to the spherical oscillations of a contrast agent bubble in response to a sinusoidal acoustic field with different amplitudes of excitation. The equations of the perturbation amplitudes are derived using asymptotic expansions and linear stability analysis is then applied to the resulting differential equations. The stability of the encapsulated microbubbles to nonspherical small perturbations is examined by solving an eigenvalue problem. The approach then identifies the fastest growing perturbations which could lead to the breakup of the encapsulated microbubble or contrast agent. PMID:22280568

A survey of the role of thermodynamic stability in viscous flow

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Horne, W. C.; Smith, C. A.; Karamcheti, K.

1991-01-01

The stability of near-equilibrium states has been studied as a branch of the general field of nonequilibrium thermodynamics. By treating steady viscous flow as an open thermodynamic system, nonequilibrium principles such as the condition of minimum entropy-production rate for steady, near-equilibrium processes can be used to generate flow distributions from variational analyses. Examples considered in this paper are steady heat conduction, channel flow, and unconstrained three-dimensional flow. The entropy-production-rate condition has also been used for hydrodynamic stability criteria, and calculations of the stability of a laminar wall jet support this interpretation.

Experimental investigation of coaxial-gun-formed plasmas injected into a background transverse magnetic field or plasma

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Yue; Fisher, Dustin M.; Gilmore, Mark; Hsu, Scott C.; Lynn, Alan G.

2018-05-01

Injection of coaxial-gun-formed magnetized plasmas into a background transverse vacuum magnetic field or into a background magnetized plasma has been studied in the helicon-cathode (HelCat) linear plasma device at the University of New Mexico [M. Gilmore et al., J. Plasma Phys. 81, 345810104 (2015)]. A magnetized plasma jet launched into a background transverse magnetic field shows emergent kink stabilization of the jet due to the formation of a sheared flow in the jet above the kink stabilization threshold 0.1kVA [Y. Zhang et al., Phys. Plasmas 24, 110702 (2017)]. Injection of a spheromak-like plasma into a transverse background magnetic field led to the observation of finger-like structures on the side with a stronger magnetic field null between the spheromak and the background field. The finger-like structures are consistent with magneto-Rayleigh-Taylor instability. Jets or spheromaks launched into a background, low-β magnetized plasma show similar behavior as above, respectively, in both cases.

Electrochemical stabilization as a means of preventing ground failure in railroads

USGS Publications Warehouse

Solntzev, D.I.; Sorkov, V.S.; Sokoloff, V.P.

1947-01-01

Laboratory and field data on electrochemical stabilization of clays, by three Russian authors, are here presented in translation. Abstracts of the Russian papers were published in May 1947 issue of the Engineering News Record (pp. 100-101). There exists also a small body of literature, in German and English, dealing with the electrochemical stabilization and related subjects. Elements of the electrochemical process were patented by Casagrande in Germany, shortly before the last war. Results of the Russians and of others, including the German patent, appear to be sound and interesting accordingly. Mechanism of the electrochemical stabilization, however, appears to be surmised rather than established. Unless the mechanism of such stabilization is understood in detail, little progress may be expected in field applications of the electrochemical method. Electroosmosis, a poorly reversible coagulation of the soil colloids, and introduction of exchangeable aluminum into the clay complex have been given credit for the ground-stabilizing effects of direct electrical current. Much remains to be done, as the reader may see, in developing further the theory of the method. A critical study is indicated, in this connection, by agencies or individuals qualified and equipped for basic research in soil physics. Optimum schedules for field treatments need be ascertained with particular care, to suit any given kind of material and environment. A wide range of variation in such schedules, is most certainly to be encountered in dealing with materials as diverse in their composition and properties as are clays. Any generalization on relationships between soil, electrolytes, moisture, and current could be premature if based on the Russian work alone. Stabilization of ground is a major engineering geologic problem of national interest. Needless to say, perhaps, that failures are to be expected, in laboratory and in the field, in this as well as in any other kind of research. To minimize probabilities of such failures, it may be recommended that investigators develop the electrochemical stabilization problem not merely against the relatively narrow background of soil mechanics, but with a certain feeling for geology, mineralogy, pedology, soil physics, and soil chemistry.

On the dynamics aspects for the plane motion of a particle under the action of potential forces in the presence of a magnetic field

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mnasri, C.; Elmandouh, A. A.

2018-06-01

This article deals with the general motion of a particle moving in the Euclidean plane under the influence of a conservative potential force in the presence of a magnetic field perpendicular to the plane of the motion. We introduce the conditions for which this motion is not algebraically integrable by using Kowalevski's exponents. We present the equilibrium positions and study their stability and moreover, we clarify that the existence of the magnetic field acts as a stabilizer for maximum unstable equilibrium points for the effective potential. We employ Lyapunov theorem to construct the periodic solutions near the equilibrium points. The allowed regions of motion are specified and illustrated graphically.

On the Nonlinear Stability of Plane Parallel Shear Flow in a Coplanar Magnetic Field

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Lanxi; Lan, Wanli

2017-12-01

Lyapunov direct method has been used to study the nonlinear stability of laminar flow between two parallel planes in the presence of a coplanar magnetic field for streamwise perturbations with stress-free boundary planes. Two Lyapunov functions are defined. By means of the first, it is proved that the transverse components of the perturbations decay unconditionally and asymptotically to zero for all Reynolds numbers and magnetic Reynolds numbers. By means of the second, it is showed that the other components of the perturbations decay conditionally and exponentially to zero for all Reynolds numbers and the magnetic Reynolds numbers below π ^2/2M, where M is the maximum of the absolute value of the velocity field of the laminar flow.

Formation, spin-up, and stability of field-reversed configurations

DOE PAGES

Omelchenko, Yuri A.

2015-08-24

Formation, spontaneous spin-up and stability of theta-pinch formed field-reversed configurations are studied self-consistently in three dimensions with a multiscale hybrid model that treats all plasma ions as full-orbit collisional macro-particles and the electrons as a massless quasineutral fluid. The end-to-end hybrid simulations for the first time reveal poloidal profiles of implosion-driven fast toroidal plasma rotation and demonstrate three well-known discharge regimes as a function of experimental parameters: the decaying stable configuration, the tilt unstable configuration and the nonlinear evolution of a fast growing tearing mode.

White Sands Missile Range 2007 Urban Study: Flow and Stability Around a Single Building Volume 1: Field Study Overview

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-09-01

results in his 2003 North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) presentation (Banff, Canada) (3). 1.2.2 WSMR 2005 Urban Study (W05US) In 2005 March...used in the W03US and W05US urban field studies at WSMR, NM (section 1). This building was concrete cinder-block with a nearly flat roof. To the...prior to the field study execution, the two 2-story- tall trees on the northeast and southeast corners of the building were unexpectedly removed

Optical patterning and dynamics of torons and hopfions in a chiral nematic with photo-tunable equilibrium pitch

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sohn, Hayley; Ackerman, Paul; Smalyukh, Ivan

Three-dimensional (3D) topological solitons arise in field theories ranging from particle physics to condensed matter and cosmology. They are the 3D counterparts of 2D skyrmions (often called ``baby skyrmions''), which attract a great deal of interest in studies of chiral ferromagnets and enable the emerging field of skyrmionics. In chiral nematic liquid crystals, the stability of such solitons is enhanced by the chiral medium's tendency to twist the director field describing the 3D spatial patterns of molecular alignment. However, their experimental realization, control and detailed studies remain limited. We combine experimental realization and numerical modeling of such light-responsive solitonic structures, including elementary torons and hopfions, in confined chiral nematic liquid crystals with photo-tunable cholesteric pitch. We show that the optical tunability of the pitch allows for using low-intensity light to control the soliton stability, dimensions, spatial patterning and dynamics.

Trapped particle stability for the kinetic stabilizer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Berk, H. L.; Pratt, J.

2011-08-01

A kinetically stabilized axially symmetric tandem mirror (KSTM) uses the momentum flux of low-energy, unconfined particles that sample only the outer end-regions of the mirror plugs, where large favourable field-line curvature exists. The window of operation is determined for achieving magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) stability with tolerable energy drain from the kinetic stabilizer. Then MHD stable systems are analysed for stability of the trapped particle mode. This mode is characterized by the detachment of the central-cell plasma from the kinetic-stabilizer region without inducing field-line bending. Stability of the trapped particle mode is sensitive to the electron connection between the stabilizer and the end plug. It is found that the stability condition for the trapped particle mode is more constraining than the stability condition for the MHD mode, and it is challenging to satisfy the required power constraint. Furthermore, a severe power drain may arise from the necessary connection of low-energy electrons in the kinetic stabilizer to the central region.

Current-driven dynamics of skyrmions stabilized in MnSi nanowires revealed by topological Hall effect

PubMed Central

Liang, Dong; DeGrave, John P.; Stolt, Matthew J.; Tokura, Yoshinori; Jin, Song

2015-01-01

Skyrmions hold promise for next-generation magnetic storage as their nanoscale dimensions may enable high information storage density and their low threshold for current-driven motion may enable ultra-low energy consumption. Skyrmion-hosting nanowires not only serve as a natural platform for magnetic racetrack memory devices but also stabilize skyrmions. Here we use the topological Hall effect (THE) to study phase stability and current-driven dynamics of skyrmions in MnSi nanowires. THE is observed in an extended magnetic field-temperature window (15–30 K), suggesting stabilization of skyrmions in nanowires compared with the bulk. Furthermore, we show in nanowires that under the high current density of 108–109 A m−2, the THE decreases with increasing current densities, which demonstrates the current-driven motion of skyrmions generating the emergent electric field in the extended skyrmion phase region. These results open up the exploration of skyrmions in nanowires for fundamental physics and magnetic storage technologies. PMID:26400204

Effect of parallel electric fields on the ponderomotive stabilization of MHD instabilities

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

Litwin, C.; Hershkowitz, N.

The contribution of the wave electric field component E/sub parallel/, parallel to the magnetic field, to the ponderomotive stabilization of curvature driven instabilities is evaluated and compared to the transverse component contribution. For the experimental density range, in which the stability is primarily determined by the m = 1 magnetosonic wave, this contribution is found to be the dominant and stabilizing when the electron temperature is neglected. For sufficiently high electron temperatures the dominant fast wave is found to be axially evanescent. In the same limit, E/sub parallel/ becomes radially oscillating. It is concluded that the increased electron temperature nearmore » the plasma surface reduces the magnitude of ponderomotive effects.« less

Interdisciplinary challenges in the study of power grid resilience and stability and their relation to extreme weather events

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Heitzig, J.; Fujiwara, N.; Aihara, K.; Kurths, J.

2014-10-01

This topical issue collects contributions to the interdisciplinary study of power grid stability in face of increasing volatility of energy production and consumption due to increasing renewable energy infeed and changing climatic conditions. The individual papers focus on different aspects of this field and bring together modern achievements from various disciplines, in particular complex systems science, nonlinear data analysis, control theory, electrical engineering, and climatology. Main topics considered here are prediction and volatility of renewable infeed, modelling and theoretical analysis of power grid topology, dynamics and stability, relationships between stability and complex network topology, and improvements via topological changes or control. Impacts for the design of smart power grids are discussed in detail.

Interchange Method in Compressible Magnetized Couette Flow: Magnetorotational and Magnetoconvective Instabilities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Christodoulou, Dimitris M.; Contopoulos, John; Kazanas, Demosthenes

2003-03-01

We obtain the general forms of the axisymmetric stability criteria in a magnetized compressible Couette flow using an energy variational principle, the so-called interchange or Chandrasekhar's method, which we applied successfully in the incompressible case. This formulation accounts for the simultaneous presence of gravity, rotation, a toroidal magnetic field, a weak axial magnetic field, entropy gradients, and density gradients in the initial equilibrium state. The power of the method lies in its simplicity, which allows us to derive extremely compact and physically clear expressions for the relevant stability criteria despite the inclusion of so many physical effects. In the implementation of the method, all the applicable conservation laws are explicitly taken into account during the variations of a quantity with dimensions of energy that we call the ``free-energy function.'' As in the incompressible case, the presence of an axial field invalidates the conservation laws of angular momentum and azimuthal magnetic flux and introduces instead isorotation and axial current conservation along field lines. Our results are therefore markedly different depending on whether an axial magnetic field is present, and they generalize in two simple expressions all previously known, partial stability criteria for the appearance of magnetorotational instability. Furthermore, the coupling between magnetic tension and buoyancy and its influence to the dynamics of nonhomoentropic magnetized flows become quite clear from our results. In the limits of plane-parallel atmospheres and homoentropic flows, our formulation easily recovers the stability criteria for suppression of convective and Parker instabilities, as well as some related special cases studied over 40 years ago by Newcomb and Tserkovnikov via laborious variational techniques.

Perisaccadic Updating of Visual Representations and Attentional States: Linking Behavior and Neurophysiology

PubMed Central

Marino, Alexandria C.; Mazer, James A.

2016-01-01

During natural vision, saccadic eye movements lead to frequent retinal image changes that result in different neuronal subpopulations representing the same visual feature across fixations. Despite these potentially disruptive changes to the neural representation, our visual percept is remarkably stable. Visual receptive field remapping, characterized as an anticipatory shift in the position of a neuron’s spatial receptive field immediately before saccades, has been proposed as one possible neural substrate for visual stability. Many of the specific properties of remapping, e.g., the exact direction of remapping relative to the saccade vector and the precise mechanisms by which remapping could instantiate stability, remain a matter of debate. Recent studies have also shown that visual attention, like perception itself, can be sustained across saccades, suggesting that the attentional control system can also compensate for eye movements. Classical remapping could have an attentional component, or there could be a distinct attentional analog of visual remapping. At this time we do not yet fully understand how the stability of attentional representations relates to perisaccadic receptive field shifts. In this review, we develop a vocabulary for discussing perisaccadic shifts in receptive field location and perisaccadic shifts of attentional focus, review and synthesize behavioral and neurophysiological studies of perisaccadic perception and perisaccadic attention, and identify open questions that remain to be experimentally addressed. PMID:26903820

A Study on Multi-Swing Stability Analysis of Power System using Damping Rate Inversion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tsuji, Takao; Morii, Yuki; Oyama, Tsutomu; Hashiguchi, Takuhei; Goda, Tadahiro; Nomiyama, Fumitoshi; Kosugi, Narifumi

In recent years, much attention is paid to the nonlinear analysis method in the field of stability analysis of power systems. Especially for the multi-swing stability analysis, the unstable limit cycle has an important meaning as a stability margin. It is required to develop a high speed calculation method of stability boundary regarding multi-swing stability because the real-time calculation of ATC is necessary to realize the flexible wheeling trades. Therefore, the authors have developed a new method which can calculate the unstable limit cycle based on damping rate inversion method. Using the unstable limit cycle, it is possible to predict the multi-swing stability at the time when the fault transmission line is reclosed. The proposed method is tested in Lorenz equation, single-machine infinite-bus system model and IEEJ WEST10 system model.

Stability of Horndeski vector-tensor interactions

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

Jiménez, Jose Beltrán; Durrer, Ruth; Heisenberg, Lavinia

2013-10-01

We study the Horndeski vector-tensor theory that leads to second order equations of motion and contains a non-minimally coupled abelian gauge vector field. This theory is remarkably simple and consists of only 2 terms for the vector field, namely: the standard Maxwell kinetic term and a coupling to the dual Riemann tensor. Furthermore, the vector sector respects the U(1) gauge symmetry and the theory contains only one free parameter, M{sup 2}, that controls the strength of the non-minimal coupling. We explore the theory in a de Sitter spacetime and study the presence of instabilities and show that it corresponds tomore » an attractor solution in the presence of the vector field. We also investigate the cosmological evolution and stability of perturbations in a general FLRW spacetime. We find that a sufficient condition for the absence of ghosts is M{sup 2} > 0. Moreover, we study further constraints coming from imposing the absence of Laplacian instabilities. Finally, we study the stability of the theory in static and spherically symmetric backgrounds (in particular, Schwarzschild and Reissner-Nordström-de Sitter). We find that the theory, quite generally, do have ghosts or Laplacian instabilities in regions of spacetime where the non-minimal interaction dominates over the Maxwell term. We also calculate the propagation speed in these spacetimes and show that superluminality is a quite generic phenomenon in this theory.« less

Long time stability of lamps with nanostructural carbon field emission cathodes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kalenik, J.; Firek, P.; Szmidt, J.; Czerwosz, E.; Kozłowski, M.; Stepińska, I.; Wódka, T.

2017-08-01

A luminescent lamp with field emission cathode was constructed and tested. Phosphor excited by electrons from field emission cathode is the source of light. The cathode is covered with nickel-carbon film containing multilayer carbon nanotubes that enhance electron emission from the cathode. Results of luminance stability measurements are presented. Luminance of elaborated luminance lamp is high enough for lighting application. Long term stability (1000 hours) is satisfactory for mass lamp application. Initial short time decrease of luminance is still too high and it needs reduction.

An Experimental Study of Continuous Plasma Flows Driven by a Confined Arc in a Transverse Magnetic Field

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Barger, R. L.; Brooks, J. D.; Beasley, W. D.

1961-01-01

A crossed-field, continuous-flow plasma accelerator has been built and operated. The highest measured velocity of the flow, which was driven by the interaction of the electric and magnetic fields, was about 500 meters per second. Some of the problems discussed are ion slip, stability and uniformity of the discharge, effect of the magnetic field on electron emission, use of preionization, and electrode contamination.

Psychometric Properties of Eating Disorder Instruments in Black and White Young Women: Internal Consistency, Temporal Stability, and Validity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bardone-Cone, Anna M.; Boyd, Clarissa A.

2007-01-01

Most of the major instruments in the eating disorder field have documented psychometric support only in predominantly White samples. The current study examined the internal consistency, temporal stability, and convergent and discriminant validity of a variety of eating disorder measures in Black (n = 97) and White (n = 179) female undergraduates.…

Crystal Field Splitting is Limiting the Stability and Strength of Ultra-incompressible Orthorhombic Transition Metal Tetraborides

PubMed Central

Zhang, R. F.; Wen, X. D.; Legut, D.; Fu, Z. H.; Veprek, S.; Zurek, E.; Mao, H. K.

2016-01-01

The lattice stability and mechanical strengths of the supposedly superhard transition metal tetraborides (TmB4, Tm = Cr, Mn and Fe) evoked recently much attention from the scientific community due to the potential applications of these materials, as well as because of general scientific interests. In the present study, we show that the surprising stabilization of these compounds from a high symmetry to a low symmetry structure is accomplished by an in-plane rotation of the boron network, which maximizes the in-plane hybridization by crystal field splitting between d orbitals of Tm and p orbitals of B. Studies of mechanical and electronic properties of TmB4 suggest that these tetraborides cannot be intrinsically superhard. The mechanical instability is facilitated by a unique in-plane or out-of-plane weakening of the three-dimensional covalent bond network of boron along different shear deformation paths. These results shed a novel view on the origin of the stability and strength of orthorhombic TmB4, highlighting the importance of combinational analysis of a variety of parameters related to plastic deformation of the crystalline materials when attempting to design new ultra-incompressible, and potentially strong and hard solids. PMID:26976479

Using Magnetic Field Gradients to Simulate Variable Gravity in Fluids and Materials Experiments

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ramachandran, Narayanan

2006-01-01

Fluid flow due to a gravitational field is caused by sedimentation, thermal buoyancy, or solutal buoyancy induced convection. During crystal growth, for example, these flows are undesirable and can lead to crystal imperfections. While crystallization in microgravity can approach diffusion limited growth conditions (no convection), terrestrially strong magnetic fields can be used to control fluid flow and sedimentation effects. In this work, a theory is presented on the stability of solutal convection of a magnetized fluid(weak1y paramagnetic) in the presence of a magnetic field. The requirements for stability are developed and compared to experiments performed within the bore of a superconducting magnet. The theoretical predictions are in good agreement with the experiments. Extension of the technique can also be applied to study artificial gravity requirements for long duration exploration missions. Discussion of this application with preliminary experiments and application of the technique to crystal growth will be provided.

Mathematical Models of Continuous Flow Electrophoresis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Saville, D. A.; Snyder, R. S.

1985-01-01

Development of high resolution continuous flow electrophoresis devices ultimately requires comprehensive understanding of the ways various phenomena and processes facilitate or hinder separation. A comprehensive model of the actual three dimensional flow, temperature and electric fields was developed to provide guidance in the design of electrophoresis chambers for specific tasks and means of interpreting test data on a given chamber. Part of the process of model development includes experimental and theoretical studies of hydrodynamic stability. This is necessary to understand the origin of mixing flows observed with wide gap gravitational effects. To insure that the model accurately reflects the flow field and particle motion requires extensive experimental work. Another part of the investigation is concerned with the behavior of concentrated sample suspensions with regard to sample stream stability particle-particle interactions which might affect separation in an electric field, especially at high field strengths. Mathematical models will be developed and tested to establish the roles of the various interactions.

Soil stabilization field trial : interim report II.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2002-02-01

Shrinkage cracks in cement-stabilized bases/subbase can be alleviated by specifying the right cement dosage, or by other additives/procedures that suppress crack susceptibility. A field trial of six 1000 ft sections to investigate several alternative...

Soil stabilization field trial : interim report.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2001-04-01

Shrinkage cracks in cement-stabilized bases/subbase can be alleviated by specifying : the right cement dosage, or by other additives/procedures that suppress crack susceptibility. A field : trial of six 1000 ft test sections to investigate several al...

Supersonic Wave Interference Affecting Stability

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Love, Eugene S.

1958-01-01

Some of the significant interference fields that may affect stability of aircraft at supersonic speeds are briefly summarized. Illustrations and calculations are presented to indicate the importance of interference fields created by wings, bodies, wing-body combinations, jets, and nacelles.

Soil stabilization field trial : interim report I.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2001-04-01

Shrinkage cracks in cement-stabilized bases/subbase can be alleviated by specifying the right cement dosage, or by other additives/procedures that suppress crack susceptibility. A field trial of six 1000 ft test sections to investigate several altern...

Soil stabilization field trial : interim report III.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2003-11-01

Shrinkage cracks in cement-stabilized bases/subbase can be alleviated by specifying the right cement dosage, or by other additives/procedures that suppress crack susceptibility. A field trial of six 1000 ft test sections to investigate several altern...

Stability of Magnetically-Suppressed Solutal Convection In Protein Crystal Growth

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Leslie, F. W.; Ramachandran, N.

2005-01-01

The effect of convection during the crystallization of proteins is not very well understood. In a gravitational field, convection is caused by crystal sedimentation and by solutal buoyancy induced flow and these can lead to crystal imperfections. While crystallization in microgravity can approach diffusion limited growth conditions (no convection), terrestrially strong magnetic fields can be used to control fluid flow and sedimentation effects. In this work, a theory is presented on the stability of solutal convection of a magnetized fluid in the presence of a magnetic field. The requirements for stability are developed and compared to experiments performed within the bore of a superconducting magnet. The theoretical predictions are in good agreement with the experiments and show solutal convection can be stabilized if the surrounding fluid has larger magnetic susceptibility and the magnetic field has a specific structure. Discussion on the application of the technique to protein crystallization is also provided.

ITG modes in the presence of inhomogeneous field-aligned flow

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sen, S.; McCarthy, D. R.; Lontano, M.; Lazzaro, E.; Honary, F.

2010-02-01

In a recent paper, Varischetti et al. (Plasma Phys. Contr. F. 2008, 50, 105008-1-15) have found that in a slab geometry the effect of the flow shear in the field-aligned parallel flow on the linear mode stability of the ion temperature gradient (ITG)-driven modes is not very prominent. They found that the flow shear also has a negligible effect on the mode characteristics. The work in this paper shows that the inclusion of flow curvature in the field-aligned flow can have a considerable effect on the mode stability; it can also change the mode structure so as to effect the mixing length transport in the core region of a fusion device. Flow shear, on the other hand, has indeed an insignificant role in the mode stability and mode structure. Inhomogeneous field-aligned flow should therefore still be considered for a viable candidate in controlling the ITG mode stability and mode structure.

Field stabilization studies for a radio frequency quadrupole accelerator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gaur, R.; Kumar, V.

2014-07-01

The Radio Frequency Quadrupole (RFQ) linear accelerator is an accelerator that efficiently focuses, bunches and accelerates a high intensity DC beam from an ion source, for various applications. Unlike other conventional RF linear accelerators, the electromagnetic mode used for its operation is not the lowest frequency mode supported by the structure. In a four vane type RFQ, there are several undesired electromagnetic modes having frequency close to that of the operating mode. While designing an RFQ accelerator, care must be taken to ensure that the frequencies of these nearby modes are sufficiently separated from the operating mode. If the undesired nearby modes have frequencies close to the operating mode, the electromagnetic field pattern in the presence of geometrical errors will not be stabilized to the desired field profile, and will be perturbed by the nearby modes. This will affect the beam dynamics and reduce the beam transmission. In this paper, we present a detailed study of the electromagnetic modes supported, which is followed by calculations for implementation of suitable techniques to make the desired operating mode stable against mixing with unwanted modes for an RFQ being designed for the proposed Indian Spallation Neutron Source (ISNS) project at Raja Ramanna Centre for Advanced Technology, Indore. Resonant coupling scheme, along with dipole stabilization rods has been proposed to increase the mode separation. The paper discusses the details of a generalized optimization procedure that has been used for the design of mode stabilization scheme.

ENVIRONMENTAL EVALUATION FOR UTILIZATION OF ASH IN SOIL STABILIZATION

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

David J. Hassett; Loreal V. Heebink

2001-08-01

The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) approved the use of coal ash in soil stabilization, indicating that environmental data needed to be generated. The overall project goal is to evaluate the potential for release of constituents into the environment from ash used in soil stabilization projects. Supporting objectives are: (1) To ensure sample integrity through implementation of a sample collection, preservation, and storage protocol to avoid analyte concentration or loss. (2) To evaluate the potential of each component (ash, soil, water) of the stabilized soil to contribute to environmental release of analytes of interest. (3) To use laboratory leaching methodsmore » to evaluate the potential for release of constituents to the environment. (4) To facilitate collection of and to evaluate samples from a field runoff demonstration effort. The results of this study indicated limited mobility of the coal combustion fly ash constituents in laboratory tests and the field runoff samples. The results presented support previous work showing little to negligible impact on water quality. This and past work indicates that soil stabilization is an environmentally beneficial CCB utilization application as encouraged by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. This project addressed the regulatory-driven environmental aspect of fly ash use for soil stabilization, but the demonstrated engineering performance and economic advantages also indicate that the use of CCBs in soil stabilization can and should become an accepted engineering option.« less

Stabilization of axisymmetric liquid bridges through vibration-induced pressure fields.

PubMed

Haynes, M; Vega, E J; Herrada, M A; Benilov, E S; Montanero, J M

2018-03-01

Previous theoretical studies have indicated that liquid bridges close to the Plateau-Rayleigh instability limit can be stabilized when the upper supporting disk vibrates at a very high frequency and with a very small amplitude. The major effect of the vibration-induced pressure field is to straighten the liquid bridge free surface to compensate for the deformation caused by gravity. As a consequence, the apparent Bond number decreases and the maximum liquid bridge length increases. In this paper, we show experimentally that this procedure can be used to stabilize millimeter liquid bridges in air under normal gravity conditions. The breakup of vibrated liquid bridges is examined experimentally and compared with that produced in absence of vibration. In addition, we analyze numerically the dynamics of axisymmetric liquid bridges far from the Plateau-Rayleigh instability limit by solving the Navier-Stokes equations. We calculate the eigenfrequencies characterizing the linear oscillation modes of vibrated liquid bridges, and determine their stability limits. The breakup process of a vibrated liquid bridge at that stability limit is simulated too. We find qualitative agreement between the numerical predictions for both the stability limits and the breakup process and their experimental counterparts. Finally, we show the applicability of our technique to control the amount of liquid transferred between two solid surfaces. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Stability analysis of ultrasound thick-shell contrast agents.

PubMed

Lu, Xiaozhen; Chahine, Georges L; Hsiao, Chao-Tsung

2012-01-01

The stability of thick shell encapsulated bubbles is studied analytically. 3-D small perturbations are introduced to the spherical oscillations of a contrast agent bubble in response to a sinusoidal acoustic field with different amplitudes of excitation. The equations of the perturbation amplitudes are derived using asymptotic expansions and linear stability analysis is then applied to the resulting differential equations. The stability of the encapsulated microbubbles to nonspherical small perturbations is examined by solving an eigenvalue problem. The approach then identifies the fastest growing perturbations which could lead to the breakup of the encapsulated microbubble or contrast agent. © 2012 Acoustical Society of America.

Correlation of DCPI with deformation under proof roller loading to assess soft subgrade stabilization criterion : addendum to NCDOT final report 2011-05, entitled : "Field verification of undercut criteria and alternatives for subgrade stabilization in th

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2016-11-21

Work presented herein is an addendum to the final report for NCDOT Project 2011-05 entitled : Field Verification of Undercut Criteria and Alternatives for Subgrade Stabilization in the : Piedmont Area. The objective of the addendum work is to p...

Polymer stabilized liquid crystals: Topology-mediated electro-optical behavior and applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weng, Libo

There has been a wide range of liquid crystal polymer composites that vary in polymer concentration from as little as 3 wt.% (polymer stabilized liquid crystal) to as high as 60 wt.% (polymer dispersed liquid crystals). In this dissertation, an approach of surface polymerization based on a low reactive monomer concentration about 1 wt.% is studied in various liquid crystal operation modes. The first part of dissertation describes the development of a vertical alignment (VA) mode with surface polymer stabilization, and the effects of structure-performance relationship of reactive monomers (RMs) and polymerization conditions on the electro-optical behaviors of the liquid crystal device has been explored. The polymer topography plays an important role in modifying and enhancing the electro-optical performance of stabilized liquid crystal alignment. The enabling surface-pinned polymer stabilized vertical alignment (PSVA) approach has led to the development of high-performance and fast-switching displays with controllable pretilt angle, increase in surface anchoring energy, high optical contrast and fast response time. The second part of the dissertation explores a PSVA mode with in-plane switching (IPS) and its application for high-efficiency and fast-switching phase gratings. The diffraction patterns and the electro-optical behaviors including diffraction efficiency and response time are characterized. The diffraction grating mechanism and performance have been validated by computer simulation. Finally, the advantages of surface polymerization approach such as good optical contrast and fast response time have been applied to the fringe-field switching (FFS) system. The concentration of reactive monomer on the electro-optical behavior of the FFS cells is optimized. The outstanding electro-optical results and mechanism of increase in surface anchoring strength are corroborated by the director field simulation. The density and topology of nanoscale polymer protrusions are analyzed and confirmed by morphological study. The developed high-performance polymer-stabilized fringe-field-switching (PS-FFS) could open new types of device applications.

Atomic-scale studies on the effect of boundary coherency on stability in twinned Cu

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Niu, Rongmei; Han, Ke; Su, Yi-Feng; Salters, Vincent J.

2014-01-01

The stored energy and hardness of nanotwinned (NT) Cu are related to interaction between dislocations and {111}-twin boundaries (TBs) studied at atomic scales by high-angle annular dark-field scanning transmission electron microscope. Lack of mobile dislocations at coherent TBs (CTBs) provides as-deposited NT Cu a rare combination of stability and hardness. The introduction of numerous incoherent TBs (ITBs) reduces both the stability and hardness. While storing more energy in their ITBs than in the CTBs, deformed NT Cu also exhibits high dislocation density and TB mobility and therefore has increased the driving force for recovery, coarsening, and recrystallization.

Comprehensive laboratory and field testing of cavity ring-down spectroscopy analyzers measuring H2O, CO2, CH4 and CO

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yver Kwok, C.; Laurent, O.; Guemri, A.; Philippon, C.; Wastine, B.; Rella, C. W.; Vuillemin, C.; Truong, F.; Delmotte, M.; Kazan, V.; Darding, M.; Lebègue, B.; Kaiser, C.; Xueref-Rémy, I.; Ramonet, M.

2015-09-01

To develop an accurate measurement network of greenhouse gases, instruments in the field need to be stable and precise and thus require infrequent calibrations and a low consumption of consumables. For about 10 years, cavity ring-down spectroscopy (CRDS) analyzers have been available that meet these stringent requirements for precision and stability. Here, we present the results of tests of CRDS instruments in the laboratory (47 instruments) and in the field (15 instruments). The precision and stability of the measurements are studied. We demonstrate that, thanks to rigorous testing, newer models generally perform better than older models, especially in terms of reproducibility between instruments. In the field, we see the importance of individual diagnostics during the installation phase, and we show the value of calibration and target gases that assess the quality of the data. Finally, we formulate recommendations for use of these analyzers in the field.

Comprehensive laboratory and field testing of cavity ring-down spectroscopy analyzers measuring H2O, CO2, CH4 and CO

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yver Kwok, C.; Laurent, O.; Guemri, A.; Philippon, C.; Wastine, B.; Rella, C. W.; Vuillemin, C.; Truong, F.; Delmotte, M.; Kazan, V.; Darding, M.; Lebègue, B.; Kaiser, C.; Ramonet, M.

2015-04-01

To develop an accurate measurement network of greenhouse gases, instruments in the field need to be stable and precise and thus require infrequent calibrations and a low consumption of consumables. For about ten years, cavity ring-down spectroscopy (CRDS) analyzers have been available that meet these stringent requirements for precision and stability. Here, we present the results of tests of CRDS instruments in the laboratory (47 instruments) and in the field (15 instruments). The precision and stability of the measurements are studied. We demonstrate that, thanks to rigorous testing, newer models generally perform better than older models, especially in terms of reproducibility between instruments. In the field, we see the importance of individual diagnostics during the installation phase, and we show the value of calibration and target gases that assess the quality of the data. Finally, we formulate recommendations for use of these analyzers in the field.

Compact toroid generation, lifetime, and stability studies in linear reversed-field theta pinch geometries, (TRX-1): Second annual and final report, June 1981-March 1983

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

Hoffman, A.L.; Slough, J.T.

1983-09-01

Four major areas have been investigated in the triggered reconnection experiment (TRX) program. These areas are flux trapping; formation (reconnection and axial dynamics); stability; and lifetime. This report describes the progress in each of these areas. Flux trapping for relatively slow field reversal rates due to the formation of a wall sheath has been accomplished and techniques have been developed for both triggered and programmed reconnection and the formation process has been optimized for maximum flux retention. Rotational n=2 instability has been controlled through the use of octopole barrier fields and long particle lifetimes have been achieved through optimization ofmore » the formation process. 46 refs., 63 figs., 4 tabs. (FI)« less

Characterization of Plasma Discharges in a High-Field Magnetic Tandem Mirror

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chang-Diaz, Franklin R.

1998-01-01

High density magnetized plasma discharges in open-ended geometries, like Tandem Mirrors, have a variety of space applications. Chief among them is the production of variable Specific Impulse (I(sub sp)) and variable thrust in a magnetic nozzle. Our research group is pursuing the experimental characterization of such discharges in our high-field facility located at the Advanced Space Propulsion Laboratory (ASPL). These studies focus on identifying plasma stability criteria as functions of density, temperature and magnetic field strength. Plasma heating is accomplished by both Electron and Ion Cyclotron Resonance (ECR and ICR) at frequencies of 2-3 Ghz and 1-30 Mhz respectively, for both Hydrogen and Helium. Electron density and temperature has measured by movable Langmuir probes. Macroscopic plasma stability is being investigated in ongoing research.

Self-organization and stability of magnetosome chains—A simulation study

PubMed Central

Faivre, Damien; Klumpp, Stefan

2018-01-01

Magnetotactic bacteria orient in magnetic fields with the help of their magnetosome chain, a linear structure of membrane enclosed magnetic nanoparticles (magnetosomes) anchored to a cytoskeletal filament. Here, we use simulations to study the assembly and the stability of magnetosome chains. We introduce a computational model describing the attachment of the magnetosomes to the filament and their magnetic interactions. We show that the filamentous backbone is crucial for the robust assembly of the magnetic particles into a linear chain, which in turn is key for the functionality of the chain in cellular orientation and magnetically directed swimming. In addition, we simulate the response to an external magnetic field that is rotated away from the axis of the filament, an experimental method used to probe the mechanical stability of the chain. The competition between alignment along the filament and alignment with the external fields leads to the rupture of a chain if the applied field exceeeds a threshold value. These observations are in agreement with previous experiments at the population level. Beyond that, our simulations provide a detailed picture of chain rupture at the single cell level, which is found to happen through two abrupt events, which both depend on the field strength and orientation. The re-formation of the chain structure after such rupture is found to be strongly sped up in the presence of a magnetic field parallel to the filament, an observation that may also be of interest for the design of self-healing materials. Our simulations underline the dynamic nature of the magnetosome chain. More generally, they show the rich complexity of self-assembly in systems with competing driving forces for alignment. PMID:29315342

Stability analysis of an equilibrium position in the photogravitational Sitnikov problem

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bardin, B. S.; Avdushkin, A. N.

2018-05-01

We deal with the so-called photogravitational Sitnikov problem, that is we consider rectilinear motion of a body of infinitesimal mass in a field of two graviting and radiating primaries, which have equal masses and act on the body with equal repulsive forces of radiation pressure. The body has equilibrium position in the barycenter of the system. In this paper the stability of the equilibrium position is investigated in detail. In particular, by the study of the linearized system we have found in the plane of parameter values the regions of instability. It appears that the instability regions alternate with stability regions and become very narrower when the eccentricity of the primaries orbits approaches to 1. Outside the instability regions we have performed non-linear stability analysis and shown that the stability of the equilibrium position in the sense of Lyapunov takes place both in resonant and non-resonant cases. The results of the study are represented in a form of stability diagram.

Effect of Fuel Particle Size on the Stability of Swirl Stabilized Flame in a Gas Turbine Combustor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mishra, R. K.; Kishore Kumar, S.; Chandel, Sunil

2015-05-01

Combustion stability is examined in a swirl stabilized aero gas turbine combustor using computational fluid dynamics. A 22.5° sector of an annular combustor is modeled for the study. Unstructured tetrahedral meshes comprising 1.2 × 106 elements are employed in the model where the governing equations are solved using CFD flow solver CFX using eddy dissipation combustion model. The effect of fuel particle size on the combustion and its stability has been studied at steady state and transient conditions. The time for complete evaporation is increased exponentially when drop size increases. It delays heating up the mixture and subsequent ignition. This strongly affects the stability of the combustion flame as the incoming fresh mixture will have a quenching effect on the existing temperature field. Transient analysis at low fuel-air ratio and high particle size shows that there is a series of flame extinction and re-ignition prior to complete extinction which is observed from the fluctuation of gas temperature in the primary zone.

The Action of a Magnetic Field on Water,

DTIC Science & Technology

The effect of a low intensity magnetic field on water as a flotation medium with the enrichment of coal and dressing of copper sulfied ore is studied...magnetic field with flotation is expressed. The imposition of an external magnetic field disturbs the energy state of water, which leads to a change in...intermolecular interaction, stability of hydrogen bonds, deterioration in the wettability of rigid surfaces, and a change in the technological indices of flotation enrichment. (Author)

Advanced feedback control methods in EXTRAP T2R reversed field pinch

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yadikin, D.; Brunsell, P. R.; Paccagnella, R.

2006-07-01

Previous experiments in the EXTRAP T2R reversed field pinch device have shown the possibility of suppression of multiple resistive wall modes (RWM). A feedback system has been installed in EXTRAP T2R having 100% coverage of the toroidal surface by the active coil array. Predictions based on theory and the previous experimental results show that the number of active coils should be sufficient for independent stabilization of all unstable RWMs in the EXTRAP T2R. Experiments using different feedback schemes are performed, comparing the intelligent shell, the fake rotating shell, and the mode control with complex feedback gains. Stabilization of all unstable RWMs throughout the discharge duration of td≈10τw is seen using the intelligent shell feedback scheme. Mode rotation and the control of selected Fourier harmonics is obtained simultaneously using the mode control scheme with complex gains. Different sensor signals are studied. A feedback system with toroidal magnetic field sensors could have an advantage of lower feedback gain needed for the RWM suppression compared to the system with radial magnetic field sensors. In this study, RWM suppression is demonstrated, using also the toroidal field component as a sensor signal in the feedback system.

Does mycorrhizal inoculation improve plant survival, aggregate stability, and fine root development on a coarse-grained soil in an alpine eco-engineering field experiment?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bast, A.; Wilcke, W.; Graf, F.; Lüscher, P.; Gärtner, H.

2016-08-01

Steep vegetation-free talus slopes in high mountain environments are prone to superficial slope failures and surface erosion. Eco-engineering measures can reduce slope instabilities and thus contribute to risk mitigation. In a field experiment, we established mycorrhizal and nonmycorrhizal research plots and determined their biophysical contribution to small-scale soil fixation. Mycorrhizal inoculation impact on plant survival, aggregate stability, and fine root development was analyzed. Here we present plant survival (ntotal = 1248) and soil core (ntotal = 108) analyses of three consecutive years in the Swiss Alps. Soil cores were assayed for their aggregate stability coefficient (ASC), root length density (RLD), and mean root diameter (MRD). Inoculation improved plant survival significantly, but it delayed aggregate stabilization relative to the noninoculated site. Higher aggregate stability occurred only after three growing seasons. Then also RLD tended to be higher and MRD increased significantly at the mycorrhizal treated site. There was a positive correlation between RLD, ASC, and roots <0.5 mm, which had the strongest impact on soil aggregation. Our results revealed a temporal offset between inoculation effects tested in laboratory and field experiments. Consequently, we recommend to establish an intermediate to long-term field experimental monitoring before transferring laboratory results to the field.

Effect of axial magnetic field on three-dimensional instability of natural convection in a vertical Bridgman growth configuration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gelfgat, A. Yu.; Bar-Yoseph, P. Z.; Solan, A.

2001-08-01

A study of the effect of an externally imposed magnetic field on the axisymmetry-breaking instability of an axisymmetric convective flow, associated with crystal growth from bulk of melt, is presented. Convection in a vertical cylinder with a parabolic temperature profile on the sidewall is considered as a representative model. A parametric study of the dependence of the critical Grashof number Gr cr on the Hartmann number Ha for fixed values of the Prandtl number (Pr=0.015) and the aspect ratio of the cylinder ( A=height/radius=1, 2 and 3) is carried out. The stability diagram Gr cr(Ha) corresponding to the axisymmetric—three-dimensional transition for increasing values of the axial magnetic field is obtained. The calculations are done using the spectral Galerkin method allowing an effective and accurate three-dimensional stability analysis. It is shown that at relatively small values of Ha the axisymmetric flow tends to be oscillatory unstable. After the magnitude of the magnetic field (Ha) exceeds a certain value the instability switches to a steady bifurcation caused by the Rayleigh-Bénard mechanism.

Stability of Gauss-Bonnet black holes in anti-de Sitter space-time against scalar field condensation

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

Brihaye, Yves; Hartmann, Betti

We study the stability of static, hyperbolic Gauss-Bonnet black holes in (4+1)-dimensional anti-de Sitter (AdS) space-time against the formation of scalar hair. Close to extremality the black holes possess a near-horizon topology of AdS{sub 2}xH{sup 3} such that within a certain range of the scalar field mass one would expect that they become unstable to the condensation of an uncharged scalar field. We confirm this numerically and observe that there exists a family of hairy black hole solutions labeled by the number of nodes of the scalar field function. We construct explicit examples of solutions with a scalar field thatmore » possesses zero nodes, one node, and two nodes, respectively, and show that the solutions with nodes persist in the limit of Einstein gravity, i.e. for vanishing Gauss-Bonnet coupling. We observe that the interval of the mass for which scalar field condensation appears decreases with increasing Gauss-Bonnet coupling and/or with increasing node number.« less

Evaluation of asymmetric quadrupoles for a non-scaling fixed field alternating gradient accelerator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Sang-Hun; Park, Sae-Hoon; Kim, Yu-Seok

2017-12-01

A non-scaling fixed field alternating gradient (NS-FFAG) accelerator was constructed, which employs conventional quadrupoles. The possible demerit is the beam instability caused by the variable focusing strength when the orbit radius of the beam changes. To overcome this instability, it was suggested that the asymmetric quadrupole has different current flows in each coil. The magnetic field of the asymmetric quadrupole was found to be more similar to the magnetic field required for the FFAG accelerator than the constructed NS-FFAG accelerator. In this study, a simulation of the beam dynamics was carried out to evaluate the improvement to the beam stability for the NS-FFAG accelerator using the SIMION program. The beam dynamics simulation was conducted with the `hard edge' model; it ignored the fringe field at the end of the magnet. The magnetic field map of the suggested magnet was created using the SIMION program. The lattices for the simulation combined the suggested magnets. The magnets were evaluated for beam stability in the lattices through the SIMION program.

Holocene eolian activity in the Minot dune field, North Dakota

USGS Publications Warehouse

Muhs, D.R.; Stafford, Thomas W.; Been, J.; Mahan, S.A.; Burdett, J.; Skipp, G.; Rowland, Z.M.

1997-01-01

Stabilized eolian sand is common over much of the Great Plains region of the United States and Canada, including a subhumid area of ??? 1500 km2 near Minot, North Dakota. Eolian landforms consist of sand sheets and northwest-trending parabolic dunes. Dunes and sand sheets in the Minot field are presently stabilized by a cover of prairie grasses or oak woodland. Stratigraphic studies and accelerator mass spectrometry radiocarbon dating of paleosols indicate at least two periods of eolian sand movement in the late Holocene. Pedologic data suggest that all of the dune field has experienced late Holocene dune activity, though not all parts of the dune field may have been active simultaneously. Similar immobile element (Ti, Zr, La, Ce) concentrations support the interpretation that eolian sands are derived from local glaciofluvial and glaciolacustrine sediments. However, glaciolacustrine and glaciofluvial source sediments have high Ca concentrations from carbonate minerals, whereas dune sands are depleted in Ca. Because noneolian-derived soils in the area are calcareous, these data indicate that the Minot dune field may have had extended periods of activity in the Holocene, such that eolian abrasion removed soft carbonate minerals. The southwest-facing parts of some presently stabilized dunes were active during the 1930s drought, but were revegetated during the wetter years of the 1940s. These observations indicate that severe droughts accompanied by high temperatures are the most likely cause of Holocene eolian activity.

ACS Internal Flat Fields

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Borncamp, David

2017-08-01

The stability of the CCD flat fields will be monitored using the calibration lamps. One set of observations for all the filters and another at a different epoch for a subset of filters will be taken during this cycle. High signal observations will be used to assess the stability of the pixel-to-pixel flat field structure and to monitor the position of the dust motes.

ACS Internal Flat Fields

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Borncamp, David

2016-10-01

The stability of the CCD flat fields will be monitored using the calibration lamps. One set of observations for all the filters and another at a different epoch for a subset of filters will be taken during this cycle. High signal observations will be used to assess the stability of the pixel-to-pixel flat field structure and to monitor the position of the dust motes.

Effect of carbonation on leachability, strength and microstructural characteristics of KMP binder stabilized Zn and Pb contaminated soils.

PubMed

Du, Yan-Jun; Wei, Ming-Li; Reddy, Krishna R; Wu, Hao-liang

2016-02-01

This study presents a systematic investigation of effects of carbonation on the contaminant leachability and unconfined compressive strength of KMP stabilized contaminated soils. A field soil spiked with Zn and Pb individually and together is stabilized using a new KMP additive under standard curing conditions and also with carbonation. The KMP additive is composed of oxalic acid-activated phosphate rock, monopotassium phosphate and reactive magnesia. The stabilized soils are tested for acid neutralization capacity, toxic characteristics leaching characteristics, contaminant speciation and unconfined compression strength. X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscope and energy dispersive spectroscopy analyses are performed to assess reaction products. The results demonstrate that carbonation increases both acid buffer capacity index and unconfined compressive strength, but decreases leachability of KMP stabilized soils. These results are interpreted based on the changes in chemical speciation of Zn and Pb and also stability and solubility of the reaction products (metal phosphates and carbonates) formed in the soils. Overall, this study demonstrates that carbonation has positive effects on leachability and strength of the KMP stabilized soils. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Monoclinic Cc-phase stabilization in magnetically diluted lead free Na1/2Bi1/2TiO3—Evolution of spin glass like behavior with enhanced ferroelectric and dielectric properties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thangavelu, Karthik; Asthana, Saket

2015-09-01

The effect of magnetic cation substitution on the phase stabilization, ferroelectric, dielectric and magnetic properties of a lead free Na0.5Bi0.5TiO3 (NBT) system prepared by O2 atmosphere solid state sintering were studied extensively. Cobalt (Co) was chosen as the magnetic cation to substitute at the Ti-site of NBT with optimized 2.5 mol%. Rietveld analysis of x-ray diffraction data favours the monoclinic Cc phase stabilization strongly rather than the parent R3c phase. FE-SEM micrograph supports the single phase characteristics without phase segregation at the grain boundaries. The stabilized Cc space group was explained based on the collective local distortion effects due to spin-orbit stabilization at Co3+ and Co2+ functional centres. The phonon mode changes as observed in the TiO6 octahedral modes also support the Cc phase stabilization. The major Co3+-ion presence was revealed from corresponding crystal field transitions observed through solid state diffuse reflectance spectroscopy. The enhanced spontaneous polarization (Ps) from ≅38 μC cm-2 to 45 μC cm-2 could be due to the easy rotation of polarization vector along the {(1\\bar{1}0)}{{pc}} in Cc phase. An increase in static dielectric response (ɛ) from ɛ ≅ 42 to 60 along with enhanced diffusivity from γ ≅ 1.53 to 1.75 was observed. Magneto-thermal irreversibility and their magnetic field dependent ZFC/FC curves suggest the possibility of a spin glass like behaviour below 50 K. The monoclinic Cc phase stabilization as confirmed from structural studies was well correlated with the observed ferroic properties in magnetically diluted NBT.

Inviscid linear stability analysis of two vertical columns of different densities in a gravitational acceleration field

DOE PAGES

Prathama, Aditya Heru; Pantano, Carlos

2017-08-09

Here, we study the inviscid linear stability of a vertical interface separating two fluids of different densities and subject to a gravitational acceleration field parallel to the interface. In this arrangement, the two free streams are constantly accelerated, which means that the linear stability analysis is not amenable to Fourier or Laplace solution in time. Instead, we derive the equations analytically by the initial-value problem method and express the solution in terms of the well-known parabolic cylinder function. The results, which can be classified as an accelerating Kelvin–Helmholtz configuration, show that even in the presence of surface tension, the interfacemore » is unconditionally unstable at all wavemodes. This is a consequence of the ever increasing momentum of the free streams, as gravity accelerates them indefinitely. The instability can be shown to grow as the exponential of a quadratic function of time.« less

Enhanced Stability of DNA Nanostructures by Incorporation of Unnatural Base Pairs.

PubMed

Liu, Qing; Liu, Guocheng; Wang, Ting; Fu, Jing; Li, Rujiao; Song, Linlin; Wang, Zhen-Gang; Ding, Baoquan; Chen, Fei

2017-11-03

Self-assembled DNA nanostructures hold great promise in the fields of nanofabrication, biosensing and nanomedicine. However, the inherent low stability of the DNA double helices, formed by weak interactions, largely hinders the assembly and functions of DNA nanostructures. In this study, we redesigned and constructed a six-arm DNA junction by incorporation of the unnatural base pairs 5-Me-isoC/isoG and A/2-thioT into the double helices. They not only retained the structural integrity of the DNA nanostructure, but also showed enhanced thermal stability and resistance to T7 Exonuclease digestion. This research may expand the applications of DNA nanostructures in nanofabrication and biomedical fields, and furthermore, the genetic alphabet expansion with unnatural base pairs may enable us to construct more complicated and diversified self-assembled DNA nanostructures. © 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Dynamic diagnostics of the error fields in tokamaks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pustovitov, V. D.

2007-07-01

The error field diagnostics based on magnetic measurements outside the plasma is discussed. The analysed methods rely on measuring the plasma dynamic response to the finite-amplitude external magnetic perturbations, which are the error fields and the pre-programmed probing pulses. Such pulses can be created by the coils designed for static error field correction and for stabilization of the resistive wall modes, the technique developed and applied in several tokamaks, including DIII-D and JET. Here analysis is based on the theory predictions for the resonant field amplification (RFA). To achieve the desired level of the error field correction in tokamaks, the diagnostics must be sensitive to signals of several Gauss. Therefore, part of the measurements should be performed near the plasma stability boundary, where the RFA effect is stronger. While the proximity to the marginal stability is important, the absolute values of plasma parameters are not. This means that the necessary measurements can be done in the diagnostic discharges with parameters below the nominal operating regimes, with the stability boundary intentionally lowered. The estimates for ITER are presented. The discussed diagnostics can be tested in dedicated experiments in existing tokamaks. The diagnostics can be considered as an extension of the 'active MHD spectroscopy' used recently in the DIII-D tokamak and the EXTRAP T2R reversed field pinch.

Misfit strain-temperature phase diagrams and domain stability of asymmetric ferroelectric capacitors: Thermodynamic calculation and phase-field simulation

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

Chen, W. J.; Zheng, Yue, E-mail: zhengy35@mail.sysu.edu.cn; Wu, C. M.

