The a(3) Scheme--A Fourth-Order Space-Time Flux-Conserving and Neutrally Stable CESE Solver

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chang, Sin-Chung

2008-01-01

The CESE development is driven by a belief that a solver should (i) enforce conservation laws in both space and time, and (ii) be built from a non-dissipative (i.e., neutrally stable) core scheme so that the numerical dissipation can be controlled effectively. To initiate a systematic CESE development of high order schemes, in this paper we provide a thorough discussion on the structure, consistency, stability, phase error, and accuracy of a new 4th-order space-time flux-conserving and neutrally stable CESE solver of an 1D scalar advection equation. The space-time stencil of this two-level explicit scheme is formed by one point at the upper time level and three points at the lower time level. Because it is associated with three independent mesh variables (the numerical analogues of the dependent variable and its 1st-order and 2ndorder spatial derivatives, respectively) and three equations per mesh point, the new scheme is referred to as the a(3) scheme. Through the von Neumann analysis, it is shown that the a(3) scheme is stable if and only if the Courant number is less than 0.5. Moreover, it is established numerically that the a(3) scheme is 4th-order accurate.

Global output feedback stabilisation of stochastic high-order feedforward nonlinear systems with time-delay

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Kemei; Zhao, Cong-Ran; Xie, Xue-Jun

2015-12-01

This paper considers the problem of output feedback stabilisation for stochastic high-order feedforward nonlinear systems with time-varying delay. By using the homogeneous domination theory and solving several troublesome obstacles in the design and analysis, an output feedback controller is constructed to drive the closed-loop system globally asymptotically stable in probability.

Global output feedback control for a class of high-order feedforward nonlinear systems with input delay.

PubMed

Zha, Wenting; Zhai, Junyong; Fei, Shumin

2013-07-01

This paper investigates the problem of output feedback stabilization for a class of high-order feedforward nonlinear systems with time-varying input delay. First, a scaling gain is introduced into the system under a set of coordinate transformations. Then, the authors construct an observer and controller to make the nominal system globally asymptotically stable. Based on homogeneous domination approach and Lyapunov-Krasovskii functional, it is shown that the closed-loop system can be rendered globally asymptotically stable by the scaling gain. Finally, two simulation examples are provided to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed scheme. Copyright © 2013 ISA. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A New High-Order Spectral Difference Method for Simulating Viscous Flows on Unstructured Grids with Mixed Elements

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

Li, Mao; Qiu, Zihua; Liang, Chunlei

In the present study, a new spectral difference (SD) method is developed for viscous flows on meshes with a mixture of triangular and quadrilateral elements. The standard SD method for triangular elements, which employs Lagrangian interpolating functions for fluxes, is not stable when the designed accuracy of spatial discretization is third-order or higher. Unlike the standard SD method, the method examined here uses vector interpolating functions in the Raviart-Thomas (RT) spaces to construct continuous flux functions on reference elements. Studies have been performed for 2D wave equation and Euler equa- tions. Our present results demonstrated that the SDRT method ismore » stable and high-order accurate for a number of test problems by using triangular-, quadrilateral-, and mixed- element meshes.« less

Gravitational Wave Detection with Single-Laser Atom Interferometers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Yu, Nan; Tinto, Massimo

2011-01-01

A new design for a broadband detector of gravitational radiation relies on two atom interferometers separated by a distance L. In this scheme, only one arm and one laser are used for operating the two atom interferometers. The innovation here involves the fact that the atoms in the atom interferometers are not only considered as perfect test masses, but also as highly stable clocks. Atomic coherence is intrinsically stable, and can be many orders of magnitude more stable than a laser.

Development of high-order harmonic focusing system based on ellipsoidal mirror

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

Motoyama, H.; Takei, Y.; Kume, T.

2016-05-15

We have developed a focusing system for extreme ultraviolet light produced by high-order harmonic generation. An ellipsoidal mirror with a precise surface shape was fabricated and installed into the focusing system. A rigid mirror manipulator and a beam profiler were employed to perform precise and stable mirror alignment. As a demonstration of the focusing performance, high-order harmonics in the wavelength range of 13.5–19.5 nm were successfully focused into a 2.4 × 2.3 μm{sup 2} spot.

Mechanical Components from Highly Recoverable, Low Apparent Modulus Materials

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Padula, Santo, II (Inventor); Noebe, Ronald D. (Inventor); Stanford, Malcolm K. (Inventor); DellaCorte, Christopher (Inventor)

2015-01-01

A material for use as a mechanical component is formed of a superelastic intermetallic material having a low apparent modulus and a high hardness. The superelastic intermetallic material is conditioned to be dimensionally stable, devoid of any shape memory effect and have a stable superelastic response without irrecoverable deformation while exhibiting strains of at least 3%. The method of conditioning the superelastic intermetallic material is described. Another embodiment relates to lightweight materials known as ordered intermetallics that perform well in sliding wear applications using conventional liquid lubricants and are therefore suitable for resilient, high performance mechanical components such as gears and bearings.

Lithium storage in structurally tunable carbon anode derived from sustainable source

DOE PAGES

Lim, Daw Gen; Kim, Kyungho; Razdan, Mayuri; ...

2017-09-01

Here, a meticulous solid state chemistry approach has been developed for the synthesis of carbon anode from a sustainable source. The reaction mechanism of carbon formation during pyrolysis of sustainable feed-stock was studied in situ by employing Raman microspectroscopy. No Raman spectral changes observed below 160°C (thermally stable precursor) followed by color change, however above 280°C characteristic D and G bands of graphitic carbon are recorded. Derived carbon particles exhibited high specific surface area with low structural ordering (active carbons) to low specific surface area with high graphitic ordering as a function of increasing reaction temperature. Carbons synthesized at 600°Cmore » demonstrated enhanced reversible lithiation capacity (390 mAh g -1), high charge-discharge rate capability, and stable cycle life. On the contrary, carbons synthesized at higher temperatures (>1200°C) produced more graphite-like structure yielding longer specific capacity retention with lower reversible capacity.« less

Observation of High-Order Polarization-Locked Vector Solitons in a Fiber Laser

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tang, D. Y.; Zhang, H.; Zhao, L. M.; Wu, X.

2008-10-01

We report on the experimental observation of a new type of polarization-locked vector soliton in a passively mode-locked fiber laser. The vector soliton is characterized by the fact that not only are the two orthogonally polarized soliton components phase-locked, but also one of the components has a double-humped intensity profile. Multiple phase-locked high-order vector solitons with identical soliton parameters and harmonic mode locking of the vector solitons were also obtained in the laser. Numerical simulations confirmed the existence of stable high-order vector solitons in the fiber laser.

Observation of high-order polarization-locked vector solitons in a fiber laser.

PubMed

Tang, D Y; Zhang, H; Zhao, L M; Wu, X

2008-10-10

We report on the experimental observation of a new type of polarization-locked vector soliton in a passively mode-locked fiber laser. The vector soliton is characterized by the fact that not only are the two orthogonally polarized soliton components phase-locked, but also one of the components has a double-humped intensity profile. Multiple phase-locked high-order vector solitons with identical soliton parameters and harmonic mode locking of the vector solitons were also obtained in the laser. Numerical simulations confirmed the existence of stable high-order vector solitons in the fiber laser.

A Theoretical Probe for Excitation Mechanisms of Sun-like and Mira-like Oscillations of Stars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xiong, Da-run; Deng, Li-cai

2013-01-01

The linear nonadiabatic oscillations for evolutionary models of 0.6- 3M8 stars are calculated by using a nonlocal and time-dependent convection theory. The results show that in the HR diagram the pulsation-unstable low- temperature stars on the right side of instability strip can be divided into two groups. One group indicates the Sun-like oscillation stars composed of the main- sequence dwarfs, sub-giants and red giants (RGs) of low and intermediate lu- minosities, which are unstable in the intermediate- and high-order (n ≥ 12) p- modes, and stable in the low-order (n ≤ 5) p-modes. Another group indicates the Mira-like stars composed of the bright RGs and asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars, which are just contrary to Sun-like stars, unstable in low-order (n ≤ 5) p-modes and stable in the intermediate- and high-order (n ≥ 12) p-modes. The oscillations for the red edge of Cepheid (δ Scuti) instability strip, Sun-like and Mira-like stars can be explained uniformly by the coupling between convection and oscillation (CCO). For the low-temperature stars on the right side of in- stability strip, CCO is the dominant excitation and damping mechanism of the oscillations of low- and intermediate-order p-modes, and the turbulent stochas- tic excitation becomes important only for the high-order p-modes of Sun-like oscillations.

Development of interface-dominant bulk Cu/V nanolamellar composites by cross accumulative roll bonding

PubMed Central

Zeng, L. F.; Gao, R.; Xie, Z. M.; Miao, S.; Fang, Q. F.; Wang, X. P.; Zhang, T.; Liu, C. S.

2017-01-01

Traditional nanostructured metals are inherently comprised of a high density of high-energy interfaces that make this class of materials not stable in extreme conditions. Therefore, high performance bulk nanostructured metals containing stable interfaces are highly desirable for extreme environments applications. Here, we reported an attractive bulk Cu/V nanolamellar composite that was successfully developed by integrating interface engineering and severe plastic deformation techniques. The layered morphology and ordered Cu/V interfaces remained stable with respect to continued rolling (total strain exceeding 12). Most importantly, for layer thickness of 25 nm, this bulk Cu/V nanocomposite simultaneously achieves high strength (hardness of 3.68 GPa) and outstanding thermal stability (up to 700 °C), which are quite difficult to realize simultaneously in traditional nanostructured materials. Such extraordinary property in our Cu/V nanocomposite is achieved via an extreme rolling process that creates extremely high density of stable Cu/V heterophase interfaces and low density of unstable grain boundaries. In addition, high temperature annealing result illustrates that Rayleigh instability is the dominant mechanism driving the onset of thermal instability after exposure to 800 °C. PMID:28094346

On the stability of projection methods for the incompressible Navier-Stokes equations based on high-order discontinuous Galerkin discretizations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fehn, Niklas; Wall, Wolfgang A.; Kronbichler, Martin

2017-12-01

The present paper deals with the numerical solution of the incompressible Navier-Stokes equations using high-order discontinuous Galerkin (DG) methods for discretization in space. For DG methods applied to the dual splitting projection method, instabilities have recently been reported that occur for small time step sizes. Since the critical time step size depends on the viscosity and the spatial resolution, these instabilities limit the robustness of the Navier-Stokes solver in case of complex engineering applications characterized by coarse spatial resolutions and small viscosities. By means of numerical investigation we give evidence that these instabilities are related to the discontinuous Galerkin formulation of the velocity divergence term and the pressure gradient term that couple velocity and pressure. Integration by parts of these terms with a suitable definition of boundary conditions is required in order to obtain a stable and robust method. Since the intermediate velocity field does not fulfill the boundary conditions prescribed for the velocity, a consistent boundary condition is derived from the convective step of the dual splitting scheme to ensure high-order accuracy with respect to the temporal discretization. This new formulation is stable in the limit of small time steps for both equal-order and mixed-order polynomial approximations. Although the dual splitting scheme itself includes inf-sup stabilizing contributions, we demonstrate that spurious pressure oscillations appear for equal-order polynomials and small time steps highlighting the necessity to consider inf-sup stability explicitly.

Finite-time state feedback stabilisation of stochastic high-order nonlinear feedforward systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xie, Xue-Jun; Zhang, Xing-Hui; Zhang, Kemei

2016-07-01

This paper studies the finite-time state feedback stabilisation of stochastic high-order nonlinear feedforward systems. Based on the stochastic Lyapunov theorem on finite-time stability, by using the homogeneous domination method, the adding one power integrator and sign function method, constructing a ? Lyapunov function and verifying the existence and uniqueness of solution, a continuous state feedback controller is designed to guarantee the closed-loop system finite-time stable in probability.

Conjugated organic framework with three-dimensionally ordered stable structure and delocalized π clouds

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guo, Jia; Xu, Yanhong; Jin, Shangbin; Chen, Long; Kaji, Toshihiko; Honsho, Yoshihito; Addicoat, Matthew A.; Kim, Jangbae; Saeki, Akinori; Ihee, Hyotcherl; Seki, Shu; Irle, Stephan; Hiramoto, Masahiro; Gao, Jia; Jiang, Donglin

2013-11-01

Covalent organic frameworks are a class of crystalline organic porous materials that can utilize π-π-stacking interactions as a driving force for the crystallization of polygonal sheets to form layered frameworks and ordered pores. However, typical examples are chemically unstable and lack intrasheet π-conjugation, thereby significantly limiting their applications. Here we report a chemically stable, electronically conjugated organic framework with topologically designed wire frameworks and open nanochannels, in which the π conjugation-spans the two-dimensional sheets. Our framework permits inborn periodic ordering of conjugated chains in all three dimensions and exhibits a striking combination of properties: chemical stability, extended π-delocalization, ability to host guest molecules and hole mobility. We show that the π-conjugated organic framework is useful for high on-off ratio photoswitches and photovoltaic cells. Therefore, this strategy may constitute a step towards realizing ordered semiconducting porous materials for innovations based on two-dimensionally extended π systems.

Relaxation and Preconditioning for High Order Discontinuous Galerkin Methods with Applications to Aeroacoustics and High Speed Flows

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shu, Chi-Wang

2004-01-01

This project is about the investigation of the development of the discontinuous Galerkin finite element methods, for general geometry and triangulations, for solving convection dominated problems, with applications to aeroacoustics. Other related issues in high order WENO finite difference and finite volume methods have also been investigated. methods are two classes of high order, high resolution methods suitable for convection dominated simulations with possible discontinuous or sharp gradient solutions. In [18], we first review these two classes of methods, pointing out their similarities and differences in algorithm formulation, theoretical properties, implementation issues, applicability, and relative advantages. We then present some quantitative comparisons of the third order finite volume WENO methods and discontinuous Galerkin methods for a series of test problems to assess their relative merits in accuracy and CPU timing. In [3], we review the development of the Runge-Kutta discontinuous Galerkin (RKDG) methods for non-linear convection-dominated problems. These robust and accurate methods have made their way into the main stream of computational fluid dynamics and are quickly finding use in a wide variety of applications. They combine a special class of Runge-Kutta time discretizations, that allows the method to be non-linearly stable regardless of its accuracy, with a finite element space discretization by discontinuous approximations, that incorporates the ideas of numerical fluxes and slope limiters coined during the remarkable development of the high-resolution finite difference and finite volume schemes. The resulting RKDG methods are stable, high-order accurate, and highly parallelizable schemes that can easily handle complicated geometries and boundary conditions. We review the theoretical and algorithmic aspects of these methods and show several applications including nonlinear conservation laws, the compressible and incompressible Navier-Stokes equations, and Hamilton-Jacobi-like equations.

Dynamics of Nonlinear Excitation of the High-Order Mode in a Single-Mode Step-Index Optical Fiber

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Burdin, V.; Bourdine, A.

2018-04-01

This work is concerned with approximate model of higher-order mode nonlinear excitation in a singlemode silica optical fiber. We present some results of simulation for step-index optical fiber under femtosecond optical pulse launching, which confirm ability of relatively stable higher-order mode excitation in such singlemode optical fiber over sufficiently narrow range of launched optical power variation.

Design of high precision temperature control system for TO packaged LD

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liang, Enji; Luo, Baoke; Zhuang, Bin; He, Zhengquan

2017-10-01

Temperature is an important factor affecting the performance of TO package LD. In order to ensure the safe and stable operation of LD, a temperature control circuit for LD based on PID technology is designed. The MAX1978 and an external PID circuit are used to form a control circuit that drives the thermoelectric cooler (TEC) to achieve control of temperature and the external load can be changed. The system circuit has low power consumption, high integration and high precision,and the circuit can achieve precise control of the LD temperature. Experiment results show that the circuit can achieve effective and stable control of the laser temperature.

A numerical resolution study of high order essentially non-oscillatory schemes applied to incompressible flow

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Weinan, E.; Shu, Chi-Wang

1994-01-01

High order essentially non-oscillatory (ENO) schemes, originally designed for compressible flow and in general for hyperbolic conservation laws, are applied to incompressible Euler and Navier-Stokes equations with periodic boundary conditions. The projection to divergence-free velocity fields is achieved by fourth-order central differences through fast Fourier transforms (FFT) and a mild high-order filtering. The objective of this work is to assess the resolution of ENO schemes for large scale features of the flow when a coarse grid is used and small scale features of the flow, such as shears and roll-ups, are not fully resolved. It is found that high-order ENO schemes remain stable under such situations and quantities related to large scale features, such as the total circulation around the roll-up region, are adequately resolved.

A numerical resolution study of high order essentially non-oscillatory schemes applied to incompressible flow

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Weinan, E.; Shu, Chi-Wang

1992-01-01

High order essentially non-oscillatory (ENO) schemes, originally designed for compressible flow and in general for hyperbolic conservation laws, are applied to incompressible Euler and Navier-Stokes equations with periodic boundary conditions. The projection to divergence-free velocity fields is achieved by fourth order central differences through Fast Fourier Transforms (FFT) and a mild high-order filtering. The objective of this work is to assess the resolution of ENO schemes for large scale features of the flow when a coarse grid is used and small scale features of the flow, such as shears and roll-ups, are not fully resolved. It is found that high-order ENO schemes remain stable under such situations and quantities related to large-scale features, such as the total circulation around the roll-up region, are adequately resolved.

Nuclear symmetry energy in terms of single-nucleon potential and its effect on the proton fraction of β-stable npeμ matter

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

Sahoo, Babita, E-mail: patra-babita@rediffmail.com; Chakraborty, Suparna, E-mail: banerjee.suparna@hotmail.com; Sahoo, Sukadev, E-mail: sukadevsahoo@yahoo.com

2016-01-15

Momentum and density dependence of single-nucleon potential u{sub τ} (k, ρ, β) is analyzed using a density dependent finite range effective interaction of the Yukawa form. Depending on the choice of the strength parameters of exchange interaction, two different trends of the momentum dependence of nuclear symmetry potential are noticed which lead to two opposite types of neutron and proton effective mass splitting. The 2nd-order and 4th-order symmetry energy of isospin asymmetric nuclear matter are expressed analytically in terms of the single-nucleon potential. Two distinct behavior of the density dependence of 2nd-order and 4th-order symmetry energy are observed depending onmore » neutron and proton effective mass splitting. It is also found that the 4th-order symmetry energy has a significant contribution towards the proton fraction of β-stable npeμ matter at high densities.« less

A novel condition for stable nonlinear sampled-data models using higher-order discretized approximations with zero dynamics.

PubMed

Zeng, Cheng; Liang, Shan; Xiang, Shuwen

2017-05-01

Continuous-time systems are usually modelled by the form of ordinary differential equations arising from physical laws. However, the use of these models in practice and utilizing, analyzing or transmitting these data from such systems must first invariably be discretized. More importantly, for digital control of a continuous-time nonlinear system, a good sampled-data model is required. This paper investigates the new consistency condition which is weaker than the previous similar results presented. Moreover, given the stability of the high-order approximate model with stable zero dynamics, the novel condition presented stabilizes the exact sampled-data model of the nonlinear system for sufficiently small sampling periods. An insightful interpretation of the obtained results can be made in terms of the stable sampling zero dynamics, and the new consistency condition is surprisingly associated with the relative degree of the nonlinear continuous-time system. Our controller design, based on the higher-order approximate discretized model, extends the existing methods which mainly deal with the Euler approximation. Copyright © 2017 ISA. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Boundary and Interface Conditions for High Order Finite Difference Methods Applied to the Euler and Navier-Strokes Equations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nordstrom, Jan; Carpenter, Mark H.

1998-01-01

Boundary and interface conditions for high order finite difference methods applied to the constant coefficient Euler and Navier-Stokes equations are derived. The boundary conditions lead to strict and strong stability. The interface conditions are stable and conservative even if the finite difference operators and mesh sizes vary from domain to domain. Numerical experiments show that the new conditions also lead to good results for the corresponding nonlinear problems.

Entropy stable discontinuous interfaces coupling for the three-dimensional compressible Navier-Stokes equations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Parsani, Matteo; Carpenter, Mark H.; Nielsen, Eric J.

2015-06-01

Non-linear entropy stability and a summation-by-parts (SBP) framework are used to derive entropy stable interior interface coupling for the semi-discretized three-dimensional (3D) compressible Navier-Stokes equations. A complete semi-discrete entropy estimate for the interior domain is achieved combining a discontinuous entropy conservative operator of any order [1,2] with an entropy stable coupling condition for the inviscid terms, and a local discontinuous Galerkin (LDG) approach with an interior penalty (IP) procedure for the viscous terms. The viscous penalty contributions scale with the inverse of the Reynolds number (Re) so that for Re → ∞ their contributions vanish and only the entropy stable inviscid interface penalty term is recovered. This paper extends the interface couplings presented [1,2] and provides a simple and automatic way to compute the magnitude of the viscous IP term. The approach presented herein is compatible with any diagonal norm summation-by-parts (SBP) spatial operator, including finite element, finite volume, finite difference schemes and the class of high-order accurate methods which include the large family of discontinuous Galerkin discretizations and flux reconstruction schemes.

Designed protein reveals structural determinants of extreme kinetic stability

PubMed Central

Broom, Aron; Ma, S. Martha; Xia, Ke; Rafalia, Hitesh; Trainor, Kyle; Colón, Wilfredo; Gosavi, Shachi; Meiering, Elizabeth M.

2015-01-01

The design of stable, functional proteins is difficult. Improved design requires a deeper knowledge of the molecular basis for design outcomes and properties. We previously used a bioinformatics and energy function method to design a symmetric superfold protein composed of repeating structural elements with multivalent carbohydrate-binding function, called ThreeFoil. This and similar methods have produced a notably high yield of stable proteins. Using a battery of experimental and computational analyses we show that despite its small size and lack of disulfide bonds, ThreeFoil has remarkably high kinetic stability and its folding is specifically chaperoned by carbohydrate binding. It is also extremely stable against thermal and chemical denaturation and proteolytic degradation. We demonstrate that the kinetic stability can be predicted and modeled using absolute contact order (ACO) and long-range order (LRO), as well as coarse-grained simulations; the stability arises from a topology that includes many long-range contacts which create a large and highly cooperative energy barrier for unfolding and folding. Extensive data from proteomic screens and other experiments reveal that a high ACO/LRO is a general feature of proteins with strong resistances to denaturation and degradation. These results provide tractable approaches for predicting resistance and designing proteins with sufficient topological complexity and long-range interactions to accommodate destabilizing functional features as well as withstand chemical and proteolytic challenge. PMID:26554002

Analysis of High Order Difference Methods for Multiscale Complex Compressible Flows

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sjoegreen, Bjoern; Yee, H. C.; Tang, Harry (Technical Monitor)

2002-01-01

Accurate numerical simulations of complex multiscale compressible viscous flows, especially high speed turbulence combustion and acoustics, demand high order schemes with adaptive numerical dissipation controls. Standard high resolution shock-capturing methods are too dissipative to capture the small scales and/or long-time wave propagations without extreme grid refinements and small time steps. An integrated approach for the control of numerical dissipation in high order schemes with incremental studies was initiated. Here we further refine the analysis on, and improve the understanding of the adaptive numerical dissipation control strategy. Basically, the development of these schemes focuses on high order nondissipative schemes and takes advantage of the progress that has been made for the last 30 years in numerical methods for conservation laws, such as techniques for imposing boundary conditions, techniques for stability at shock waves, and techniques for stable and accurate long-time integration. We concentrate on high order centered spatial discretizations and a fourth-order Runge-Kutta temporal discretizations as the base scheme. Near the bound-aries, the base scheme has stable boundary difference operators. To further enhance stability, the split form of the inviscid flux derivatives is frequently used for smooth flow problems. To enhance nonlinear stability, linear high order numerical dissipations are employed away from discontinuities, and nonlinear filters are employed after each time step in order to suppress spurious oscillations near discontinuities to minimize the smearing of turbulent fluctuations. Although these schemes are built from many components, each of which is well-known, it is not entirely obvious how the different components be best connected. For example, the nonlinear filter could instead have been built into the spatial discretization, so that it would have been activated at each stage in the Runge-Kutta time stepping. We could think of a mechanism that activates the split form of the equations only at some parts of the domain. Another issue is how to define good sensors for determining in which parts of the computational domain a certain feature should be filtered by the appropriate numerical dissipation. For the present study we employ a wavelet technique introduced in as sensors. Here, the method is briefly described with selected numerical experiments.

Locking the waveform with a quartz crystal

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ghimire, Shambhu

2018-05-01

High-order harmonics in the extreme-ultraviolet regime can be produced and a stable waveform-locked attosecond pulse can be formed when quartz is excited by a strong short-pulsed laser, providing a robust path towards attosecond photonics.

A high order semi-Lagrangian discontinuous Galerkin method for Vlasov-Poisson simulations without operator splitting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cai, Xiaofeng; Guo, Wei; Qiu, Jing-Mei

2018-02-01

In this paper, we develop a high order semi-Lagrangian (SL) discontinuous Galerkin (DG) method for nonlinear Vlasov-Poisson (VP) simulations without operator splitting. In particular, we combine two recently developed novel techniques: one is the high order non-splitting SLDG transport method (Cai et al. (2017) [4]), and the other is the high order characteristics tracing technique proposed in Qiu and Russo (2017) [29]. The proposed method with up to third order accuracy in both space and time is locally mass conservative, free of splitting error, positivity-preserving, stable and robust for large time stepping size. The SLDG VP solver is applied to classic benchmark test problems such as Landau damping and two-stream instabilities for VP simulations. Efficiency and effectiveness of the proposed scheme is extensively tested. Tremendous CPU savings are shown by comparisons between the proposed SL DG scheme and the classical Runge-Kutta DG method.

A New Family of Compact High Order Coupled Time-Space Unconditionally Stable Vertical Advection Schemes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lemarié, F.; Debreu, L.

2016-02-01

Recent papers by Shchepetkin (2015) and Lemarié et al. (2015) have emphasized that the time-step of an oceanic model with an Eulerian vertical coordinate and an explicit time-stepping scheme is very often restricted by vertical advection in a few hot spots (i.e. most of the grid points are integrated with small Courant numbers, compared to the Courant-Friedrichs-Lewy (CFL) condition, except just few spots where numerical instability of the explicit scheme occurs first). The consequence is that the numerics for vertical advection must have good stability properties while being robust to changes in Courant number in terms of accuracy. An other constraint for oceanic models is the strict control of numerical mixing imposed by the highly adiabatic nature of the oceanic interior (i.e. mixing must be very small in the vertical direction below the boundary layer). We examine in this talk the possibility of mitigating vertical Courant-Friedrichs-Lewy (CFL) restriction, while avoiding numerical inaccuracies associated with standard implicit advection schemes (i.e. large sensitivity of the solution on Courant number, large phase delay, and possibly excess of numerical damping with unphysical orientation). Most regional oceanic models have been successfully using fourth order compact schemes for vertical advection. In this talk we present a new general framework to derive generic expressions for (one-step) coupled time and space high order compact schemes (see Daru & Tenaud (2004) for a thorough description of coupled time and space schemes). Among other properties, we show that those schemes are unconditionally stable and have very good accuracy properties even for large Courant numbers while having a very reasonable computational cost. To our knowledge no unconditionally stable scheme with such high order accuracy in time and space have been presented so far in the literature. Furthermore, we show how those schemes can be made monotonic without compromising their stability properties.

Near-common-path interferometer for imaging Fourier-transform spectroscopy in wide-field microscopy

PubMed Central

Wadduwage, Dushan N.; Singh, Vijay Raj; Choi, Heejin; Yaqoob, Zahid; Heemskerk, Hans; Matsudaira, Paul; So, Peter T. C.

2017-01-01

Imaging Fourier-transform spectroscopy (IFTS) is a powerful method for biological hyperspectral analysis based on various imaging modalities, such as fluorescence or Raman. Since the measurements are taken in the Fourier space of the spectrum, it can also take advantage of compressed sensing strategies. IFTS has been readily implemented in high-throughput, high-content microscope systems based on wide-field imaging modalities. However, there are limitations in existing wide-field IFTS designs. Non-common-path approaches are less phase-stable. Alternatively, designs based on the common-path Sagnac interferometer are stable, but incompatible with high-throughput imaging. They require exhaustive sequential scanning over large interferometric path delays, making compressive strategic data acquisition impossible. In this paper, we present a novel phase-stable, near-common-path interferometer enabling high-throughput hyperspectral imaging based on strategic data acquisition. Our results suggest that this approach can improve throughput over those of many other wide-field spectral techniques by more than an order of magnitude without compromising phase stability. PMID:29392168

Which button will I press? Preference for correctly ordered counting sequences in 18-month-olds.

PubMed

Ip, Martin Ho Kwan; Imuta, Kana; Slaughter, Virginia

2018-04-16

Correct counting respects the stable order principle whereby the count terms are recited in a fixed order every time. The 4 experiments reported here tested whether precounting infants recognize and prefer correct stable-ordered counting. The authors introduced a novel preference paradigm in which infants could freely press two buttons to activate videos of counting events. In the "correct" counting video, number words were always recited in the canonical order ("1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6"). The "incorrect" counting video was identical except that the number words were recited in a random order (e.g., "5, 3, 1, 6, 4, 2"). In Experiment 1, 18-month-olds (n = 21), but not 15-month-olds (n = 24), significantly preferred to press the button that activated correct counting events. Experiment 2 revealed that English-learning 18-month-olds' (n = 21) preference for stable-ordered counting disappeared when the counting was done in Japanese. By contrast, Experiment 3 showed that multilingual 18-month-olds (n = 24) preferred correct stable-ordered counting in an unfamiliar foreign language. In Experiment 4, multilingual 18-month-olds (N = 21) showed no preference for stable-ordered alphabet sequences, ruling out some alternative explanations for the Experiment 3 results. Overall these findings are consistent with the idea that implicit recognition of the stable order principle of counting is acquired by 18 months of age, and that learning more than one language may accelerate infants' understanding of abstract counting principles. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

Level set methods for detonation shock dynamics using high-order finite elements

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

Dobrev, V. A.; Grogan, F. C.; Kolev, T. V.

Level set methods are a popular approach to modeling evolving interfaces. We present a level set ad- vection solver in two and three dimensions using the discontinuous Galerkin method with high-order nite elements. During evolution, the level set function is reinitialized to a signed distance function to maintain ac- curacy. Our approach leads to stable front propagation and convergence on high-order, curved, unstructured meshes. The ability of the solver to implicitly track moving fronts lends itself to a number of applications; in particular, we highlight applications to high-explosive (HE) burn and detonation shock dynamics (DSD). We provide results for two-more » and three-dimensional benchmark problems as well as applications to DSD.« less

Selective THz control of magnetic order: new opportunities from superradiant undulator sources

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kovalev, S.; Wang, Zhe; Deinert, J.-C.; Awari, N.; Chen, M.; Green, B.; Germanskiy, S.; de Oliveira, T. V. A. G.; Lee, J. S.; Deac, A.; Turchinovich, D.; Stojanovic, N.; Eisebitt, S.; Radu, I.; Bonetti, S.; Kampfrath, T.; Gensch, M.

2018-03-01

Recent advancements of accelerator technology enable the generation of carrier-envelope-phase stable THz pulses with high fields at adjustable high repetition rates. The appropriate choice of THz radiator allows generation of narrow-band, spectrally dense, multicycle THz transients of tunable THz frequency which are ideally suited to selectively excite low-energy excitations such as magnons or phonons. They also allow one to study the frequency dependence of nonresonant THz-field interactions with various order parameters with high dynamic range. In this paper, we discuss the future prospects of this new type of THz light source for studying the coherent control of magnetic order based on recent results.

Resolving phase stability in the Ti-O binary with first-principles statistical mechanics methods

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gunda, N. S. Harsha; Puchala, Brian; Van der Ven, Anton

2018-03-01

The Ti-O system consists of a multitude of stable and metastable oxides that are used in wide ranging applications. In this work we investigate phase stability in the Ti-O binary from first principles. We perform a systematic search for ground state structures as a function of oxygen concentration by considering oxygen-vacancy and/or titanium-vacancy orderings over four parent crystal structures: (i) hcp Ti, (ii) ω -Ti, (iii) rocksalt, and (iv) hcp oxygen containing interstitial titanium. We explore phase stability at finite temperature using cluster expansion Hamiltonians and Monte Carlo simulations. The calculations predict a high oxygen solubility in hcp Ti and the stability of suboxide phases that undergo order-disorder transitions upon heating. Vacancy ordered rocksalt phases are also predicted at low temperature that disorder to form an extended solid solution at high temperatures. Predicted stable and metastable phase diagrams are qualitatively consistent with experimental observations, however, important discrepancies are revealed between first-principles density functional theory predictions of phase stability and the current understanding of phase stability in this system.

Nano-sized Superlattice Clusters Created by Oxygen Ordering in Mechanically Alloyed Fe Alloys

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hu, Yong-Jie; Li, Jing; Darling, Kristopher A.; Wang, William Y.; Vanleeuwen, Brian K.; Liu, Xuan L.; Kecskes, Laszlo J.; Dickey, Elizabeth C.; Liu, Zi-Kui

2015-07-01

Creating and maintaining precipitates coherent with the host matrix, under service conditions is one of the most effective approaches for successful development of alloys for high temperature applications; prominent examples include Ni- and Co-based superalloys and Al alloys. While ferritic alloys are among the most important structural engineering alloys in our society, no reliable coherent precipitates stable at high temperatures have been found for these alloys. Here we report discovery of a new, nano-sized superlattice (NSS) phase in ball-milled Fe alloys, which maintains coherency with the BCC matrix up to at least 913 °C. Different from other precipitates in ferritic alloys, this NSS phase is created by oxygen-ordering in the BCC Fe matrix. It is proposed that this phase has a chemistry of Fe3O and a D03 crystal structure and becomes more stable with the addition of Zr. These nano-sized coherent precipitates effectively double the strength of the BCC matrix above that provided by grain size reduction alone. This discovery provides a new opportunity for developing high-strength ferritic alloys for high temperature applications.