Thermodynamic calculation and phase-field simulation have been conducted to investigate the misfit strain-temperature phase diagrams, dielectric property, and domain stability of asymmetric ferroelectric capacitors (FCs), with considering the effects of dissimilar screening properties and work function steps at the two interfaces. The distinct features of asymmetric FCs from their symmetric counterparts have been revealed and discussed. Polar states with nonzero out-of-plane polarization in parallel with the built-in field are found preferential to form in asymmetric FCs. Meanwhile, the built-in field breaks the degeneracy of states with out-of-plane polarization in anti-directions. This leads to the necessity of redefining phases according tomore » the bistability of out-of-plane polarization. Moreover, the phase stability as well as the dielectric behavior can be significantly controlled by the properties of electrodes, misfit strain, and temperature. The phase-field simulation result also shows that polydomain instability would happen in asymmetric FCs as the equivalence of domain stability in anti-directions is destroyed.« less

Acceleration of polarized protons and deuterons in the ion collider ring of JLEIC

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kondratenko, A. M.; Kondratenko, M. A.; Filatov, Yu N.; Derbenev, Ya S.; Lin, F.; Morozov, V. S.; Zhang, Y.

2017-07-01

The figure-8-shaped ion collider ring of Jefferson Lab Electron-Ion Collider (JLEIC) is transparent to the spin. It allows one to preserve proton and deuteron polarizations using weak stabilizing solenoids when accelerating the beam up to 100 GeV/c. When the stabilizing solenoids are introduced into the collider’s lattice, the particle spins precess about a spin field, which consists of the field induced by the stabilizing solenoids and the zero-integer spin resonance strength. During acceleration of the beam, the induced spin field is maintained constant while the resonance strength experiences significant changes in the regions of “interference peaks”. The beam polarization depends on the field ramp rate of the arc magnets. Its component along the spin field is preserved if acceleration is adiabatic. We present the results of our theoretical analysis and numerical modeling of the spin dynamics during acceleration of protons and deuterons in the JLEIC ion collider ring. We demonstrate high stability of the deuteron polarization in figure-8 accelerators. We analyze a change in the beam polarization when crossing the transition energy.

Acceleration of polarized protons and deuterons in the ion collider ring of JLEIC

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

Kondratenko, A.; Kondratenko, M.; Filatov, Yu. N.

2017-07-01

The figure-8-shaped ion collider ring of Jefferson Lab Electron-Ion Collider (JLEIC) is transparent to the spin. It allows one to preserve proton and deuteron polarizations using weak stabilizing solenoids when accelerating the beam up to 100 GeV/c. When the stabilizing solenoids are introduced into the collider's lattice, the particle spins precess about a spin field, which consists of the field induced by the stabilizing solenoids and the zero-integer spin resonance strength. During acceleration of the beam, the induced spin field is maintained constant while the resonance strength experiences significant changes in the regions of "interference peaks". The beam polarization dependsmore » on the field ramp rate of the arc magnets. Its component along the spin field is preserved if acceleration is adiabatic. We present the results of our theoretical analysis and numerical modeling of the spin dynamics during acceleration of protons and deuterons in the JLEIC ion collider ring. We demonstrate high stability of the deuteron polarization in figure-8 accelerators. We analyze a change in the beam polarization when crossing the transition energy.« less

Solidification/Stabilization Resource Guide

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This Solidification/Stabilization Resource Guide is intended to inform site cleanup managers of recently-published materials such as field reports and guidance documents that address issues relevant to solidification/stabilization technologies.

Emergent kink stability of a magnetized plasma jet injected into a transverse background magnetic field

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Yue; Gilmore, Mark; Hsu, Scott C.; Fisher, Dustin M.; Lynn, Alan G.

2017-11-01

We report experimental results on the injection of a magnetized plasma jet into a transverse background magnetic field in the HelCat linear plasma device at the University of New Mexico [M. Gilmore et al., J. Plasma Phys. 81(1), 345810104 (2015)]. After the plasma jet leaves the plasma-gun muzzle, a tension force arising from an increasing curvature of the background magnetic field induces in the jet a sheared axial-flow gradient above the theoretical kink-stabilization threshold. We observe that this emergent sheared axial flow stabilizes the n = 1 kink mode in the jet, whereas a kink instability is observed in the jet when there is no background magnetic field present.

Climate variability decreases species richness and community stability in a temperate grassland.

PubMed

Zhang, Yunhai; Loreau, Michel; He, Nianpeng; Wang, Junbang; Pan, Qingmin; Bai, Yongfei; Han, Xingguo

2018-06-26

Climate change involves modifications in both the mean and the variability of temperature and precipitation. According to global warming projections, both the magnitude and the frequency of extreme weather events are increasing, thereby increasing climate variability. The previous studies have reported that climate warming tends to decrease biodiversity and the temporal stability of community primary productivity (i.e., community stability), but the effects of the variability of temperature and precipitation on biodiversity, community stability, and their relationship have not been clearly explored. We used a long-term (from 1982 to 2014) field data set from a temperate grassland in northern China to explore the effects of the variability of mean temperature and total precipitation on species richness, community stability, and their relationship. Results showed that species richness promoted community stability through increases in asynchronous dynamics across species (i.e., species asynchrony). Both species richness and species asynchrony were positively associated with the residuals of community stability after controlling for its dependence on the variability of mean temperature and total precipitation. Furthermore, the variability of mean temperature reduced species richness, while the variability of total precipitation decreased species asynchrony and community stability. Overall, the present study revealed that species richness and species asynchrony promoted community stability, but increased climate variability may erode these positive effects and thereby threaten community stability.

Agglomeration of Celecoxib by Quasi Emulsion Solvent Diffusion Method: Effect of Stabilizer.

PubMed

Maghsoodi, Maryam; Nokhodchi, Ali

2016-12-01

Purpose: The quasi-emulsion solvent diffusion (QESD) has evolved into an effective technique to manufacture agglomerates of API crystals. Although, the proposed technique showed benefits, such as cost effectiveness, that is considerably sensitive to the choice of a stabilizer, which agonizes from a absence of systemic understanding in this field. In the present study, the combination of different solvents and stabilizers were compared to investigate any connections between the solvents and stabilizers. Methods: Agglomerates of celecoxib were prepared by QESD method using four different stabilizers (Tween 80, HPMC, PVP and SLS) and three different solvents (methyl acetate, ethyl acetate and isopropyl acetate). The solid state of obtained particles was investigated by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy. The agglomerated were also evaluated in term of production yield, distribution of particles and dissolution behavior. Results: The results showed that the effectiveness of stabilizer in terms of particle size and particle size distribution is specific to each solvent candidate. A stabilizer with a lower HLB value is preferred which actually increased its effectiveness with the solvent candidates with higher lipophilicity. HPMC appeared to be the most versatile stabilizer because it showed a better stabilizing effect compared to other stabilizers in all solvents used. Conclusion: This study demonstrated that the efficiency of stabilizers in forming the celecoxib agglomerates by QESD was influenced by the HLB of the stabilizer and lipophilicity of the solvents.

Kinetics and mechanical stability of the fibril state control fibril formation time of polypeptide chains: A computational study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kouza, Maksim; Co, Nguyen Truong; Li, Mai Suan; Kmiecik, Sebastian; Kolinski, Andrzej; Kloczkowski, Andrzej; Buhimschi, Irina Alexandra

2018-06-01

Fibril formation resulting from protein misfolding and aggregation is a hallmark of several neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases. Despite much progress in the understanding of the protein aggregation process, the factors governing fibril formation rates and fibril stability have not been fully understood. Using lattice models, we have shown that the fibril formation time is controlled by the kinetic stability of the fibril state but not by its energy. Having performed all-atom explicit solvent molecular dynamics simulations with the GROMOS43a1 force field for full-length amyloid beta peptides Aβ40 and Aβ42 and truncated peptides, we demonstrated that kinetic stability can be accessed via mechanical stability in such a way that the higher the mechanical stability or the kinetic stability, the faster the fibril formation. This result opens up a new way for predicting fibril formation rates based on mechanical stability that may be easily estimated by steered molecular dynamics.

Nighttime atmospheric stability changes and their effects on the temporal intensity of a mesoscale convective complex

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hovis, Jeffrey S.; Brundidge, Kenneth C.

1987-01-01

A method of interpolating atmospheric soundings while reducing the errors associated with simple time interpolation was developed. The purpose of this was to provide a means to determine atmospheric stability at times between standard soundings and to relate changes in stability to intensity changes in an MCC. Four MCC cases were chosen for study with this method with four stability indices being included. The discussion centers on three aspects for each stability parameter examined: the stability field in the vicinity of the storm and its changes in structure and magnitude during the lifetime of the storm, the average stability within the storm boundary as a function of time and its relation to storm intensity, and the apparent flux of stability parameter into the storm as a consequence of low-level storm relative flow. It was found that the results differed among the four stability parameters, sometimes in a conflicting fashion. Thus, an interpolation of how the storm intensity is related to the changing environmental stability depends upon the particular index utilized. Some explanation for this problem is offered.

MHD Instability and Turbulence in the Tachocline

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Werne, Joe; Wagner, William J. (Technical Monitor)

2003-01-01

The focus of this project was to study the physical processes that govern tachocline dynamics and structure. Specific features explored included stratification, shear, waves, and toroidal and poloidal background fields. In order to address recent theoretical work on anisotropic mixing and dynamics in the tachocline, we were particularly interested in such anisotropic mixing for the specific tachocline processes studied. Transition to turbulence often shapes the largest-scale features that appear spontaneously in a flow during the development of turbulence. The resulting large-scale straining field can control the subsequent dynamics; therefore, anticipation of the large-scale straining field that results for individual realizations of the transition to turbulence can be important for subsequent dynamics, flow morphology, and transport characteristics. As a result, we paid particular attention to the development of turbulence in the stratified and sheared environment of the tachocline. This is complicated by the fact that the linearly stability of sheared MHD flows is non-self-adjoint, implying that normal asymptotic linear stability theory may not be relevant.

Video image stabilization and registration--plus

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hathaway, David H. (Inventor)

2009-01-01

A method of stabilizing a video image displayed in multiple video fields of a video sequence includes the steps of: subdividing a selected area of a first video field into nested pixel blocks; determining horizontal and vertical translation of each of the pixel blocks in each of the pixel block subdivision levels from the first video field to a second video field; and determining translation of the image from the first video field to the second video field by determining a change in magnification of the image from the first video field to the second video field in each of horizontal and vertical directions, and determining shear of the image from the first video field to the second video field in each of the horizontal and vertical directions.

Real-time feedback for spatiotemporal field stabilization in MR systems.

PubMed

Duerst, Yolanda; Wilm, Bertram J; Dietrich, Benjamin E; Vannesjo, S Johanna; Barmet, Christoph; Schmid, Thomas; Brunner, David O; Pruessmann, Klaas P

2015-02-01

MR imaging and spectroscopy require a highly stable, uniform background field. The field stability is typically limited by hardware imperfections, external perturbations, or field fluctuations of physiological origin. The purpose of the present work is to address these issues by introducing spatiotemporal field stabilization based on real-time sensing and feedback control. An array of NMR field probes is used to sense the field evolution in a whole-body MR system concurrently with regular system operation. The field observations serve as inputs to a proportional-integral controller that governs correction currents in gradient and higher-order shim coils such as to keep the field stable in a volume of interest. The feedback system was successfully set up, currently reaching a minimum latency of 20 ms. Its utility is first demonstrated by countering thermal field drift during an EPI protocol. It is then used to address respiratory field fluctuations in a T2 *-weighted brain exam, resulting in substantially improved image quality. Feedback field control is an effective means of eliminating dynamic field distortions in MR systems. Third-order spatial control at an update time of 100 ms has proven sufficient to largely eliminate thermal and breathing effects in brain imaging at 7 Tesla. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Current-Driven Dynamics of Skyrmions Stabilized in MnSi Nanowires Revealed by Topological Hall Effect

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liang, Dong; Degrave, John; Stolt, Matthew; Tokura, Yoshinori; Jin, Song

2015-03-01

Skyrmions, novel topologically stable spin vortices, hold promise for next-generation high-density magnetic storage technologies due to their nanoscale domains and ultralow energy consumption. One-dimensional (1D) nanowires are ideal hosts for skyrmions since they not only serve as a natural platform for magnetic racetrack memory devices but also can potentially stabilize skyrmions. We use the topological Hall effect (THE) to study the phase stability and current-driven dynamics of the skyrmions in MnSi nanowires. The THE was observed in an extended magnetic field-temperature window (15 to 30 K), suggesting stabilization of skyrmion phase in nanowires compared with the bulk (27 to 29.5 K). Furthermore, we study skyrmion dynamics in this extended skyrmion phase region and found that under the high current-density of 108-109Am-2 enabled by nanowire geometry, the THE decreases with increasing current densities, which demonstrates the current-driven motion of skyrmions generating the emergent electric field. These results open up the exploration of nanowires as an attractive platform for investigating skyrmion physics in 1D systems and exploiting skyrmions in magnetic storage concepts. This work is supported by US National Science Foundation (ECCS-1231916) and JSPS Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research No. 24224009.

Generation of flat-top pulsed magnetic fields with feedback control approach.

PubMed

Kohama, Yoshimitsu; Kindo, Koichi

2015-10-01

We describe the construction of a simple, compact, and cost-effective feedback system that produces flat-top field profiles in pulsed magnetic fields. This system is designed for use in conjunction with a typical capacitor-bank driven pulsed magnet and was tested using a 60-T pulsed magnet. With the developed feedback controller, we have demonstrated flat-top magnetic fields as high as 60.64 T with an excellent field stability of ±0.005 T. The result indicates that the flat-top pulsed magnetic field produced features high field stability and an accessible field strength. These features make this system useful for improving the resolution of data with signal averaging.

Stability of wave processes in a rotating electrically conducting fluid

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peregudin, S. I.; Peregudina, E. S.; Kholodova, S. E.

2018-05-01

The paper puts forward a mathematical model of dynamics of spatial large-scale motions in a rotating layer of electrically conducting incompressible perfect fluid of variable depth with due account of dissipative effects. The resulting boundary-value problem is reduced to a vector system of partial differential equations for any values of the Reynolds number. Theoretical analysis of the so-obtained analytical solution reveals the effect of the magnetic field diffusion on the stability of the wave mode — namely, with the removed external magnetic field, the diffusion of the magnetic field promotes its damping. Besides, a criterion of stability of a wave mode is obtained.

Spin stability of sounding rocket secondary payloads following high velocity ejections

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nelson, Weston M.

The Auroral Spatial Structures Probe (ASSP) mission is a sounding rocket mission studying solar energy input to space weather. ASSP requires the high velocity ejection (up to 50 m/s) of 6 secondary payloads, spin stabilized perpendicular to the ejection velocity. The proposed scientific instrumentation depends on a high degree of spin stability, requiring a maximum coning angle of less than 5°. It also requires that the spin axis be aligned within 25° of the local magnetic field lines. The maximum velocities of current ejection methods are typically less than 10m/s, and often produce coning angles in excess of 20°. Because of this they do not meet the ASSP mission requirements. To meet these requirements a new ejection method is being developed by NASA Wallops Flight Facility. Success of the technique in meeting coning angle and B-field alignment requirements is evaluated herein by modeling secondary payload dynamic behavior using a 6-DOF dynamic simulation employing state space integration written in MATLAB. Simulation results showed that secondary payload mass balancing is the most important factor in meeting stability requirements. Secondary mass payload properties will be measured using an inverted torsion pendulum. If moment of inertia measurement errors can be reduced to 0.5%, it is possible to achieve mean coning and B-field alignment angles of 2.16° and 2.71°, respectively.

Electric Propulsion Test and Evaluation Methodologies for Plasma in the Environments of Space and Testing (EP TEMPEST)

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-04-14

Swanson AEDC Path 1: Magnetized electron transport impeded across magnetic field lines; transport via electron-particle collisions Path 2*: Electron...T&E (higher pressure, metallic walls) → Impacts stability, performance, plume properties, thruster lifetime Magnetic Field Lines Plasma Plume...Development of T&E Methodologies • Current-Voltage- Magnetic Field (I-V-B) Mapping • Facility Interaction Studies • Background Pressure • Plasma Wall

Mean-field velocity difference model considering the average effect of multi-vehicle interaction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guo, Yan; Xue, Yu; Shi, Yin; Wei, Fang-ping; Lü, Liang-zhong; He, Hong-di

2018-06-01

In this paper, a mean-field velocity difference model(MFVD) is proposed to describe the average effect of multi-vehicle interactions on the whole road. By stability analysis, the stability condition of traffic system is obtained. Comparison with stability of full velocity-difference (FVD) model and the completeness of MFVD model are discussed. The mKdV equation is derived from MFVD model through nonlinear analysis to reveal the traffic jams in the form of the kink-antikink density wave. Then the numerical simulation is performed and the results illustrate that the average effect of multi-vehicle interactions plays an important role in effectively suppressing traffic jam. The increase strength of the mean-field velocity difference in MFVD model can rapidly reduce traffic jam and enhance the stability of traffic system.

Exact relativistic models of conformastatic charged dust thick disks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

García-Reyes, Gonzalo

2018-04-01

We construct relativistic models of charged dust thick disks for a particular conformastatic spacetime through a Miyamoto-Nagai transformation used in Newtonian gravity to model disk like galaxies. Two simple families of thick disk models and a family of thick annular disks based on the field of an extreme Reissner-Nordström black hole and a Morgan-Morgan-like metric are considered. The electrogeodesic motion of test particles around the structures are analyzed. Also the stability of the particles against radial perturbation is studied using an extension of the Rayleigh criteria of stability of a fluid in rest in a gravitational field. The models built satisfy all the energy conditions.

Permanent magnets composed of high temperature superconductors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Weinstein, Roy; Chen, In-Gann; Liu, Jay; Lau, Kwong

1991-01-01

A study of persistent, trapped magnetic field has been pursued with high-temperature superconducting (HTS) materials. The main effort is to study the feasibility of utilization of HTS to fabricate magnets for various devices. The trapped field, when not in saturation, is proportional to the applied field. Thus, it should be possible to replicate complicated field configurations with melt-textured YBa2Cu3O7 (MT-Y123) material, bypassing the need for HTS wires. Presently, materials have been developed from which magnets of 1.5 T, at 77 K, can be fabricated. Much higher field is available at lower operating temperature. Stability of a few percent per year is readily attainable. Results of studies on prototype motors and minimagnets are reported.

A first attempt at few coils and low-coverage resistive wall mode stabilization of EXTRAP T2R

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Olofsson, K. Erik J.; Brunsell, Per R.; Drake, James R.; Frassinetti, Lorenzo

2012-09-01

The reversed-field pinch features resistive-shell-type instabilities at any (vanishing and finite) plasma pressure. An attempt to stabilize the full spectrum of these modes using both (i) incomplete coverage and (ii) few coils is presented. Two empirically derived model-based control algorithms are compared with a baseline guaranteed suboptimal intelligent-shell-type (IS) feedback. Experimental stabilization could not be achieved for the coil array subset sizes considered by this first study. But the model-based controllers appear to significantly outperform the decentralized IS method.

The preliminary study of the quench protection of an MgB2

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Juster, F. P.; Berriaud, C.; Bonelli, A.; Pasquet, R.; Przybilski, H.; Schild, T.; Scola, L.

2014-01-01

In the framework of general studies currently carried out at CEA/Saclay in collaboration with Sigmaphi Company on dry MgB2 magnet operating at 10 K and medium range field, 1 T up to 4 T., we plan to build a prototype-coil with a commercial MgB2 wire. This coil, the nominal axial magnetic field of which is 1 tesla, will be placed in a 3 teslas background field generated by a classical NbTi coil. This paper deals with the preliminary quench protection studies including stability and quench propagation modeling.

Preservation Methods Differ in Fecal Microbiome Stability, Affecting Suitability for Field Studies

PubMed Central

Amir, Amnon; Metcalf, Jessica L.; Amato, Katherine R.; Xu, Zhenjiang Zech; Humphrey, Greg

2016-01-01

ABSTRACT Immediate freezing at −20°C or below has been considered the gold standard for microbiome preservation, yet this approach is not feasible for many field studies, ranging from anthropology to wildlife conservation. Here we tested five methods for preserving human and dog fecal specimens for periods of up to 8 weeks, including such types of variation as freeze-thaw cycles and the high temperature fluctuations often encountered under field conditions. We found that three of the methods—95% ethanol, FTA cards, and the OMNIgene Gut kit—can preserve samples sufficiently well at ambient temperatures such that differences at 8 weeks are comparable to differences among technical replicates. However, even the worst methods, including those with no fixative, were able to reveal microbiome differences between species at 8 weeks and between individuals after a week, allowing meta-analyses of samples collected using various methods when the effect of interest is expected to be larger than interindividual variation (although use of a single method within a study is strongly recommended to reduce batch effects). Encouragingly for FTA cards, the differences caused by this method are systematic and can be detrended. As in other studies, we strongly caution against the use of 70% ethanol. The results, spanning 15 individuals and over 1,200 samples, provide our most comprehensive view to date of storage effects on stool and provide a paradigm for the future studies of other sample types that will be required to provide a global view of microbial diversity and its interaction among humans, animals, and the environment. IMPORTANCE Our study, spanning 15 individuals and over 1,200 samples, provides our most comprehensive view to date of storage and stabilization effects on stool. We tested five methods for preserving human and dog fecal specimens for periods of up to 8 weeks, including the types of variation often encountered under field conditions, such as freeze-thaw cycles and high temperature fluctuations. We show that several cost-effective methods provide excellent microbiome stability out to 8 weeks, opening up a range of field studies with humans and wildlife that would otherwise be cost-prohibitive. PMID:27822526

Preservation Methods Differ in Fecal Microbiome Stability, Affecting Suitability for Field Studies.

PubMed

Song, Se Jin; Amir, Amnon; Metcalf, Jessica L; Amato, Katherine R; Xu, Zhenjiang Zech; Humphrey, Greg; Knight, Rob

2016-01-01

Immediate freezing at -20°C or below has been considered the gold standard for microbiome preservation, yet this approach is not feasible for many field studies, ranging from anthropology to wildlife conservation. Here we tested five methods for preserving human and dog fecal specimens for periods of up to 8 weeks, including such types of variation as freeze-thaw cycles and the high temperature fluctuations often encountered under field conditions. We found that three of the methods-95% ethanol, FTA cards, and the OMNIgene Gut kit-can preserve samples sufficiently well at ambient temperatures such that differences at 8 weeks are comparable to differences among technical replicates. However, even the worst methods, including those with no fixative, were able to reveal microbiome differences between species at 8 weeks and between individuals after a week, allowing meta-analyses of samples collected using various methods when the effect of interest is expected to be larger than interindividual variation (although use of a single method within a study is strongly recommended to reduce batch effects). Encouragingly for FTA cards, the differences caused by this method are systematic and can be detrended. As in other studies, we strongly caution against the use of 70% ethanol. The results, spanning 15 individuals and over 1,200 samples, provide our most comprehensive view to date of storage effects on stool and provide a paradigm for the future studies of other sample types that will be required to provide a global view of microbial diversity and its interaction among humans, animals, and the environment. IMPORTANCE Our study, spanning 15 individuals and over 1,200 samples, provides our most comprehensive view to date of storage and stabilization effects on stool. We tested five methods for preserving human and dog fecal specimens for periods of up to 8 weeks, including the types of variation often encountered under field conditions, such as freeze-thaw cycles and high temperature fluctuations. We show that several cost-effective methods provide excellent microbiome stability out to 8 weeks, opening up a range of field studies with humans and wildlife that would otherwise be cost-prohibitive.

Impact of theoretical priors in cosmological analyses: The case of single field quintessence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peirone, Simone; Martinelli, Matteo; Raveri, Marco; Silvestri, Alessandra

2017-09-01

We investigate the impact of general conditions of theoretical stability and cosmological viability on dynamical dark energy models. As a powerful example, we study whether minimally coupled, single field quintessence models that are safe from ghost instabilities, can source the Chevallier-Polarski-Linder (CPL) expansion history recently shown to be mildly favored by a combination of cosmic microwave background (Planck) and weak lensing (KiDS) data. We find that in their most conservative form, the theoretical conditions impact the analysis in such a way that smooth single field quintessence becomes significantly disfavored with respect to the standard Λ CDM cosmological model. This is due to the fact that these conditions cut a significant portion of the (w0,wa) parameter space for CPL, in particular, eliminating the region that would be favored by weak lensing data. Within the scenario of a smooth dynamical dark energy parametrized with CPL, weak lensing data favors a region that would require multiple fields to ensure gravitational stability.

On the thermal decay of magnetization in the presence of demagnetizing fields and a soft magnetic layer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wood, R.; Monson, J.; Coughlin, T.

1999-03-01

The presence of a soft magnetic layer adjacent to a magnetic recording medium reduces the demagnetization of both perpendicular and longitudinal recording media. However, for perpendicular media, there is no reduction in the worst case, DC, demagnetizing field and no lessening of the decay. For longitudinal media, the highest demagnetizing fields occur at high densities. The soft layer or keeper can reduce these fields significantly and slow the initial decay. The soft underlayer also induces a small anisotropy field that assists the thermal stability of a perpendicular medium. A similar layer with a longitudinal medium, however, causes a small reduction in thermal stability, but only at low levels of demagnetizing field. For longitudinal recording media the overall effect of the keeper on thermal stability is quite complicated: the initial decay may be delayed significantly (a factor of ten in time) but the final decay to zero may still proceed more rapidly.

Distortion of Magnetic Fields in a Starless Core: Near-infrared Polarimetry of FeSt 1–457

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

Kandori, Ryo; Tamura, Motohide; Kusakabe, Nobuhiko

Magnetic fields are believed to play an important role in controlling the stability and contraction of the dense condensations of gas and dust that lead to the formation of stars and planetary systems. In the present study, the magnetic field of FeSt 1–457, a cold starless molecular cloud core, was mapped on the basis of the polarized near-infrared light from 185 background stars after being dichroically absorbed by dust aligned with the magnetic field in the core. A distinct “hourglass-shaped” magnetic field was identified in the region of the core, and was interpreted as the first evidence of a magneticmore » field structure distorted by mass condensation in a starless core. The steep curvature of the magnetic field lines obtained in the present study indicates that the distortion was mainly created during the formation phase of the dense core. The derived mass-to-magnetic flux ratio indicates that the core is in a magnetically supercritical state. However, the stability of the core can be considered to be in a nearly critical state if the additional contributions from the thermal and turbulent support are included. Further diffusion of the magnetic field and/or turbulent dissipation would cause the onset of the dynamical collapse of the core. The geometrical relationship between the direction of the magnetic field lines and the elongation of the core was found to be in good agreement with theoretical predictions for the formation of Sun-like stars under the influence of a magnetic field.« less

Temporal stability of visually selective responses in intracranial field potentials recorded from human occipital and temporal lobes

PubMed Central

Bansal, Arjun K.; Singer, Jedediah M.; Anderson, William S.; Golby, Alexandra; Madsen, Joseph R.

2012-01-01

The cerebral cortex needs to maintain information for long time periods while at the same time being capable of learning and adapting to changes. The degree of stability of physiological signals in the human brain in response to external stimuli over temporal scales spanning hours to days remains unclear. Here, we quantitatively assessed the stability across sessions of visually selective intracranial field potentials (IFPs) elicited by brief flashes of visual stimuli presented to 27 subjects. The interval between sessions ranged from hours to multiple days. We considered electrodes that showed robust visual selectivity to different shapes; these electrodes were typically located in the inferior occipital gyrus, the inferior temporal cortex, and the fusiform gyrus. We found that IFP responses showed a strong degree of stability across sessions. This stability was evident in averaged responses as well as single-trial decoding analyses, at the image exemplar level as well as at the category level, across different parts of visual cortex, and for three different visual recognition tasks. These results establish a quantitative evaluation of the degree of stationarity of visually selective IFP responses within and across sessions and provide a baseline for studies of cortical plasticity and for the development of brain-machine interfaces. PMID:22956795

Alternative materials for subgrade modification

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2001-10-01

This study examines the laboratory and field performance of two alternative materials used for the modification of unstable (CBR<6) subgrade soils. Modification is temporarily enhancing subgrade : stability to improve the constructability of successi...

Compressible Analysis of Bénard Convection of Magneto Rotatory Couple-Stress Fluid

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mehta, C. B.; Singh, M.

2018-02-01

Thermal Instability (Benard's Convection) in the presence of uniform rotation and uniform magnetic field (separately) is studied. Using the linearized stability theory and normal mode analyses the dispersion relation is obtained in each case. In the case of rotatory Benard's stationary convection compressibility and rotation postpone the onset of convection whereas the couple-stress have duel character onset of convection depending on rotation parameter. While in the absence of rotation couple-stress always postpones the onset of convection. On the other hand, magnetic field on thermal instability problem on couple-stress fluid for stationary convection couple-stress parameter and magnetic field postpones the onset of convection. The effect of compressibility also postpones the onset of convection in both cases as rotation and magnetic field. Graphs have been plotted by giving numerical values to the parameters to depict the stationary characteristics. Further, the magnetic field and rotation are found to introduce oscillatory modes which were non-existent in their absence and then the principle of exchange of stability is valid. The sufficient conditions for non-existence of overstability are also obtained.

Field operational test of the Freightliner/Meritor WABCO roll stability advisor and control at Praxair

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2003-08-01

This document reports on the conduct and findings of a naturalistic field operational test (FOT) of the Freightliner/Meritor WABCO Roll Stability Advisor and Control (RA&C). The broad intent of RA&C is to reduce the risk of rollover by improving driv...

Effects of Resonant Helical Field on Toroidal Field Ripple in IR-T1 Tokamak

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mahdavipour, B.; Salar Elahi, A.; Ghoranneviss, M.

2018-02-01

The toroidal magnetic field which is created by toroidal coils has the ripple in torus space. This magnetic field ripple has an importance in plasma equilibrium and stability studies in tokamak. In this paper, we present the investigation of the interaction between the toroidal magnetic field ripple and resonant helical field (RHF). We have estimated the amplitude of toroidal field ripples without and with RHF (with different q = m/n) ( m = 2, m = 3, m = 4, m = 5, m = 2 & 3, n = 1) using “Comsol Multiphysics” software. The simulations show that RHF has effects on the toroidal ripples.

Atmospheric stability effects on wind farm performance using large-eddy simulation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Archer, C. L.; Ghaisas, N.; Xie, S.

2014-12-01

Atmospheric stability has been recently found to have significant impacts on wind farm performance, especially since offshore and onshore wind farms are known to operate often under non-neutral conditions. Recent field observations have revealed that changes in stability are accompanied by changes in wind speed, direction, and turbulent kinetic energy (TKE). In order to isolate the effects of stability, large-eddy simulations (LES) are performed under neutral, stable, and unstable conditions, keeping the wind speed and direction unchanged at a fixed height. The Lillgrund wind farm, comprising of 48 turbines, is studied in this research with the Simulator for Offshore/Onshore Wind Farm Applications (SOWFA) developed by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. Unlike most previous numerical simulations, this study does not impose periodic boundary conditions and therefore is ideal for evaluating the effects of stability in large, but finite, wind farms. Changes in power generation, velocity deficit, rate of wake recovery, TKE, and surface temperature are quantified as a function of atmospheric stability. The sensitivity of these results to wind direction is also discussed.

Influence of fracture network physical properties on stability criteria of density-driven flow in a dual-porosity system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hassanzadeh, H.; Jafari Raad, S. M.

2017-12-01

Linear stability analysis is conducted to study the onset of buoyancy-driven convection involved in solubility trapping of CO2 into deep fractured aquifers. In this study, the effect of fracture network physical properties on the stability criteria in a brine-rich fractured porous layer is investigated using dual porosity concept for both single and variable matrix block size distributions. Linear stability analysis results show that both fracture interporosity flow and fracture storativity factors play an important role in the stability behavior of the system. It is shown that a diffusive boundary layer under the gravity field in a fractured rock with lower fracture storativity and/or higher fracture interporosity flow coefficient is more stable. We present scaling relations that relate the onset of convective instability in fractured aquifers. These findings improve our understanding of buoyancy driven flow in fractured aquifers and are particularly important in estimation of potential storage capacity, risk assessment, and storage sites characterization and screening.Keywords: CO2 sequestration; fractured rock; buoyancy-driven convection; stability analysis

Linear perturbations of black holes: stability, quasi-normal modes and tails

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhidenko, Alexander

2009-03-01

Black holes have their proper oscillations, which are called the quasi-normal modes. The proper oscillations of astrophysical black holes can be observed in the nearest future with the help of gravitational wave detectors. Quasi-normal modes are also very important in the context of testing of the stability of black objects, the anti-de Sitter/Conformal Field Theory (AdS/CFT) correspondence and in higher dimensional theories, such as the brane-world scenarios and string theory. This dissertation reviews a number of works, which provide a thorough study of the quasi-normal spectrum of a wide class of black holes in four and higher dimensions for fields of various spin and gravitational perturbations. We have studied numerically the dependance of the quasi-normal modes on a number of factors, such as the presence of the cosmological constant, the Gauss-Bonnet parameter or the aether in the space-time, the dependance of the spectrum on parameters of the black hole and fields under consideration. By the analysis of the quasi-normal spectrum, we have studied the stability of higher dimensional Reissner-Nordstrom-de Sitter black holes, Kaluza-Klein black holes with squashed horizons, Gauss-Bonnet black holes and black strings. Special attention is paid to the evolution of massive fields in the background of various black holes. We have considered their quasi-normal ringing and the late-time tails. In addition, we present two new numerical techniques: a generalisation of the Nollert improvement of the Frobenius method for higher dimensional problems and a qualitatively new method, which allows to calculate quasi-normal frequencies for black holes, which metrics are not known analytically.

The origin of excellent gate-bias stress stability in organic field-effect transistors employing fluorinated-polymer gate dielectrics.

PubMed

Kim, Jiye; Jang, Jaeyoung; Kim, Kyunghun; Kim, Haekyoung; Kim, Se Hyun; Park, Chan Eon

2014-11-12

Tuning of the energetic barriers to charge transfer at the semiconductor/dielectric interface in organic field-effect transistors (OFETs) is achieved by varying the dielectric functionality. Based on this, the correlation between the magnitude of the energy barrier and the gate-bias stress stability of the OFETs is demonstrated, and the origin of the excellent device stability of OFETs employing fluorinated dielectrics is revealed. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING AND MANIPULATING PLASMAS

DOEpatents

Colgate, S.A.; Ferguson, J.P.; Furth, H.P.; Wright, R.E.

1960-07-26

An electrical pinch discharge apparatus is described for producing and manipulating high-temperature plasmas. The apparatus may be of either the linear or toroidal pinch discharge type. Arrangements are provided whereby stabilizing fields may be trapped in the plasma external to the main pinch discharge path and the boundary condition of the stabilizing field programed so as to stabilize the discharge or to promote instabilities in the discharge as desired. The produced plasmas may be employed for various purposes, and fusion neutrons have been produced with the apparatus.

Stability of Brillouin flow in the presence of slow-wave structure

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

Simon, D. H.; Lau, Y. Y.; Greening, G.

2016-09-15

Including a slow-wave structure (SWS) on the anode in the conventional, planar, and inverted magnetron, we systematically study the linear stability of Brillouin flow, which is the prevalent flow in crossed-field devices. The analytic treatment is fully relativistic and fully electromagnetic, and it incorporates the equilibrium density profile, flow profile, and electric field and magnetic field profiles in the linear stability analysis. Using parameters similar to the University of Michigan's recirculating planar magnetron, the numerical data show that the resonant interaction of the vacuum circuit mode and the corresponding smooth-bore diocotron-like mode is the dominant cause for instability. This resonantmore » interaction is far more important than the intrinsic negative (positive) mass property of electrons in the inverted (conventional) magnetron geometry. It is absent in either the smooth-bore magnetron or under the electrostatic assumption, one or both of which was almost always adopted in prior analytical formulation. This resonant interaction severely restricts the wavenumber for instability to the narrow range in which the cold tube frequency of the SWS is within a few percent of the corresponding smooth bore diocotron-like mode in the Brillouin flow.« less

Role of matter in extended quasidilaton massive gravity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gümrükçüoǧlu, A. Emir; Koyama, Kazuya; Mukohyama, Shinji

2016-12-01

The extended quasidilaton theory is one of the simplest Lorentz-invariant massive gravity theories which can accommodate a stable self-accelerating vacuum solution. In this paper we revisit this theory and study the effect of matter fields. For a matter sector that couples minimally to the physical metric, we find hints of a Jeans type instability in the IR. In the analogue k-essence field setup, this instability manifests itself as an IR ghost for the scalar field perturbation, but this can be interpreted as a classical instability that becomes relevant below some momentum scale in terms of matter density perturbations. We also consider the effect of the background evolution influenced by matter on the stability of the gravity sector perturbations. In particular, we address the previous claims of ghost instability in the IR around the late time attractor. We show that, although the matter-induced modification of the evolution potentially brings tension to the stability conditions, one goes beyond the regime of validity of the effective theory well before the solutions become unstable. We also draw attention to the fact that the IR stability conditions are also enforced by the existence requirements of consistent background solutions.

State fusion entropy for continuous and site-specific analysis of landslide stability changing regularities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Yong; Qin, Zhimeng; Hu, Baodan; Feng, Shuai

2018-04-01

Stability analysis is of great significance to landslide hazard prevention, especially the dynamic stability. However, many existing stability analysis methods are difficult to analyse the continuous landslide stability and its changing regularities in a uniform criterion due to the unique landslide geological conditions. Based on the relationship between displacement monitoring data, deformation states and landslide stability, a state fusion entropy method is herein proposed to derive landslide instability through a comprehensive multi-attribute entropy analysis of deformation states, which are defined by a proposed joint clustering method combining K-means and a cloud model. Taking Xintan landslide as the detailed case study, cumulative state fusion entropy presents an obvious increasing trend after the landslide entered accelerative deformation stage and historical maxima match highly with landslide macroscopic deformation behaviours in key time nodes. Reasonable results are also obtained in its application to several other landslides in the Three Gorges Reservoir in China. Combined with field survey, state fusion entropy may serve for assessing landslide stability and judging landslide evolutionary stages.

Stability and instability of a neuron network with excitatory and inhibitory small-world connections.

PubMed

Yu, Dongyuan; Xu, Xu; Zhou, Jing; Li, Eric

2017-05-01

This study considers a delayed neural network with excitatory and inhibitory shortcuts. The global stability of the trivial equilibrium is investigated based on Lyapunov's direct method and the delay-dependent criteria are obtained. It is shown that both the excitatory and inhibitory shortcuts decrease the stability interval, but a time delay can be employed as a global stabilizer. In addition, we analyze the bounds of the eigenvalues of the adjacent matrix using matrix perturbation theory and then obtain the generalized sufficient conditions for local stability. The possibility of small inhibitory shortcuts is helpful for maintaining stability. The mechanisms of instability, bifurcation modes, and chaos are also investigated. Compared with methods based on mean-field theory, the proposed method can guarantee the stability of the system in most cases with random events. The proposed method is effective for cases where excitatory and inhibitory shortcuts exist simultaneously in the network. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Optical absorption and radiative heat transport in olivine at high temperature

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shankland, T. J.; Nitsan, U.; Duba, A. G.

1979-01-01

Results are presented of measurements of the optical absorption spectra (300-8000 nm) of olivine as a function of temperature (300-1700 K) under conditions of controlled and known oxygen fugacity within the stability field of the samples. The absorption spectra are used to calculate the temperature-dependent radiative transfer coefficient of olivine and to numerically study the accuracy of the method. The present absorption measurements in olivine under oxidizing conditions known to be within the olivine stability field indicate that the effective radiative conductivity K(R) is lower than that obtained in previous studies under different experimental conditions. The lower value of K(R) makes it more likely that some of the earth's internal heat is removed by convection and less likely that thermal models involving conduction and radiation alone will satisfactorily explain thermal conditions in the earth's mantle.

Association schemes perspective of microbubble cluster in ultrasonic fields.

PubMed

Behnia, S; Yahyavi, M; Habibpourbisafar, R

2018-06-01

Dynamics of a cluster of chaotic oscillators on a network are studied using coupled maps. By introducing the association schemes, we obtain coupling strength in the adjacency matrices form, which satisfies Markov matrices property. We remark that in general, the stability region of the cluster of oscillators at the synchronization state is characterized by Lyapunov exponent which can be defined based on the N-coupled map. As a detailed physical example, dynamics of microbubble cluster in an ultrasonic field are studied using coupled maps. Microbubble cluster dynamics have an indicative highly active nonlinear phenomenon, were not easy to be explained. In this paper, a cluster of microbubbles with a thin elastic shell based on the modified Keller-Herring equation in an ultrasonic field is demonstrated in the framework of the globally coupled map. On the other hand, a relation between the microbubble elements is replaced by a relation between the vertices. Based on this method, the stability region of microbubbles pulsations at complete synchronization state has been obtained analytically. In this way, distances between microbubbles as coupling strength play the crucial role. In the stability region, we thus observe that the problem of study of dynamics of N-microbubble oscillators reduce to that of a single microbubble. Therefore, the important parameters of the isolated microbubble such as applied pressure, driving frequency and the initial radius have effective behavior on the synchronization state. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Home composting versus industrial composting: influence of composting system on compost quality with focus on compost stability.

PubMed

Barrena, Raquel; Font, Xavier; Gabarrell, Xavier; Sánchez, Antoni

2014-07-01

Stability is one of the most important properties of compost obtained from the organic fraction of municipal solid wastes. This property is essential for the application of compost to land to avoid further field degradation and emissions of odors, among others. In this study, a massive characterization of compost samples from both home producers and industrial facilities is presented. Results are analyzed in terms of chemical and respiration characterizations, the latter representing the stability of the compost. Results are also analyzed in terms of statistical validation. The main conclusion from this work is that home composting, when properly conducted, can achieve excellent levels of stability, whereas industrial compost produced in the studied facilities can also present a high stability, although an important dispersion is found in these composts. The study also highlights the importance of respiration techniques to have a reliable characterization of compost quality, while the chemical characterization does not provide enough information to have a complete picture of a compost sample. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Biochar mineralization and priming effect on SOM decomposition. Results from a field trial in a short rotation coppice in Italy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ventura, Maurizio; Alberti, Giorgio; Panzacchi, Pietro; Delle Vedove, Gemini; Miglietta, Franco; Tonon, Giustino

2016-04-01

Biochar application to soil has been proposed as a promising strategy for carbon (C) sequestration and climate change mitigation, helping at the same time to maintain soil fertility. However, most of the knowledge on biochar stability is based on short-term lab incubation experiments, as field studies are scarce. Therefore, little is known about the interactions between biochar and roots and the related effects on biochar stability in field conditions. The present study aimed to assess the stability of biochar, its effect on original soil organic matter (SOM) decomposition, and the effect of plant roots on biochar stability in field conditions in Northern Italy, for a three-year monitoring period within the EuroChar project. The experiment was conducted in a poplar short rotation coppice (SRC). Biochar produced from maize (δ13C = -13.8‰) silage pellets in a gasification plant was applied in a poplar short rotation coppice (SRC) plantation in Northern Italy. Root exclusion subplots were established using the trenching method to measure heterotrophic respiration. Total (Rtot) and heterotrophic (Rh) respiration were measured every 2 hours in control and biochar-treated soil, with a closed dynamic soil respiration system. δ13C of the soil-emited CO2 was periodically measured using the Keeling plot method. The percentage of biochar-derived soil respiration (fB), was calculated using an isotopic mass balance. Results showed that fB varied between 7% and 37% according to the sampling date, and was generally higher in the presence of roots than in trenched plots where the root growth was excluded. Without roots, only the 14% of the carbon originally added with biochar was decomposed. In the presence of roots, this percentage increased to 21%, suggesting a positive priming effect of roots on biochar decomposition. On the other hand, biochar decreased the decomposition of original SOM by about 17%, suggesting a protective effect of biochar on SOM.

Thermal stability analysis and modelling of advanced perpendicular magnetic tunnel junctions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Van Beek, Simon; Martens, Koen; Roussel, Philippe; Wu, Yueh Chang; Kim, Woojin; Rao, Siddharth; Swerts, Johan; Crotti, Davide; Linten, Dimitri; Kar, Gouri Sankar; Groeseneken, Guido

2018-05-01

STT-MRAM is a promising non-volatile memory for high speed applications. The thermal stability factor (Δ = Eb/kT) is a measure for the information retention time, and an accurate determination of the thermal stability is crucial. Recent studies show that a significant error is made using the conventional methods for Δ extraction. We investigate the origin of the low accuracy. To reduce the error down to 5%, 1000 cycles or multiple ramp rates are necessary. Furthermore, the thermal stabilities extracted from current switching and magnetic field switching appear to be uncorrelated and this cannot be explained by a macrospin model. Measurements at different temperatures show that self-heating together with a domain wall model can explain these uncorrelated Δ. Characterizing self-heating properties is therefore crucial to correctly determine the thermal stability.

Stability analysis of automobile driver steering control

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Allen, R. W.

1981-01-01

In steering an automobile, the driver must basically control the direction of the car's trajectory (heading angle) and the lateral deviation of the car relative to a delineated pathway. A previously published linear control model of driver steering behavior which is analyzed from a stability point of view is considered. A simple approximate expression for a stability parameter, phase margin, is derived in terms of various driver and vehicle control parameters, and boundaries for stability are discussed. A field test study is reviewed that includes the measurement of driver steering control parameters. Phase margins derived for a range of vehicle characteristics are found to be generally consistent with known adaptive properties of the human operator. The implications of these results are discussed in terms of driver adaptive behavior.

On Thermal Instability of Kuvshiniski Fluid with Suspended Particles Saturated in a Porous Medium in the Presence of a Magnetic Field June 13, 2017

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Singh, M.

2017-12-01

The thermal instability of a Kuvshiniski viscoelastic fluid is considered to include the effects of a uniform horizontal magnetic field, suspended particles saturated in a porous medium. The analysis is carried out within the framework of the linear stability theory and normal mode technique. For the case of stationary convection, the Kuvshiniski viscoelastic fluid behaves like a Newtonian fluid and the magnetic field has a stabilizing effect, whereas medium permeability and suspended particles are found to have a destabilizing effect on the system, oscillatory modes are introduced in the system, in the absence of these the principle of exchange of stabilities is valid. Graphs in each case have been plotted by giving numerical values to the parameters, depicting the stability characteristics. Sufficient conditions for the avoidance of overstability are also obtained.

An atomic magnetometer with autonomous frequency stabilization and large dynamic range

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

Pradhan, S., E-mail: spradhan@barc.gov.in, E-mail: pradhans75@gmail.com; Poornima,; Dasgupta, K.

2015-06-15

The operation of a highly sensitive atomic magnetometer using elliptically polarized resonant light is demonstrated. It is based on measurement of zero magnetic field resonance in degenerate two level systems using polarimetric detection. The transmitted light through the polarimeter is used for laser frequency stabilization, whereas reflected light is used for magnetic field measurement. Thus, the experimental geometry allows autonomous frequency stabilization of the laser frequency leading to compact operation of the overall device and has a preliminary sensitivity of <10 pT/Hz{sup 1/2} @ 1 Hz. Additionally, the dynamic range of the device is improved by feedback controlling the biasmore » magnetic field without compromising on its sensitivity.« less

Stability of a Plasma Column. Free-Particle Model; STABILITE D'UNE COLONNE DE PLASMA. MODELE DES PARTICULES LIBRES

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

Troyon, F.

1963-12-01

The stability of a field-free homogeneous column of plasma confined to an axial static field and the sum of an alternating and static B/sub tt/ field is considered in the freeparticle model. Conditions for the existence of a positive average restoring force are derived, and it is shown that for small deformations the column is stable for sufficientiy high frequency. (auth)

The essential spectrum of Schrödinger operators with asymptotically constant magnetic fields on the Poincaré upper-half plane

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Inahama, Yuzuru; Shirai, Shin-ichi

2003-01-01

We study the essential spectrum of the magnetic Schrödinger operators on the Poincaré upper-half plane and establish a hyperbolic analog of Iwatsuka's result [J. Math. Kyoto Univ. 23(3), 475-480 (1983)] on the stability of the essential spectrum under perturbations from constant magnetic fields.

Aggregate stability, root length and root thickness influenced by a mycorrhizal inoculum? - Results from a three-year eco-engineering field experiment on an alpine slope.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bast, Alexander; Wilcke, Wolfgang; Lüscher, Peter; Graf, Frank; Gärtner, Holger

2014-05-01

In mountain environments many slopes are covered by coarse grained, glacial-, periglacial- or/and denudation-derived substrate. These slopes show a high geomorphic activity and are susceptible for erosional processes, shallow landslides or debris flows, which can result in a high socio-economic hazard potential. This is especially true for steep slopes, lacking a protecting vegetation cover. Regarding hazard prevention, eco-engineering gained in importance because related techniques provide a sustainable measure to protect erosion-prone hillslopes. The idea of using plants for sustainable erosion control and protection against shallow landslides, demands some essential requirements, as e.g., a stable seedbed providing appropriate water and nutrient supply. However, degraded alpine slopes are often unstable and the coarse-grained material shows a low retention capacity of water and nutrients. Extreme conditions like this hamper a fast and sustainable development of a protecting vegetation cover even if pioneer plants are used to stabilize the slopes. Thus, the question arises what needs to be done to give planted saplings within eco-engineering projects maximum support developing their above- and belowground structures to promote slope stabilization. Laboratory experiments using potted plants have shown a positive impact of mycorrhizal fungi inoculation plant development and soil structure, i.e. the formation of (stable) aggregates within several months. Soil aggregate stability is an integrating parameter, reflecting several aspects of the plant-soil system and for this also an indicator of soil development and soil stability. Because of this and based on the promising laboratory results, we intended to apply this approach in a field-experiment We established (i) mycorrhizal and (ii) non-mycorrhizal treated eco-engineered research plots on a field experimental scale, covering a total area of approx. 1000 m2 on an ENE exposed slope (coarse morainic and denudation-derived substrate; inclination ~40 - 45 °; elevation 1220 - 1360 m a.s.l.) located in the Eastern Swiss Alps, where many environmental parameters can be seen as homogeneous. Soil aggregate stability, the formation of water stable aggregates and the fine-root development was quantified at the end of three consecutively vegetation periods. Our results show, that an impact of the mycorrhizal inoculum on aggregate stability was not traceable after one vegetation period, which contradicts our expectations and former laboratory experiments. At the mycorrhizal inoculated site, fine roots showed indeed a lower root length density compared to the non-mycorrhizal treated site, but the proportion of roots with thicker diameters tended to be higher. At the end of the third vegetation period this pattern changed. Aggregate stability is then highest at the inoculated site and root length density increased showing the highest values as well. The tendency to thicker root diameters at the mycorrhizal treated site can be confirmed. Our findings show that studies on a field experimental scale are inevitable. Laboratory experiments and field studies complement each other, and lead to a better understanding, having regard to a successful application of sustainable eco-engineering measures on erosion-prone slopes in alpine environments.

Optically stimulated luminescence dating of aeolian sand in the otindag dune field and holocene climate change

USGS Publications Warehouse

Zhou, Y.L.; Lu, H.Y.; Mason, J.; Miao, X.D.; Swinehart, J.; Goble, R.

2008-01-01

The dune system in Otindag sand field of northern China is sensitive to climate change, where effective moisture and related vegetation cover play a controlling role for dune activity and stability. Therefore, aeolian deposits may be an archive of past environmental changes, possibly at the millennial scale, but previous studies on this topic have rarely been reported. In this study, thirty-five optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) ages of ten representative sand-paleosol profiles in Otindag sand field are obtained, and these ages provide a relatively complete and well-dated chronology for wet and dry variations in Holocene. The results indicate that widespread dune mobilization occurred from 9.9 to 8.2 ka, suggesting a dry early Holocene climate. The dunes were mainly stabilized between 8.0 and 2.7 ka, implying a relatively wet climate, although there were short-term penetrations of dune activity during this wet period. After ???2.3 ka, the region became dry again, as inferred from widespread dune activity. The "8.2 ka" cold event and the Little Ice Age climatic deterioration are detected on the basis of the dune records and OSL ages. During the Medieval Warm Period and the Sui-Tang Warm Period (570-770 AD), climate in Otindag sand field was relatively humid and the vegetation was denser, and the sand dunes were stabilized again. These aeolian records may indicate climate changes at millennial time scale during Holocene, and these climatic changes may be the teleconnection to the climate changes elsewhere in the world. ?? Science in China Press and Springer-Verlag GmbH 2008.

Operating characteristics of HTS power supply for and improving temporal stability of coated conductor magnet in liquid helium

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Park, D. K.; Kim, Y. J.; Yang, S. E.; Kwon, N. Y.; Lee, H. G.; Ko, T. K.

2009-10-01

High temperature superconducting (HTS) magnets have been studied for insert coils of high field nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) magnets but the temporal stability required for NMR is hard to achieve due to low index value and high joint resistance. In this research, the HTS power supply with magnets using coated conductor (CC) was investigated and tested in helium cryogenic system. All joints were conducted by soldering after etching stabilizer of the CC to minimize joint resistance. The pumping rate was determined by current amplitude and timing sequential control of heaters and the electromagnet. Operating characteristics were analyzed to enhance charging efficiency and the feasibility of temporally stable CC magnet during persistent mode was studied.

Field-Line Localized Destabilization of Ballooning Modes in Three-Dimensional Tokamaks

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

Willensdorfer, M.; Cote, T. B.; Hegna, C. C.

2017-08-25

Field-line localized ballooning modes have been observed at the edge of high confinement mode plasmas in ASDEX Upgrade with rotating 3D perturbations induced by an externally applied n ¼ 2 error field and during a moderate level of edge localized mode mitigation. The observed ballooning modes are localized to the field lines which experience one of the two zero crossings of the radial flux surface displacement during one rotation period. The localization of the ballooning modes agrees very well with the localization of the largest growth rates from infinite-n ideal ballooning stability calculations using a realistic 3D ideal magnetohydrodynamic equilibrium.more » This analysis predicts a lower stability with respect to the axisymmetric case. The primary mechanism for the local lower stability is the 3D distortion of the local magnetic shear.« less

Study of working principle and thermal balance process of a double longitudinal-mode He-Ne laser

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Li-qiang

2009-07-01

A double longitudinal mode He-Ne laser with frequency stabilization is proposed. Compared with general methods, such as Lamb dip, Zeeman splitting and molecule saturation absorption method, this design has some advantages, such as no piezocrystal or magnetic field, a short frequency-stabilized time, lower cost, and higher frequency stability and reproducibility. The metal wire is uniformly wrapped on the discharge tube of the laser. When the metal wire is heated up, the resonant cavity changes with the temperature field around the discharge tube to make the frequency of the laser to be tuned. The polarizations of the two longitudinal modes from the laser must be orthogonal. The parallelly polarized light and the vertically polarized light compete with each other, i. e., the parallelly polarized light generates a larger output power, while, the vertically polarized light correspondingly generates a smaller one, but an equal value is found at the reference frequencies by automatically adjusting the length of the resonant cavity, due to change of the temperature in the discharge tube. Consequently the frequencies of the laser are stabilized. In my experiment, an intracavity He-Ne laser whose length of the resonant cavity is larger than 50mm and smaller than 300mm is selected for the double longitudinal-mode laser. Influence factors of frequency stability of this laser is only change of the length of the resonant cavity. The laser includes three stages: mode hopping, transition stage, and modes stability from startup to laser stability. When this laser is in modes stability, the waveform of heating metal wire is observed to a pulse whose duty is almost 50%, and thermal balances of the resonant cavity mainly rely on discharge tube.

A simple laser locking system based on a field-programmable gate array.

PubMed

Jørgensen, N B; Birkmose, D; Trelborg, K; Wacker, L; Winter, N; Hilliard, A J; Bason, M G; Arlt, J J

2016-07-01

Frequency stabilization of laser light is crucial in both scientific and industrial applications. Technological developments now allow analog laser stabilization systems to be replaced with digital electronics such as field-programmable gate arrays, which have recently been utilized to develop such locking systems. We have developed a frequency stabilization system based on a field-programmable gate array, with emphasis on hardware simplicity, which offers a user-friendly alternative to commercial and previous home-built solutions. Frequency modulation, lock-in detection, and a proportional-integral-derivative controller are programmed on the field-programmable gate array and only minimal additional components are required to frequency stabilize a laser. The locking system is administered from a host-computer which provides comprehensive, long-distance control through a versatile interface. Various measurements were performed to characterize the system. The linewidth of the locked laser was measured to be 0.7 ± 0.1 MHz with a settling time of 10 ms. The system can thus fully match laser systems currently in use for atom trapping and cooling applications.

A simple laser locking system based on a field-programmable gate array

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

Jørgensen, N. B.; Birkmose, D.; Trelborg, K.

Frequency stabilization of laser light is crucial in both scientific and industrial applications. Technological developments now allow analog laser stabilization systems to be replaced with digital electronics such as field-programmable gate arrays, which have recently been utilized to develop such locking systems. We have developed a frequency stabilization system based on a field-programmable gate array, with emphasis on hardware simplicity, which offers a user-friendly alternative to commercial and previous home-built solutions. Frequency modulation, lock-in detection, and a proportional-integral-derivative controller are programmed on the field-programmable gate array and only minimal additional components are required to frequency stabilize a laser. The lockingmore » system is administered from a host-computer which provides comprehensive, long-distance control through a versatile interface. Various measurements were performed to characterize the system. The linewidth of the locked laser was measured to be 0.7 ± 0.1 MHz with a settling time of 10 ms. The system can thus fully match laser systems currently in use for atom trapping and cooling applications.« less

Magnetism and high magnetic-field-induced stability of alloy carbides in Fe-based materials.

PubMed

Hou, T P; Wu, K M; Liu, W M; Peet, M J; Hulme-Smith, C N; Guo, L; Zhuang, L

2018-02-14

Understanding the nature of the magnetic-field-induced precipitation behaviors represents a major step forward towards unravelling the real nature of interesting phenomena in Fe-based alloys and especially towards solving the key materials problem for the development of fusion energy. Experimental results indicate that the applied high magnetic field effectively promotes the precipitation of M 23 C 6 carbides. We build an integrated method, which breaks through the limitations of zero temperature and zero external field, to concentrate on the dependence of the stability induced by the magnetic effect, excluding the thermal effect. We investigate the intimate relationship between the external field and the origins of various magnetics structural characteristics, which are derived from the interactions among the various Wyckoff sites of iron atoms, antiparallel spin of chromium and Fe-C bond distances. The high-magnetic-field-induced exchange coupling increases with the strength of the external field, which then causes an increase in the parallel magnetic moment. The stability of the alloy carbide M 23 C 6 is more dependent on external field effects than thermal effects, whereas that of M 2 C, M 3 C and M 7 C 3 is mainly determined by thermal effects.

Magnetic field dependent stability and quench behavior and degradation limits in conduction-cooled MgB2 wires and coils

PubMed Central

Ye, Liyang; Cruciani, Davide; Xu, Minfeng; Mine, Susumu; Amm, Kathleen; Schwartz, Justin

2015-01-01

Long lengths of metal/MgB2 composite conductors with high critical current density (Jc), fabricated by the power-in-tube (PIT) process, have recently become commercially available. Owing to its electromagnetic performance in the 20 K – 30 K range and relatively low cost, MgB2 may be attractive for a variety of applications. One of the key issues for magnet design is stability and quench protection, so the behavior of MgB2 wires and magnets must be understood before large systems can emerge. In this work, the stability and quench behavior of several conduction-cooled MgB2 wires are studied. Measurements of the minimum quench energy and normal zone propagation velocity are performed on short samples in a background magnetic field up to 3 T and on coils in self-field and the results are explained in terms of variations in the conductor architecture, electrical transport behavior, operating conditions (transport current and background magnetic field) and experimental setup (short sample vs small coil). Furthermore, one coil is quenched repeatedly with increasing hot-spot temperature until Jc is decreased. It is found that degradation during quenching correlates directly with temperature and not with peak voltage; a safe operating temperature limit of 260 K at the surface is identified. PMID:25883414

Characterization of flame stabilization technologies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bush, Scott Matthew

To experimentally explore and characterize a V-gutter stabilized flame, this research study developed a Combustion Wind Tunnel Test Facility capable of effectively simulating the freestream Mach #'s and temperatures achieved within the back end of a gas turbine jet engine. After validating this facility, it was then used to gain a better understanding of the flow dynamics and combustion dynamics associated with the V-gutter configuration. The motivation for studying the V-gutter stabilized flame is due to the concern in industry today with combustion instabilities that are encountered in military aircraft. To gain a better understanding of the complex flow field associated with the V-gutter stabilized flame, this research study utilized Particle Image Velocimetry to capture both non-reacting and reacting instantaneous and mean flow structures formed in the wake region of the three dimensional V-gutter bluff body. The results of this study showed significant differences between the non-reacting and reacting flow fields. The non-reacting case resulted in asymmetric shedding of large scale vortices from the V-gutter edges while the reacting case resulted in a combination of both symmetric and asymmetric shedding of smaller scale vortical structures. A comparison of the mean velocity components shows that the reacting case results in a larger region of reversed flow, experiences an acceleration of the freestream flow due to combustion, and results in a slower dissipation of the wake region. Simultaneous dynamic pressure and CH* chemiluminescence measurements were also recorded to determine the coupling between the flow dynamics and combustion dynamics. The results of this study showed that only low frequency combustion instabilities were encountered at various conditions within the envelope of stable operation because of the interaction between longitudinal acoustic waves and unsteady heat release. When approaching rich blow out, rms pressure amplitudes were as high as 2 psi, and approaching lean blow out lead to rms pressure amplitudes around 0.2 psi. These studies also showed the instability frequency increasing with increases in either inlet temperature or inlet Mach #. Additionally, increasing the inlet velocity or the DeZubay parameter reduced the stability limits of operation for the V-gutter stabilized flame.

Long-Term benefits of stabilizing soil subgrades.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2002-06-01

The main intent of this study was an attempt to address questions concerning bearing strengths, longevity, durability, structural credit, economics, and performance of pavements resting on soil subgrades mixed with chemical admixtures. In-depth field...

Roadside vegetation field condition study : [summary].

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2011-01-01

Roadside perennial grasses stabilize soils, reduce : erosion, and assist to maintain the integrity of : roadway right-of-ways and roadbeds. One way to : maintain healthy roadside grasses is to control : weed growth. Technicians with FDOTs maintena...

Short- and longtime stability of therapeutic ultrasound reference sources for dosimetry and exposimetry purposes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Haller, J.; Wilkens, V.

2017-03-01

The objective of this work was to create highly stable therapeutic ultrasound fields with well-known exposimetry and dosimetry parameters that are reproducible and hence predictable with well-known uncertainties. Such well- known and reproducible fields would allow validation and secondary calibrations of different measuring capabilities, which is already a widely accepted strategy for diagnostic fields. For this purpose, a reference setup was established that comprises two therapeutic ultrasound sources (one High-Intensity Therapeutic Ultrasound (HITU) source and one physiotherapy-like source), standard rf electronics for signal creation, and computer-controlled feedback to stabilize the input voltage. The short- and longtime stability of the acoustic output were evaluated - for the former, measurements over typical laboratory measurement time periods (i.e. some seconds or minutes) of the input voltage stability with and without feedback control were performed. For the latter, measurements of typical acoustical exposimetry parameters were performed bimonthly over one year. The measurement results show that the short- and the longtime stability of the reference setup are very good and that it is especially significantly improved in comparison to a setup without any feedback control.

GRMHD/RMHD Simulations and Stability of Magnetized Spine-Sheath Relativistic Jets

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hardee, Philip; Mizuno, Yosuke; Nishikawa, Ken-Ichi

2007-01-01

A new general relativistic magnetohydrodynamics (GRMHD ) code "RAISHIN" used to simulate jet generation by rotating and non-rotating black holes with a geometrically thin Keplarian accretion disk finds that the jet develops a spine-sheath structure in the rotating black hole case. Spine-sheath structure and strong magnetic fields significantly modify the Kelvin-Helmholtz (KH) velocity shear driven instability. The RAISHIN code has been used in its relativistic magnetohydrodynamic (RMHD) configuration to study the effects of strong magnetic fields and weakly relativistic sheath motion, cl2, on the KH instability associated with a relativistic, Y = 2.5, jet spine-sheath interaction. In the simulations sound speeds up to ? c/3 and Alfven wave speeds up to ? 0.56 c are considered. Numerical simulation results are compared to theoretical predictions from a new normal mode analysis of the RMHD equations. Increased stability of a weakly magnetized system resulting from c/2 sheath speeds and stabilization of a strongly magnetized system resulting from d 2 sheath speeds is found.

Long-term stability of Cu surface nanotips

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jansson, V.; Baibuz, E.; Djurabekova, F.

2016-07-01

Sharp nanoscale tips on the metal surfaces of electrodes enhance locally applied electric fields. Strongly enhanced electric fields trigger electron field emission and atom evaporation from the apexes of nanotips. Together, these processes may explain electric discharges in the form of small local arcs observed near metal surfaces in the presence of electric fields, even in ultra-high vacuum conditions. In the present work, we investigate the stability of nanoscale tips by means of computer simulations of surface diffusion processes on copper, the main material used in high-voltage electronics. We study the stability and lifetime of thin copper (Cu) surface nanotips at different temperatures in terms of diffusion processes. For this purpose we have developed a surface kinetic Monte Carlo (KMC) model where the jump processes are described by tabulated precalculated energy barriers. We show that tall surface features with high aspect ratios can be fairly stable at room temperature. However, the stability was found to depend strongly on the temperature: 13 nm nanotips with the major axes in the < 110> crystallographic directions were found to flatten down to half of the original height in less than 100 ns at temperatures close to the melting point, whereas no significant change in the height of these nanotips was observed after 10 {{μ }}{{s}} at room temperature. Moreover, the nanotips built up along the < 110> crystallographic directions were found to be significantly more stable than those oriented in the < 100> or < 111> crystallographic directions. The proposed KMC model has been found to be well-suited for simulating atomic surface processes and was validated against molecular dynamics simulation results via the comparison of the flattening times obtained by both methods. We also note that the KMC simulations were two orders of magnitude computationally faster than the corresponding molecular dynamics calculations.

Increased yield stability of field-grown winter barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) varietal mixtures through ecological processes

PubMed Central

Creissen, Henry E.; Jorgensen, Tove H.; Brown, James K.M.

2016-01-01

Crop variety mixtures have the potential to increase yield stability in highly variable and unpredictable environments, yet knowledge of the specific mechanisms underlying enhanced yield stability has been limited. Ecological processes in genetically diverse crops were investigated by conducting field trials with winter barley varieties (Hordeum vulgare), grown as monocultures or as three-way mixtures in fungicide treated and untreated plots at three sites. Mixtures achieved yields comparable to the best performing monocultures whilst enhancing yield stability despite being subject to multiple predicted and unpredicted abiotic and biotic stresses including brown rust (Puccinia hordei) and lodging. There was compensation through competitive release because the most competitive variety overyielded in mixtures thereby compensating for less competitive varieties. Facilitation was also identified as an important ecological process within mixtures by reducing lodging. This study indicates that crop varietal mixtures have the capacity to stabilise productivity even when environmental conditions and stresses are not predicted in advance. Varietal mixtures provide a means of increasing crop genetic diversity without the need for extensive breeding efforts. They may confer enhanced resilience to environmental stresses and thus be a desirable component of future cropping systems for sustainable arable farming. PMID:27375312

Ideal-Magnetohydrodynamic-Stable Tilting in Field-Reversed Configurations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kanno, Ryutaro; Ishida, Akio; Steinhauer, Loren

1995-02-01

The tilting mode in field-reversed configurations (FRC) is examined using ideal-magnetohydrodynamic stability theory. Tilting, a global mode, is the greatest threat for disruption of FRC confinement. Previous studies uniformly found tilting to be unstable in ideal theory: the objective here is to ascertain if stable equilibria were overlooked in past work. Solving the variational problem with the Rayleigh-Ritz technique, tilting-stable equilibria are found for sufficiently hollow current profile and sufficient racetrackness of the separatrix shape. Although these equilibria were not examined previously, the present conclusion is quite surprising. Consequently checks of the method are offered. Even so it cannot yet be claimed with complete certainty that stability has been proved: absolute confirmation of ideal-stable tilting awaits the application of more complete methods.

Development of ultrastable filters and lasers for solar seismology

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rust, D. M.; Kunski, R.; Cohn, R. F.

1986-01-01

The Stable Solar Analyzer is a recently developed instrument for the measurement of solar magnetic fields and surface velocities that is being employed at the U.S. National Solar Observatory to study the subsurface convection cells of the sun and the structure of surface and subsurface magnetic fields. The Analyzer is expected to ultimately be flown aboard such spacecraft as the ESA/NASA Solar and Heliospheric Observatory. This instrument is based on a crystalline lithium niobate Fabry-Perot filter that is used in conjunction with a stabilized laser that furnishes an absolute wavelength reference; this laser Fabry-Perot combination has achieved wavelength stabilities of the order of 2 parts in 10 to the 10th, over a six-hour interval.

Magnetic field simulation and shimming analysis of 3.0T superconducting MRI system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yue, Z. K.; Liu, Z. Z.; Tang, G. S.; Zhang, X. C.; Duan, L. J.; Liu, W. C.

2018-04-01

3.0T superconducting magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system has become the mainstream of modern clinical MRI system because of its high field intensity and high degree of uniformity and stability. It has broad prospects in scientific research and other fields. We analyze the principle of magnet designing in this paper. We also perform the magnetic field simulation and shimming analysis of the first 3.0T/850 superconducting MRI system in the world using the Ansoft Maxwell simulation software. We guide the production and optimization of the prototype based on the results of simulation analysis. Thus the magnetic field strength, magnetic field uniformity and magnetic field stability of the prototype is guided to achieve the expected target.

Stability analysis in tachyonic potential chameleon cosmology

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

Farajollahi, H.; Salehi, A.; Tayebi, F.

2011-05-01

We study general properties of attractors for tachyonic potential chameleon scalar-field model which possess cosmological scaling solutions. An analytic formulation is given to obtain fixed points with a discussion on their stability. The model predicts a dynamical equation of state parameter with phantom crossing behavior for an accelerating universe. We constrain the parameters of the model by best fitting with the recent data-sets from supernovae and simulated data points for redshift drift experiment generated by Monte Carlo simulations.

Stability of the electroosmotic flow of a two-layer electrolyte-dielectric system with external pressure gradient⋆.

PubMed

Gorbacheva, E V; Ganchenko, G S; Demekhin, E A

2018-03-27

The stability of the electroosmotic flow of electrolyte-dielectric viscous liquids under the influence of the DC and AC electric fields along with the external pressure gradient is studied theoretically. Liquids are bounded by two infinite parallel plates. The lower wall bordering the electrolyte is assumed to be a charged surface, and the upper wall is electrically isolated. The charge at the lower boundary is assumed to be immobile, while the surface charge at the free surface is assumed to be mobile. In this paper, we study the micro- and nanosized liquid layers. The mathematical model is described by a nonlinear system of the Nernst-Planck-Poisson-Stokes partial differential equations with the appropriate boundary conditions on the solid surface, the electrolyte/dielectric interface, and on the upper wall. The pressure gradient is highly important for the stability of the flow. For the DC case, the external pressure could either stabilize and destabilize the flow depending on the relative directions of the electroosmotic flow and the pressure-driven flow. For the AC case, the dependence on the value of the external pressure is not monotonous for different wave numbers of perturbations, but, as a rule, the external pressure destabilizes the flow. As the frequency of the electric field increases, the one-dimensional solution of the problem becomes stable.

Does mycorrhizal inoculation benefit plant survival, plant development and small-scale soil fixation? Results from a perennial eco-engineering field experiment in the Swiss Alps.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bast, Alexander; Grimm, Maria; Graf, Frank; Baumhauer, Roland; Gärtner, Holger

2015-04-01

In mountain environments superficial slope failures on coarse grained, vegetation-free slopes are common processes and entail a certain risk for humans and socio-economic structures. Eco-engineering measures can be applied to mitigate slope instabilities. In this regard, limited plant survival and growth can be supported by mycorrhizal inoculation, which was successfully tested in laboratory studies. However, related studies on a field scale are lacking. Furthermore, mycorrhizae are known to enhance soil aggregation, which is linked to soil physics such as shear strength, and hence it is a useful indicator for near-surface soil/slope stability. The overall objective of our contribution was to test whether mycorrhizal inoculation can be used to promote eco-engineering measures in steep alpine environments based on a five-year field experiment. We hypothesized that mycorrhizal inoculation (i) enhances soil aggregation, (ii) stimulate plant survival and fine root development, (iii) effects plant performance, (iv) the stimulated root development in turn influences aggregate stability, and (v) that climatic variations play a major role in fine-root development. We established mycorrhizal and non-mycorrhizal treated eco-engineered research plots (hedge layers mainly consisting of Alnus spp. and Salix spp.) on a field experimental scale. The experimental site is in the eastern Swiss Alps at an erosion-prone slope where many environmental conditions can be seen as homogeneous. Soil aggregation, fine root development and plant survival was quantified at the end of four growing seasons (2010, '11, '12, '14). Additionally, growth properties of Alnus spp. and Salix spp. were measured and their biomass estimated. Meteorological conditions, soil temperature and soil water content were recorded. (i) The introduced eco-engineering measures enhanced aggregate stability significantly. In contrast to published greenhouse and laboratory studies, mycorrhizal inoculation delayed soil aggregate stabilization relative to the non-inoculated site but resulted in a significantly higher aggregate stability compared to the control and the non-inoculated site at the end of the third growing season. (ii) Plant survival was significantly improved by the inoculation. Fine-root development was stimulated but not immediately. At the end of the third growing season, root length density tended to be higher and mean root diameter was significantly increased at the mycorrhizal treated site. (iii) Analyses on plant performance of Alnus and Salix demonstrated that the inoculated saplings achieved significantly higher survival rates. There was no treatment effect on plant growth properties except in 2010, where plant height and main stem diameter of Alnus was increased at the mycorrhizal treated site. The estimated total biomass of Alnus and Salix was higher at the mycorrhizal treated site. (iv) There was a positive correlation between root length density and aggregate stability, whereas roots < 0.5 mm were most influential on aggregate stability. (v) Interannual climatic variations seem to have a crucial influence on root development and, hence, on slope stability. There is a temporal offset of two growing seasons between inoculation effects tested in greenhouse/laboratory and the presented field experiment. However, the application of a commercial mycorrhizal inoculum in eco-engineering measures is a beneficial promoter to mitigate slope instability and surface erosion but needs to be tested at other sites. The contribution is mainly based on Bast (2014) and was funded by the Wolfermann Nägeli Stiftung Zürich and the Swiss Federal Office for Environment (BAFU No.: 09.0027.PJ/I211-3446). Bast, A. (2014): Mycorrhizal inoculation as a promoter for sustainable eco-engineering measures in steep alpine environments? Results of a three-year field experiment in the Arieschbach catchment, Fideris, eastern Swiss Alps. PhD Thesis. University of Berne: 149pp.

Stable spin domains in a nondegenerate ultracold gas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Graham, S. D.; Niroomand, D.; Ragan, R. J.; McGuirk, J. M.

2018-05-01

We study the stability of two-domain spin structures in an ultracold gas of magnetically trapped 87Rb atoms above quantum degeneracy. Adding a small effective magnetic field gradient stabilizes the domains via coherent collective spin rotation effects, despite negligibly perturbing the potential energy relative to the thermal energy. We demonstrate that domain stabilization is accomplished through decoupling the dynamics of longitudinal magnetization, which remains in time-independent domains, from transverse magnetization, which undergoes a purely transverse spin wave trapped within the domain wall. We explore the effect of temperature and density on the steady-state domains, and compare our results to a hydrodynamic solution to a quantum Boltzmann equation.

The inviscid stability of supersonic flow past axisymmetric bodies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Duck, Peter W.

1990-01-01

The supersonic flow past a sharp cone is studied. The associated boundary layer flow (i.e., the velocity and temperature field) is computed. The inviscid linear temporal stability of axisymmetric boundary layers in general is considered, and in particular, a so-called 'triply generalized' inflection condition for 'subsonic' nonaxisymmetric neutral modes is presented. Preliminary numerical results for the stability of the cone boundary layer are presented for a freestream Mach number of 3.8. In particular, a new inviscid mode of instability is seen to occur in certain regimes, and this is shown to be related to a viscous mode found by Duck and Hall (1988).

The influence of cosmic rays on the stability and large-scale dynamics of the interstellar medium

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kuznetsov, V. D.

1986-06-01

The diffusion-convection formulation is used to study the influence of galactic cosmic rays on the stability and dynamics of the interstellar medium which is supposedly kept in equilibrium by the gravitational field of stars. It is shown that the influence of cosmic rays on the growth rate of MHD instability depends largely on a dimensionless parameter expressing the ratio of the characteristic acoustic time scale to the cosmic-ray diffusion time. If this parameter is small, the cosmic rays will decelerate the build-up of instabilities, thereby stabilizing the system; in contrast, if the parameter is large, the system will be destabilized.

Select geotechnical properties of a lime stabilized expansive soil amended with bagasse ash and coconut shell powder

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

James, Jijo; Pandian, P. Kasinatha

2018-03-01

Lime stabilization has been and still is one of the most preferred methods for stabilization of expansive soils. However, in the recent times, utilization of solid waste materials in soil stabilization has gained prominence as an effective means to manage wastes generated from various sources. In this work, an attempt has been made to utilize waste materials from two sources as auxiliary additives to lime in the stabilization of an expansive soil. Bagasse ash (BA), a waste by-product from the sugar industry and Coconut shell powder (CSP), a processed waste obtained from left over coconut shells of oil extraction industry were used as auxiliary additives. An expansive soil obtained from a local field was subjected to chemical, mineral, microstructural and geotechnical characterization in the laboratory and stabilized using 3% lime. The waste materials were subjected to chemical, mineral and microstructural characterization. The stabilization process was amended with four different contents viz. 0.25%, 0.5%, 1% and 2% of BA and CSP separately and the effect of the amendment was studied on the unconfined compressive strength (UCS), plasticity, swell-shrink and microstructural characteristics of the expansive soil. The results of the study indicated that BA amendment of lime stabilization performed better than CSP in improving the UCS, plasticity, swell-shrink and microstructure of the lime stabilized expansive soil.

Electron Emission Observations from As-Grown and Vacuum-Coated Chemical Vapor Deposited Diamond

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lamouri, A.; Wang, Yaxin; Mearini, G. T.; Krainsky, I. L.; Dayton, J. A., Jr.; Mueller,W.

1996-01-01

Field emission has been observed from chemical vapor deposited diamond grown on Mo and Si substrates. Emission was observed at fields as low as 20 kV/cm. The samples were tested in the as-grown form, and after coating with thin films of Au, CsI, and Ni. The emission current was typically maximum at the onset of the applied field, but was unstable, and decreased rapidly with time from the as-grown films. Thin Au layers, approximately 15 nm thick, vacuum deposited onto the diamond samples significantly improved the stability of the emission current at values approximately equal to those from uncoated samples at the onset of the applied field. Thin layers of CsI, approximately 5 nm thick, were also observed to improve the stability of the emission current but at values less than those from the uncoated samples at the onset of the applied field. While Au and CsI improved the stability of the emission, Ni was observed to have no effect.

Stabilized Acoustic Levitation of Dense Materials Using a High-Powered Siren

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gammell, P. M.; Croonquist, A.; Wang, T. G.

1982-01-01

Stabilized acoustic levitation and manipulation of dense (e.g., steel) objects of 1 cm diameter, using a high powered siren, was demonstrated in trials that investigated the harmonic content and spatial distribution of the acoustic field, as well as the effect of sample position and reflector geometries on the acoustic field. Although further optimization is possible, the most stable operation achieved is expected to be adequate for most containerless processing applications. Best stability was obtained with an open reflector system, using a flat lower reflector and a slightly concave upper one. Operation slightly below resonance enhances stability as this minimizes the second harmonic, which is suspected of being a particularly destabilizing influence.

Projection-based stabilization of interface Lagrange multipliers in immersogeometric fluid-thin structure interaction analysis, with application to heart valve modeling.

PubMed

Kamensky, David; Evans, John A; Hsu, Ming-Chen; Bazilevs, Yuri

2017-11-01

This paper discusses a method of stabilizing Lagrange multiplier fields used to couple thin immersed shell structures and surrounding fluids. The method retains essential conservation properties by stabilizing only the portion of the constraint orthogonal to a coarse multiplier space. This stabilization can easily be applied within iterative methods or semi-implicit time integrators that avoid directly solving a saddle point problem for the Lagrange multiplier field. Heart valve simulations demonstrate applicability of the proposed method to 3D unsteady simulations. An appendix sketches the relation between the proposed method and a high-order-accurate approach for simpler model problems.

Medium fidelity modelling of loads in wind farms under non-neutral ABL stability conditions - a full-scale validation study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Larsen, G. C.; Larsen, T. J.; Chougule, A.

2017-05-01

The aim of the present paper is to demonstrate the capability of medium fidelity modelling of wind turbine component fatigue loading, when the wind turbines are subjected to wake affected non-stationary flow fields under non-neutral atmospheric stability conditions. To accomplish this we combine the classical Dynamic Wake Meandering model with a fundamental conjecture stating: Atmospheric boundary layer stability affects primary wake meandering dynamics driven by large turbulent scales, whereas wake expansion in the meandering frame of reference is hardly affected. Inclusion of stability (i.e. buoyancy) in description of both large- and small scale atmospheric boundary layer turbulence is facilitated by a generalization of the classical Mann spectral tensor, which consistently includes buoyancy effects. With non-stationary wind turbine inflow fields modelled as described above, fatigue loads are obtained using the state-of-the art aeroelastic model HAWC2. The Lillgrund offshore wind farm (WF) constitute an interesting case study for wind farm model validation, because the WT interspacing is small, which in turn means that wake effects are significant. A huge data set, comprising 5 years of blade and tower load recordings, is available for model validation. For a multitude of wake situations this data set displays a considerable scatter, which to a large degree seems to be caused by atmospheric boundary layer stability effects. Notable is also that rotating wind turbine components predominantly experience high fatigue loading for stable stratification with significant shear, whereas high fatigue loading of non-rotating wind turbine components are associated with unstable atmospheric boundary layer stratification.

TH-AB-BRA-09: Stability Analysis of a Novel Dose Calculation Algorithm for MRI Guided Radiotherapy

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

Zelyak, O; Fallone, B; Cross Cancer Institute, Edmonton, AB

2016-06-15

Purpose: To determine the iterative deterministic solution stability of the Linear Boltzmann Transport Equation (LBTE) in the presence of magnetic fields. Methods: The LBTE with magnetic fields under investigation is derived using a discrete ordinates approach. The stability analysis is performed using analytical and numerical methods. Analytically, the spectral Fourier analysis is used to obtain the convergence rate of the source iteration procedures based on finding the largest eigenvalue of the iterative operator. This eigenvalue is a function of relevant physical parameters, such as magnetic field strength and material properties, and provides essential information about the domain of applicability requiredmore » for clinically optimal parameter selection and maximum speed of convergence. The analytical results are reinforced by numerical simulations performed using the same discrete ordinates method in angle, and a discontinuous finite element spatial approach. Results: The spectral radius for the source iteration technique of the time independent transport equation with isotropic and anisotropic scattering centers inside infinite 3D medium is equal to the ratio of differential and total cross sections. The result is confirmed numerically by solving LBTE and is in full agreement with previously published results. The addition of magnetic field reveals that the convergence becomes dependent on the strength of magnetic field, the energy group discretization, and the order of anisotropic expansion. Conclusion: The source iteration technique for solving the LBTE with magnetic fields with the discrete ordinates method leads to divergent solutions in the limiting cases of small energy discretizations and high magnetic field strengths. Future investigations into non-stationary Krylov subspace techniques as an iterative solver will be performed as this has been shown to produce greater stability than source iteration. Furthermore, a stability analysis of a discontinuous finite element space-angle approach (which has been shown to provide the greatest stability) will also be investigated. Dr. B Gino Fallone is a co-founder and CEO of MagnetTx Oncology Solutions (under discussions to license Alberta bi-planar linac MR for commercialization)« less

Stability and Instability of the Sub-extremal Reissner-Nordström Black Hole Interior for the Einstein-Maxwell-Klein-Gordon Equations in Spherical Symmetry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Van de Moortel, Maxime

2018-05-01

We show non-linear stability and instability results in spherical symmetry for the interior of a charged black hole—approaching a sub-extremal Reissner-Nordström background fast enough—in presence of a massive and charged scalar field, motivated by the strong cosmic censorship conjecture in that setting: 1. Stability We prove that spherically symmetric characteristic initial data to the Einstein-Maxwell-Klein-Gordon equations approaching a Reissner-Nordström background with a sufficiently decaying polynomial decay rate on the event horizon gives rise to a space-time possessing a Cauchy horizon in a neighbourhood of time-like infinity. Moreover, if the decay is even stronger, we prove that the space-time metric admits a continuous extension to the Cauchy horizon. This generalizes the celebrated stability result of Dafermos for Einstein-Maxwell-real-scalar-field in spherical symmetry. 2. Instability We prove that for the class of space-times considered in the stability part, whose scalar field in addition obeys a polynomial averaged- L 2 (consistent) lower bound on the event horizon, the scalar field obeys an integrated lower bound transversally to the Cauchy horizon. As a consequence we prove that the non-degenerate energy is infinite on any null surface crossing the Cauchy horizon and the curvature of a geodesic vector field blows up at the Cauchy horizon near time-like infinity. This generalizes an instability result due to Luk and Oh for Einstein-Maxwell-real-scalar-field in spherical symmetry. This instability of the black hole interior can also be viewed as a step towards the resolution of the C 2 strong cosmic censorship conjecture for one-ended asymptotically flat initial data.

Simulation and Experimental Studies of a 2.45GHz Magnetron Source for an SRF Cavity with Field Amplitude and Phase Controls

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

Wang, Haipeng; Plawski, Tomasz E.; Rimmer, Robert A.

2016-06-01

Phase lock to an SRF cavity by using injection signal through output waveguide of a magnetron has been demonstrated [1, 3]. Amplitude control using magnetic field trimming and anode voltage modulation has been studied using MATLAB/Simulink simulations [2]. Based on these, we are planning to use an FPGA based digital LLRF system, which allows applying various types of control algorithms in order to achieve the required accelerating field stability. Since the 1497 MHz magnetron is still in the design stage, the proof of principle measurements of a commercial 2450 MHz magnetron are carried out to characterize the anode I-V curve,more » output power (the tube electronic efficiency), frequency dependence on the anode current (frequency pushing) and the Rieke diagram (frequency pulling by the reactive load). Based on early Simulink simulation, experimental data and extension of the Adler equation governing injection phase stability by Chen’s model, the specification of the new LLRF control chassis for both 2450 and 1497MHz systems are presented in this paper.« less

Changes and Stability in Reasoning after a Field Trip to a Natural History Museum

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tenenbaum, Harriet R.; To, Cheryl; Wormald, Daniel; Pegram, Emma

2015-01-01

Darwinian evolution is difficult to understand because of conceptual barriers stemming from intuitive ideas. This study examined understanding of evolution in 52 students (M = 14.48 years, SD = 0.89) before and after a guided field trip to a natural history museum and in a comparison group of 18 students (M = 14.17 years, SD = 0.79) who did not…

Experimental research on electric propulsion. Note 5: Experimental study of a magnetic field stabilized arc-jet

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Robotti, A. C.; Oggero, M.

1984-01-01

The possibility of using an electric arc under the influence of a magnetic field in ambient air to transform the heat energy of the working fluid arc into the kinetic energy of the jet was investigated. A convergent-divergent type nozzle was used. Variation of specific thrust and chamber pressure are discussed. Nitrogen was the propellant used.

Basin stability measure of different steady states in coupled oscillators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rakshit, Sarbendu; Bera, Bidesh K.; Majhi, Soumen; Hens, Chittaranjan; Ghosh, Dibakar

2017-04-01

In this report, we investigate the stabilization of saddle fixed points in coupled oscillators where individual oscillators exhibit the saddle fixed points. The coupled oscillators may have two structurally different types of suppressed states, namely amplitude death and oscillation death. The stabilization of saddle equilibrium point refers to the amplitude death state where oscillations are ceased and all the oscillators converge to the single stable steady state via inverse pitchfork bifurcation. Due to multistability features of oscillation death states, linear stability theory fails to analyze the stability of such states analytically, so we quantify all the states by basin stability measurement which is an universal nonlocal nonlinear concept and it interplays with the volume of basins of attractions. We also observe multi-clustered oscillation death states in a random network and measure them using basin stability framework. To explore such phenomena we choose a network of coupled Duffing-Holmes and Lorenz oscillators which are interacting through mean-field coupling. We investigate how basin stability for different steady states depends on mean-field density and coupling strength. We also analytically derive stability conditions for different steady states and confirm by rigorous bifurcation analysis.

Stabilizing human regulatory T cells for tolerance inducing immunotherapy.

PubMed

He, Xuehui; Koenen, Hans Jpm; Slaats, Jeroen Hr; Joosten, Irma

2017-08-01

Many autoimmune diseases develop as a consequence of an altered balance between autoreactive immune cells and suppressive FOXP3 + Treg. Restoring this balance through amplification of Treg represents a promising strategy to treat disease. However, FOXP3 + Treg might become unstable especially under certain inflammatory conditions, and might transform into proinflammatory cytokine-producing cells. The issue of heterogeneity and instability of Treg has caused considerable debate in the field and has important implications for Treg-based immunotherapy. In this review, we discuss how Treg stability is defined and what the molecular mechanisms underlying the maintenance of FOXP3 expression and the regulation of Treg stability are. Also, we elaborate on current strategies used to stabilize human Treg for clinical purposes. This review focuses on human Treg, but considering that cell-intrinsic mechanisms to regulate Treg stability in mice and in humans might be similar, data derived from mice studies are also discussed in this paper.

Constructing a Laser Stabilization System for a Parity Non-Conservation Experiment with Francium

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dehart, A. C.; Gwinner, Gerald; Kossin, Michael; Behr, John; Gorelov, Alexandre; Kalita, Mukut; Pearson, Matthew; Aubin, Seth; Gomez Garcia, Eduardo; Orozco, Luis

2017-04-01

We are developing an experiment at TRIUMF to test the Standard model at low energies by measuring Parity Non-Conservation (PNC) effects in francium. Current efforts include preparations to study the 7s - 8s electric dipole (E1) forbidden transition in francium at 507 nm under the influence of an electric field. Fr has no stable isotope; therefore to frequency-stabilize our laser at 507 nm, we are developing a laser stabilization system by using the Pound-Drever-Hall technique with a Fabry-Perot cavity made of Ultra Low Expansion Glass (ULE) as our stable frequency reference. The system will stabilize a 1014 nm laser, which will be frequency doubled to 507 nm, before sending the light to our cold and trapped francium sample. We will report on our recent experiences with the laser stabilization system. Supported by NSERC, NRC/TRIUMF, DOE, NSF, CONACYT, Fulbright, and U. of Manitoba.

Stochastic stability

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kushner, H. J.

1972-01-01

The field of stochastic stability is surveyed, with emphasis on the invariance theorems and their potential application to systems with randomly varying coefficients. Some of the basic ideas are reviewed, which underlie the stochastic Liapunov function approach to stochastic stability. The invariance theorems are discussed in detail.

Effect of solenoidal magnetic field on drifting laser plasma

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Takahashi, Kazumasa; Okamura, Masahiro; Sekine, Megumi; Cushing, Eric; Jandovitz, Peter

2013-04-01

An ion source for accelerators requires to provide a stable waveform with a certain pulse length appropriate to the application. The pulse length of laser ion source is easy to control because it is expected to be proportional to plasma drifting distance. However, current density decay is proportional to the cube of the drifting distance, so large current loss will occur under unconfined drift. We investigated the stability and current decay of a Nd:YAG laser generated copper plasma confined by a solenoidal field using a Faraday cup to measure the current waveform. It was found that the plasma was unstable at certain magnetic field strengths, so a baffle was introduced to limit the plasma diameter at injection and improve the stability. Magnetic field, solenoid length, and plasma diameter were varied in order to find the conditions that minimize current decay and maximize stability.

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

Bahder, G.; Bopp, L.A.; Eager, G.S. Jr.

The reliability of extruded-dielectric transmission systems depends to a great extent on the quality of joints and terminals. Detailed procedures developed in this study for field-molding high-stress 230-kV cable joints can ensure the stability of critical interfaces over many years.

Impact of reduced tillage and organic inputs on aggregate stability and earthworm community in a Breton context in France

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Paillat, Louise; Menasseri, Safya; Busnot, Sylvain; Roucaute, Marc; Benard, Yannick; Morvan, Thierry; Pérès, Guénola

2017-04-01

Soil aggregate stability, which refers to the ability of soil aggregates to resist breakdown when disruptive forces are applied (water, wind), is a good indicator of the sensitivity of soil to crusting and erosion and is a relevant indicator for soil stability. Within soil parameters which affect soil stability, organic matter is one of the main important by functioning as bonding agent between mineral soil particles, but soil organisms such as microorganisms and earthworms are also recognized as efficient agents. However the relationship between earthworms, fungal hyphae and aggregation is still unclear. In order to assess the influence of these biological agents on aggregate dynamics, we have combined a field study and a laboratory experiment. On a long term experiment trial in Brittany, SOERE PRO-EFELE, we have studied the effect of reduced tillage (vs. conventional tillage) combined to organic inputs (vs. mineral inputs) on earthworm community and soil stability. Aggregate stability was measured at different perturbations intensities: fast wetting (FW), slow wetting (SW) and mechanical breakdown (MB). This study showed that after 4 years of experiments, reduced tillage and organic inputs enhanced aggregate stability. Earthworms modulated aggregation process: endogeics reduced FW stability (mechanical binding by hyphae) and anecics increased SW stability (aggregate interparticular cohesion and hydrophobicity). Some precisions were provided by the laboratory experiment, using microcosms, which compared casts of the endogeic Aporectodea c. caliginosa (NCCT) and the anecic Lumbricus terrestris (LT). The presumed hyphae fragmentation by endogeics could not be highlight in NCCT casts. Nevertheless, hyphae were more abundant and C content and aggregate stability were higher in LT casts corroborating the positive contribution of anecics to aggregate stability.

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.

MHD stability analysis and global mode identification preparing for high beta operation in KSTAR

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Park, Y. S.; Sabbagh, S. A.; Berkery, J. W.; Jiang, Y.; Ahn, J. H.; Han, H. S.; Bak, J. G.; Park, B. H.; Jeon, Y. M.; Kim, J.; Hahn, S. H.; Lee, J. H.; Ko, J. S.; in, Y. K.; Yoon, S. W.; Oh, Y. K.; Wang, Z.; Glasser, A. H.

2017-10-01

H-mode plasma operation in KSTAR has surpassed the computed n = 1 ideal no-wall stability limit in discharges exceeding several seconds in duration. The achieved high normalized beta plasmas are presently limited by resistive tearing instabilities rather than global kink/ballooning or RWMs. The ideal and resistive stability of these plasmas is examined by using different physics models. The observed m/ n = 2/1 tearing stability is computed by using the M3D-C1 code, and by the resistive DCON code. The global MHD stability modified by kinetic effects is examined using the MISK code. Results from the analysis explain the stabilization of the plasma above the ideal MHD no-wall limit. Equilibrium reconstructions used include the measured kinetic profiles and MSE data. In preparation for plasma operation at higher beta utilizing the planned second NBI system, three sets of 3D magnetic field sensors have been installed and will be used for RWM active feedback control. To accurately determine the dominant n-component produced by low frequency unstable RWMs, an algorithm has been developed that includes magnetic sensor compensation of the prompt applied field and the field from the induced current on the passive conductors. Supported by US DOE Contracts DE-FG02-99ER54524 and DE-SC0016614.

Optimization of Kink Stability in High-Beta Quasi-axisymmetric Stellarators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fu, G. Y.; Ku, L.-P.; Manickam, J.; Cooper, W. A.

1998-11-01

A key issue for design of Quasi-axisymmetric stellarators( A. Reiman et al, this conference.) (QAS) is the stability of external kink modes driven by pressure-induced bootstrap current. In this work, the 3D MHD stability code TERPSICHORE(W.A. Cooper, Phys. Plasmas 3), 275(1996). is used to calculate the stability of low-n external kink modes in a high-beta QAS. The kink stability is optimized by adjusting plasma boundary shape (i.e., external coil configuration) as well as plasma pressure and current profiles. For this purpose, the TERPSICHORE code has been implemented successfully in an optimizer which maximizes kink stability as well as quasi-symmetry. A key factor for kink stability is rotational transform profile. It is found that the edge magnetic shear is strongly stabilizing. The amount of the shear needed for complete stabilization increases with edge transform. It is also found that the plasma boundary shape plays an important role in the kink stability besides transform profile. The physics mechanisms for the kink stability are being studied by examining the contributions of individual terms in δ W of the energy principle: the field line bending term, the current-driven term, the pressure-driven term, and the vacuum term. Detailed results will be reported.

Self-oscillation in spin torque oscillator stabilized by field-like torque

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

Taniguchi, Tomohiro; Tsunegi, Sumito; Kubota, Hitoshi

2014-04-14

The effect of the field-like torque on the self-oscillation of the magnetization in spin torque oscillator with a perpendicularly magnetized free layer was studied theoretically. A stable self-oscillation at zero field is excited for negative β while the magnetization dynamics stops for β = 0 or β > 0, where β is the ratio between the spin torque and the field-like torque. The reason why only the negative β induces the self-oscillation was explained from the view point of the energy balance between the spin torque and the damping. The oscillation power and frequency for various β were also studied by numerical simulation.

Enhanced superconductivity of fullerenes

DOEpatents

Washington, II, Aaron L.; Teprovich, Joseph A.; Zidan, Ragaiy

2017-06-20

Methods for enhancing characteristics of superconductive fullerenes and devices incorporating the fullerenes are disclosed. Enhancements can include increase in the critical transition temperature at a constant magnetic field; the existence of a superconducting hysteresis over a changing magnetic field; a decrease in the stabilizing magnetic field required for the onset of superconductivity; and/or an increase in the stability of superconductivity over a large magnetic field. The enhancements can be brought about by transmitting electromagnetic radiation to the superconductive fullerene such that the electromagnetic radiation impinges on the fullerene with an energy that is greater than the band gap of the fullerene.

How well do force fields capture the strength of salt bridges in proteins?

PubMed Central

Ahmed, Mustapha Carab; Papaleo, Elena

2018-01-01

Salt bridges form between pairs of ionisable residues in close proximity and are important interactions in proteins. While salt bridges are known to be important both for protein stability, recognition and regulation, we still do not have fully accurate predictive models to assess the energetic contributions of salt bridges. Molecular dynamics simulation is one technique that may be used study the complex relationship between structure, solvation and energetics of salt bridges, but the accuracy of such simulations depends on the force field used. We have used NMR data on the B1 domain of protein G (GB1) to benchmark molecular dynamics simulations. Using enhanced sampling simulations, we calculated the free energy of forming a salt bridge for three possible lysine-carboxylate ionic interactions in GB1. The NMR experiments showed that these interactions are either not formed, or only very weakly formed, in solution. In contrast, we show that the stability of the salt bridges is overestimated, to different extents, in simulations of GB1 using seven out of eight commonly used combinations of fixed charge force fields and water models. We also find that the Amber ff15ipq force field gives rise to weaker salt bridges in good agreement with the NMR experiments. We conclude that many force fields appear to overstabilize these ionic interactions, and that further work may be needed to refine our ability to model quantitatively the stability of salt bridges through simulations. We also suggest that comparisons between NMR experiments and simulations will play a crucial role in furthering our understanding of this important interaction.

Distortion of Magnetic Fields in a Starless Core II: 3D Magnetic Field Structure of FeSt 1-457

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kandori, Ryo; Tamura, Motohide; Tomisaka, Kohji; Nakajima, Yasushi; Kusakabe, Nobuhiko; Kwon, Jungmi; Nagayama, Takahiro; Nagata, Tetsuya; Tatematsu, Ken'ichi

2017-10-01

Three-dimensional (3D) magnetic field information on molecular clouds and cores is important for revealing their kinematical stability (magnetic support) against gravity, which is fundamental for studying the initial conditions of star formation. In the present study, the 3D magnetic field structure of the dense starless core FeSt 1-457 is determined based on the near-infrared polarimetric observations of the dichroic polarization of background stars and simple 3D modeling. With an obtained angle of line-of-sight magnetic inclination axis {θ }{inc} of 45^\\circ +/- 10^\\circ and previously determined plane-of-sky magnetic field strength {B}{pol} of 23.8 ± 12.1 μ {{G}}, the total magnetic field strength for FeSt 1-457 is derived to be 33.7 ± 18.0 μ {{G}}. The critical mass of FeSt 1-457, evaluated using both magnetic and thermal/turbulent support is {M}{cr}=3.70+/- 0.92 {M}⊙ , which is identical to the observed core mass, {M}{core}=3.55+/- 0.75 {M}⊙ . We thus conclude that the stability of FeSt 1-457 is in a condition close to the critical state. Without infalling gas motion and no associated young stars, the core is regarded to be in the earliest stage of star formation, I.e., the stage just before the onset of dynamical collapse following the attainment of a supercritical condition. These properties could make FeSt 1-457 one of the best starless cores for future studies of the initial conditions of star formation.

Influence of electric field on the hydrogen bond network of water.

PubMed

Suresh, S J; Satish, A V; Choudhary, A

2006-02-21

Understanding the inherent response of water to an external electric (E)-field is useful towards decoupling the role of E-field and surface in several practically encountered situations, such as that near an ion, near a charged surface, or within a biological nanopore. While this problem has been studied in some detail through simulations in the past, it has not been very amenable for theoretical analysis owing to the complexities presented by the hydrogen (H) bond interactions in water. It is also difficult to perform experiments with water in externally imposed, high E-fields owing to dielectric breakdown problems; it is hence all the more important that theoretical progress in this area complements the progress achieved through simulations. In an attempt to fill this lacuna, we develop a theory based on relatively simple concepts of reaction equilibria and Boltzmann distribution. The results are discussed in three parts: one pertaining to a comparison of the key features of the theory vis a vis published simulation/experimental results; second pertaining to insights into the H-bond stoichiometry and molecular orientations at different field strengths and temperatures; and the third relating to a surprising but explainable finding that H-bonds can stabilize molecules whose dipoles are oriented perpendicular to the direction of field (in addition to the E-field and H-bonds both stabilizing molecules with dipoles aligned in the direction of the field).

Trapped Field Characteristics of Stacked YBCO Thin Plates for Compact NMR Magnets: Spatial Field Distribution and Temporal Stability

PubMed Central

Hahn, Seungyong; Kim, Seok Beom; Ahn, Min Cheol; Voccio, John; Bascuñán, Juan; Iwasa, Yukikazu

2010-01-01

This paper presents experimental and analytical results of trapped field characteristics of a stack of square YBCO thin film plates for compact NMR magnets. Each YBCO plate, 40 mm × 40 mm × 0.08 mm, has a 25-mm diameter hole at its center. A total of 500 stacked plates were used to build a 40-mm long magnet. Its trapped field, in a bath of liquid nitrogen, was measured for spatial field distribution and temporal stability. Comparison of measured and analytical results is presented: the effects on trapped field characteristics of the unsaturated nickel substrate and the non-uniform current distribution in the YBCO plate are discussed. PMID:20585463

Polymeric nanocomposites loaded with fluoridated hydroxyapatite Ln3+ (Ln = Eu or Tb)/iron oxide for magnetic targeted cellular imaging

PubMed Central

Pan, Jie; Liu, Wei-Jiao; Hua, Chao; Wang, Li-Li; Wan, Dong; Gong, Jun-Bo

2015-01-01

Objective To fabricate polymeric nanocomposites with excellent photoluminescence, magnetic properties, and stability in aqueous solutions, in order to improve specificity and sensitivity of cellular imaging under a magnetic field. Methods Fluoridated Ln3+-doped HAP (Ln3+-HAP) NPs and iron oxides (IOs) can be encapsulated with biocompatible polymers via a modified solvent exaction/evaporation technique to prepare polymeric nanocomposites with fluoridated Ln3+-HAP/iron oxide. The nanocomposites were characterized for surface morphology, fluorescence spectra, magnetic properties and in vitro cytotoxicity. Magnetic targeted cellular imaging of such nanocomposites was also evaluated with confocal laser scanning microscope using A549 cells with or without magnetic field. Results The fabricated nanocomposites showed good stability and excellent luminescent properties, as well as low in vitro cytotoxicity, indicating that the nanocomposites are suitable for biological applications. Nanocomposites under magnetic field achieved much higher cellular uptake via an energy-dependent pathway than those without magnetic field. Conclusion The nanocomposites fabricated in this study will be a promising tool for magnetic targeted cellular imaging with improved specificity and enhanced selection. PMID:26487962

He2+ molecular ion and the He- atomic ion in strong magnetic fields

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vieyra, J. C. Lopez; Turbiner, A. V.

2017-08-01

We study the question of existence, i.e., stability with respect to dissociation of the spin-quartet permutation- and reflection-symmetric 4(-3) +g (Sz=-3 /2 ,M =-3 ) state of the (α α e e e ) Coulomb system: the He2 + molecular ion, placed in a magnetic field 0 ≤B ≤10 000 a.u. We assume that the α particles are infinitely massive (Born-Oppenheimer approximation of zero order) and adopt the parallel configuration, when the molecular axis and the magnetic field direction coincide, as the optimal configuration. The study of the stability is performed variationally with a physically adequate trial function. To achieve this goal, we explore several helium-containing compounds in strong magnetic fields, in particular; we study the spin-quartet ground state of the He- ion and the ground (spin-triplet) state of the helium atom, both for a magnetic field in 100 ≤B ≤10 000 a.u. The main result is that the He2 + molecular ion in the state 4(-3) +g is stable towards all possible decay modes for magnetic fields B ≳120 a .u . and with the magnetic field increase the ion becomes more tightly bound and compact with a cigar-type form of electronic cloud. At B =1000 a .u . , the dissociation energy of He2 + into He-+α is ˜702 eV and the dissociation energy for the decay channel to He +α +e is ˜729 eV , and both energies are in the energy window for one of the observed absorption features of the isolated neutron star 1E1207.4-5209.