A Membrane-Free Ferrocene-Based High-Rate Semiliquid Battery.

PubMed

Ding, Yu; Zhao, Yu; Yu, Guihua

2015-06-10

We report here a ferrocene-based membrane-free, high-rate semiliquid battery that takes advantage of a highly soluble ferrocene/ferrocenium redox couple in nonaqueous phase. The designed battery exhibits stable capacity retention up to 94% of theoretical capacity of ferrocene (145 mAh g(-1)) at a broad current rate up to 60 C owing to rapid mass transport in a liquid phase and fast redox kinetics. The diffusion coefficient and the standard reaction constant are determined to be in the order of 10(-6) cm(2) s(-1) and 10(-1) cm s(-1), respectively, orders of magnitude greater than those in a solid-phase electrode and those in conventional redox flow batteries. Additionally, the battery demonstrates power density and energy density exceeding 1400 W L(-1) and 40 Wh L(-1), respectively, and stable cyclability with capacity retention of ∼80% for 500 cycles. Compared with state-of-the-art energy storage technologies such as Li-ion batteries or conventional redox flow batteries, the proposed liquid battery shows the potential to be an efficient energy storage system with exceptionally high power and reasonable energy density.

Chip Scale Ultra-Stable Clocks: Miniaturized Phonon Trap Timing Units for PNT of CubeSats

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rais-Zadeh, Mina; Altunc, Serhat; Hunter, Roger C.; Petro, Andrew

2016-01-01

The Chip Scale Ultra-Stable Clocks (CSUSC) project aims to provide a superior alternative to current solutions for low size, weight, and power timing devices. Currently available quartz-based clocks have problems adjusting to the high temperature and extreme acceleration found in space applications, especially when scaled down to match small spacecraft size, weight, and power requirements. The CSUSC project aims to utilize dual-mode resonators on an ovenized platform to achieve the exceptional temperature stability required for these systems. The dual-mode architecture utilizes a temperature sensitive and temperature stable mode simultaneously driven on the same device volume to eliminate ovenization error while maintaining extremely high performance. Using this technology it is possible to achieve parts-per-billion (ppb) levels of temperature stability with multiple orders of magnitude smaller size, weight, and power.

Conjugated organic framework with three-dimensionally ordered stable structure and delocalized π clouds

PubMed Central

Guo, Jia; Xu, Yanhong; Jin, Shangbin; Chen, Long; Kaji, Toshihiko; Honsho, Yoshihito; Addicoat, Matthew A.; Kim, Jangbae; Saeki, Akinori; Ihee, Hyotcherl; Seki, Shu; Irle, Stephan; Hiramoto, Masahiro; Gao, Jia; Jiang, Donglin

2013-01-01

Covalent organic frameworks are a class of crystalline organic porous materials that can utilize π–π-stacking interactions as a driving force for the crystallization of polygonal sheets to form layered frameworks and ordered pores. However, typical examples are chemically unstable and lack intrasheet π-conjugation, thereby significantly limiting their applications. Here we report a chemically stable, electronically conjugated organic framework with topologically designed wire frameworks and open nanochannels, in which the π conjugation-spans the two-dimensional sheets. Our framework permits inborn periodic ordering of conjugated chains in all three dimensions and exhibits a striking combination of properties: chemical stability, extended π-delocalization, ability to host guest molecules and hole mobility. We show that the π-conjugated organic framework is useful for high on-off ratio photoswitches and photovoltaic cells. Therefore, this strategy may constitute a step towards realizing ordered semiconducting porous materials for innovations based on two-dimensionally extended π systems. PMID:24220603

Relation between nonlocal surface and bulk dark solitons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gao, Xinghui; Zhang, Chengyun; Wang, Qing

2018-06-01

We investigate the existence and stability of nonlocal surface dark solitons at the interface formed by a nonlocal nonlinear self-defocusing medium and a linear medium. We find that nonlocal fundamental surface dark solitons are always stable in their entire existence domain, while high-order surface dark solitons are oscillatory stable. Comparing with nonlocal bulk dark solitons in amplitude and boundary conditions, nonlocal surface dark solitons can be regarded as the half of the corresponding bulk dark solitons with antisymmetrical amplitude distribution.

Comparison of the relative stability of pharmaceutical cocrystals consisting of paracetamol and dicarboxylic acids.

PubMed

Suzuki, Naoto; Kawahata, Masatoshi; Yamaguchi, Kentaro; Suzuki, Toyofumi; Tomono, Kazuo; Fukami, Toshiro

2018-04-01

The aim of this study is to evaluate the relative stability of pharmaceutical cocrystals consisting of paracetamol (APAP) and oxalic acid (OXA) or maleic acid (MLA). These observations of cocrystal stability under various conditions are useful coformer criteria when cocrystals are selected as the active pharmaceutical ingredient in drug development. The relative stability was determined from the preferentially formed cocrystals under various conditions. Cocrystal of APAP-OXA was more stable than that of APAP-MLA in a ternary cogrinding system and possessed thermodynamical stability. On the other hand, when grinding with moisture or maintaining at high temperatures and relative humidity conditions, APAP-MLA was more stable, and OXA converted to OXA dihydrate. In the slurry method, APAP-OXA was more stable in aprotic solvents because the APAP-OXA with low-solubility product precipitated. The relative stability order was affected by preparing conditions of presence of moisture. This order might attribute to the small difference of crystal structure in the extension of the hydrogen bond network.

Thermal stability and molecular ordering of organic semiconductor monolayers: effect of an anchor group.

PubMed

Jones, Andrew O F; Knauer, Philipp; Resel, Roland; Ringk, Andreas; Strohriegl, Peter; Werzer, Oliver; Sferrazza, Michele

2015-06-08

The thermal stability and molecular order in monolayers of two organic semiconductors, PBI-PA and PBI-alkyl, based on perylene derivatives with an identical molecular structure except for an anchor group for attachment to the substrate in PBI-PA, are reported. In situ X-ray reflectivity measurements are used to follow the stability of these monolayers in terms of order and thickness as temperature is increased. Films have thicknesses corresponding approximately to the length of one molecule; molecules stand upright on the substrate with a defined structure. PBI-PA monolayers have a high degree of order at room temperature and a stable film exists up to 250 °C, but decomposes rapidly above 300 °C. In contrast, stable physisorbed PBI-alkyl monolayers only exist up to 100 °C. Above the bulk melting point at 200 °C no more order exists. The results encourage using anchor groups in monolayers for various applications as it allows enhanced stability at the interface with the substrate. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Automated Approach to Very High-Order Aeroacoustic Computations. Revision

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dyson, Rodger W.; Goodrich, John W.

2001-01-01

Computational aeroacoustics requires efficient, high-resolution simulation tools. For smooth problems, this is best accomplished with very high-order in space and time methods on small stencils. However, the complexity of highly accurate numerical methods can inhibit their practical application, especially in irregular geometries. This complexity is reduced by using a special form of Hermite divided-difference spatial interpolation on Cartesian grids, and a Cauchy-Kowalewski recursion procedure for time advancement. In addition, a stencil constraint tree reduces the complexity of interpolating grid points that am located near wall boundaries. These procedures are used to develop automatically and to implement very high-order methods (> 15) for solving the linearized Euler equations that can achieve less than one grid point per wavelength resolution away from boundaries by including spatial derivatives of the primitive variables at each grid point. The accuracy of stable surface treatments is currently limited to 11th order for grid aligned boundaries and to 2nd order for irregular boundaries.

An Automated Approach to Very High Order Aeroacoustic Computations in Complex Geometries

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dyson, Rodger W.; Goodrich, John W.

2000-01-01

Computational aeroacoustics requires efficient, high-resolution simulation tools. And for smooth problems, this is best accomplished with very high order in space and time methods on small stencils. But the complexity of highly accurate numerical methods can inhibit their practical application, especially in irregular geometries. This complexity is reduced by using a special form of Hermite divided-difference spatial interpolation on Cartesian grids, and a Cauchy-Kowalewslci recursion procedure for time advancement. In addition, a stencil constraint tree reduces the complexity of interpolating grid points that are located near wall boundaries. These procedures are used to automatically develop and implement very high order methods (>15) for solving the linearized Euler equations that can achieve less than one grid point per wavelength resolution away from boundaries by including spatial derivatives of the primitive variables at each grid point. The accuracy of stable surface treatments is currently limited to 11th order for grid aligned boundaries and to 2nd order for irregular boundaries.

L-Band Transmit/Receive Module for Phase-Stable Array Antennas

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Andricos, Constantine; Edelstein, Wendy; Krimskiy, Vladimir

2008-01-01

Interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) has been shown to provide very sensitive measurements of surface deformation and displacement on the order of 1 cm. Future systematic measurements of surface deformation will require this capability over very large areas (300 km) from space. To achieve these required accuracies, these spaceborne sensors must exhibit low temporal decorrelation and be temporally stable systems. An L-band (24-cmwavelength) InSAR instrument using an electronically steerable radar antenna is suited to meet these needs. In order to achieve the 1-cm displacement accuracy, the phased array antenna requires phase-stable transmit/receive (T/R) modules. The T/R module operates at L-band (1.24 GHz) and has less than 1- deg absolute phase stability and less than 0.1-dB absolute amplitude stability over temperature. The T/R module is also high power (30 W) and power efficient (60-percent overall efficiency). The design is currently implemented using discrete components and surface mount technology. The basic T/R module architecture is augmented with a calibration loop to compensate for temperature variations, component variations, and path loss variations as a function of beam settings. The calibration circuit consists of an amplitude and phase detector, and other control circuitry, to compare the measured gain and phase to a reference signal and uses this signal to control a precision analog phase shifter and analog attenuator. An architecture was developed to allow for the module to be bidirectional, to operate in both transmit and receive mode. The architecture also includes a power detector used to maintain a transmitter power output constant within 0.1 dB. The use of a simple, stable, low-cost, and high-accuracy gain and phase detector made by Analog Devices (AD8302), combined with a very-high efficiency T/R module, is novel. While a self-calibrating T/R module capability has been sought for years, a practical and cost-effective solution has never been demonstrated. By adding the calibration loop to an existing high-efficiency T/R module, there is a demonstrated order-of-magnitude improvement in the amplitude and phase stability.

Ultrahigh Ionic Conduction in Water-Stable Close-Packed Metal-Carbonate Frameworks.

PubMed

Manna, Biplab; Desai, Aamod V; Illathvalappil, Rajith; Gupta, Kriti; Sen, Arunabha; Kurungot, Sreekumar; Ghosh, Sujit K

2017-08-21

Utilization of the robust metal-carbonate backbone in a series of water-stable, anionic frameworks has been harnessed for the function of highly efficient solid-state ion-conduction. The compact organization of hydrophilic guest ions facilitates water-assisted ion-conduction in all the compounds. The dense packing of the compounds imparts high ion-conducting ability and minimizes the possibility of fuel crossover, making this approach promising for design and development of compounds as potential components of energy devices. This work presents the first report of evaluating ion-conduction in a purely metal-carbonate framework, which exhibits high ion-conductivity on the order of 10 -2 S cm -1 along with very low activation energy, which is comparable to highly conducting well-known crystalline coordination polymers or commercialized organic polymers like Nafion.

A compatible high-order meshless method for the Stokes equations with applications to suspension flows

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Trask, Nathaniel; Maxey, Martin; Hu, Xiaozhe

2018-02-01

A stable numerical solution of the steady Stokes problem requires compatibility between the choice of velocity and pressure approximation that has traditionally proven problematic for meshless methods. In this work, we present a discretization that couples a staggered scheme for pressure approximation with a divergence-free velocity reconstruction to obtain an adaptive, high-order, finite difference-like discretization that can be efficiently solved with conventional algebraic multigrid techniques. We use analytic benchmarks to demonstrate equal-order convergence for both velocity and pressure when solving problems with curvilinear geometries. In order to study problems in dense suspensions, we couple the solution for the flow to the equations of motion for freely suspended particles in an implicit monolithic scheme. The combination of high-order accuracy with fully-implicit schemes allows the accurate resolution of stiff lubrication forces directly from the solution of the Stokes problem without the need to introduce sub-grid lubrication models.

Research in computational fluid dynamics and analysis of algorithms

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gottlieb, David

1992-01-01

Recently, higher-order compact schemes have seen increasing use in the DNS (Direct Numerical Simulations) of the Navier-Stokes equations. Although they do not have the spatial resolution of spectral methods, they offer significant increases in accuracy over conventional second order methods. They can be used on any smooth grid, and do not have an overly restrictive CFL dependence as compared with the O(N(exp -2)) CFL dependence observed in Chebyshev spectral methods on finite domains. In addition, they are generally more robust and less costly than spectral methods. The issue of the relative cost of higher-order schemes (accuracy weighted against physical and numerical cost) is a far more complex issue, depending ultimately on what features of the solution are sought and how accurately they must be resolved. In any event, the further development of the underlying stability theory of these schemes is important. The approach of devising suitable boundary clusters and then testing them with various stability techniques (such as finding the norm) is entirely the wrong approach when dealing with high-order methods. Very seldom are high-order boundary closures stable, making them difficult to isolate. An alternative approach is to begin with a norm which satisfies all the stability criteria for the hyperbolic system, and look for the boundary closure forms which will match the norm exactly. This method was used recently by Strand to isolate stable boundary closure schemes for the explicit central fourth- and sixth-order schemes. The norm used was an energy norm mimicking the norm for the differential equations. Further research should be devoted to BC for high order schemes in order to make sure that the results obtained are reliable. The compact fourth order and sixth order finite difference scheme had been incorporated into a code to simulate flow past circular cylinders. This code will serve as a verification of the full spectral codes. A detailed stability analysis by Carpenter (from the fluid Mechanics Division) and Gottlieb gave analytic conditions for stability as well as asymptotic stability. This had been incorporated in the code in form of stable boundary conditions. Effects of the cylinder rotations had been studied. The results differ from the known theoretical results. We are in the middle of analyzing the results. A detailed analysis of the effects of the heating of the cylinder on the shedding frequency had been studied using the above schemes. It has been found that the shedding frequency decreases when the wire was heated. Experimental work is being carried out to affirm this result.

Stable glow discharge detector

DOEpatents

Koo, Jackson C.; Yu, Conrad M.

2004-05-18

A highly sensitive electronic ion cell for the measurement of trace elements in He carrier gas which involves glow discharge. A constant wave (CW) stable glow discharge detector which is controlled through a biased resistor, can detect the change of electron density caused by impurities in the He carrier gas by many orders of magnitude larger than that caused by direct ionization or electron capture. The stable glow discharge detector utilizes a floating pseudo-electrode to form a probe in or near the plasma and a solid rod electrode. By using this probe, the large variation of electron density due to trace amounts of impurities can be directly measured. The solid rod electrode provides greater stability and thus easier alignment.

Stable, high-order computation of impedance-impedance operators for three-dimensional layered medium simulations.

PubMed

Nicholls, David P

2018-04-01

The faithful modelling of the propagation of linear waves in a layered, periodic structure is of paramount importance in many branches of the applied sciences. In this paper, we present a novel numerical algorithm for the simulation of such problems which is free of the artificial singularities present in related approaches. We advocate for a surface integral formulation which is phrased in terms of impedance-impedance operators that are immune to the Dirichlet eigenvalues which plague the Dirichlet-Neumann operators that appear in classical formulations. We demonstrate a high-order spectral algorithm to simulate these latter operators based upon a high-order perturbation of surfaces methodology which is rapid, robust and highly accurate. We demonstrate the validity and utility of our approach with a sequence of numerical simulations.

Stable, high-order computation of impedance-impedance operators for three-dimensional layered medium simulations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nicholls, David P.

2018-04-01

The faithful modelling of the propagation of linear waves in a layered, periodic structure is of paramount importance in many branches of the applied sciences. In this paper, we present a novel numerical algorithm for the simulation of such problems which is free of the artificial singularities present in related approaches. We advocate for a surface integral formulation which is phrased in terms of impedance-impedance operators that are immune to the Dirichlet eigenvalues which plague the Dirichlet-Neumann operators that appear in classical formulations. We demonstrate a high-order spectral algorithm to simulate these latter operators based upon a high-order perturbation of surfaces methodology which is rapid, robust and highly accurate. We demonstrate the validity and utility of our approach with a sequence of numerical simulations.

Respiratory muscle activity and patient–ventilator asynchrony during different settings of noninvasive ventilation in stable hypercapnic COPD: does high inspiratory pressure lead to respiratory muscle unloading?

PubMed Central

Duiverman, Marieke L; Huberts, Anouk S; van Eykern, Leo A; Bladder, Gerrie; Wijkstra, Peter J

2017-01-01

Introduction High-intensity noninvasive ventilation (NIV) has been shown to improve outcomes in stable chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients. However, there is insufficient knowledge about whether with this more controlled ventilatory mode optimal respiratory muscle unloading is provided without an increase in patient–ventilator asynchrony (PVA). Patients and methods Ten chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients on home mechanical ventilation were included. Four different ventilatory settings were investigated in each patient in random order, each for 15 min, varying the inspiratory positive airway pressure and backup breathing frequency. With surface electromyography (EMG), activities of the intercostal muscles, diaphragm, and scalene muscles were determined. Furthermore, pressure tracings were derived simultaneously in order to assess PVA. Results Compared to spontaneous breathing, the most pronounced decrease in EMG activity was achieved with the high-pressure settings. Adding a high breathing frequency did reduce EMG activity per breath, while the decrease in EMG activity over 1 min was comparable with the high-pressure, low-frequency setting. With high backup breathing frequencies less breaths were pressure supported (25% vs 97%). PVAs occurred more frequently with the low-frequency settings (P=0.017). Conclusion High-intensity NIV might provide optimal unloading of respiratory muscles, without undue increases in PVA. PMID:28138234

Respiratory muscle activity and patient-ventilator asynchrony during different settings of noninvasive ventilation in stable hypercapnic COPD: does high inspiratory pressure lead to respiratory muscle unloading?

PubMed

Duiverman, Marieke L; Huberts, Anouk S; van Eykern, Leo A; Bladder, Gerrie; Wijkstra, Peter J

2017-01-01

High-intensity noninvasive ventilation (NIV) has been shown to improve outcomes in stable chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients. However, there is insufficient knowledge about whether with this more controlled ventilatory mode optimal respiratory muscle unloading is provided without an increase in patient-ventilator asynchrony (PVA). Ten chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients on home mechanical ventilation were included. Four different ventilatory settings were investigated in each patient in random order, each for 15 min, varying the inspiratory positive airway pressure and backup breathing frequency. With surface electromyography (EMG), activities of the intercostal muscles, diaphragm, and scalene muscles were determined. Furthermore, pressure tracings were derived simultaneously in order to assess PVA. Compared to spontaneous breathing, the most pronounced decrease in EMG activity was achieved with the high-pressure settings. Adding a high breathing frequency did reduce EMG activity per breath, while the decrease in EMG activity over 1 min was comparable with the high-pressure, low-frequency setting. With high backup breathing frequencies less breaths were pressure supported (25% vs 97%). PVAs occurred more frequently with the low-frequency settings ( P =0.017). High-intensity NIV might provide optimal unloading of respiratory muscles, without undue increases in PVA.

The alpha(3) Scheme - A Fourth-Order Neutrally Stable CESE Solver

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chang, Sin-Chung

2007-01-01

The conservation element and solution element (CESE) development is driven by a belief that a solver should (i) enforce conservation laws in both space and time, and (ii) be built from a non-dissipative (i.e., neutrally stable) core scheme so that the numerical dissipation can be controlled effectively. To provide a solid foundation for a systematic CESE development of high order schemes, in this paper we describe a new 4th-order neutrally stable CESE solver of the advection equation Theta u/Theta + alpha Theta u/Theta x = 0. The space-time stencil of this two-level explicit scheme is formed by one point at the upper time level and three points at the lower time level. Because it is associated with three independent mesh variables u(sup n) (sub j), (u(sub x))(sup n) (sub j) , and (uxz)(sup n) (sub j) (the numerical analogues of u, Theta u/Theta x, and Theta(exp 2)u/Theta x(exp 2), respectively) and four equations per mesh point, the new scheme is referred to as the alpha(3) scheme. As in the case of other similar CESE neutrally stable solvers, the alpha(3) scheme enforces conservation laws in space-time locally and globally, and it has the basic, forward marching, and backward marching forms. These forms are equivalent and satisfy a space-time inversion (STI) invariant property which is shared by the advection equation. Based on the concept of STI invariance, a set of algebraic relations is developed and used to prove that the alpha(3) scheme must be neutrally stable when it is stable. Moreover it is proved rigorously that all three amplification factors of the alpha(3) scheme are of unit magnitude for all phase angles if |v| <= 1/2 (v = alpha delta t/delta x). This theoretical result is consistent with the numerical stability condition |v| <= 1/2. Through numerical experiments, it is established that the alpha(3) scheme generally is (i) 4th-order accurate for the mesh variables u(sup n) (sub j) and (ux)(sup n) (sub j); and 2nd-order accurate for (uxx)(sup n) (sub j). However, in some exceptional cases, the scheme can achieve perfect accuracy aside from round-off errors.

Paid and unpaid working hours among Swedish men and women in relation to depressive symptom trajectories: results from four waves of the Swedish Longitudinal Occupational Survey of Health.

PubMed

Peristera, Paraskevi; Westerlund, Hugo; Magnusson Hanson, Linda L

2018-06-07

Long working hours and unpaid work are possible risk factors for depressive symptoms. However, little is known about how working hours influence the course of depressive symptoms. This study examined the influence of paid, unpaid working hours and total working hours on depressive symptoms trajectories. The study was based on data from four waves of the Swedish Longitudinal Occupational Survey of Health (SLOSH 2008-2014). We applied group-based trajectory modelling in order to identify trajectories of depressive symptoms and studied paid and unpaid working hours and total working hours as risk factors. Six trajectory groups were identified with symptoms: 'very low stable', 'low stable', 'doubtful increasing', 'high decreasing', 'mild decreasing' and 'high stable'. More time spent on unpaid work was associated with the 'low stable' (OR 1.16, 95% CI 1.04 to 1.30) and the 'high stable (OR 1.40, 95% CI 1.18 to 1.65) symptom trajectories compared with being in the 'very low stable' symptom group. In addition, more total working hours was associated with a higher probability of having 'high decreasing' (OR 1.30, 95% CI 1.14 to 1.48) and 'high stable' (OR 1.22, 95% CI 1.01 to 1.47) symptoms, when adjusting for sex, age, civil status and socioeconomic status. The results, however, differed somewhat for men and women. More unpaid working hours was more clearly associated with higher symptom trajectories among women. More total working hours was associated with 'high stable' symptoms among women only. This study supported heterogeneous individual patterns of depressive symptoms over time among the Swedish working population. The results also indicate that a higher burden of unpaid work and longer total working hours, which indicate a double burden from paid and unpaid work, may be associated with higher depressive symptom trajectories, especially among women. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2018. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

Near-zero thermal expansion in magnetically ordered state in dysprosium at high pressures and low temperatures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hope, Kevin M.; Samudrala, Gopi K.; Vohra, Yogesh K.

2017-01-01

The atomic volume of rare earth metal dysprosium (Dy) has been measured up to high pressures of 35 GPa and low temperatures between 200 and 7 K in a diamond anvil cell using angle dispersive X-ray diffraction at a synchrotron source. The hexagonal close-packed (hcp), alpha-Samarium (α-Sm), and double hexagonal close-packed (dhcp) phases are observed to be stable in Dy under high-pressure and low-temperature conditions achieved in our experiments. Dy is known to undergo magnetic ordering below 176 K at ambient pressure with magnetic ordering Néel temperature (TN) that changes rapidly with increasing pressure. Our experimental measurement shows that Dy has near-zero thermal expansion in the magnetically ordered state and normal thermal expansion in the paramagnetic state for all the three known high pressure phases (hcp, α-Sm, and dhcp) to 35 GPa. This near-zero thermal expansion behavior in Dy is observed below the magnetic ordering temperature TN at all pressures up to 35 GPa.

Thermal and high pressure inactivation kinetics of blueberry peroxidase.

PubMed

Terefe, Netsanet Shiferaw; Delon, Antoine; Versteeg, Cornelis

2017-10-01

This study for the first time investigated the stability and inactivation kinetics of blueberry peroxidase in model systems (McIlvaine buffer, pH=3.6, the typical pH of blueberry juice) during thermal (40-80°C) and combined high pressure-thermal processing (0.1-690MPa, 30-90°C). At 70-80°C, the thermal inactivation kinetics was best described by a biphasic model with ∼61% labile and ∼39% stable fractions at temperature between 70 and 75°C. High pressure inhibited the inactivation of the enzyme with no inactivation at pressures as high as 690MPa and temperatures less than 50°C. The inactivation kinetics of the enzyme at 60-70°C, and pressures higher than 500MPa was best described by a first order biphasic model with ∼25% labile fraction and 75% stable fraction. The activation energy values at atmospheric pressure were 548.6kJ/mol and 324.5kJ/mol respectively for the stable and the labile fractions. Crown Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

High-field/ high-frequency EPR study on stable free radicals formed in sucrose by gamma-irradiation.

PubMed

Georgieva, Elka R; Pardi, Luca; Jeschke, Gunnar; Gatteschi, Dante; Sorace, Lorenzo; Yordanov, Nicola D

2006-06-01

The EPR spectrum of sucrose irradiated by high-energy radiation is complex due to the presence of more than one radical species. In order to decompose the spectrum and elucidate the radical magnetic parameters a high-field (HF(-)EPR) study on stable free radicals in gamma-irradiated polycrystalline sucrose (table sugar) was performed at three different high frequencies--94, 190 and 285 GHz as well as at the conventional X-band. We suggest a presence of three stable radicals R1, R2 and R3 as the main radical species. Due to the increase of g-factor resolution at high fields the g-tensors of these radicals could be extracted by accurate simulations. The moderate g-anisotropy suggests that all three radicals are carbon-centred. Results from an earlier ENDOR study on X-irradiated sucrose single crystals (Vanhaelewyn et al., Appl Radiat Isot, 52, 1221 (2000)) were used for analyzing of the spectra in more details. It was confirmed that the strongest hyperfine interaction has a relatively small anisotropy, which indicates either the absence of alpha-protons or a strongly distorted geometry of the radicals.

A high-powered siren for stable acoustic levitation of dense materials in the earth's gravity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gammel, Paul M.; Croonquist, Arvid P.; Wang, Taylor G.

1988-01-01

Levitation of large dense samples (e.g., 1-cm diameter steel balls) has been performed in a 1-g environment. A siren was used to study the effects of reflector geometry and variable-frequency operation in order to attain stable acoustic positioning. The harmonic content and spatial distribution of the acoustic field have been investigated. The best stability was obtained with an open reflector system, using a flat lower reflector and a slightly concave upper reflector while operating at a frequency slightly below resonance.

Nonlinear Processes in Time-­Ordered Observations: Self-­Organized Criticality in Daily High School Attendance

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Koopmans, Matthijs

2017-01-01

In the United States, high school attendance and drop-out are important policy concerns receiving extensive coverage in the research literature. Traditionally, the focus in this work is on the summary of dropout rates and mean attendance rates in specific schools, regions or socio-economic groups. However, the question how stable those attendance…

Laser-driven electron beam acceleration and future application to compact light sources

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hafz, N.; Jeong, T. M.; Lee, S. K.; Pae, K. H.; Sung, J. H.; Choi, I. W.; Yu, T. J.; Jeong, Y. U.; Lee, J.

2009-07-01

Laser-driven plasma accelerators are gaining much attention by the advanced accelerator community due to the potential these accelerators hold in miniaturizing future high-energy and medium-energy machines. In the laser wakefield accelerator (LWFA), the ponderomotive force of an ultrashort high intensity laser pulse excites a longitudinal plasma wave or bubble. Due to huge charge separation, electric fields created in the plasma bubble can be several orders of magnitude higher than those available in conventional microwave and RF-based accelerator facilities which are limited (up to ˜100 MV/m) by material breakdown. Therefore, if an electron bunch is injected into the bubble in phase with its field, it will gain relativistic energies within an extremely short distance. Here, in the LWFA we show the generation of high-quality and high-energy electron beams up to the GeV-class within a few millimeters of gas-jet plasmas irradiated by tens of terawatt ultrashort laser pulses. Thus we realize approximately four orders of magnitude acceleration gradients higher than available by conventional technology. As a practical application of the stable high-energy electron beam generation, we are planning on injecting the electron beams into a few-meters long conventional undulator in order to realize compact X-ray synchrotron (immediate) and FEL (future) light sources. Stable laser-driven electron beam and radiation devices will surely open a new era in science, medicine and technology and will benefit a larger number of users in those fields.

A Technique of Treating Negative Weights in WENO Schemes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shi, Jing; Hu, Changqing; Shu, Chi-Wang

2000-01-01

High order accurate weighted essentially non-oscillatory (WENO) schemes have recently been developed for finite difference and finite volume methods both in structural and in unstructured meshes. A key idea in WENO scheme is a linear combination of lower order fluxes or reconstructions to obtain a high order approximation. The combination coefficients, also called linear weights, are determined by local geometry of the mesh and order of accuracy and may become negative. WENO procedures cannot be applied directly to obtain a stable scheme if negative linear weights are present. Previous strategy for handling this difficulty is by either regrouping of stencils or reducing the order of accuracy to get rid of the negative linear weights. In this paper we present a simple and effective technique for handling negative linear weights without a need to get rid of them.

A New Approach for Constructing Highly Stable High Order CESE Schemes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chang, Sin-Chung

2010-01-01

A new approach is devised to construct high order CESE schemes which would avoid the common shortcomings of traditional high order schemes including: (a) susceptibility to computational instabilities; (b) computational inefficiency due to their local implicit nature (i.e., at each mesh points, need to solve a system of linear/nonlinear equations involving all the mesh variables associated with this mesh point); (c) use of large and elaborate stencils which complicates boundary treatments and also makes efficient parallel computing much harder; (d) difficulties in applications involving complex geometries; and (e) use of problem-specific techniques which are needed to overcome stability problems but often cause undesirable side effects. In fact it will be shown that, with the aid of a conceptual leap, one can build from a given 2nd-order CESE scheme its 4th-, 6th-, 8th-,... order versions which have the same stencil and same stability conditions of the 2nd-order scheme, and also retain all other advantages of the latter scheme. A sketch of multidimensional extensions will also be provided.

0.1 Trend analysis of δ18O composition of precipitation in Germany: Combining Mann-Kendall trend test and ARIMA models to correct for higher order serial correlation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Klaus, Julian; Pan Chun, Kwok; Stumpp, Christine

2015-04-01

Spatio-temporal dynamics of stable oxygen (18O) and hydrogen (2H) isotopes in precipitation can be used as proxies for changing hydro-meteorological and regional and global climate patterns. While spatial patterns and distributions gained much attention in recent years the temporal trends in stable isotope time series are rarely investigated and our understanding of them is still limited. These might be a result of a lack of proper trend detection tools and effort for exploring trend processes. Here we make use of an extensive data set of stable isotope in German precipitation. In this study we investigate temporal trends of δ18O in precipitation at 17 observation station in Germany between 1978 and 2009. For that we test different approaches for proper trend detection, accounting for first and higher order serial correlation. We test if significant trends in the isotope time series based on different models can be observed. We apply the Mann-Kendall trend tests on the isotope series, using general multiplicative seasonal autoregressive integrate moving average (ARIMA) models which account for first and higher order serial correlations. With the approach we can also account for the effects of temperature, precipitation amount on the trend. Further we investigate the role of geographic parameters on isotope trends. To benchmark our proposed approach, the ARIMA results are compared to a trend-free prewhiting (TFPW) procedure, the state of the art method for removing the first order autocorrelation in environmental trend studies. Moreover, we explore whether higher order serial correlations in isotope series affects our trend results. The results show that three out of the 17 stations have significant changes when higher order autocorrelation are adjusted, and four stations show a significant trend when temperature and precipitation effects are considered. Significant trends in the isotope time series are generally observed at low elevation stations (≤315 m a.s.l.). Higher order autoregressive processes are important in the isotope time series analysis. Our results show that the widely used trend analysis with only the first order autocorrelation adjustment may not adequately take account of the high order autocorrelated processes in the stable isotope series. The investigated time series analysis method including higher autocorrelation and external climate variable adjustments is shown to be a better alternative.

Numerically stable, scalable formulas for parallel and online computation of higher-order multivariate central moments with arbitrary weights

DOE PAGES

Pebay, Philippe; Terriberry, Timothy B.; Kolla, Hemanth; ...