Geomorphic and hydraulic Analyses of In-stream Step-pool Structures (I)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kuo, W. C.; Hu, Y. L.; Wang, H. W.

2016-12-01

Longitudinal stair-like structures, such as alternating steps and pools, are found commonly in steep mountain streams. In a way to mimic the natural characteristics, many implementations of constructing artificial step structures have long been found in field practice to stabilize streambeds and enhance aquatic systems. To better understand how constructed step-pool systems form and function, this paper discusses the hydraulic and geomorphic factors based on flume experiments, and further compare to our field observations in Chijiawan Creek in Taiwan. We constructed a 2.9-m-long, 0.15-wide, and 0.3-m-high acrylic walled recirculating channel and conducted experiments to understand the formation, hydraulic features, and channel stability of step-pools of scenarios considering different channel slopes, discharges, feeding sediments. The results indicated that the keystones played a crucial role in stabilizing step-pool structures. The grain sizes of keystones from the experiments ranged approximately from one-third to one-tenth of channel width, while those from the field observations were about one-ninth to two-ninths. While the experimental discharge increased from 0.0012 cms to 0.006 cms, the flow transformed from nappe flow to skimming flow and the difference of average velocity between steps and pools reduced 30%. Besides, experiments showed that the step-pool structures failed immediately after keystones destroyed at a sediment transportation rate about 1.5 times of sediment feeding rate. It highlights the step-pools and channel stability is highly related to keystones. We further found the step-pools were buried at the experimental cases with coarse sediment fed upstream, similar to our field observations in Chijiawan Creek, with an approximately 1 3m deposition after Typhoon Soudelor, a 5-year event. The results obtained in this study would serve as a basis for ongoing discussions on how constructed step-pool structures would function and fail. More efforts of field investigations, flume experiments, and field experiments in helping developing specific recommendations and providing scientific insights for not only in Taiwan but around the world are still in need.

Cauchy horizon stability in a collapsing spherical dust cloud: II. Energy bounds for test fields and odd-parity gravitational perturbations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ortiz, Néstor; Sarbach, Olivier

2018-01-01

We analyze the stability of the Cauchy horizon associated with a globally naked, shell-focussing singularity arising from the complete gravitational collapse of a spherical dust cloud. In a previous work, we have studied the dynamics of spherical test scalar fields on such a background. In particular, we proved that such fields cannot develop any divergences which propagate along the Cauchy horizon. In the present work, we extend our analysis to the more general case of test fields without symmetries and to linearized gravitational perturbations with odd parity. To this purpose, we first consider test fields possessing a divergence-free stress-energy tensor satisfying the dominant energy condition, and we prove that a suitable energy norm is uniformly bounded in the domain of dependence of the initial slice. In particular, this result implies that free-falling observers co-moving with the dust particles measure a finite energy of the field, even as they cross the Cauchy horizon at points lying arbitrarily close to the central singularity. Next, for the case of Klein–Gordon fields, we derive point-wise bounds from our energy estimates which imply that the scalar field cannot diverge at the Cauchy horizon, except possibly at the central singular point. Finally, we analyze the behaviour of odd-parity, linear gravitational and dust perturbations of the collapsing spacetime. Similarly to the scalar field case, we prove that the relevant gauge-invariant combinations of the metric perturbations stay bounded away from the central singularity, implying that no divergences can propagate in the vacuum region. Our results are in accordance with previous numerical studies and analytic work in the self-similar case.

Cryogen-free superconducting magnet system for multifrequency electron paramagnetic resonance up to 12.1 T

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smirnov, Alex I.; Smirnova, Tatyana I.; MacArthur, Ryan L.; Good, Jeremy A.; Hall, Renny

2006-03-01

Multifrequency and high field/high frequency (HF) electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) is a powerful spectroscopy for studying paramagnetic spin systems ranging from organic-free radicals to catalytic paramagnetic metal ion centers in metalloproteins. Typically, HF EPR experiments are carried out at resonant frequencies ν =95-300GHz and this requires magnetic fields of 3.4-10.7T for electronic spins with g ≈2.0. Such fields could be easily achieved with superconducting magnets, but, unlike NMR, these magnets cannot operate in a persistent mode in order to satisfy a wide range of resonant fields required by the experiment. Operating and maintaining conventional passively cooled superconducting magnets in EPR laboratories require frequent transfer of cryogens by trained personnel. Here we describe and characterize a versatile cryogen-free magnet system for HF EPR at magnetic fields up to 12.1T that is suitable for ramping the magnetic field over the entire range, precision scans around the target field, and/or holding the field at the target value. We also demonstrate that in a nonpersistent mode of operation the magnetic field can be stabilized to better than 0.3ppm/h over 15h period by employing a transducer-controlled power supply. Such stability is sufficient for many HF EPR experiments. An important feature of the system is that it is virtually maintenance-free because it is based on a cryogen-free technology and therefore does not require any liquid cryogens (liquid helium or nitrogen) for operation. We believe that actively cooled superconducting magnets are ideally suited for a wide range of HF EPR experiments including studies of spin-labeled nucleic acids and proteins, single-molecule magnets, and metalloproteins.

Low-Temperature Bainite: A Thermal Stability Study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Santajuana, Miguel A.; Rementeria, Rosalia; Kuntz, Matthias; Jimenez, Jose A.; Caballero, Francisca G.; Garcia-Mateo, Carlos

2018-06-01

The thermal stability of nanobainitic structures obtained by heat treating two different high-carbon high-silicon steels at temperatures between 200 °C and 600 °C has been investigated by means of three complementary techniques, i.e., field emission gun-scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and high-resolution dilatometry. Three main stages have been established, each of them characterized by a distinctive microstructure. Furthermore, the nanocrystalline structure generated by the bainite reaction confers the steel with an extraordinary tempering resistance.

Low-Temperature Bainite: A Thermal Stability Study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Santajuana, Miguel A.; Rementeria, Rosalia; Kuntz, Matthias; Jimenez, Jose A.; Caballero, Francisca G.; Garcia-Mateo, Carlos

2018-04-01

The thermal stability of nanobainitic structures obtained by heat treating two different high-carbon high-silicon steels at temperatures between 200 °C and 600 °C has been investigated by means of three complementary techniques, i.e., field emission gun-scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and high-resolution dilatometry. Three main stages have been established, each of them characterized by a distinctive microstructure. Furthermore, the nanocrystalline structure generated by the bainite reaction confers the steel with an extraordinary tempering resistance.

Programmable and electrically controllable light scattering from surface-polymer stabilized liquid crystals.

PubMed

Bédard-Arcand, Jean-Philippe; Galstian, Tigran

2012-08-01

We report the creation and study of a polarization independent light scattering material system based on surface-polymer stabilized liquid crystals. Originally isotropic cell substrates with thin nonpolymerized reactive mesogen layers are used for the alignment of pure nonreactive nematic liquid crystals. The partial interdiffusion of the two materials followed by the application of orienting external electric and magnetic fields and the photo polymerization of the reactive mesogen allow us the control of electro-optic scattering properties of obtained cells.

On the linear stability of sheared and magnetized jets without current sheets - relativistic case

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Jinho; Balsara, Dinshaw S.; Lyutikov, Maxim; Komissarov, Serguei S.

2018-03-01

In our prior series of papers, we studied the non-relativistic and relativistic linear stability analysis of magnetized jets that do not have current sheets. In this paper, we extend our analysis to relativistic jets with a velocity shear and a similar current sheet free structure. The jets that we study are realistic because we include a velocity shear, a current sheet free magnetic structure, a relativistic velocity and a realistic thermal pressure so as to achieve overall pressure balance in the unperturbed jet. In order to parametrize the velocity shear, we apply a parabolic profile to the jets' 4-velocity. We find that the velocity shear significantly improves the stability of relativistic magnetized jets. This fact is completely consistent with our prior stability analysis of non-relativistic, sheared jets. The velocity shear mainly plays a role in stabilizing the short wavelength unstable modes for the pinch as well as the kink instability modes. In addition, it also stabilizes the long wavelength fundamental pinch instability mode. We also visualize the pressure fluctuations of each unstable mode to provide a better physical understanding of the enhanced stabilization by the velocity shear. Our overall conclusion is that combining velocity shear with a strong and realistic magnetic field makes relativistic jets even more stable.

Effect of Magnetic Field on Bone Healing around Endosseous Implants – An In-vivo Study

PubMed Central

Anam, Chandrasekar; Mamidi, Praveen; Chiluka, Radha; Kumar, A. Gautam; Bibinagar, Ragini

2016-01-01

Introduction After implant placement, a stress-free healing period of 3-6 months is a pre-requisite to achieve good osseointegration. If this duration could be reduced, the patients would feel happier. Eventhough, immediate loading of implants is a clinically feasible concept; it is not possible in certain situations. Few studies have shown that Static magnetic field is useful to promote bone formation faster after the bone is wounded. Aim This pilot study was intended to evaluate the tissue response after implant placement under the influence of magnetic field. Materials and Methods Twenty Tidal Spiral implants were used for this study. Two implants were placed in each patient in the anterior mandible corresponding to the B and D regions and the implant on the D region was exposed to magnetic field using safer magnet (Neodymium Boron Iron) and the implant on the B region served as a control. Both the implants were compared for stability using Resonance Frequency Analyzer (RFA) at Days 0, 30, 60 and 90. Mean Implant Stability Quotient (ISQ) values were compared on both sides using student’s paired t-test and repeated measures ANOVA (analysis of variance). There was a significant difference in the mean ISQ values, hence, a post-hoc test was done to evaluate whether there is any difference between the follow-ups. Results The average ISQ value for implants at 0 day in the B and D regions was 68.6 and 68.7 respectively. The average ISQ value at 30th day, 60th day and 90th day was 73.25, 76.05 and 78.95 respectively on the magnetic side (D region). Whereas on the non-magnetic side (B region) at 30th day, 60th day and 90th day was 68.45, 72.05 and 74.45 respectively. Conclusion The implant stability quotient values obtained on the magnetic side were significantly greater than on the non-magnetic side. Positive correlation exists between the magnetic field and osseointegration. PMID:27891492

Thermal stability enhancement of modified carboxymethyl cellulose films using SnO2 nanoparticles.

PubMed

Baniasad, Arezou; Ghorbani, Mohsen

2016-05-01

In this study, in-situ and ex-situ hydrothermal synthesis procedures were applied to synthesize novel CMC/porous SnO2 nanocomposites from rice husk extracted carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) biopolymer. In addition, the effects of SnO2 nanoparticles on thermal stability of the prepared nanocomposite were specifically studied. Products were investigated in terms of morphology, particle size, chemical structure, crystallinity and thermal stability by using field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), respectively. Presence of characteristic bands in the FTIR spectra of samples confirmed the successful formation of CMC and CMC/SnO2 nanocomposites. In addition, FESEM images revealed four different morphologies of porous SnO2 nanoparticles including nanospheres, microcubes, nanoflowers and olive-like nanoparticles with hollow cores which were formed on CMC. These nanoparticles possessed d-spacing values of 3.35Å. Thermal stability measurements revealed that introduction of SnO2 nanoparticles in the structure of CMC enhanced stability of CMC to 85%. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The effect of external magnetic field changing on the correlated quantum dot dynamics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mantsevich, V. N.; Maslova, N. S.; Arseyev, P. I.

2018-06-01

The non-stationary response of local magnetic moment to abrupt switching "on" and "off" of external magnetic field was studied for a single-level quantum dot (QD) coupled to a reservoir. We found that transient processes look different for the shallow and deep localized energy level. It was demonstrated that for deep energy level the relaxation rates of the local magnetic moment strongly differ in the case of magnetic field switching "on" or "off". Obtained results can be applied in the area of dynamic memory devices stabilization in the presence of magnetic field.

Production and evaluation of sugar cane fiber geotextiles : report 2 : field testing.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1997-03-01

Prior research involved the production and laboratory testing of sugar cane fiber geotextiles for soil erosion control. Comparative preliminary studies were conducted on test slopes to determine slope stability, in horticulture plots to determine gra...

Valorisation of Sugarcane Bagasse Ash in the Manufacture of Lime-Stabilized Blocks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

James, Jijo; Pandian, Pitchai Kasinatha

2016-06-01

The study investigated the potential of lime in the manufacture of stabilized soil blocks and the valorisation of a solid waste, Bagasse Ash (BA), in its manufacture. A locally available soil was collected from a field and characterized in the soil laboratory as a clay of intermediate plasticity. This soil was stabilized using lime, the quantity of which was determined from the Eades and Grim pH test. The soil was stabilized using this lime content, amended with various BA contents during mixing, and moulded into blocks of 19 cm x 9 cm x 9 cm. The blocks were then moist cured for a period of 28 days, following which they were subjected to compressive strength, water absorption and efflorescence tests. The results of the tests revealed that the addition of BA resulted in enhanced compressive strength of the blocks, increased the water absorption marginally, and resulted in no efflorescence in any of the combinations, although the limited combinations in the study could not produce enough strength to meet the specifications of the Bureau of Indian Standards. The study revealed that BA can be effectively valorised in the manufacture of stabilized soil blocks.

Flatworm models in pharmacological research: the importance of compound stability testing.

PubMed

Stalmans, Sofie; Willems, Maxime; Adriaens, Els; Remon, Jean-Paul; D'Hondt, Matthias; De Spiegeleer, Bart

2014-10-01

Flatworms possess adult pluripotent stem cells, which make them extraordinary experimental model organisms to assess in vivo the undesirable effects of substances on stem cells. Currently, quality practices, implying evaluation of the stability of the test compound under the proposed experimental conditions, are uncommon in this research field. Nevertheless, performing a stability study during the rational design of in vivo assay protocols will result in more reliable assay results. To illustrate the influence of the stability of the test substance on the final experimental outcome, we performed a short-term International Conference on Harmonization (ICH)-based stability study of cyclophosphamide in the culture medium, to which a marine flatworm model Macrostomum lignano is exposed. Using a validated U(H)PLC method, it was demonstrated that the cyclophosphamide concentration in the culture medium at 20°C is lowered to 80% of the initial concentration after 21days. The multiwell plates, flatworms and diatoms, as well as light exposure, did not influence significantly the cyclophosphamide concentration in the medium. The results of the stability study have practical implications on the experimental set-up of the carcinogenicity assay like the frequency of medium renewal. This case study demonstrates the benefits of applying appropriate quality guidelines already during fundamental research increasing the credibility of the results. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Direct observation of interface instability during crystal growth

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tiller, W. A.; Feigelson, R. S.; Elwell, D.

1982-01-01

The general aim of this investigation was to study interface stability and solute segregation phenomena during crystallization of a model system. Emphasis was to be placed on direct observational studies partly because this offered the possibility at a later stage of performing related experiments under substantially convection-free conditions in the space shuttle. The major achievements described in this report are: (1) the development of a new model system for fundamental studies of crystal growth from the melt and the measurement of a range of material parameters necessary for comparison of experiment with theory. (2) The introduction of a new method of measuring segregation coefficient using absorption of a laser beam by the liquid phase. (3) The comparison of segregation in crystals grown by gradient freezing and by pulling from the melt. (4) The introduction into the theory of solute segregation of an interface field term and comparison with experiment. (5) The introduction of the interface field term into the theories of constitutional supercooling and morphological stability and assessment of its importance.

Hydrogen bonding and pi-stacking: how reliable are force fields? A critical evaluation of force field descriptions of nonbonded interactions.

PubMed

Paton, Robert S; Goodman, Jonathan M

2009-04-01

We have evaluated the performance of a set of widely used force fields by calculating the geometries and stabilization energies for a large collection of intermolecular complexes. These complexes are representative of a range of chemical and biological systems for which hydrogen bonding, electrostatic, and van der Waals interactions play important roles. Benchmark energies are taken from the high-level ab initio values in the JSCH-2005 and S22 data sets. All of the force fields underestimate stabilization resulting from hydrogen bonding, but the energetics of electrostatic and van der Waals interactions are described more accurately. OPLSAA gave a mean unsigned error of 2 kcal mol(-1) for all 165 complexes studied, and outperforms DFT calculations employing very large basis sets for the S22 complexes. The magnitude of hydrogen bonding interactions are severely underestimated by all of the force fields tested, which contributes significantly to the overall mean error; if complexes which are predominantly bound by hydrogen bonding interactions are discounted, the mean unsigned error of OPLSAA is reduced to 1 kcal mol(-1). For added clarity, web-based interactive displays of the results have been developed which allow comparisons of force field and ab initio geometries to be performed and the structures viewed and rotated in three dimensions.

MOLECULAR TRACKING FECAL CONTAMINATION IN SURFACE WATERS: 16S RDNA VERSUS METAGENOMICS APPROACHES

EPA Science Inventory

Microbial source tracking methods need to be sensitive and exhibit temporal and geographic stability in order to provide meaningful data in field studies. The objective of this study was to use a combination of PCR-based methods to track cow fecal contamination in two watersheds....

Computer-aided molecular modeling techniques for predicting the stability of drug cyclodextrin inclusion complexes in aqueous solutions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Faucci, Maria Teresa; Melani, Fabrizio; Mura, Paola

2002-06-01

Molecular modeling was used to investigate factors influencing complex formation between cyclodextrins and guest molecules and predict their stability through a theoretical model based on the search for a correlation between experimental stability constants ( Ks) and some theoretical parameters describing complexation (docking energy, host-guest contact surfaces, intermolecular interaction fields) calculated from complex structures at a minimum conformational energy, obtained through stochastic methods based on molecular dynamic simulations. Naproxen, ibuprofen, ketoprofen and ibuproxam were used as model drug molecules. Multiple Regression Analysis allowed identification of the significant factors for the complex stability. A mathematical model ( r=0.897) related log Ks with complex docking energy and lipophilic molecular fields of cyclodextrin and drug.

Southern high latitude dune fields on Mars: Morphology, aeolian inactivity, and climate change

USGS Publications Warehouse

Fenton, L.K.; Hayward, R.K.

2010-01-01

In a study area spanning the martian surface poleward of 50?? S., 1190 dune fields have been identified, mapped, and categorized based on dune field morphology. Dune fields in the study area span ??? 116400km2, leading to a global dune field coverage estimate of ???904000km2, far less than that found on Earth. Based on distinct morphological features, the dune fields were grouped into six different classes that vary in interpreted aeolian activity level from potentially active to relatively inactive and eroding. The six dune field classes occur in specific latitude zones, with a sequence of reduced activity and degradation progressing poleward. In particular, the first signs of stabilization appear at ???60?? S., which broadly corresponds to the edge of high concentrations of water-equivalent hydrogen content (observed by the Neutron Spectrometer) that have been interpreted as ground ice. This near-surface ground ice likely acts to reduce sand availability in the present climate state on Mars, stabilizing high latitude dunes and allowing erosional processes to change their morphology. As a result, climatic changes in the content of near-surface ground ice are likely to influence the level of dune activity. Spatial variation of dune field classes with longitude is significant, suggesting that local conditions play a major role in determining dune field activity level. Dune fields on the south polar layered terrain, for example, appear either potentially active or inactive, indicating that at least two generations of dune building have occurred on this surface. Many dune fields show signs of degradation mixed with crisp-brinked dunes, also suggesting that more than one generation of dune building has occurred since they originally formed. Dune fields superposed on early and late Amazonian surfaces provide potential upper age limits of ???100My on the south polar layered deposits and ???3Ga elsewhere at high latitudes. No craters are present on any identifiable dune fields, which can provide a lower age limit through crater counting: assuming all relatively stabilized dune fields represent a single noncontiguous surface of uniform age, their estimated crater retention age is

Degradation and stabilization of ice wedges: Implications for assessing risk of thermokarst in northern Alaska

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kanevskiy, Mikhail; Shur, Yuri; Jorgenson, Torre; Brown, Dana R. N.; Moskalenko, Nataliya; Brown, Jerry; Walker, Donald A.; Raynolds, Martha K.; Buchhorn, Marcel

2017-11-01

Widespread degradation of ice wedges has been observed during the last decades in numerous areas within the continuous permafrost zone of Eurasia and North America. To study ice-wedge degradation, we performed field investigations at Prudhoe Bay and Barrow in northern Alaska during 2011-2016. In each study area, a 250-m transect was established with plots representing different stages of ice-wedge degradation/stabilization. Field work included surveying ground- and water-surface elevations, thaw-depth measurements, permafrost coring, vegetation sampling, and ground-based LiDAR scanning. We described cryostratigraphy of frozen soils and stable isotope composition, analyzed environmental characteristics associated with ice-wedge degradation and stabilization, evaluated the vulnerability and resilience of ice wedges to climate change and disturbances, and developed new conceptual models of ice-wedge dynamics that identify the main factors affecting ice-wedge degradation and stabilization and the main stages of this quasi-cyclic process. We found significant differences in the patterns of ice-wedge degradation and stabilization between the two areas, and the patterns were more complex than those previously described because of the interactions of changing topography, water redistribution, and vegetation/soil responses that can interrupt or reinforce degradation. Degradation of ice wedges is usually triggered by an increase in the active-layer thickness during exceptionally warm and wet summers or as a result of flooding or disturbance. Vulnerability of ice wedges to thermokarst is controlled by the thickness of the intermediate layer of the upper permafrost, which overlies ice wedges and protects them from thawing. In the continuous permafrost zone, degradation of ice wedges rarely leads to their complete melting; and in most cases wedges eventually stabilize and can then resume growing, indicating a somewhat cyclic and reversible process. Stabilization of ice wedges after their partial degradation makes them better protected than before degradation because the intermediate layer is usually 2 to 3 times thicker on top of stabilized ice wedges than on top of initial ice wedges in undisturbed conditions. As a result, the likelihood of formation of large thaw lakes in the continuous permafrost zone triggered by ice-wedge degradation alone is very low.

Instabilities of Current Carrying Torus

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Wenjuan; Qiu, J.

2010-05-01

We investigate the initial equilibrium and stability conditions for an uniform current-carrying plasma ring with a non-trivial toroidal magnetic field Bt. Realistic parameters comparable to observations are used to describe the magnetic field inside and outside the torus. The external poloidal magnetic field is assumed to fall off as a power function with decay index n (n = - d log (Bex) /d log(h)). The parameter space is explored to find all initial equilibrium solutions, at which perturbation is introduced. It is shown that with non-trivial toroidal field, the current ring attains equilibrium with a weaker external field. It is also shown that the torus attains equilibrium at higher altitude when the external field decays more rapidly (greater n) or the ratio of the toroidal flux in the torus to the external field increases. We further study stabilities of the torus at equilibrium by defining a critical decay index ncr (Kliem and Török 2006). A sufficiently strong toroidal field can completely suppress the torus instability due to the current hoop force. With a weak toroidal field, similar to the case of Bt=0, the instability occurs when the external magnetic field declines rapidly with height when the field decay index n>ncr. For realistic sets of parameters, the equilibrium height is within 10 solar radii, and the effective ncr is in the range of 1.0-1.6. The critical decay index increases when the ratio of the toroidal flux to the external field decreases. This work is supported by NSF CAREER grant ATM-0748428.

Field Tests of a Tractor Rollover Detection and Emergency Notification System.

PubMed

Liu, B; Koc, A B

2015-04-01

The objective of this research was to assess the feasibility of a rollover detection and emergency notification system for farm tractors using field tests. The emergency notification system was developed based on a tractor stability model and implemented on a mobile electronic device with the iOS operating system. A complementary filter was implemented to combine the data from the accelerometer and gyroscope sensors to improve their accuracies in calculating the roll and pitch angles and the roll and pitch rates. The system estimates a stability index value during tractor operation, displays feedback messages when the stability index is lower than a preset threshold value, and transmits emergency notification messages when an overturn happens. Ten tractor rollover tests were conducted on a field track. The developed system successfully monitored the stability of the tractor during all of the tests. The iOS application was able to detect rollover accidents and transmit emergency notifications in the form of a phone call and email when an accident was detected. The system can be a useful tool for training and education in safe tractor operation. The system also has potential for stability monitoring and emergency notification of other on-road and off-road motorized vehicles.

Kelvin-Helmholtz instability for flow in porous media under the influence of oblique magnetic fields: A viscous potential flow analysis

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

Moatimid, Galal M.; Obied Allah, M. H.; Hassan, Mohamed A.

2013-10-15

In this paper, the Kelvin-Helmholtz instability of viscous incompressible magnetic fluid fully saturated porous media is achieved through the viscous potential theory. The flow is considered to be through semi-permeable boundaries above and below the fluids through which the fluid may either be blown in or sucked out, in a direction normal to the main streaming direction of the fluid flow. An oblique magnetic field, mass, heat transfer, and surface tension are present across the interface. Through the linear stability analysis, a general dispersion relation is derived and the natural curves are plotted. Therefore, the linear stability condition is discussedmore » in some depth. In view of the multiple time scale technique, the Ginzburg–Landau equation, which describes the behavior of the system in the nonlinear approach, is obtained. The effects of the orientation of the magnetic fields on the stability configuration in linear, as well as nonlinear approaches, are discussed. It is found that the Darcy's coefficient for the porous layers plays a stabilizing role. The injection of the fluids at both boundaries has a stabilizing effect, in contrast with the suction at both boundaries.« less

Stability of standing spin wave in permalloy thin film studied by anisotropic magnetoresistance effect

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

Yamanoi, K.; Yokotani, Y.; Cui, X.

2015-12-21

We have investigated the stability for the resonant spin precession under the strong microwave magnetic field by a specially developed detection method using the anisotropic magnetoresistance effect. The electrically separated excitation and detection circuits enable us to investigate the influence of the heating effect and the nonuniform spin dynamics independently. The large detecting current is found to induce the field shift of the resonant spectra because of the Joule heating. From the microwave power dependence, we found that the linear response regime for the standing spin wave is larger than that for the ferromagnetic resonance. This robust characteristic of themore » standing spin wave is an important advantage for the high power operation of the spin-wave device.« less

Landing Distance Minimization to Prevent Overrun Accidents Using Field Theory and Stabilizing Air Traffic - A Novel Approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krishna Kumar, R.; Navaneeth, M.; Shachin Shibi, R.

2017-09-01

Airplane is considered to be the pinnacle of engineering as it has proven that it is possible for a manmade object to fly. Before its invention, flying was just a dream for mankind. In such an esteemed domain, landing is the most challenging part and it is where a large number of accidents occur, especially due to overrun. As the name suggests, overrun accidents occur due to insufficient runway length. In the present study, the concept of planar electromagnetic fields is incorporated to minimize the landing distance of an aircraft, thus preventing the overrun accidents. As a result, unexpected losses can be avoided. In addition to this, the stability of air traffic control can be perpetuated and the fuel consumed during loitering time can be diminished.

Magnetic effect for electrochemically driven cellular convection.

PubMed

Nakabayashi, S; Inokuma, K; Karantonis, A

1999-06-01

Hydrodynamic instability analogous to Rayleigh-Bénard convection is observed in an electrolytic solution between two parallel copper wire electrodes. The laser interferometric technique can reveal the dissipation structure created by the motion of the fluid, which is controlled electrochemically. It is shown that under the presence of horizontal magnetic field the roll cells move horizontally along the electrodes. The electrochemically driven convection is simply controlled and monitored by setting and measuring the electrochemical parameters and forms many kinds of spatiotemporal patterns, especially under the magnetic field. The phenomenon is modeled by considering a Boussinesq fluid under a concentration gradient. The stability of the resulting equations is studied by linear stability analysis. The time dependent nonlinear system is investigated numerically and the main features of the experimental response are reproduced.

Linear and nonlinear stability criteria for compressible MHD flows in a gravitational field

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moawad, S. M.; Moawad

2013-10-01

The equilibrium and stability properties of ideal magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) of compressible flow in a gravitational field with a translational symmetry are investigated. Variational principles for the steady-state equations are formulated. The MHD equilibrium equations are obtained as critical points of a conserved Lyapunov functional. This functional consists of the sum of the total energy, the mass, the circulation along field lines (cross helicity), the momentum, and the magnetic helicity. In the unperturbed case, the equilibrium states satisfy a nonlinear second-order partial differential equation (PDE) associated with hydrodynamic Bernoulli law. The PDE can be an elliptic or a parabolic equation depending on increasing the poloidal flow speed. Linear and nonlinear Lyapunov stability conditions under translational symmetric perturbations are established for the equilibrium states.

Field performance testing of improved engineered wood fiber surfaces for accessible playground areas

Treesearch

Theodore L. Laufenberg; Jerrold E. Winandy

2003-01-01

Some engineered wood fiber (EWF) surfaces on playgrounds are soft and uneven, which creates difficulties for those who use mobility aids, such as wheelchairs and walkers. The outdoor field testing reported in this study is part of an effort to stabilize EWF to improve accessibility. The concept is to mix a binder with the upper surface of EWF to create a stiff (firm)...

Enzymatic functional stability of Zn-contaminated field-collected soils: an ecotoxicological perspective.

PubMed

Lessard, Isabelle; Sauvé, Sébastien; Deschênes, Louise

2014-06-15

Functional stability (FS) is an ecosystem attribute that is increasingly promoted in soil health assessment. However, FS is currently assessed comparatively, and it is therefore impossible to generate toxicity parameters. Additionally, the FS scores in the literature do not consider site and contamination history within the score. To address these issues, three new FS scores adapted to an ecotoxicological context and based on the Relative Soil Stability Index (RSSI) method were developed. The aim of the study was then to determine the FS score(s) that best describe the toxicity of metal-contaminated field-collected soils. Twenty pairs of Zn-contaminated soils (contaminated and reference soils) were collected on the field, and their enzymatic FS (arylsulfatase, protease, phosphatase and urease) and metal fractions (total and bioavailable) were analyzed. New RSSI-based and existing FS scores were calculated for each enzyme and correlated to the Zn fractions. One of the new RSSI-based scores was well correlated with the bioavailable labile Zn concentration for the arylsulfatase, phosphatase and urease (coefficients of regression higher than 0.50). Furthermore, this FS score was not affected by the soil organic matter and depended little on other soil properties. Other FS scores were correlated to labile Zn for only one enzyme, which varied according to the score. The new RSSI-based score thus better attributed Zn toxicity to field-collected soils than other FS scores. Crown Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Nonlocal stability analysis of the MHD Kelvin-Helmholtz instability in a compressible plasma. [solar wind-magnetosphere interaction

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Miura, A.; Pritchett, P. L.

1982-01-01

A general stability analysis is given of the Kevin-Helmholtz instability, for the case of sheared MHD flow of finite thickness in a compressible plasma which allows for the arbitrary orientation of the magnetic field, velocity flow, and wave vector in the plane perpendicular to the velocity gradient. The stability problem is reduced to the solution of a single second-order differential equation including a gravitational term to represent the coupling between the Kelvin-Helmholtz mode and the interchange mode. Compressibility and a magnetic field component parallel to the flow are found to be stabilizing effects, with destabilization of only the fast magnetosonic mode in the transverse case, and the presence of both Alfven and slow magnetosonic components in the parallel case. Analysis results are used in a discussion of the stability of sheared plasma flow at the magnetopause boundary and in the solar wind.

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

Takahashi, Masato; Maeda, Hideaki; Graduate School of Yokohama City University, Yokohama, Kanagawa 230-0045

Achieving a higher magnetic field is important for solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). But a conventional low temperature superconducting (LTS) magnet cannot exceed 1 GHz (23.5 T) due to the critical magnetic field. Thus, we started a project to replace the Nb{sub 3}Sn innermost coil of an existing 920 MHz NMR (21.6 T) with a Bi-2223 high temperature superconducting (HTS) innermost coil. Unfortunately, the HTS magnet cannot be operated in persistent current mode; an external dc power supply is required to operate the NMR magnet, causing magnetic field fluctuations. These fluctuations can be stabilized by a field-frequency lock system basedmore » on an external NMR detection coil. We demonstrate here such a field-frequency lock system in a 500 MHz LTS NMR magnet operated in an external current mode. The system uses a {sup 7}Li sample in a microcoil as external NMR detection system. The required field compensation is calculated from the frequency of the FID as measured with a frequency counter. The system detects the FID signal, determining the FID frequency, and calculates the required compensation coil current to stabilize the sample magnetic field. The magnetic field was stabilized at 0.05 ppm/3 h for magnetic field fluctuations of around 10 ppm. This method is especially effective for a magnet with large magnetic field fluctuations. The magnetic field of the compensation coil is relatively inhomogeneous in these cases and the inhomogeneity of the compensation coil can be taken into account.« less

Influence of a uniform transverse magnetic field on the thermo-hydrodynamic stability in water-based nanofluids with metallic nanoparticles using the generalized Buongiorno's mathematical model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wakif, Abderrahim; Boulahia, Zoubair; Mishra, S. R.; Mehdi Rashidi, Mohammad; Sehaqui, Rachid

2018-05-01

The onset of nanofluid convection in the presence of an externally applied magnetic field is investigated numerically based on the non-homogeneous Buongiorno's mathematical model. In this study, we use the latest experimental correlations and powerful analytical models for expressing the thermo-physical properties of some electrically conducting nanofluids, such as copper-water, sliver-water and gold-water nanofluids, in which the Brownian motion and thermophoresis effects on slip flow in nanofluids are taken into account in this model ( i.e., two-phase transport model). In this paper, we assume that the nanofluid has Newtonian behavior, confined horizontally between two infinite impermeable boundaries and heated from below, in such a way that the nanoparticles tend to concentrate near the upper wall. Considering the basic state of the nanofluidic system, the linear stability theory has been successfully applied to obtain the principal stability equations, which are solved numerically for an imposed volumetric fraction of nanoparticles and no-slip impermeable conditions at the isothermal walls bounding the nanofluid layer. The linear boundary-value problem obtained in this investigation is converted into a pure initial-value problem, so that we can solve it numerically by the fourth-fifth-order Runge-Kutta-Fehlberg method. The generalized Buongiorno's mathematical model proposed in this study allows performing a highly accurate computational analysis. In addition, the obtained results show that the stability of the studied nanofluidic system depends on several parameters, namely, the magnetic Chandrasekhar number Q , the reference value for the volumetric fraction of nanoparticles φ_0 and the size of nanoparticles d_p . In this analysis, the thermo-hydrodynamic stability of the studied nanofluid is controlled through the critical thermal Rayleigh number R_{ac} , which characterizes the onset of convection cells, whose size is L_c=2π/a_c . Furthermore, the effects of various pertinent parameters on the critical stability parameters R_{ac} and a_c are discussed in more detail through graphical and tabular illustrations, for three types of nanofluids including copper-water, sliver-water, and gold-water.

Phase-field simulations of thickness-dependent domain stability in PbTiO3 thin films

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

Sheng, Guang; Hu, Jia-Mian; Zhang, Jinxian

Phase-field approach is used to predict the thickness effect on the domain stability in ferroelectric thin films. The strain relaxation mechanism and critical thickness for dislocation formation from both Matthews-Blakeslee (MB) and People-Bean (PB) models are employed. Thickness - strain domain stability diagrams are obtained for PbTiO3 thin films under different strain relaxation models. The relative domain fractions as a function of film thickness are also calculated and compared with experiment measurements in PbTiO3 thin films grown on SrTiO3 and KTaO3 substrates.

Higher derivative extensions of 3 d Chern-Simons models: conservation laws and stability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kaparulin, D. S.; Karataeva, I. Yu.; Lyakhovich, S. L.

2015-11-01

We consider the class of higher derivative 3 d vector field models with the field equation operator being a polynomial of the Chern-Simons operator. For the nth-order theory of this type, we provide a general recipe for constructing n-parameter family of conserved second rank tensors. The family includes the canonical energy-momentum tensor, which is unbounded, while there are bounded conserved tensors that provide classical stability of the system for certain combinations of the parameters in the Lagrangian. We also demonstrate the examples of consistent interactions which are compatible with the requirement of stability.

Effect of magnetic field on noncollinear magnetism in classical bilinear-biquadratic Heisenberg model

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

Pasrija, Kanika, E-mail: kanikapasrija@iisermohali.ac.in; Kumar, Sanjeev, E-mail: sanjeev@iisermohali.ac.in

We present a Monte Carlo simulation study of a bilinear-biquadratic Heisenberg model on a two-dimensional square lattice in the presence of an external magnetic field. The study is motivated by the relevance of this simple model to the non-collinear magnetism and the consequent ferroelectric behavior in the recently discovered high-temperature multiferroic, cupric oxide (CuO). We show that an external magnetic field stabilizes a non-coplanar magnetic phase, which is characterized by a finite ferromagnetic moment along the direction of the applied magnetic field and a spiral spin texture if projected in the plane perpendicular to the magnetic field. Real-space analysis highlightsmore » a coexistence of non-collinear regions with ferromagnetic clusters. The results are also supported by simple variational calculations.« less

An assessment of various side-stick controller/stability and control augmentation systems for night nap-of-Earth flight using piloted simulation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Landis, K. H.; Aiken, E. W.

1982-01-01

Several night nap-of-the-earth mission tasks were evaluated using a helmet-mounted display which provided a limited field-of-view image with superimposed flight control symbology. A wide range of stability and control augmentation designs was investigated. Variations in controller force-deflection characteristics and the number of axes controlled through an integrated side-stick controller were studied. In general, a small displacement controller is preferred over a stiffstick controller particularly for maneuvering flight. Higher levels of stability augmentation were required for IMC tasks to provide handling qualities comparable to those achieved for the same tasks conducted under simulated visual flight conditions.

Stability analysis for non-minimally coupled dark energy models in the Palatini formalism

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Zuobin; Wu, Puxun; Yu, Hongwei

2018-06-01

In this paper, we use the method of global analysis to study the stability of de-Sitter solutions in an universe dominated by a scalar field dark energy, which couples non-minimally with the Ricci scalar defined in the Palatini formalism. Effective potential and phase-space diagrams are introduced to describe qualitatively the de-Sitter solutions and their stabilities. We find that for the simple power-law function V(φ)=V0φn there are no stable de-Sitter solutions. While for some more complicated potentials, i.e. V(φ)=V0φn+Λ and V(φ)=V0 (e ^{-λφ}+e^{λφ)2, stable de-Sitter solutions can exist.

Stability of the matrix model in operator interpretation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sakai, Katsuta

2017-12-01

The IIB matrix model is one of the candidates for nonperturbative formulation of string theory, and it is believed that the model contains gravitational degrees of freedom in some manner. In some preceding works, it was proposed that the matrix model describes the curved space where the matrices represent differential operators that are defined on a principal bundle. In this paper, we study the dynamics of the model in this interpretation, and point out the necessity of the principal bundle from the viewpoint of the stability and diffeomorphism invariance. We also compute the one-loop correction which yields a mass term for each field due to the principal bundle. We find that the stability is not violated.

Analysis to feature-based video stabilization/registration techniques within application of traffic data collection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sadat, Mojtaba T.; Viti, Francesco

2015-02-01

Machine vision is rapidly gaining popularity in the field of Intelligent Transportation Systems. In particular, advantages are foreseen by the exploitation of Aerial Vehicles (AV) in delivering a superior view on traffic phenomena. However, vibration on AVs makes it difficult to extract moving objects on the ground. To partly overcome this issue, image stabilization/registration procedures are adopted to correct and stitch multiple frames taken of the same scene but from different positions, angles, or sensors. In this study, we examine the impact of multiple feature-based techniques for stabilization, and we show that SURF detector outperforms the others in terms of time efficiency and output similarity.

Field instrumentation, monitoring of drilled shafts for landslide stabilization and development of pertinent design method : executive summary report.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2010-11-01

The use of a row of spaced drilled shafts to stabilize unstable slopes along the highways offers many advantages compared to other slope stabilization techniques. Some of these advantages may include: (1) various construction techniques are available...

Investigation of non-covalent and hydrogen bonding interactions on the formation of crystalline networks and supramolecular synthons of a series of α-aminophosphonates: Crystallography and DFT studies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mirzaei, Masoud; Eshghi, Hossein; Akhlaghi Bagherjeri, Fateme; Mirzaei, Mahdi; Farhadipour, Abolghasem

2018-07-01

α-Aminophosphonates have been rarely explored in the field of crystal engineering. These organic molecules are capable of forming reliable and reproducible supramolecular synthons through non-covalent interactions that can be employed for designing high dimensional supramolecular architectures. Here, we systematically study the influence of conventional and unconventional hydrogen bonding interactions on the formation of these synthons and stability of the crystal packing. The theoretical studies were employed to further confirm the presence of these synthons by comparing the stabilization energies of the dimers and monomers. The dependence of the stability of NH⋯O hydrogen bonds to the aromatic substituents were investigated using NBO analysis. The most stable compound was determined by comparing the HOMO-LUMO energy gap of all compounds and compared with NBO analysis.

Stability analysis of a deterministic dose calculation for MRI-guided radiotherapy.

PubMed

Zelyak, O; Fallone, B G; St-Aubin, J

2017-12-14

Modern effort in radiotherapy to address the challenges of tumor localization and motion has led to the development of MRI guided radiotherapy technologies. Accurate dose calculations must properly account for the effects of the MRI magnetic fields. Previous work has investigated the accuracy of a deterministic linear Boltzmann transport equation (LBTE) solver that includes magnetic field, but not the stability of the iterative solution method. In this work, we perform a stability analysis of this deterministic algorithm including an investigation of the convergence rate dependencies on the magnetic field, material density, energy, and anisotropy expansion. The iterative convergence rate of the continuous and discretized LBTE including magnetic fields is determined by analyzing the spectral radius using Fourier analysis for the stationary source iteration (SI) scheme. The spectral radius is calculated when the magnetic field is included (1) as a part of the iteration source, and (2) inside the streaming-collision operator. The non-stationary Krylov subspace solver GMRES is also investigated as a potential method to accelerate the iterative convergence, and an angular parallel computing methodology is investigated as a method to enhance the efficiency of the calculation. SI is found to be unstable when the magnetic field is part of the iteration source, but unconditionally stable when the magnetic field is included in the streaming-collision operator. The discretized LBTE with magnetic fields using a space-angle upwind stabilized discontinuous finite element method (DFEM) was also found to be unconditionally stable, but the spectral radius rapidly reaches unity for very low-density media and increasing magnetic field strengths indicating arbitrarily slow convergence rates. However, GMRES is shown to significantly accelerate the DFEM convergence rate showing only a weak dependence on the magnetic field. In addition, the use of an angular parallel computing strategy is shown to potentially increase the efficiency of the dose calculation.

Stability analysis of a deterministic dose calculation for MRI-guided radiotherapy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zelyak, O.; Fallone, B. G.; St-Aubin, J.

2018-01-01

Modern effort in radiotherapy to address the challenges of tumor localization and motion has led to the development of MRI guided radiotherapy technologies. Accurate dose calculations must properly account for the effects of the MRI magnetic fields. Previous work has investigated the accuracy of a deterministic linear Boltzmann transport equation (LBTE) solver that includes magnetic field, but not the stability of the iterative solution method. In this work, we perform a stability analysis of this deterministic algorithm including an investigation of the convergence rate dependencies on the magnetic field, material density, energy, and anisotropy expansion. The iterative convergence rate of the continuous and discretized LBTE including magnetic fields is determined by analyzing the spectral radius using Fourier analysis for the stationary source iteration (SI) scheme. The spectral radius is calculated when the magnetic field is included (1) as a part of the iteration source, and (2) inside the streaming-collision operator. The non-stationary Krylov subspace solver GMRES is also investigated as a potential method to accelerate the iterative convergence, and an angular parallel computing methodology is investigated as a method to enhance the efficiency of the calculation. SI is found to be unstable when the magnetic field is part of the iteration source, but unconditionally stable when the magnetic field is included in the streaming-collision operator. The discretized LBTE with magnetic fields using a space-angle upwind stabilized discontinuous finite element method (DFEM) was also found to be unconditionally stable, but the spectral radius rapidly reaches unity for very low-density media and increasing magnetic field strengths indicating arbitrarily slow convergence rates. However, GMRES is shown to significantly accelerate the DFEM convergence rate showing only a weak dependence on the magnetic field. In addition, the use of an angular parallel computing strategy is shown to potentially increase the efficiency of the dose calculation.

Corrigendum to "Stability analysis of a deterministic dose calculation for MRI-guided radiotherapy".

PubMed

Zelyak, Oleksandr; Fallone, B Gino; St-Aubin, Joel

2018-03-12

Modern effort in radiotherapy to address the challenges of tumor localization and motion has led to the development of MRI guided radiotherapy technologies. Accurate dose calculations must properly account for the effects of the MRI magnetic fields. Previous work has investigated the accuracy of a deterministic linear Boltzmann transport equation (LBTE) solver that includes magnetic field, but not the stability of the iterative solution method. In this work, we perform a stability analysis of this deterministic algorithm including an investigation of the convergence rate dependencies on the magnetic field, material density, energy, and anisotropy expansion. The iterative convergence rate of the continuous and discretized LBTE including magnetic fields is determined by analyzing the spectral radius using Fourier analysis for the stationary source iteration (SI) scheme. The spectral radius is calculated when the magnetic field is included (1) as a part of the iteration source, and (2) inside the streaming-collision operator. The non-stationary Krylov subspace solver GMRES is also investigated as a potential method to accelerate the iterative convergence, and an angular parallel computing methodology is investigated as a method to enhance the efficiency of the calculation. SI is found to be unstable when the magnetic field is part of the iteration source, but unconditionally stable when the magnetic field is included in the streaming-collision operator. The discretized LBTE with magnetic fields using a space-angle upwind stabilized discontinuous finite element method (DFEM) was also found to be unconditionally stable, but the spectral radius rapidly reaches unity for very low density media and increasing magnetic field strengths indicating arbitrarily slow convergence rates. However, GMRES is shown to significantly accelerate the DFEM convergence rate showing only a weak dependence on the magnetic field. In addition, the use of an angular parallel computing strategy is shown to potentially increase the efficiency of the dose calculation. © 2018 Institute of Physics and Engineering in Medicine.

Ventral tegmental area disruption selectively affects CA1/CA2 but not CA3 place fields during a differential reward working memory task

PubMed Central

Martig, Adria K; Mizumori, Sheri JY

2010-01-01

Hippocampus (HPC) receives dopaminergic (DA) projections from the ventral tegmental area (VTA) and substantia nigra. These inputs appear to provide a modulatory signal that influences HPC dependent behaviors and place fields. We examined how efferent projections from VTA to HPC influence spatial working memory and place fields when the reward context changes. CA1 and CA3 process environmental context changes differently and VTA preferentially innervates CA1. Given these anatomical data and electrophysiological evidence that implicates DA in reward processing, we predicted that CA1 place fields would respond more strongly to both VTA disruption and changes in the reward context than CA3 place fields. Rats (N=9) were implanted with infusion cannula targeting VTA and recording tetrodes aimed at HPC. Then they were tested on a differential reward, win-shift working memory task. One recording session consisted of 5 baseline and 5 manipulation trials during which place cells in CA1/CA2 (N=167) and CA3 (N=94) were recorded. Prior to manipulation trials rats were infused with either baclofen or saline and then subjected to control or reward conditions during which the learned locations of large and small reward quantities were reversed. VTA disruption resulted in an increase in errors, and in CA1/CA2 place field reorganization. There were no changes in any measures of CA3 place field stability during VTA disruption. Reward manipulations did not affect performance or place field stability in CA1/CA2 or CA3; however, changes in the reward locations “rescued” performance and place field stability in CA1/CA2 when VTA activity was compromised, perhaps by trigging compensatory mechanisms. These data support the hypothesis that VTA contributes to spatial working memory performance perhaps specifically by maintaining place field stability selectively in CA1/CA2. PMID:20082295

Moduli stabilising in heterotic nearly Kähler compactifications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Klaput, Michael; Lukas, Andre; Matti, Cyril; Svanes, Eirik E.

2013-01-01

We study heterotic string compactifications on nearly Kähler homogeneous spaces, including the gauge field effects which arise at order α'. Using Abelian gauge fields, we are able to solve the Bianchi identity and supersymmetry conditions to this order. The four-dimensional external space-time consists of a domain wall solution with moduli fields varying along the transverse direction. We find that the inclusion of α' corrections improves the moduli stabilization features of this solution. In this case, one of the dilaton and the volume modulus asymptotes to a constant value away from the domain wall. It is further shown that the inclusion of non-perturbative effects can stabilize the remaining modulus and "lift" the domain wall to an AdS vacuum. The coset SU(3)/U(1)2 is used as an explicit example to demonstrate the validity of this AdS vacuum. Our results show that heterotic nearly Kähler compactifications can lead to maximally symmetric four-dimensional space-times at the non-perturbative level.

Experimental investigation of condensation predictions for dust-enriched systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ustunisik, Gokce; Ebel, Denton S.; Walker, David; Boesenberg, Joseph S.

2014-10-01

Condensation models describe the equilibrium distribution of elements between coexisting phases (mineral solid solutions, silicate liquid, and vapor) in a closed chemical system, where the vapor phase is always present, using equations of state of the phases involved at a fixed total pressure (<1 bar) and temperature (T). The VAPORS code uses a CaO-MgO-Al2O3-SiO2 (CMAS) liquid model at T above the stability field of olivine, and the MELTS thermodynamics algorithm at lower T. Quenched high-T crystal + liquid assemblages are preserved in meteorites as Type B Ca-, Al-rich inclusions (CAIs), and olivine-rich ferromagnesian chondrules. Experimental tests of compositional regions within 100 K of the predicted T of olivine stability may clarify the nature of the phases present, the phase boundaries, and the partition of trace elements among these phases. Twenty-three Pt-loop equilibrium experiments in seven phase fields on twelve bulk compositions at specific T and dust enrichment factors tested the predicted stability fields of forsteritic olivine (Mg2SiO4), enstatite (MgSiO3), Cr-bearing spinel (MgAl2O4), perovskite (CaTiO3), melilite (Ca2Al2SiO7-Ca2Mg2Si2O7) and/or grossite (CaAl4O7) crystallizing from liquid. Experimental results for forsterite, enstatite, and grossite are in very good agreement with predictions, both in chemistry and phase abundances. On the other hand the stability of spinel with olivine, and stability of perovskite and gehlenite are quite different from predictions. Perovskite is absent in all experiments. Even at low oxygen fugacity (IW-3.4), the most TiO2-rich experiments do not crystallize Al-, Ti-bearing calcic pyroxene. The stability of spinel and olivine together is limited to a smaller phase field than is predicted. The melilite stability field is much larger than predicted, indicating a deficiency of current liquid or melilite activity models. In that respect, these experiments contribute to improving the data for calibrating thermodynamic models including MELTS.

Ferrofluid patterns in a radial magnetic field: linear stability, nonlinear dynamics, and exact solutions.

PubMed

Oliveira, Rafael M; Miranda, José A; Leandro, Eduardo S G

2008-01-01

The response of a ferrofluid droplet to a radial magnetic field is investigated, when the droplet is confined in a Hele-Shaw cell. We study how the stability properties of the interface and the shape of the emerging patterns react to the action of the magnetic field. At early linear stages, it is found that the radial field is destabilizing and determines the growth of fingering structures at the interface. In the weakly nonlinear regime, we have verified that the magnetic field favors the formation of peaked patterned structures that tend to become sharper and sharper as the magnitude of the magnetic effects is increased. A more detailed account of the pattern morphology is provided by the determination of nontrivial exact stationary solutions for the problem with finite surface tension. These solutions are obtained analytically and reveal the development of interesting polygon-shaped and starfishlike patterns. For sufficiently large applied fields or magnetic susceptibilities, pinch-off phenomena are detected, tending to occur near the fingertips. We have found that the morphological features obtained from the exact solutions are consistent with our linear and weakly nonlinear predictions. By contrasting the exact solutions for ferrofluids under radial field with those obtained for rotating Hele-Shaw flows with ordinary nonmagnetic fluids, we deduce that they coincide in the limit of very small susceptibilities.

Design and Management of Field Trials of Transgenic Cereals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bedő, Zoltán; Rakszegi, Mariann; Láng, László

The development of gene transformation systems has allowed the introgression of alien genes into plant genomes, thus providing a mechanism for broadening the genetic resources available to plant breeders. The design and the management of field trials vary according to the purpose for which transgenic cereals are developed. Breeders study the phenotypic and genotypic stability of transgenic plants, monitor the increase in homozygosity of transgenic genotypes under field conditions, and develop backcross generations to transfer the introduced genes into secondary transgenic cereal genotypes. For practical purposes, they may also multiply seed of the transgenic lines to produce sufficient amounts of grain for the detailed analysis of trait(s) of interest, to determine the field performance of transgenic lines, and to compare them with the non-transformed parental genotypes. Prior to variety registration, the Distinctness, Uniformity and Stability (DUS) tests and Value for Cultivation and Use (VCU) experiments are carried out in field trials. Field testing includes specific requirements for transgenic cereals to assess potential environmental risks. The capacity of the pollen to survive, establish and disseminate in the field test environment, the potential for gene transfer, the effects of products expressed by the introduced sequences and phenotypic and genotypic instability that might cause deleterious effects must all be specifically monitored, as required by EU Directives 2003/701/EC (1) on the release of genetically modified higher plants in the environment.

Improved supercapacitor performance of MnO2-electrospun carbon nanofibers electrodes by mT magnetic field

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zeng, Zheng; Liu, Yiyang; Zhang, Wendi; Chevva, Harish; Wei, Jianjun

2017-08-01

This work reports on a finding of mT magnetic field induced energy storage enhancement of MnO2-based supercapacitance electrodes (magneto-supercapacitor). Electrodes with MnO2 electrochemically deposited at electrospun carbon nanofibers (ECNFs) film are studied by cyclic voltammetry (CV), galvanostatic charge/discharge, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), and life cycle stability tests in the presence/absence of milli-Tesla (mT) magnetic fields derived by Helmholtz coils. In the presence of a 1.34 mT magnetic field, MnO2/ECNFs shows a magneto-enhanced capacitance of 141.7 F g-1 vs. 119.2 F g-1 (∼19% increase) with absence of magnetic field at a voltage sweeping rate of 5 mV s-1. The mechanism of the magneto-supercapacitance is discussed and found that the magnetic susceptibility of the MnO2 significantly improves the electron transfer of a pseudo-redox reaction of Mn(IV)/Mn(III) at the electrode, along with the magnetic field induced impedance effect, which may greatly enhance the interface charge density, facilitate electrolyte transportation, and improve the efficiency of cation intercalation/de-intercalation of the pseudocapacitor under mT-magnetic field exposure, resulting in enhancement of energy storage capacitance and longer charge/discharge time of the MnO2/ECNFs electrode without sacrificing its life cycle stability.

A study of the temporal stability of multiple cell vortices

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Khorrami, Mehdi R.

1989-01-01

The effect of initial mean velocity field on the stability characteristics of longitudinal vortices is documented in detail. The temporal stability of isolated multiple cell vortices is considered. The types of vortices studied include single cell as well as two and three cell vortices. It is shown that cell multiplicity in the vortex core has drastic effects on the stability characteristics. On the basis of numerical calculations, it is concluded that the growth rates of instabilities in multiple cell vortices are substantially larger (two to threefold increases are observed) than those of a single cell vortex. It is also determined that there is a substantial increase in the effective range of axial and azimuthal wavenumbers where instabilities are present. But most importantly, there is the appearance of a variety of viscous modes of instability. In the case of vortices, these latter instabilities which highlight the importance of viscous forces have never been reported before. These effects are discussed in detail for the case of a two cell vortex.

Overview of RWM Stabilization and Other Experiments With New Internal Coils in the DIII-D Tokamak

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jackson, G. L.; Evans, T. E.; La Haye, R. J.; Kellman, A. G.; Schaffer, M. J.; Scoville, J. T.; Strait, E. J.; Szymanski, D. D.; Bialek, J.; Garofalo, A. M.; Navratil, G. A.; Reimerdes, H.; Edgell, D. H.; Okabayashi, M.; Hatcher, R.

2003-10-01

A set of 12 single-turn internal coils (I-coils) has been installed and operated in the DIII-D tokamak. The primary purpose of these coils (A_coil = 1.1 m^2, I ≤,7 kA, d_wall = 1.47 cm) is to improve stabilization of the n=1 resistive wall mode (RWM), compared to the existing external C-coil set, especially for high βN advanced tokamak discharges in low toroidal rotation plasmas. The versatility of the I-coil set and its associated power systems allow for a variety of experiments: fast feedback stabilization of RWMs, dc error field correction, edge stochastic fields, n=1,2, or 3 toroidal magnetic braking, and MHD spectroscopy (0-60 Hz). The resonant field amplification from an applied n=1 field was found to be completely suppressed, demonstrating successfully the controllability with the new system. With the I-coils, the high βN regime (above the no wall limit) has been explored both with RWM feedback and with dynamic error field correction. Experiments on edge ergodization will also be discussed.

Modification and Mobility of Dunes and Ripples in Middle and High Southern Latitude Dune Fields

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Banks, M.; Fenton, L. K.; Chojnacki, M.; Silvestro, S.

2017-12-01

Change detection analyses of aeolian bedforms (dunes and ripples), using multi-temporal images (0.25 m/pixel) acquired by the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE), reveal changes and migration of some bedforms. We now have a database of 200 dune fields with migration rates for bedforms that are mobile. Results show that most northern (N) hemisphere bedforms show movement, while 50% of southern (S) hemisphere bedforms show no detectable changes. In particular, bedforms located >70° N are consistently mobile and exhibit high sand fluxes while S hemisphere bedforms progressively decrease in mobility with proximity to the S pole. We analyze HiRISE image pairs covering dune fields south of 40° S for evidence of movement and apply a dune stability index (SI) based on the presence/lack of superposed non-aeolian features and degree of degradation by non-aeolian processes (0-6, higher numbers indicating increasing evidence of stability/modification). Combining mobility data and SI for 71 dune fields, we find a clear trend of decreasing sand mobility and increasing SI with latitude: 1) both dunes and ripples are more commonly mobile at lower latitudes, although some high-latitude ripples are migrating, 2) dune fields with low SIs (≤3) tend to be active while those with higher SIs tend to be inactive, and 3) ripple migration rates decrease slightly with increasing latitude and SI, although this may be attributable to regional variations. The elevation of dune fields generally increases with increasing S latitude suggesting elevation, and decreasing pressure, may contribute to decreasing mobility. A change in dominance of active to inactive bedforms and a morphological shift to higher SIs (SI=2) both occur at 60º S and coincide with the edge of high concentrations of H2O-equivalent hydrogen content observed by the Neutron Spectrometer. This is consistent with previous studies suggesting stabilizing agents (e.g., ground ice), likely limit sediment movement (i.e. sand availability). Active dune fields with morphologies consistent with stability (i.e. migrating ripples with SI=3) may indicate possible competing influences of aeolian and non-aeolian processes (i.e. polar processes), or perhaps a temporal shift from earlier conditions dominated by polar processes to recent increases in aeolian activity.

ION-STABILIZED ELECTRON INDUCTION ACCELERATOR

DOEpatents

Finkelstein, D.

1960-03-22

A method and apparatus for establishing an ion-stabilized self-focusing relativistic electron beam from a plasma are reported. A plasma is introduced into a specially designed cavity by plasma guns, and a magnetic field satisfying betatron conditions is produced in the cavity by currents flowing in the highly conductive, non-magnetic surface of the cavity. This field forms the electron beam by induction from the plasma.

The dynamical environment of asteroid 21 Lutetia according to different internal models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aljbaae, S.; Chanut, T. G. G.; Carruba, V.; Souchay, J.; Prado, A. F. B. A.; Amarante, A.

2017-01-01

One of the most accurate models currently used to represent the gravity field of irregular bodies is the polyhedral approach. In this model, the mass of the body is assumed to be homogeneous, which may not be true for a real object. The main goal of the this paper is to study the dynamical effects induced by three different internal structures (uniform, three- and four-layered) of asteroid (21) Lutetia, an object that recent results from space probe suggest being at least partially differentiated. The Mascon gravity approach used in the this work consists of dividing each tetrahedron into eight parts to calculate the gravitational field around the asteroid. The zero-velocity curves show that the greatest displacement of the equilibrium points occurs in the position of the E4 point for the four-layered structure and the smallest one occurs in the position of the E3 point for the three-layered structure. Moreover, stability against impact shows that the planar limit gets slightly closer to the body with the four-layered structure. We then investigated the stability of orbital motion in the equatorial plane of (21) Lutetia and propose numerical stability criteria to map the region of stable motions. Layered structures could stabilize orbits that were unstable in the homogeneous model.

On the stability and collisions in triple stellar systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

He, Matthias Y.; Petrovich, Cristobal

2018-02-01

A significant fraction of main-sequence (MS) stars are part of a triple system. We study the long-term stability and dynamical outcomes of triple stellar systems using a large number of long-term direct N-body integrations with relativistic precession. We find that the previously proposed stability criteria by Eggleton & Kiseleva and Mardling & Aarseth predict the stability against ejections reasonably well for a wide range of parameters. Assuming that the triple stellar systems follow orbital and mass distributions from FGK binary stars in the field, we find that ˜ 1 per cent and ˜ 0.5 per cent of the triple systems lead to a direct head-on collision (impact velocity ˜ escape velocity) between MS stars and between a MS star and a stellar-mass compact object, respectively. We conclude that triple interactions are the dominant channel for direct collisions involving a MS star in the field with a rate of one event every ˜100 years in the Milky Way. We estimate that the fraction of triple systems that form short-period binaries is up to ˜ 23 per cent with only up to ˜ 13 per cent being the result of three-body interactions with tidal dissipation, which is consistent with previous work using a secular code.

Laboratory Study of MHD Effects on Stability of Free-surface Liquid Metal Flow

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Burin, M. J.; Ji, H.; McMurtry, K.; Peterson, L.; Giannakis, D.; Rosner, R.; Fischer, P.

2006-10-01

The dynamics of free-surface MHD shear flows is potentially important to both astrophysics (e.g. in the mixing of dense plasma accreted upon neutron star surfaces) and fusion reactors (e.g. in liquid metal ‘first walls’). To date however few relevant experiments exist. In order to study the fundamental physics of such flows, a small-scale laboratory experiment is being built using a liquid gallium alloy flowing in an open- channel geometry. The flow dimensions are nominally 10cm wide, 1cm deep, and 70cm long under an imposed magnetic field up to 7kG, leading to maximum Hartman number of 2000 and maximum Reynolds number of 4x10^5. Two basic physics issues will ultimately be addressed: (1) How do MHD effects modify the stability of the free surface? For example, is the flow more stable (through the suppression of cross-field motions), or less stable (through the introduction of new boundary layers)? We also investigate whether internal shear layers and imposed electric currents can control the surface stability. (2) How do MHD effects modify free-surface convection driven by a vertical and/or horizontal temperature gradient? We discuss aspects of both of these issues, along with detailed descriptions of the experimental device. Pertinent theoretical stability analyses and initial hydrodynamic results are presented in companion posters. This work is supported by DoE under contract #DE-AC02-76-CH03073.

Three-dimensional phase-field simulations of directional solidification

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Plapp, Mathis

2007-05-01

The phase-field method has become the method of choice for simulating microstructural pattern formation during solidification. One of its main advantages is that time-dependent three-dimensional simulations become feasible, which makes it possible to address long-standing questions of pattern stability and pattern selection. Here, a brief introduction to the phase-field model and its implementation is given, and its capabilities are illustrated by examples taken from the directional solidification of binary alloys. In particular, the morphological stability of hexagonal cellular arrays and of eutectic lamellar patterns is investigated.

Magnetic Stars After the Hayashi Phase. II.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Glagolevskij, Yu. V.

2016-09-01

The properties of magnetic stars derived from observational data are analyzed. The degree of "magnetic" braking of parent protostars, which depends the magnetic field and mass, is studied. The conditions under which magnetic and "normal" nonmagnetic stars are separated, which appear to depend only on the rotational velocity of the protostars, are examined. The reasons for differences in the average magnitudes of the magnetic field in massive and low-mass magnetic stars are analyzed. The magnetic field structures of magnetic stars and their stability over time (rigidity of rotation) are examined.

Certification Study of a Derivative Model of a Small Jet Transport Airplane Using a Piloted Research Simulator

DTIC Science & Technology

1977-06-01

RESEARCH SIMULATOR • RAYMOND 0. FORREST SYSTEMS RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT SERVICE FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION AMES RESEARCH CENTER MOFFE1T FIELD ...25 M o f f e t t Field , CA 94035 13. T ype of Repor t and P.r.od Co o er ed 12 . Sponsorrng Ar en cy Na me and Add eis ___________ U . S...dynamic stability derivatives of a complete airplane . The method utilizes potential flow theory to compute the surface flow fields and pressures on any

Stability and magnetically induced heating behavior of lipid-coated Fe3O4 nanoparticles.

PubMed

Allam, Ayat A; Sadat, Md Ehsan; Potter, Sarah J; Mast, David B; Mohamed, Dina F; Habib, Fawzia S; Pauletti, Giovanni M

2013-10-17

Magnetic nanoparticles that are currently explored for various biomedical applications exhibit a high propensity to minimize total surface energy through aggregation. This study introduces a unique, thermoresponsive nanocomposite design demonstrating substantial colloidal stability of superparamagnetic Fe3O4 nanoparticles (SPIONs) due to a surface-immobilized lipid layer. Lipid coating was accomplished in different buffer systems, pH 7.4, using an equimolar mixture of 1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DPPC) and l-α-dipalmitoylphosphatidyl glycerol (DPPG). Particle size and zeta potential were measured by dynamic laser light scattering. Heating behavior within an alternating magnetic field was compared between the commercial MFG-1000 magnetic field generator at 7 mT (1 MHz) and an experimental, laboratory-made magnetic hyperthermia system at 16.6 mT (13.7 MHz). The results revealed that product quality of lipid-coated SPIONs was significantly dependent on the colloidal stability of uncoated SPIONs during the coating process. Greatest stability was achieved at 0.02 mg/mL in citrate buffer (mean diameter = 80.0 ± 1.7 nm; zeta potential = -47.1 ± 2.6 mV). Surface immobilization of an equimolar DPPC/DPPG layer effectively reduced the impact of buffer components on particle aggregation. Most stable suspensions of lipid-coated nanoparticles were obtained at 0.02 mg/mL in citrate buffer (mean diameter = 179.3 ± 13.9 nm; zeta potential = -19.1 ± 2.3 mV). The configuration of the magnetic field generator significantly affected the heating properties of fabricated SPIONs. Heating rates of uncoated nanoparticles were substantially dependent on buffer composition but less influenced by particle concentration. In contrast, thermal behavior of lipid-coated nanoparticles within an alternating magnetic field was less influenced by suspension vehicle but dramatically more sensitive to particle concentration. These results underline the advantages of lipid-coated SPIONs on colloidal stability without compromising magnetically induced hyperthermia properties. Since phospholipids are biocompatible, these unique lipid-coated Fe3O4 nanoparticles offer exciting opportunities as thermoresponsive drug delivery carriers for targeted, stimulus-induced therapeutic interventions. PACS: 7550Mw; 7575Cd; 8185Qr.

Stability and magnetically induced heating behavior of lipid-coated Fe3O4 nanoparticles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Allam, Ayat A.; Sadat, Md Ehsan; Potter, Sarah J.; Mast, David B.; Mohamed, Dina F.; Habib, Fawzia S.; Pauletti, Giovanni M.

2013-10-01

Magnetic nanoparticles that are currently explored for various biomedical applications exhibit a high propensity to minimize total surface energy through aggregation. This study introduces a unique, thermoresponsive nanocomposite design demonstrating substantial colloidal stability of superparamagnetic Fe3O4 nanoparticles (SPIONs) due to a surface-immobilized lipid layer. Lipid coating was accomplished in different buffer systems, pH 7.4, using an equimolar mixture of 1,2-dipalmitoyl- sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DPPC) and l-α-dipalmitoylphosphatidyl glycerol (DPPG). Particle size and zeta potential were measured by dynamic laser light scattering. Heating behavior within an alternating magnetic field was compared between the commercial MFG-1000 magnetic field generator at 7 mT (1 MHz) and an experimental, laboratory-made magnetic hyperthermia system at 16.6 mT (13.7 MHz). The results revealed that product quality of lipid-coated SPIONs was significantly dependent on the colloidal stability of uncoated SPIONs during the coating process. Greatest stability was achieved at 0.02 mg/mL in citrate buffer (mean diameter = 80.0 ± 1.7 nm; zeta potential = -47.1 ± 2.6 mV). Surface immobilization of an equimolar DPPC/DPPG layer effectively reduced the impact of buffer components on particle aggregation. Most stable suspensions of lipid-coated nanoparticles were obtained at 0.02 mg/mL in citrate buffer (mean diameter = 179.3 ± 13.9 nm; zeta potential = -19.1 ± 2.3 mV). The configuration of the magnetic field generator significantly affected the heating properties of fabricated SPIONs. Heating rates of uncoated nanoparticles were substantially dependent on buffer composition but less influenced by particle concentration. In contrast, thermal behavior of lipid-coated nanoparticles within an alternating magnetic field was less influenced by suspension vehicle but dramatically more sensitive to particle concentration. These results underline the advantages of lipid-coated SPIONs on colloidal stability without compromising magnetically induced hyperthermia properties. Since phospholipids are biocompatible, these unique lipid-coated Fe3O4 nanoparticles offer exciting opportunities as thermoresponsive drug delivery carriers for targeted, stimulus-induced therapeutic interventions.

Monitoring and evaluation of fly ash stabilization stabilized subgrade constructed by the Wisconsin Department of Transportation.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2010-06-30

This report describes the monitoring and evaluation of a field site where Class C fly ash was used to stabilize the : subgrade during construction of a rigid pavement in a portion of USH 12 near Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin. : Additionally, information f...

Field studies on pesticides and birds: Unexpected and unique relations

USGS Publications Warehouse

Blus, L.J.; Henny, Charles J.

1997-01-01

We review the advantages and disadvantages of experimental and field studies for determining effects of pesticides on birds. Important problems or principles initially discovered in the field include effects of DDT (through its metabolite DDE) on eggshell thickness, reproductive success, and population stability; trophic-level bioaccumulation of the lipid-soluble organochlorine pesticides; indirect effects on productivity and survival through reductions in the food supply and cover by herbicides and insecticides; unexpected toxic effects and routes of exposure of organophosphorus compounds such as famphur and dimethoate; effects related to simultaneous application at full strength of several pesticides of different classes; and others. Also, potentially serious bird problems with dicofol, based on laboratory studies, later proved negligible in the field. In refining field tests of pesticides, the selection of a species or group of species to study is important, because exposure routes may vary greatly, and 10-fold interspecific differences in sensitivity to pesticides are relatively common. Although there are limitations with field investigations, particularly uncontrollable variables that must be addressed, the value of a well-designed field study far outweighs its shortcomings.

Field studies on pesticides and birds: unexpected and unique relations

USGS Publications Warehouse

Blus, L.J.; Henny, C.J.

1997-01-01

We review the advantages and disadvantages of experimental and field studies for determining effects of pesticides on birds. Important problems or principles initially discovered in the field include effects of DDT (through its metabolite DDE) on eggshell thickness, reproductive success, and population stability; trophic-level bioaccumulation of the lipid-soluble organochlorine pesticides; indirect effects on productivity and survival through reductions in the food supply and cover by herbicides and insecticides; unexpected toxic effects and routes of exposure of organophosphorus compounds such as famphur and dimethoate; effects related to simultaneous application at full strength of several pesticides of different classes; and others. Also, potentially serious bird problems with dicofol, based on laboratory studies, later proved negligible in the field. In refining field tests of pesticides, the selection of a species or group of species to study is important, because exposure routes may vary greatly, and 10-fold interspecific differences in sensitivity to pesticides are relatively common. Although there are limitations with field investigations, particularly uncontrollable variables that must be addressed, the value of a well-designed field study far outweighs its shortcomings

Biochar built soil carbon over a decade by stabilizing rhizodeposits

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

(Han) Weng, Zhe; van Zwieten, Lukas; Singh, Bhupinder Pal; Tavakkoli, Ehsan; Joseph, Stephen; MacDonald, Lynne M.; Rose, Terry J.; Rose, Michael T.; Kimber, Stephen W. L.; Morris, Stephen; Cozzolino, Daniel; Araujo, Joyce R.; Archanjo, Braulio S.; Cowie, Annette

2017-04-01

Biochar can increase the stable C content of soil. However, studies on the longer-term role of plant-soil-biochar interactions and the consequent changes to native soil organic carbon (SOC) are lacking. Periodic 13CO2 pulse labelling of ryegrass was used to monitor belowground C allocation, SOC priming, and stabilization of root-derived C for a 15-month period--commencing 8.2 years after biochar (Eucalyptus saligna, 550 °C) was amended into a subtropical ferralsol. We found that field-aged biochar enhanced the belowground recovery of new root-derived C (13C) by 20%, and facilitated negative rhizosphere priming (it slowed SOC mineralization by 5.5%, that is, 46 g CO2-C m-2 yr-1). Retention of root-derived 13C in the stable organo-mineral fraction (<53 μm) was also increased (6%, P < 0.05). Through synchrotron-based spectroscopic analysis of bulk soil, field-aged biochar and microaggregates (<250 μm), we demonstrate that biochar accelerates the formation of microaggregates via organo-mineral interactions, resulting in the stabilization and accumulation of SOC in a rhodic ferralsol.

Phosphorus Doping Effect in a Zinc Oxide Channel Layer to Improve the Performance of Oxide Thin-Film Transistors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Han, Dong-Suk; Moon, Yeon-Keon; Lee, Sih; Kim, Kyung-Taek; Moon, Dae-Yong; Lee, Sang-Ho; Kim, Woong-Sun; Park, Jong-Wan

2012-09-01

In this study, we fabricated phosphorus-doped zinc oxide-based thin-film transistors (TFTs) using direct current (DC) magnetron sputtering at a relatively low temperature of 100°C. To improve the TFT device performance, including field-effect mobility and bias stress stability, phosphorus dopants were employed to suppress the generation of intrinsic defects in the ZnO-based semiconductor. The positive and negative bias stress stabilities were dramatically improved by introducing the phosphorus dopants, which could prevent turn-on voltage ( V ON) shift in the TFTs caused by charge trapping within the active channel layer. The study showed that phosphorus doping in ZnO was an effective method to control the electrical properties of the active channel layers and improve the bias stress stability of oxide-based TFTs.

Analysis of the aging/stability process of organic solar cells based on PTB7:[70]PCBM and an alternative free-vacuum deposited cathode: the effect of active layer scaling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barreiro-Argüelles, Denisse; Ramos-Ortiz, Gabriel; Maldonado, José-Luis L.; Romero-Borja, Daniel; Meneses-Nava, Marco-Antonio; Pérez-Gutiérrez, Enrique

2017-08-01

The PV performance and aging/stability of organic photovoltaic (OPV) devices based on the well-known system PTB7:[70]PCBM and an alternative air-stable electrode deposited at room conditions are fully studied when the active area is scaled by a factor of 25. On the other hand, the aging/stability processes were also studied through single diode model, impedance spectroscopy and light-beam induced current (LBIC) measurements in accordance with the established ISOS-D1 (dark storage) and ISOS-L1 (illumination conditions) protocols. Results are a good indication that the alternative cathode Field's metal (FM) cathode works as an encapsulating material and provides excellent PV performance comparable with the common and costly high-vacuum evaporated Al cathode.

Magnetic fields in giant planet formation and protoplanetary discs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Keith, Sarah Louise

2015-12-01

Protoplanetary discs channel accretion onto their host star. How this is achieved is critical to the growth of giant planets which capture their massive gaseous atmosphere from the surrounding flow. Theoretical studies find that an embedded magnetic field could power accretion by hydromagnetic turbulence or torques from a large-scale field. This thesis presents a study of the inuence of magnetic fields in three key aspects of this process: circumplanetary disc accretion, gas flow across gaps in protoplanetary discs, and magnetic-braking in accretion discs. The first study examines the conditions needed for self-consistent accretion driven by magnetic fields or gravitational instability. Models of these discs typically rely on hydromagnetic turbulence as the source of effective viscosity. However, magnetically coupled,accreting regions may be so limited that the disc may not support sufficient inflow. An improved Shakura-Sunyaev ? disc is used to calculate the ionisation fraction and strength of non-ideal effects. Steady magnetically-driven accretion is limited to the thermally ionised, inner disc so that accretion in the remainder of the disc is time-dependent. The second study addresses magnetic flux transport in an accretion gap evacuated by a giant planet. Assuming the field is passively drawn along with the gas, the hydrodynamical simulation of Tanigawa, Ohtsuki & Machida (2012) is used for an a posteriori analysis of the gap field structure. This is used to post-calculate magnetohydrodynamical quantities. This assumption is self-consistent as magnetic forces are found to be weak, and good magnetic coupling ensures the field is frozen into the gas. Hall drift dominates across much of the gap, with the potential to facilitate turbulence and modify the toroidal field according to the global field orientation. The third study considers the structure and stability of magnetically-braked accretion discs. Strong evidence for MRI dead-zones has renewed interest in accretion powered by large-scale fields. An equilibrium model is presented for the radial structure of an axisymmetric, magnetically-braked accretion disc connected to a force-free external field. The accretion rate is multivalued at protoplanetary disc column densities, featuring an `S-curve' associated with models of accretion outbursting. A local, linear analysis of the stability of radial modes finds that the rapidly accreting, middle and upper solution branches are unstable, further highlighting the potential for eruptive accretion events.

An assessment of the mechanical stability of wells offshore Nigeria

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

Lowrey, J.P.; Ottesen, S.

In 1991 lost time due to stuck pipe related drilling problems accounted for approximately 18% of total drilling time in Mobil Producing Nigeria Ultd.`s (MPN) offshore operations. The primary cause of stuck pipe was identified as mechanical wellbore instability. This paper presents an assessment of the mechanical stability of MPN`s wells offshore Nigeria. The objectives of the study were to: (1) determine the magnitude of the in-situ principal stresses and material properties of the troublesome Intra-Biafra and Qua Iboe shale sequences; (2) quantify the drilling fluid densities required to drill mechanically stable wells through these formations; (3) review and recommendmore » well planning and operational parameters which aid in minimizing wellbore stability-related drilling problems. The well-bore stability assessment was carried out with the aid of a 3-dimensional wellbore stability model using field derived data from the study area to corroborate the results. The collection and analysis of drilling data (borehole geometry and density logs, pore pressure, leak-off tests, local geology and other relevant well records) to determine the magnitude of the in-situ principal stresses, together with compressive strength tests on formation cores are discussed. Minimum safe drilling fluid densities to promote wellbore stability as a function of well geometry and depth are presented for the most troublesome shales drilled in the study area. Implementation of the results reduced wellbore stability related problems and associated trouble time to less than 5% in 1992.« less

Saltmarsh creek bank stability: Biostabilisation and consolidation with depth

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Y.; Thompson, C. E. L.; Collins, M. B.

2012-03-01

The stability of cohesive sediments of a saltmarsh in Southern England was measured in the field and the laboratory using a Cohesive Strength Meter (CSM) and a shear vane apparatus. Cores and sediment samples were collected from two tidal creek banks, covered by Atriplex portulacoides (Sea Purslane) and Juncus maritimus (Sea Rush), respectively. The objectives of the study were to examine the variation of sediment stability throughout banks with cantilevers present and investigate the influence of roots and downcore consolidation on bank stability. Data on erosion threshold and shear strength were interpreted with reference to bank depth, sediment properties and biological influences. The higher average erosion threshold was from the Sea Purslane bank whilst the Sea Rush bank showed higher average vane shear strength. The vertical variation in core sediment stability was mainly affected by roots and downcore consolidation with depth. The data obtained from the bank faces revealed that vertical variations in both erosion threshold and vane shear strength were affected primarily by roots and algae. A quantitative estimate of the relative contributions of roots and downcore consolidation to bank sediment stability was undertaken using the bank stability data and sediment density data. This showed that roots contributed more to the Sea Purslane bank stability than downcore consolidation, whilst downcore consolidation has more pronounced effects on the Sea Rush bank stability.

A theoretical study of molecular structure, optical properties and bond activation of energetic compound FOX-7 under intense electric fields

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tao, Zhiqiang; Wang, Xin; Wei, Yuan; Lv, Li; Wu, Deyin; Yang, Mingli

2017-02-01

Molecular structure, vibrational and electronic absorption spectra, chemical reactivity of energetic compound FOX-7, one of the most widely used explosives, were studied computationally in presence of an electrostatic field of 0.01-0.05 a.u. The Csbnd N bond, which usually triggers the decomposition of FOX-7, is shortened/elongated under a parallel/antiparallel field. The Csbnd N bond activation energy varies with the external electric field, decreasing remarkably with the field strength in regardless of the field direction. This is attributed to two aspects: the bond weakening by the field parallel to the Csbnd N bond and the stabilization effect on the transition-state structure by the field antiparallel to the bond. The variations in the structure and property of FOX-7 under the electric fields were further analyzed with its distributional polarizability, which is dependent on the charge transfer characteristics through the Csbnd N bond.

Dynamics of Plasma Jets and Bubbles Launched into a Transverse Background Magnetic Field

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Yue

2017-10-01

A coaxial magnetized plasma gun has been utilized to launch both plasma jets (open B-field) and plasma bubbles (closed B-field) into a transverse background magnetic field in the HelCat (Helicon-Cathode) linear device at the University of New Mexico. These situations may have bearing on fusion plasmas (e.g. plasma injection for tokamak fueling, ELM pacing, or disruption mitigation) and astrophysical settings (e.g. astrophysical jet stability, coronal mass ejections, etc.). The magnetic Reynolds number of the gun plasma is 100 , so that magnetic advection dominates over magnetic diffusion. The gun plasma ram pressure, ρjetVjet2 >B02 / 2μ0 , the background magnetic pressure, so that the jet or bubble can easily penetrate the background B-field, B0. When the gun axial B-field is weak compared to the gun azimuthal field, a current-driven jet is formed with a global helical magnetic configuration. Applying the transverse background magnetic field, it is observed that the n = 1 kink mode is stabilized, while magnetic probe measurements show contrarily that the safety factor q(a) drops below unity. At the same time, a sheared axial jet velocity is measured. We conclude that the tension force arising from increasing curvature of the background magnetic field induces the measured sheared flow gradient above the theoretical kink-stabilization threshold, resulting in the emergent kink stabilization of the injected plasma jet. In the case of injected bubbles, spheromak-like plasma formation is verified. However, when the spheromak plasma propagates into the transverse background magnetic field, the typical self-closed global symmetry magnetic configuration does not hold any more. In the region where the bubble toroidal field opposed the background B-field, the magneto-Rayleigh-Taylor (MRT) instability has been observed. Details of the experiment setup, diagnostics, experimental results and theoretical analysis will be presented. Supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. AST-0613577 and the Army Research Office under Award No. W911NF1510480. This work performed in collaboration with D. Fisher, A. G. Lynn, M Gilmore, and S. C. Hsu.

Microscopic description of quadrupole collectivity in neutron-rich nuclei across the N = 126 shell closure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rodríguez-Guzmán, R.; Robledo, L. M.; Sharma, M. M.

2015-06-01

The quadrupole collectivity in Nd, Sm, Gd, Dy, Er, Yb, Hf and W nuclei with neutron numbers 122 ≤ N ≤ 156 is studied, both at the mean field level and beyond, using the Gogny energy density functional. Besides the robustness of the N = 126 neutron shell closure, it is shown that the onset of static deformations in those isotopic chains with increasing neutron number leads to an enhanced stability and further extends the corresponding two-neutron drip lines far beyond what could be expected from spherical calculations. Independence of the mean-field predictions with respect to the particular version of the Gogny energy density functional employed is demonstrated by comparing results based on the D1S and D1M parameter sets. Correlations beyond mean field are taken into account in the framework of the angular momentum projected generator coordinate method calculation. It is shown that N = 126 remains a robust neutron magic number when dynamical effects are included. The analysis of the collective wave functions, average deformations and excitation energies indicate that, with increasing neutron number, the zero-point quantum corrections lead to dominant prolate configurations in the 0{1/+}, 0{2/+}, 2{1/+} and 2{2/+} states of the studied nuclei. Moreover, those dynamical deformation effects provide an enhanced stability that further supports the mean-field predictions, corroborating a shift of the r-process path to higher neutron numbers. Beyond mean-field calculations provide a smaller shell gap at N = 126 than the mean-field one in good agreement with previous theoretical studies. However, the shell gap still remains strong enough in the two-neutron drip lines.

Modulus stabilization in a non-flat warped braneworld scenario

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Banerjee, Indrani; SenGupta, Soumitra

2017-05-01

The stability of the modular field in a warped brane world scenario has been a subject of interest for a long time. Goldberger and Wise (GW) proposed a mechanism to achieve this by invoking a massive scalar field in the bulk space-time neglecting the back-reaction. In this work, we examine the possibility of stabilizing the modulus without bringing about any external scalar field. We show that instead of flat 3-branes as considered in Randall-Sundrum (RS) warped braneworld model, if one considers a more generalized version of warped geometry with de Sitter 3-brane, then the brane vacuum energy automatically leads to a modulus potential with a metastable minimum. Our result further reveals that in this scenario the gauge hierarchy problem can also be resolved for an appropriate choice of the brane's cosmological constant.

Arsenic Fate, Transport And Stability Study: Groundwater, Surface Water, Soil And Sediment Investigation At Fort Devens Superfund Site

EPA Science Inventory

A field investigation was conducted to examine the distribution of arsenic in groundwater, surface water, and sediments at the Fort Devens Superfund Site. The study area encompassed a portion of plow Shop Pond (Red Cove), which receives groundwater discharge from the aquifer und...

Mobility and Academic Literacies: An Epistolary Conversation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Blommaert, Jan; Horner, Bruce

2017-01-01

This article explores the implications of a mobilities perspective for the conceptualization, teaching, and study of academic literacies. Mobility has come to serve as a catalyst for rethinking scholarly work in a variety of fields--most provocatively, the assumed stability as well as uniformity of what is studied and the location and products of…

Collocation of equilibria in gravitational field of triangular body via mass redistribution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Burov, Alexander A.; Guerman, Anna D.; Nikonov, Vasily I.

2018-05-01

We consider a gravitating system with triangular mass distribution that can be used as approximation of gravitational field for small irregular celestial bodies. In such system, the locations of equilibrium points, that is, the points where the gravitational forces are balanced, are analyzed. The goal is to find the mass distribution which provides equilibrium in a pre-assigned location near the triangular system, and to study the stability of this equilibrium.

Mathematical Aspects of Finite Element Methods for Incompressible Viscous Flows.

DTIC Science & Technology

1986-09-01

respectively. Here h is a parameter which is usually related to the size of the grid associated with the finite element partitioning of Q. Then one... grid and of not at least performing serious mesh refinement studies. It also points out the usefulness of rigorous results concerning the stability...overconstrained the .1% approximate velocity field. However, by employing different grids for the ’z pressure and velocity fields, the linear-constant

Additive noise-induced Turing transitions in spatial systems with application to neural fields and the Swift Hohenberg equation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hutt, Axel; Longtin, Andre; Schimansky-Geier, Lutz

2008-05-01

This work studies the spatio-temporal dynamics of a generic integral-differential equation subject to additive random fluctuations. It introduces a combination of the stochastic center manifold approach for stochastic differential equations and the adiabatic elimination for Fokker-Planck equations, and studies analytically the systems’ stability near Turing bifurcations. In addition two types of fluctuation are studied, namely fluctuations uncorrelated in space and time, and global fluctuations, which are constant in space but uncorrelated in time. We show that the global fluctuations shift the Turing bifurcation threshold. This shift is proportional to the fluctuation variance. Applications to a neural field equation and the Swift-Hohenberg equation reveal the shift of the bifurcation to larger control parameters, which represents a stabilization of the system. All analytical results are confirmed by numerical simulations of the occurring mode equations and the full stochastic integral-differential equation. To gain some insight into experimental manifestations, the sum of uncorrelated and global additive fluctuations is studied numerically and the analytical results on global fluctuations are confirmed qualitatively.

The MHD Kelvin-Helmholtz Instability. II. The Roles of Weak and Oblique Fields in Planar Flows

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jones, T. W.; Gaalaas, Joseph B.; Ryu, Dongsu; Frank, Adam

1997-06-01

We have carried out high-resolution MHD simulations of the nonlinear evolution of Kelvin-Helmholtz unstable flows in 21/2 dimensions. The modeled flows and fields were initially uniform except for a thin shear layer with a hyperbolic tangent velocity profile and a small, normal mode perturbation. These simulations extend work by Frank et al. and Malagoli, Bodo, & Rosner. They consider periodic sections of flows containing magnetic fields parallel to the shear layer, but projecting over a full range of angles with respect to the flow vectors. They are intended as preparation for fully three-dimensional calculations and to address two specific questions raised in earlier work: (1) What role, if any, does the orientation of the field play in nonlinear evolution of the MHD Kelvin-Helmholtz instability in 21/2 dimensions? (2) Given that the field is too weak to stabilize against a linear perturbation of the flow, how does the nonlinear evolution of the instability depend on strength of the field? The magnetic field component in the third direction contributes only through minor pressure contributions, so the flows are essentially two-dimensional. In Frank et al. we found that fields too weak to stabilize a linear perturbation may still be able to alter fundamentally the flow so that it evolves from the classical ``Cat's Eye'' vortex expected in gasdynamics into a marginally stable, broad laminar shear layer. In that process the magnetic field plays the role of a catalyst, briefly storing energy and then returning it to the plasma during reconnection events that lead to dynamical alignment between magnetic field and flow vectors. In our new work we identify another transformation in the flow evolution for fields below a critical strength. That we found to be ~10% of the critical field needed for linear stabilization in the cases we studied. In this ``very weak field'' regime, the role of the magnetic field is to enhance the rate of energy dissipation within and around the Cat's Eye vortex, not to disrupt it. The presence of even a very weak field can add substantially to the rate at which flow kinetic energy is dissipated. In all of the cases we studied magnetic field amplification by stretching in the vortex is limited by tearing mode, ``fast'' reconnection events that isolate and then destroy magnetic flux islands within the vortex and relax the fields outside the vortex. If the magnetic tension developed prior to reconnection is comparable to Reynolds stresses in the flow, that flow is reorganized during reconnection. Otherwise, the primary influence on the plasma is generation of entropy. The effective expulsion of flux from the vortex is very similar to that shown by Weiss for passive fields in idealized vortices with large magnetic Reynolds numbers. We demonstrated that this expulsion cannot be interpreted as a direct consequence of steady, resistive diffusion, but must be seen as a consequence of unsteady fast reconnection.

The stability properties of cylindrical force-free fields - Effect of an external potential field

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chiuderi, C.; Einaudi, G.; Ma, S. S.; Van Hoven, G.

1980-01-01

A large-scale potential field with an embedded smaller-scale force-free structure gradient x B equals alpha B is studied in cylindrical geometry. Cases in which alpha goes continuously from a constant value alpha 0 on the axis to zero at large r are considered. Such a choice of alpha (r) produces fields which are realistic (few field reversals) but not completely stable. The MHD-unstable wavenumber regime is found. Since the considered equilibrium field exhibits a certain amount of magnetic shear, resistive instabilities can arise. The growth rates of the tearing mode in the limited MHD-stable region of k space are calculated, showing time-scales much shorter than the resistive decay time.

Field-induced reentrant magnetoelectric phase in LiNiPO 4

DOE PAGES

Toft-Petersen, Rasmus; Fogh, Ellen; Kihara, Takumi; ...

2017-02-21

Using pulsed magnetic fields up to 30 T we have measured the bulk magnetization and electrical polarization of LiNiPO 4 and have studied its magnetic structure by time-of-flight neutron Laue diffraction. Our data establish the existence of a reentrant magnetoelectric phase between 19 T and 21 T. We show that a magnetized version of the zero field commensurate structure explains the magnetoelectric response quantitatively. The stability of this structure suggests a field-dependent spin anisotropy. Above 21 T , a magnetoelectrically inactive, short-wavelength incommensurate structure is identified. Lastly, our results demonstrate the combination of pulsed fields with epithermal neutron Laue diffractionmore » as a powerful method to probe even complex phase diagrams in strong magnetic fields.« less

Double Arc Instability in the Solar Corona

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

Ishiguro, N.; Kusano, K., E-mail: n-ishiguro@isee.nagoya-u.ac.jp

The stability of the magnetic field in the solar corona is important for understanding the causes of solar eruptions. Although various scenarios have been suggested to date, the tether-cutting reconnection scenario proposed by Moore et al. is one of the widely accepted models to explain the onset process of solar eruptions. Although the tether-cutting reconnection scenario proposes that the sigmoidal field formed by internal reconnection is the magnetic field in the pre-eruptive state, the stability of the sigmoidal field has not yet been investigated quantitatively. In this paper, in order to elucidate the stability problem of the pre-eruptive state, wemore » developed a simple numerical analysis in which the sigmoidal field is modeled by a double arc electric current loop and its stability is analyzed. As a result, we found that the double arc loop is more easily destabilized than the axisymmetric torus, and it becomes unstable even if the external field does not decay with altitude, which is in contrast to the axisymmetric torus instability. This suggests that tether-cutting reconnection may well work as the onset mechanism of solar eruptions, and if so, the critical condition for eruption under a certain geometry may be determined by a new type of instability rather than by the torus instability. Based on them, we propose a new type of instability called double arc instability (DAI). We discuss the critical conditions for DAI and derive a new parameter κ , defined as the product of the magnetic twist and the normalized flux of the tether-cutting reconnection.« less

Field soil aggregate stability kit for soil quality and rangeland health evaluations

USGS Publications Warehouse

Herrick, J.E.; Whitford, W.G.; de Soyza, A. G.; Van Zee, J. W.; Havstad, K.M.; Seybold, C.A.; Walton, M.

2001-01-01

Soil aggregate stability is widely recognized as a key indicator of soil quality and rangeland health. However, few standard methods exist for quantifying soil stability in the field. A stability kit is described which can be inexpensively and easily assembled with minimal tools. It permits up to 18 samples to be evaluated in less than 10 min and eliminates the need for transportation, minimizing damage to soil structure. The kit consists of two 21??10.5??3.5 cm plastic boxes divided into eighteen 3.5??3.5 cm sections, eighteen 2.5-cm diameter sieves with 1.5-mm distance openings and a small spatula used for soil sampling. Soil samples are rated on a scale from one to six based on a combination of ocular observations of slaking during the first 5 min following immersion in distilled water, and the percent remaining on a 1.5-mm sieve after five dipping cycles at the end of the 5-min period. A laboratory comparison yielded a correlation between the stability class and percent aggregate stability based on oven dry weight remaining after treatment using a mechanical sieve. We have applied the method in a wide variety of agricultural and natural ecosystems throughout western North America, including northern Mexico, and have found that it is highly sensitive to differences in management and plant community composition. Although the field kit cannot replace the careful laboratory-based measurements of soil aggregate stability, it can clearly provide valuable information when these more intensive procedures are not possible.

Assessing Gaussian Assumption of PMU Measurement Error Using Field Data

DOE PAGES

Wang, Shaobu; Zhao, Junbo; Huang, Zhenyu; ...

2017-10-13

Gaussian PMU measurement error has been assumed for many power system applications, such as state estimation, oscillatory modes monitoring, voltage stability analysis, to cite a few. This letter proposes a simple yet effective approach to assess this assumption by using the stability property of a probability distribution and the concept of redundant measurement. Extensive results using field PMU data from WECC system reveal that the Gaussian assumption is questionable.

General methods for determining the linear stability of coronal magnetic fields

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Craig, I. J. D.; Sneyd, A. D.; Mcclymont, A. N.

1988-01-01

A time integration of a linearized plasma equation of motion has been performed to calculate the ideal linear stability of arbitrary three-dimensional magnetic fields. The convergence rates of the explicit and implicit power methods employed are speeded up by using sequences of cyclic shifts. Growth rates are obtained for Gold-Hoyle force-free equilibria, and the corkscrew-kink instability is found to be very weak.

General methods for determining the linear stability of coronal magnetic fields

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

Craig, I.J.D.; Sneyd, A.D.; McClymont, A.N.

1988-12-01

A time integration of a linearized plasma equation of motion has been performed to calculate the ideal linear stability of arbitrary three-dimensional magnetic fields. The convergence rates of the explicit and implicit power methods employed are speeded up by using sequences of cyclic shifts. Growth rates are obtained for Gold-Hoyle force-free equilibria, and the corkscrew-kink instability is found to be very weak. 19 references.

Performance and completion assessment of an in-situ aerated municipal solid waste landfill - Final scientific documentation of an Austrian case study.

PubMed

Hrad, Marlies; Huber-Humer, Marion

2017-05-01

By converting anaerobic landfills into a biologically stabilized state through accelerating aerobic organic matter degradation, the effort and duration necessary for post-closure procedures can be shortened. In Austria, the first full-scale application of in-situ landfill aeration by means of low pressure air injection with simultaneous off-gas collection and treatment was implemented on an old MSW-landfill and operated between 2007 and 2013. Besides complementary laboratory investigations, which included waste sampling from the landfill site prior to aeration start, a comprehensive field monitoring program was conducted to assess the influence of the aeration measure on the emission behavior of the landfilled waste during the aeration period as well as after aeration completion. Although the initial waste material was described as rather stable, the lab-scale aeration tests indicated a significant improvement of the leachate quality and even the biological solid waste stability. However, the aeration success was less pronounced for the application at the landfill site, mainly due to technical limitations in the full-scale operation. In this paper main performance data of the field investigation are compared to four other scientifically documented case studies along with stability indicators for solid waste and leachate characteristics in order to evaluate the success of aeration as well as the progress of a landfill towards completion and end of post-closure care. A number of quantitative benchmarks and relevant context information for the performance assessment of the five hitherto conducted international aeration projects are proposed aiming to support the systematization and harmonization of available results from diverse field studies and full-scale applications in future. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

On the stability of fast rotating magentodiscs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Neupane, B. R.; Delamere, P. A.; Ma, X.

2016-12-01

In this study, a steady-state, self-consistent magnetodisc model (i.e., Caudal [1986] model based on in-situ observational temperature and density profile) has been developed to systematically investigate the stability of fast rotationing magnetodiscs, which is fundamentally important to the dynamics of Jupiter's and Saturn's magnetospheres. Comparison between model and observational data (magnetic field component normal to the equatorial plane) suggests that Saturn's magnetodisc equilibrium is dominated by the heavy and cold plasma, where the centrifugal force cannot be ignored. In contrast, the hot tenuous plasma contribution, in which the centrifugal force can be ignored, should be small. In general, the stability of the Saturn's magnetosphere is determined by the competition between the radial decrease of flux tube content and radial increase of flux tube entropy. The profiles of flux tube content and flux tube entropy are expected to vary under different solar wind dynamic pressure conditions, consequently changing the stability of the magnetosphere. We will discuss stability during solar wind compression and expansion.

Soil aggregate stability and rainfall-induced sediment transport on field plots as affected by amendment with organic matter inputs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shi, Pu; Arter, Christian; Liu, Xingyu; Keller, Martin; Schulin, Rainer

2017-04-01

Aggregate stability is an important factor in soil resistance against erosion, and, by influencing the extent of sediment transport associated with surface runoff, it is thus also one of the key factors which determine on- and off-site effects of water erosion. As it strongly depends on soil organic matter, many studies have explored how aggregate stability can be improved by organic matter inputs into the soil. However, the focus of these studies has been on the relationship between aggregate stability and soil organic matter dynamics. How the effects of organic matter inputs on aggregate stability translate into soil erodibility under rainfall impacts has received much less attention. In this study, we performed field plot experiments to examine how organic matter inputs affect aggregate breakdown and surface sediment transport under field conditions in artificial rainfall events. Three pairs of plots were prepared by adding a mixture of grass and wheat straw to one of plots in each pair but not to the other, while all plots were treated in the same way otherwise. The rainfall events were applied some weeks later so that the applied organic residues had sufficient time for decomposition and incorporation into the soil. Surface runoff rate and sediment concentration showed substantial differences between the treatments with and without organic matter inputs. The plots with organic inputs had coarser and more stable aggregates and a rougher surface than the control plots without organic inputs, resulting in a higher infiltration rate and lower transport capacity of the surface runoff. Consequently, sediments exported from the amended plots were less concentrated but more enriched in suspended particles (<20 µm) than from the un-amended plots, indicating a more size-selective sediment transport. In contrast to the amended plots, there was an increase in the coarse particle fraction (> 250 µm) in the runoff from the plots with no organic matter inputs towards the end of the rainfall events due to emerging bed-load transport. The results show that a single application of organic matter can already cause a large difference in aggregate breakdown, surface sealing, and lateral sediment-associated matter transfer under rainfall impact. Furthermore, we will present terrestrial laser scanning data showing the treatment effects on soil surface structure, as well as data on carbon, phosphorus and heavy metal export associated with the translocation of the sediments.

Process Stability of Ultrasonic-Wave-Assisted Gas Metal Arc Welding

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fan, Chenglei; Xie, Weifeng; Yang, Chunli; Lin, Sanbao; Fan, Yangyang

2017-10-01

As a newly developed arc welding method, ultrasonic-wave-assisted arc welding successfully introduced power ultrasound into the arc and weld pool, during which the ultrasonic acts on the top of the arc in the coaxial alignment direction. The advanced process for molten metals can be realized by using an additional ultrasonic field. Compared with the conventional gas metal arc welding (GMAW), the welding arc is compressed, the droplet size is decreased, and the droplet transfer frequency is increased significantly in ultrasonic-wave-assisted GMAW (U-GMAW). However, the stability of the metal transfer has deep influence on the welding quality equally, and the ultrasonic wave effect on the stability of the metal transfer is a phenomenon that is not completely understood. In this article, the stabilities of the short-circuiting transfer process and globular transfer process are studied systematically, and the effect of ultrasonic wave on the metal transfer is analyzed further. The transfer frequency and process stability of the U-GMAW process are much higher than those of the conventional GMAW. Analytical results show that the additional ultrasonic wave is helpful for improving welding stability.

Optimization of ultrasonication period for better dispersion and stability of TiO2-water nanofluid.

PubMed

Mahbubul, I M; Elcioglu, Elif Begum; Saidur, R; Amalina, M A

2017-07-01

Nanofluids are promising in many fields, including engineering and medicine. Stability deterioration may be a critical constraint for potential applications of nanofluids. Proper ultrasonication can improve the stability, and possibility of the safe use of nanofluids in different applications. In this study, stability properties of TiO 2 -H 2 O nanofluid for varying ultrasonication durations were tested. The nanofluids were prepared through two-step method; and electron microscopies, with particle size distribution and zeta potential analyses were conducted for the evaluation of their stability. Results showed the positive impact of ultrasonication on nanofluid dispersion properties up to some extent. Ultrasonication longer than 150min resulted in re-agglomeration of nanoparticles. Therefore, ultrasonication for 150min was the optimum period yielding highest stability. A regression analysis was also done in order to relate the average cluster size and ultrasonication time to zeta potential. It can be concluded that performing analytical imaging and colloidal property evaluation during and after the sample preparation leads to reliable insights. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Perturbative stability of SFT-based cosmological models

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

Galli, Federico; Koshelev, Alexey S., E-mail: fgalli@tena4.vub.ac.be, E-mail: alexey.koshelev@vub.ac.be

2011-05-01

We review the appearance of multiple scalar fields in linearized SFT based cosmological models with a single non-local scalar field. Some of these local fields are canonical real scalar fields and some are complex fields with unusual coupling. These systems only admit numerical or approximate analysis. We introduce a modified potential for multiple scalar fields that makes the system exactly solvable in the cosmological context of Friedmann equations and at the same time preserves the asymptotic behavior expected from SFT. The main part of the paper consists of the analysis of inhomogeneous cosmological perturbations in this system. We show numericallymore » that perturbations corresponding to the new type of complex fields always vanish. As an example of application of this model we consider an explicit construction of the phantom divide crossing and prove the perturbative stability of this process at the linear order. The issue of ghosts and ways to resolve it are briefly discussed.« less

Current evidence in the stability of medicines in dose administration aids: implications for patient safety.

PubMed

García, Estela R; Thalhauser, Stefanie; Loscertales, Hèctor R; Modamio, Pilar; Lastra, Cecilia F; Mariño, Eduardo L

2018-06-01

As the elderly population and polypharmacy are increasing, it is predicted that interventions to enhance medication adherence, as dose administration aids (DAA), will grow. One of the limitations of repackaging medicines into DAA is to assure the stability of medicines, and, therefore, their quality, efficacy and safety. Area covered: This article collects and summarises data of all the stability studies of repackaged medicines into DAAs. Computerized search in databases: PubMed, Google Scholar, SciELO, and reference texts related to the field (keywords: drug stability, DAAs, compliance aids, and repackaging), open access databases and guidelines. Also, it provides recommendations on the suitability of repackaging and compares them with those established. Expert opinion: Since medicines are removed from primary package, their stability can be compromised due to psychochemical characteristics of the drug substance and product, the dosage form, the type of DAA selected, the co-storage and splitting, the repackaging conditions, and the conditions of storage. This review reflects the need of more standardized stability studies to guarantee the quality of repackaged medicines. In addition, the importance of them to support the pharmacist to make the best decisions in order to maximize outcomes and minimize risks related to patients' medication when repackaging it.

Acoustical stability of a sonoluminescing bubble

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Holzfuss, Joachim; Rüggeberg, Matthias; Holt, R. Glynn

2002-10-01

In the parameter region for sonoluminescence of a single levitated bubble in a water-filled resonator it is observed that the bubble may have an enormous spatial stability leaving it ``pinned'' in the fluid and allowing it to emit light pulses of picosecond accuracy. We report here observations of a complex harmonic structure in the acoustic field surrounding a sonoluminescing bubble. We show that this complex sound field determines the position of the bubble and may either increase or decrease its spatial stability. The acoustic environment of the bubble is the result of the excitation of high-order normal modes of the resonator by the outgoing shock wave generated by the bubble collapse.