2016-03-29

Formulas for incremental or parallel computation of second order central moments have long been known, and recent extensions of these formulas to univariate and multivariate moments of arbitrary order have been developed. Such formulas are of key importance in scenarios where incremental results are required and in parallel and distributed systems where communication costs are high. We survey these recent results, and improve them with arbitrary-order, numerically stable one-pass formulas which we further extend with weighted and compound variants. We also develop a generalized correction factor for standard two-pass algorithms that enables the maintenance of accuracy over nearly the fullmore » representable range of the input, avoiding the need for extended-precision arithmetic. We then empirically examine algorithm correctness for pairwise update formulas up to order four as well as condition number and relative error bounds for eight different central moment formulas, each up to degree six, to address the trade-offs between numerical accuracy and speed of the various algorithms. Finally, we demonstrate the use of the most elaborate among the above mentioned formulas, with the utilization of the compound moments for a practical large-scale scientific application.« less

Higher-order Skyrme hair of black holes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gudnason, Sven Bjarke; Nitta, Muneto

2018-05-01

Higher-order derivative terms are considered as replacement for the Skyrme term in an Einstein-Skyrme-like model in order to pinpoint which properties are necessary for a black hole to possess stable static scalar hair. We find two new models able to support stable black hole hair in the limit of the Skyrme term being turned off. They contain 8 and 12 derivatives, respectively, and are roughly the Skyrme-term squared and the so-called BPS-Skyrme-term squared. In the twelfth-order model we find that the lower branches, which are normally unstable, become stable in the limit where the Skyrme term is turned off. We check this claim with a linear stability analysis. Finally, we find for a certain range of the gravitational coupling and horizon radius, that the twelfth-order model contains 4 solutions as opposed to 2. More surprisingly, the lowest part of the would-be unstable branch turns out to be the stable one of the 4 solutions.

Structural transition and enhanced phase transition properties of Se doped Ge2Sb2Te5 alloys

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vinod, E. M.; Ramesh, K.; Sangunni, K. S.

2015-01-01

Amorphous Ge2Sb2Te5 (GST) alloy, upon heating crystallize to a metastable NaCl structure around 150°C and then to a stable hexagonal structure at high temperatures (>=250°C). It has been generally understood that the phase change takes place between amorphous and the metastable NaCl structure and not between the amorphous and the stable hexagonal phase. In the present work, it is observed that the thermally evaporated (GST)1-xSex thin films (0 <= x <= 0.50) crystallize directly to the stable hexagonal structure for x >= 0.10, when annealed at temperatures >= 150°C. The intermediate NaCl structure has been observed only for x < 0.10. Chemically ordered network of GST is largely modified for x >= 0.10. Resistance, thermal stability and threshold voltage of the films are found to increase with the increase of Se. The contrast in electrical resistivity between the amorphous and crystalline phases is about 6 orders of magnitude. The increase in Se shifts the absorption edge to lower wavelength and the band gap widens from 0.63 to 1.05 eV. Higher resistance ratio, higher crystallization temperature, direct transition to the stable phase indicate that (GST)1-xSex films are better candidates for phase change memory applications.

High-Precision Differential Predictions for Top-Quark Pairs at the LHC

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Czakon, Michal; Heymes, David; Mitov, Alexander

2016-02-01

We present the first complete next-to-next-to-leading order (NNLO) QCD predictions for differential distributions in the top-quark pair production process at the LHC. Our results are derived from a fully differential partonic Monte Carlo calculation with stable top quarks which involves no approximations beyond the fixed-order truncation of the perturbation series. The NNLO corrections improve the agreement between existing LHC measurements [V. Khachatryan et al. (CMS Collaboration), Eur. Phys. J. C 75, 542 (2015)] and standard model predictions for the top-quark transverse momentum distribution, thus helping alleviate one long-standing discrepancy. The shape of the top-quark pair invariant mass distribution turns out to be stable with respect to radiative corrections beyond NLO which increases the value of this observable as a place to search for physics beyond the standard model. The results presented here provide essential input for parton distribution function fits, implementation of higher-order effects in Monte Carlo generators, as well as top-quark mass and strong coupling determination.

High-Precision Differential Predictions for Top-Quark Pairs at the LHC.

PubMed

Czakon, Michal; Heymes, David; Mitov, Alexander

2016-02-26

We present the first complete next-to-next-to-leading order (NNLO) QCD predictions for differential distributions in the top-quark pair production process at the LHC. Our results are derived from a fully differential partonic Monte Carlo calculation with stable top quarks which involves no approximations beyond the fixed-order truncation of the perturbation series. The NNLO corrections improve the agreement between existing LHC measurements [V. Khachatryan et al. (CMS Collaboration), Eur. Phys. J. C 75, 542 (2015)] and standard model predictions for the top-quark transverse momentum distribution, thus helping alleviate one long-standing discrepancy. The shape of the top-quark pair invariant mass distribution turns out to be stable with respect to radiative corrections beyond NLO which increases the value of this observable as a place to search for physics beyond the standard model. The results presented here provide essential input for parton distribution function fits, implementation of higher-order effects in Monte Carlo generators, as well as top-quark mass and strong coupling determination.

Energy-momentum conserving higher-order time integration of nonlinear dynamics of finite elastic fiber-reinforced continua

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Erler, Norbert; Groß, Michael

2015-05-01

Since many years the relevance of fibre-reinforced polymers is steadily increasing in fields of engineering, especially in aircraft and automotive industry. Due to the high strength in fibre direction, but the possibility of lightweight construction, these composites replace more and more traditional materials as metals. Fibre-reinforced polymers are often manufactured from glass or carbon fibres as attachment parts or from steel or nylon cord as force transmission parts. Attachment parts are mostly subjected to small strains, but force transmission parts usually suffer large deformations in at least one direction. Here, a geometrically nonlinear formulation is necessary. Typical examples are helicopter rotor blades, where the fibres have the function to stabilize the structure in order to counteract large centrifugal forces. For long-run analyses of rotor blade deformations, we have to apply numerically stable time integrators for anisotropic materials. This paper presents higher-order accurate and numerically stable time stepping schemes for nonlinear elastic fibre-reinforced continua with anisotropic stress behaviour.

Evolution of conducting states and the maximum dissipated power

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bezryadin, A.; Tinkham, M.

1998-03-01

Evolution of conducting states in adaptable systems below the percolation threshold is studied experimentally. The sample consists of a pair of metal electrodes immersed into a colloidal suspension of conducting graphite nanoparticles in an electrically insulating liquid (toluene, mineral oil). When this initially homogeneous system is driven far from equilibrium by biasing the electrodes with a high DC voltage, a breaking of translational symmetry occurs and the conductivity increases by many orders of magnitude. Two qualitatively different conducting states are observed. The first is a self-organized critical state characterized by a sequence of avalanches with a 1/f^α power spectrum. In the process of evolution this state may transform into the second, ordered stable state with higher conductivity. The transition into the stable state occurs only if the system reaches the point when the power dissipated in the suspension is the maximum allowed by the bias voltage and series resistor. The critical states decay within a few hours while the stable states, which are characterized by visible strings of particles connecting the electrodes, exist much longer.

Loop vertex expansion for higher-order interactions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rivasseau, Vincent

2018-05-01

This note provides an extension of the constructive loop vertex expansion to stable interactions of arbitrarily high order, opening the way to many applications. We treat in detail the example of the (\\bar{φ } φ )^p field theory in zero dimension. We find that the important feature to extend the loop vertex expansion is not to use an intermediate field representation, but rather to force integration of exactly one particular field per vertex of the initial action.

Linearly first- and second-order, unconditionally energy stable schemes for the phase field crystal model

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

Yang, Xiaofeng, E-mail: xfyang@math.sc.edu; Han, Daozhi, E-mail: djhan@iu.edu

2017-02-01

In this paper, we develop a series of linear, unconditionally energy stable numerical schemes for solving the classical phase field crystal model. The temporal discretizations are based on the first order Euler method, the second order backward differentiation formulas (BDF2) and the second order Crank–Nicolson method, respectively. The schemes lead to linear elliptic equations to be solved at each time step, and the induced linear systems are symmetric positive definite. We prove that all three schemes are unconditionally energy stable rigorously. Various classical numerical experiments in 2D and 3D are performed to validate the accuracy and efficiency of the proposedmore » schemes.« less

Supramolecular order and structural dynamics: A STM study of 2H-tetraphenylporphycene on Cu(111)

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

Stark, Michael; Träg, Johannes; Ditze, Stefanie

2015-03-14

The adsorption of 2H-tetraphenylporphycene (2HTPPc) on Cu(111) was investigated by scanning tunneling microscopy (STM). At medium coverages, supramolecular ordered islands are observed. The individual 2HTPPc molecules appear as two pairs of intense protrusions which are separated by an elongated depression. In the islands, the molecules are organized in rows oriented along one of the close packed Cu(111) substrate rows; the structure is stabilized by T-type interactions of the phenyl substituents of neighboring molecules. Two types of rows are observed, namely, highly ordered rows in which all molecules exhibit the same orientation, and less ordered rows in which the molecules exhibitmore » two perpendicular orientations. Altogether, three different azimuthal orientations of 2HTPPc are observed within one domain, all of them rotated by 15° ± 1° relative to one closed packed Cu direction. The highly ordered rows are always separated by either one or two less ordered rows, with the latter structure being the thermodynamically more stable one. The situation in the islands is highly dynamic, such that molecules in the less ordered rows occasionally change orientation, also complete highly ordered rows can move. The supramolecular order and structural dynamics are discussed on the basis of the specific molecule-substrate and molecule-molecule interactions.« less

An approach to the development of numerical algorithms for first order linear hyperbolic systems in multiple space dimensions: The constant coefficient case

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Goodrich, John W.

1995-01-01

Two methods for developing high order single step explicit algorithms on symmetric stencils with data on only one time level are presented. Examples are given for the convection and linearized Euler equations with up to the eighth order accuracy in both space and time in one space dimension, and up to the sixth in two space dimensions. The method of characteristics is generalized to nondiagonalizable hyperbolic systems by using exact local polynominal solutions of the system, and the resulting exact propagator methods automatically incorporate the correct multidimensional wave propagation dynamics. Multivariate Taylor or Cauchy-Kowaleskaya expansions are also used to develop algorithms. Both of these methods can be applied to obtain algorithms of arbitrarily high order for hyperbolic systems in multiple space dimensions. Cross derivatives are included in the local approximations used to develop the algorithms in this paper in order to obtain high order accuracy, and improved isotropy and stability. Efficiency in meeting global error bounds is an important criterion for evaluating algorithms, and the higher order algorithms are shown to be up to several orders of magnitude more efficient even though they are more complex. Stable high order boundary conditions for the linearized Euler equations are developed in one space dimension, and demonstrated in two space dimensions.

Direct Reaction Measurements Using GODDESS

DOE PAGES

Pain, S. D.; Ratkiewicz, A.; Baugher, T.; ...

2017-10-26

GODDESS is a coupling of the charged-particle detection system ORRUBA to the gamma-ray detector array Gammasphere. This coupling has been developed in order to facilitate the high-resolution measurement of direct reactions in normal and inverse kinematics with stable and radioactive beams. GODDESS has been commissioned using a beam of 134Xe at 10 MeV/A, in a campaign of stable beam measurements. The measurement demonstrates the capabilities of GODDESS under radioactive beam conditions, and provides the first data on the single-neutron states in 135Xe, including previously unobserved states based on the orbitals above the N=82 shell closure.

Revisiting and Extending Interface Penalties for Multi-Domain Summation-by-Parts Operators

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Carpenter, Mark H.; Nordstrom, Jan; Gottlieb, David

2007-01-01

General interface coupling conditions are presented for multi-domain collocation methods, which satisfy the summation-by-parts (SBP) spatial discretization convention. The combined interior/interface operators are proven to be L2 stable, pointwise stable, and conservative, while maintaining the underlying accuracy of the interior SBP operator. The new interface conditions resemble (and were motivated by) those used in the discontinuous Galerkin finite element community, and maintain many of the same properties. Extensive validation studies are presented using two classes of high-order SBP operators: 1) central finite difference, and 2) Legendre spectral collocation.

Universally stable black holes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bueno, Pablo; Cano, Pablo A.

We argue that, when certain higher-curvature corrections are added to the four-dimensional Einstein-Hilbert action, black holes become stable below certain mass. We show this to be the case for an infinite family of ghost-free theories involving terms of arbitrarily high order in curvature. The thermodynamic behavior of the new black holes is universal for arbitrary values of the couplings, with the only exception of the Schwarzschild solution itself, which is recovered when all the couplings are set to zero. For this class of theories, the issue of non-unitary evolution is inexistent, as black holes never evaporate completely.

Design and Analysis of Hydrostatic Transmission System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mistry, Kayzad A.; Patel, Bhaumikkumar A.; Patel, Dhruvin J.; Parsana, Parth M.; Patel, Jitendra P.

2018-02-01

This study develops a hydraulic circuit to drive a conveying system dealing with heavy and delicate loads. Various safety circuits have been added in order to ensure stable working at high pressure and precise controlling. Here we have shown the calculation procedure based on an arbitrarily selected load. Also the circuit design and calculations of various components used is depicted along with the system simulation. The results show that the system is stable and efficient enough to transmit heavy loads by functioning of the circuit. By this information, one can be able to design their own hydrostatic circuits for various heavy loading conditions.

High-order fractional partial differential equation transform for molecular surface construction.

PubMed

Hu, Langhua; Chen, Duan; Wei, Guo-Wei

2013-01-01

Fractional derivative or fractional calculus plays a significant role in theoretical modeling of scientific and engineering problems. However, only relatively low order fractional derivatives are used at present. In general, it is not obvious what role a high fractional derivative can play and how to make use of arbitrarily high-order fractional derivatives. This work introduces arbitrarily high-order fractional partial differential equations (PDEs) to describe fractional hyperdiffusions. The fractional PDEs are constructed via fractional variational principle. A fast fractional Fourier transform (FFFT) is proposed to numerically integrate the high-order fractional PDEs so as to avoid stringent stability constraints in solving high-order evolution PDEs. The proposed high-order fractional PDEs are applied to the surface generation of proteins. We first validate the proposed method with a variety of test examples in two and three-dimensional settings. The impact of high-order fractional derivatives to surface analysis is examined. We also construct fractional PDE transform based on arbitrarily high-order fractional PDEs. We demonstrate that the use of arbitrarily high-order derivatives gives rise to time-frequency localization, the control of the spectral distribution, and the regulation of the spatial resolution in the fractional PDE transform. Consequently, the fractional PDE transform enables the mode decomposition of images, signals, and surfaces. The effect of the propagation time on the quality of resulting molecular surfaces is also studied. Computational efficiency of the present surface generation method is compared with the MSMS approach in Cartesian representation. We further validate the present method by examining some benchmark indicators of macromolecular surfaces, i.e., surface area, surface enclosed volume, surface electrostatic potential and solvation free energy. Extensive numerical experiments and comparison with an established surface model indicate that the proposed high-order fractional PDEs are robust, stable and efficient for biomolecular surface generation.

Near-zero thermal expansion in magnetically ordered state in dysprosium at high pressures and low temperatures

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

Hope, Kevin M.; Samudrala, Gopi K.; Vohra, Yogesh K.

The atomic volume of rare earth metal Dysprosium (Dy) has been measured up to high pressures of 35 GPa and low temperatures between 200 K and 7 K in a diamond anvil cell using angle dispersive x-ray diffraction at a synchrotron source. The hexagonal close-packed (hcp), alpha-Samarium (α-Sm), and double hexagonal close packed (dhcp) phases are observed to be stable in Dy under high-pressure and low-temperature conditions achieved in our experiments. Dy is known to undergo magnetic ordering below 176 K at ambient pressure with magnetic ordering Néel temperature (T N) that changes rapidly with increasing pressure. Our experimental measurementmore » shows that Dy has near-zero thermal expansion in the magnetically ordered state and normal thermal expansion in the paramagnetic state for all the three known high pressure phases (hcp, α-Sm, and dhcp) to 35 GPa. This near-zero thermal expansion behavior in Dy is observed below the magnetic ordering temperature T N at all pressures up to 35 GPa.« less

Near-zero thermal expansion in magnetically ordered state in dysprosium at high pressures and low temperatures

DOE PAGES

Hope, Kevin M.; Samudrala, Gopi K.; Vohra, Yogesh K.

2017-01-01

The atomic volume of rare earth metal Dysprosium (Dy) has been measured up to high pressures of 35 GPa and low temperatures between 200 K and 7 K in a diamond anvil cell using angle dispersive x-ray diffraction at a synchrotron source. The hexagonal close-packed (hcp), alpha-Samarium (α-Sm), and double hexagonal close packed (dhcp) phases are observed to be stable in Dy under high-pressure and low-temperature conditions achieved in our experiments. Dy is known to undergo magnetic ordering below 176 K at ambient pressure with magnetic ordering Néel temperature (T N) that changes rapidly with increasing pressure. Our experimental measurementmore » shows that Dy has near-zero thermal expansion in the magnetically ordered state and normal thermal expansion in the paramagnetic state for all the three known high pressure phases (hcp, α-Sm, and dhcp) to 35 GPa. This near-zero thermal expansion behavior in Dy is observed below the magnetic ordering temperature T N at all pressures up to 35 GPa.« less

Shelf-stable food through high dose irradiation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Plaček, V.; Svobodová, V.; Bartoníček, B.; Rosmus, J.; Čamra, M.

2004-09-01

Irradiation of food with high doses (radappertization) is a way, how to prepare shelf-stable ready-to-eat food. The radappertization process requires that the food be heated at first to an internal temperature of at least 75°C to inactivate autolytic enzyme, which could cause the spoilage during storage without refrigeration. In order to prevent radiation induced changes in sensory properties (off flavors, odors, undesirable color change, etc.) the food was vacuum packed and irradiated in frozen state at -30°C or less to a minimum dose of 35 kGy. Such products have characteristics of fresh food prepared for eating even if they are stored for long time under tropical conditions. The wholesomeness (safety for consumption) has been confirmed during 40 years of testing. Within the NRI Řež 10 kinds of shelf-stable meat products have been prepared. The meat was cooked, vacuum packed in SiO x-containing pouch, freezed in liquid nitrogen and irradiated with electron beam accelerator. The microbial, chemical, and organoleptic properties have been tested.

A fully-coupled discontinuous Galerkin spectral element method for two-phase flow in petroleum reservoirs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Taneja, Ankur; Higdon, Jonathan

2018-01-01

A high-order spectral element discontinuous Galerkin method is presented for simulating immiscible two-phase flow in petroleum reservoirs. The governing equations involve a coupled system of strongly nonlinear partial differential equations for the pressure and fluid saturation in the reservoir. A fully implicit method is used with a high-order accurate time integration using an implicit Rosenbrock method. Numerical tests give the first demonstration of high order hp spatial convergence results for multiphase flow in petroleum reservoirs with industry standard relative permeability models. High order convergence is shown formally for spectral elements with up to 8th order polynomials for both homogeneous and heterogeneous permeability fields. Numerical results are presented for multiphase fluid flow in heterogeneous reservoirs with complex geometric or geologic features using up to 11th order polynomials. Robust, stable simulations are presented for heterogeneous geologic features, including globally heterogeneous permeability fields, anisotropic permeability tensors, broad regions of low-permeability, high-permeability channels, thin shale barriers and thin high-permeability fractures. A major result of this paper is the demonstration that the resolution of the high order spectral element method may be exploited to achieve accurate results utilizing a simple cartesian mesh for non-conforming geological features. Eliminating the need to mesh to the boundaries of geological features greatly simplifies the workflow for petroleum engineers testing multiple scenarios in the face of uncertainty in the subsurface geology.

Mesh Dependence on Shear Driven Boundary Layers in Stable Stratification Generated by Large Eddy-Simulation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Berg, Jacob; Patton, Edward G.; Sullivan, Peter S.

2017-11-01

The effect of mesh resolution and size on shear driven atmospheric boundary layers in a stable stratified environment is investigated with the NCAR pseudo-spectral LES model (J. Atmos. Sci. v68, p2395, 2011 and J. Atmos. Sci. v73, p1815, 2016). The model applies FFT in the two horizontal directions and finite differencing in the vertical direction. With vanishing heat flux at the surface and a capping inversion entraining potential temperature into the boundary layer the situation is often called the conditional neutral atmospheric boundary layer (ABL). Due to its relevance in high wind applications such as wind power meteorology, we emphasize on second order statistics important for wind turbines including spectral information. The simulations range from mesh sizes of 643 to 10243 grid points. Due to the non-stationarity of the problem, different simulations are compared at equal eddy-turnover times. Whereas grid convergence is mostly achieved in the middle portion of the ABL, statistics close to the surface of the ABL, where the presence of the ground limits the growth of the energy containing eddies, second order statistics are not converged on the studies meshes. Higher order structure functions also reveal non-Gaussian statistics highly dependent on the resolution.

Modulational stability of periodic solutions of the Kuramoto-Sivaskinsky equation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Papageorgiou, Demetrios T.; Papanicolaou, George C.; Smyrlis, Yiorgos S.

1993-01-01

We study the long-wave, modulational, stability of steady periodic solutions of the Kuramoto-Sivashinsky equation. The analysis is fully nonlinear at first, and can in principle be carried out to all orders in the small parameter, which is the ratio of the spatial period to a characteristic length of the envelope perturbations. In the linearized regime, we recover a high-order version of the results of Frisch, She, and Thual, which shows that the periodic waves are much more stable than previously expected.

Development of Silica Fibers and Microstructures with Large and Thermodynamically Stable Second Order Nonlinearity

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-06-22

high degree of symmetry directly leads to a symmetry-enforced selection rule that can produce quantum entanglement [21, 22]. This report is organized...page.) Then, using a Matlab program, we converted the microscope image to a binary bitmap, from which we extract fiber radius at any given location

HIGHLY BRIGHT, HEAVY METAL-FREE AND STABLE DOPED SEMICONDUCTOR NANO-PHOSPHORS FOR ECONOMICAL SOLID STATE LIGHTING ALTERNATIVES - PHASE II

EPA Science Inventory

There is growing concern about how to limit the release of mercury into the environment. One significant source of mercury is found in fluorescent lamps. Recently, however, compact fluorescent lamps have been heavily promoted in order to conserve electrical energy. While it...

Acoustic Levitation With One Transducer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Barmatz, Martin B.

1987-01-01

Higher resonator modes enables simplification of equipment. Experimental acoustic levitator for high-temperature containerless processing has round cylindrical levitation chamber and only one acoustic transducer. Stable levitation of solid particle or liquid drop achieved by exciting sound in chamber to higher-order resonant mode that makes potential well for levitated particle or drop at some point within chamber.

Amorphous Calcium Carbonate in Biomineralization: Stable and Precursor Phases

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weiner, S.

2003-12-01

The biological formation of the crystalline polymorphs of calcium carbonate, aragonite and calcite, is widespread. The less stable polymorphs, vaterite and monohydrocalcite are also formed by some organisms. Surprisingly, the highly unstable phase, amorphous calcium carbonate (ACC), is formed by a variety of organisms from different phyla. Most of these are stable at least within the lifetime of the organism. The stable forms all have a stoichiometry of CaCO3.H2O. Despite the fact that they do not diffract X-rays. Studies of their short range order by EXAFS, reveal species specific variations in the number and distances of atoms that surround the calcium ion. Proteins extracted from stable biogenic ACC are able to stabilize the phase in vitro. ACC has also been identified as a transient precursor phase during the formation of the calcitic larval spicule of the sea urchin and the formation of the larval shell of a bivalve. The transient form has little or no water associated with the CaCO3. Preliminary EXAFS data suggest that the short range order of the sea urchin spicule transient ACC resembles calcite. Proteins extracted from these spicules are able to stabilize ACC provided Mg is present in the solution. As the mollusks and the echinoderms are on two different branches of the animal phylogenetic tree, it is conceivable that the strategy of using ACC as a precursor phase at least for larval mineralization may be widespread. It has yet to be shown that it is used by adults of either phylum. The manner in which organisms precipitate, stabilize and destabilize if necessary, this highly metastable phase of calcium carbonate presents many fascinating and enigmatic questions, whose solutions could well contribute to a better understanding of basic processes in biomineralization. For more details and references, see Addadi, L., Raz, S. and Weiner, S. (2003). Taking advantage of disorder: Amorphous calcium carbonate and its roles in biomineralization. Adv. Mat.15, 959-970.

Physical Stability, Autoxidation, and Photosensitized Oxidation of ω-3 Oils in Nanoemulsions Prepared with Natural and Synthetic Surfactants.

PubMed

Uluata, Sibel; McClements, D Julian; Decker, Eric A

2015-10-28

The food industry is interested in the utilization of nanoemulsions stabilized by natural emulsifiers, but little research has been conducted to determine the oxidative stability of such emulsions. In this study, two natural (lecithin and quillaja saponin) and two synthetic (Tween 80 and sodium dodecyl sulfate) surfactants were used to fabricate omega-3 nanoemulsion using high pressure homogenization (microfluidization). Initially, all the nanoemulsions contained small (d from 45 to 89 nm) and anionic (ζ-potential from -8 to -65 mV) lipid droplets (pH 7). The effect of pH, ionic strength, and temperature on the physical stability of the nanoemulsion system was examined. Nanoemulsion stabilized with Tween 80, quillaja saponin, or sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) exhibited no major changes in particle size or visible creaming in the pH range of 3 to 8. All nanoemulsions were relatively stable to salt addition (0 to 500 mM NaCl, pH 7.0). Nanoemulsions stabilized with SDS and quillaja saponin were stable to heating (30 to 90 °C). The impact of surfactant type on lipid oxidation was determined in the presence and absence of the singlet oxygen photosensitizers, riboflavin, and rose bengal. Riboflavin and rose bengal accelerated lipid oxidation when compare to samples without photosensitizers. Lipid hydroperoxide formation followed the order Tween 80 > SDS > lecithin > quillaja saponin, and propanal formation followed the order lecithin > Tween 80 > SDS > quillaja saponin at 37 °C for autoxidation. The same order of oxidative stability was observed in the presence of photosensitized oxidation promoted by riboflavin. Quillaja saponin consistently produced the most oxidatively stable emulsions, which could be due to its high free radical scavenging capacity.

Generation of singular optical beams from fundamental Gaussian beam using Sagnac interferometer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Naik, Dinesh N.; Viswanathan, Nirmal K.

2016-09-01

We propose a simple free-space optics recipe for the controlled generation of optical vortex beams with a vortex dipole or a single charge vortex, using an inherently stable Sagnac interferometer. We investigate the role played by the amplitude and phase differences in generating higher-order Gaussian beams from the fundamental Gaussian mode. Our simulation results reveal how important the control of both the amplitude and the phase difference between superposing beams is to achieving optical vortex beams. The creation of a vortex dipole from null interference is unveiled through the introduction of a lateral shear and a radial phase difference between two out-of-phase Gaussian beams. A stable and high quality optical vortex beam, equivalent to the first-order Laguerre-Gaussian beam, is synthesized by coupling lateral shear with linear phase difference, introduced orthogonal to the shear between two out-of-phase Gaussian beams.

Extremely Stable Polypyrrole Achieved via Molecular Ordering for Highly Flexible Supercapacitors.

PubMed

Huang, Yan; Zhu, Minshen; Pei, Zengxia; Huang, Yang; Geng, Huiyuan; Zhi, Chunyi

2016-01-27

The cycling stability of flexible supercapacitors with conducting polymers as electrodes is limited by the structural breakdown arising from repetitive counterion flow during charging/discharging. Supercapacitors made of facilely electropolymerized polypyrrole (e-PPy) have ultrahigh capacitance retentions of more than 97, 91, and 86% after 15000, 50000, and 100000 charging/discharging cycles, respectively, and can sustain more than 230000 charging/discharging cycles with still approximately half of the initial capacitance retained. To the best of our knowledge, such excellent long-term cycling stability was never reported. The fully controllable electropolymerization shows superiority in molecular ordering, favoring uniform stress distribution and charge transfer. Being left at ambient conditions for even 8 months, e-PPy supercapacitors completely retain the good electrochemical performance. The extremely stable supercapacitors with excellent flexibility and scalability hold considerable promise for the commerical application of flexible and wearable electronics.

A new phase of ThC at high pressure predicted from a first-principles study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guo, Yongliang; Qiu, Wujie; Ke, Xuezhi; Huai, Ping; Cheng, Cheng; Han, Han; Ren, Cuilan; Zhu, Zhiyuan

2015-08-01

The phase transition of thorium monocarbide (ThC) at high pressure has been studied by means of density functional theory. Through structure search, a new phase with space group P 4 / nmm has been predicted. The calculated phonons demonstrate that this new phase and the previous B2 phase are dynamically stable as the external pressure is greater than 60 GPa and 120 GPa, respectively. The transformation from B1 to P 4 / nmm is predicted to be a first-order transition, while that from P 4 / nmm to B2 is found to be a second-order transition.

Use of Terrestrial Laser Scanning Technology for Long Term High Precision Deformation Monitoring

PubMed Central

Vezočnik, Rok; Ambrožič, Tomaž; Sterle, Oskar; Bilban, Gregor; Pfeifer, Norbert; Stopar, Bojan

2009-01-01

The paper presents a new methodology for high precision monitoring of deformations with a long term perspective using terrestrial laser scanning technology. In order to solve the problem of a stable reference system and to assure the high quality of possible position changes of point clouds, scanning is integrated with two complementary surveying techniques, i.e., high quality static GNSS positioning and precise tacheometry. The case study object where the proposed methodology was tested is a high pressure underground pipeline situated in an area which is geologically unstable. PMID:22303152

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

Yee, Ben Chung; Wollaber, Allan Benton; Haut, Terry Scot

The high-order low-order (HOLO) method is a recently developed moment-based acceleration scheme for solving time-dependent thermal radiative transfer problems, and has been shown to exhibit orders of magnitude speedups over traditional time-stepping schemes. However, a linear stability analysis by Haut et al. (2015 Haut, T. S., Lowrie, R. B., Park, H., Rauenzahn, R. M., Wollaber, A. B. (2015). A linear stability analysis of the multigroup High-Order Low-Order (HOLO) method. In Proceedings of the Joint International Conference on Mathematics and Computation (M&C), Supercomputing in Nuclear Applications (SNA) and the Monte Carlo (MC) Method; Nashville, TN, April 19–23, 2015. American Nuclear Society.)more » revealed that the current formulation of the multigroup HOLO method was unstable in certain parameter regions. Since then, we have replaced the intensity-weighted opacity in the first angular moment equation of the low-order (LO) system with the Rosseland opacity. Furthermore, this results in a modified HOLO method (HOLO-R) that is significantly more stable.« less

Atmospheric boundary layer characteristics based on the observations at the Climate Change Tower in Ny Alesund( Svalbard).

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schiavon, Mario; Mazzola, Mauro; Lupi, Angelo; Drofa, Oxana; Tampieri, Francesco; Pelliccioni, Armando; Choi, Taejin; Vitale, Vito; Viola, Angelo P.

2017-04-01

At high latitudes, the Atmospheric Boundary Layer ( ABL) is often characterized by extremely stable vertical stratification since the surface radiative cooling determines inversions in temperature profiles especially during the polar night over land, ice and snow surfaces. Improvements are required in the theoretical understanding of the turbulent behavior of the high-latitude ABL. The parameterizations of surface-atmosphere exchanges employed in numerical weather prediction and climate models have also to be tested in the Arctic area. Moreover, the boundary layer structure and dynamics influence the vertical distribution of aerosol. The main issue is related to the height of PBL: the question is whether some decoupling occurs between the surface layer and the atmosphere aloft when the PBL is shallow or the mechanical mixing due to the synoptic circulation provides an overall vertical homogeneity of the concentration of the aerosol irrespective of the stability conditions. In this aim, the work investigates the features of the high-latitude ABL with particular attention to its vertical structure, the relationships among the main turbulent statistics (in a similarity approach) and their variation with the ABL state. The used data refer to measurements collected since 2012 to 2016 by slow and fast response sensors deployed at the 34 m high Amundsen-Nobile Climate Change Tower (CCT) installed at Ny-Ålesund, Svalbard. Data from four conventional Young anemometers and Väisäla thermo-hygrometers at 2, 4.8, 10.3 and 33.4 m a.g.l., alternated by three lined up sonic anemometers at 3.7, 7.5 and 21 m a.g.l., are used in the analysis. The presented results highlight that the performance of the commonly adopted ABL similarity schemes (e.g. flux-gradient relationships and parameterizations for the stable ABL height) depends upon the ABL state, determined mainly by the wind speed and the shape of the profiles of second order moments (the two being related) . For neutral or stable stratification, strong wind and second order moments monotonically decreasing with height (traditional stable ABL), classical similarity schemes perform well also in the Arctic ABL. Instead, critical conditions, for which the classical similarity approach is not satisfactory, occur for low wind and profiles of second order moments deviating from the traditional case: e.g. upside-down ABL. Numerical experiments with the atmospheric model Bolam have been performed, for the whole period April-August 2013 in hindcast mode, on a domain covering the area of the observations, in order to assess the capability of an atmospheric numerical model to reproduce the observed vertical profiles in the PBL under different synoptic situations.

Hydrogen abstraction from n-butanol by the methyl radical: high level ab initio study of abstraction pathways and the importance of low energy rotational conformers.