Fluid mechanics of continuous flow electrophoresis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Saville, D. A.; Ostrach, S.

1978-01-01

The following aspects of continuous flow electrophoresis were studied: (1) flow and temperature fields; (2) hydrodynamic stability; (3) separation efficiency, and (4) characteristics of wide gap chambers (the SPAR apparatus). Simplified mathematical models were developed so as to furnish a basis for understanding the phenomena and comparison of different chambers and operating conditions. Studies of the hydrodynamic stability disclosed that a wide gap chamber may be particularly sensitive to axial temperature variations which could be due to uneven heating or cooling. The mathematical model of the separation process includes effects due to the axial velocity, electro-osmotic cross flow and electrophoretic migration, all including the effects of temperature dependent properties.

Energy-balance climate models

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

North, G. R.; Cahalan, R. F.; Coakley, J. A., Jr.

1980-01-01

An introductory survey of the global energy balance climate models is presented with an emphasis on analytical results. A sequence of increasingly complicated models involving ice cap and radiative feedback processes are solved and the solutions and parameter sensitivities are studied. The model parameterizations are examined critically in light of many current uncertainties. A simple seasonal model is used to study the effects of changes in orbital elements on the temperature field. A linear stability theorem and a complete nonlinear stability analysis for the models are developed. Analytical solutions are also obtained for the linearized models driven by stochastic forcing elements. In this context the relation between natural fluctuation statistics and climate sensitivity is stressed.

Energy balance climate models

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

North, G. R.; Cahalan, R. F.; Coakley, J. A., Jr.

1981-01-01

An introductory survey of the global energy balance climate models is presented with an emphasis on analytical results. A sequence of increasingly complicated models involving ice cap and radiative feedback processes are solved, and the solutions and parameter sensitivities are studied. The model parameterizations are examined critically in light of many current uncertainties. A simple seasonal model is used to study the effects of changes in orbital elements on the temperature field. A linear stability theorem and a complete nonlinear stability analysis for the models are developed. Analytical solutions are also obtained for the linearized models driven by stochastic forcing elements. In this context the relation between natural fluctuation statistics and climate sensitivity is stressed.

Stabilized nonlinear optical chromophore alignment in high-? guest - host polycarbonates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Healy, D.; Bloor, D.; Gray, D.; Cross, G. H.

1997-11-01

Electric-field-poling studies of two polycarbonates doped with 2-(N,N dimethylamino)-5-nitroacetanilide revealed a long-term room-temperature alignment stability. This stability at room temperature is compared with that of similarly doped poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) which displays short-term relaxation. Despite several previous suggestions that hydrogen bonding between guest and host plays a major role in these effects, infra-red spectroscopic studies refuted the idea that stronger hydrogen bond formation in the polycarbonate rather than in PMMA is the dominant influence. Rather we show, using an examination of the poling currents during poling, that the re-orientation dynamics in the polycarbonate systems are markedly different. In the case of PMMA-doped films, the deposited surface charge is compensated by poling currents at a rate at least comparable to the rate of deposition of corona charge. The compensation rate for polycarbonate-doped systems was markedly lower, however, suggesting that polar re-orientation is slower. Studies of the second-order optical nonlinearities of poled thin films using second-harmonic generation revealed an apparent enhancement of the second-harmonic coefficient compared with the predictions of conventional theories. However, we note that the use of microscopic parameters (the dipole moment and the first hyperpolarizability) obtained from measurements in non-dipolar media may give rise to the apparent anomaly since high reaction fields in polycarbonate films may act to modify these parameters.

The effect of leg preference on postural stability in healthy athletes.

PubMed

Huurnink, Arnold; Fransz, Duncan P; Kingma, Idsart; Hupperets, Maarten D W; van Dieën, Jaap H

2014-01-03

In research regarding postural stability, leg preference is often tested and controlled for. However, leg preference may vary between tasks. As athletes are a group of interest for postural stability testing, we evaluated the effect of five leg preference tasks categorization (step up, hop, ball kick, balance, pick up) on single-leg postural stability of 16 field hockey athletes. The 'center of pressure speed' was calculated as the primary outcome variable of single-leg postural stability. Secondary variables were 'mean length of the GRF vector in the horizontal plane', 'mean length of the ankle angular velocity vector', and 'mean length of the hip angular velocity vector', as well as the separate outcomes per degree of freedom. Results showed that leg preference was inconsistent between leg preference tasks. Moreover, the primary and secondary variables yielded no significant difference between the preferred and non-preferred legs, regardless of the applied leg preference task categorization (p>0.05). The present findings do not support the usability of leg preference tasks in controlling for bias of postural stability. In conclusion, none of the applied leg preference tasks revealed a significant effect on postural stability in healthy field hockey athletes. © 2013 Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Effect of dielectric layers on device stability of pentacene-based field-effect transistors.

PubMed

Di, Chong-an; Yu, Gui; Liu, Yunqi; Guo, Yunlong; Sun, Xiangnan; Zheng, Jian; Wen, Yugeng; Wang, Ying; Wu, Weiping; Zhu, Daoben

2009-09-07

We report stable organic field-effect transistors (OFETs) based on pentacene. It was found that device stability strongly depends on the dielectric layer. Pentacene thin-film transistors based on the bare or polystyrene-modified SiO(2) gate dielectrics exhibit excellent electrical stabilities. In contrast, the devices with the octadecyltrichlorosilane (OTS)-treated SiO(2) dielectric layer showed the worst stabilities. The effects of the different dielectrics on the device stabilities were investigated. We found that the surface energy of the gate dielectric plays a crucial role in determining the stability of the pentacene thin film, device performance and degradation of electrical properties. Pentacene aggregation, phase transfer and film morphology are also important factors that influence the device stability of pentacene devices. As a result of the surface energy mismatch between the dielectric layer and organic semiconductor, the electronic performance was degraded. Moreover, when pentacene was deposited on the OTS-treated SiO(2) dielectric layer with very low surface energy, pentacene aggregation occurred and resulted in a dramatic decrease of device performance. These results demonstrated that the stable OFETs could be obtained by using pentacene as a semiconductor layer.

Azimuthal magnetorotational instability with super-rotation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rüdiger, G.; Schultz, M.; Gellert, M.; Stefani, F.

2018-02-01

It is demonstrated that the azimuthal magnetorotational instability (AMRI) also works with radially increasing rotation rates contrary to the standard magnetorotational instability for axial fields which requires negative shear. The stability against non-axisymmetric perturbations of a conducting Taylor-Couette flow with positive shear under the influence of a toroidal magnetic field is considered if the background field between the cylinders is current free. For small magnetic Prandtl number the curves of neutral stability converge in the (Hartmann number,Reynolds number) plane approximating the stability curve obtained in the inductionless limit . The numerical solutions for indicate the existence of a lower limit of the shear rate. For large the curves scale with the magnetic Reynolds number of the outer cylinder but the flow is always stable for magnetic Prandtl number unity as is typical for double-diffusive instabilities. We are particularly interested to know the minimum Hartmann number for neutral stability. For models with resting or almost resting inner cylinder and with perfectly conducting cylinder material the minimum Hartmann number occurs for a radius ratio of \\text{in}=0.9$ . The corresponding critical Reynolds numbers are smaller than 4$ .

Slow Freezing Coupled Static Magnetic Field Exposure Enhances Cryopreservative Efficiency—A Study on Human Erythrocytes

PubMed Central

Lin, Chun-Yen; Wei, Po-Li; Chang, Wei-Jen; Huang, Yung-Kai; Feng, Sheng-Wei; Lin, Che-Tong; Lee, Sheng-Yang; Huang, Haw-Ming

2013-01-01

The aim of this study was to assess the cryoprotective effect of static magnetic fields (SMFs) on human erythrocytes during the slow cooling procedure. Human erythrocytes suspended in 20% glycerol were slowly frozen with a 0.4-T or 0.8-T SMF and then moved to a −80°C freezer for 24 hr. The changes in survival rate, morphology, and metabolites of the thawed erythrocytes were examined. To understand possible cryoprotective mechanisms of SMF, membrane fluidity and dehydration stability of SMF-exposed erythrocytes were tested. For each test, sham-exposed erythrocytes were used as controls. Our results showed that freezing coupled with 0.4-T or 0.8-T SMFs significantly increased the relative survival ratios of the frozen-thawed erythrocytes by 10% and 20% (p<0.001), respectively. The SMFs had no effect on erythrocyte morphology and metabolite levels. However, membrane fluidity of the samples exposed to 0.8-T SMF decreased significantly (p<0.05) in the hydrophobic regions. For the dehydration stability experiments, the samples exposed to 0.8-T SMF exhibited significantly lower (p<0.05) hemolysis. These results demonstrate that a 0.8-T SMF decreases membrane fluidity and enhances erythrocyte membrane stability to resist dehydration damage caused by slow cooling procedures. PMID:23520546

Experimental investigation of the stability boundary for double-diffusive finger convection in a Hele-Shaw cell

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

Cooper, Clay A.; Glass, Robert J.; Tyler, Scott W.

OAK - B135 We apply high resolution, full field light transmission techniques to study the onset and development of convection in simulated porous media (Hele-Shaw cells) and fractures. The light transmission technique allows quantitative measurement of the solute concentration fields in time thus allowing direct measurements of the mass flux of components. Experiments are first designed to test theoretical stability relations as a function of the solute concentrations, solute diffusivities and the medium's permeability. Structural evolution and convective transport as a function of dimensionless control parameters is then determined across the full range of parameter space. We also consider themore » application of lattice gas automata techniques to numerically model the onset and development of convection. (Gary Drew notified on 3/25/03 of copyrighted Material)« less

Radiation stability of visible and near-infrared optical and magneto-optical properties of terbium gallium garnet crystals.

PubMed

Geist, Brian; Ronningen, Reginald; Stolz, Andreas; Bollen, Georg; Kochergin, Vladimir

2015-04-01

Perspectives of terbium gallium garnet, Tb₃Ga₅O₁₂ (TGG), for the use of radiation-resistant high magnetic field sensing are studied. Long-term radiation stability of the TGG crystals was analyzed by comparing the optical and magneto-optical properties of a radiation-exposed TGG crystal (equivalent neutron dose 6.3×10¹³ n/cm²) to the properties of TGG control samples. Simulations were also performed to predict radiation damage mechanisms in the TGG crystal. Radiation-induced increase in the absorbance at shorter wavelengths was observed as well as a reduction in the Faraday effect while no degradation of magneto-optical effect was observed when at wavelengths above 600 nm. This suggests that TGG crystal would be a good candidate for use in magneto-optical radiation-resistant magnetic field sensors.

Stability of Programmable Shunt Valve Settings with Simultaneous Use of the Optune Transducer Array: A Case Report.

PubMed

Chan, Andrew K; Birk, Harjus S; Winkler, Ethan A; Viner, Jennifer A; Taylor, Jennie W; McDermott, Michael W

2016-07-07

The Optune® transducer array (Novocure Ltd., Haifa, Israel) is an FDA-approved noninvasive regional therapy that aims to inhibit the growth of glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) cells via utilization of alternating electric fields. Some patients with GBM may develop hydrocephalus and benefit from subsequent shunt placement, but special attention must be paid to patients in whom programmable valves are utilized, given the potential effect of the magnetic fields on valve settings. We present the first case report illustrating the stability of programmable shunt valve settings in a neurosurgical patient undergoing therapy with the Optune device. In this study, shunt valve settings were stable over a period of five days despite Optune therapy. This is reassuring for patients with GBM who require simultaneous treatment with both the Optune device and a programmable shunt system.

Mathematical modeling of the MHD stability dependence on the interpole distance in the multianode aluminium electrolyser

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kuzmin, R. N.; Savenkova, N. P.; Shobukhov, A. V.; Kalmykov, A. V.

2018-03-01

The paper deals with investigation of the MHD-stability dependence on the depth of the anode immersion in the process of aluminium electrolysis. The proposed 3D three-phase mathematical model is based on the Navier-Stokes and Maxwell equation systems. This model makes it possible to simulate the distributions of the main physical fields both in horizontal and vertical planes. The suggested approach also allows to study the dynamics of the border between aluminium and electrolyte and the shape of the back oxidation zone.

All-atom Simulation of Amyloid Aggregates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Berhanu, Workalemahu M.; Alred, Erik J.; Bernhardt, Nathan A.; Hansmann, Ulrich H. E.

Molecular simulations are now commonly used to complement experiments in the investigation of amyloid formation and their role in human diseases. While various simulations based on enhanced sampling techniques are used in amyloid formation simulations, this article will focus on those using standard atomistic simulations to evaluate the stability of fibril models. Such studies explore the limitations that arise from the choice of force field or polymorphism; and explore the stability of in vivo and in vitro forms of Aβ fibril aggregates, and the role of heterologous seeding as a link between different amyloid diseases.

Active control stabilization of pelvic position in the transverse plane: an evaluation of soccer players' performance.

PubMed

Santos, Thiago Ribeiro Teles; Andrade, Juliana Alves de; Silva, Bárbara Lopes da; Garcia, Alysson Francisco Alves; Persichini Filho, José Gaspar Wild; Ocarino, Juliana de Melo; Silva, Paula Lanna

2014-08-01

To describe the capability of soccer players to stabilize pelvic position actively in the transverse plane; and, to evaluate the influence of lower limb dominance, length of exposure to soccer practice, and field position on pelvic stabilization capability. Cross-sectional. Sixty-eight soccer players from under-15 (U-15) and professional categories. Magnitude and asymmetry of pelvic tilt in the transverse plane, evaluated using the bridge test with unilateral knee extension. The magnitude of pelvic tilt did not differ between dominant and non-dominant sides, suggesting absence of relative asymmetry. However, there was difference between the sides of greater and lesser magnitude of pelvic tilt, indicating presence of absolute asymmetry. Players with shorter length of exposure to soccer practice (U-15 group) had greater pelvic tilt than players with longer length of exposure (professional group). There was no association of field position with the magnitude and asymmetry of pelvic tilt. Soccer players showed asymmetry in pelvic stabilization capability that was unrelated to lower limb dominance or field position. Athletes with longer length of exposure to soccer practice present better capability to stabilize the pelvis in the transverse plane than those with shorter length of exposure to soccer practice. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Visually assessing the level of development and soil surface stability of cyanobacterially dominated biological soil crusts

USGS Publications Warehouse

Belnap, J.; Phillips, S.L.; Witwicki, D.L.; Miller, M.E.

2008-01-01

Biological soil crusts (BSCs) are an integral part of dryland ecosystems and often included in long-term ecological monitoring programs. Estimating moss and lichen cover is fairly easy and non-destructive, but documenting cyanobacterial level of development (LOD) is more difficult. It requires sample collection for laboratory analysis, which causes soil surface disturbance. Assessing soil surface stability also requires surface disturbance. Here we present a visual technique to assess cyanobacterial LOD and soil surface stability. We define six development levels of cyanobacterially dominated soils based on soil surface darkness. We sampled chlorophyll a concentrations (the most common way of assessing cyanobacterial biomass), exopolysaccharide concentrations, and soil surface aggregate stability from representative areas of each LOD class. We found that, in the laboratory and field, LOD classes were effective at predicting chlorophyll a soil concentrations (R2=68-81%), exopolysaccharide concentrations (R2=71%), and soil aggregate stability (R2=77%). We took representative photos of these classes to construct a field guide. We then tested the ability of field crews to distinguish these classes and found this technique was highly repeatable among observers. We also discuss how to adjust this index for the different types of BSCs found in various dryland regions.

Toxicity of stabilized and unstabilized pyrethrins applied to western spruce budworm

Treesearch

Robert L. Lyon; Jacqueline L. Robertson

1971-01-01

Stabilized pyrethrins were test in a laboratory spray chamber to provide information for planning field trials of this insecticide against the western spruce budworm (Choristoneura occidentalis Freeman). No significant differences were found in toxicity to instars 3 to 6. Stabilizers appear to have had no effect on basic contact toxicity. The...

Radiation and Maxwell Stress Stabilization of Liquid Bridges

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Marr-Lyon, M. J.; Thiessen, D. B.; Blonigen, F. J.; Marston, P. L.

1999-01-01

The use of both acoustic radiation stress and the Maxwell stress to stabilize liquid bridges is reported. Acoustic radiation stress arises from the time-averaged acoustic pressure at the surface of an object immersed in a sound field. Both passive and active acoustic stabilization schemes as well as an active electrostatic method are examined.

Effects of Glycosylation on the Stability of Protein Pharmaceuticals

PubMed Central

SOLÁ, RICARDO J.; GRIEBENOW, KAI

2008-01-01

In recent decades, protein-based therapeutics have substantially expanded the field of molecular pharmacology due to their outstanding potential for the treatment of disease. Unfortunately, protein pharmaceuticals display a series of intrinsic physical and chemical instability problems during their production, purification, storage, and delivery that can adversely impact their final therapeutic efficacies. This has prompted an intense search for generalized strategies to engineer the long-term stability of proteins during their pharmaceutical employment. Due to the well known effect that glycans have in increasing the overall stability of glycoproteins, rational manipulation of the glycosylation parameters through glycoengineering could become a promising approach to improve both the in vitro and in vivo stability of protein pharmaceuticals. The intent of this review is therefore to further the field of protein glycoengineering by increasing the general understanding of the mechanisms by which glycosylation improves the molecular stability of protein pharmaceuticals. This is achieved by presenting a survey of the different instabilities displayed by protein pharmaceuticals, by addressing which of these instabilities can be improved by glycosylation, and by discussing the possible mechanisms by which glycans induce these stabilization effects. PMID:18661536

Electrostatic-Dipole (ED) Fusion Confinement Studies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miley, George H.; Shrestha, Prajakti J.; Yang, Yang; Thomas, Robert

2004-11-01

The Electrostatic-Dipole (ED) concept significantly differs from a "pure" dipole confinement device [1] in that the charged particles are preferentially confined to the high-pressure region interior of the dipole coil by the assistance of a surrounding spherical electrostatic grid. In present ED experiments, a current carrying coil is embedded inside the grid of an IEC such as to produce a magnetic dipole field. Charged particles are injected axisymmetrically from an ion gun (or duo-plasmatron) into the center of the ED confinement grid/dipole ring where they oscillate along the magnetic field lines and pass the peak field region at the center of the dipole region. As particles begin accelerating away from the center region towards the outer electrostatic grid region, they encounter a strong electrostatic potential (order of 10's of kilovolts) retarding force. The particles then decelerate, reverse direction and re-enter the dipole field region where again magnetic confinement dominates. This process continues, emulating a complex harmonic oscillator motion. The resulting pressure profile averaged over the field curvature offers good plasma stability in the ED configuration. The basic concept and results from preliminary experiments will be described. [1] M.E. Mauel, et al. "Dipole Equilibrium and Stability," 18th IAEA Conference of Plasma Phys. and Control. Nuclear Fusion, Varenna, Italy 2000, IAEA-F1-CN-70/TH

Absolute and convective instabilities of a film flow down a vertical fiber subjected to a radial electric field

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Rong; Chen, Xue; Ding, Zijing

2018-01-01

We consider the motion of a gravity-driven flow down a vertical fiber subjected to a radial electric field. This flow exhibits rich dynamics including the formation of droplets, or beads, driven by a Rayleigh-Plateau mechanism modified by the presence of gravity as well as the Maxwell stress at the interface. A spatiotemporal stability analysis is performed to investigate the effect of electric field on the absolute-convective instability (AI-CI) characteristics. We performed a numerical simulation on the nonlinear evolution of the film to examine the transition from CI to AI regime. The numerical results are in excellent agreement with the spatiotemporal stability analysis. The blowup behavior of nonlinear simulation predicts the formation of touchdown singularity of the interface due to the effect of electric field. We try to connect the blowup behavior with the AI-CI characteristics. It is found that the singularities mainly occur in the AI regime. The results indicate that the film may have a tendency to form very sharp tips due to the enhancement of the absolute instability induced by the electric field. We perform a theoretical analysis to study the behaviors of the singularities. The results show that there exists a self-similarity between the temporal and spatial distances from the singularities.

The local stability of the magnetized advection-dominated discs with the radial viscous force

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ghoreyshi, S. M.; Shadmehri, M.

2018-06-01

We study local stability of the advection-dominated optically thick (slim) and optically thin discs with purely toroidal magnetic field and the radial viscous force using a linear perturbation analysis. Our dispersion relation indicates that the presence of magnetic fields and radial viscous force cannot give rise to any new mode of the instability. We find, however, that growth rate of the thermal mode in the slim discs and that of the acoustic modes in the slim and optically thin discs are dramatically affected by the radial viscous force. This force tends to strongly decrease the growth rate of the outward-propagating acoustic mode (O-mode) in the short-wavelength limit, but it causes a slim disc to become thermally more unstable. This means that growth rate of the thermal mode increases in the presence of radial viscous force. This enhancement is more significant when the viscosity parameter is large. The growth rates of the thermal and acoustic modes depend on the magnetic field. Although the instability of O-mode for a stronger magnetic field case has a higher growth rate, the thermal mode of the slim discs can be suppressed when the magnetic field is strong. The inertial-acoustic instability of a magnetized disc may explain the quasi-periodic oscillations (QPOs) from the black holes.

Stability and Reactivity: Positive and Negative Aspects for Nanoparticle Processing.

PubMed

Xu, Liang; Liang, Hai-Wei; Yang, Yuan; Yu, Shu-Hong

2018-04-11

Nanoparticles exist far from the equilibrium state due to their high surface energy. Nanoparticles are therefore extremely unstable and easily change themselves or react with active substances to reach a relatively stable state in some cases. This causes desired changes or undesired changes to nanoparticles and thus makes them exhibit a high reactivity and a poor stability. Such dual nature (poor stability and high reactivity) of nanoparticles may result in both negative and positive effects for nanoparticle processing. However, the existing studies mainly focus on the high reactivity of nanoparticles, whereas their poor stability has been neglected or considered inconsequential. In fact, in some cases the unstable process, which is derived from the poor stability of nanoparticles, offers an opportunity to design and fabricate unique nanomaterials, such as by chemically transforming the "captured" intermediate nanostructures during a changing process, assembling destabilized nanoparticles into larger ordered assemblies, or shrinking/processing pristine materials into the desired size or shape via selective etching. In this review, we aim to present the stability and reactivity of nanoparticles on three levels: the foundation, concrete manifestations, and applications. We start with a brief introduction of dangling bonds and the surface chemistry of nanoparticles. Then, concrete manifestations of the poor stability and high reactivity of nanoparticles are presented from four perspectives: dispersion stability, thermal stability, structural stability, and chemical stability/reactivity. Next, we discuss some issues regarding the stability and reactivity of nanomaterials during applications. Finally, conclusions and perspectives on this field are presented.

Stability Analysis of Flow Induced by the Traveling Magnetic Field

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mazuruk, Konstantin

2003-01-01

Re-circulating flow in molten metal columns can be conveniently induced by the axisymmetric traveling magnetic field. A number of applications can benefit from this technique, such as mixing under microgravity environment, or.crysta1 growth from metallic melts. For small magnetic field excitations, the flow is laminar and stationary. As the imposed field increases, a more complex flow will set up in the cylindrical column. Conditions for stable laminar flow are of importance for practical applications. In this work, a linear stability analysis is performed in order to determine the onset of the bifurcation in the system. Here the analysis is restricted to the axisymmetric modes and the low-frequency regime.

Stability Analysis of Flow Induced by the Traveling Magnetic Field

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mazuruk, Konstantin

2003-01-01

Re-circulating flow in molten metal columns can be conveniently induced by the axisymmetric traveling magnetic field. A number of applications can benefit from this technique, such as mixing under microgravity environment, or crysta1 growth from metallic melts. For small magnetic field excitations, the flow is laminar and stationary. As the imposed field increases, a more complex flow will set up in the cylindrical column. Conditions for stable laminar flow are of importance for practical applications. In this work, a linear stability analysis is performed in order to determine the onset of the bifurcation in the system. Here the analysis is restricted to the axisymmetric modes and the low-frequency regime.

A simplified approach for slope stability analysis of uncontrolled waste dumps.

PubMed

Turer, Dilek; Turer, Ahmet

2011-02-01

Slope stability analysis of municipal solid waste has always been problematic because of the heterogeneous nature of the waste materials. The requirement for large testing equipment in order to obtain representative samples has identified the need for simplified approaches to obtain the unit weight and shear strength parameters of the waste. In the present study, two of the most recently published approaches for determining the unit weight and shear strength parameters of the waste have been incorporated into a slope stability analysis using the Bishop method to prepare slope stability charts. The slope stability charts were prepared for uncontrolled waste dumps having no liner and leachate collection systems with pore pressure ratios of 0, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4 and 0.5, considering the most critical slip surface passing through the toe of the slope. As the proposed slope stability charts were prepared by considering the change in unit weight as a function of height, they reflect field conditions better than accepting a constant unit weight approach in the stability analysis. They also streamline the selection of slope or height as a function of the desired factor of safety.

Magnetic control of magnetohydrodynamic instabilities in tokamaks

DOE PAGES

Strait, Edward J.

2014-11-24

Externally applied, non-axisymmetric magnetic fields form the basis of several relatively simple and direct methods to control magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) instabilities in a tokamak, and most present and planned tokamaks now include a set of non-axisymmetric control coils for application of fields with low toroidal mode numbers. Non-axisymmetric applied fields are routinely used to compensate small asymmetries ( δB/B ~ 10 -3 to 10 -4) of the nominally axisymmetric field, which otherwise can lead to instabilities through braking of plasma rotation and through direct stimulus of tearing modes or kink modes. This compensation may be feedback-controlled, based on the magnetic responsemore » of the plasma to the external fields. Non-axisymmetric fields are used for direct magnetic stabilization of the resistive wall mode — a kink instability with a growth rate slow enough that feedback control is practical. Saturated magnetic islands are also manipulated directly with non-axisymmetric fields, in order to unlock them from the wall and spin them to aid stabilization, or position them for suppression by localized current drive. Several recent scientific advances form the foundation of these developments in the control of instabilities. Most fundamental is the understanding that stable kink modes play a crucial role in the coupling of non-axisymmetric fields to the plasma, determining which field configurations couple most strongly, how the coupling depends on plasma conditions, and whether external asymmetries are amplified by the plasma. A major advance for the physics of high-beta plasmas ( β = plasma pressure/magnetic field pressure) has been the understanding that drift-kinetic resonances can stabilize the resistive wall mode at pressures well above the ideal-MHD stability limit, but also that such discharges can be very sensitive to external asymmetries. The common physics of stable kink modes has brought significant unification to the topics of static error fields at low beta and resistive wall modes at high beta. Furthermore, these and other scientific advances, and their application to control of MHD instabilities, will be reviewed with emphasis on the most recent results and their applicability to ITER.« less

Colloidal Mechanisms of Gold Nanoparticle Loss in Asymmetric Flow Field-Flow Fractionation.

PubMed

Jochem, Aljosha-Rakim; Ankah, Genesis Ngwa; Meyer, Lars-Arne; Elsenberg, Stephan; Johann, Christoph; Kraus, Tobias

2016-10-07

Flow field-flow fractionation is a powerful method for the analysis of nanoparticle size distributions, but its widespread use has been hampered by large analyte losses, especially of metal nanoparticles. Here, we report on the colloidal mechanisms underlying the losses. We systematically studied gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) during asymmetrical flow field-flow fractionation (AF4) by systematic variation of the particle properties and the eluent composition. Recoveries of AuNPs (core diameter 12 nm) stabilized by citrate or polyethylene glycol (PEG) at different ionic strengths were determined. We used online UV-vis detection and off-line elementary analysis to follow particle losses during full analysis runs, runs without cross-flow, and runs with parts of the instrument bypassed. The combination allowed us to calculate relative and absolute analyte losses at different stages of the analytic protocol. We found different loss mechanisms depending on the ligand. Citrate-stabilized particles degraded during analysis and suffered large losses (up to 74%). PEG-stabilized particles had smaller relative losses at moderate ionic strengths (1-20%) that depended on PEG length. Long PEGs at higher ionic strengths (≥5 mM) caused particle loss due to bridging adsorption at the membrane. Bulk agglomeration was not a relevant loss mechanism at low ionic strengths ≤5 mM for any of the studied particles. An unexpectedly large fraction of particles was lost at tubing and other internal surfaces. We propose that the colloidal mechanisms observed here are relevant loss mechanisms in many particle analysis protocols and discuss strategies to avoid them.

A predictive model of iron oxide nanoparticles flocculation tuning Z-potential in aqueous environment for biological application

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baldassarre, Francesca; Cacciola, Matteo; Ciccarella, Giuseppe

2015-09-01

Iron oxide nanoparticles are the most used magnetic nanoparticles in biomedical and biotechnological field because of their nontoxicity respect to the other metals. The investigation of iron oxide nanoparticles behaviour in aqueous environment is important for the biological applications in terms of polydispersity, mobility, cellular uptake and response to the external magnetic field. Iron oxide nanoparticles tend to agglomerate in aqueous solutions; thus, the stabilisation and aggregation could be modified tuning the colloids physical proprieties. Surfactants or polymers are often used to avoid agglomeration and increase nanoparticles stability. We have modelled and synthesised iron oxide nanoparticles through a co-precipitation method, in order to study the influence of surfactants and coatings on the aggregation state. Thus, we compared experimental results to simulation model data. The change of Z-potential and the clusters size were determined by Dynamic Light Scattering. We developed a suitable numerical model to predict the flocculation. The effects of Volume Mean Diameter and fractal dimension were explored in the model. We obtained the trend of these parameters tuning the Z-potential. These curves matched with the experimental results and confirmed the goodness of the model. Subsequently, we exploited the model to study the influence of nanoparticles aggregation and stability by Z-potential and external magnetic field. The highest Z-potential is reached up with a small external magnetic influence, a small aggregation and then a high suspension stability. Thus, we obtained a predictive model of Iron oxide nanoparticles flocculation that will be exploited for the nanoparticles engineering and experimental setup of bioassays.

Stabilization of the vertical instability by non-axisymmetric coils

DOE PAGES

Turnbull, A. D.; Reiman, A. H.; Lao, L. L.; ...

2016-07-05

In a published Physical Review Letter [A. Reiman, Physical Review Letters, 99, 135007 (2007)], it was shown that axisymmetric (or vertical) stability can be improved by placing a set of parallelogram coils above and below the plasma oriented at an angle to the constant toroidal planes. The physics of this stabilization can be understood as providing an effective additional positive stability index. The original work was based on a simplified model of a straight tokamak and is not straightforwardly applicable to a finite aspect ratio, strongly shaped plasma such as in DIII-D. Numerical calculations were performed to provide a proofmore » of principal that 3-D fields can, in fact raise the elongation limits as predicted, in a real DIII-D-like configuration. A four field period trapezoid-shaped coil set was developed in toroidal geometry and 3-D equilibria were computed using trapezium coil currents of ,10kA, 100kA, and 500kA. The ideal magnetohydrodynamics growth rates were computed as a function of the conformal wall position for the n=0 symmetry-preserving family. The results show an insignificant relative improvement in the stabilizing wall location for the two lower coil current cases, of the order of 10 -3 and less. In contrast, the marginal wall position is increased by 7% as the coil current is increased to 500kA, confirming the main prediction from the original study in a real geometry case. In DIII-D the shift in marginal wall position of 7% would correspond to being able to move the existing wall outward by 5 to 10 cm. While the predicted effect on the axisymmetric stability is real, it appears to require higher coil currents than could be provided in an upgrade to existing facilities. Lastly, additional optimization over the pitch of the coils, the number of field periods and the coil positions, as well as plasma parameters, such as the internal inductivity l iβ, and q 95 would mitigate this but seem unlikely to change the conclusion.« less

Stabilization of the vertical instability by non-axisymmetric coils

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

Turnbull, A. D.; Reiman, A. H.; Lao, L. L.

In a published Physical Review Letter [A. Reiman, Physical Review Letters, 99, 135007 (2007)], it was shown that axisymmetric (or vertical) stability can be improved by placing a set of parallelogram coils above and below the plasma oriented at an angle to the constant toroidal planes. The physics of this stabilization can be understood as providing an effective additional positive stability index. The original work was based on a simplified model of a straight tokamak and is not straightforwardly applicable to a finite aspect ratio, strongly shaped plasma such as in DIII-D. Numerical calculations were performed to provide a proofmore » of principal that 3-D fields can, in fact raise the elongation limits as predicted, in a real DIII-D-like configuration. A four field period trapezoid-shaped coil set was developed in toroidal geometry and 3-D equilibria were computed using trapezium coil currents of ,10kA, 100kA, and 500kA. The ideal magnetohydrodynamics growth rates were computed as a function of the conformal wall position for the n=0 symmetry-preserving family. The results show an insignificant relative improvement in the stabilizing wall location for the two lower coil current cases, of the order of 10 -3 and less. In contrast, the marginal wall position is increased by 7% as the coil current is increased to 500kA, confirming the main prediction from the original study in a real geometry case. In DIII-D the shift in marginal wall position of 7% would correspond to being able to move the existing wall outward by 5 to 10 cm. While the predicted effect on the axisymmetric stability is real, it appears to require higher coil currents than could be provided in an upgrade to existing facilities. Lastly, additional optimization over the pitch of the coils, the number of field periods and the coil positions, as well as plasma parameters, such as the internal inductivity l iβ, and q 95 would mitigate this but seem unlikely to change the conclusion.« less

Stabilization of the vertical instability by non-axisymmetric coils

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Turnbull, A. D.; Reiman, A. H.; Lao, L. L.; Cooper, W. A.; Ferraro, N. M.; Buttery, R. J.

2016-08-01

In a published Physical Review Letter (Reiman 2007 Phys. Rev. Lett. 99 135007), it was shown that axisymmetric (or vertical) stability can be improved by placing a set of parallelogram coils above and below the plasma oriented at an angle to the constant toroidal planes. The physics of this stabilization can be understood as providing an effective additional positive stability index. The original work was based on a simplified model of a straight tokamak and is not straightforwardly applicable to a finite aspect ratio, strongly shaped plasma such as in DIII-D. Numerical calculations were performed in a real DIII-D -like configuration to provide a proof of principal that 3-D fields can, in fact raise the elongation limits as predicted. A four field period trapezioid-shaped coil set was developed in toroidal geometry and 3D equilibria were computed using trapezium coil currents of 10 kA , 100 kA , and 500 kA . The ideal magnetohydrodynamics growth rates were computed as a function of the conformal wall position for the n = 0 symmetry-preserving family. The results show an insignificant relative improvement in the stabilizing wall location for the two lower coil current cases, of the order of 10-3 and less. In contrast, the marginal wall position is increased by 7% as the coil current is increased to 500 kA , confirming the main prediction from the original study in a real geometry case. In DIII-D the shift in marginal wall position of 7% would correspond to being able to move the existing wall outward by 5 to 10 cm. While the predicted effect on the axisymmetric stability is real, it appears to require higher coil currents than could be provided in an upgrade to existing facilities. Additional optimization over the pitch of the coils, the number of field periods and the coil positions, as well as plasma parameters, such as the internal inductivity {{\\ell}\\text{i}} , β , and {{q}95} would mitigate this but seem unlikely to change the conclusion.

Cosmological reconstruction and stability in F(T,TG) gravity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sharif, M.; Nazir, Kanwal

This study investigates the reconstruction scheme and stability of some well-known cosmological models in F(T,TG) gravity, where T and TG represent the torsion scalar and Gauss-Bonnet invariant torsion term, respectively. For this purpose, we consider isotropic homogeneous universe model and develop the corresponding field equations. It is found that we can reproduce cosmological evolution for power-law, de Sitter solutions, phantom/nonphantom era and Λ cold dark matter by applying reconstruction scheme in this gravity. Finally, we discuss stability of the reconstructed power-law and de Sitter solutions as well as two well-known F(T,TG) models. It is concluded that all these models provide stable solutions for suitable choices of the constants except power-law solutions.

Message survival and decision dynamics in a class of reactive complex systems subject to external fields

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rodriguez Lucatero, C.; Schaum, A.; Alarcon Ramos, L.; Bernal-Jaquez, R.

2014-07-01

In this study, the dynamics of decisions in complex networks subject to external fields are studied within a Markov process framework using nonlinear dynamical systems theory. A mathematical discrete-time model is derived using a set of basic assumptions regarding the convincement mechanisms associated with two competing opinions. The model is analyzed with respect to the multiplicity of critical points and the stability of extinction states. Sufficient conditions for extinction are derived in terms of the convincement probabilities and the maximum eigenvalues of the associated connectivity matrices. The influences of exogenous (e.g., mass media-based) effects on decision behavior are analyzed qualitatively. The current analysis predicts: (i) the presence of fixed-point multiplicity (with a maximum number of four different fixed points), multi-stability, and sensitivity with respect to the process parameters; and (ii) the bounded but significant impact of exogenous perturbations on the decision behavior. These predictions were verified using a set of numerical simulations based on a scale-free network topology.

Figure–ground discrimination behavior in Drosophila. I. Spatial organization of wing-steering responses

PubMed Central

Fox, Jessica L.; Aptekar, Jacob W.; Zolotova, Nadezhda M.; Shoemaker, Patrick A.; Frye, Mark A.

2014-01-01

The behavioral algorithms and neural subsystems for visual figure–ground discrimination are not sufficiently described in any model system. The fly visual system shares structural and functional similarity with that of vertebrates and, like vertebrates, flies robustly track visual figures in the face of ground motion. This computation is crucial for animals that pursue salient objects under the high performance requirements imposed by flight behavior. Flies smoothly track small objects and use wide-field optic flow to maintain flight-stabilizing optomotor reflexes. The spatial and temporal properties of visual figure tracking and wide-field stabilization have been characterized in flies, but how the two systems interact spatially to allow flies to actively track figures against a moving ground has not. We took a systems identification approach in flying Drosophila and measured wing-steering responses to velocity impulses of figure and ground motion independently. We constructed a spatiotemporal action field (STAF) – the behavioral analog of a spatiotemporal receptive field – revealing how the behavioral impulse responses to figure tracking and concurrent ground stabilization vary for figure motion centered at each location across the visual azimuth. The figure tracking and ground stabilization STAFs show distinct spatial tuning and temporal dynamics, confirming the independence of the two systems. When the figure tracking system is activated by a narrow vertical bar moving within the frontal field of view, ground motion is essentially ignored despite comprising over 90% of the total visual input. PMID:24198267

NanoLuc: A Small Luciferase is Brightening up the Field of Bioluminescence

PubMed Central

Cai, Weibo

2016-01-01

The biomedical field has greatly benefited from the discovery of bioluminescent proteins. Currently, scientists employ bioluminescent systems for numerous biomedical applications, ranging from highly sensitive cellular assays to bioluminescence-based molecular imaging. Traditionally, these systems are based on Firefly and Renilla luciferases; however, the applicability of these enzymes is limited by their size, stability, and luminescence efficiency. NanoLuc (NLuc), a novel bioluminescence platform, offers several advantages over established systems, including enhanced stability, smaller size, and >150-fold increase in luminescence. In addition, the substrate for NLuc displays enhanced stability and lower background activity, opening up new possibilities in the field of bioluminescence imaging. The NLuc system is incredibly versatile and may be utilized for a wide array of applications. The increased sensitivity, high stability, and small size of the NLuc system have the potential to drastically change the field of reporter assays in the future. However, as with all such technology, NLuc has limitations (including a non-ideal emission for in vivo applications and its unique substrate) which may cause it to find restricted use in certain areas of molecular biology. As this unique technology continues to broaden, NLuc may have a significant impact in both preclinical and clinical fields, with potential roles in disease detection, molecular imaging, and therapeutic monitoring. This review will present the NLuc technology to the scientific community in a non-biased manner, allowing the audience to adopt their own views of this novel system. PMID:27045664

Soil Communities Promote Temporal Stability and Species Asynchrony in Experimental Grassland Communities

PubMed Central

Pellkofer, Sarah; van der Heijden, Marcel G. A.; Schmid, Bernhard; Wagg, Cameron

2016-01-01

Background Over the past two decades many studies have demonstrated that plant species diversity promotes primary productivity and stability in grassland ecosystems. Additionally, soil community characteristics have also been shown to influence the productivity and composition of plant communities, yet little is known about whether soil communities also play a role in stabilizing the productivity of an ecosystem. Methodology/Principal Findings Here we use microcosms to assess the effects of the presence of soil communities on plant community dynamics and stability over a one-year time span. Microcosms were filled with sterilized soil and inoculated with either unaltered field soil or field soil sterilized to eliminate the naturally occurring soil biota. Eliminating the naturally occurring soil biota not only resulted in lower plant productivity, and reduced plant species diversity, and evenness, but also destabilized the net aboveground productivity of the plant communities over time, which was largely driven by changes in abundance of the dominant grass Lolium perenne. In contrast, the grass and legumes contributed more to net aboveground productivity of the plant communities in microcosms where soil biota had been inoculated. Additionally, the forbs exhibited compensatory dynamics with grasses and legumes, thus lowering temporal variation in productivity in microcosms that received the unaltered soil inocula. Overall, asynchrony among plant species was higher in microcosms where an unaltered soil community had been inoculated, which lead to higher temporal stability in community productivity. Conclusions/Significance Our results suggest that soil communities increase plant species asynchrony and stabilize plant community productivity by equalizing the performance among competing plant species through potential antagonistic and facilitative effects on individual plant species. PMID:26829481

Numerical simulations and linear stability analysis of a boundary layer developed on wavy surfaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Siconolfi, Lorenzo; Camarri, Simone; Fransson, Jens H. M.

2015-11-01

The development of passive methods leading to a laminar to turbulent transition delay in a boundary layer (BL) is a topic of great interest both for applications and academic research. In literature it has been shown that a proper and stable spanwise velocity modulation can reduce the growth rate of Tollmien-Schlichting (TS) waves and delay transition. In this study, we investigate numerically the possibility of obtaining a stabilizing effect of the TS waves through the use of a spanwise sinusoidal modulation of a flat plate. This type of control has been already successfully investigated experimentally. An extensive set of direct numerical simulations is carried out to study the evolution of a BL flow developed on wavy surfaces with different geometric characteristics, and the results will be presented here. Moreover, since this configuration is characterized by a slowly-varying flow field in streamwise direction, a local stability analysis is applied to define the neutral stability curves for the BL flow controlled by this type of wall modifications. These results give the possibility of investigating this control strategy and understanding the effect of the free parameters on the stabilization mechanism.

Stabilized helical peptides: overview of the technologies and its impact on drug discovery.

PubMed

Klein, Mark

2017-11-01

Protein-protein interactions are predominant in the workings of all cells. Until now, there have been a few successes in targeting protein-protein interactions with small molecules. Peptides may overcome some of the challenges of small molecules in disrupting protein-protein interactions. However, peptides present a new set of challenges in drug discovery. Thus, the study of the stabilization of helical peptides has been extensive. Areas covered: Several technological approaches to helical peptide stabilization have been studied. In this review, stapled peptides, foldamers, and hydrogen bond surrogates are discussed. Issues regarding design principles are also discussed. Furthermore, this review introduces select computational techniques used to aid peptide design and discusses clinical trials of peptides in a more advanced stage of development. Expert opinion: Stabilized helical peptides hold great promise in a wide array of diseases. However, the field is still relatively new and new design principles are emerging. The possibilities of peptide modification are quite extensive and expanding, so the design of stabilized peptides requires great attention to detail in order to avoid a large number of failed lead peptides. The start of clinical trials with stapled peptides is a promising sign for the future.

Recent advances in the applications of ionic liquids in protein stability and activity: a review.

PubMed

Patel, Rajan; Kumari, Meena; Khan, Abbul Bashar

2014-04-01

Room temperatures ionic liquids are considered as miraculous solvents for biological system. Due to their inimitable properties and large variety of applications, they have been widely used in enzyme catalysis and protein stability and separation. The related information present in the current review is helpful to the researchers working in the field of biotechnology and biochemistry to design or choose an ionic liquid that can serve as a noble and selective solvent for any particular enzymatic reaction, protein preservation and other protein based applications. We have extensively analyzed the methods used for studying the protein-IL interaction which is useful in providing information about structural and conformational dynamics of protein. This can be helpful to develop and understanding about the effect of ionic liquids on stability and activity of proteins. In addition, the affect of physico-chemical properties of ionic liquids, viz. hydrogen bond capacity and hydrophobicity on protein stability are discussed.

Onset of density-driven instabilities in fractured aquifers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jafari Raad, Seyed Mostafa; Hassanzadeh, Hassan

2018-04-01

Linear stability analysis is conducted to study the onset of density-driven convection involved in solubility trapping of C O2 in fractured aquifers. The effect of physical properties of a fracture network on the stability of a diffusive boundary layer in a saturated fractured porous media is investigated using the dual porosity concept. Linear stability analysis results show that both fracture interporosity flow and fracture storativity play an important role in the stability behavior of the system. It is shown that a diffusive boundary layer under the gravity field in fractured porous media with lower fracture storativity and/or higher fracture interporosity flow coefficient is more stable. We present scaling relations for the onset of convective instability in fractured aquifers with single and variable matrix block size distribution. These findings improve our understanding of density-driven flow in fractured aquifers and are important in the estimation of potential storage capacity, risk assessment, and storage site characterization and screening.

Shaping effects on toroidal magnetohydrodynamic modes in the presence of plasma and wall resistivity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rhodes, Dov J.; Cole, A. J.; Brennan, D. P.; Finn, J. M.; Li, M.; Fitzpatrick, R.; Mauel, M. E.; Navratil, G. A.

2018-01-01

This study explores the effects of plasma shaping on magnetohydrodynamic mode stability and rotational stabilization in a tokamak, including both plasma and wall resistivity. Depending upon the plasma shape, safety factor, and distance from the wall, the β-limit for rotational stabilization is given by either the resistive-plasma ideal-wall (tearing mode) limit or the ideal-plasma resistive-wall (resistive wall mode) limit. In order to explore this broad parameter space, a sharp-boundary model is developed with a realistic geometry, resonant tearing surfaces, and a resistive wall. The β-limit achievable in the presence of stabilization by rigid plasma rotation, or by an equivalent feedback control with imaginary normal-field gain, is shown to peak at specific values of elongation and triangularity. It is shown that the optimal shaping with rotation typically coincides with transitions between tearing-dominated and wall-dominated mode behavior.

Sparse Reconstruction of Regional Gravity Signal Based on Stabilized Orthogonal Matching Pursuit (SOMP)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saadat, S. A.; Safari, A.; Needell, D.

2016-06-01

The main role of gravity field recovery is the study of dynamic processes in the interior of the Earth especially in exploration geophysics. In this paper, the Stabilized Orthogonal Matching Pursuit (SOMP) algorithm is introduced for sparse reconstruction of regional gravity signals of the Earth. In practical applications, ill-posed problems may be encountered regarding unknown parameters that are sensitive to the data perturbations. Therefore, an appropriate regularization method needs to be applied to find a stabilized solution. The SOMP algorithm aims to regularize the norm of the solution vector, while also minimizing the norm of the corresponding residual vector. In this procedure, a convergence point of the algorithm that specifies optimal sparsity-level of the problem is determined. The results show that the SOMP algorithm finds the stabilized solution for the ill-posed problem at the optimal sparsity-level, improving upon existing sparsity based approaches.

Effects of finite electron temperature on gradient drift instabilities in partially magnetized plasmas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lakhin, V. P.; Ilgisonis, V. I.; Smolyakov, A. I.; Sorokina, E. A.; Marusov, N. A.

2018-01-01

The gradient-drift instabilities of partially magnetized plasmas in plasma devices with crossed electric and magnetic fields are investigated in the framework of the two-fluid model with finite electron temperature in an inhomogeneous magnetic field. The finite electron Larmor radius (FLR) effects are also included via the gyroviscosity tensor taking into account the magnetic field gradient. This model correctly describes the electron dynamics for k⊥ρe>1 in the sense of Padé approximants (here, k⊥ and ρe are the wavenumber perpendicular to the magnetic field and the electron Larmor radius, respectively). The local dispersion relation for electrostatic plasma perturbations with the frequency in the range between the ion and electron cyclotron frequencies and propagating strictly perpendicular to the magnetic field is derived. The dispersion relation includes the effects of the equilibrium E ×B electron current, finite ion velocity, electron inertia, electron FLR, magnetic field gradients, and Debye length effects. The necessary and sufficient condition of stability is derived, and the stability boundary is found. It is shown that, in general, the electron inertia and FLR effects stabilize the short-wavelength perturbations. In some cases, such effects completely suppress the high-frequency short-wavelength modes so that only the long-wavelength low-frequency (with respect to the lower-hybrid frequency) modes remain unstable.

Comparative molecular field analysis of fenoterol derivatives interacting with an agonist-stabilized form of the β₂-adrenergic receptor.

PubMed

Plazinska, Anita; Pajak, Karolina; Rutkowska, Ewelina; Jimenez, Lucita; Kozocas, Joseph; Koolpe, Gary; Tanga, Mary; Toll, Lawrence; Wainer, Irving W; Jozwiak, Krzysztof

2014-01-01

The β₂-adrenergic receptor (β₂-AR) agonist [(3)H]-(R,R')-methoxyfenoterol was employed as the marker ligand in displacement studies measuring the binding affinities (Ki values) of the stereoisomers of a series of 4'-methoxyfenoterol analogs in which the length of the alkyl substituent at α' position was varied from 0 to 3 carbon atoms. The binding affinities of the compounds were additionally determined using the inverse agonist [(3)H]-CGP-12177 as the marker ligand and the ability of the compounds to stimulate cAMP accumulation, measured as EC₅₀ values, were determined in HEK293 cells expressing the β₂-AR. The data indicate that the highest binding affinities and functional activities were produced by methyl and ethyl substituents at the α' position. The results also indicate that the Ki values obtained using [(3)H]-(R,R')-methoxyfenoterol as the marker ligand modeled the EC₅₀ values obtained from cAMP stimulation better than the data obtained using [(3)H]-CGP-12177 as the marker ligand. The data from this study was combined with data from previous studies and processed using the Comparative Molecular Field Analysis approach to produce a CoMFA model reflecting the binding to the β₂-AR conformation probed by [(3)H]-(R,R')-4'-methoxyfenoterol. The CoMFA model of the agonist-stabilized β₂-AR suggests that the binding of the fenoterol analogs to an agonist-stabilized conformation of the β₂-AR is governed to a greater extend by steric effects than binding to the [(3)H]-CGP-12177-stabilized conformation(s) in which electrostatic interactions play a more predominate role. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Comparative Molecular Field Analysis of fenoterol derivatives interacting with an agonist-stabilized form of the β2-adrenergic receptor

PubMed Central

Plazinska, Anita; Pajak, Karolina; Rutkowska, Ewelina; Jimenez, Lucita; Kozocas, Joseph; Koolpe, Gary; Tanga, Mary; Toll, Lawrence; Wainer, Irving W.; Jozwiak, Krzysztof

2014-01-01

The β2-adrenergic receptor (β2-AR) agonist [3H]-(R,R′)-methoxyfenoterol was employed as the marker ligand in displacement studies measuring the binding affinities (Ki values) of the stereoisomers of a series of 4′-methoxyfenoterol analogs in which the length of the alkyl substituent at α′ position was varied from 0 to 3 carbon atoms. The binding affinities of the compounds were additionally determined using the inverse agonist [3H]-CGP-12177 as the marker ligand and the ability of the compounds to stimulate cAMP accumulation, measured as EC50 values, were determined in HEK293 cells expressing the β2-AR. The data indicate that the highest binding affinities and functional activities were produced by methyl and ethyl substituents at the α′ position. The results also indicate that the Ki values obtained using [3H]-(R,R′)-methoxyfenoterol as the marker ligand modeled the EC50 values obtained from cAMP stimulation better than the data obtained using [3H]-CGP-12177 as the marker ligand. The data from this study was combined with data from previous studies and processed using the Comparative Molecular Field Analysis approach to produce a CoMFA model reflecting the binding to the β2-AR conformation probed by [3H]-(R,R′)-4′-methoxyfenoterol. The CoMFA model of the agonist-stabilized β2-AR suggests that the binding of the fenoterol analogs to an agonist-stabilized conformation of the β2-AR is governed to a greater extend by steric effects than binding to the [3H]-CGP-12177-stabilized conformation(s) in which electrostatic interactions play a more predominate role. PMID:24326276

Clathrate hydrate stability models for Titan: implications for a global subsurface ocean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Basu Sarkar, D.; Elwood Madden, M.