PubMed

Katsikadakos, D; Hardalupas, Y; Taylor, A M K P; Hunt, P A

2012-07-21

Hydrogen abstraction reactions by the methyl radical from n-butanol have been investigated at the ROCBS-QB3 level of theory. Reaction energies and product geometries for the most stable conformer of n-butanol (ROH) have been computed, the reaction energies order α < γ < β < δ < OH. The preference for n-butane to favour H-abstraction at C(β) and C(γ) while, in contrast, n-butanol favours radical reactions at the C(α) carbon is rationalised. Transition state (TS) barriers and geometries for the most stable conformer of n-butanol are presented, and discussed with respect to the Hammond postulate. The reaction barriers order as α < OH < γ < β < δ. This relative ordering is not consistent with product radical stability, C-H bond dissociation energies or previous studies using O[combining dot above]H and HO[combining dot above](2) radicals. We provide a molecular orbital based rationalisation for this ordering and answer two related questions: Why is the γ-channel more stable than the β-channel? Why do the two C(γ)-H H-abstraction TS differ in energy? The method and basis set dependence of the TS barriers is investigated. The Boltzmann probability distribution for the n-butanol conformers suggests that low energy conformers are present in approximately equal proportions to the most stable conformer at combustion temperatures where ĊH(3) radicals are present. Thus, the relative significance of the various H-abstraction channels has been assessed for a selection of higher energy conformers (ROH'). Key results include finding that higher energy n-butanol conformers (E(ROH') > E(ROH)) can generate lower energy product radicals, E(ROH') < E(ROH). Moreover, higher energy conformers can also have a globally competitive TS energy for H-abstraction.

Highly air stable passivation of graphene based field effect devices.

PubMed

Sagade, Abhay A; Neumaier, Daniel; Schall, Daniel; Otto, Martin; Pesquera, Amaia; Centeno, Alba; Elorza, Amaia Zurutuza; Kurz, Heinrich

2015-02-28

The sensitivity of graphene based devices to surface adsorbates and charge traps at the graphene/dielectric interface requires proper device passivation in order to operate them reproducibly under ambient conditions. Here we report on the use of atomic layer deposited aluminum oxide as passivation layer on graphene field effect devices (GFETs). We show that successful passivation produce hysteresis free DC characteristics, low doping level GFETs stable over weeks though operated and stored in ambient atmosphere. This is achieved by selecting proper seed layer prior to deposition of encapsulation layer. The passivated devices are also demonstrated to be robust towards the exposure to chemicals and heat treatments, typically used during device fabrication. Additionally, the passivation of high stability and reproducible characteristics is also shown for functional devices like integrated graphene based inverters.

Pico-Kelvin thermometry and temperature stabilization using a resonant optical cavity.

PubMed

Tan, Si; Wang, Suwen; Saraf, Shailendhar; Lipa, John A

2017-02-20

Ultra-high sensitivity temperature sensing and stable thermal control are crucial for many science experiments testing fundamental theories to high precision. Here we report the first pico-kevin scale thermometer operating at room temperature with an exceptionally low theoretical noise figure of ~70pK/Hz at 1 Hz and a high dynamic range of ~500 K. We have experimentally demonstrated a temperature sensitivity of <3.8nK/Hz at 1 Hz near room temperature, which is an order of magnitude improvement over the state of the art. We have also demonstrated an ultra-high stability thermal control system using this thermometer, achieving 3.7 nK stability at 1 s and ∼ 120 pK at 10⁴ s, which is 10-100 times more stable than the state of the art. With some upgrades to this proof-of-principle device, we can expect it to be used for very high resolution tests of special relativity and in critical point phenomena.

Entropy-stable summation-by-parts discretization of the Euler equations on general curved elements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Crean, Jared; Hicken, Jason E.; Del Rey Fernández, David C.; Zingg, David W.; Carpenter, Mark H.

2018-03-01

We present and analyze an entropy-stable semi-discretization of the Euler equations based on high-order summation-by-parts (SBP) operators. In particular, we consider general multidimensional SBP elements, building on and generalizing previous work with tensor-product discretizations. In the absence of dissipation, we prove that the semi-discrete scheme conserves entropy; significantly, this proof of nonlinear L2 stability does not rely on integral exactness. Furthermore, interior penalties can be incorporated into the discretization to ensure that the total (mathematical) entropy decreases monotonically, producing an entropy-stable scheme. SBP discretizations with curved elements remain accurate, conservative, and entropy stable provided the mapping Jacobian satisfies the discrete metric invariants; polynomial mappings at most one degree higher than the SBP operators automatically satisfy the metric invariants in two dimensions. In three-dimensions, we describe an elementwise optimization that leads to suitable Jacobians in the case of polynomial mappings. The properties of the semi-discrete scheme are verified and investigated using numerical experiments.

A route to possible civil engineering materials: the case of high-pressure phases of lime

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bouibes, A.; Zaoui, A.

2015-07-01

Lime system has a chemical composition CaO, which is known as thermodynamically stable. The purpose here is to explore further possible phases under pressure, by means of variable-composition ab initio evolutionary algorithm. The present investigation shows surprisingly new stable compounds of lime. At ambient pressure we predict, in addition to CaO, CaO2 as new thermodynamically stable compound. The latter goes through two phases transition from C2/c space group structure to Pna21 at 1.5 GPa, and Pna21 space group structure to I4/mcm at 23.4 GPa. Under increasing pressure, further compounds such as CaO3 become the most stable and stabilize in P-421m space group structure above 65 GPa. For the necessary knowledge of the new predicted compounds, we have computed their mechanical and electronic properties in order to show and to explain the main reasons leading to the structural changes.

A route to possible civil engineering materials: the case of high-pressure phases of lime.

PubMed

Bouibes, A; Zaoui, A

2015-07-23

Lime system has a chemical composition CaO, which is known as thermodynamically stable. The purpose here is to explore further possible phases under pressure, by means of variable-composition ab initio evolutionary algorithm. The present investigation shows surprisingly new stable compounds of lime. At ambient pressure we predict, in addition to CaO, CaO2 as new thermodynamically stable compound. The latter goes through two phases transition from C2/c space group structure to Pna21 at 1.5 GPa, and Pna21 space group structure to I4/mcm at 23.4 GPa. Under increasing pressure, further compounds such as CaO3 become the most stable and stabilize in P-421m space group structure above 65 GPa. For the necessary knowledge of the new predicted compounds, we have computed their mechanical and electronic properties in order to show and to explain the main reasons leading to the structural changes.

Life test of a xenon hollow cathode for a space plasma contractor

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sarver-Verhey, Timothy R.

1994-01-01

A plasma contacting device using a hollow cathode for plasma production has been baselined for use on the Space Station. This application will require reliable, continuous operation of the cathode at electron emission currents of between 0.75 and 10 A for two years (17,500 hours). In order to validate life-time capability, a hollow cathode, operated in a diode configuration, has been tested for more than 8600 hours of stable discharge operation as of March 30, 1994. This cathode is operated at a steady-state emission current of 12.0 and a fixed xenon flow rate of 4.5 sccm. Discharge voltage and cathode temperature have remained relatively stable at approximately 12.9 V and 1260 C during the test. The test has experienced 7 shutdowns to date. In all instances, the cathode was reignited at about 42 V and resumed stable operation. This test represents the longest demonstration of stable operation of high current (greater than 1A) xenon hollow cathodes reported to date.

Stability of bromine, iodine monochloride, copper (II) chloride, and nickel (II) chloride intercalated pitch-based graphite fibers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gaier, James R.; Slabe, Melissa E.; Shaffer, Nanette

1987-01-01

Four different grades of pitch-based graphite fibers (Amoco P-55, P-75, P-100. and P-120) were intercalated with each of four different intercalates: bromine (Br2), iodine monochloride (ICl), copper (II) chloride (CuCl2), and nickel (II) chloride (NiCl2). The P-55 fibers did not react with Br2 or NiCl2, and the P-75 did not react with NiCl2. The stability of the electrical resistance of the intercalated fibers was monitored over long periods of time in ambient, high humidity (100 percent at 60 C), vacuum (10 to the -6 torr), and high temperature (up to 400 C) conditions. Fibers with lower graphitization form graphite intercalation compounds (GIC's) which are more stable than those with higher graphitization (i.e., P-55 (most stable) greater than P-75 greater than P-100 greater than P-120 (least stable). Br2 formed the most stable GIC's followed in order of decreasing stability by ICl, CuCl2, and NiCl2. While Br2 GIC's had the most stability, ICl had the advantages of forming GIC's with slightly greater reduction in resistance (by about 10%) than Br2, and the ability to intercalate P-55 fiber. Transition metal chlorides are susceptible to water vapor and high temperature. The stability of fibers in composites differs.

Tunable Microcavity-Stabilized Quantum Cascade Laser for Mid-IR High-Resolution Spectroscopy and Sensing.

PubMed

Borri, Simone; Siciliani de Cumis, Mario; Insero, Giacomo; Bartalini, Saverio; Cancio Pastor, Pablo; Mazzotti, Davide; Galli, Iacopo; Giusfredi, Giovanni; Santambrogio, Gabriele; Savchenkov, Anatoliy; Eliyahu, Danny; Ilchenko, Vladimir; Akikusa, Naota; Matsko, Andrey; Maleki, Lute; De Natale, Paolo

2016-02-17

The need for highly performing and stable methods for mid-IR molecular sensing and metrology pushes towards the development of more and more compact and robust systems. Among the innovative solutions aimed at answering the need for stable mid-IR references are crystalline microresonators, which have recently shown excellent capabilities for frequency stabilization and linewidth narrowing of quantum cascade lasers with compact setups. In this work, we report on the first system for mid-IR high-resolution spectroscopy based on a quantum cascade laser locked to a CaF₂ microresonator. Electronic locking narrows the laser linewidth by one order of magnitude and guarantees good stability over long timescales, allowing, at the same time, an easy way for finely tuning the laser frequency over the molecular absorption line. Improvements in terms of resolution and frequency stability of the source are demonstrated by direct sub-Doppler recording of a molecular line.

A high-throughput exploration of magnetic materials by using structure predicting methods

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arapan, S.; Nieves, P.; Cuesta-López, S.

2018-02-01

We study the capability of a structure predicting method based on genetic/evolutionary algorithm for a high-throughput exploration of magnetic materials. We use the USPEX and VASP codes to predict stable and generate low-energy meta-stable structures for a set of representative magnetic structures comprising intermetallic alloys, oxides, interstitial compounds, and systems containing rare-earths elements, and for both types of ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic ordering. We have modified the interface between USPEX and VASP codes to improve the performance of structural optimization as well as to perform calculations in a high-throughput manner. We show that exploring the structure phase space with a structure predicting technique reveals large sets of low-energy metastable structures, which not only improve currently exiting databases, but also may provide understanding and solutions to stabilize and synthesize magnetic materials suitable for permanent magnet applications.

Tunable Microcavity-Stabilized Quantum Cascade Laser for Mid-IR High-Resolution Spectroscopy and Sensing

PubMed Central

Borri, Simone; Siciliani de Cumis, Mario; Insero, Giacomo; Bartalini, Saverio; Cancio Pastor, Pablo; Mazzotti, Davide; Galli, Iacopo; Giusfredi, Giovanni; Santambrogio, Gabriele; Savchenkov, Anatoliy; Eliyahu, Danny; Ilchenko, Vladimir; Akikusa, Naota; Matsko, Andrey; Maleki, Lute; De Natale, Paolo

2016-01-01

The need for highly performing and stable methods for mid-IR molecular sensing and metrology pushes towards the development of more and more compact and robust systems. Among the innovative solutions aimed at answering the need for stable mid-IR references are crystalline microresonators, which have recently shown excellent capabilities for frequency stabilization and linewidth narrowing of quantum cascade lasers with compact setups. In this work, we report on the first system for mid-IR high-resolution spectroscopy based on a quantum cascade laser locked to a CaF2 microresonator. Electronic locking narrows the laser linewidth by one order of magnitude and guarantees good stability over long timescales, allowing, at the same time, an easy way for finely tuning the laser frequency over the molecular absorption line. Improvements in terms of resolution and frequency stability of the source are demonstrated by direct sub-Doppler recording of a molecular line. PMID:26901199

Effect of Se substitution on the phase change properties of Ge2Sb2Te5

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shekhawat, Roopali; Rangappa, Ramanna; Gopal, E. S. R.; Ramesh, K.

2018-05-01

Ge2Sb2Te5 popularly known as GST is being explored for non-volatile phase change random access memory(PCRAM) applications. Under high electric field, thin films of amorphous GST undergo a phase change from amorphous to crystalline with a high contrast in electrical resistivity (about 103). The phase change is between amorphous and metastable NaCl structure occurs at about 150°C and not to the stable hexagonal phase which occurs at a high temperature (> 250 °C). In GST, about 50 % of Te substituted by Se (Ge2Sb2Te2.5Se2.5) is found to increase the contrast in electrical resistivity by 7 orders of magnitude (about 4 orders of magnitude higher than GST). The phase transition in Se added GST also found to be between amorphous and the stable hexagonal structure. The threshold voltage at which the Ge2Sb2Te2.5Se2.5 switches to the high conducting state increases to 9V as compared to 2V in GST. Interestingly, the threshold current decrease to 1mA as compared to 1.8mA in GST indicating the Se substitution reduces the power needed for switching between the low and high conducting states. The reduction in power needed for phase change, high contrast in electrical resistivity with high thermal stability makes Ge2Sb2Te2.5Se2.5 as a better candidate for PCRAM.

Multi-Dimensional Asymptotically Stable 4th Order Accurate Schemes for the Diffusion Equation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Abarbanel, Saul; Ditkowski, Adi

1996-01-01

An algorithm is presented which solves the multi-dimensional diffusion equation on co mplex shapes to 4th-order accuracy and is asymptotically stable in time. This bounded-error result is achieved by constructing, on a rectangular grid, a differentiation matrix whose symmetric part is negative definite. The differentiation matrix accounts for the Dirichlet boundary condition by imposing penalty like terms. Numerical examples in 2-D show that the method is effective even where standard schemes, stable by traditional definitions fail.

The effects of control field detuning on the modulation instability in a three-level quantum well system

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

Borgohain, Nitu, E-mail: nituborgohain.ism@gmail.com; Konar, S.

The paper presents a theoretical study of the modulation instability of a continuous or quasi-continuous optical probe in a three level quantum well system under electromagnetically induced transparency. The modulation instability is affected by the control field detuning, as well as even-order dispersion and by the strength of Kerr (third-order) and quintic (fifth-order) nonlinearities. The fourth-order dispersion reduces the bandwidth over which modulation instability occurs, whereas the quintic nonlinearity saturates the growth of the modulation instability. Detuning the control field from resonance can significantly reduce the growth of the modulation instability at both low and high power levels. At lowmore » powers, the system becomes stable against modulation instability for small detuning of the control field and at high powers modulation instability disappears for larger detuning.« less

Studies of human dynamic space orientation using techniques of control theory

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Young, L. R.

1974-01-01

Studies of human orientation and manual control in high order systems are summarized. Data cover techniques for measuring and altering orientation perception, role of non-visual motion sensors, particularly the vestibular and tactile sensors, use of motion cues in closed loop control of simple stable and unstable systems, and advanced computer controlled display systems.

Unmanned Air Vehicle -Version 1.0

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

Fred Oppel, SNL 06134

2013-04-17

This package contains modules that model the mobility of systems such as helicopters and fixed wing flying in the air. This package currently models first order physics - basically a velocity integrator. UAV mobility uses an internal clock to maintain stable, high-fidelity simulations over large time steps This package depends on interface that reside in the Mobility package.

Compact 200 kHz HHG source driven by a few-cycle OPCPA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harth, Anne; Guo, Chen; Cheng, Yu-Chen; Losquin, Arthur; Miranda, Miguel; Mikaelsson, Sara; Heyl, Christoph M.; Prochnow, Oliver; Ahrens, Jan; Morgner, Uwe; L'Huillier, Anne; Arnold, Cord L.

2018-01-01

We present efficient high-order harmonic generation (HHG) based on a high-repetition rate, few-cycle, near infrared (NIR), carrier-envelope phase stable, optical parametric chirped pulse amplifier (OPCPA), emitting 6 fs pulses with 9 μJ pulse energy. In krypton, we reach conversion efficiencies from the NIR to the extreme ultraviolet (XUV) radiation pulse energy on the order of ˜10-6 with less than 3 μJ driving pulse energy. This is achieved by optimizing the OPCPA for a spatially and temporally clean pulse and by a specially designed high-pressure gas target. In the future, the high efficiency of the HHG source will be beneficial for high-repetition rate two-colour (NIR-XUV) pump-probe experiments, where the available pulse energy from the laser has to be distributed economically between pump and probe pulses.

High-Q Wafer Level Package Based on Modified Tri-Layer Anodic Bonding and High Performance Getter and Its Evaluation for Micro Resonant Pressure Sensor.

PubMed

Wang, Liying; Du, Xiaohui; Wang, Lingyun; Xu, Zhanhao; Zhang, Chenying; Gu, Dandan

2017-03-16

In order to achieve and maintain a high quality factor (high-Q) for the micro resonant pressure sensor, this paper presents a new wafer level package by adopting cross-layer anodic bonding technique of the glass/silicon/silica (GSS) stackable structure and integrated Ti getter. A double-layer structure similar to a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) wafer is formed after the resonant layer and the pressure-sensitive layer are bonded by silicon direct bonding (SDB). In order to form good bonding quality between the pressure-sensitive layer and the glass cap layer, the cross-layer anodic bonding technique is proposed for vacuum package by sputtering Aluminum (Al) on the combination wafer of the pressure-sensitive layer and the resonant layer to achieve electrical interconnection. The model and the bonding effect of this technique are discussed. In addition, in order to enhance the performance of titanium (Ti) getter, the prepared and activation parameters of Ti getter under different sputtering conditions are optimized and discussed. Based on the optimized results, the Ti getter (thickness of 300 nm to 500 nm) is also deposited on the inside of the glass groove by magnetron sputtering to maintain stable quality factor (Q). The Q test of the built testing system shows that the number of resonators with a Q value of more than 10,000 accounts for more than 73% of the total. With an interval of 1.5 years, the Q value of the samples remains almost constant. It proves the proposed cross-layer anodic bonding and getter technique can realize high-Q resonant structure for long-term stable operation.

ULTRA-SHARP nonoscillatory convection schemes for high-speed steady multidimensional flow

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Leonard, B. P.; Mokhtari, Simin

1990-01-01

For convection-dominated flows, classical second-order methods are notoriously oscillatory and often unstable. For this reason, many computational fluid dynamicists have adopted various forms of (inherently stable) first-order upwinding over the past few decades. Although it is now well known that first-order convection schemes suffer from serious inaccuracies attributable to artificial viscosity or numerical diffusion under high convection conditions, these methods continue to enjoy widespread popularity for numerical heat transfer calculations, apparently due to a perceived lack of viable high accuracy alternatives. But alternatives are available. For example, nonoscillatory methods used in gasdynamics, including currently popular TVD schemes, can be easily adapted to multidimensional incompressible flow and convective transport. This, in itself, would be a major advance for numerical convective heat transfer, for example. But, as is shown, second-order TVD schemes form only a small, overly restrictive, subclass of a much more universal, and extremely simple, nonoscillatory flux-limiting strategy which can be applied to convection schemes of arbitrarily high order accuracy, while requiring only a simple tridiagonal ADI line-solver, as used in the majority of general purpose iterative codes for incompressible flow and numerical heat transfer. The new universal limiter and associated solution procedures form the so-called ULTRA-SHARP alternative for high resolution nonoscillatory multidimensional steady state high speed convective modelling.

Spectral (Finite) Volume Method for Conservation Laws on Unstructured Grids II: Extension to Two Dimensional Scalar Equation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wang, Z. J.; Liu, Yen; Kwak, Dochan (Technical Monitor)

2002-01-01

The framework for constructing a high-order, conservative Spectral (Finite) Volume (SV) method is presented for two-dimensional scalar hyperbolic conservation laws on unstructured triangular grids. Each triangular grid cell forms a spectral volume (SV), and the SV is further subdivided into polygonal control volumes (CVs) to supported high-order data reconstructions. Cell-averaged solutions from these CVs are used to reconstruct a high order polynomial approximation in the SV. Each CV is then updated independently with a Godunov-type finite volume method and a high-order Runge-Kutta time integration scheme. A universal reconstruction is obtained by partitioning all SVs in a geometrically similar manner. The convergence of the SV method is shown to depend on how a SV is partitioned. A criterion based on the Lebesgue constant has been developed and used successfully to determine the quality of various partitions. Symmetric, stable, and convergent linear, quadratic, and cubic SVs have been obtained, and many different types of partitions have been evaluated. The SV method is tested for both linear and non-linear model problems with and without discontinuities.

Thermal annealing studies of GeTe-Sb2Te3 alloys with multiple interfaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bragaglia, Valeria; Mio, Antonio M.; Calarco, Raffaella

2017-08-01

A high degree of vacancy ordering is obtained by annealing amorphous GeTe-Sb2Te3 (GST) alloys deposited on a crystalline substrate, which acts as a template for the crystallization. Under annealing the material evolves from amorphous to disordered rocksalt, to ordered rocksalt with vacancies arranged into (111) oriented layers, and finally converts into the stable trigonal phase. The role of the interface in respect to the formation of an ordered crystalline phase is studied by comparing the transformation stages of crystalline GST with and without a capping layer. The capping layer offers another crystallization interface, which harms the overall crystalline quality.

Surface engineering of hierarchical platinum-cobalt nanowires for efficient electrocatalysis

DOE PAGES

Bu, Lingzheng; Guo, Shaojun; Zhang, Xu; ...

2016-06-29

Despite intense research in past decades, the lack of high-performance catalysts for fuel cell reactions remains a challenge in realizing fuel cell technologies for transportation applications. Here we report a facile strategy for synthesizing hierarchical platinum-cobalt nanowires with high-index, platinum-rich facets and ordered intermetallic structure. These structural features enable unprecedented performance for the oxygen reduction and alcohol oxidation reactions. The specific/mass activities of the platinum-cobalt nanowires for oxygen reduction reaction are 39.6/33.7 times higher than commercial Pt/C catalyst, respectively. Density functional theory simulations reveal that the active threefold hollow sites on the platinum-rich high-index facets provide an additional factor inmore » enhancing oxygen reduction reaction activities. The nanowires are stable in the electrochemical conditions and also thermally stable. Furthermore, this work may represent a key step towards scalable production of high performance platinum-based nanowires for applications in catalysis and energy conversion.« less

Conjugation in multi-tetrazole derivatives: a new design direction for energetic materials.

PubMed

Sun, Shuyang; Lu, Ming

2018-06-23

Multi-tetrazole derivatives with conjugated structures were designed and investigated in this study. Using quantum chemistry methods, the crystal structures, electrostatic potentials (ESPs), multicenter bond orders, HOMO-LUMO energy gaps, and detonation properties of the derivatives were calculated. As expected, these molecules with conjugated structures showed low energies of their crystal structures, molecular layering in their crystals, high average ESPs, high multicenter bond order values, and enhanced detonation properties. The derivative 1,2-di(1H-tetrazol-5-yl)diazene (N2) was predicted to have the best density (1.87 g/cm 3 ), detonation velocity (9006 m/s), and detonation pressure (36.8 GPa) of the designed molecules, while its total crystal energy was low, suggesting that it is relatively stable. Its sensitivity was also low, as the molecular stacking that occurs in its crystal allows external forces to be dissipated into movements of crystal layers. Finally, its multicenter bond order was high, indicating a highly conjugated structure.

Geochemical and stable isotope characteristics of urban heavy rain in the downtown of Tokyo, Japan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Uchiyama, Ryunosuke; Okochi, Hiroshi; Ogata, Hiroko; Katsumi, Naoya; Asai, Daisuke; Nakano, Takanori

2017-09-01

In order to make clear the impact of air pollution on the formation of sudden and locally-distributed heavy rain in urban area (hereafter Urban Heavy Rain: UHR), we analyzed inorganic ion concentration and stable isotope ratio of water (δD and δ18O) in rainwater. Rainwater samples were collected in Shinjuku, which is a representative downtown of Tokyo, Japan, during four years from October 2012 to December 2015. The concentration and wet deposition fluxes of acidic components (H+, NH4+, NO3-, and nss-SO42 -) in UHR were especially higher than those in other types of rain events, i.e. normal rain, typhoon heavy rain, and frontal heavy rain. UHR had distinctly lower stable isotope ratios than those in other urban rains with same rainfall amount and summer precipitation systems. There was a high negative correlation between δ18O and the distances from the sampling point to the formation area of UHR within 10 km, while there were high positive correlations between δ18O and the concentration of acidic components in UHR. These findings indicate that UHR could effectively scavenge acidic substances within cloud and suggest the use of stable isotope ratios as tracers of an urban heavy rain's water and in-cloud scavenging process.

Decoding the dynamics of cellular metabolism and the action of 3-bromopyruvate and 2-deoxyglucose using pulsed stable isotope-resolved metabolomics.

PubMed

Pietzke, Matthias; Zasada, Christin; Mudrich, Susann; Kempa, Stefan

2014-01-01

Cellular metabolism is highly dynamic and continuously adjusts to the physiological program of the cell. The regulation of metabolism appears at all biological levels: (post-) transcriptional, (post-) translational, and allosteric. This regulatory information is expressed in the metabolome, but in a complex manner. To decode such complex information, new methods are needed in order to facilitate dynamic metabolic characterization at high resolution. Here, we describe pulsed stable isotope-resolved metabolomics (pSIRM) as a tool for the dynamic metabolic characterization of cellular metabolism. We have adapted gas chromatography-coupled mass spectrometric methods for metabolomic profiling and stable isotope-resolved metabolomics. In addition, we have improved robustness and reproducibility and implemented a strategy for the absolute quantification of metabolites. By way of examples, we have applied this methodology to characterize central carbon metabolism of a panel of cancer cell lines and to determine the mode of metabolic inhibition of glycolytic inhibitors in times ranging from minutes to hours. Using pSIRM, we observed that 2-deoxyglucose is a metabolic inhibitor, but does not directly act on the glycolytic cascade.

A highly active PtCu3 intermetallic core-shell, multilayered Pt-skin, carbon embedded electrocatalyst produced by a scale-up sol-gel synthesis.

PubMed

Bele, M; Jovanovič, P; Pavlišič, A; Jozinović, B; Zorko, M; Rečnik, A; Chernyshova, E; Hočevar, S; Hodnik, N; Gaberšček, M

2014-11-07

We present a novel, scaled-up sol-gel synthesis which enables one to produce 20 g batches of highly active and stable carbon supported PtCu3 nanoparticles as cathode materials for low temperature fuel cell application. We confirm the presence of an ordered intermetallic phase underneath a multilayered Pt-skin together with firm embedment of nanoparticles in the carbon matrix.

High-order fractional partial differential equation transform for molecular surface construction

PubMed Central

Hu, Langhua; Chen, Duan; Wei, Guo-Wei

2013-01-01

Fractional derivative or fractional calculus plays a significant role in theoretical modeling of scientific and engineering problems. However, only relatively low order fractional derivatives are used at present. In general, it is not obvious what role a high fractional derivative can play and how to make use of arbitrarily high-order fractional derivatives. This work introduces arbitrarily high-order fractional partial differential equations (PDEs) to describe fractional hyperdiffusions. The fractional PDEs are constructed via fractional variational principle. A fast fractional Fourier transform (FFFT) is proposed to numerically integrate the high-order fractional PDEs so as to avoid stringent stability constraints in solving high-order evolution PDEs. The proposed high-order fractional PDEs are applied to the surface generation of proteins. We first validate the proposed method with a variety of test examples in two and three-dimensional settings. The impact of high-order fractional derivatives to surface analysis is examined. We also construct fractional PDE transform based on arbitrarily high-order fractional PDEs. We demonstrate that the use of arbitrarily high-order derivatives gives rise to time-frequency localization, the control of the spectral distribution, and the regulation of the spatial resolution in the fractional PDE transform. Consequently, the fractional PDE transform enables the mode decomposition of images, signals, and surfaces. The effect of the propagation time on the quality of resulting molecular surfaces is also studied. Computational efficiency of the present surface generation method is compared with the MSMS approach in Cartesian representation. We further validate the present method by examining some benchmark indicators of macromolecular surfaces, i.e., surface area, surface enclosed volume, surface electrostatic potential and solvation free energy. Extensive numerical experiments and comparison with an established surface model indicate that the proposed high-order fractional PDEs are robust, stable and efficient for biomolecular surface generation. PMID:24364020

Stability and Structure of Star-Shape Granules

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Yuchen; Bares, Jonathan; Liu, Kevin; Zheng, Matthew; Dierichs, Karola; Menges, Achim; Behringer, Robert

Columns made of convex noncohesive grains like sand collapse after being released from a confining container. While various architectures built by concave grains are stable. We explore why these structures are stable, and how stable they can be. We performed experiments by randomly pouring identical star-shape particles into hollow cylinders resting on glass or a roughened base, and then observed how stable these granular columns were after carefully lifting the cylinders. We used particles that are made of acrylics and have six 9 mm arms, which extend symmetrically in xyz directions. We investigated the probability of creating a stable column and other mechanical stability aspects. We define r as the weight fraction of particles that fall out of the column after the confining cylinder is removed. r gradually increases as the column height increases, or the column diameter decreases. We found high column stability when the inter-particle friction was greater. We also explored experiment conditions such as initial vibration of columns when they were confined and loading on the top. In order to understand the inner structure leading to stability, we obtained 3D CT reconstruction data of stable columns. We will discuss coordination number and orientation, etc. We acknowledge supports from W.M.Keck Foundation and Research Triangle MRSEC.

Obtaining tight bounds on higher-order interferences with a 5-path interferometer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kauten, Thomas; Keil, Robert; Kaufmann, Thomas; Pressl, Benedikt; Brukner, Časlav; Weihs, Gregor

2017-03-01

Within the established theoretical framework of quantum mechanics, interference always occurs between pairs of paths through an interferometer. Higher order interferences with multiple constituents are excluded by Born’s rule and can only exist in generalized probabilistic theories. Thus, high-precision experiments searching for such higher order interferences are a powerful method to distinguish between quantum mechanics and more general theories. Here, we perform such a test in an optical multi-path interferometer, which avoids crucial systematic errors, has access to the entire phase space and is more stable than previous experiments. Our results are in accordance with quantum mechanics and rule out the existence of higher order interference terms in optical interferometry to an extent that is more than four orders of magnitude smaller than the expected pairwise interference, refining previous bounds by two orders of magnitude.

Towards Highly Performing and Stable PtNi Catalysts in Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cells for Automotive Application

PubMed Central

Zignani, Sabrina C.; Baglio, Vincenzo; Sebastián, David; Saccà, Ada; Gatto, Irene; Aricò, Antonino S.

2017-01-01

In order to help the introduction on the automotive market of polymer electrolyte fuel cells (PEFCs), it is mandatory to develop highly performing and stable catalysts. The main objective of this work is to investigate PtNi/C catalysts in a PEFC under low relative humidity and pressure conditions, more representative of automotive applications. Carbon supported PtNi nanoparticles were prepared by reduction of metal precursors with formic acid and successive thermal and leaching treatments. The effect of the chemical composition, structure and surface characteristics of the synthesized samples on their electrochemical behavior was investigated. The catalyst characterized by a larger Pt content (Pt3Ni2/C) presented the highest catalytic activity (lower potential losses in the activation region) among the synthesized bimetallic PtNi catalysts and the commercial Pt/C, used as the reference material, after testing at high temperature (95 °C) and low humidification (50%) conditions for automotive applications, showing a cell potential (ohmic drop-free) of 0.82 V at 500 mA·cm−2. In order to assess the electro-catalysts stability, accelerated degradation tests were carried out by cycling the cell potential between 0.6 V and 1.2 V. By comparing the electrochemical and physico-chemical parameters at the beginning of life (BoL) and end of life (EoL), it was demonstrated that the Pt1Ni1/C catalyst was the most stable among the catalyst series, with only a 2% loss of voltage at 200 mA·cm−2 and 12.5% at 950 mA·cm−2. However, further improvements are needed to produce durable catalysts. PMID:28772677

Main Design Principles of the Cold Beam Pipe in the FastRamped Superconducting Accelerator Magnets for Heavy Ion Synchrotron SIS100

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mierau, A.; Schnizer, P.; Fischer, E.; Macavei, J.; Wilfert, S.; Koch, S.; Weiland, T.; Kurnishov, R.; Shcherbakov, P.

SIS100, the world second large scale heavy ion synchrotron using fast ramped superconducting magnets, is to be built at FAIR. Its high current operation of intermediate charge state ions requires stable vacuum pressures < 10-12 mbar under dynamic machine conditions which are only achievable when the whole beam pipe is used as an huge cryopump. In order to find technological feasible design solutions, three opposite requirements have to be met: minimum magnetic field distortion caused by AC losses, mechanical stability and low and stable wall temperatures of the beam pipe. We present the possible design versions of the beam pipe for the high current curved dipole. The pros and cons of these proposed designs were studied using simplified analytical models, FEM calculations and tests on models.

Stable, concentrated solutions of high molecular weight polyaniline and articles therefrom

DOEpatents

Mattes, Benjamin R.; Wang, Hsing-Lin

2000-01-01

Stable, concentrated solutions of high molecular weight polyaniline. In order to process high quality fibers and other articles possessing good mechanical properties, it is known that solution concentrations of the chosen polymer should be in the range from 15-30% (w/w). Moreover, it is desirable to use the highest molecular weight consistent with the solubility properties of the polymer. However, such solutions are inherently unstable, forming gels before processing can be achieved. The present invention describes the addition gel inhibitors (GIs) to the polymer solution, thereby permitting high concentrations (>15% (w/w)) of high molecular weight ((M.sub.w)>120,000, and (M.sub.n)>30,000) emeraldine base (EB) polyaniline to be dissolved. Secondary amines have been used for this purpose in concentrations which are small compared to those which might otherwise be used in a cosolvent role therefor. The resulting solutions are useful for generating excellent fibers, films, coatings and other objects, since the solutions are stable for significant time periods, and the GIs are present in too small concentrations to cause polymer deterioration. It is demonstrated that the GIs found to be useful do not act as cosolvents, and that gelation times of the solutions are directly proportional to the concentration of GI. In particular, there is a preferred concentration of GI, which if exceeded causes structural and electrical conductivity degradation of resulting articles. Heating of the solutions significantly improves solubility.

Multi-resonance peaks fiber Bragg gratings based on largely-chirped structure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Chao; Zhang, Xuan-Yu; Wei, Wei-Hua; Chen, Yong-Yi; Qin, Li; Ning, Yong-Qiang; Yu, Yong-Sen

2018-04-01

A composite fiber Bragg grating (FBG) with multi-resonance peaks (MRPs) has been realized by using femtosecond (fs) laser point-by-point inscription in single-mode fiber. This device contains a segment of largely-chirped gratings with the ultrahigh chirp coefficients and a segment of uniform high-order gratings. The observed MRPs are distributed in an ultra-broadband wavelength range from 1200 nm to 1700 nm in the form of quasi-period or multi-peak-group. For the 8th-order MRPs-FBG, we studied the axial strain and high-temperature sensing characteristics of different resonance peaks experimentally. Moreover, we have demonstrated a multi-wavelength fiber lasers with three-wavelength stable output by using a 9th-order MRPs-FBG as the wavelength selector. This work is significant for the fabrication and functionalization of FBGs with complicated spectra characteristics.

The Local Discontinuous Galerkin Method for Time-Dependent Convection-Diffusion Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cockburn, Bernardo; Shu, Chi-Wang

1997-01-01

In this paper, we study the Local Discontinuous Galerkin methods for nonlinear, time-dependent convection-diffusion systems. These methods are an extension of the Runge-Kutta Discontinuous Galerkin methods for purely hyperbolic systems to convection-diffusion systems and share with those methods their high parallelizability, their high-order formal accuracy, and their easy handling of complicated geometries, for convection dominated problems. It is proven that for scalar equations, the Local Discontinuous Galerkin methods are L(sup 2)-stable in the nonlinear case. Moreover, in the linear case, it is shown that if polynomials of degree k are used, the methods are k-th order accurate for general triangulations; although this order of convergence is suboptimal, it is sharp for the LDG methods. Preliminary numerical examples displaying the performance of the method are shown.

High Precision Linear And Circular Polarimetry. Sources With Stable Stokes Q,U & V In The Ghz Regime

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Myserlis, Ioannis; Angelakis, E.; Zensus, J. A.

2017-10-01

We present a novel data analysis pipeline for the reconstruction of the linear and circular polarization parameters of radio sources. It includes several correction steps to minimize the effect of instrumental polarization, allowing the detection of linear and circular polarization degrees as low as 0.3 %. The instrumental linear polarization is corrected across the whole telescope beam and significant Stokes Q and U can be recovered even when the recorded signals are severely corrupted. The instrumental circular polarization is corrected with two independent techniques which yield consistent Stokes V results. The accuracy we reach is of the order of 0.1-0.2 % for the polarization degree and 1\\u00ba for the angle. We used it to recover the polarization of around 150 active galactic nuclei that were monitored monthly between 2010.6 and 2016.3 with the Effelsberg 100-m telescope. We identified sources with stable polarization parameters that can be used as polarization standards. Five sources have stable linear polarization; three are linearly unpolarized; eight have stable polarization angle; and 11 sources have stable circular polarization, four of which with non-zero Stokes V.

General and simple approach for control cage and cylindrical mesopores, and thermal/hydrothermal stable frameworks.

PubMed

El-Safty, Sherif A; Mizukami, Fujio; Hanaoka, Takaaki

2005-05-19

Highly ordered cage and cylindrical mesoporeous silica monoliths (HOM) with 2- and 3-dimensional (2D and 3D, respectively) structures, mesopore/micropore volumes, and thick-walled frameworks were successfully fabricated by instant direct templating of lyotropic phases of copolymer (EO(m)-PO(n)-EO(m)) surfactants. Large cage-like pores with uniform constriction sizes up to 10 nm and open cylindrical channel-like mesopores can be easily achieved by this simple and efficient synthesis design. Our results show that the cage-like pores could be fabricated at relatively lower copolymer concentrations used in the lyotropic phase domains at copolymer/TMOS ratios of 35 wt %. These ordered cage pore architectures underwent transition to open-cylindrical pores by increasing the copolymer concentration. High EO/PO block copolymers, in general, were crucially affected on the increase of the interior cavity sizes and on the stability of the cage mesopore characters. However, for F108 (EO(141)PO(44)EO(141)) systems, the fabrication of ordered and stable cage pore monoliths was achieved with significantly higher copolymer concentrations up to 90 wt %. Interestingly, the effective copolymer molecular nature was also observed in the ability to design various ordered mesophase geometries in large domain sizes. Our findings here show evidence that the synthetic strategy provides realistic control over a wide range of mesostructured phase geometries and their extended long-range ordering in the final replicas of the silica monolith frameworks. In addition, the HOM silica monoliths exhibited considerable structural stability against higher thermal temperature (up to 1000 degrees C) and longer hydrothermal treatment times under boiling water and steam. The remarkable structural findings of 3D frameworks, transparent monoliths, and micropores combined with large cage- and cylindrical-like mesopores are expected to find promising uses in materials chemistry.

Study on the intrinsic defects in tin oxide with first-principles method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sun, Yu; Liu, Tingyu; Chang, Qiuxiang; Ma, Changmin

2018-04-01

First-principles and thermodynamic methods are used to study the contribution of vibrational entropy to defect formation energy and the stability of the intrinsic point defects in SnO2 crystal. According to thermodynamic calculation results, the contribution of vibrational entropy to defect formation energy is significant and should not be neglected, especially at high temperatures. The calculated results indicate that the oxygen vacancy is the major point defect in undoped SnO2 crystal, which has a higher concentration than that of the other point defect. The property of negative-U is put forward in SnO2 crystal. In order to determine the most stable defects much clearer under different conditions, the most stable intrinsic defect as a function of Fermi level, oxygen partial pressure and temperature are described in the three-dimensional defect formation enthalpy diagrams. The diagram visually provides the most stable point defects under different conditions.

Spatial eigensolution analysis of energy-stable flux reconstruction schemes and influence of the numerical flux on accuracy and robustness

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mengaldo, Gianmarco; De Grazia, Daniele; Moura, Rodrigo C.; Sherwin, Spencer J.

2018-04-01

This study focuses on the dispersion and diffusion characteristics of high-order energy-stable flux reconstruction (ESFR) schemes via the spatial eigensolution analysis framework proposed in [1]. The analysis is performed for five ESFR schemes, where the parameter 'c' dictating the properties of the specific scheme recovered is chosen such that it spans the entire class of ESFR methods, also referred to as VCJH schemes, proposed in [2]. In particular, we used five values of 'c', two that correspond to its lower and upper bounds and the others that identify three schemes that are linked to common high-order methods, namely the ESFR recovering two versions of discontinuous Galerkin methods and one recovering the spectral difference scheme. The performance of each scheme is assessed when using different numerical intercell fluxes (e.g. different levels of upwinding), ranging from "under-" to "over-upwinding". In contrast to the more common temporal analysis, the spatial eigensolution analysis framework adopted here allows one to grasp crucial insights into the diffusion and dispersion properties of FR schemes for problems involving non-periodic boundary conditions, typically found in open-flow problems, including turbulence, unsteady aerodynamics and aeroacoustics.

Dynamic earthquake rupture simulations on nonplanar faults embedded in 3D geometrically complex, heterogeneous elastic solids

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

Duru, Kenneth, E-mail: kduru@stanford.edu; Dunham, Eric M.; Institute for Computational and Mathematical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA

Dynamic propagation of shear ruptures on a frictional interface in an elastic solid is a useful idealization of natural earthquakes. The conditions relating discontinuities in particle velocities across fault zones and tractions acting on the fault are often expressed as nonlinear friction laws. The corresponding initial boundary value problems are both numerically and computationally challenging. In addition, seismic waves generated by earthquake ruptures must be propagated for many wavelengths away from the fault. Therefore, reliable and efficient numerical simulations require both provably stable and high order accurate numerical methods. We present a high order accurate finite difference method for: a)more » enforcing nonlinear friction laws, in a consistent and provably stable manner, suitable for efficient explicit time integration; b) dynamic propagation of earthquake ruptures along nonplanar faults; and c) accurate propagation of seismic waves in heterogeneous media with free surface topography. We solve the first order form of the 3D elastic wave equation on a boundary-conforming curvilinear mesh, in terms of particle velocities and stresses that are collocated in space and time, using summation-by-parts (SBP) finite difference operators in space. Boundary and interface conditions are imposed weakly using penalties. By deriving semi-discrete energy estimates analogous to the continuous energy estimates we prove numerical stability. The finite difference stencils used in this paper are sixth order accurate in the interior and third order accurate close to the boundaries. However, the method is applicable to any spatial operator with a diagonal norm satisfying the SBP property. Time stepping is performed with a 4th order accurate explicit low storage Runge–Kutta scheme, thus yielding a globally fourth order accurate method in both space and time. We show numerical simulations on band limited self-similar fractal faults revealing the complexity of rupture dynamics on rough faults.« less

Dynamic earthquake rupture simulations on nonplanar faults embedded in 3D geometrically complex, heterogeneous elastic solids

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Duru, Kenneth; Dunham, Eric M.

2016-01-01

Dynamic propagation of shear ruptures on a frictional interface in an elastic solid is a useful idealization of natural earthquakes. The conditions relating discontinuities in particle velocities across fault zones and tractions acting on the fault are often expressed as nonlinear friction laws. The corresponding initial boundary value problems are both numerically and computationally challenging. In addition, seismic waves generated by earthquake ruptures must be propagated for many wavelengths away from the fault. Therefore, reliable and efficient numerical simulations require both provably stable and high order accurate numerical methods. We present a high order accurate finite difference method for: a) enforcing nonlinear friction laws, in a consistent and provably stable manner, suitable for efficient explicit time integration; b) dynamic propagation of earthquake ruptures along nonplanar faults; and c) accurate propagation of seismic waves in heterogeneous media with free surface topography. We solve the first order form of the 3D elastic wave equation on a boundary-conforming curvilinear mesh, in terms of particle velocities and stresses that are collocated in space and time, using summation-by-parts (SBP) finite difference operators in space. Boundary and interface conditions are imposed weakly using penalties. By deriving semi-discrete energy estimates analogous to the continuous energy estimates we prove numerical stability. The finite difference stencils used in this paper are sixth order accurate in the interior and third order accurate close to the boundaries. However, the method is applicable to any spatial operator with a diagonal norm satisfying the SBP property. Time stepping is performed with a 4th order accurate explicit low storage Runge-Kutta scheme, thus yielding a globally fourth order accurate method in both space and time. We show numerical simulations on band limited self-similar fractal faults revealing the complexity of rupture dynamics on rough faults.

Fabrication of ordered NiO coated Si nanowire array films as electrodes for a high performance lithium ion battery.

PubMed

Qiu, M C; Yang, L W; Qi, X; Li, Jun; Zhong, J X

2010-12-01

Highly ordered NiO coated Si nanowire array films are fabricated as electrodes for a high performance lithium ion battery via depositing Ni on electroless-etched Si nanowires and subsequently annealing. The structures and morphologies of as-prepared films are characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. When the potential window versus lithium was controlled, the coated NiO can be selected to be electrochemically active to store and release Li+ ions, while highly conductive crystalline Si cores function as nothing more than a stable mechanical support and an efficient electrical conducting pathway. The hybrid nanowire array films exhibit superior cyclic stability and reversible capacity compared to that of NiO nanostructured films. Owing to the ease of large-scale fabrication and superior electrochemical performance, these hybrid nanowire array films will be promising anode materials for high performance lithium-ion batteries.

Chain-like structure elements in Ni40Ta60 metallic glasses observed by scanning tunneling microscopy

PubMed Central

Pawlak, Rémy; Marot, Laurent; Sadeghi, Ali; Kawai, Shigeki; Glatzel, Thilo; Reimann, Peter; Goedecker, Stefan; Güntherodt, Hans-Joachim; Meyer, Ernst

2015-01-01

The structure of metallic glasses is a long-standing question because the lack of long-range order makes diffraction based techniques difficult to be applied. Here, we used scanning tunneling microscopy with large tunneling resistance of 6 GΩ at low temperature in order to minimize forces between probe and sample and reduce thermal fluctuations of metastable structures. Under these extremely gentle conditions, atomic structures of Ni40Ta60 metallic glasses are revealed with unprecedented lateral resolution. In agreement with previous models and experiments, icosahedral-like clusters are observed. The clusters show a high degree of mobility, which explains the need of low temperatures for stable imaging. In addition to icosahedrons, chain-like structures are resolved and comparative density functional theory (DFT) calculations confirm that these structures are meta-stable. The co-existence of icosahedral and chain-like structures might be an key ingredient for the understanding of the mechanical properties of metallic glasses. PMID:26268430

Efficient and stable exponential time differencing Runge-Kutta methods for phase field elastic bending energy models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Xiaoqiang; Ju, Lili; Du, Qiang

2016-07-01

The Willmore flow formulated by phase field dynamics based on the elastic bending energy model has been widely used to describe the shape transformation of biological lipid vesicles. In this paper, we develop and investigate some efficient and stable numerical methods for simulating the unconstrained phase field Willmore dynamics and the phase field Willmore dynamics with fixed volume and surface area constraints. The proposed methods can be high-order accurate and are completely explicit in nature, by combining exponential time differencing Runge-Kutta approximations for time integration with spectral discretizations for spatial operators on regular meshes. We also incorporate novel linear operator splitting techniques into the numerical schemes to improve the discrete energy stability. In order to avoid extra numerical instability brought by use of large penalty parameters in solving the constrained phase field Willmore dynamics problem, a modified augmented Lagrange multiplier approach is proposed and adopted. Various numerical experiments are performed to demonstrate accuracy and stability of the proposed methods.

Low temperature reactive bonding

DOEpatents

Makowiecki, D.M.; Bionta, R.M.

1995-01-17

The joining technique is disclosed that requires no external heat source and generates very little heat during joining. It involves the reaction of thin multilayered films deposited on faying surfaces to create a stable compound that functions as an intermediate or braze material in order to create a high strength bond. While high temperatures are reached in the reaction of the multilayer film, very little heat is generated because the films are very thin. It is essentially a room temperature joining process. 5 figures.

Fourth order exponential time differencing method with local discontinuous Galerkin approximation for coupled nonlinear Schrodinger equations

DOE PAGES

Liang, Xiao; Khaliq, Abdul Q. M.; Xing, Yulong

2015-01-23

In this paper, we study a local discontinuous Galerkin method combined with fourth order exponential time differencing Runge-Kutta time discretization and a fourth order conservative method for solving the nonlinear Schrödinger equations. Based on different choices of numerical fluxes, we propose both energy-conserving and energy-dissipative local discontinuous Galerkin methods, and have proven the error estimates for the semi-discrete methods applied to linear Schrödinger equation. The numerical methods are proven to be highly efficient and stable for long-range soliton computations. Finally, extensive numerical examples are provided to illustrate the accuracy, efficiency and reliability of the proposed methods.

High-Temperature Optical Sensor

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Adamovsky, Grigory; Juergens, Jeffrey R.; Varga, Donald J.; Floyd, Bertram M.

2010-01-01

A high-temperature optical sensor (see Figure 1) has been developed that can operate at temperatures up to 1,000 C. The sensor development process consists of two parts: packaging of a fiber Bragg grating into a housing that allows a more sturdy thermally stable device, and a technological process to which the device is subjected to in order to meet environmental requirements of several hundred C. This technology uses a newly discovered phenomenon of the formation of thermally stable secondary Bragg gratings in communication-grade fibers at high temperatures to construct robust, optical, high-temperature sensors. Testing and performance evaluation (see Figure 2) of packaged sensors demonstrated operability of the devices at 1,000 C for several hundred hours, and during numerous thermal cycling from 400 to 800 C with different heating rates. The technology significantly extends applicability of optical sensors to high-temperature environments including ground testing of engines, flight propulsion control, thermal protection monitoring of launch vehicles, etc. It may also find applications in such non-aerospace arenas as monitoring of nuclear reactors, furnaces, chemical processes, and other hightemperature environments where other measurement techniques are either unreliable, dangerous, undesirable, or unavailable.

Entropy stable high order discontinuous Galerkin methods for ideal compressible MHD on structured meshes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Yong; Shu, Chi-Wang; Zhang, Mengping

2018-02-01

We present a discontinuous Galerkin (DG) scheme with suitable quadrature rules [15] for ideal compressible magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) equations on structural meshes. The semi-discrete scheme is analyzed to be entropy stable by using the symmetrizable version of the equations as introduced by Godunov [32], the entropy stable DG framework with suitable quadrature rules [15], the entropy conservative flux in [14] inside each cell and the entropy dissipative approximate Godunov type numerical flux at cell interfaces to make the scheme entropy stable. The main difficulty in the generalization of the results in [15] is the appearance of the non-conservative "source terms" added in the modified MHD model introduced by Godunov [32], which do not exist in the general hyperbolic system studied in [15]. Special care must be taken to discretize these "source terms" adequately so that the resulting DG scheme satisfies entropy stability. Total variation diminishing / bounded (TVD/TVB) limiters and bound-preserving limiters are applied to control spurious oscillations. We demonstrate the accuracy and robustness of this new scheme on standard MHD examples.

Evolution of the bi-stable wake of a square-back automotive shape

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pavia, Giancarlo; Passmore, Martin; Sardu, Costantino

2018-01-01

Square-back shapes are popular in the automotive market for their high level of practicality. These geometries, however, are usually characterised by high drag and their wake dynamics present aspects, such as the coexistence of a long-time bi-stable behaviour and short-time global fluctuating modes that are not fully understood. In the present paper, the unsteady behaviour of the wake of a generic square-back car geometry is characterised with an emphasis on identifying the causal relationship between the different dynamic modes in the wake. The study is experimental, consisting of balance, pressure, and stereoscopic PIV measurements. Applying wavelet and cross-wavelet transforms to the balance data, a quasi-steady correlation is demonstrated between the forces and bi-stable modes. This is investigated by applying proper orthogonal decomposition to the pressure and velocity data sets and a new structure is proposed for each bi-stable state, consisting of a hairpin vortex that originates from one of the two model's vertical trailing edges and bends towards the opposite side as it merges into a single streamwise vortex downstream. The wake pumping motion is also identified and for the first time linked with the motion of the bi-stable vortical structure in the streamwise direction, resulting in out-of-phase pressure variations between the two vertical halves of the model base. A phase-averaged low-order model is also proposed that provides a comprehensive description of the mechanisms of the switch between the bi-stable states. It is demonstrated that, during the switch, the wake becomes laterally symmetric and, at this point, the level of interaction between the recirculating structures and the base reaches a minimum, yielding, for this geometry, a 7% reduction of the base drag compared to the time-averaged result.

ALD anti-reflection coatings at 1ω, 2ω, 3ω, and 4ω for high-power ns-laser application

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Hao; Jensen, Lars; Ma, Ping; Ristau, Detlev

2018-04-01

Atomic layer deposition (ALD) facilitates the deposition of coatings with precise thickness, high surface conformity, structural uniformity, and nodular-free structure, which are properties desired in high-power laser coatings. ALD was studied to produce uniform and stable Al2O3 and HfO2 single layers and was employed to produce anti-reflection coatings for the harmonics (1ω, 2ω, 3ω, and 4ω) of the Nd:YAG laser. In order to qualify the ALD films for high-power laser applications, the band gap energy, absorption, and element content of single layers were characterized. The damage tests of anti-reflection coatings were carried out with a laser system operated at 1ω, 2ω, 3ω, and 4ω, respectively. The damage mechanism was discussed by analyzing the damage morphology and electric field intensity difference. ALD coatings exhibit stable growth rates, low absorption, and rather high laser-induced damage threshold (LIDT). The LIDT is limited by HfO2 as the employed high-index material. These properties indicate the high versatility of ALD films for applications in high-power coatings.

Nonlinear analysis and control of an aircraft in the neighbourhood of deep stall

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kolb, Sébastien; Hétru, Laurent; Faure, Thierry M.; Montagnier, Olivier

2017-01-01

When an aircraft is locked in a stable equilibrium at high angle-of-attack, we have to do with the so-called deep stall which is a very dangerous situation. Airplanes with T-tail are mainly concerned with this phenomenon since the wake of the main wing flows over the horizontal tail and renders it ineffective but other aircrafts such as fighters can also be affected. First the phase portrait and bifurcation diagram are determined and characterized (with three equilibria in a deep stall prone configuration). It allows to diagnose the configurations of aircrafts susceptible to deep stall and also to point out the different types of time evolutions. Several techniques are used in order to determine the basin of attraction of the stable equilibrium at high angle-of-attack. They are based on the calculation of the stable manifold of the saddle-point equilibrium at medium angle-of-attack. Then several ways are explored in order to try to recover from deep stall. They exploits static features (such as curves of pitching moment versus angle-of-attack for full pitch down and full pitch up elevators) or dynamic aspects (excitation of the eigenmodes and improvement of the aerodynamic efficiency of the tail). Finally, some properties of a deep stall prone aircraft are pointed out and some control tools are also implemented. We try also to apply this mathematical results in a concrete situation by taking into account the captors specificities or by estimating the relevant variables thanks to other available information.

Highly polarized light from stable ordered magnetic fields in GRB 120308A.

PubMed

Mundell, C G; Kopač, D; Arnold, D M; Steele, I A; Gomboc, A; Kobayashi, S; Harrison, R M; Smith, R J; Guidorzi, C; Virgili, F J; Melandri, A; Japelj, J

2013-12-05

After the initial burst of γ-rays that defines a γ-ray burst (GRB), expanding ejecta collide with the circumburst medium and begin to decelerate at the onset of the afterglow, during which a forward shock travels outwards and a reverse shock propagates backwards into the oncoming collimated flow, or 'jet'. Light from the reverse shock should be highly polarized if the jet's magnetic field is globally ordered and advected from the central engine, with a position angle that is predicted to remain stable in magnetized baryonic jet models or vary randomly with time if the field is produced locally by plasma or magnetohydrodynamic instabilities. Degrees of linear polarization of P ≈ 10 per cent in the optical band have previously been detected in the early afterglow, but the lack of temporal measurements prevented definitive tests of competing jet models. Hours to days after the γ-ray burst, polarization levels are low (P < 4 per cent), when emission from the shocked ambient medium dominates. Here we report the detection of P =28(+4)(-4) per cent in the immediate afterglow of Swift γ-ray burst GRB 120308A, four minutes after its discovery in the γ-ray band, decreasing to P = 16(+5)(-4) per cent over the subsequent ten minutes. The polarization position angle remains stable, changing by no more than 15 degrees over this time, with a possible trend suggesting gradual rotation and ruling out plasma or magnetohydrodynamic instabilities. Instead, the polarization properties show that GRBs contain magnetized baryonic jets with large-scale uniform fields that can survive long after the initial explosion.

Conditional CO2 flux analysis of a managed grassland with the aid of stable isotopes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zeeman, M. J.; Tuzson, B.; Emmenegger, L.; Knohl, A.; Buchmann, N.; Eugster, W.

2009-04-01

Short statured managed ecosystems, such as agricultural grasslands, exhibit high temporal changes in carbon dioxide assimilation and respiration fluxes for which measurements of the net CO2 flux, e.g. by using the eddy covariance (EC) method, give only limited insight. We have therefore adopted a recently proposed concept for conditional EC flux analysis of forest to grasslands, in order to identify and quantify daytime sub-canopy respiration fluxes. To validate the concept, high frequency (≈5 Hz) stable carbon isotope analyis of CO2 was used. We made eddy covariance measurements of CO2 and its isotopologues during four days in August 2007, using a novel quantum cascade laser absorption spectrometer, capable of high time resolution stable isotope analysis. The effects of a grass cut during the measurement period could be detected and resulted in a sub-canopy source conditional flux classification, for which the isotope composition of the CO2 could be confirmed to be of a respiration source. However, the conditional flux method did not work for an undisturbed grassland canopy. We attribute this to the flux measurement height that was chosen well above the roughness sublayer, where the natural isotopic tracer (δ13C) of respiration was too well mixed with background air.

Ultrasensitive and Highly Stable Resistive Pressure Sensors with Biomaterial-Incorporated Interfacial Layers for Wearable Health-Monitoring and Human-Machine Interfaces.

PubMed

Chang, Hochan; Kim, Sungwoong; Jin, Sumin; Lee, Seung-Woo; Yang, Gil-Tae; Lee, Ki-Young; Yi, Hyunjung

2018-01-10

Flexible piezoresistive sensors have huge potential for health monitoring, human-machine interfaces, prosthetic limbs, and intelligent robotics. A variety of nanomaterials and structural schemes have been proposed for realizing ultrasensitive flexible piezoresistive sensors. However, despite the success of recent efforts, high sensitivity within narrower pressure ranges and/or the challenging adhesion and stability issues still potentially limit their broad applications. Herein, we introduce a biomaterial-based scheme for the development of flexible pressure sensors that are ultrasensitive (resistance change by 5 orders) over a broad pressure range of 0.1-100 kPa, promptly responsive (20 ms), and yet highly stable. We show that employing biomaterial-incorporated conductive networks of single-walled carbon nanotubes as interfacial layers of contact-based resistive pressure sensors significantly enhances piezoresistive response via effective modulation of the interlayer resistance and provides stable interfaces for the pressure sensors. The developed flexible sensor is capable of real-time monitoring of wrist pulse waves under external medium pressure levels and providing pressure profiles applied by a thumb and a forefinger during object manipulation at a low voltage (1 V) and power consumption (<12 μW). This work provides a new insight into the material candidates and approaches for the development of wearable health-monitoring and human-machine interfaces.

High-order upwind schemes for the wave equation on overlapping grids: Maxwell's equations in second-order form

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

Angel, Jordan B.; Banks, Jeffrey W.; Henshaw, William D.

High-order accurate upwind approximations for the wave equation in second-order form on overlapping grids are developed. Although upwind schemes are well established for first-order hyperbolic systems, it was only recently shown by Banks and Henshaw how upwinding could be incorporated into the second-order form of the wave equation. This new upwind approach is extended here to solve the time-domain Maxwell's equations in second-order form; schemes of arbitrary order of accuracy are formulated for general curvilinear grids. Taylor time-stepping is used to develop single-step space-time schemes, and the upwind dissipation is incorporated by embedding the exact solution of a local Riemannmore » problem into the discretization. Second-order and fourth-order accurate schemes are implemented for problems in two and three space dimensions, and overlapping grids are used to treat complex geometry and problems with multiple materials. Stability analysis of the upwind-scheme on overlapping grids is performed using normal mode theory. The stability analysis and computations confirm that the upwind scheme remains stable on overlapping grids, including the difficult case of thin boundary grids when the traditional non-dissipative scheme becomes unstable. The accuracy properties of the scheme are carefully evaluated on a series of classical scattering problems for both perfect conductors and dielectric materials in two and three space dimensions. Finally, the upwind scheme is shown to be robust and provide high-order accuracy.« less

High-order upwind schemes for the wave equation on overlapping grids: Maxwell's equations in second-order form

DOE PAGES

Angel, Jordan B.; Banks, Jeffrey W.; Henshaw, William D.

2017-09-28

High-order accurate upwind approximations for the wave equation in second-order form on overlapping grids are developed. Although upwind schemes are well established for first-order hyperbolic systems, it was only recently shown by Banks and Henshaw how upwinding could be incorporated into the second-order form of the wave equation. This new upwind approach is extended here to solve the time-domain Maxwell's equations in second-order form; schemes of arbitrary order of accuracy are formulated for general curvilinear grids. Taylor time-stepping is used to develop single-step space-time schemes, and the upwind dissipation is incorporated by embedding the exact solution of a local Riemannmore » problem into the discretization. Second-order and fourth-order accurate schemes are implemented for problems in two and three space dimensions, and overlapping grids are used to treat complex geometry and problems with multiple materials. Stability analysis of the upwind-scheme on overlapping grids is performed using normal mode theory. The stability analysis and computations confirm that the upwind scheme remains stable on overlapping grids, including the difficult case of thin boundary grids when the traditional non-dissipative scheme becomes unstable. The accuracy properties of the scheme are carefully evaluated on a series of classical scattering problems for both perfect conductors and dielectric materials in two and three space dimensions. Finally, the upwind scheme is shown to be robust and provide high-order accuracy.« less

High-order upwind schemes for the wave equation on overlapping grids: Maxwell's equations in second-order form

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Angel, Jordan B.; Banks, Jeffrey W.; Henshaw, William D.

2018-01-01

High-order accurate upwind approximations for the wave equation in second-order form on overlapping grids are developed. Although upwind schemes are well established for first-order hyperbolic systems, it was only recently shown by Banks and Henshaw [1] how upwinding could be incorporated into the second-order form of the wave equation. This new upwind approach is extended here to solve the time-domain Maxwell's equations in second-order form; schemes of arbitrary order of accuracy are formulated for general curvilinear grids. Taylor time-stepping is used to develop single-step space-time schemes, and the upwind dissipation is incorporated by embedding the exact solution of a local Riemann problem into the discretization. Second-order and fourth-order accurate schemes are implemented for problems in two and three space dimensions, and overlapping grids are used to treat complex geometry and problems with multiple materials. Stability analysis of the upwind-scheme on overlapping grids is performed using normal mode theory. The stability analysis and computations confirm that the upwind scheme remains stable on overlapping grids, including the difficult case of thin boundary grids when the traditional non-dissipative scheme becomes unstable. The accuracy properties of the scheme are carefully evaluated on a series of classical scattering problems for both perfect conductors and dielectric materials in two and three space dimensions. The upwind scheme is shown to be robust and provide high-order accuracy.

A field-shaping multi-well avalanche detector for direct conversion amorphous selenium

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

Goldan, A. H.; Zhao, W.

2013-01-15

Purpose: A practical detector structure is proposed to achieve stable avalanche multiplication gain in direct-conversion amorphous selenium radiation detectors. Methods: The detector structure is referred to as a field-shaping multi-well avalanche detector. Stable avalanche multiplication gain is achieved by eliminating field hot spots using high-density avalanche wells with insulated walls and field-shaping inside each well. Results: The authors demonstrate the impact of high-density insulated wells and field-shaping to eliminate the formation of both field hot spots in the avalanche region and high fields at the metal-semiconductor interface. Results show a semi-Gaussian field distribution inside each well using the field-shaping electrodes,more » and the electric field at the metal-semiconductor interface can be one order-of-magnitude lower than the peak value where avalanche occurs. Conclusions: This is the first attempt to design a practical direct-conversion amorphous selenium detector with avalanche gain.« less

Adaptive Neural Tracking Control for Switched High-Order Stochastic Nonlinear Systems.

PubMed

Zhao, Xudong; Wang, Xinyong; Zong, Guangdeng; Zheng, Xiaolong

2017-10-01

This paper deals with adaptive neural tracking control design for a class of switched high-order stochastic nonlinear systems with unknown uncertainties and arbitrary deterministic switching. The considered issues are: 1) completely unknown uncertainties; 2) stochastic disturbances; and 3) high-order nonstrict-feedback system structure. The considered mathematical models can represent many practical systems in the actual engineering. By adopting the approximation ability of neural networks, common stochastic Lyapunov function method together with adding an improved power integrator technique, an adaptive state feedback controller with multiple adaptive laws is systematically designed for the systems. Subsequently, a controller with only two adaptive laws is proposed to solve the problem of over parameterization. Under the designed controllers, all the signals in the closed-loop system are bounded-input bounded-output stable in probability, and the system output can almost surely track the target trajectory within a specified bounded error. Finally, simulation results are presented to show the effectiveness of the proposed approaches.

Using aspen for artist stretcher frames: adding value through quality service, direct marketing, and careful material selection

Treesearch

Chris Polson

2001-01-01

Aspen wood, when carefully selected and kiln dried, makes excellent stock for artist stretcher frames. Direct marketing techniques including the Internet and word of mouth give access to national markets, providing a more diverse and stable customer base for operations from a rural area. High-quality service, as shown by product performance and rapid order fulfillment...

MOLDS FOR CASTING PLUTONIUM

DOEpatents

Anderson, J.W.; Miley, F.; Pritchard, W.C.

1962-02-27

A coated mold for casting plutonium comprises a mold base portion of a material which remains solid and stable at temperatures as high as the pouring temperature of the metal to be cast and having a thin coating of the order of 0.005 inch thick on the interior thereof. The coating is composed of finely divided calcium fluoride having a particle size of about 149 microns. (AEC)

Global exponential stability of neutral high-order stochastic Hopfield neural networks with Markovian jump parameters and mixed time delays.

PubMed

Huang, Haiying; Du, Qiaosheng; Kang, Xibing

2013-11-01

In this paper, a class of neutral high-order stochastic Hopfield neural networks with Markovian jump parameters and mixed time delays is investigated. The jumping parameters are modeled as a continuous-time finite-state Markov chain. At first, the existence of equilibrium point for the addressed neural networks is studied. By utilizing the Lyapunov stability theory, stochastic analysis theory and linear matrix inequality (LMI) technique, new delay-dependent stability criteria are presented in terms of linear matrix inequalities to guarantee the neural networks to be globally exponentially stable in the mean square. Numerical simulations are carried out to illustrate the main results. © 2013 ISA. Published by ISA. All rights reserved.