2013-12-01

Titan is the only planetary body in the solar system, apart from the Earth, with liquid at its surface. Titan's changing rotational period suggests that a global subsurface ocean decouples the icy crust from the interior. Several studies predict the existence of such an internal ocean below an Ice I layer, ranging in depth between a few tens of kilometers to a few hundreds of kilometers, depending on the composition of the icy crust and liquid-ocean. While the overall density of Titan is well constrained, the degree of differentiation within the interior is unclear. These uncertainties lead to poor understanding of the volatile content of the moon. However, unlike other similar large icy moons like Ganymede and Callisto, Titan has a thick nitrogen atmosphere, with methane as the second most abundant constituent - 5% near the surface. Titan's atmosphere, surface, and interior are likely home to various compounds such as C2H6, CO2, Ar, N2 and CH4, capable of forming clathrate hydrates. In addition, the moon has low temperature and low-to-high pressure conditions required for clathrate formation. Therefore the occurrence of extensive multicomponent hydrates may effect the composition of near-surface materials, the subsurface ocean, as well as the atmosphere. This work uses models of hydrate stability for a number of plausible hydrate formers including CH4, C2H6, CH4 + C2H6 and CH4 + NH3, and equilibrium geothermal gradients for probable near-surface materials to delineate the lateral and vertical extent of clathrate hydrate stability zones for Titan. By comparing geothermal gradients with clathrate stability fields for these systems we investigate possible compositions of Titan's global subsurface ocean. Preliminary model results indicate that ethane hydrates or compound hydrates of ethane and methane could be destabilized within the proposed depth range of the internal ocean, while methane/ammonia or pure methane hydrates may not be affected. Therefore, ethane or ethane-methane clathrates may be a major component of Titan's icy shell. Modeled geothermal gradients and stability fields of possible clathrate formers with three different scenarios for an internal ocean from the recent literature. Geothermal gradients obtained from thermal conductivity and density representing water ice and pure CH4-C2H6 hydrate. Clathrate stability field determined using HYDOFF and recent publications of NH3 clathrate stability.

Chemically synthesized boron carbon oxynitride as a new cold cathode material

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Banerjee, Diptonil; Maity, Supratim; Chattopadhyay, K. K.

2015-11-01

Synthesis of boron carbon oxynitride (BCNO) nanosheets at different temperature from amorphous to crystalline regime has been reported. The synthesis was done by a simple molten salt process using sodium borohydride and urea as precursors. Transmission electron microscopic study confirms the formation of sheet-like structure of the as-synthesized material. The performances of the as-synthesized BCNO nanosheets as cold cathode materials have been studied for the first time in the high vacuum electron field emission set up. It has been seen that the material gives considerable field emission current with turn on field as low as 2.95 V/μm with good stability and thus a new cold cathode material can be postulated.

Analytical slave-spin mean-field approach to orbital selective Mott insulators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Komijani, Yashar; Kotliar, Gabriel

2017-09-01

We use the slave-spin mean-field approach to study particle-hole symmetric one- and two-band Hubbard models in the presence of Hund's coupling interaction. By analytical analysis of the Hamiltonian, we show that the locking of the two orbitals vs orbital selective Mott transition can be formulated within a Landau-Ginzburg framework. By applying the slave-spin mean field to impurity problems, we are able to make a correspondence between impurity and lattice. We also consider the stability of the orbital selective Mott phase to the hybridization between the orbitals and study the limitations of the slave-spin method for treating interorbital tunnelings in the case of multiorbital Bethe lattices with particle-hole symmetry.

Separating method factors and higher order traits of the Big Five: a meta-analytic multitrait-multimethod approach.

PubMed

Chang, Luye; Connelly, Brian S; Geeza, Alexis A

2012-02-01

Though most personality researchers now recognize that ratings of the Big Five are not orthogonal, the field has been divided about whether these trait intercorrelations are substantive (i.e., driven by higher order factors) or artifactual (i.e., driven by correlated measurement error). We used a meta-analytic multitrait-multirater study to estimate trait correlations after common method variance was controlled. Our results indicated that common method variance substantially inflates trait correlations, and, once controlled, correlations among the Big Five became relatively modest. We then evaluated whether two different theories of higher order factors could account for the pattern of Big Five trait correlations. Our results did not support Rushton and colleagues' (Rushton & Irwing, 2008; Rushton et al., 2009) proposed general factor of personality, but Digman's (1997) α and β metatraits (relabeled by DeYoung, Peterson, and Higgins (2002) as Stability and Plasticity, respectively) produced viable fit. However, our models showed considerable overlap between Stability and Emotional Stability and between Plasticity and Extraversion, raising the question of whether these metatraits are redundant with their dominant Big Five traits. This pattern of findings was robust when we included only studies whose observers were intimately acquainted with targets. Our results underscore the importance of using a multirater approach to studying personality and the need to separate the causes and outcomes of higher order metatraits from those of the Big Five. We discussed the implications of these findings for the array of research fields in which personality is studied.

Phase relations in the Fe-Ni-Cr-S system and the sulfidation of an austenitic stainless steel

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jacob, K. T.; Rao, D. B.; Nelson, H. G.

1977-01-01

The stability fields of various sulfide phases that form on Fe-Cr, Fe-Ni, Ni-Cr and Fe-Cr-Ni alloys were developed as a function of temperature and the partial pressure of sulfur. The calculated stability fields in the ternary system were displayed on plots of log P sub S sub 2 versus the conjugate extensive variable which provides a better framework for following the sulfidation of Fe-Cr-Ni alloys at high temperatures. Experimental and estimated thermodynamic data were used in developing the sulfur potential diagrams. Current models and correlations were employed to estimate the unknown thermodynamic behavior of solid solutions of sulfides and to supplement the incomplete phase diagram data of geophysical literature. These constructed stability field diagrams were in excellent agreement with the sulfide phases and compositions determined during a sulfidation experiment.

Nonlinear multidimensional cosmological models with form fields: Stabilization of extra dimensions and the cosmological constant problem

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Günther, U.; Moniz, P.; Zhuk, A.

2003-08-01

We consider multidimensional gravitational models with a nonlinear scalar curvature term and form fields in the action functional. In our scenario it is assumed that the higher dimensional spacetime undergoes a spontaneous compactification to a warped product manifold. Particular attention is paid to models with quadratic scalar curvature terms and a Freund-Rubin-like ansatz for solitonic form fields. It is shown that for certain parameter ranges the extra dimensions are stabilized. In particular, stabilization is possible for any sign of the internal space curvature, the bulk cosmological constant, and of the effective four-dimensional cosmological constant. Moreover, the effective cosmological constant can satisfy the observable limit on the dark energy density. Finally, we discuss the restrictions on the parameters of the considered nonlinear models and how they follow from the connection between the D-dimensional and the four-dimensional fundamental mass scales.

Mixed Arlequin method for multiscale poromechanics problems: Mixed Arlequin method for multiscale poromechanics problems

DOE PAGES

Sun, WaiChing; Cai, Zhijun; Choo, Jinhyun

2016-11-18

An Arlequin poromechanics model is introduced to simulate the hydro-mechanical coupling effects of fluid-infiltrated porous media across different spatial scales within a concurrent computational framework. A two-field poromechanics problem is first recast as the twofold saddle point of an incremental energy functional. We then introduce Lagrange multipliers and compatibility energy functionals to enforce the weak compatibility of hydro-mechanical responses in the overlapped domain. Here, to examine the numerical stability of this hydro-mechanical Arlequin model, we derive a necessary condition for stability, the twofold inf–sup condition for multi-field problems, and establish a modified inf–sup test formulated in the product space ofmore » the solution field. We verify the implementation of the Arlequin poromechanics model through benchmark problems covering the entire range of drainage conditions. Finally, through these numerical examples, we demonstrate the performance, robustness, and numerical stability of the Arlequin poromechanics model.« less

The stability of nonlinear dynamos and the limited role of kinematic growth rates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brandenburg, A.; Krause, F.; Meinel, R.; Moss, D.; Tuominen, I.

1989-04-01

The growth rate behavior of several kinematic dynamo models was investigated in the context of the observation that, as a rule, a magnetic field of a single symmetry dominates in the sun and other cosmic objects. For all dynamo models considered, it is shown that, as the dynamo numbers increase, the kinematic growth rates of fields of different parities are asymptotically equal, indicating that growth rates do not dominate the final state of the field. The possibility that the stability of different solutions of nonlinear dynamos determines the final state was then investigated. Dynamo models in spherical geometry were found in which both symmetric and antisymmetric solutions are stable. The kind of symmetry finally established depends in these cases on the initial conditions, i.e., on the history of the object. It is noted that the basic mechanism stabilizing or destabilizing different solutions is not well understood.

High current superconductors for tokamak toroidal field coils

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

Fietz, W.A.

1976-01-01

Conductors rated at 10,000 A for 8 T and 4.2 K are being purchased for the first large coil segment tests at ORNL. Requirements for these conductors, in addition to the high current rating, are low pulse losses, cryostatic stability, and acceptable mechanical properties. The conductors are required to have losses less than 0.4 W/m under pulsed fields of 0.5 T with a rise time of 1 sec in an ambient 8-T field. Methods of calculating these losses and techniques for verifying the performance by direct measurement are discussed. Conductors stabilized by two different cooling methods, pool boiling and forcedmore » helium flow, have been proposed. Analysis of these conductors is presented and a proposed definition and test of stability is discussed. Mechanical property requirements, tensile and compressive, are defined and test methods are discussed.« less

Subharmonic mechanism of the mode C instability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sheard, G. J.; Thompson, M. C.; Hourigan, K.

2005-11-01

The perturbation field of the recently discovered subharmonic mode C instability in the wake behind a ring is compared via a side-by-side comparison to the perturbation fields of the modes A and B instabilities familiar from past studies of the vortex street behind a circular cylinder. Snapshots of the wake are presented over a full shedding cycle, along with evidence from a linear stability analysis, to verify and better understand how the subharmonic instability is sustained.

PAH body burden and biomarker responses in mussels (Mytilus edulis) exposed to produced water from a North Sea oil field: laboratory and field assessments.

PubMed

Sundt, Rolf C; Pampanin, Daniela M; Grung, Merete; Baršienė, Janina; Ruus, Anders

2011-07-01

In order to study the impact of produced water (PW) from a North Sea oil field on blue mussels (Mytilus edulis), chemical and biological markers were selected. A laboratory exposure (0.125%, 0.25% and 0.5% of PW) and a field study (6 stations 0.2-2 km from a PW discharge point) were conducted. In the laboratory study, PAH bioaccumulation increased in mussel soft tissue even at the lowest exposure dose. Micronuclei frequency demonstrated a dose-response pattern, whereas lysosomal membrane stability showed tendency towards a dose-response pattern. The same markers were assessed in the field study, biomarker analyses were consistent with the contamination level, as evaluated by mussel polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons body burden. Overall, obtained results confirmed the value of an ecotoxicological approach for a scientifically sound characterisation of biological effects induced by offshore oilfield operational discharges. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Role of zero-point effects in stabilizing the ground state structure of bulk Fe2P

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bhat, Soumya S.; Gupta, Kapil; Bhattacharjee, Satadeep; Lee, Seung-Cheol

2018-05-01

Structural stability of Fe2P is investigated in detail using first-principles calculations based on density functional theory. While the orthorhombic C23 phase is found to be energetically more stable, the experiments suggest it to be hexagonal C22 phase. In the present study, we show that in order to obtain the correct ground state structure of Fe2P from the first-principles based methods it is utmost necessary to consider the zero-point effects such as zero-point vibrations and spin fluctuations. This study demonstrates an exceptional case where a bulk material is stabilized by quantum effects, which are usually important in low-dimensional materials. Our results also indicate the possibility of magnetic field induced structural quantum phase transition in Fe2P, which should form the basis for further theoretical and experimental efforts.

Unveiling the chemistry behind the green synthesis of metal nanoparticles.

PubMed

Santos, Sónia A O; Pinto, Ricardo J B; Rocha, Sílvia M; Marques, Paula A A P; Pascoal Neto, Carlos; Silvestre, Armando J D; Freire, Carmen S R

2014-09-01

Nanobiotechnology has emerged as a fundamental domain in modern science, and metallic nanoparticles (NPs) are one of the largest classes of NPs studied because of their wide spectrum of possible applications in several fields. The use of plant extracts as reducing and stabilizing agents in their synthesis is an interesting and reliable alternative to conventional methodologies. However, the role of the different components of such extracts in the reduction/stabilization of metal ions has not yet been understood clearly. Here we studied the behavior of the main components of a Eucalyptus globulus Labill. bark aqueous extract during metal-ion reduction followed by advanced chromatographic techniques, which allowed us to establish their specific role in the process. The obtained results showed that phenolic compounds, particularly galloyl derivatives, are mainly responsible for the metal-ion reduction, whereas sugars are essentially involved in the stabilization of the NPs. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

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

Logan, B.G.

A recently completed two-year study of a commercial tandem mirror reactor design (Mirror Advanced Reactor Study (MARS)) is briefly reviewed. The end plugs are designed for trapped particle stability, MHD ballooning, balanced geodesic curvature, and small radial electric fields in the central cell. New technologies such as lithium-lead blankets, 24T hybrid coils, gridless direct converters and plasma halo vacuum pumps are highlighted.

The Onion Model: Myth or Reality in the Field of Individual Differences Psychology?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cools, Eva; Bellens, Kim

2012-01-01

To bring order in concepts related to individual learner differences, Curry (1983) designed the three-layered onion model. As this model provides an interesting way to distinguish related concepts--such as cognitive styles and approaches to studying--on the basis of their stability in learning situations, ample studies build further on this model.…

Tracer Studies to Characterize the Effects of Roadside Noise Barriers on Near-Road Pollutant Dispersion under Varying Atmospheric Stability Conditions

EPA Science Inventory

A roadway toxics dispersion study was conducted by the Field Research Division (FRD) of NOAA at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) near Idaho Falls, ID to document the effects on concentrations of roadway emissions behind a roadside sound barrier in various conditions of atmosph...

Linear and nonlinear stability characteristics of whistlers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brinca, A. L.

1972-01-01

Linear and nonlinear propagating characteristics of right-hand polarized, slow electromagnetic, magnetoplasma waves (whistlers) are discussed in terms of stability and dispersion. An analysis of the stability of whistlers propagating at an angle to the static magnetic field is presented. A new mechanism is derived for the onset of stimulated emissions, and modulational instability for nonlinear whistlers are discussed.

Phantom behavior bounce with tachyon and non-minimal derivative coupling

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

Banijamali, A.; Fazlpour, B., E-mail: a.banijamali@nit.ac.ir, E-mail: b.fazlpour@umz.ac.ir

2012-01-01

The bouncing cosmology provides a successful solution of the cosmological singularity problem. In this paper, we study the bouncing behavior of a single scalar field model with tachyon field non-minimally coupled to itself, its derivative and to the curvature. By utilizing the numerical calculations we will show that the bouncing solution can appear in the universe dominated by such a quintom matter with equation of state crossing the phantom divide line. We also investigate the classical stability of our model using the phase velocity of the homogeneous perturbations of the tachyon scalar field.

Static Stability in the Global Upper Troposphere and Lower Stratosphere: Observations of Long-term Mean Structure and Variability using GPS Radio Occultation Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grise, K. M.; Thompson, D. W.; Birner, T.

2009-12-01

Static stability is a fundamental dynamical quantity that measures the vertical temperature stratification of the atmosphere. The long-term mean static stability field is characterized by the well-known transition from low values in the troposphere to high values in the stratosphere. However, the magnitude and structure of fine-scale static stability features near the tropopause are difficult to discern in temperature data with low vertical resolution. In this study, the authors apply over six years of high vertical resolution Global Positioning System radio occultation temperature profiles to document the long-term mean structure and variability of static stability in the global upper troposphere and lower stratosphere (UTLS). The results of this study demonstrate that a shallow but pronounced maximum in static stability exists just above the tropopause at all latitudes (i.e., the “tropopause inversion layer,” or TIL). This study also uncovers two novel aspects of static stability in the global UTLS. In the tropical lower stratosphere, the results reveal a unique vertically and horizontally varying static stability structure, with maxima located at ~17 km and ~19 km. The upper feature peaks during the NH cold season and has its largest magnitude between 10 and 15 degrees latitude in both hemispheres; the lower feature exhibits a weaker seasonal cycle and is centered at the Equator. The results also demonstrate that the strength of the TIL is closely tied to stratospheric dynamic variability. The magnitude of the TIL is enhanced following sudden stratospheric warmings in the polar regions and the easterly phase of the quasi-biennial oscillation in the tropics.

Static Stability in the Global Upper Troposphere and Lower Stratosphere: Observations of Long-term Mean Structure and Variability using GPS Radio Occultation Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grise, Kevin M.; Thompson, David W. J.; Birner, Thomas

2010-05-01

Static stability is a fundamental dynamical quantity that measures the vertical temperature stratification of the atmosphere. The long-term mean static stability field is characterized by the well-known transition from low values in the troposphere to high values in the stratosphere. However, the magnitude and structure of fine-scale static stability features near the tropopause are difficult to discern in temperature data with low vertical resolution. In this study, the authors apply over six years of high vertical resolution Global Positioning System radio occultation temperature profiles to document the long-term mean structure and variability of static stability in the global upper troposphere and lower stratosphere (UTLS). The results of this study demonstrate that a shallow but pronounced maximum in static stability exists just above the tropopause at all latitudes (i.e., the "tropopause inversion layer," or TIL). This study also uncovers two novel aspects of static stability in the global UTLS. In the tropical lower stratosphere, the results reveal a unique vertically and horizontally varying static stability structure, with maxima located at ~17 km and ~19 km. The upper feature peaks during the NH cold season and has its largest magnitude between 10 and 15 degrees latitude in both hemispheres; the lower feature exhibits a weaker seasonal cycle and is centered at the Equator. The results also demonstrate that the strength of the TIL is closely tied to stratospheric dynamic variability. The magnitude of the TIL is enhanced following sudden stratospheric warmings in the polar regions and the easterly phase of the quasi-biennial oscillation in the tropics.

Field Emission Cathode and Vacuum Microelectronic Microwave Amplifier Development

DTIC Science & Technology

1993-03-31

the crushed material with additional yttria-stabilized zirconia powder to yield a pressable material of appropriate overall composition. This mixture...sensitivity of the system to oxygen content, a dedicated effort is planned to study the effect of residual oxygen in the zirconia powder on composite growth

Stability analysis and future singularity of the m{sup 2} R □{sup -2} R model of non-local gravity

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

Dirian, Yves; Mitsou, Ermis, E-mail: yves.dirian@unige.ch, E-mail: ermis.mitsou@unige.ch

2014-10-01

We analyse the classical stability of the model proposed by Maggiore and Mancarella, where gravity is modified by a term ∼ m{sup 2} R □{sup -2} R to produce the late-time acceleration of the expansion of the universe. Our study takes into account all excitations of the metric that can potentially drive an instability. There are some subtleties in identifying these modes, as a non-local field theory contains dynamical fields which yet do not correspond to degrees of freedom. Since some of them are ghost-like, we clarify the impact of such modes on the stability of the solutions of interest that are the flatmore » space-time and cosmological solutions. We then find that flat space-time is unstable under scalar perturbations, but the instability manifests itself only at cosmological scales, i.e. out of the region of validity of this solution. It is therefore the stability of the FLRW solution which is relevant there, in which case the scalar perturbations are known to be well-behaved by numerical studies. By finding the analytic solution for the late-time behaviour of the scale factor, which leads to a big rip singularity, we argue that the linear perturbations are bounded in the future because of the domination of Hubble friction. In particular, this effect damps the scalar ghost perturbations which were responsible for destabilizing Minkowski space-time. Thus, the model remains phenomenologically viable.« less

Design of spur-type streambank stabilization structures.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1985-07-01

streambank stabilization structures has been conducted to establish design guidelines and other criteria for the use of spurs. The recommendations and findings are based on a thorough review of pertinent literature, analysis of several hundred field ...

CFD Analysis of the 24-inch JIRAD Hybrid Rocket Motor

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Liang, Pak-Yan; Ungewitter, Ronald; Claflin, Scott

1996-01-01

A series of multispecies, multiphase computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analyses of the 24-inch diameter joint government industry industrial research and development (JIRAD) hybrid rocket motor is described. The 24-inch JIRAD hybrid motor operates by injection of liquid oxygen (LOX) into a vaporization plenum chamber upstream of ports in the hydroxyl-terminated polybutadiene (HTPB) solid fuel. The injector spray pattern had a strong influence on combustion stability of the JIRAD motor so a CFD study was initiated to define the injector end flow field under different oxidizer spray patterns and operating conditions. By using CFD to gain a clear picture of the flow field and temperature distribution within the JIRAD motor, it is hoped that the fundamental mechanisms of hybrid combustion instability may be identified and then suppressed by simple alterations to the oxidizer injection parameters such as injection angle and velocity. The simulations in this study were carried out using the General Algorithm for Analysis of Combustion SYstems (GALACSY) multiphase combustion codes. GALACSY consists of a comprehensive set of droplet dynamic submodels (atomization, evaporation, etc.) and a computationally efficient hydrocarbon chemistry package built around a robust Navier-Stokes solver optimized for low Mach number flows. Lagrangian tracking of dispersed particles describes a closely coupled spray phase. The CFD cases described in this paper represent various levels of simplification of the problem. They include: (A) gaseous oxygen with combusting fuel vapor blowing off the walls at various oxidizer injection angles and velocities, (B) gaseous oxygen with combusting fuel vapor blowing off the walls, and (C) liquid oxygen with combusting fuel vapor blowing off the walls. The study used an axisymmetric model and the results indicate that the injector design significantly effects the flow field in the injector end of the motor. Markedly different recirculation patterns are observed in the vaporization chamber as the oxygen velocity and/or spray pattern is varied. The ability of these recirculation patterns to stabilize the diffusion flame above the surface of the solid fuel gives a plausible explanation for the experimentally determined combustion stability characteristics of the JIRAD motor, and suggests how combustion stability can be assured by modifications to the injector design.

Improvement of sidestream dark field imaging with an image acquisition stabilizer.

PubMed

Balestra, Gianmarco M; Bezemer, Rick; Boerma, E Christiaan; Yong, Ze-Yie; Sjauw, Krishan D; Engstrom, Annemarie E; Koopmans, Matty; Ince, Can

2010-07-13

In the present study we developed, evaluated in volunteers, and clinically validated an image acquisition stabilizer (IAS) for Sidestream Dark Field (SDF) imaging. The IAS is a stainless steel sterilizable ring which fits around the SDF probe tip. The IAS creates adhesion to the imaged tissue by application of negative pressure. The effects of the IAS on the sublingual microcirculatory flow velocities, the force required to induce pressure artifacts (PA), the time to acquire a stable image, and the duration of stable imaging were assessed in healthy volunteers. To demonstrate the clinical applicability of the SDF setup in combination with the IAS, simultaneous bilateral sublingual imaging of the microcirculation were performed during a lung recruitment maneuver (LRM) in mechanically ventilated critically ill patients. One SDF device was operated handheld; the second was fitted with the IAS and held in position by a mechanic arm. Lateral drift, number of losses of image stability and duration of stable imaging of the two methods were compared. Five healthy volunteers were studied. The IAS did not affect microcirculatory flow velocities. A significantly greater force had to applied onto the tissue to induced PA with compared to without IAS (0.25 +/- 0.15 N without vs. 0.62 +/- 0.05 N with the IAS, p < 0.001). The IAS ensured an increased duration of a stable image sequence (8 +/- 2 s without vs. 42 +/- 8 s with the IAS, p < 0.001). The time required to obtain a stable image sequence was similar with and without the IAS. In eight mechanically ventilated patients undergoing a LRM the use of the IAS resulted in a significantly reduced image drifting and enabled the acquisition of significantly longer stable image sequences (24 +/- 5 s without vs. 67 +/- 14 s with the IAS, p = 0.006). The present study has validated the use of an IAS for improvement of SDF imaging by demonstrating that the IAS did not affect microcirculatory perfusion in the microscopic field of view. The IAS improved both axial and lateral SDF image stability and thereby increased the critical force required to induce pressure artifacts. The IAS ensured a significantly increased duration of maintaining a stable image sequence.

Preserving enzymatic activity and enhancing biochemical stability of glutathione transferase by soluble additives under free and tethered conditions.

PubMed

Karamitros, Christos S; Labrou, Nikolaos E

2017-09-01

In the present study, we report the effect of four different soluble additives (sucrose, lactitol, superfloc c577, and dextran sulfate) on the stability of glutathione transferase 1 enzyme from Zea mays (ZmGSTF1-1) under free and tethered conditions at 4 and 25 °C. Among all additives, the best stabilizing effects were observed in the case of superfloc c577 and sucrose at both tested temperatures, yet at distinct concentrations at each condition. Those two stabilizing agents were further combined and potential positive synergistic effects were investigated. In addition, we assessed the long-term storage and operational stability of ZmGSTF1-1 under tethered conditions in the presence of additives, which provided the most conducive effects on its stability under free conditions. Our results strongly suggest that the presence of additives may be beneficial to the stability of the enzyme under both free and tethered conditions. Thermodynamic analysis of the free enzyme in the presence of sucrose, which exhibited the best stabilizing effect at both temperatures, shed light on the possible mechanism of action. Given the considerable importance of the development of GST-based biosensors with prolonged stability, the present work may be of general interest to researchers in the field of applied enzymology. © 2016 International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

Direction-dependent stability of skyrmion lattice in helimagnets induced by exchange anisotropy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hu, Yangfan

2018-06-01

Exchange anisotropy provides a direction dependent mechanism for the stability of the skyrmion lattice phase in noncentrosymmetric bulk chiral magnets. Based on the Fourier representation of the skyrmion lattice, we explain the direction dependence of the temperature-magnetic field phase diagram for bulk MnSi through a phenomenological mean-field model incorporating exchange anisotropy. Through quantitative comparison with experimental results, we clarify that the stability of the skyrmion lattice phase in bulk MnSi is determined by a combined effect of negative exchange anisotropy and thermal fluctuation. The effect of exchange anisotropy and the order of Fourier representation on the equilibrium properties of the skyrmion lattice is discussed in detail.

Numerical stability of an explicit finite difference scheme for the solution of transient conduction in composite media

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Campbell, W.

1981-01-01

A theoretical evaluation of the stability of an explicit finite difference solution of the transient temperature field in a composite medium is presented. The grid points of the field are assumed uniformly spaced, and media interfaces are either vertical or horizontal and pass through grid points. In addition, perfect contact between different media (infinite interfacial conductance) is assumed. A finite difference form of the conduction equation is not valid at media interfaces; therefore, heat balance forms are derived. These equations were subjected to stability analysis, and a computer graphics code was developed that permitted determination of a maximum time step for a given grid spacing.

Biochar Improves Soil Aggregate Stability and Water Availability in a Mollisol after Three Years of Field Application

PubMed Central

Zhang, Yulan; Yang, Lijie; Yu, Chunxiao; Yin, Guanghua; Doane, Timothy A.; Wu, Zhijie; Zhu, Ping; Ma, Xingzhu

2016-01-01

A field experiment was carried out to evaluate the effect of organic amendments on soil organic carbon, total nitrogen, bulk density, aggregate stability, field capacity and plant available water in a representative Chinese Mollisol. Four treatments were as follows: no fertilization (CK), application of inorganic fertilizer (NPK), combined application of inorganic fertilizer with maize straw (NPK+S) and addition of biochar with inorganic fertilizer (NPK+B). Our results showed that after three consecutive years of application, the values of soil bulk density were significantly lower in both organic amendment-treated plots than in unamended (CK and NPK) plots. Compared with NPK, NPK+B more effectively increased the contents of soil organic carbon, improved the relative proportion of soil macro-aggregates and mean weight diameter, and enhanced field capacity as well as plant available water. Organic amendments had no obvious effect on soil C/N ratio or wilting coefficient. The results of linear regression indicated that the improvement in soil water retention could be attributed to the increases in soil organic carbon and aggregate stability. PMID:27191160

Biochar Improves Soil Aggregate Stability and Water Availability in a Mollisol after Three Years of Field Application.

PubMed

Ma, Ningning; Zhang, Lili; Zhang, Yulan; Yang, Lijie; Yu, Chunxiao; Yin, Guanghua; Doane, Timothy A; Wu, Zhijie; Zhu, Ping; Ma, Xingzhu

2016-01-01

A field experiment was carried out to evaluate the effect of organic amendments on soil organic carbon, total nitrogen, bulk density, aggregate stability, field capacity and plant available water in a representative Chinese Mollisol. Four treatments were as follows: no fertilization (CK), application of inorganic fertilizer (NPK), combined application of inorganic fertilizer with maize straw (NPK+S) and addition of biochar with inorganic fertilizer (NPK+B). Our results showed that after three consecutive years of application, the values of soil bulk density were significantly lower in both organic amendment-treated plots than in unamended (CK and NPK) plots. Compared with NPK, NPK+B more effectively increased the contents of soil organic carbon, improved the relative proportion of soil macro-aggregates and mean weight diameter, and enhanced field capacity as well as plant available water. Organic amendments had no obvious effect on soil C/N ratio or wilting coefficient. The results of linear regression indicated that the improvement in soil water retention could be attributed to the increases in soil organic carbon and aggregate stability.

Stabilizing Various Bicontinuous Morphologies via Polydispersity of Diblock Copolymers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lai, Chi To; Shi, An-Chang

Diblock copolymers are macromolecules composed of two chemically distinct homopolymers covalently bound end-to-end. The ability to self-assembly into a wide variety of ordered periodic structures, as means of minimizing the free energy, is their most well-studied property. There are many factors affecting the observed equilibrium morphology, one of which is polydispersity. The phase behaviour of polydispersed diblock copolymers is more rich, and diverse when compared to their monodispersed counterpart. The rich behaviour of polydispersed diblock copolymers provides an opportunity to engineer novel morphologies which are not available in monodispersed systems. Using the self-consistent field theory (SCFT), we explore the possibility of exploiting polydispersity of diblock copolymers in binary mixtures to stabilize the various bicontinuous phases, such as the double-diamond morphology. Specifically, solutions of the SCFT equations corresponding to different bicontinuous phases are obtained numerically for binary mixtures of diblock copolymers. The relative stability of the different ordered phases is examined by comparing their free energy. From the study, we determine optimal sets of parameters that stabilize the double-diamond or other exotic morphologies.

Interface behavior of a multi-layer fluid configuration subject to acceleration in a microgravity environment, supplement 1. M.S. Thesis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lyell, M. J.; Roh, Michael

1991-01-01

With the increasing opportunities for research in a microgravity environment, there arises a need for understanding fluid mechanics under such conditions. In particular, a number of material processing configurations involve fluid-fluid interfaces which may experience instabilities in the presence of external forcing. In a microgravity environment, these accelerations may be periodic or impulse-type in nature. This research investigates the behavior of a multi-layer idealized fluid configuration which is infinite in extent. The analysis is linear, and each fluid region is considered inviscid, incompressible, and immiscible. An initial parametric study of confiquration stability in the presence of a constant acceleration field is performed. The zero mean gravity limit case serves as the base state for the subsequent time-dependent forcing cases. A stability analysis of the multi-layer fluid system in the presence of periodic forcing is investigated. Floquet theory is utilized. A parameter study is performed, and regions of stability are identified. For the impulse-type forcing case, asymptotic stability is established for the configuration. Using numerical integration, the time response of the interfaces is determined.

In Vivo Integrity and Biological Fate of Chelator-Free Zirconium-89-Labeled Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles

PubMed Central

2015-01-01

Traditional chelator-based radio-labeled nanoparticles and positron emission tomography (PET) imaging are playing vital roles in the field of nano-oncology. However, their long-term in vivo integrity and potential mismatch of the biodistribution patterns between nanoparticles and radio-isotopes are two major concerns for this approach. Here, we present a chelator-free zirconium-89 (89Zr, t1/2 = 78.4 h) labeling of mesoporous silica nanoparticle (MSN) with significantly enhanced in vivo long-term (>20 days) stability. Successful radio-labeling and in vivo stability are demonstrated to be highly dependent on both the concentration and location of deprotonated silanol groups (−Si–O–) from two types of silica nanoparticles investigated. This work reports 89Zr-labeled MSN with a detailed labeling mechanism investigation and long-term stability study. With its attractive radio-stability and the simplicity of chelator-free radio-labeling, 89Zr-MSN offers a novel, simple, and accurate way for studying the in vivo long-term fate and PET image-guided drug delivery of MSN in the near future. PMID:26213260

In Vivo Integrity and Biological Fate of Chelator-Free Zirconium-89-Labeled Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles.

PubMed

Chen, Feng; Goel, Shreya; Valdovinos, Hector F; Luo, Haiming; Hernandez, Reinier; Barnhart, Todd E; Cai, Weibo

2015-08-25

Traditional chelator-based radio-labeled nanoparticles and positron emission tomography (PET) imaging are playing vital roles in the field of nano-oncology. However, their long-term in vivo integrity and potential mismatch of the biodistribution patterns between nanoparticles and radio-isotopes are two major concerns for this approach. Here, we present a chelator-free zirconium-89 ((89)Zr, t1/2 = 78.4 h) labeling of mesoporous silica nanoparticle (MSN) with significantly enhanced in vivo long-term (>20 days) stability. Successful radio-labeling and in vivo stability are demonstrated to be highly dependent on both the concentration and location of deprotonated silanol groups (-Si-O(-)) from two types of silica nanoparticles investigated. This work reports (89)Zr-labeled MSN with a detailed labeling mechanism investigation and long-term stability study. With its attractive radio-stability and the simplicity of chelator-free radio-labeling, (89)Zr-MSN offers a novel, simple, and accurate way for studying the in vivo long-term fate and PET image-guided drug delivery of MSN in the near future.

Production and study of high-beta plasma confined by a superconducting dipole magneta)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Garnier, D. T.; Hansen, A.; Mauel, M. E.; Ortiz, E.; Boxer, A. C.; Ellsworth, J.; Karim, I.; Kesner, J.; Mahar, S.; Roach, A.

2006-05-01

The Levitated Dipole Experiment (LDX) [J. Kesner et al., in Fusion Energy 1998, 1165 (1999)] is a new research facility that is exploring the confinement and stability of plasma created within the dipole field produced by a strong superconducting magnet. Unlike other configurations in which stability depends on curvature and magnetic shear, magnetohydrodynamic stability of a dipole derives from plasma compressibility. Theoretically, the dipole magnetic geometry can stabilize a centrally peaked plasma pressure that exceeds the local magnetic pressure (β>1), and the absence of magnetic shear allows particle and energy confinement to decouple. In initial experiments, long-pulse, quasi-steady-state microwave discharges lasting more than 10s have been produced that are consistent with equilibria having peak beta values of 20%. Detailed measurements have been made of discharge evolution, plasma dynamics and instability, and the roles of gas fueling, microwave power deposition profiles, and plasma boundary shape. In these initial experiments, the high-field superconducting floating coil was supported by three thin supports. The plasma is created by multifrequency electron cyclotron resonance heating at 2.45 and 6.4GHz, and a population of energetic electrons, with mean energies above 50keV, dominates the plasma pressure. Creation of high-pressure, high-beta plasma is possible only when intense hot electron interchange instabilities are stabilized by sufficiently high background plasma density. A dramatic transition from a low-density, low-beta regime to a more quiescent, high-beta regime is observed when the plasma fueling rate and confinement time become sufficiently large.

Kinetically Stabilized Axisymmetric Tandem Mirrors: Summary of Studies

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

Post, R F

2005-02-08

The path to practical fusion power through plasma confinement in magnetic fields, if it is solely based on the present front-runner, the tokamak, is clearly long, expensive, and arduous. The root causes for this situation lie in the effects of endemic plasma turbulence and in the complexity the tokamak's ''closed'' field geometry. The studies carried out in the investigations described in the attached reports are aimed at finding an approach that does not suffer from these problems. This goal is to be achieved by employing an axisymmetric ''open'' magnetic field geometry, i.e. one generated by a linear array of circularmore » magnet coils, and employing the magnetic mirror effect in accomplishing the plugging of end leakage. More specifically, the studies were aimed at utilizing the tandem-mirror concept in an axisymmetric configuration to achieve performance superior to the tokamak, and in a far simpler system, one for which the cost and development time could be much lower than that for the tokamak, as exemplified by ITER and its follow-ons. An important stimulus for investigating axisymmetric versions of the tandem mirror is the fact that, beginning from early days in fusion research there have been examples of axisymmetric mirror experiments where the plasma exhibited crossfield transport far below the turbulence-enhanced rates characteristic of tokamaks, in specific cases approaching the ''classical'' rate. From the standpoint of theory, axisymmetric mirror-based systems have special characteristics that help explain the low levels of turbulence that have been observed. Among these are the facts that there are no parallel currents in the equilibrium state, and that the drift surfaces of all of the trapped particles are closed surfaces, as shown early on by Teller and Northrop. In addition, in such systems it is possible to arrange that the radial boundary of the confined plasma terminates without contact with the chamber wall. This possibility reduces the probability of so-called ''temperature-gradient'' instabilities, known to be endemic to closed systems. Finally, the open-ended nature of the field readily allows the control of the radial potential distribution, a circumstance that has been shown, for example in the Gamma 10 tandem-mirror experiment at Tsukuba Japan, to suppress drift-type instability modes. Standing against all of these attractive properties of axisymmetric mirror-based systems is the fact, shown early on, that such systems are prone to MHD ''interchange'' instabilities, one in which the plasma column drifts transversely, at a rate far above classical transport. Observed early on, the ''cure'' that was universally adopted, as first demonstrated in the famous ''Ioffe experiment'', was to abandon axisymmetry and employ so-called ''magnetic-well'' fields, ones in which the field increases radially and axially from its interior, strongly suppressing the MHD interchange mode, up to plasma ''beta'' values approaching unity, observed in the 2X2B experiment. When the tandem mirror concept was introduced in 1976 every experiment that was constructed employed various combinations of non-axisymmetric coil configurations (''Baseball,'' and ''Yin-Yang'' coils) to create the magnetic fields. But it came at a heavy price: non-axisymmetric fields gave rise to new non-classical loss channels, and the complexity of the fields introduced difficult engineering problems. It was well recognized at the time that it would be highly advantageous to preserve axisymmetry of the tandem mirror coils, but there was no apparent way to stabilize the ubiquitous MHD interchange mode. A decade later a way to accomplish this end was analyzed theoretically, and, a few years later successfully demonstrated experimentally, in the Gas Dynamic Trap (GDT) experiment at Novosibirsk. The concept: the presence of a sufficient amount of plasma on the expanding field lines outside the end mirrors of a mirror machine can act as an ''anchor,'' MHD stabilizing the interior, confined, plasma. Moreover, Ryutov's theory showed that the pressure of this anchor plasma could be orders of magnitude smaller than that of the confined plasma, and still be able to stabilize it. In the GDT, which operates in a collision-dominated region (as opposed to the near-collisionless mode of a tandem mirror), the effluent plasma, though much lower in density than that of the confined plasma, is sufficient to stabilize the central plasma, up to plasma beta values of 40 percent. Furthermore, once MHD stabilized, the confined plasma in the GDT exhibited no signs of plasma turbulence or enhanced cross-field transport, even in the presence of a substantial population of high energy ions produced by neutral-beam injection.« less

Simulation of electrostatic ion instabilities in the presence of parallel currents and transverse electric fields

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nishikawa, K.-I.; Ganguli, G.; Lee, Y. C.; Palmadesso, P. J.

1989-01-01

A spatially two-dimensional electrostatic PIC simulation code was used to study the stability of a plasma equilibrium characterized by a localized transverse dc electric field and a field-aligned drift for L is much less than Lx, where Lx is the simulation length in the x direction and L is the scale length associated with the dc electric field. It is found that the dc electric field and the field-aligned current can together play a synergistic role to enable the excitation of electrostatic waves even when the threshold values of the field aligned drift and the E x B drift are individually subcritical. The simulation results show that the growing ion waves are associated with small vortices in the linear stage, which evolve to the nonlinear stage dominated by larger vortices with lower frequencies.

On the stability of dyons and dyonic black holes in Einstein-Yang-Mills theory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nolan, Brien C.; Winstanley, Elizabeth

2016-02-01

We investigate the stability of four-dimensional dyonic soliton and black hole solutions of {su}(2) Einstein-Yang-Mills theory in anti-de Sitter space. We prove that, in a neighbourhood of the embedded trivial (Schwarzschild-)anti-de Sitter solution, there exist non-trivial dyonic soliton and black hole solutions of the field equations which are stable under linear, spherically symmetric, perturbations of the metric and non-Abelian gauge field.

Turbulent Flame Stabilization Methods Using Confinement, Diluents, and High-Potential Electric Fields

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-08-03

the corona discharge was optimal for flame stabilization when it was located where fuel/air mixtures were within flammability limits locally...field [56]. This ionic wind is also known as the “ corona wind” [57] due to the corona discharge that develops at the sharp edge of the charged... Corona Discharge ,” Transactions of the American Institute of Electrical Engineers, Part I: Communication and Electronics, vol. 80, no. 2, pp. 143-150

A new car-following model for autonomous vehicles flow with mean expected velocity field

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wen-Xing, Zhu; Li-Dong, Zhang

2018-02-01

Due to the development of the modern scientific technology, autonomous vehicles may realize to connect with each other and share the information collected from each vehicle. An improved forward considering car-following model was proposed with mean expected velocity field to describe the autonomous vehicles flow behavior. The new model has three key parameters: adjustable sensitivity, strength factor and mean expected velocity field size. Two lemmas and one theorem were proven as criteria for judging the stability of homogeneousautonomous vehicles flow. Theoretical results show that the greater parameters means larger stability regions. A series of numerical simulations were carried out to check the stability and fundamental diagram of autonomous flow. From the numerical simulation results, the profiles, hysteresis loop and density waves of the autonomous vehicles flow were exhibited. The results show that with increased sensitivity, strength factor or field size the traffic jam was suppressed effectively which are well in accordance with the theoretical results. Moreover, the fundamental diagrams corresponding to three parameters respectively were obtained. It demonstrates that these parameters play almost the same role on traffic flux: i.e. before the critical density the bigger parameter is, the greater flux is and after the critical density, the opposite tendency is. In general, the three parameters have a great influence on the stability and jam state of the autonomous vehicles flow.

Analysis of nonlocal neural fields for both general and gamma-distributed connectivities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hutt, Axel; Atay, Fatihcan M.

2005-04-01

This work studies the stability of equilibria in spatially extended neuronal ensembles. We first derive the model equation from statistical properties of the neuron population. The obtained integro-differential equation includes synaptic and space-dependent transmission delay for both general and gamma-distributed synaptic connectivities. The latter connectivity type reveals infinite, finite, and vanishing self-connectivities. The work derives conditions for stationary and nonstationary instabilities for both kernel types. In addition, a nonlinear analysis for general kernels yields the order parameter equation of the Turing instability. To compare the results to findings for partial differential equations (PDEs), two typical PDE-types are derived from the examined model equation, namely the general reaction-diffusion equation and the Swift-Hohenberg equation. Hence, the discussed integro-differential equation generalizes these PDEs. In the case of the gamma-distributed kernels, the stability conditions are formulated in terms of the mean excitatory and inhibitory interaction ranges. As a novel finding, we obtain Turing instabilities in fields with local inhibition-lateral excitation, while wave instabilities occur in fields with local excitation and lateral inhibition. Numerical simulations support the analytical results.

Overview of transport and MHD stability study: focusing on the impact of magnetic field topology in the Large Helical Device

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ida, K.; Nagaoka, K.; Inagaki, S.; Kasahara, H.; Evans, T.; Yoshinuma, M.; Kamiya, K.; Ohdach, S.; Osakabe, M.; Kobayashi, M.; Sudo, S.; Itoh, K.; Akiyama, T.; Emoto, M.; Dinklage, A.; Du, X.; Fujii, K.; Goto, M.; Goto, T.; Hasuo, M.; Hidalgo, C.; Ichiguchi, K.; Ishizawa, A.; Jakubowski, M.; Kawamura, G.; Kato, D.; Morita, S.; Mukai, K.; Murakami, I.; Murakami, S.; Narushima, Y.; Nunami, M.; Ohno, N.; Pablant, N.; Sakakibara, S.; Seki, T.; Shimozuma, T.; Shoji, M.; Tanaka, K.; Tokuzawa, T.; Todo, Y.; Wang, H.; Yokoyama, M.; Yamada, H.; Takeiri, Y.; Mutoh, T.; Imagawa, S.; Mito, T.; Nagayama, Y.; Watanabe, K. Y.; Ashikawa, N.; Chikaraishi, H.; Ejiri, A.; Furukawa, M.; Fujita, T.; Hamaguchi, S.; Igami, H.; Isobe, M.; Masuzaki, S.; Morisaki, T.; Motojima, G.; Nagasaki, K.; Nakano, H.; Oya, Y.; Suzuki, C.; Suzuki, Y.; Sakamoto, R.; Sakamoto, M.; Sanpei, A.; Takahashi, H.; Tsuchiya, H.; Tokitani, M.; Ueda, Y.; Yoshimura, Y.; Yamamoto, S.; Nishimura, K.; Sugama, H.; Yamamoto, T.; Idei, H.; Isayama, A.; Kitajima, S.; Masamune, S.; Shinohara, K.; Bawankar, P. S.; Bernard, E.; von Berkel, M.; Funaba, H.; Huang, X. L.; T., Ii; Ido, T.; Ikeda, K.; Kamio, S.; Kumazawa, R.; Kobayashi, T.; Moon, C.; Muto, S.; Miyazawa, J.; Ming, T.; Nakamura, Y.; Nishimura, S.; Ogawa, K.; Ozaki, T.; Oishi, T.; Ohno, M.; Pandya, S.; Shimizu, A.; Seki, R.; Sano, R.; Saito, K.; Sakaue, H.; Takemura, Y.; Tsumori, K.; Tamura, N.; Tanaka, H.; Toi, K.; Wieland, B.; Yamada, I.; Yasuhara, R.; Zhang, H.; Kaneko, O.; Komori, A.; Collaborators

2015-10-01

The progress in the understanding of the physics and the concurrent parameter extension in the large helical device since the last IAEA-FEC, in 2012 (Kaneko O et al 2013 Nucl. Fusion 53 095024), is reviewed. Plasma with high ion and electron temperatures (Ti(0) ˜ Te(0) ˜ 6 keV) with simultaneous ion and electron internal transport barriers is obtained by controlling recycling and heating deposition. A sign flip of the nondiffusive term of impurity/momentum transport (residual stress and convection flow) is observed, which is associated with the formation of a transport barrier. The impact of the topology of three-dimensional magnetic fields (stochastic magnetic fields and magnetic islands) on heat momentum, particle/impurity transport and magnetohydrodynamic stability is also discussed. In the steady state operation, a 48 min discharge with a line-averaged electron density of 1 × 1019 m-3 and with high electron and ion temperatures (Ti(0) ˜ Te(0) ˜ 2 keV), resulting in 3.36 GJ of input energy, is achieved.

Magnetic attitude control torque generation of a gravity gradient stabilized satellite

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Suhadis, N. M.; Salleh, M. B.; Rajendran, P.

2018-05-01

Magnetic torquer is used to generate a magnetic dipole moment onboard satellites whereby a control torque for attitude control purposes is generated when it couples with the geomagnetic field. This technique has been considered very attractive for satellites operated in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) as the strength of the geomagnetic field is relatively high below the altitude of 1000 km. This paper presents the algorithm used to generate required magnetic dipole moment by 3 magnetic torquers mounted onboard a gravity gradient stabilized satellite operated at an altitude of 540 km with nadir pointing mission. As the geomagnetic field cannot be altered and its magnitude and direction vary with respect to the orbit altitude and inclination, a comparison study of attitude control torque generation performance with various orbit inclination is performed where the structured control algorithm is simulated for 13°, 33° and 53° orbit inclinations to see how the variation of the satellite orbit affects the satellite's attitude control torque generation. Results from simulation show that the higher orbit inclination generates optimum magnetic attitude control torque for accurate nadir pointing mission.

Thermal stability analysis under embankment with asphalt pavement and cement pavement in permafrost regions.

PubMed

Junwei, Zhang; Jinping, Li; Xiaojuan, Quan

2013-01-01

The permafrost degradation is the fundamental cause generating embankment diseases and pavement diseases in permafrost region while the permafrost degradation is related with temperature. Based on the field monitoring results of ground temperature along G214 Highway in high temperature permafrost regions, both the ground temperatures in superficial layer and the annual average temperatures under the embankment were discussed, respectively, for concrete pavements and asphalt pavements. The maximum depth of temperature field under the embankment for concrete pavements and asphalt pavements was also studied by using the finite element method. The results of numerical analysis indicate that there were remarkable seasonal differences of the ground temperatures in superficial layer between asphalt pavement and concrete pavement. The maximum influencing depth of temperature field under the permafrost embankment for every pavement was under the depth of 8 m. The thawed cores under both embankments have close relation with the maximum thawed depth, the embankment height, and the service time. The effective measurements will be proposed to keep the thermal stabilities of highway embankment by the results.

Thermal Stability Analysis under Embankment with Asphalt Pavement and Cement Pavement in Permafrost Regions

PubMed Central

Jinping, Li; Xiaojuan, Quan

2013-01-01

The permafrost degradation is the fundamental cause generating embankment diseases and pavement diseases in permafrost region while the permafrost degradation is related with temperature. Based on the field monitoring results of ground temperature along G214 Highway in high temperature permafrost regions, both the ground temperatures in superficial layer and the annual average temperatures under the embankment were discussed, respectively, for concrete pavements and asphalt pavements. The maximum depth of temperature field under the embankment for concrete pavements and asphalt pavements was also studied by using the finite element method. The results of numerical analysis indicate that there were remarkable seasonal differences of the ground temperatures in superficial layer between asphalt pavement and concrete pavement. The maximum influencing depth of temperature field under the permafrost embankment for every pavement was under the depth of 8 m. The thawed cores under both embankments have close relation with the maximum thawed depth, the embankment height, and the service time. The effective measurements will be proposed to keep the thermal stabilities of highway embankment by the results. PMID:24027444

Electro-optic response in thin smectic C* film with chevron structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kudreyko, Aleksey A.; Migranov, Nail G.; Migranova, Dana N.

2016-12-01

The effects in electrostatic models of chevron surface-stabilized ferroelectric liquid crystals are investigated through numerical modeling. To study smectic C* director distribution within the cell, we consider two nonlinear approaches: the chevron interface does not interplay with the electric field; the electric field interplays with the chevron interface. The obtained results of the director field distribution are compared with the earlier linearized studies. We find that whether or not the electric field interplays with the chevron interface, the electro-optic response requires a generalized approach for its description. The threshold electric field, which is necessary for switching between two stable director states in the chevron cell is evaluated. This study suggests that, in many cases of practical interest, electro-optic response to the electric field and the threshold electric field can be precisely estimated. We argue that, beside being numerically efficient, our approach provides a convenient and a novel standpoint for looking at the electro-optic response problem. Project supported by the Russian Foundation for Basic Research (RFBR) (Grant Nos. 16-32-00043 and 14-02-97026).

Post-sampling release of free fatty acids - effects of heat stabilization and methods of euthanasia.

PubMed

Jernerén, Fredrik; Söderquist, Marcus; Karlsson, Oskar

2015-01-01

The field of lipid research has made progress and it is now possible to study the lipidome of cells and organelles. A basic requirement of a successful lipid study is adequate pre-analytical sample handling, as some lipids can be unstable and postmortem changes can cause substantial accumulation of free fatty acids (FFAs). The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of conductive heat stabilization and euthanasia methods on FFA levels in the rat brain and liver using liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. The analysis of brain homogenates clearly demonstrated phospholipase activity and time-dependent post-sampling changes in the lipid pool of snap frozen non-stabilized tissue. There was a significant increase in FFAs already at 2min, which continued over time. Heat stabilization was shown to be an efficient method to reduce phospholipase activity and ex vivo lipolysis. Post-sampling effects due to tissue thawing and sample preparation induced a massive release of FFAs (up to 3700%) from non-stabilized liver and brain tissues compared to heat stabilized tissue. Furthermore, the choice of euthanasia method significantly influenced the levels of FFAs in the brain. The FFAs were decreased by 15-44% in the group of animals euthanized by pentobarbital injection compared with CO2 inhalation or decapitation. Our results highlight the importance of considering euthanasia methods and pre-analytical treatment in lipid analysis, factors which may otherwise interfere with the outcome of the experiments. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

High- β equilibrium and ballooning stability of the low aspect ratio CNT stellarator

DOE PAGES

Hammond, K. C.; Lazerson, S. A.; Volpe, F. A.

2017-04-07

In the paper, the existence and ballooning-stability of low aspect ratio stellarator equilibria is predicted for the Columbia Neutral Torus (CNT) with the aid of 3D numerical tools. In addition to having a low aspect ratio, CNT is characterized by a low magnetic field and small plasma volume. Also, highly overdense plasmas were recently heated in CNT by means of microwaves. These characteristics suggest that CNT might attain relatively high values of plasma beta and thus be of use in the experimental study of stellarator stability to high-beta instabilities such as ballooning modes. As a first step in that direction,more » here the ballooning stability limit is found numerically. Depending on the particular magnetic configuration we expect volume-averaged β limits in the range 0.9%–3.0%, and possibly higher, and observe indications of a second region of ballooning stability. As the aspect ratio is reduced, stability is found to increase in some configurations and decrease in others. Energy-balance estimates using stellarator scaling laws indicate that the lower β limit may be attainable with overdense heating at powers of 40 to 100 kW. The present study serves the additional purpose of testing VMEC and other stellarator codes at high values of β and at low aspect ratios. For this reason, the study was carried out both for free boundary, for maximum fidelity to experiment, as well as with a fixed boundary, as a numerical test.« less

A Fluid Pulse on the Hikurangi Subduction Margin: Evidence From a Heat Flux Transect Across the Upper Limit of Gas Hydrate Stability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pecher, I. A.; Villinger, H.; Kaul, N.; Crutchley, G. J.; Mountjoy, J. J.; Huhn, K.; Kukowski, N.; Henrys, S. A.; Rose, P. S.; Coffin, R. B.

2017-12-01

A transect of seafloor heat probe measurements on the Hikurangi Margin shows a significant increase of thermal gradients upslope of the updip limit of gas hydrate stability at the seafloor. We interpret these anomalously high thermal gradients as evidence for a fluid pulse leading to advective heat flux, while endothermic cooling from gas hydrate dissociation depresses temperatures in the hydrate stability field. Previous studies predict a seamount on the subducting Pacific Plate to cause significant overpressure beneath our study area, which may be the source of the fluid pulse. Double-bottom simulating reflections are present in our study area and likely caused by uplift based on gas hydrate phase boundary considerations, although we cannot exclude a thermogenic origin. We suggest that uplift may be associated with the leading edge of the subducting seamount. Our results provide further evidence for the transient nature of fluid expulsion in subduction zones.

Untangling the biological contributions to soil stability in semiarid shrublands

USGS Publications Warehouse

Chaudhary, V. Bala; Bowker, Matthew A.; O'Dell, Thomas E.; Grace, James B.; Redman, Andrea E.; Rillig, Matthias C.; Johnson, Nancy C.

2009-01-01

Communities of plants, biological soil crusts (BSCs), and arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi are known to influence soil stability individually, but their relative contributions, interactions, and combined effects are not well understood, particularly in arid and semiarid ecosystems. In a landscape-scale field study we quantified plant, BSC, and AM fungal communities at 216 locations along a gradient of soil stability levels in southern Utah, USA. We used multivariate modeling to examine the relative influences of plants, BSCs, and AM fungi on surface and subsurface stability in a semiarid shrubland landscape. Models were found to be congruent with the data and explained 35% of the variation in surface stability and 54% of the variation in subsurface stability. The results support several tentative conclusions. While BSCs, plants, and AM fungi all contribute to surface stability, only plants and AM fungi contribute to subsurface stability. In both surface and subsurface models, the strongest contributions to soil stability are made by biological components of the system. Biological soil crust cover was found to have the strongest direct effect on surface soil stability (0.60; controlling for other factors). Surprisingly, AM fungi appeared to influence surface soil stability (0.37), even though they are not generally considered to exist in the top few millimeters of the soil. In the subsurface model, plant cover appeared to have the strongest direct influence on soil stability (0.42); in both models, results indicate that plant cover influences soil stability both directly (controlling for other factors) and indirectly through influences on other organisms. Soil organic matter was not found to have a direct contribution to surface or subsurface stability in this system. The relative influence of AM fungi on soil stability in these semiarid shrublands was similar to that reported for a mesic tallgrass prairie. Estimates of effects that BSCs, plants, and AM fungi have on soil stability in these models are used to suggest the relative amounts of resources that erosion control practitioners should devote to promoting these communities. This study highlights the need for system approaches in combating erosion, soil degradation, and arid-land desertification.

Vacuum stability and naturalness in type-II seesaw

DOE PAGES

Haba, Naoyuki; Ishida, Hiroyuki; Okada, Nobuchika; ...

2016-06-16

Here, we study the vacuum stability and perturbativity conditions in the minimal type-II seesaw model. These conditions give characteristic constraints to the model parameters. In the model, there is a SU(2) L triplet scalar field, which could cause a large Higgs mass correction. From the naturalness point of view, heavy Higgs masses should be lower than 350GeV, which may be testable by the LHC Run-II results. Due to the effects of the triplet scalar field, the branching ratios of the Higgs decay (h → γγ,Zγ) deviate from the standard model, and a large parameter region is excluded by the recentmore » ATLAS and CMS combined analysis of h → γγ. Our result of the signal strength for h → γγ is R γγ ≲ 1.1, but its deviation is too small to observe at the LHC experiment.« less

Dataset on the mean, standard deviation, broad-sense heritability and stability of wheat quality bred in three different ways and grown under organic and low-input conventional systems.

PubMed

Rakszegi, Marianna; Löschenberger, Franziska; Hiltbrunner, Jürg; Vida, Gyula; Mikó, Péter

2016-06-01

An assessment was previously made of the effects of organic and low-input field management systems on the physical, grain compositional and processing quality of wheat and on the performance of varieties developed using different breeding methods ("Comparison of quality parameters of wheat varieties with different breeding origin under organic and low-input conventional conditions" [1]). Here, accompanying data are provided on the performance and stability analysis of the genotypes using the coefficient of variation and the 'ranking' and 'which-won-where' plots of GGE biplot analysis for the most important quality traits. Broad-sense heritability was also evaluated and is given for the most important physical and quality properties of the seed in organic and low-input management systems, while mean values and standard deviation of the studied properties are presented separately for organic and low-input fields.

Defect silicene and graphene as applied to the anode of lithium-ion batteries: Numerical experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Galashev, A. E.; Rakhmanova, O. R.; Zaikov, Yu. P.

2016-09-01

Mechanical properties and stability of two layers of defect silicene supported by graphene sheets, between which the lithium ion passes under an electrostatic field, are studied by the molecular dynamics method. Defects are mono-, di-, tri-, and hexavacansies. Graphene and silicene edges are rigidly fixed. Graphene sheets contacting with silicene take a convex shape, deflecting outward. Mono- and divacancies in silicene tend to a size decrease; larger vacancies exhibit better stability. The ion motion control using an electric field becomes possible only using perfect silicene or silicene with mono- and divacancies. The ion penetrated through larger defects, and its motion in the silicene channel becomes uncontrolled. When the ion moves in the channel, the most strong stress spikes appear in silicene containing monovacancies. In the case of fixed edges, perfect silicene intercalated with a lithium ion is inclined to accumulate larger stresses than silicene containing defects.

Study of Second Stability for Global ITG Modes in MHD-stable Equilibria

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fivaz, Mathieu; Sauter, Olivier; Appert, Kurt; Tran, Trach-Minh; Vaclavik, Jan

1997-11-01

We study finite pressure effects on the Ion Temperature Gradient (ITG) instabilities; these modes are stabilized when the magnetic field gradient is reversed at high β [1]. This second stability regime for ITG modes is studied in details with a global linear gyrokinetic Particle-In-Cell code which takes the full toroidal MHD equilibrium data from the equilibrium solver CHEASE [2]. Both the trapped-ion and the toroidal ITG regimes are explored. In contrast to second stability for MHD ballooning modes, low magnetic shear and high values of the safety factor do not facilitate strongly the access to the second-stable ITG regime. The consequences for anomalous ion heat transport in tokamaks are explored. We use the results to find optimized configurations that are stable to ideal MHD modes for both the long (kink) and short (ballooning) wavelengths and where the ITG modes are stable or have very low growth rates; such configurations might present very low level of anomalous transport. [1] M. Fivaz, T.M. Tran, K. Appert, J. Vaclavik and S. E. Parker, Phys. Rev. Lett. 78, 1997, p. 3471 [2] H. Lütjens, A. Bondeson and O. Sauter, Comput. Phys. Commun. 97, 1996, p. 219

Field-Free Nucleation of Antivortices and Giant Vortices in Nonsuperconducting Materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Amundsen, Morten; Ouassou, Jabir Ali; Linder, Jacob

2018-05-01

Giant vortices with higher phase winding than 2 π are usually energetically unfavorable, but geometric symmetry constraints on a superconductor in a magnetic field are known to stabilize such objects. Here, we show via microscopic calculations that giant vortices can appear in intrinsically nonsuperconducting materials, even without any applied magnetic field. The enabling mechanism is the proximity effect to a host superconductor where a current flows, and we also demonstrate that antivortices can appear in this setup. Our results open the possibility to study electrically controllable topological defects in unusual environments, which do not have to be exposed to magnetic fields or intrinsically superconducting, but instead display other types of order.

Straightforward and accurate technique for post-coupler stabilization in drift tube linac structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khalvati, Mohammad Reza; Ramberger, Suitbert

2016-04-01

The axial electric field of Alvarez drift tube linacs (DTLs) is known to be susceptible to variations due to static and dynamic effects like manufacturing tolerances and beam loading. Post-couplers are used to stabilize the accelerating fields of DTLs against tuning errors. Tilt sensitivity and its slope have been introduced as measures for the stability right from the invention of post-couplers but since then the actual stabilization has mostly been done by tedious iteration. In the present article, the local tilt-sensitivity slope TSn' is established as the principal measure for stabilization instead of tilt sensitivity or some visual slope, and its significance is developed on the basis of an equivalent-circuit diagram of the DTL. Experimental and 3D simulation results are used to analyze its behavior and to define a technique for stabilization that allows finding the best post-coupler settings with just four tilt-sensitivity measurements. CERN's Linac4 DTL Tank 2 and Tank 3 have been stabilized successfully using this technique. The final tilt-sensitivity error has been reduced from ±100 %/MHz down to ±3 %/MHz for Tank 2 and down to ±1 %/MHz for Tank 3. Finally, an accurate procedure for tuning the structure using slug tuners is discussed.

Soil-Geosynthetic Interaction Test to Develop Specifications for Geosynthetic-Stabilized Roadways

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2018-05-01

soil-geosynthetic composite (KSGC) for a wide range of geosynthetics. The tests were conducted after establishment of test configurations that were found suitable for specification of geosynthetic-stabilized base roadways. Field performance of experi...

Field Verification of Undercut Criteria and Alternatives for Subgrade Stabilization-Coastal Plain

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2012-06-01

The North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) is progressing toward developing quantitative and systematic : criteria that address the implementation of undercutting as a subgrade stabilization measure. As part of this effort, a : laborator...

Large-field-of-view, modular, stabilized, adaptive-optics-based scanning laser ophthalmoscope.

PubMed

Burns, Stephen A; Tumbar, Remy; Elsner, Ann E; Ferguson, Daniel; Hammer, Daniel X

2007-05-01

We describe the design and performance of an adaptive optics retinal imager that is optimized for use during dynamic correction for eye movements. The system incorporates a retinal tracker and stabilizer, a wide-field line scan scanning laser ophthalmoscope (SLO), and a high-resolution microelectromechanical-systems-based adaptive optics SLO. The detection system incorporates selection and positioning of confocal apertures, allowing measurement of images arising from different portions of the double pass retinal point-spread function (psf). System performance was excellent. The adaptive optics increased the brightness and contrast for small confocal apertures by more than 2x and decreased the brightness of images obtained with displaced apertures, confirming the ability of the adaptive optics system to improve the psf. The retinal image was stabilized to within 18 microm 90% of the time. Stabilization was sufficient for cross-correlation techniques to automatically align the images.

Stability of the discretization of the electron avalanche phenomenon

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

Villa, Andrea, E-mail: andrea.villa@rse-web.it; Barbieri, Luca, E-mail: luca.barbieri@rse-web.it; Gondola, Marco, E-mail: marco.gondola@rse-web.it

2015-09-01

The numerical simulation of the discharge inception is an active field of applied physics with many industrial applications. In this work we focus on the drift-reaction equation that describes the electron avalanche. This phenomenon is one of the basic building blocks of the streamer model. The main difficulty of the electron avalanche equation lies in the fact that the reaction term is positive when a high electric field is applied. It leads to exponentially growing solutions and this has a major impact on the behavior of numerical schemes. We analyze the stability of a reference finite volume scheme applied tomore » this latter problem. The stability of the method may impose a strict mesh spacing, therefore a proper stabilized scheme, which is stable whatever spacing is used, has been developed. The convergence of the scheme is treated as well as some numerical experiments.« less

Large Field of View, Modular, Stabilized, Adaptive-Optics-Based Scanning Laser Ophthalmoscope

PubMed Central

Burns, Stephen A.; Tumbar, Remy; Elsner, Ann E.; Ferguson, Daniel; Hammer, Daniel X.

2007-01-01

We describe the design and performance of an adaptive optics retinal imager that is optimized for use during dynamic correction for eye movements. The system incorporates a retinal tracker and stabilizer, a wide field line scan Scanning Laser Ophthalmocsope (SLO), and a high resolution MEMS based adaptive optics SLO. The detection system incorporates selection and positioning of confocal apertures, allowing measurement of images arising from different portions of the double pass retinal point spread function (psf). System performance was excellent. The adaptive optics increased the brightness and contrast for small confocal apertures by more than 2x, and decreased the brightness of images obtained with displaced apertures, confirming the ability of the adaptive optics system to improve the pointspread function. The retinal image was stabilized to within 18 microns 90% of the time. Stabilization was sufficient for cross-correlation techniques to automatically align the images. PMID:17429477

MHD Stability in Compact Stellarators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fu, Guoyong

1999-11-01

A key issue for current carrying compact stellarators(S.P. Hirshman et al., "Physics of compact stellarators", Phys. Plasmas 6, 1858 (1999).) is the stability of ideal MHD modes. We present recent stability results of external kink modes, ballooning mode, and vertical modes in Quasi-axisymmetric Stellarators (QAS)( A. Reiman et al, "Physics issue in the design of a high beta Quasi-Axisymmetric Stellarator" the 17th IAEA Fusion Energy conference, (Yokohama, Japan, October 1998), Paper ICP/06.) as well as Quasi-Omnigeneous Stellarators (QOS)^2. The 3D stability code Terpsichore(W. A. Cooper et al., Phys. Plasmas 3, 275 (1996)) is used in this study. The vertical stability in a current carrying stellarator is studied for the first time. The vertical mode is found to be stabilized by externally generated poloidal flux(G.Y. Fu et al., "Stability of vertical mode in a current carrying stellarator"., to be submitted). Physically, this is because the external poloidal flux enhances the field line bending energy relative to the current drive term in the MHD energy principle, δ W. A simple stability criteria is derived in the limit of large aspect ratio and constant current density. For wall at infinite distance from the plasma, the amount of external flux needed for stabilization is given by f=(κ^2-κ)/(κ^2+1) where κ is the axisymmetric elongation and f is the fraction of the external rotational transform at the plasma edge. A systematic parameter study shows that the external kink in QAS can be stabilized at high beta ( ~ 5%) without a conducting wall by combination of edge magnetic shear and 3D shaping(G. Y. Fu et al., "MHD stability calculations of high-beta Quasi-Axisymmetric Stellarators", the 17th IAEA Fusion Energy conference, (Yokohama, Japan, October 1998), paper THP1/07.). The optimal shaping is obtained by using an optimizer with kink stability included in its objective function. The physics mechanism for the kink modes is studied by examining relative contributions of individual terms in δ W. It is found the external kinks are mainly driven by the parallel current. The pressure contributes significantly to the overall drive through the curvature term and the Pfirsch-Schluter current. These results demonstrate potential of QAS and QOS for disruption-free operations at high-beta without a close-fitting conducting wall and feedback stabilization.

Linking Orbital, Field, and Laboratory Analyses of Dolerites in the McMurdo Dry Valleys of Antarctica: Terrestrial Studies and Planetary Applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Salvatore, M. R.; Mustard, J. F.; Head, J. W.; Marchant, D. R.; Wyatt, M. B.; Seeley, J.

2012-03-01

Primary igneous and secondary alteration signatures can be resolved using orbital spectroscopy over mafic regions of the McMurdo Dry Valleys. We assess the nature of these signatures and their link to surface stability and regional microclimates.

Quantitative characterization of non-classic polarization of cations on clay aggregate stability.

PubMed

Hu, Feinan; Li, Hang; Liu, Xinmin; Li, Song; Ding, Wuquan; Xu, Chenyang; Li, Yue; Zhu, Longhui

2015-01-01

Soil particle interactions are strongly influenced by the concentration, valence and ion species and the pH of the bulk solution, which will also affect aggregate stability and particle transport. In this study, we investigated clay aggregate stability in the presence of different alkali ions (Li+, Na+, K+, and Cs+) at concentrations from10-5 to 10-1 mol L-1. Strong specific ion effects on clay aggregate stability were observed, and showed the order Cs+>K+>Na+>Li+. We found that it was not the effects of ion size, hydration, and dispersion forces in the cation-surface interactions but strong non-classic polarization of adsorbed cations that resulted in these specific effects. In this study, the non-classic dipole moments of each cation species resulting from the non-classic polarization were estimated. By comparing non-classic dipole moments with classic values, the observed dipole moments of adsorbed cations were up to 104 times larger than the classic values for the same cation. The observed non-classic dipole moments sharply increased with decreasing electrolyte concentration. We conclude that strong non-classic polarization could significantly suppress the thickness of the diffuse layer, thereby weakening the electric field near the clay surface and resulting in improved clay aggregate stability. Even though we only demonstrated specific ion effects on aggregate stability with several alkali ions, our results indicate that these effects could be universally important in soil aggregate stability.

Quantitative Characterization of Non-Classic Polarization of Cations on Clay Aggregate Stability

PubMed Central

Hu, Feinan; Li, Hang; Liu, Xinmin; Li, Song; Ding, Wuquan; Xu, Chenyang; Li, Yue; Zhu, Longhui

2015-01-01

Soil particle interactions are strongly influenced by the concentration, valence and ion species and the pH of the bulk solution, which will also affect aggregate stability and particle transport. In this study, we investigated clay aggregate stability in the presence of different alkali ions (Li+, Na+, K+, and Cs+) at concentrations from10−5 to 10−1 mol L−1. Strong specific ion effects on clay aggregate stability were observed, and showed the order Cs+>K+>Na+>Li+. We found that it was not the effects of ion size, hydration, and dispersion forces in the cation–surface interactions but strong non-classic polarization of adsorbed cations that resulted in these specific effects. In this study, the non-classic dipole moments of each cation species resulting from the non-classic polarization were estimated. By comparing non-classic dipole moments with classic values, the observed dipole moments of adsorbed cations were up to 104 times larger than the classic values for the same cation. The observed non-classic dipole moments sharply increased with decreasing electrolyte concentration. We conclude that strong non-classic polarization could significantly suppress the thickness of the diffuse layer, thereby weakening the electric field near the clay surface and resulting in improved clay aggregate stability. Even though we only demonstrated specific ion effects on aggregate stability with several alkali ions, our results indicate that these effects could be universally important in soil aggregate stability. PMID:25874864

A Comparative Study of Emotional Stability of Visually Impaired Students Studying at Secondary Level in Inclusive Setup and Special Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pant, Pankaj; Joshi, P. K.

2016-01-01

Visual impairment as an umbrella term includes all levels of vision loss. Researches in the field of visual disability are far from satisfactory in India. Some attempts have been made to study different aspects of the lives of visually disabled children. Such attempts help, revealing the facts of their life, characteristics, activities,…

Synthesis of Mesoporous Nanocrystalline Zirconia by Surfactant-Assisted Hydrothermal Approach.

PubMed

Nath, Soumav; Biswas, Ashik; Kour, Prachi P; Sarma, Loka S; Sur, Ujjal Kumar; Ankamwar, Balaprasad G

2018-08-01

In this paper, we have reported the chemical synthesis of thermally stable mesoporous nanocrystalline zirconia with high surface area using a surfactant-assisted hydrothermal approach. We have employed different type of surfactants such as CTAB, SDS and Triton X-100 in our synthesis. The synthesized nanocrystalline zirconia multistructures exhibit various morphologies such as rod, mortar-pestle with different particle sizes. We have characterized the zirconia multistructures by X-ray diffraction study, Field emission scanning electron microscopy, Attenuated total refection infrared spectroscopy, UV-Vis spectroscopy and photoluminescence spectroscopy. The thermal stability of as synthesized zirconia multistructures was studied by thermo gravimetric analysis, which shows the high thermal stability of nanocrystalline zirconia around 900 °C temperature.

MHD Turbulence Sheared in Fixed and Rotating Frames

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kassinos, S. C.; Knaepen, B.; Wray, A.

2004-01-01

We consider homogeneous turbulence in a conducting fluid that is exposed to a uniform external magnetic field while being sheared in fixed and rotating frames. We take both the frame-rotation axis and the applied magnetic field to be aligned in the direction normal to the plane of the mean shear. Here a systematic parametric study is carried out in a series of Direct Numerical Simulations (DNS) in order to clarify the main effects determining the structural anisotropy and stability of the flow.

Mechanisms of monoclonal antibody stabilization and release from silk biomaterials

PubMed Central

Guziewicz, Nicholas A.; Massetti, Andrew J.; Perez-Ramirez, Bernardo J.; Kaplan, David L.

2013-01-01

The availability of stabilization and sustained delivery systems for antibody therapeutics remains a major clinical challenge, despite the growing development of antibodies for a wide range of therapeutic applications due to their specificity and efficacy. A mechanistic understanding of protein-matrix interactions is critical for the development of such systems and is currently lacking as a mode to guide the field. We report mechanistic insight to address this need by using well-defined matrices based on silk gels, in combination with a monoclonal antibody. Variables including antibody loading, matrix density, charge interactions, hydrophobicity and water access were assessed to clarify mechanisms involved in the release of antibody from the biomaterial matrix. The results indicate that antibody release is primarily governed by hydrophobic interactions and hydration resistance, which are controlled by silk matrix chemistry, peptide domain distribution and protein density. Secondary ionic repulsions are also critical in antibody stabilization and release. Matrix modification by free methionine incorporation was found to be an effective strategy for mitigating encapsulation induced antibody oxidation. Additionally, these studies highlight a characterization approach to improve the understanding and development of other protein sustained delivery systems, with broad applicability to the rapidly developing monoclonal antibody field. PMID:23859659

Bifurcation and Stability Analysis of the Equilibrium States in Thermodynamic Systems in a Small Vicinity of the Equilibrium Values of Parameters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barsuk, Alexandr A.; Paladi, Florentin

2018-04-01

The dynamic behavior of thermodynamic system, described by one order parameter and one control parameter, in a small neighborhood of ordinary and bifurcation equilibrium values of the system parameters is studied. Using the general methods of investigating the branching (bifurcations) of solutions for nonlinear equations, we performed an exhaustive analysis of the order parameter dependences on the control parameter in a small vicinity of the equilibrium values of parameters, including the stability analysis of the equilibrium states, and the asymptotic behavior of the order parameter dependences on the control parameter (bifurcation diagrams). The peculiarities of the transition to an unstable state of the system are discussed, and the estimates of the transition time to the unstable state in the neighborhood of ordinary and bifurcation equilibrium values of parameters are given. The influence of an external field on the dynamic behavior of thermodynamic system is analyzed, and the peculiarities of the system dynamic behavior are discussed near the ordinary and bifurcation equilibrium values of parameters in the presence of external field. The dynamic process of magnetization of a ferromagnet is discussed by using the general methods of bifurcation and stability analysis presented in the paper.

Magnesium ferrite nanocrystal clusters for magnetorheological fluid with enhanced sedimentation stability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Guangshuo; Ma, Yingying; Li, Meixia; Cui, Guohua; Che, Hongwei; Mu, Jingbo; Zhang, Xiaoliang; Tong, Yu; Dong, Xufeng

2017-01-01

In this study, magnesium ferrite (MgFe2O4) nanocrystal clusters were synthesized using an ascorbic acid-assistant solvothermal method and evaluated as a candidate for magnetorheological (MR) fluid. The morphology, microstructure and magnetic properties of the MgFe2O4 nanocrystal clusters were investigated in detail by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), transmission electron microscope (TEM), thermogravimetric analyzer (TGA), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID). The MgFe2O4 nanocrystal clusters were suspended in silicone oil to prepare MR fluid and the MR properties were tested using a Physica MCR301 rheometer fitted with a magneto-rheological module. The prepared MR fluid showed typical Bingham plastic behavior, changing from a liquid-like to a solid-like structure under an external magnetic field. Compared with the conventional carbonyl iron particles, MgFe2O4 nanocrystal clusters-based MR fluid demonstrated enhanced sedimentation stability due to the reduced mismatch in density between the particles and the carrier medium. In summary, the as-prepared MgFe2O4 nanocrystal clusters are regarded as a promising candidate for MR fluid with enhanced sedimentation stability.

Spacetime Curvature and Higgs Stability after Inflation.

PubMed

Herranen, M; Markkanen, T; Nurmi, S; Rajantie, A

2015-12-11

We investigate the dynamics of the Higgs field at the end of inflation in the minimal scenario consisting of an inflaton field coupled to the standard model only through the nonminimal gravitational coupling ξ of the Higgs field. Such a coupling is required by renormalization of the standard model in curved space, and in the current scenario also by vacuum stability during high-scale inflation. We find that for ξ≳1, rapidly changing spacetime curvature at the end of inflation leads to significant production of Higgs particles, potentially triggering a transition to a negative-energy Planck scale vacuum state and causing an immediate collapse of the Universe.

Solitons induced by alternating electric fields in surface-stabilized ferroelectric liquid crystals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jeżewski, W.; Kuczyński, W.; Hoffmann, J.

2011-04-01

Propagation of solitary waves activated in thin ferroelectric liquid crystal cells under external, sinusoidally alternating electric fields is investigated using the electro-optic technique. It is shown that solitons give contributions only to the loss component of the response spectrum, within rather narrow ranges of frequencies and in sufficiently strong fields. The limit frequency, at which the amplitude of the velocity of the solitary waves is greatest, is found to be related to material constants of liquid crystals. Measuring this threshold frequency provides the capability to determine the elastic constant of surface stabilized liquid crystalline materials in the bookshelf or chevron layer geometries.

Covalent character and electric field dependence of H2-AgX (X = F - I).

PubMed

Li, Xinying

2018-06-16

Mechanisms of Ag-X and Ag…H 2 interactions and stabilities of T-shaped H 2 -AgX (X = F - I) series were investigated at the CCSD(T) level. The "no-density" bond with smaller positive Laplacian and ELF values in interaction regions, as well as considerable delocalization index values, suggest weak covalent "charge-shift" character for the Ag…H 2 interaction. Structure and stability dependence on the electric field were investigated at the MP2 level. Relative total energy curves show obvious parabolic character, and the plots can be fitted by quadratic polynomials as functions of electric field strength.

Control of the diocotron instability of a hollow electron beam with periodic dipole magnets

DOE PAGES

Jo, Y. H.; Kim, J. S.; Stancari, G.; ...

2017-12-28

A method to control the diocotron instability of a hollow electron beam with peri-odic dipole magnetic fields has been investigated by a two-dimensional particle-in-cell simulation. At first, relations between the diocotron instability and several physical parameters such as the electron number density, current and shape of the electron beam, and the solenoidal field strength are theoretically analyzed without periodic dipole magnetic fields. Then, we study the effects of the periodic dipole magnetic fields on the diocotron instability using the two-dimensional particle-in-cell simulation. In the simulation, we considered the periodic dipole magnetic field applied along the propagation direction of the beam,more » as a temporally varying magnetic field in the beam frame. Lastly, a stabilizing effect is observed when the oscillating frequency of the dipole magnetic field is optimally chosen, which increases with the increasing amplitude of the dipole magnetic field.« less

An experimental study of energy loss mechanisms and efficiency consideration in the low power dc arcjet

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Curran, F. M.

1985-01-01

The potential utility of the low power dc arcjet in auxiliary propulsion was investigated. It was indicated that improvements in the areas of stability, energy efficiency, reliability, and electrode erosion are necessary to obtain a useful device. A water-cooled arcjet simulator was tested to investigate both the energy loss mechanisms at the electrodes and the stability of different conventional arcjet configurations in the presence of a vortex flow field. It is shown that in certain configurations only 25 to 30% of the input energy is lost to the electrodes. It is also shown that vortex stabilization is not difficult to obtain in many cases at the flow rates used and that a careful starting procedure is effective in minimizing electrode damage.

An experimental study of energy loss mechanisms and efficiency considerations in the low power dc arcjet

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Curran, F. M.

1985-01-01

The potential utility of the low power dc arcjet in auxiliary propulsion was investigated. It was indicated that improvements in the areas of stability, energy efficiency, reliability, and electrode erosion are necessary to obtain a useful device. A water-cooled arcjet simulator was tested to investigate both the energy loss mechanisms at the electrodes and the stability of different conventional arcjet configurations in the presence of a vortex flow field. It is shown that in certain configurations only 25 to 30 percent of the input energy is lost to the electrodes. It is also shown that vortex stabilization is not difficult to obtain in many cases at the flow rates used and that a careful starting procedure is effective in minimizing electrode damage.

An ab-initio study of the relative stability of the ggg and the gtg conformer in hexane

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Koglin, Eckhard; Meier, Robert J.

1999-10-01

Earlier ab-initio work suggested, on the basis of MP2 level calculations, that the hexane ggg conformer is more stable than the gtg conformer. Because this is unexpected and if true might have a significant impact on force field parametrisations, we have applied Hartree-Fock and post-HF methods to evaluate the relative stability of these conformers. We find that at levels higher than MP2 the gtg conformer is more stable than the ggg conformer, in agreement with the conventional idea that each additional gauche bond causes a further decrease in stability of the conformer. DFT methods were also applied, but although DFT methods including gradient corrections show correct qualitative behaviour, quantitatively the relative energies are far off compared to the post-HF results.

Realization of zero-field skyrmions with high-density via electromagnetic manipulation in Pt/Co/Ta multilayers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

He, Min; Peng, Licong; Zhu, Zhaozhao; Li, Gang; Cai, Jianwang; Li, Jianqi; Wei, Hongxiang; Gu, Lin; Wang, Shouguo; Zhao, Tongyun; Shen, Baogen; Zhang, Ying

2017-11-01

Taking advantage of the electron-current ability to generate, stabilize, and manipulate skyrmions prompts the application of skyrmion multilayers in room-temperature spintronic devices. In this study, the robust high-density skyrmions are electromagnetically generated from Pt/Co/Ta multilayers using Lorentz transmission electron microscopy. The skyrmion density is tunable and can be significantly enhanced. Remarkably, these generated skyrmions after optimized manipulation sustain at zero field with both the in-plane current and perpendicular magnetic field being switched off. The skyrmion generation and manipulation method demonstrated in this study opens up an alternative way to engineer skyrmion-based devices. The results also provide key data for further theoretical study to discover the nature of the interaction between the electric current and different spin configurations.

Consolidation of Partially Stabilized ZrO2 in the Presence of a Noncontacting Electric Field

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Majidi, Hasti; van Benthem, Klaus

2015-05-01

Electric field-assisted sintering techniques demonstrate accelerated densification at lower temperatures than the conventional sintering methods. However, it is still debated whether the applied field and/or resulting currents are responsible for the densification enhancement. To distinguish the effects of an applied field from current flow, in situ scanning transmission electron microscopy experiments with soft agglomerates of partially stabilized yttria-doped zirconia particles are carried out. A new microelectromechanical system-based sample support is used to heat particle agglomerates while simultaneously exposing them to an externally applied noncontacting electric field. Under isothermal condition at 900 °C , an electric field strength of 500 V /cm shows a sudden threefold enhancement in the shrinkage of the agglomerates. The applied electrostatic potential lowers the activation energy for point defect formation within the space charge zone and therefore promotes consolidation. Obtaining similar magnitudes of shrinkage in the absence of any electric field requires a higher temperature and longer time.

Stability of horizontal viscous fluid layers in a vertical arbitrary time periodic electric field

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bandopadhyay, Aditya; Hardt, Steffen

2017-12-01

The stability of a horizontal interface between two viscous fluids, one of which is conducting and the other is dielectric, acted upon by a vertical time-periodic electric field is considered theoretically. The two fluids are bounded by electrodes separated by a finite distance. For an applied ac electric field, the unstable interface deforms in a time periodic manner, owing to the time dependent Maxwell stress, and is characterized by the oscillation frequency which may or may not be the same as the frequency of the ac electric field. The stability curve, which relates the critical voltage, manifested through the Mason number—the ratio of normal electric stress and viscous stress, and the instability wavenumber at the onset of the instability, is obtained by means of the Floquet theory for a general arbitrary time periodic electric field. The limit of vanishing viscosities is shown to be in excellent agreement with the marginal stability curves predicted by means of a Mathieu equation. The influence of finite viscosity and electrode separation is discussed in relation to the ideal case of inviscid fluids. The methodology to obtain the marginal stability curves developed here is applicable to any arbitrary but time periodic signal, as demonstrated for the case of a signal with two different frequencies, and four different frequencies with a dc offset. The mode coupling in the interfacial normal stress leads to appearance of harmonic and subharmonic modes, characterized by the frequency of the oscillating interface at an integral or half-integral multiple of the applied frequency, respectively. This is in contrast to the application of a voltage with a single frequency which always leads to a harmonic mode oscillation of the interface. Whether a harmonic or subharmonic mode is the most unstable one depends on details of the excitation signal.

Stresses and pressures at the quartz-coesite transition in shear experiments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Richter, B.; Stunitz, H.; Heilbronner, R.

2015-12-01

Experiments on quartz (qtz) gouge were performed in a Griggs-type deformation apparatus at displacement rates of ~1.3 x 10-5 mms-1 or ~1.3 x 10-4 mms-1, at Pc= 1.0 GPa or 1.5 GPa and T = 600°C to 800°C. The starting material is a natural hydrothermally grown single crystal that was crushed to a powder with grain size d < 100 µm. Coesite (coe) is found if the maximum principle stress (σ1) is in the coe stability field. In general Pc and the mean stress (Pm) of these samples are below the quartz-coesite phase transition (QCT). Coe is not found if σ1 is below the QCT. At T = 600 °C, σ1is always in the coe stability field. But coe is only present in the high strain experiment, indicating slow transformation kinetics. In one sample we observed that σ1crosses the QCT during the loading part and after progressive weakening crosses the QCT back into the qtz stability field. The microstructure of this sample shows the formation of coe and the reverse transformation from coe to qtz. The coe growth penetrates the sample and coe grows around and in between larger qtz clasts. At high stresses, where Pm is also above the QCT, coe often forms radiating aggregates. At lower stresses, where only σ1 lies in the stability field of coe, and at low strain the coe grains have a preferred orientation of the b-axes (sub-) parallel to σ1. With increasing strain, the rigid coe grains rotate and align with the preferred qtz fabric. For coe to be found, it is sufficient that σ1 reaches values above the transformation pressure. If σ1 drops back into the qtz stability field during an experiment, a back-reaction from coe to qtz is observed. It appears therefore that the pressure that defines the QCT is not Pc or Pm, but σ1.

Stability under scalar perturbations and quasinormal modes of 4D Einstein-Born-Infeld dilaton spacetime: exact spectrum

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Destounis, Kyriakos; Panotopoulos, Grigoris; Rincón, Ángel

2018-02-01

We study the stability under scalar perturbations, and we compute the quasinormal modes of the Einstein-Born-Infeld dilaton spacetime in 1+3 dimensions. Solving the full radial equation in terms of hypergeometric functions, we provide an exact analytical expression for the spectrum. We find that the frequencies are purely imaginary, and we confirm our results by computing them numerically. Although the scalar field that perturbs the black hole is electrically neutral, an instability similar to that seen in charged scalar perturbations of the Reissner-Nordström black hole is observed.

Stability limits for the supercooled liquid and superheated crystal of Lennard-Jones particles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Loscar, Ernesto S.; Martin, Daniel A.; Grigera, Tomás S.

2017-07-01

We have studied the limits of stability in the first order liquid-solid phase transition in a Lennard-Jones system by means of the short-time relaxation method and using the bond-orientational order parameter Q6. These limits are compared with the melting line. We have paid special attention to the supercooled liquid, comparing our results with the point where the free energy cost of forming a nucleating droplet goes to zero. We also indirectly estimate the dimension associated to the critical nucleus at the spinodal, expected to be fractal according to mean field theories of nucleation.

On the dynamical stability of the space 'monorail'

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bergamaschi, S.; Manni, D.

The dynamical stability of 'monorail' tethered-satellite/elevator configurations being studied for the Space Station is investigated analytically, treating the end platforms and elevator as point masses, neglecting tether elasticity, and taking the Coriolis force and the complex gravitational field into account in analyzing the orbital-plane motion of the system. A mathematical model is constructed; the equations of motion are derived; and results obtained by numerical integration for platform masses 100,000 and 10,000 kg, elevator mass 5000 kg, and a 10-km-long 6-mm-diameter 4070-kg-mass tether are presented in graphs and briefly characterized.

Assessment of Angelica sinensis (Oliv.) Diels as a repellent for personal protection against mosquitoes under laboratory and field conditions in northern Thailand.

PubMed

Champakaew, Danita; Junkum, Anuluck; Chaithong, Udom; Jitpakdi, Atchariya; Riyong, Doungrat; Wannasan, Anchalee; Intirach, Jitrawadee; Muangmoon, Roongtawan; Chansang, Arpaporn; Tuetun, Benjawan; Pitasawat, Benjawan

2016-06-29

Angelica sinensis (Oliv.) hexane extract (AHE) has been reported as a proven and impressive repellent against laboratory-reared female Aedes aegypti mosquitoes. With the aim of promoting products of plant origin as a viable alternative to conventional synthetic substances, this study was designed to transform AHE-based repellents for exploitable commercial production by enhancing their efficacy and assessing their physical and biological stability as well as repellency against mosquitoes under laboratory and field conditions. The chemical profile of AHE was analyzed by qualitative gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) technique. AHE was supplemented with vanillin, as a fixative, and then investigated for repellency and comparison to the standard synthetic repellent, DEET, under both laboratory and field conditions. Determination of physical and biological stability as a repellent was carried out after keeping AHE samples under varying temperatures and for different storage times. GC-MS analysis revealed that AHE contained at least 21 phytochemical compounds, constituting 95.74 % of the total content, with the major constituent of 3-N-butylphthalide (66.67 %). Ethanolic formulations of AHE and DEET showed improvement of repellency in a dose-dependent manner when vanillin was added in laboratory assessment. While 5-25 % AHE alone provided median complete-protection times of 2.0-6.5 h against Ae. aegypti, these times were increased to 4.0-8.5 h with a combination of AHE and 5 % vanillin (AHEv). Protection times against Ae. aegypti were extended from 2.25 to 7.25 h to 4.25-8.25 h when 5-25 % DEET was combined with 5 % vanillin (DEETv). In determining stability, all stored AHE samples exhibited similar characteristics such as liquid phases with aromatic odor comparable to those of fresh preparations. Furthermore, repellent activity of stored AHE samples lasted for at least six months, with varied efficacy (4.5-10.0 h) against Ae. aegypti. Field trials revealed strong repellency from both 25 % AHEv and 25 % DEETv, with complete protection (100 %) against a wide range of local mosquito populations. A total of 5,718 adult female mosquitoes, with the most predominant being Culex quinquefasciatus (41.47 %), Armigeres subalbatus (41.13 %), and Culex vishnui (10.53 %), was collected during field applications. No local skin reaction or other allergic responses was observed during both laboratory and field study periods. Angelica sinensis proved to have not only impressive repellency against both laboratory Ae. aegypti and a wide range of natural mosquito populations, but also relative stability in physical and biological performance.

Instabilities in free-surface Hartmann flow at low magnetic Prandtl numbers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Giannakis, Dimitrios

2009-06-01

Free-surface Hartmann flow is the parallel flow of a viscous, electrically conducting, capillary fluid on a planar surface, subject to gravity and a flow- normal magnetic field. This type of flow arises in a variety of industrial and astrophysical contexts, including liquid-metal walls in fusion devices, heavy- ion accelerator targets, and surface layers of white dwarfs and neutron stars. Typically, the Reynolds number, Re >10 4 , is high, and the background magnetic field is strong ( Ha >100, where the Hartmann number, Ha , measures the square root of the ratio of electromagnetic to viscous forces). On the other hand, the magnetic Prandtl number, Pm (the ratio of viscous to magnetic diffusivity), of laboratory fluids is small (e.g., Pm <10 -4 for liquid metals), as is the case in a number of astrophysical models. When the background magnetic field is zero, free-surface Hartmann flow exhibits the so-called soft and hard instability modes; the former being a surface wave destabilized by viscous stresses acting on the free surface, whereas the latter is a shear mode destabilized by positive Reynolds stress associated with an internal critical layer. We study in detail the influence of the external magnetic field on these two instabilities, working in the regime Pm <10^-4. We also consider flows in the inductionless limit, Pr [arrow right]0, where magnetic field perturbations diffuse infinitely fast, and the sole MHD effect is a Lorentz force arising from currents induced by the perturbed fluid motion within the background magnetic field. We have developed a spectral Galerkin method to solve the coupled Orr- Sommerfeld and induction equations, which, in conjunction with suitable stress conditions at the free surface and continuity conditions for the magnetic field, govern the linear stability of free-surface Hartmann flow. Our scheme's discrete bases for the velocity and magnetic fields consist of linear combinations of Legendre polynomials, chosen according to the order of the Sobolev spaces of the continuous problem. The orthogonality properties of the bases solve the matrix-coefficient growth problem of the discrete stability operators, and eigenvalue-eigenfunction pairs can be computed stably at spectral orders at least as large as p =3000 with p -independent roundoff error. We find that, because it is a critical-layer instability (moderately modified by the presence of the free surface), the hard mode exhibits similar behavior to the even unstable mode in the corresponding closed-channel flow, in terms of both the weak influence of Pm on its neutral-stability curve and the monotonic increase of its critical Reynolds number, Re c , with the Hartmann number. In contrast, the soft mode's stability properties exhibit the novel behavior of differing markedly between problems with small, but nonzero, Pm and their counterparts in the inductionless limit. Notably, the critical Reynolds number of the soft mode grows exponentially with Ha in inductionless problems, but when Pm is nonzero that growth is suppressed to either a sublinearly increasing, or a decreasing function of Ha (respectively when the lower wall is an electrical insulator or a perfect conductor). In the insulating-wall case, we also observe pairs of counter-propagating Alfvén waves, the upstream- propagating wave undergoing an instability at high Alfvén numbers. We attribute the observed Pm -sensitivity of the soft instability to the strong-field behavior of the participating inductionless mode, which, even though stabilized by the magnetic field, approaches neutral stability as Ha grows. This near-equilibrium is consistent with a balance between Lorentz and gravitational forces, and renders the mode susceptible to effects associated with the dynamical response of the magnetic field to the flow (which vanishes in the inductionless limit), even when the magnetic diffusivity is large. The boundary conditions play a major role in the magnetic field response to the flow, since they determine (i) the properties of the steady-state induced current, which couples magnetic perturbations to the velocity field, and (ii) the presence or not of magnetic modes in the spectrum (these modes are not part of the spectrum of conducting-wall problems), which interact with the hydrodynamic ones, including the soft mode. In general, our analysis indicates that the inductionless approximation must be used with caution when dealing with free-surface MHD.

Structure and Dynamics of Fluid Planets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Houben, H.

2014-12-01

Attention to conservation laws gives a comprehensive picture of the structure and dynamics of gas giants: Atmospheric differential rotation is generated by tidal torques (dependent on tropospheric static stability) and is dragged into the interior by turbulent viscosity. The consequent heat dissipation generates baroclinicity and approximate thermal wind balance, not Taylor-Proudman conditions. Magnetic Lorentz forces have no effect on the zonal wind, but generate a meridional wind approximately parallel to field lines. Thus, magnetic field generation in the interior is dominated by the ω-effect (zonal field wound up by differential rotation), with the α-effect (meridional field generated by turbulence) severely limited by the β-effect (turbulence-enhanced resistivity). The meridional circulation quenches the ω-effect so that a steady state is reached and also limits the magnitude of the non-axisymmetric field under certain circumstances. The stability of the steady state requires further study. The magnetic field travels with the E X B drift, rather than the fluid velocity. Work by the fluid on the magnetic field balances work by the magnetic field on the fluid, so the global heat flux is little changed. In conducting regions the meridional density distribution (and gravity field) is most sensitive to the total pressure (gas + magnetic) and the ω-effect. In nonconducting regions, the gas pressure, centrifugal force, and differential rotation dominate. The differential rotation varies at least as fast as r³, so the gravitational signal is small compared to that for differential rotation on cylinders. The entropy minimum near the tropopause allows meteorology to be dominated by (relatively) long-lived, closed potential temperature surfaces, usually called spots, which conserve potential vorticity. All of the above must be taken into account to properly assimilate any available observational data to further specify the interior properties of fluid planets.

Integrated analysis on static/dynamic aeroelasticity of curved panels based on a modified local piston theory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Zhichun; Zhou, Jian; Gu, Yingsong

2014-10-01

A flow field modified local piston theory, which is applied to the integrated analysis on static/dynamic aeroelastic behaviors of curved panels, is proposed in this paper. The local flow field parameters used in the modification are obtained by CFD technique which has the advantage to simulate the steady flow field accurately. This flow field modified local piston theory for aerodynamic loading is applied to the analysis of static aeroelastic deformation and flutter stabilities of curved panels in hypersonic flow. In addition, comparisons are made between results obtained by using the present method and curvature modified method. It shows that when the curvature of the curved panel is relatively small, the static aeroelastic deformations and flutter stability boundaries obtained by these two methods have little difference, while for curved panels with larger curvatures, the static aeroelastic deformation obtained by the present method is larger and the flutter stability boundary is smaller compared with those obtained by the curvature modified method, and the discrepancy increases with the increasing of curvature of panels. Therefore, the existing curvature modified method is non-conservative compared to the proposed flow field modified method based on the consideration of hypersonic flight vehicle safety, and the proposed flow field modified local piston theory for curved panels enlarges the application range of piston theory.

Development of aluminum-stabilized superconducting cables for the Mu2e detector solenoid

DOE PAGES

Lombardo, Vito; Buehler, M.; Lamm, M.; ...

2016-06-01

Here, the Mu2e experiment at Fermilab is designed to measure the rare process of direct muon-to-electron conversion in the field of a nucleus. The experiment comprises a system of three superconducting solenoids, which focus secondary muons from the production target and transport them to an aluminum stopping target, while minimizing the associated background. The Detector Solenoid (DS) is the last magnet in the transport line and its main functions are to provide a graded field in the region of the stopping target as well as a precision magnetic field in a volume large enough to house the tracker downstream ofmore » the stopping target. The Detector Solenoid coils are designed to be wound using NbTi Rutherford cables conformed in high purity aluminum for stabilization and then cold-worked for strength. Two types of Al-stabilized conductor are required to build the DS coils, one for the gradient section and one for the spectrometer section of the solenoid. The dimensions are optimized to generate the required field profile when the same current is transported in both conductors. The conductors contain NbTi Rutherford cables with 12 (DS1) and 8 (DS2) strands respectively and are manufactured by two different vendors. This paper describes the results of the manufacturing of production lengths of the Al-stabilized cables needed to build the Mu2e Detector Solenoid as well as the testing campaigns and main results. The main cable properties and results of electrical and mechanical tests are summarized and discussed for each stage of the cable development process. Results are compared to design values to show how the production cables satisfy all the design criteria starting from the NbTi wires to the Al-stabilized cables.« less

Colossal magnetoresistance in a Mott insulator via magnetic field-driven insulator-metal transition

DOE PAGES

Zhu, M.; Peng, J.; Zou, T.; ...

2016-05-25

Here, we present a new type of colossal magnetoresistance (CMR) arising from an anomalous collapse of the Mott insulating state via a modest magnetic field in a bilayer ruthenate, Ti-doped Ca 3Ru 2O 7. Such an insulator-metal transition is accompanied by changes in both lattice and magnetic structures. Our findings have important implications because a magnetic field usually stabilizes the insulating ground state in a Mott-Hubbard system, thus calling for a deeper theoretical study to reexamine the magnetic field tuning of Mott systems with magnetic and electronic instabilities and spin-lattice-charge coupling. This study further provides a model approach to searchmore » for CMR systems other than manganites, such as Mott insulators in the vicinity of the boundary between competing phases.« less

Multi-Phase Field Models and Microstructural Evolution with Applications in Fuel Cell Technology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Davis, Ryan Scott

The solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) has shown tremendous potential as an efficient energy conversion device that may be instrumental in the transition to renewable resources. However, commercialization is hindered by many degradation mechanisms that plague long term stability. In this dissertation, computation methods are used to explore the relationship between the microstructure of the fuel cell anode and performance critical metrics. The phase field method and standard modeling procedures are introduced using a classic model of spinodal decomposition. This is further developed into a complete, multi-phase modeling framework designed for the complex microstructural evolution of SOFC anode systems. High-temperature coarsening of the metallic phase in the state-of-the-art SOFC cermet anode is investigated using our phase field model. A systematic study into the effects of interface properties on microstructural evolution is accomplished by altering the contact angle between constituent phases. It is found that metrics of catalytic activity and conductivity display undesirable minima near the contact angle of conventional SOFC materials. These results suggest that tailoring the interface properties of the constituent phases could lead to a significant increase in the performance and lifetime of SOFCs. Supported-metal catalyst systems are investigated in the first detailed study of their long-term stability and application to SOFC anode design. Porous support structures are numerically sintered to mimic specific fabrication techniques, and these structures are then infiltrated with a nanoscale catalyst phase ranging from 2% to 21% loading. Initially, these systems exhibit enhanced potential for catalytic activity relative to conventional cells. However, extended evolution results in severe degradation, and we show that Ostwald ripening and particle migration are key kinetic processes. Strong geometric heterogeneity in the support structure via a novel approach to nanopore formation is proposed as a potential solution for catalyst stabilization.

Fixation parameter test-retest repeatability of the worse eye in central field loss.

PubMed

Samet, Saba; Tarita-Nistor, Luminita; González, Esther G; Mandelcorn, Mark S; Mandelcorn, Efrem D; Steinbach, Martin J

2018-06-01

Patients with bilateral central field loss develop peripheral retinal loci (PRLs) in the functional eccentric retina. PRL characteristics and visual performance in the better-seeing eye (BE) of these patients have previously been reported. In this study, we determined the test-retest repeatability of fixation parameters, including fixation stability, PRL eccentricity, and PRL span in the worse-seeing eye (WE). Retrospective consecutive case series. Thirty-six patients with bilateral central field loss referred from the Toronto Western Hospital Retina Clinic, who had completed 2 consecutive fixation examinations on the same day. Fixation stability was recorded using the Nidek MP-1 microperimeter (Nidek Technologies Srl., Padova, Italy). For each fixation recording, the following parameters were retrieved: (i) 68.2% bivariate contour ellipse area (BCEA), (ii) PRL span (major and minor axes of the BCEA), (iii) PRL meridian (polar angle), and (iv) PRL eccentricity. Test-retest repeatability for each parameter was assessed using Bland-Altman plots to determine 95% limits of agreement. The mean difference between the fixation trial pairs and the 95% limits of agreement for fixation stability, PRL major axis, PRL minor axis, PRL meridian, and PRL eccentricity were 0.06 ± 0.47 log deg 2 , 0.05° ± 1.42°, 0.07° ± 0.63°, -0.44° ± 66.0°, and -0.23° ±1.56°, respectively. The fixation parameters in the WE showed robust repeatability, comparable to that of the BE as determined from previous studies. The WE's fixation repeatability should be considered in the interpretation of fixation outcome measures subsequent to treatment interventions. Crown Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Levitation in the field of a nonsuperconducting coil with magnetic flux stabilization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Koshurnikov, E. K.

2013-09-01

A method providing the "frozen flux" conditions in a nonsuperconducting coil is suggested and demonstrated with a model. The feasibility of permanent magnet stable levitation in the field of the coil with magnetic flux stabilization and mean current control is shown. The method allows researchers to exploit permanent magnet-superconducting body interaction in physical devices, for example, to reproduce, using nonsuperconducting coils, the frozen magnetic flux conditions required for the stable levitation of the magnet over a superconducting body.

Ultrathin Single‐Crystalline Boron Nanosheets for Enhanced Electro‐Optical Performances

PubMed Central

Xu, Junqi; Chang, Yangyang; Gan, Lin; Ma, Ying

2015-01-01

Large‐scale single‐crystalline ultrathin boron nanosheets (UBNSs, ≈10 nm) are fabricated through an effective vapor–solid process via thermal decomposition of diborane. The UBNSs have obvious advantages over thicker boron nanomaterials in many aspects. Specifically, the UBNSs demonstrate excellent field emission performances with a low turn‐on field, E to, of 3.60 V μm−1 and a good stability. Further, the dependence of (turn‐on field) E to/(threshold field) E thr and effective work function, Φ e, on temperature is investigated and the possible mechanism of temperature‐dependent field emission phenomenon has been discussed. Moreover, electronic transport in a single UBNS reveals it to be an intrinsic p‐type semiconductor behavior with carrier mobility about 1.26 × 10−1 cm2 V−1 s−1, which is the best data in reported works. Interestingly, a multiconductive mechanism coexisting phenomenon has been explored based on the study of temperature‐dependent conductivity behavior of the UBNSs. Besides, the photodetector device fabricated from single‐crystalline UBNS demonstrates good sensitivity, reliable stability, and fast response, obviously superior to other reported boron nanomaterials. Such superior electronic‐optical performances are originated from the high quality of single crystal and large specific surface area of the UBNSs, suggesting the potential applications of the UBNSs in field‐emitters, interconnects, integrated circuits, and optoelectronic devices. PMID:27980947