A High-Performing Sulfur-Tolerant and Redox-Stable Layered Perovskite Anode for Direct Hydrocarbon Solid Oxide Fuel Cells

PubMed Central

Ding, Hanping; Tao, Zetian; Liu, Shun; Zhang, Jiujun

2015-01-01

Development of alternative ceramic oxide anode materials is a key step for direct hydrocarbon solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs). Several lanthanide based layered perovskite-structured oxides demonstrate outstanding oxygen diffusion rate, favorable electronic conductivity, and good oxygen surface exchange kinetics, owing to A-site ordered structure in which lanthanide and alkali-earth ions occupy alternate (001) layers and oxygen vacancies are mainly located in [LnOx] planes. Here we report a nickel-free cation deficient layered perovskite, (PrBa)0.95(Fe0.9Mo0.1)2O5 + δ (PBFM), for SOFC anode, and this anode shows an outstanding performance with high resistance against both carbon build-up and sulfur poisoning in hydrocarbon fuels. At 800 °C, the layered PBFM showed high electrical conductivity of 59.2 S cm−1 in 5% H2 and peak power densities of 1.72 and 0.54 W cm−2 using H2 and CH4 as fuel, respectively. The cell exhibits a very stable performance under a constant current load of 1.0 A cm−2. To our best knowledge, this is the highest performance of ceramic anodes operated in methane. In addition, the anode is structurally stable at various fuel and temperature conditions, suggesting that it is a feasible material candidate for high-performing SOFC anode. PMID:26648509

A High-Performing Sulfur-Tolerant and Redox-Stable Layered Perovskite Anode for Direct Hydrocarbon Solid Oxide Fuel Cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ding, Hanping; Tao, Zetian; Liu, Shun; Zhang, Jiujun

2015-12-01

Development of alternative ceramic oxide anode materials is a key step for direct hydrocarbon solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs). Several lanthanide based layered perovskite-structured oxides demonstrate outstanding oxygen diffusion rate, favorable electronic conductivity, and good oxygen surface exchange kinetics, owing to A-site ordered structure in which lanthanide and alkali-earth ions occupy alternate (001) layers and oxygen vacancies are mainly located in [LnOx] planes. Here we report a nickel-free cation deficient layered perovskite, (PrBa)0.95(Fe0.9Mo0.1)2O5 + δ (PBFM), for SOFC anode, and this anode shows an outstanding performance with high resistance against both carbon build-up and sulfur poisoning in hydrocarbon fuels. At 800 °C, the layered PBFM showed high electrical conductivity of 59.2 S cm-1 in 5% H2 and peak power densities of 1.72 and 0.54 W cm-2 using H2 and CH4 as fuel, respectively. The cell exhibits a very stable performance under a constant current load of 1.0 A cm-2. To our best knowledge, this is the highest performance of ceramic anodes operated in methane. In addition, the anode is structurally stable at various fuel and temperature conditions, suggesting that it is a feasible material candidate for high-performing SOFC anode.

A High-Performing Sulfur-Tolerant and Redox-Stable Layered Perovskite Anode for Direct Hydrocarbon Solid Oxide Fuel Cells.

PubMed

Ding, Hanping; Tao, Zetian; Liu, Shun; Zhang, Jiujun

2015-12-09

Development of alternative ceramic oxide anode materials is a key step for direct hydrocarbon solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs). Several lanthanide based layered perovskite-structured oxides demonstrate outstanding oxygen diffusion rate, favorable electronic conductivity, and good oxygen surface exchange kinetics, owing to A-site ordered structure in which lanthanide and alkali-earth ions occupy alternate (001) layers and oxygen vacancies are mainly located in [LnOx] planes. Here we report a nickel-free cation deficient layered perovskite, (PrBa)0.95(Fe0.9Mo0.1)2O5 + δ (PBFM), for SOFC anode, and this anode shows an outstanding performance with high resistance against both carbon build-up and sulfur poisoning in hydrocarbon fuels. At 800 °C, the layered PBFM showed high electrical conductivity of 59.2 S cm(-1) in 5% H2 and peak power densities of 1.72 and 0.54 W cm(-2) using H2 and CH4 as fuel, respectively. The cell exhibits a very stable performance under a constant current load of 1.0 A cm(-2). To our best knowledge, this is the highest performance of ceramic anodes operated in methane. In addition, the anode is structurally stable at various fuel and temperature conditions, suggesting that it is a feasible material candidate for high-performing SOFC anode.

Closed-Loop Control of Vortex Formation in Separated Flows

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Colonius, Tim; Joe, Won Tae; MacMynowski, Doug; Rowley, Clancy; Taira, Sam; Ahuja, Sunil

2010-01-01

In order to phase lock the flow at the desired shedding cycle, particularly at Phi,best, We designed a feedback compensator. (Even though the open-loop forcing at Wf below Wn can lead to phase-locked limit cycles with a high average lift,) This feedback controller resulted in the phase-locked limit cycles that the open-loop control could not achieve for alpha=30 and 40 Particularly for alpha=40, the feedback was able to stabilize the limit cycle that was not stable with any of the open-loop periodic forcing. This results in stable phase-locked limit cycles for a larger range of forcing frequencies than the open-loop control. Also, it was shown that the feedback achieved the high-lift unsteady flow states that open-loop control could not sustain even after the states have been achieved for a long period of time.

An atlas of Rapp's 180-th order geopotential.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Melvin, P. J.

1986-08-01

Deprit's 1979 approach to the summation of the spherical harmonic expansion of the geopotential has been modified to spherical components and normalized Legendre polynomials. An algorithm has been developed which produces ten fields at the users option: the undulations of the geoid, three anomalous components of the gravity vector, or six components of the Hessian of the geopotential (gravity gradient). The algorithm is stable to high orders in single precision and does not treat the polar regions as a special case. Eleven contour maps of components of the anomalous geopotential on the surface of the ellipsoid are presented to validate the algorithm.

Edge-dip air core fiber for improvement of the transmission of higher-order OAM modes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sun, Xibo; Geng, Yuanchao; Zhu, Qihua; Feng, Xi; Huang, Wanqing; Zhang, Ying; Wang, Wenyi; Liu, Lanqin

2018-03-01

We presented a novel scheme to improve the stability of the orbital angular momentum (OAM) modes transmission by adding a dip at the edge of the annular high-index region of the air-core fiber. The simulation indicated a larger effective index difference of the vector modes that composed OAM modes in the same order, promising a stable transmission of the OAM modes. The intensity of the modes was concentrated better in this scheme decreasing the crosstalk between adjacent fibers. The propagation properties of the OAM modes in bent fiber were investigated.

Nanoporous adsorption effect on altering Li+ diffusion pathway by a highly ordered porous electrolyte additive for high rate all-solid-state lithium metal batteries.

PubMed

Li, Wenwen; Zhang, Sanpei; Wang, Bangrun; Gu, Sui; Xu, Dong; Wang, Jianing; Chen, Chunhua; Wen, Zhaoyin

2018-06-19

Solid polymer electrolytes (SPEs) have shown extraordinary promise for all-solid-state lithium metal batteries with high energy density and flexibility but are mainly limited by the low ionic conductivity and their poor stability with lithium metal anode. In this work, we propose a highly ordered porous electrolyte additive derived from SSZ-13 for high-rate all-solid-state lithium metal batteries. The nanoporous adsorption effect provided by the highly ordered porous nanoparticles in the poly (ethylene oxide) (PEO) electrolyte are found to significantly improve the Li + conductivity (1.91×10 -3 S cm -1 at 60°C, 4.43×10 -5 S cm -1 at 20°C) and widen the electrochemical stability window to 4.7 V vs Li + /Li. Meanwhile, the designed PEO-based electrolyte demonstrates enhanced stability with the lithium metal anode. Through systematically increasing Li + diffusion, widening the electrochemical stability window and enhancing the stability of the SSZ-CPE electrolyte, the LiFePO4/SSZ-CPE/Li cell is optimized to deliver high-rate capability and stable cycling performance, which demonstrates great potential for all-solid-state energy storage application.

Latest performance of ArF immersion scanner NSR-S630D for high-volume manufacturing for 7nm node

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Funatsu, Takayuki; Uehara, Yusaku; Hikida, Yujiro; Hayakawa, Akira; Ishiyama, Satoshi; Hirayama, Toru; Kono, Hirotaka; Shirata, Yosuke; Shibazaki, Yuichi

2015-03-01

In order to achieve stable operation in cutting-edge semiconductor manufacturing, Nikon has developed NSR-S630D with extremely accurate overlay while maintaining throughput in various conditions resembling a real production environment. In addition, NSR-S630D has been equipped with enhanced capabilities to maintain long-term overlay stability and user interface improvement all due to our newly developed application software platform. In this paper, we describe the most recent S630D performance in various conditions similar to real productions. In a production environment, superior overlay accuracy with high dose conditions and high throughput are often required; therefore, we have performed several experiments with high dose conditions to demonstrate NSR's thermal aberration capabilities in order to achieve world class overlay performance. Furthermore, we will introduce our new software that enables long term overlay performance.

Patterns and Predictors of Language and Literacy Abilities 4-10 Years in the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children.

PubMed

Zubrick, Stephen R; Taylor, Catherine L; Christensen, Daniel

2015-01-01

Oral language is the foundation of literacy. Naturally, policies and practices to promote children's literacy begin in early childhood and have a strong focus on developing children's oral language, especially for children with known risk factors for low language ability. The underlying assumption is that children's progress along the oral to literate continuum is stable and predictable, such that low language ability foretells low literacy ability. This study investigated patterns and predictors of children's oral language and literacy abilities at 4, 6, 8 and 10 years. The study sample comprised 2,316 to 2,792 children from the first nationally representative Longitudinal Study of Australian Children (LSAC). Six developmental patterns were observed, a stable middle-high pattern, a stable low pattern, an improving pattern, a declining pattern, a fluctuating low pattern, and a fluctuating middle-high pattern. Most children (69%) fit a stable middle-high pattern. By contrast, less than 1% of children fit a stable low pattern. These results challenged the view that children's progress along the oral to literate continuum is stable and predictable. Multivariate logistic regression was used to investigate risks for low literacy ability at 10 years and sensitivity-specificity analysis was used to examine the predictive utility of the multivariate model. Predictors were modelled as risk variables with the lowest level of risk as the reference category. In the multivariate model, substantial risks for low literacy ability at 10 years, in order of descending magnitude, were: low school readiness, Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander status and low language ability at 8 years. Moderate risks were high temperamental reactivity, low language ability at 4 years, and low language ability at 6 years. The following risk factors were not statistically significant in the multivariate model: Low maternal consistency, low family income, health care card, child not read to at home, maternal smoking, maternal education, family structure, temperamental persistence, and socio-economic area disadvantage. The results of the sensitivity-specificity analysis showed that a well-fitted multivariate model featuring risks of substantive magnitude did not do particularly well in predicting low literacy ability at 10 years.

Design and characterization of submicron formulation for a poorly soluble drug: the effect of Vitamin E TPGS and other solubilizers on skin permeability enhancement.

PubMed

Ghosh, Indrajit; Michniak-Kohn, Bozena

2012-09-15

In transdermal drug delivery systems (TDDS), it is a challenge to achieve stable and prolonged high permeation rates across the skin since the concentrations of the drug dissolved in the matrix have to be high in order to maintain zero order release kinetics. Several attempts have been reported to improve the permeability of poorly soluble drug compounds using supersaturated systems, however, due to thermodynamic challenges, there was a high tendency for the drug to nucleate immediately after formulating or even during storage. The present study focuses on the efficiency of drug crystals at the submicron/nano range in presence of different solubilizers to improve the permeation rate. Effect of several solubilizers, e.g. Pluronic F-127, Vitamin E TPGS, propylene glycol were studied on the submicron suspension systems of ibuprofen as a model drug. Various stabilizers such as hydroxylpropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) and polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) were examined to evaluate their crystal inhibitory effects on particle growth of the drug compound at submicron range. The overall permeation enhancement process through the skin seems to be influenced by the presence of solubilizers and also the presence of submicron drug crystal. The most promising stable formulation was developed with Vitamin E TPGS+HPMC submicron suspension, which produced higher permeation rate compared to other vehicles. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Electronic and Electrochemical Properties of Li 1–x Mn 1.5 Ni 0.5 O 4 Spinel Cathodes As a Function of Lithium Content and Cation Ordering

DOE PAGES

Moorhead-Rosenberg, Zach; Huq, Ashfia; Goodenough, John B.; ...

2015-10-05

The electronic and electrochemical properties of the high-voltage spinel LiMn 1.5Ni 0.5O 4 as a function of cation ordering and lithium content have been investigated. Conductivity and activation energy measurements confirm that charge transfer occurs by small polaron hopping and the charge carrier conduction is easier in the Ni:3d band than in the in Mn:3d band. Seebeck coefficient data reveal that the Ni 2+/ 3+. and Ni 3+/ 4+ redox couples are combined in a single,3d band, and that maximum charge carrier concentration occurs where the average Ni oxidation state is close to 3+, corresponding to x = 0.5 inmore » Li Li 1-xMn 1.5Ni 0.5O 4. Furthermore, maximum electronic conductivity is found at x = 0.5, regardless of cation ordering. The thermodynamically stable phases formed during cycling were investigated by recording the X-ray diffraction (XRD) of chemically delithiated powders. The more ordered spinels maintained two separate two-phase regions upon lithium extraction, while the more disordered samples exhibited a solid-solubility region from LiMn 1.5Ni 0.5O 4 to Li 0.5Mn 1.5Ni 0.5O 4. The conductivity and phase-transformation data of four samples with varying degrees of cation ordering were compared to the electrochemical data collected with lithium cells. Only the most ordered spinel showed inferior rate performance, while the sample annealed for a shorter time performed comparable to the unannealed or disordered samples. Our results challenge the most common beliefs about high-voltage spinel: (i) low Mn 3+ content is responsible for poor rate performance and (ii) thermodynamically stable solid-solubility is critical for fast kinetics.« less

Stable, concentrated solutions of high molecular weight polyaniline and articles therefrom

DOEpatents

Mattes, Benjamin R.; Wang, Hsing-Lin

1999-11-09

Stable, concentrated solutions of high molecular weight polyaniline. In order to process high quality fibers and other articles possessing good mechanical properties, it is known that solution concentrations of the chosen polymer should be in the range from 15-30% (w/w). Moreover, it is desirable to use the highest molecular weight consistent with the solubility properties of the polymer. However, such solutions are inherently unstable, forming gels before processing can be achieved. The present invention describes the addition gel inhibitors (GIs) to the polymer solution, thereby permitting high concentrations (between 15% and 30% (w/w)) of high molecular weight ((M.sub.w)>120,000, and (M.sub.n)>30,000) emeraldine base (EB) polyaniline to be dissolved. Secondary amines have been used for this purpose in concentrations which are small compared to those which might otherwise be used in a cosolvent role therefor. The resulting solutions are useful for generating excellent fibers, films, coatings and other objects, since the solutions are stable for significant time periods, and the GIs are present in too small concentrations to cause polymer deterioration. It is demonstrated that the GIs found to be useful do not act as cosolvents, and that gelation times of the solutions are directly proportional to the concentration of GI. In particular, there is a preferred concentration of GI, which if exceeded causes structural and electrical conductivity degradation of resulting articles. Heating of the solutions significantly improves solubility.

Energy Stable Flux Formulas For The Discontinuous Galerkin Discretization Of First Order Nonlinear Conservation Laws

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Barth, Timothy; Charrier, Pierre; Mansour, Nagi N. (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

We consider the discontinuous Galerkin (DG) finite element discretization of first order systems of conservation laws derivable as moments of the kinetic Boltzmann equation. This includes well known conservation law systems such as the Euler For the class of first order nonlinear conservation laws equipped with an entropy extension, an energy analysis of the DG method for the Cauchy initial value problem is developed. Using this DG energy analysis, several new variants of existing numerical flux functions are derived and shown to be energy stable.

Dark solitons in the presence of higher-order effects.

PubMed

Horikis, Theodoros P; Frantzeskakis, Dimitrios J

2013-12-01

Dark soliton propagation is studied in the presence of higher-order effects, including third-order dispersion, self-steepening, linear/nonlinear gain/loss, and Raman scattering. It is found that for certain values of the parameters a stable evolution can exist for both the soliton and the relative continuous-wave background. Using a newly developed perturbation theory we show that the perturbing effects give rise to a shelf that accompanies the soliton in its propagation. Although, the stable solitons are not affected by the shelf it remains an integral part of the dynamics otherwise not considered so far in studies of higher-order nonlinear Schrödinger models.

Quantification of biodegradation for o-xylene and naphthalene using first order decay models, Michaelis-Menten kinetics and stable carbon isotopes.

PubMed

Blum, Philipp; Hunkeler, Daniel; Weede, Matthias; Beyer, Christof; Grathwohl, Peter; Morasch, Barbara

2009-04-01

At a former wood preservation plant severely contaminated with coal tar oil, in situ bulk attenuation and biodegradation rate constants for several monoaromatic (BTEX) and polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) were determined using (1) classical first order decay models, (2) Michaelis-Menten degradation kinetics (MM), and (3) stable carbon isotopes, for o-xylene and naphthalene. The first order bulk attenuation rate constant for o-xylene was calculated to be 0.0025 d(-1) and a novel stable isotope-based first order model, which also accounted for the respective redox conditions, resulted in a slightly smaller biodegradation rate constant of 0.0019 d(-1). Based on MM-kinetics, the o-xylene concentration decreased with a maximum rate of k(max)=0.1 microg/L/d. The bulk attenuation rate constant of naphthalene retrieved from the classical first order decay model was 0.0038 d(-1). The stable isotope-based biodegradation rate constant of 0.0027 d(-1) was smaller in the reduced zone, while residual naphthalene in the oxic part of the plume further downgradient was degraded at a higher rate of 0.0038 d(-1). With MM-kinetics a maximum degradation rate of k(max)=12 microg/L/d was determined. Although best fits were obtained by MM-kinetics, we consider the carbon stable isotope-based approach more appropriate as it is specific for biodegradation (not overall attenuation) and at the same time accounts for the dominant electron-accepting process. For o-xylene a field based isotope enrichment factor epsilon(field) of -1.4 could be determined using the Rayleigh model, which closely matched values from laboratory studies of o-xylene degradation under sulfate-reducing conditions.

Blue and Black Cloth Targets: Effects of Size, Shape, and Color on Stable Fly (Diptera: Muscidae) Attraction.

PubMed

Hogsette, Jerome A; Foil, Lane D

2018-04-02

Stable fly management is challenging because of the fly's dispersal behavior and its tendency to remain on the host only while feeding. Optically attractive traps have been used to survey and sometimes reduce adult populations. Insecticide-treated blue and black cloth targets developed for tsetse fly management in Africa were found to be attractive to stable flies in the United States, and various evaluations were conducted in Louisiana and Florida. Tests using untreated targets were designed to answer questions about configuration, size, and color relative to efficacy and stability in high winds. Studies with electric grid targets and with targets paired with Olson traps showed cloth target color attraction in the following decreasing order: black > blue-black > blue. A solid black target is easier to make than a blue-black target because no sewing is involved. Attraction was not affected when flat 1-m2 targets were formed into cylinders, despite the limited view of the blue and black colors together. There was no reduction in attraction when the 1-m2 cylindrical targets were compared with smaller (63 × 30 cm high) cylindrical targets. In addition, there was no difference in attraction between the small blue-black, blue, and black targets. Significance of findings and implications of potential uses for treated targets are discussed. Target attraction was indicated by the numbers of stable flies captured on an Olson sticky trap placed 30 cm from the target. Although this system is adequate for field research, it greatly underestimates the actual numbers of stable flies attracted to treated targets.

3D Graphene-Infused Polyimide with Enhanced Electrothermal Performance for Long-Term Flexible Space Applications.

PubMed

Loeblein, Manuela; Bolker, Asaf; Tsang, Siu Hon; Atar, Nurit; Uzan-Saguy, Cecile; Verker, Ronen; Gouzman, Irina; Grossman, Eitan; Teo, Edwin Hang Tong

2015-12-22

Polyimides (PIs) have been praised for their high thermal stability, high modulus of elasticity and tensile strength, ease of fabrication, and moldability. They are currently the standard choice for both substrates for flexible electronics and space shielding, as they render high temperature and UV stability and toughness. However, their poor thermal conductivity and completely electrically insulating characteristics have caused other limitations, such as thermal management challenges for flexible high-power electronics and spacecraft electrostatic charging. In order to target these issues, a hybrid of PI with 3D-graphene (3D-C), 3D-C/PI, is developed here. This composite renders extraordinary enhancements of thermal conductivity (one order of magnitude) and electrical conductivity (10 orders of magnitude). It withstands and keeps a stable performance throughout various bending and thermal cycles, as well as the oxidative and aggressive environment of ground-based, simulated space environments. This makes this new hybrid film a suitable material for flexible space applications. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Applicability of dynamic membrane technology in anaerobic membrane bioreactors.

PubMed

Ersahin, Mustafa Evren; Ozgun, Hale; Tao, Yu; van Lier, Jules B

2014-01-01

This study investigated the applicability of dynamic membrane technology in anaerobic membrane bioreactors for the treatment of high strength wastewaters. A monofilament woven fabric was used as support material for dynamic membrane formation. An anaerobic dynamic membrane bioreactor (AnDMBR) was operated under a variety of operational conditions, including different sludge retention times (SRTs) of 20 and 40 days in order to determine the effect of SRT on both biological performance and dynamic membrane filtration characteristics. High COD removal efficiencies exceeding 99% were achieved during the operation at both SRTs. Higher filtration resistances were measured during the operation at SRT of 40 days in comparison to SRT of 20 days, applying a stable flux of 2.6 L/m(2) h. The higher filtration resistances coincided with lower extracellular polymeric substances concentration in the bulk sludge at SRT of 40 days, likely resulting in a decreased particle flocculation. Results showed that dynamic membrane technology achieved a stable and high quality permeate and AnDMBRs can be used as a reliable and satisfactory technology for treatment of high strength wastewaters. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The beta Pictoris circumstellar disk. XXIV. Clues to the origin of the stable gas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lagrange, A.-M.; Beust, H.; Mouillet, D.; Deleuil, M.; Feldman, P. D.; Ferlet, R.; Hobbs, L.; Lecavelier Des Etangs, A.; Lissauer, J. J.; McGrath, M. A.; McPhate, J. B.; Spyromilio, J.; Tobin, W.; Vidal-Madjar, A.

1998-02-01

GHRS high resolution spectra of {beta \\:Pictoris} were obtained to study the stable gas around this star. Several elements are detected and their abundances measured. Upper limits to the abundances of others are also measured. The data permit improved chemical analysis of the stable gas around {beta \\:Pictoris}, and yield new and more accurate estimates of the radiation pressure acting on various elements. We first analyze the data in the framework of a closed-box model. The electron density is evaluated (Neion {S}imeq10(6) cm(-3) ), which in turn implies constraints on the ionization stages of the various elements. The refractory elements in the stable gas have then standard abundances. In contrast, in this model, the lighter elements sulfur and carbon, observed in their neutral form, seem to be depleted. However several arguments, especially the strong radiation pressure, argue against a closed-box hypothesis. We therefore develop hydrodynamical simulations, taking into account the radiation pressure, to reproduce the stable features under three different hypotheses for the origin of the stable gas: stellar ejection, comet evaporation and grain evaporation. They show that a permanent production of gas is needed in order to sustain a stable absorption. In order to reproduce the observed zero velocity of the absorption features a mechanism is also needed to slow down the radial flow of matter. We show that this could be achieved by a colliding ring of neutral hydrogen farther than 0.5AU from the star. Applied to the Fe Ii\\ lines, the simulations constrain the temperature (Tion {S}imeq1500-2000K) and the velocity dispersion (ion {S}imeq2kms(-1) ) in the gaseous medium. When applied to Ca Ii\\ and to other UV lines, they test the chemical composition of the parent source of gas, which is found to have standard abundances in refractory elements. The gas production rate is ion {S}imeq 10(-16}M_{sun) yr(-1) . This description is the first consistent explanation for these long-lived stable absorptions observed for a large number of lines arising from a variety of energy levels in different chemical elements. It raises the question of the origin of the parent material, together with its composition and dynamics. This realizes a link between this gaseous component and the whole circumstellar system. Based on observations collected with the Hubble Space Telescope

Dynamics and Collapse in a Power System Model with Voltage Variation: The Damping Effect.

PubMed

Ma, Jinpeng; Sun, Yong; Yuan, Xiaoming; Kurths, Jürgen; Zhan, Meng

2016-01-01

Complex nonlinear phenomena are investigated in a basic power system model of the single-machine-infinite-bus (SMIB) with a synchronous generator modeled by a classical third-order differential equation including both angle dynamics and voltage dynamics, the so-called flux decay equation. In contrast, for the second-order differential equation considering the angle dynamics only, it is the classical swing equation. Similarities and differences of the dynamics generated between the third-order model and the second-order one are studied. We mainly find that, for positive damping, these two models show quite similar behavior, namely, stable fixed point, stable limit cycle, and their coexistence for different parameters. However, for negative damping, the second-order system can only collapse, whereas for the third-order model, more complicated behavior may happen, such as stable fixed point, limit cycle, quasi-periodicity, and chaos. Interesting partial collapse phenomena for angle instability only and not for voltage instability are also found here, including collapse from quasi-periodicity and from chaos etc. These findings not only provide a basic physical picture for power system dynamics in the third-order model incorporating voltage dynamics, but also enable us a deeper understanding of the complex dynamical behavior and even leading to a design of oscillation damping in electric power systems.

Ordered Mesoporous NiCeAl Containing Catalysts for Hydrogenolysis of Sorbitol to Glycols

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhou, Zhiwei; Zhang, Jiaqi; Qin, Juan; Li, Dong; Wu, Wenliang

2018-03-01

Cellulose-derived sorbitol is emerging as a feasible and renewable feedstock for the production of value-added chemicals. Highly active and stable catalyst is essential for sorbitol hydrogenolysis. Ordered mesoporous M- xNi yCeAl catalysts with different loadings of nickel and cerium species were successfully synthesized via one-pot evaporation-induced self-assembly strategy (EISA) and their catalytic performance were tested in the hydrogenolysis of sorbitol. The physical chemical properties for the catalysts were characterized by XRD, N2 physisorption, H2-TPR, H2 impulse chemisorption, ICP and TEM techniques. The results showed that the ordered mesopores with uniform pore sizes can be obtained and the Ni nanoparticles around 6 nm in size were homogeneously dispersed in the mesopore channels. A little amount of cerium species introduced would be beneficial to their textural properties resulting in higher Ni dispersion, metal area and smaller size of Ni nanoparticles. The M-10Ni2CeAl catalyst with Ni and Ce loading of 10.9 and 6.3 wt % shows better catalytic performance than other catalysts, and the yield of 1,2-PG and EG can reach 56.9% at 493 K and 6 MPa pressure for 8 h after repeating reactions for 12 times without obvious deterioration of physical and chemical properties. Ordered mesoporous M-NiCeAl catalysts are active and stable in sorbitol hydrogenolysis.

Extreme creep resistance in a microstructurally stable nanocrystalline alloy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Darling, K. A.; Rajagopalan, M.; Komarasamy, M.; Bhatia, M. A.; Hornbuckle, B. C.; Mishra, R. S.; Solanki, K. N.

2016-09-01

Nanocrystalline metals, with a mean grain size of less than 100 nanometres, have greater room-temperature strength than their coarse-grained equivalents, in part owing to a large reduction in grain size. However, this high strength generally comes with substantial losses in other mechanical properties, such as creep resistance, which limits their practical utility; for example, creep rates in nanocrystalline copper are about four orders of magnitude higher than those in typical coarse-grained copper. The degradation of creep resistance in nanocrystalline materials is in part due to an increase in the volume fraction of grain boundaries, which lack long-range crystalline order and lead to processes such as diffusional creep, sliding and rotation. Here we show that nanocrystalline copper-tantalum alloys possess an unprecedented combination of properties: high strength combined with extremely high-temperature creep resistance, while maintaining mechanical and thermal stability. Precursory work on this family of immiscible alloys has previously highlighted their thermo-mechanical stability and strength, which has motivated their study under more extreme conditions, such as creep. We find a steady-state creep rate of less than 10-6 per second—six to eight orders of magnitude lower than most nanocrystalline metals—at various temperatures between 0.5 and 0.64 times the melting temperature of the matrix (1,356 kelvin) under an applied stress ranging from 0.85 per cent to 1.2 per cent of the shear modulus. The unusual combination of properties in our nanocrystalline alloy is achieved via a processing route that creates distinct nanoclusters of atoms that pin grain boundaries within the alloy. This pinning improves the kinetic stability of the grains by increasing the energy barrier for grain-boundary sliding and rotation and by inhibiting grain coarsening, under extremely long-term creep conditions. Our processing approach should enable the development of microstructurally stable structural alloys with high strength and creep resistance for various high-temperature applications, including in the aerospace, naval, civilian infrastructure and energy sectors.

Microresonator Frequency Comb Optical Clock

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-07-22

lithic construction with small size and power consumption. Microcomb development has included frequency control of their spectra [8–11...frequency f eo and amplified to a maximum of 140 mW. The first-order sideband powers are approximately 3 dB lower than the pump, and the piece of highly...resonator offers sufficient peak power for our experiments and is stable and repeatable even for different settings of pump frequency and power

A family of compact high order coupled time-space unconditionally stable vertical advection schemes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lemarié, Florian; Debreu, Laurent

2016-04-01

Recent papers by Shchepetkin (2015) and Lemarié et al. (2015) have emphasized that the time-step of an oceanic model with an Eulerian vertical coordinate and an explicit time-stepping scheme is very often restricted by vertical advection in a few hot spots (i.e. most of the grid points are integrated with small Courant numbers, compared to the Courant-Friedrichs-Lewy (CFL) condition, except just few spots where numerical instability of the explicit scheme occurs first). The consequence is that the numerics for vertical advection must have good stability properties while being robust to changes in Courant number in terms of accuracy. An other constraint for oceanic models is the strict control of numerical mixing imposed by the highly adiabatic nature of the oceanic interior (i.e. mixing must be very small in the vertical direction below the boundary layer). We examine in this talk the possibility of mitigating vertical Courant-Friedrichs-Lewy (CFL) restriction, while avoiding numerical inaccuracies associated with standard implicit advection schemes (i.e. large sensitivity of the solution on Courant number, large phase delay, and possibly excess of numerical damping with unphysical orientation). Most regional oceanic models have been successfully using fourth order compact schemes for vertical advection. In this talk we present a new general framework to derive generic expressions for (one-step) coupled time and space high order compact schemes (see Daru & Tenaud (2004) for a thorough description of coupled time and space schemes). Among other properties, we show that those schemes are unconditionally stable and have very good accuracy properties even for large Courant numbers while having a very reasonable computational cost.

High resolution monochromator for the VUV radiation from the DORIS storage ring

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

Saile, V.; Gurtler, P.; Koch, E.E.

1976-10-01

The unique properties of the DORIS storage ring at DESY as a synchroton radiation source are exploited for high resolution spectroscopy in the vacuum ultraviolet. We describe a new experimental set up with a 3-m normal incidence monochromator for wavelengths between 3000 A and 300 A (4 < or = h..omega.. < or = 40 eV) using a vertical dispersion plane. The storage ring provides a light flux intense and stable enough for rapid photoelectrical scanning of the spectra with a resolution of 0.03 A in first order. (AIP)

High-Order Finite-Difference Schemes for Numerical Simulation of Hypersonic Boundary-Layer Transition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhong, Xiaolin

1998-08-01

Direct numerical simulation (DNS) has become a powerful tool in studying fundamental phenomena of laminar-turbulent transition of high-speed boundary layers. Previous DNS studies of supersonic and hypersonic boundary layer transition have been limited to perfect-gas flow over flat-plate boundary layers without shock waves. For hypersonic boundary layers over realistic blunt bodies, DNS studies of transition need to consider the effects of bow shocks, entropy layers, surface curvature, and finite-rate chemistry. It is necessary that numerical methods for such studies are robust and high-order accurate both in resolving wide ranges of flow time and length scales and in resolving the interaction between the bow shocks and flow disturbance waves. This paper presents a new high-order shock-fitting finite-difference method for the DNS of the stability and transition of hypersonic boundary layers over blunt bodies with strong bow shocks and with (or without) thermo-chemical nonequilibrium. The proposed method includes a set of new upwind high-order finite-difference schemes which are stable and are less dissipative than a straightforward upwind scheme using an upwind-bias grid stencil, a high-order shock-fitting formulation, and third-order semi-implicit Runge-Kutta schemes for temporal discretization of stiff reacting flow equations. The accuracy and stability of the new schemes are validated by numerical experiments of the linear wave equation and nonlinear Navier-Stokes equations. The algorithm is then applied to the DNS of the receptivity of hypersonic boundary layers over a parabolic leading edge to freestream acoustic disturbances.

Highly Active and Selective Hydrogenation of CO2 to Ethanol by Ordered Pd-Cu Nanoparticles.

PubMed

Bai, Shuxing; Shao, Qi; Wang, Pengtang; Dai, Qiguang; Wang, Xingyi; Huang, Xiaoqing

2017-05-24

Carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) hydrogenation to ethanol (C 2 H 5 OH) is considered a promising way for CO 2 conversion and utilization, whereas desirable conversion efficiency remains a challenge. Herein, highly active, selective and stable CO 2 hydrogenation to C 2 H 5 OH was enabled by highly ordered Pd-Cu nanoparticles (NPs). By tuning the composition of the Pd-Cu NPs and catalyst supports, the efficiency of CO 2 hydrogenation to C 2 H 5 OH was well optimized with Pd 2 Cu NPs/P25 exhibiting high selectivity to C 2 H 5 OH of up to 92.0% and the highest turnover frequency of 359.0 h -1 . Diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy results revealed the high C 2 H 5 OH production and selectivity of Pd 2 Cu NPs/P25 can be ascribed to boosting *CO (adsorption CO) hydrogenation to *HCO, the rate-determining step for the CO 2 hydrogenation to C 2 H 5 OH.

Isolated nanoinjection photo detectors for high-speed and high-sensitivity single-photon detection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fathipour, V.; Memis, O. G.; Jang, S. J.; Khalid, F.; Brown, R. L.; Hassaninia, I.; Gelfand, R.; Mohseni, H.

2013-09-01

Our group has designed and developed a new SWIR single photon detector called the nano-injection detector that is conceptually designed with biological inspirations taken from the rod cells in human eye. The detector couples a nanoscale sensory region with a large absorption volume to provide avalanche free internal amplification while operating at linear regime with low bias voltages. The low voltage operation makes the detector to be fully compatible with available CMOS technologies. Because there is no photon reemission, detectors can be formed into high-density single-photon detector arrays. As such, the nano injection detectors are viable candidates for SPD and imaging at the short-wave infrared band. Our measurements in 2007 proved a high SNR and a stable excess noise factor of near unity. We are reporting on a high speed version of the detector with 4 orders of magnitude enhancement in speed as well as 2 orders of magnitude reduction in dark current (30nA vs. 10 uA at 1.5V).

Information dynamics in living systems: prokaryotes, eukaryotes, and cancer.

PubMed

Frieden, B Roy; Gatenby, Robert A

2011-01-01

Living systems use information and energy to maintain stable entropy while far from thermodynamic equilibrium. The underlying first principles have not been established. We propose that stable entropy in living systems, in the absence of thermodynamic equilibrium, requires an information extremum (maximum or minimum), which is invariant to first order perturbations. Proliferation and death represent key feedback mechanisms that promote stability even in a non-equilibrium state. A system moves to low or high information depending on its energy status, as the benefit of information in maintaining and increasing order is balanced against its energy cost. Prokaryotes, which lack specialized energy-producing organelles (mitochondria), are energy-limited and constrained to an information minimum. Acquisition of mitochondria is viewed as a critical evolutionary step that, by allowing eukaryotes to achieve a sufficiently high energy state, permitted a phase transition to an information maximum. This state, in contrast to the prokaryote minima, allowed evolution of complex, multicellular organisms. A special case is a malignant cell, which is modeled as a phase transition from a maximum to minimum information state. The minimum leads to a predicted power-law governing the in situ growth that is confirmed by studies measuring growth of small breast cancers. We find living systems achieve a stable entropic state by maintaining an extreme level of information. The evolutionary divergence of prokaryotes and eukaryotes resulted from acquisition of specialized energy organelles that allowed transition from information minima to maxima, respectively. Carcinogenesis represents a reverse transition: of an information maximum to minimum. The progressive information loss is evident in accumulating mutations, disordered morphology, and functional decline characteristics of human cancers. The findings suggest energy restriction is a critical first step that triggers the genetic mutations that drive somatic evolution of the malignant phenotype.

Boundary Closures for Fourth-order Energy Stable Weighted Essentially Non-Oscillatory Finite Difference Schemes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fisher, Travis C.; Carpenter, Mark H.; Yamaleev, Nail K.; Frankel, Steven H.

2009-01-01

A general strategy exists for constructing Energy Stable Weighted Essentially Non Oscillatory (ESWENO) finite difference schemes up to eighth-order on periodic domains. These ESWENO schemes satisfy an energy norm stability proof for both continuous and discontinuous solutions of systems of linear hyperbolic equations. Herein, boundary closures are developed for the fourth-order ESWENO scheme that maintain wherever possible the WENO stencil biasing properties, while satisfying the summation-by-parts (SBP) operator convention, thereby ensuring stability in an L2 norm. Second-order, and third-order boundary closures are developed that achieve stability in diagonal and block norms, respectively. The global accuracy for the second-order closures is three, and for the third-order closures is four. A novel set of non-uniform flux interpolation points is necessary near the boundaries to simultaneously achieve 1) accuracy, 2) the SBP convention, and 3) WENO stencil biasing mechanics.

Long-Term Stability of Planets in the Alpha Centauri System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lissauer, Jack; Quarles, Billy

2015-01-01

The alpha Centauri system is billions of years old, so planets are only expected to be found in regions where their orbits are long-lived. We evaluate the extent of the regions within the alpha Centauri AB star system where small planets are able to orbit for billion-year timescales, and we map the positions in the sky plane where planets on stable orbits about either stellar component may appear. We confirm the qualitative results of Wiegert & Holman (Astron. J. 113, 1445, 1997) regarding the approximate size of the regions of stable orbits of a single planet, which are larger for retrograde orbits relative to the binary than for pro-grade orbits. Additionally, we find that mean motion resonances with the binary orbit leave an imprint on the limits of orbital stability, and the effects of the Lidov-Kozai mechanism are also readily apparent. Overall, orbits of a single planet in the habitable zones near the plane of the binary are stable, whereas high-inclination orbits are short-lived. However, even well within regions where single planets are stable, multiple planet systems must be significantly more widely-spaced than they need to be around an isolated star in order to be long-lived.

Generation and evolution of mode-locked noise-like square-wave pulses in a large-anomalous-dispersion Er-doped ring fiber laser.

PubMed

Liu, Jun; Chen, Yu; Tang, Pinghua; Xu, Changwen; Zhao, Chujun; Zhang, Han; Wen, Shuangchun

2015-03-09

In a passively mode-locked Erbium-doped fiber laser with large anomalous-dispersion, we experimentally demonstrate the formation of noise-like square-wave pulse, which shows quite different features from conventional dissipative soliton resonance (DSR). The corresponding temporal and spectral characteristics of a variety of operation states, including Q-switched mode-locking, continuous-wave mode-locking and Raman-induced noise-like pulse near the lasing threshold, are also investigated. Stable noise-like square-wave mode-locked pulses can be obtained at a fundamental repetition frequency of 195 kHz, with pulse packet duration tunable from 15 ns to 306 ns and per-pulse energy up to 200 nJ. By reducing the linear cavity loss, stable higher-order harmonic mode-locking had also been observed, with pulse duration ranging from 37 ns at the 21st order harmonic wave to 320 ns at the fundamental order. After propagating along a piece of long telecom fiber, the generated square-wave pulses do not show any obvious change, indicating that the generated noise-like square-wave pulse can be considered as high-energy pulse packet for some promising applications. These experimental results should shed some light on the further understanding of the mechanism and characteristics of noise-like square-wave pulses.

Estimation of geopotential from satellite-to-satellite range rate data: Numerical results

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Thobe, Glenn E.; Bose, Sam C.

1987-01-01

A technique for high-resolution geopotential field estimation by recovering the harmonic coefficients from satellite-to-satellite range rate data is presented and tested against both a controlled analytical simulation of a one-day satellite mission (maximum degree and order 8) and then against a Cowell method simulation of a 32-day mission (maximum degree and order 180). Innovations include: (1) a new frequency-domain observation equation based on kinetic energy perturbations which avoids much of the complication of the usual Keplerian element perturbation approaches; (2) a new method for computing the normalized inclination functions which unlike previous methods is both efficient and numerically stable even for large harmonic degrees and orders; (3) the application of a mass storage FFT to the entire mission range rate history; (4) the exploitation of newly discovered symmetries in the block diagonal observation matrix which reduce each block to the product of (a) a real diagonal matrix factor, (b) a real trapezoidal factor with half the number of rows as before, and (c) a complex diagonal factor; (5) a block-by-block least-squares solution of the observation equation by means of a custom-designed Givens orthogonal rotation method which is both numerically stable and tailored to the trapezoidal matrix structure for fast execution.

Phase Diagram of Planar Matrix Quantum Mechanics, Tensor, and Sachdev-Ye-Kitaev Models.

PubMed

Azeyanagi, Tatsuo; Ferrari, Frank; Massolo, Fidel I Schaposnik

2018-02-09

We study the Schwinger-Dyson equations of a fermionic planar matrix quantum mechanics [or tensor and Sachdev-Ye-Kitaev (SYK) models] at leading melonic order. We find two solutions describing a high entropy, SYK black-hole-like phase and a low entropy one with trivial IR behavior. There is a line of first order phase transitions that terminates at a new critical point. Critical exponents are nonmean field and differ on the two sides of the transition. Interesting phenomena are also found in unstable and stable bosonic models, including Kazakov critical points and inconsistency of SYK-like solutions of the IR limit.

Development and application of a local linearization algorithm for the integration of quaternion rate equations in real-time flight simulation problems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Barker, L. E., Jr.; Bowles, R. L.; Williams, L. H.

1973-01-01

High angular rates encountered in real-time flight simulation problems may require a more stable and accurate integration method than the classical methods normally used. A study was made to develop a general local linearization procedure of integrating dynamic system equations when using a digital computer in real-time. The procedure is specifically applied to the integration of the quaternion rate equations. For this application, results are compared to a classical second-order method. The local linearization approach is shown to have desirable stability characteristics and gives significant improvement in accuracy over the classical second-order integration methods.

Dynamic online sewer modelling in Helsingborg.

PubMed

Hernebring, C; Jönsson, L E; Thorén, U B; Møller, A

2002-01-01

Within the last decade, the sewer system in Helsingborg, Sweden has been rehabilitated in many ways along with the reconstruction of the WWTP Oresundsverket in order to obtain a high degree of nitrogen and phosphorus removal. In that context a holistic view has been applied in order to optimise the corrective measures as seen from the effects in the receiving waters. A sewer catchment model has been used to evaluate several operation strategies and the effect of introducing RTC. Recently, a MOUSE ONLINE system was installed. In this phase the objective is to establish a stable communication with the SCADA system and to generate short-term flow forecasts.

Superstable Ultrathin Water Film Confined in a Hydrophilized Carbon Nanotube.

PubMed

Tomo, Yoko; Askounis, Alexandros; Ikuta, Tatsuya; Takata, Yasuyuki; Sefiane, Khellil; Takahashi, Koji

2018-03-14

Fluids confined in a nanoscale space behave differently than in the bulk due to strong interactions between fluid molecules and solid atoms. Here, we observed water confined inside "open" hydrophilized carbon nanotubes (CNT), with diameter of tens of nanometers, using transmission electron microscopy (TEM). A 1-7 nm water film adhering to most of the inner wall surface was observed and remained stable in the high vacuum (order of 10 -5 Pa) of the TEM. The superstability of this film was attributed to a combination of curvature, nanoroughness, and confinement resulting in a lower vapor pressure for water and hence inhibiting its vaporization. Occasional, suspended ultrathin water film with thickness of 3-20 nm were found and remained stable inside the CNT. This film thickness is 1 order of magnitude smaller than the critical film thickness (about 40 nm) reported by the Derjaguin-Landau-Verwey-Overbeek theory and previous experimental investigations. The stability of the suspended ultrathin water film is attributed to the additional molecular interactions due to the extended water meniscus, which balances the rest of the disjoining pressures.

Gap solitons in PT-symmetric optical lattices with higher-order diffraction.

PubMed

Ge, Lijuan; Shen, Ming; Ma, Chunlan; Zang, Taocheng; Dai, Lu

2014-12-01

The existence and stability of gap solitons are investigated in the semi-infinite gap of a parity-time (PT)-symmetric periodic potential (optical lattice) with a higher-order diffraction. The Bloch bands and band gaps of this PT-symmetric optical lattice depend crucially on the coupling constant of the fourth-order diffraction, whereas the phase transition point of this PT optical lattice remains unchangeable. The fourth-order diffraction plays a significant role in destabilizing the propagation of dipole solitons. Specifically, when the fourth-order diffraction coupling constant increases, the stable region of the dipole solitons shrinks as new regions of instability appear. However, fundamental solitons are found to be always linearly stable with arbitrary positive value of the coupling constant. We also investigate nonlinear evolution of the PT solitons under perturbation.

On Stable Wall Boundary Conditions for the Hermite Discretization of the Linearised Boltzmann Equation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sarna, Neeraj; Torrilhon, Manuel

2018-01-01

We define certain criteria, using the characteristic decomposition of the boundary conditions and energy estimates, which a set of stable boundary conditions for a linear initial boundary value problem, involving a symmetric hyperbolic system, must satisfy. We first use these stability criteria to show the instability of the Maxwell boundary conditions proposed by Grad (Commun Pure Appl Math 2(4):331-407, 1949). We then recognise a special block structure of the moment equations which arises due to the recursion relations and the orthogonality of the Hermite polynomials; the block structure will help us in formulating stable boundary conditions for an arbitrary order Hermite discretization of the Boltzmann equation. The formulation of stable boundary conditions relies upon an Onsager matrix which will be constructed such that the newly proposed boundary conditions stay close to the Maxwell boundary conditions at least in the lower order moments.

Solid-solid collapse transition in a two dimensional model molecular system.

PubMed

Singh, Rakesh S; Bagchi, Biman

2013-11-21

Solid-solid collapse transition in open framework structures is ubiquitous in nature. The real difficulty in understanding detailed microscopic aspects of such transitions in molecular systems arises from the interplay between different energy and length scales involved in molecular systems, often mediated through a solvent. In this work we employ Monte-Carlo simulation to study the collapse transition in a model molecular system interacting via both isotropic as well as anisotropic interactions having different length and energy scales. The model we use is known as Mercedes-Benz (MB), which, for a specific set of parameters, sustains two solid phases: honeycomb and oblique. In order to study the temperature induced collapse transition, we start with a metastable honeycomb solid and induce transition by increasing temperature. High density oblique solid so formed has two characteristic length scales corresponding to isotropic and anisotropic parts of interaction potential. Contrary to the common belief and classical nucleation theory, interestingly, we find linear strip-like nucleating clusters having significantly different order and average coordination number than the bulk stable phase. In the early stage of growth, the cluster grows as a linear strip, followed by branched and ring-like strips. The geometry of growing cluster is a consequence of the delicate balance between two types of interactions, which enables the dominance of stabilizing energy over destabilizing surface energy. The nucleus of stable oblique phase is wetted by intermediate order particles, which minimizes the surface free energy. In the case of pressure induced transition at low temperature the collapsed state is a disordered solid. The disordered solid phase has diverse local quasi-stable structures along with oblique-solid like domains.

Solid-solid collapse transition in a two dimensional model molecular system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Singh, Rakesh S.; Bagchi, Biman

2013-11-01

Solid-solid collapse transition in open framework structures is ubiquitous in nature. The real difficulty in understanding detailed microscopic aspects of such transitions in molecular systems arises from the interplay between different energy and length scales involved in molecular systems, often mediated through a solvent. In this work we employ Monte-Carlo simulation to study the collapse transition in a model molecular system interacting via both isotropic as well as anisotropic interactions having different length and energy scales. The model we use is known as Mercedes-Benz (MB), which, for a specific set of parameters, sustains two solid phases: honeycomb and oblique. In order to study the temperature induced collapse transition, we start with a metastable honeycomb solid and induce transition by increasing temperature. High density oblique solid so formed has two characteristic length scales corresponding to isotropic and anisotropic parts of interaction potential. Contrary to the common belief and classical nucleation theory, interestingly, we find linear strip-like nucleating clusters having significantly different order and average coordination number than the bulk stable phase. In the early stage of growth, the cluster grows as a linear strip, followed by branched and ring-like strips. The geometry of growing cluster is a consequence of the delicate balance between two types of interactions, which enables the dominance of stabilizing energy over destabilizing surface energy. The nucleus of stable oblique phase is wetted by intermediate order particles, which minimizes the surface free energy. In the case of pressure induced transition at low temperature the collapsed state is a disordered solid. The disordered solid phase has diverse local quasi-stable structures along with oblique-solid like domains.

Learning from adaptive neural dynamic surface control of strict-feedback systems.

PubMed

Wang, Min; Wang, Cong

2015-06-01

Learning plays an essential role in autonomous control systems. However, how to achieve learning in the nonstationary environment for nonlinear systems is a challenging problem. In this paper, we present learning method for a class of n th-order strict-feedback systems by adaptive dynamic surface control (DSC) technology, which achieves the human-like ability of learning by doing and doing with learned knowledge. To achieve the learning, this paper first proposes stable adaptive DSC with auxiliary first-order filters, which ensures the boundedness of all the signals in the closed-loop system and the convergence of tracking errors in a finite time. With the help of DSC, the derivative of the filter output variable is used as the neural network (NN) input instead of traditional intermediate variables. As a result, the proposed adaptive DSC method reduces greatly the dimension of NN inputs, especially for high-order systems. After the stable DSC design, we decompose the stable closed-loop system into a series of linear time-varying perturbed subsystems. Using a recursive design, the recurrent property of NN input variables is easily verified since the complexity is overcome using DSC. Subsequently, the partial persistent excitation condition of the radial basis function NN is satisfied. By combining a state transformation, accurate approximations of the closed-loop system dynamics are recursively achieved in a local region along recurrent orbits. Then, the learning control method using the learned knowledge is proposed to achieve the closed-loop stability and the improved control performance. Simulation studies are performed to demonstrate the proposed scheme can not only reuse the learned knowledge to achieve the better control performance with the faster tracking convergence rate and the smaller tracking error but also greatly alleviate the computational burden because of reducing the number and complexity of NN input variables.

Gaze Strategies in Skateboard Trick Jumps: Spatiotemporal Constraints in Complex Locomotion.

PubMed

Klostermann, André; Küng, Philip

2017-03-01

This study aimed to further the knowledge on gaze behavior in locomotion by studying gaze strategies in skateboard jumps of different difficulty that had to be performed either with or without an obstacle. Nine experienced skateboarders performed "Ollie" and "Kickflip" jumps either over an obstacle or over a plane surface. The stable gaze at 5 different areas of interest was calculated regarding its relative duration as well as its temporal order. During the approach phase, an interaction between area of interest and obstacle condition, F(3, 24) = 12.91, p <  .05, η p 2  = .62, was found with longer stable-gaze locations at the takeoff area in attempts with an obstacle (p <  .05, η p 2  = .47). In contrast, in attempts over a plane surface, longer stable-gaze locations at the skateboard were revealed (p <  .05, η p 2  = .73). Regarding the trick difficulty factor, the skateboarders descriptively showed longer stable-gaze locations at the skateboard for the "Kickflip" than for the "Ollie" in the no-obstacle condition only (p>.05, d = 0.74). Finally, during the jump phase, neither obstacle condition nor trick difficulty affected gaze behavior differentially. This study underlines the functional adaptability of the visuomotor system to changing demands in highly dynamic situations. As a function of certain constraints, different gaze strategies were observed that can be considered as highly relevant for successfully performing skateboard jumps.

Spontaneous magnetization-induced phonons stability in γ‧-Fe4N crystalline alloys and high-pressure new phase

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cheng, Tai-min; Yu, Guo-liang; Su, Yong; Zhu, Lin; Li, Lin

2018-04-01

The stability of lattice dynamics and the magnetism of the ordered γ‧-Fe4N crystalline alloy at high pressures were studied by first-principle calculations based on density-functional theory. The dynamical stable new phase P2/m-Fe4N at high pressures was found by conducting the softening phenomenon at the point M (0.5 0.5 0) of the acoustic phonon at 10 GPa in the γ‧-Fe4N via soft-mode phase transition theory. Compared to the phonon spectrum of γ‧-Fe4N without considering electronic spin polarization, the ground-state lattice dynamical stability of the ferromagnetic phase γ‧-Fe4N is induced by the spontaneous magnetization at pressures below 1 GPa. However, P2/m-Fe4N is more thermodynamically stable than γ‧-phase at pressures below 1 GPa, and the magnetic moments of the two phases are almost the same. The ground-state structure of P2/m phase is more stable than that of γ‧-phase in the pressure range from 2.9 to 19 GPa. The magnetic moments of the two phases are almost the same in the pressure range from 20 to 214 GPa, but the ground-state structure of γ‧-phase is more stable than that of P2/m phase in the pressure range from 143.8 to 214 GPa. On the contrary, the ground-state structure of P2/m phase is more stable when the pressure is above 214 GPa. In the pressure range from 214 to 300 GPa, the magnetic moment of P2/m phase is lower than that of γ‧-phase, and the magnetic moments of the two phase tend to be consistent when the pressure exceeds 300 GPa.

A second-order accurate finite volume scheme with the discrete maximum principle for solving Richards’ equation on unstructured meshes

DOE PAGES

Svyatsky, Daniil; Lipnikov, Konstantin

2017-03-18

Richards’s equation describes steady-state or transient flow in a variably saturated medium. For a medium having multiple layers of soils that are not aligned with coordinate axes, a mesh fitted to these layers is no longer orthogonal and the classical two-point flux approximation finite volume scheme is no longer accurate. Here, we propose new second-order accurate nonlinear finite volume (NFV) schemes for the head and pressure formulations of Richards’ equation. We prove that the discrete maximum principles hold for both formulations at steady-state which mimics similar properties of the continuum solution. The second-order accuracy is achieved using high-order upwind algorithmsmore » for the relative permeability. Numerical simulations of water infiltration into a dry soil show significant advantage of the second-order NFV schemes over the first-order NFV schemes even on coarse meshes. Since explicit calculation of the Jacobian matrix becomes prohibitively expensive for high-order schemes due to build-in reconstruction and slope limiting algorithms, we study numerically the preconditioning strategy introduced recently in Lipnikov et al. (2016) that uses a stable approximation of the continuum Jacobian. Lastly, numerical simulations show that the new preconditioner reduces computational cost up to 2–3 times in comparison with the conventional preconditioners.« less

A second-order accurate finite volume scheme with the discrete maximum principle for solving Richards’ equation on unstructured meshes

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

Svyatsky, Daniil; Lipnikov, Konstantin

Richards’s equation describes steady-state or transient flow in a variably saturated medium. For a medium having multiple layers of soils that are not aligned with coordinate axes, a mesh fitted to these layers is no longer orthogonal and the classical two-point flux approximation finite volume scheme is no longer accurate. Here, we propose new second-order accurate nonlinear finite volume (NFV) schemes for the head and pressure formulations of Richards’ equation. We prove that the discrete maximum principles hold for both formulations at steady-state which mimics similar properties of the continuum solution. The second-order accuracy is achieved using high-order upwind algorithmsmore » for the relative permeability. Numerical simulations of water infiltration into a dry soil show significant advantage of the second-order NFV schemes over the first-order NFV schemes even on coarse meshes. Since explicit calculation of the Jacobian matrix becomes prohibitively expensive for high-order schemes due to build-in reconstruction and slope limiting algorithms, we study numerically the preconditioning strategy introduced recently in Lipnikov et al. (2016) that uses a stable approximation of the continuum Jacobian. Lastly, numerical simulations show that the new preconditioner reduces computational cost up to 2–3 times in comparison with the conventional preconditioners.« less

Noise Abatement and Internal Vibrational Absorption in Potential Structural Materials

DTIC Science & Technology

1975-03-01

martensitic transformation tempera- ture ranges. In contrast, much acoustic activity was detected dur- ing transformation in experiments using 7^ P...S0 Hi alloys in which "burst-type" martensitic transformation is known to occur (4). The above experiments indicate that the mechanism of... martensitic trans- formation in the highly damping NiTi alloys is of the thermo-elas- tic mode. In order to establish a stable transformation behavior as

Influence of Hydrogen Bonding on the Kinetic Stability of Vapor Deposited Glasses of Triazine Derivatives

DOE Data Explorer

Laventure, Audrey [Departement de chimie, Universite de Montreal, C.P. 6128, Succ. Centre-Ville, Montreal, Quebec H3C 3J7, Canada] (ORCID:0000000208670231); Gujral, Ankit [Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, United States] (ORCID:0000000250652694); Lebel, Olivier [Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Royal Military College of Canada, Kingston, Ontario K7K 7B4] (ORCID:0000000217376843); Ediger, Mark [Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, United States] (ORCID:0000000347158473); Pellerin, Christian [Departement de chimie, Universite de Montreal, C.P. 6128, Succ. Centre-Ville, Montreal, Quebec H3C 3J7, Canada] (ORCID:0000000161441318)

2017-02-01

It has recently been established that physical vapor deposition (PVD) can produce organic glasses with enhanced kinetic stability, high density, and anisotropic packing, with the substrate temperature during deposition (Tsubstrate) as the key control parameter. The influence of hydrogen bonding on the formation of PVD glasses has not been fully explored. Herein, we use a high-throughput preparation method to vapor-deposit three triazine derivatives over a wide range of Tsubstrate, from 0.69 to 1.08Tg, where Tg is the glass transition temperature. These model systems are structural analogues containing a functional group with different H-bonding capability at the 2-position of a triazine ring: (1) 2-methylamino-4,6-bis(3,5-dimethyl-phenylamino)-1,3,5-triazine (NHMe) (H-bond donor), (2) 2-methoxy-4,6-bis(3,5-dimethyl-phenylamino)-1,3,5-triazine (OMe) (H-bond acceptor), and (3) 2-ethyl-4,6-bis(3,5-dimethyl-phenylamino)-1,3,5-triazine (Et) (none). Using spectroscopic ellipsometry, we find that the Et and OMe compounds form PVD glasses with relatively high kinetic stability, with the transformation time (scaled by the α-relaxation time) on the order of 103, comparable to other highly stable glasses formed by PVD. In contrast, PVD glasses of NHMe are only slightly more stable than the corresponding liquid-cooled glass. Using IR spectroscopy, we find that both the supercooled liquid and the PVD glasses of the NHMe derivative show a higher average number of bonded NH per molecule than that in the other two compounds. These results suggest that H-bonds hinder the formation of stable glasses, perhaps by limiting the surface mobility. Interestingly, despite this difference in kinetic stability, all three compounds show properties typically observed in highly stable glasses prepared by PVD, including a higher density and anisotropic molecular packing (as characterized by IR and wide-angle X-ray scattering).

Trends in Performance and Characteristics of Ultra-Stable Oscillators for Deep Space Radio Science Experiments

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Asmar, Sami

1997-01-01

Telecommunication systems of spacecraft on deep space missions also function as instruments for Radio Science experiments. Radio scientists utilize the telecommunication links between spacecraft and Earth to examine very small changes in the phase/frequency, amplitude, and/or polarization of radio signals to investigate a host of physical phenomena in the solar system. Several missions augmented the radio communication system with an Ultra-Stable Oscillator (USO) in order to provide a highly stable reference signal for oneway downlink. This configuration is used in order to enable better investigations of the atmospheres of the planets occulting the line-of-sight to the spacecraft; one-way communication was required and the transponders' built-in auxiliary oscillators were neither sufficiently stable nor spectrally pure for the occultation experiments. Since Radio Science instrumentation is distributed between the spacecraft and the ground stations, the Deep Space Network (DSN) is also equipped to function as a world-class instrument for Radio Science research. For a detailed account of Radio Science experiments, methodology, key discoveries, and the DSN's historical contribution to the field, see Asmar and Renzetti (1993). The tools of Radio Science can be and have also been utilized in addressing several mission engineering challenges; e.g., characterization of spacecraft nutation and anomalous motion, antenna calibrations, and communications during surface landing phases. Since the first quartz USO was flown on Voyager, the technology has advanced significantly, affording future missions higher sensitivity in reconstructing the temperature pressure profiles of the atmospheres under study as well as other physical phenomena of interest to Radio Science. This paper surveys the trends in stability and spectral purity performance, design characteristics including size and mass, as well as cost and history of these clocks in space.

Application of manual control theory to the study of biological stress

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Replogle, C. R.; Holden, F. M.; Iay, C. N.

1972-01-01

A study was run using both a stable, third-order task and an adaptive first-order unstable task singly and in combination to test the effects of 2 min hypoxia (22000 ft) on human operator. The results indicate that the RMS error in the stable task does not change as a function of hypoxic stress whereas the error in an unstable task changes significantly. Models involving human operator parameter changes and noise injection are discussed.

Development and Application of Compatible Discretizations of Maxwell's Equations

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

White, D; Koning, J; Rieben, R

We present the development and application of compatible finite element discretizations of electromagnetics problems derived from the time dependent, full wave Maxwell equations. We review the H(curl)-conforming finite element method, using the concepts and notations of differential forms as a theoretical framework. We chose this approach because it can handle complex geometries, it is free of spurious modes, it is numerically stable without the need for filtering or artificial diffusion, it correctly models the discontinuity of fields across material boundaries, and it can be very high order. Higher-order H(curl) and H(div) conforming basis functions are not unique and we havemore » designed an extensible C++ framework that supports a variety of specific instantiations of these such as standard interpolatory bases, spectral bases, hierarchical bases, and semi-orthogonal bases. Virtually any electromagnetics problem that can be cast in the language of differential forms can be solved using our framework. For time dependent problems a method-of-lines scheme is used where the Galerkin method reduces the PDE to a semi-discrete system of ODE's, which are then integrated in time using finite difference methods. For time integration of wave equations we employ the unconditionally stable implicit Newmark-Beta method, as well as the high order energy conserving explicit Maxwell Symplectic method; for diffusion equations, we employ a generalized Crank-Nicholson method. We conclude with computational examples from resonant cavity problems, time-dependent wave propagation problems, and transient eddy current problems, all obtained using the authors massively parallel computational electromagnetics code EMSolve.« less

Unusually large unit cell of lipid bicontinuous cubic phase: towards nature's length scales

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Hojun; Leal, Cecilia

Lipid bicontinuous cubic phases are of great interest for drug delivery, protein crystallization, biosensing, and templates for directing hard material assembly. Structural modulations of lipid mesophases regarding phase identity and unit cell size are often necessary to augment loading and gain pore size control. One important example is the need for unit cells large enough to guide the crystallization of bigger proteins without distortion of the templating phase. In nature, bicontinuous cubic constructs achieve unit cell dimensions as high as 300 nm. However, the largest unit cell of lipid mesophases synthesized in the lab is an order of magnitude lower. In fact, it has been predicted theoretically that lipid bicontinuous cubic phases of unit cell dimensions exceeding 30 nm could not exist, as high membrane fluctuations would damp liquid crystalline order. Here we report non-equilibrium assembly methods of synthesizing metastable bicontinuous cubic phases with unit cell dimensions as high as 70 nm. The phases are stable for very long periods and become increasingly ordered as time goes by without changes to unit cell dimensions. We acknowledge the funding source as a NIH.

Surface Nanobubbles in Nonaqueous Media: Looking for Nanobubbles in DMSO, Formamide, Propylene Carbonate, Ethylammonium Nitrate, and Propylammonium Nitrate.

PubMed

An, Hongjie; Liu, Guangming; Atkin, Rob; Craig, Vincent S J

2015-07-28

Surface nanobubbles produced by supersaturation during the exchange of ethanol for water are routinely observed on hydrophobic surfaces, are stable for days, and have contact angles that are very much greater than observed macroscopically. Here, we test the hypothesis that nanobubbles can also be observed in nonaqueous solvents in order to ascertain if their anomalous lifetimes and contact angles are related to properties of the solvent. Nanobubbles were seen in the protic solvents formamide, ethylammonium nitrate, and propylammonium nitrate, but not in propylene carbonate or dimethyl sulfoxide. Solvents in which nanobubbles were observed exhibit a three-dimensional hydrogen-bonding network. Like in aqueous systems, the nanobubbles were stable for days and exhibited high contact angles (∼165°).

Stable Single-Mode Operation of Distributed Feedback Quantum Cascade Laser by Optimized Reflectivity Facet Coatings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Dong-Bo; Zhang, Jin-Chuan; Cheng, Feng-Min; Zhao, Yue; Zhuo, Ning; Zhai, Shen-Qiang; Wang, Li-Jun; Liu, Jun-Qi; Liu, Shu-Man; Liu, Feng-Qi; Wang, Zhan-Guo

2018-02-01

In this work, quantum cascade lasers (QCLs) based on strain compensation combined with two-phonon resonance design are presented. Distributed feedback (DFB) laser emitting at 4.76 μm was fabricated through a standard buried first-order grating and buried heterostructure (BH) processing. Stable single-mode emission is achieved under all injection currents and temperature conditions without any mode hop by the optimized antireflection (AR) coating on the front facet. The AR coating consists of a double layer dielectric of Al2O3 and Ge. For a 2-mm laser cavity, the maximum output power of the AR-coated DFB-QCL was more than 170 mW at 20 °C with a high wall-plug efficiency (WPE) of 4.7% in a continuous-wave (CW) mode.

Reduction of the hydraulic retention time at constant high organic loading rate to reach the microbial limits of anaerobic digestion in various reactor systems.

PubMed

Ziganshin, Ayrat M; Schmidt, Thomas; Lv, Zuopeng; Liebetrau, Jan; Richnow, Hans Hermann; Kleinsteuber, Sabine; Nikolausz, Marcell

2016-10-01

The effects of hydraulic retention time (HRT) reduction at constant high organic loading rate on the activity of hydrogen-producing bacteria and methanogens were investigated in reactors digesting thin stillage. Stable isotope fingerprinting was additionally applied to assess methanogenic pathways. Based on hydA gene transcripts, Clostridiales was the most active hydrogen-producing order in continuous stirred tank reactor (CSTR), fixed-bed reactor (FBR) and anaerobic sequencing batch reactor (ASBR), but shorter HRT stimulated the activity of Spirochaetales. Further decreasing HRT diminished Spirochaetales activity in systems with biomass retention. Based on mcrA gene transcripts, Methanoculleus and Methanosarcina were the predominantly active in CSTR and ASBR, whereas Methanosaeta and Methanospirillum activity was more significant in stably performing FBR. Isotope values indicated the predominance of aceticlastic pathway in FBR. Interestingly, an increased activity of Methanosaeta was observed during shortening HRT in CSTR and ASBR despite high organic acids concentrations, what was supported by stable isotope data. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Enzymatic degradation of endomorphins.

PubMed

Janecka, Anna; Staniszewska, Renata; Gach, Katarzyna; Fichna, Jakub

2008-11-01

Centrally acting plant opiates, such as morphine, are the most frequently used analgesics for the relief of severe pain, even though their undesired side effects are serious limitation to their usefulness. The search for new therapeutics that could replace morphine has been mainly focused on the development of peptide analogs or peptidomimetics with high selectivity for one receptor type and high bioavailability, that is good blood-brain barrier permeability and enzymatic stability. Drugs, in order to be effective, must be able to reach the target tissue and to remain metabolically stable to produce the desired effects. The study of naturally occurring peptides provides a rational and powerful approach in the design of peptide therapeutics. Endogenous opioid peptides, endomorphin-1 and endomorphin-2, are two potent and highly selective mu-opioid receptor agonists, discovered only a decade ago, which display potent analgesic activity. However, extensive studies on the possible use of endomorphins as analgesics instead of morphine met with failure due to their instability. This review deals with the recent investigations that allowed determine degradation pathways of endomorphins in vitro and in vivo and propose modifications that will lead to more stable analogs.

Low-Temperature Photochemically Activated Amorphous Indium-Gallium-Zinc Oxide for Highly Stable Room-Temperature Gas Sensors.

PubMed

Jaisutti, Rawat; Kim, Jaeyoung; Park, Sung Kyu; Kim, Yong-Hoon

2016-08-10

We report on highly stable amorphous indium-gallium-zinc oxide (IGZO) gas sensors for ultraviolet (UV)-activated room-temperature detection of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). The IGZO sensors fabricated by a low-temperature photochemical activation process and exhibiting two orders higher photocurrent compared to conventional zinc oxide sensors, allowed high gas sensitivity against various VOCs even at room temperature. From a systematic analysis, it was found that by increasing the UV intensity, the gas sensitivity, response time, and recovery behavior of an IGZO sensor were strongly enhanced. In particular, under an UV intensity of 30 mW cm(-2), the IGZO sensor exhibited gas sensitivity, response time and recovery time of 37%, 37 and 53 s, respectively, against 750 ppm concentration of acetone gas. Moreover, the IGZO gas sensor had an excellent long-term stability showing around 6% variation in gas sensitivity over 70 days. These results strongly support a conclusion that a low-temperature solution-processed amorphous IGZO film can serve as a good candidate for room-temperature VOCs sensors for emerging wearable electronics.

Statistically accurate low-order models for uncertainty quantification in turbulent dynamical systems.

PubMed

Sapsis, Themistoklis P; Majda, Andrew J

2013-08-20

A framework for low-order predictive statistical modeling and uncertainty quantification in turbulent dynamical systems is developed here. These reduced-order, modified quasilinear Gaussian (ROMQG) algorithms apply to turbulent dynamical systems in which there is significant linear instability or linear nonnormal dynamics in the unperturbed system and energy-conserving nonlinear interactions that transfer energy from the unstable modes to the stable modes where dissipation occurs, resulting in a statistical steady state; such turbulent dynamical systems are ubiquitous in geophysical and engineering turbulence. The ROMQG method involves constructing a low-order, nonlinear, dynamical system for the mean and covariance statistics in the reduced subspace that has the unperturbed statistics as a stable fixed point and optimally incorporates the indirect effect of non-Gaussian third-order statistics for the unperturbed system in a systematic calibration stage. This calibration procedure is achieved through information involving only the mean and covariance statistics for the unperturbed equilibrium. The performance of the ROMQG algorithm is assessed on two stringent test cases: the 40-mode Lorenz 96 model mimicking midlatitude atmospheric turbulence and two-layer baroclinic models for high-latitude ocean turbulence with over 125,000 degrees of freedom. In the Lorenz 96 model, the ROMQG algorithm with just a single mode captures the transient response to random or deterministic forcing. For the baroclinic ocean turbulence models, the inexpensive ROMQG algorithm with 252 modes, less than 0.2% of the total, captures the nonlinear response of the energy, the heat flux, and even the one-dimensional energy and heat flux spectra.

SURFACE PHONONS IN THE ORDERED c(2 × 2) PHASE OF Pd ON Au(100)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chadli, R.; Khater, A.; Tigrine, R.

2013-03-01

The vibrational properties of the Au(100)-c(2 × 2)-Pd ordered phase, which is a stable system in the temperature range of 500 K to 600 K, are presented. This surface alloy is formed by depositing Pd atoms onto the Au(100) surface, and annealing at higher temperatures. The equilibrium structural characteristics, phonon dispersions as well as the local density of phonon states are calculated using the matching theory associated with Green's function formalism evaluated in the harmonic approximation. New surface modes have been found on the ordered metallic surface alloy along the three directions of high symmetry /line{Γ X}, /line{XM}, and /line{MΓ }, in comparison with the clean surface Au(100). Three of them are observed above the bulk bands spectrum.

A heterodyne interferometer for high resolution translation and tilt measurement as optical readout for the LISA inertial sensor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schuldt, Thilo; Kraus, Hans-Jürgen; Weise, Dennis; Braxmaier, Claus; Peters, Achim; Johann, Ulrich

2017-11-01

The space-based gravitational wave detector LISA (Laser Interferometer Space Antenna) requires a high performance position sensor in order to measure the translation and tilt of the free flying test mass with respect to the LISA optical bench. Here, we present a mechanically highly stable and compact setup of a heterodyne interferometer combined with differential wavefront sensing for the tilt measurement which serves as a demonstrator for an optical readout of the LISA test mass position. First results show noise levels below 1 nm/√Hz and 1 μrad/√Hz, respectively, for frequencies < 10-3 Hz.

Theory and Modeling of High-Power Gyrotrons

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

Nusinovich, Gregory Semeon

2016-04-29

This report summarized results of the work performed at the Institute for Research in Electronics and Applied Physics of the University of Maryland (College Park, MD) in the framework of the DOE Grant “Theory and Modeling of High-Power Gyrotrons”. The report covers the work performed in 2011-2014. The research work was performed in three directions: - possibilities of stable gyrotron operation in very high-order modes offering the output power exceeding 1 MW level in long-pulse/continuous-wave regimes, - effect of small imperfections in gyrotron fabrication and alignment on the gyrotron efficiency and operation, - some issues in physics of beam-wave interactionmore » in gyrotrons.« less

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

Kfir, Ofer, E-mail: ofertx@technion.ac.il, E-mail: oren@si.technion.ac.il; Bordo, Eliyahu; Ilan Haham, Gil

The recent demonstration of bright circularly polarized high-order harmonics of a bi-circular pump field gave rise to new opportunities in ultrafast chiral science. In previous works, the required nontrivial bi-circular pump field was produced using a relatively complicated and sensitive Mach-Zehnder-like interferometer. We propose a compact and stable in-line apparatus for converting a quasi-monochromatic linearly polarized ultrashort driving laser field into a bi-circular field and employ it for generation of helically polarized high-harmonics. Furthermore, utilizing the apparatus for a spectroscopic spin-mixing measurement, we identify the photon spins of the bi-circular weak component field that are annihilated during the high harmonicsmore » process.« less

A higher-order Skyrme model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gudnason, Sven Bjarke; Nitta, Muneto

2017-09-01

We propose a higher-order Skyrme model with derivative terms of eighth, tenth and twelfth order. Our construction yields simple and easy-to-interpret higher-order Lagrangians. We first show that a Skyrmion with higher-order terms proposed by Marleau has an instability in the form of a baby-Skyrmion string, while the static energies of our construction are positive definite, implying stability against time-independent perturbations. However, we also find that the Hamiltonians of our construction possess two kinds of dynamical instabilities, which may indicate the instability with respect to time-dependent perturbations. Different from the well-known Ostrogradsky instability, the instabilities that we find are intrinsically of nonlinear nature and also due to the fact that even powers of the inverse metric gives a ghost-like higher-order kinetic-like term. The vacuum state is, however, stable. Finally, we show that at sufficiently low energies, our Hamiltonians in the simplest cases, are stable against time-dependent perturbations.

Patterns and Predictors of Language and Literacy Abilities 4-10 Years in the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children

PubMed Central

Zubrick, Stephen R.; Taylor, Catherine L.; Christensen, Daniel

2015-01-01

Aims Oral language is the foundation of literacy. Naturally, policies and practices to promote children’s literacy begin in early childhood and have a strong focus on developing children’s oral language, especially for children with known risk factors for low language ability. The underlying assumption is that children’s progress along the oral to literate continuum is stable and predictable, such that low language ability foretells low literacy ability. This study investigated patterns and predictors of children’s oral language and literacy abilities at 4, 6, 8 and 10 years. The study sample comprised 2,316 to 2,792 children from the first nationally representative Longitudinal Study of Australian Children (LSAC). Six developmental patterns were observed, a stable middle-high pattern, a stable low pattern, an improving pattern, a declining pattern, a fluctuating low pattern, and a fluctuating middle-high pattern. Most children (69%) fit a stable middle-high pattern. By contrast, less than 1% of children fit a stable low pattern. These results challenged the view that children’s progress along the oral to literate continuum is stable and predictable. Findings Multivariate logistic regression was used to investigate risks for low literacy ability at 10 years and sensitivity-specificity analysis was used to examine the predictive utility of the multivariate model. Predictors were modelled as risk variables with the lowest level of risk as the reference category. In the multivariate model, substantial risks for low literacy ability at 10 years, in order of descending magnitude, were: low school readiness, Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander status and low language ability at 8 years. Moderate risks were high temperamental reactivity, low language ability at 4 years, and low language ability at 6 years. The following risk factors were not statistically significant in the multivariate model: Low maternal consistency, low family income, health care card, child not read to at home, maternal smoking, maternal education, family structure, temperamental persistence, and socio-economic area disadvantage. The results of the sensitivity-specificity analysis showed that a well-fitted multivariate model featuring risks of substantive magnitude did not do particularly well in predicting low literacy ability at 10 years. PMID:26352436

Massively parallel de novo protein design for targeted therapeutics.

PubMed

Chevalier, Aaron; Silva, Daniel-Adriano; Rocklin, Gabriel J; Hicks, Derrick R; Vergara, Renan; Murapa, Patience; Bernard, Steffen M; Zhang, Lu; Lam, Kwok-Ho; Yao, Guorui; Bahl, Christopher D; Miyashita, Shin-Ichiro; Goreshnik, Inna; Fuller, James T; Koday, Merika T; Jenkins, Cody M; Colvin, Tom; Carter, Lauren; Bohn, Alan; Bryan, Cassie M; Fernández-Velasco, D Alejandro; Stewart, Lance; Dong, Min; Huang, Xuhui; Jin, Rongsheng; Wilson, Ian A; Fuller, Deborah H; Baker, David

2017-10-05

De novo protein design holds promise for creating small stable proteins with shapes customized to bind therapeutic targets. We describe a massively parallel approach for designing, manufacturing and screening mini-protein binders, integrating large-scale computational design, oligonucleotide synthesis, yeast display screening and next-generation sequencing. We designed and tested 22,660 mini-proteins of 37-43 residues that target influenza haemagglutinin and botulinum neurotoxin B, along with 6,286 control sequences to probe contributions to folding and binding, and identified 2,618 high-affinity binders. Comparison of the binding and non-binding design sets, which are two orders of magnitude larger than any previously investigated, enabled the evaluation and improvement of the computational model. Biophysical characterization of a subset of the binder designs showed that they are extremely stable and, unlike antibodies, do not lose activity after exposure to high temperatures. The designs elicit little or no immune response and provide potent prophylactic and therapeutic protection against influenza, even after extensive repeated dosing.

Massively parallel de novo protein design for targeted therapeutics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chevalier, Aaron; Silva, Daniel-Adriano; Rocklin, Gabriel J.; Hicks, Derrick R.; Vergara, Renan; Murapa, Patience; Bernard, Steffen M.; Zhang, Lu; Lam, Kwok-Ho; Yao, Guorui; Bahl, Christopher D.; Miyashita, Shin-Ichiro; Goreshnik, Inna; Fuller, James T.; Koday, Merika T.; Jenkins, Cody M.; Colvin, Tom; Carter, Lauren; Bohn, Alan; Bryan, Cassie M.; Fernández-Velasco, D. Alejandro; Stewart, Lance; Dong, Min; Huang, Xuhui; Jin, Rongsheng; Wilson, Ian A.; Fuller, Deborah H.; Baker, David

2017-10-01

De novo protein design holds promise for creating small stable proteins with shapes customized to bind therapeutic targets. We describe a massively parallel approach for designing, manufacturing and screening mini-protein binders, integrating large-scale computational design, oligonucleotide synthesis, yeast display screening and next-generation sequencing. We designed and tested 22,660 mini-proteins of 37-43 residues that target influenza haemagglutinin and botulinum neurotoxin B, along with 6,286 control sequences to probe contributions to folding and binding, and identified 2,618 high-affinity binders. Comparison of the binding and non-binding design sets, which are two orders of magnitude larger than any previously investigated, enabled the evaluation and improvement of the computational model. Biophysical characterization of a subset of the binder designs showed that they are extremely stable and, unlike antibodies, do not lose activity after exposure to high temperatures. The designs elicit little or no immune response and provide potent prophylactic and therapeutic protection against influenza, even after extensive repeated dosing.

Massively parallel de novo protein design for targeted therapeutics

PubMed Central

Chevalier, Aaron; Silva, Daniel-Adriano; Rocklin, Gabriel J.; Hicks, Derrick R.; Vergara, Renan; Murapa, Patience; Bernard, Steffen M.; Zhang, Lu; Lam, Kwok-Ho; Yao, Guorui; Bahl, Christopher D.; Miyashita, Shin-Ichiro; Goreshnik, Inna; Fuller, James T.; Koday, Merika T.; Jenkins, Cody M.; Colvin, Tom; Carter, Lauren; Bohn, Alan; Bryan, Cassie M.; Fernández-Velasco, D. Alejandro; Stewart, Lance; Dong, Min; Huang, Xuhui; Jin, Rongsheng; Wilson, Ian A.; Fuller, Deborah H.; Baker, David

2018-01-01

De novo protein design holds promise for creating small stable proteins with shapes customized to bind therapeutic targets. We describe a massively parallel approach for designing, manufacturing and screening mini-protein binders, integrating large-scale computational design, oligonucleotide synthesis, yeast display screening and next-generation sequencing. We designed and tested 22,660 mini-proteins of 37–43 residues that target influenza haemagglutinin and botulinum neurotoxin B, along with 6,286 control sequences to probe contributions to folding and binding, and identified 2,618 high-affinity binders. Comparison of the binding and non-binding design sets, which are two orders of magnitude larger than any previously investigated, enabled the evaluation and improvement of the computational model. Biophysical characterization of a subset of the binder designs showed that they are extremely stable and, unlike antibodies, do not lose activity after exposure to high temperatures. The designs elicit little or no immune response and provide potent prophylactic and therapeutic protection against influenza, even after extensive repeated dosing. PMID:28953867

Cool roofs with high solar reflectance for the welfare of dairy farming animals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Santunione, G.; Libbra, A.; Muscio, A.

2017-01-01

Ensuring livestock welfare in dairy farming promotes the production capacity of the animals in terms of both quantity and quality. In welfare conditions, the animals can produce at their full potential. For the dairy cattle the most debilitating period of the year is summer, when the stress arising from overheating induces physiological alterations that compromise the animals’ productivity. In this study, the summer discomfort of dairy animals is primarily quantified and the production loss is quantified versus the Temperature Humidity Index (THI), which correlates the values of temperature and relative humidity to the thermal stress. In order to reduce or eliminate such thermal stress, it is then proposed to coat the roof of the stables with a paint having high solar reflectance and thermal emittance, that is a cool roof product. This type of roofing solution can considerably limit the overheating of stables caused by solar radiation, thus providing a positive impact on the animals’ welfare and improving significantly their productivity in summer.

Permanent magnets as biasing mechanism for improving the performance of circular dielectric elastomer out-of-plane actuators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Loew, P.; Rizzello, G.; Seelecke, S.

2017-04-01

Dielectric Elastomers (DE) represent an attractive technology for the realization of mechatronic actuators, due to their lightweight, high energy density, high energy efficiency, scalability, and low noise features. In order to produce a stroke, a DE membrane needs to be pre-loaded with a mechanical biasing mechanism. In our previous works, we compared the stroke achieved with different biasing mechanisms for a circular out-of-plane DE Actuator (DEA), i.e., hanging masses, linear and bi-stable springs. The novel contribution of this paper is the investigation of a biasing design approach based on permanent magnets. The resulting magnet-based actuators are usually more compact than the spring-based ones, allowing to obtain more compact systems. Two design solutions are proposed and compared, namely a first one characterized by a stable actuation, and a second one which permits to achieve a higher stroke, but it is intrinsically unstable. The effectiveness of the novel design solution is assessed by means of several experiments.

Microscopic modulation of mechanical properties in transparent insect wings

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

Arora, Ashima; Kumar, Pramod; Bhagavathi, Jithin

We report on the measurement of local friction and adhesion of transparent insect wings using an atomic force microscope cantilever down to nanometre length scales. We observe that the wing-surface is decorated with 10 μm long and 2 μm wide islands that have higher topographic height. The friction on the islands is two orders of magnitude higher than the back-ground while the adhesion on the islands is smaller. Furthermore, the high islands are decorated with ordered nano-wire-like structures while the background is full of randomly distributed granular nano-particles. Coherent optical diffraction through the wings produce a stable diffraction pattern revealing a quasi-periodicmore » organization of the high islands over the entire wing. This suggests a long-range order in the modulation of friction and adhesion which is directly correlated with the topography. The measurements unravel novel functional design of complex wing surface and could find application in miniature biomimetic devices.« less

A facile method to form highly-ordered TiO2 nanotubes at a stable growth rate of 1000 nm min-1 under 60 V using an organic electrolyte for improved photovoltaic properties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Asgari, Vajihe; Noormohammadi, Mohammad; Ramazani, Abdolali; Almasi Kashi, Mohammad

2017-09-01

An effective method has been developed for the preparation of highly ordered TiO2 nanotubes (TNTs) at a rapid growth rate. The idea is based on increasing the backside temperature of Ti foil during the anodization process, thereby enhancing the chemical reaction and ion mobility at the barrier layer. A combination of electropolishing pretreatment with the backside temperature increase showed a significant growth rate and hexagonal ordering improvement of TNTs. The most rapid growth rate obtained was approximately 1000 nm min-1 under 60 V and at a backside temperature of 70 °C with an almost constant rate. The resulting TNTs were used as a photoanode in dye-sensitized solar cells in which the corresponding efficiency improved up to about 40% compared with TNTs fabricated using a backside temperature of 20 °C.

Blue phase liquid crystal: strategies for phase stabilization and device development

PubMed Central

Rahman, M D Asiqur; Mohd Said, Suhana; Balamurugan, S

2015-01-01

The blue phase liquid crystal (BPLC) is a highly ordered liquid crystal (LC) phase found very close to the LC–isotropic transition. The BPLC has demonstrated potential in next-generation display and photonic technology due to its exceptional properties such as sub-millisecond response time and wide viewing angle. However, BPLC is stable in a very small temperature range (0.5–1 °C) and its driving voltage is very high (∼100 V). To overcome these challenges recent research has focused on solutions which incorporate polymers or nanoparticles into the blue phase to widen the temperature range from around few °C to potentially more than 60 °C. In order to reduce the driving voltage, strategies have been attempted by modifying the device structure by introducing protrusion or corrugated electrodes and vertical field switching mechanism has been proposed. In this paper the effectiveness of the proposed solution will be discussed, in order to assess the potential of BPLC in display technology and beyond. PMID:27877782

Freestanding nano crystalline Tin@carbon anode electrodes for high capacity Li-ion batteries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guler, M. O.; Guzeler, M.; Nalci, D.; Singil, M.; Alkan, E.; Dogan, M.; Guler, A.; Akbulut, H.

2018-07-01

Due to their high specific capacities tin based electrode materials are in the focus of many researchers almost for a decade. However, tin based electrodes are hampered in practical applications due to the volumetric changes during the lithiation and delithiation processes. Therefore, we designed and synthesized a novel "yolk-shell" structure in order to remove these challenges. The production of high purity nano Sn particles were synthesized through a facile chemical reduction method. As-synthesized nano particles were then embedded into conformal and self-standing carbon architectures, designed with hollow space in between the shell and the active electrode particles. As-synthesized Sn@C composite particles were decorated between the layers of graphene produced by Hummers method in order to obtained self-standing thin graphene films. A stable discharge capacity of 284.5 mA h g-1 after 250 cycles is obtained. The results have shown that Sn@C@graphene composite electrodes will be a promising novel candidate electrode material for high capacity lithium ion batteries.

Design of a Protection Thermal Energy Storage Using Phase Change Material Coupled to a Solar Receiver

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Verdier, D.; Falcoz, Q.; Ferrière, A.

2014-12-01

Thermal Energy Storage (TES) is the key for a stable electricity production in future Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) plants. This work presents a study on the thermal protection of the central receiver of CSP plant using a tower which is subject to considerable thermal stresses in case of cloudy events. The very high temperatures, 800 °C at design point, impose the use of special materials which are able to resist at high temperature and high mechanical constraints and high level of concentrated solar flux. In this paper we investigate a TES coupling a metallic matrix drilled with tubes of Phase Change Material (PCM) in order to store a large amount of thermal energy and release it in a short time. A numerical model is developed to optimize the arrangement of tubes into the TES. Then a methodology is given, based from the need in terms of thermal capacity, in order to help the choice of the geometry.

The cubic-quintic-septic complex Ginzburg-Landau equation formulation of optical pulse propagation in 3D doped Kerr media with higher-order dispersions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Djoko, Martin; Kofane, T. C.

2018-06-01

We investigate the propagation characteristics and stabilization of generalized-Gaussian pulse in highly nonlinear homogeneous media with higher-order dispersion terms. The optical pulse propagation has been modeled by the higher-order (3+1)-dimensional cubic-quintic-septic complex Ginzburg-Landau [(3+1)D CQS-CGL] equation. We have used the variational method to find a set of differential equations characterizing the variation of the pulse parameters in fiber optic-links. The variational equations we obtained have been integrated numerically by the means of the fourth-order Runge-Kutta (RK4) method, which also allows us to investigate the evolution of the generalized-Gaussian beam and the pulse evolution along an optical doped fiber. Then, we have solved the original nonlinear (3+1)D CQS-CGL equation with the split-step Fourier method (SSFM), and compare the results with those obtained, using the variational approach. A good agreement between analytical and numerical methods is observed. The evolution of the generalized-Gaussian beam has shown oscillatory propagation, and bell-shaped dissipative optical bullets have been obtained under certain parameter values in both anomalous and normal chromatic dispersion regimes. Using the natural control parameter of the solution as it evolves, named the total energy Q, our numerical simulations reveal the existence of 3D stable vortex dissipative light bullets, 3D stable spatiotemporal optical soliton, stationary and pulsating optical bullets, depending on the used initial input condition (symmetric or elliptic).

Spin nematics next to spin singlets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yokoyama, Yuto; Hotta, Chisa

2018-05-01

We provide a route to generate nematic order in a spin-1/2 system. Unlike the well-known magnon-binding mechanism, our spin nematics requires neither the frustration effect nor spin polarization in a high field or in the vicinity of a ferromagnet, but instead appears next to the spin singlet phase. We start from a state consisting of a quantum spin-1/2 singlet dimer placed on each site of a triangular lattice, and show that interdimer ring exchange interactions efficiently dope the SU(2) triplets that itinerate and interact, easily driving a stable singlet state to either Bose-Einstein condensates or a triplet crystal, some hosting a spin nematic order. A variety of roles the ring exchange serves includes the generation of a bilinear-biquadratic interaction between nearby triplets, which is responsible for the emergent nematic order separated from the singlet phase by a first-order transition.

Finite time control for MIMO nonlinear system based on higher-order sliding mode.

PubMed

Liu, Xiangjie; Han, Yaozhen

2014-11-01

Considering a class of MIMO uncertain nonlinear system, a novel finite time stable control algorithm is proposed based on higher-order sliding mode concept. The higher-order sliding mode control problem of MIMO nonlinear system is firstly transformed into finite time stability problem of multivariable system. Then continuous control law, which can guarantee finite time stabilization of nominal integral chain system, is employed. The second-order sliding mode is used to overcome the system uncertainties. High frequency chattering phenomenon of sliding mode is greatly weakened, and the arbitrarily fast convergence is reached. The finite time stability is proved based on the quadratic form Lyapunov function. Examples concerning the triple integral chain system with uncertainty and the hovercraft trajectory tracking are simulated respectively to verify the effectiveness and the robustness of the proposed algorithm. Copyright © 2014 ISA. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

In situ SHG monitoring of dipolar orientation and relaxation in Disperse Red type/derivative urethane-urea copolymer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Samoc, A.; Holland, A.; Tsuchimori, M.; Watanabe, O.; Samoc, M.; Luther-Davies, B.; Kolev, V. Z.

2005-09-01

We investigated linear optical and second-order nonlinear optical (NLO) properties of films of urethane-urea copolymer (UU2) functionalised with a high concentration of an azobenzene chromophore. The polymer films on ITO-coated substrate were corona poled to induce a noncentrosymmetric organization of chromophore dipoles and data on the second harmonic generated with the laser beam (the fundamental wavelength 1053 nm, 6 ps/pulse, 20 Hz repetition rate) was acquired as a function of time and temperature. Second harmonic generation (SHG) was used to monitor in situ the polar alignment and relaxation of orientation of the side-chain Disperse Red-like chromophore molecules in the films poled at room temperature and high above the glass transition temperature (Tg 140-150oC). The deff coefficient was determined from the Maker-fringe method and corrected for absorption. A strong second harmonic effect with a fast relaxation was observed in "cold" (room temperature) poling experiments. A large second-order resonantly enhanced optical nonlinearity (d33 of the order of 200 pm/V) was obtained in high temperature poling. A strong and stable nonlinearity has persisted for years after the films were high-temperature poled.

Flexible nanopillar-based electrochemical sensors for genetic detection of foodborne pathogens

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Park, Yoo Min; Lim, Sun Young; Jeong, Soon Woo; Song, Younseong; Bae, Nam Ho; Hong, Seok Bok; Choi, Bong Gill; Lee, Seok Jae; Lee, Kyoung G.

2018-06-01

Flexible and highly ordered nanopillar arrayed electrodes have brought great interest for many electrochemical applications, especially to the biosensors, because of its unique mechanical and topological properties. Herein, we report an advanced method to fabricate highly ordered nanopillar electrodes produced by soft-/photo-lithography and metal evaporation. The highly ordered nanopillar array exhibited the superior electrochemical and mechanical properties in regard with the wide space to response with electrolytes, enabling the sensitive analysis. As-prepared gold and silver electrodes on nanopillar arrays exhibit great and stable electrochemical performance to detect the amplified gene from foodborne pathogen of Escherichia coli O157:H7. Additionally, lightweight, flexible, and USB-connectable nanopillar-based electrochemical sensor platform improves the connectivity, portability, and sensitivity. Moreover, we successfully confirm the performance of genetic analysis using real food, specially designed intercalator, and amplified gene from foodborne pathogens with high reproducibility (6% standard deviation) and sensitivity (10 × 1.01 CFU) within 25 s based on the square wave voltammetry principle. This study confirmed excellent mechanical and chemical characteristics of nanopillar electrodes have a great and considerable electrochemical activity to apply as genetic biosensor platform in the fields of point-of-care testing (POCT).

Coherent receiver design based on digital signal processing in optical high-speed intersatellite links with M-phase-shift keying

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schaefer, Semjon; Gregory, Mark; Rosenkranz, Werner

2016-11-01

We present simulative and experimental investigations of different coherent receiver designs for high-speed optical intersatellite links. We focus on frequency offset (FO) compensation in homodyne and intradyne detection systems. The considered laser communication terminal uses an optical phase-locked loop (OPLL), which ensures stable homodyne detection. However, the hardware complexity increases with the modulation order. Therefore, we show that software-based intradyne detection is an attractive alternative for OPLL-based homodyne systems. Our approach is based on digital FO and phase noise compensation, in order to achieve a more flexible coherent detection scheme. Analytic results will further show the theoretical impact of the different detection schemes on the receiver sensitivity. Finally, we compare the schemes in terms of bit error ratio measurements and optimal receiver design.

Covalent Modification of Highly Ordered Pyrolytic Graphite with a Stable Organic Free Radical by Using Diazonium Chemistry.

PubMed

Seber, Gonca; Rudnev, Alexander V; Droghetti, Andrea; Rungger, Ivan; Veciana, Jaume; Mas-Torrent, Marta; Rovira, Concepció; Crivillers, Núria

2017-01-26

A novel, persistent, electrochemically active perchlorinated triphenylmethyl (PTM) radical with a diazonium functionality has been covalently attached to highly ordered pyrolytic graphite (HOPG) by electrografting in a single-step process. Electrochemical scanning tunneling microscopy (EC-STM) and Raman spectroscopy measurements revealed that PTM molecules had a higher tendency to covalently react at the HOPG step edges. The cross-section profiles from EC-STM images showed that there was current enhancement at the functionalized areas, which could be explained by redox-mediated electron tunneling through surface-confined redox-active molecules. Cyclic voltammetry clearly demonstrated that the intrinsic properties of the organic radical were preserved upon grafting and DFT calculations also revealed that the magnetic character of the PTM radical was preserved. © 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Mass Action and Islamic Fundamentalism: The Revolt of the Brooms

DTIC Science & Technology

1992-03-20

movement. 19. ABSTRACT (Continue on reverse if necessary and identify by block number) Just when we appear to be on the brink of a stable world order...by calling commercial (717)245-3234 or DSN 242-3234. FOREWORD Just when we appear to be on the brink of a stable world order, the Middle East has...Strategic Studies Institute is pleased to publish this report as a contribution to the debate on U.S. policy in this volatile region. KARL W. ROBINSON

Robust Working Memory in an Asynchronously Spiking Neural Network Realized with Neuromorphic VLSI.

PubMed

Giulioni, Massimiliano; Camilleri, Patrick; Mattia, Maurizio; Dante, Vittorio; Braun, Jochen; Del Giudice, Paolo

2011-01-01

We demonstrate bistable attractor dynamics in a spiking neural network implemented with neuromorphic VLSI hardware. The on-chip network consists of three interacting populations (two excitatory, one inhibitory) of leaky integrate-and-fire (LIF) neurons. One excitatory population is distinguished by strong synaptic self-excitation, which sustains meta-stable states of "high" and "low"-firing activity. Depending on the overall excitability, transitions to the "high" state may be evoked by external stimulation, or may occur spontaneously due to random activity fluctuations. In the former case, the "high" state retains a "working memory" of a stimulus until well after its release. In the latter case, "high" states remain stable for seconds, three orders of magnitude longer than the largest time-scale implemented in the circuitry. Evoked and spontaneous transitions form a continuum and may exhibit a wide range of latencies, depending on the strength of external stimulation and of recurrent synaptic excitation. In addition, we investigated "corrupted" "high" states comprising neurons of both excitatory populations. Within a "basin of attraction," the network dynamics "corrects" such states and re-establishes the prototypical "high" state. We conclude that, with effective theoretical guidance, full-fledged attractor dynamics can be realized with comparatively small populations of neuromorphic hardware neurons.

Ordered Pt 3Co Intermetallic Nanoparticles Derived from Metal–Organic Frameworks for Oxygen Reduction

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

Wang, Xiao Xia; Hwang, Sooyeon; Pan, Yung-Tin

Highly ordered Pt alloy structures are proved effective to improve their catalytic activity and stability for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) for proton exchange membrane fuel cells. Here, we report a new approach to preparing ordered Pt 3Co intermetallic nanoparticles through a facile thermal treatment of Pt nanoparticles supported on Co-doped metal-organic framework (MOF)-derived carbon. In particular, the atomically dispersed Co sites, which are originally embedded into MOF-derived carbon, diffuse into Pt nanocrystals and form ordered Pt 3Co structures. It is very crucial for the formation of the ordered Pt 3Co to carefully control the doping content of Co intomore » the MOFs and the heating temperatures for Co diffusion. The optimal Pt 3Co nanoparticle catalyst has achieved significantly enhanced activity and stability, exhibiting a half-wave potential up to 0.92 V vs. RHE and only losing 12 mV after 30,000 potential cycling between 0.6 and 1.0 V. The highly ordered intermetallic structure was retained after the accelerated stress tests evidenced by atomic-scale elemental mapping. Fuel cell tests further verified the high intrinsic activity of the ordered Pt 3Co catalysts. Unlike the direct use of MOF-derived carbon supports for depositing Pt, we utilized MOF-derived carbon containing atomically dispersed Co sites as Co sources to prepare ordered Pt 3Co intermetallic catalysts. Finally, the new synthesis approach provides an effective strategy to develop active and stable Pt alloy catalysts by leveraging the unique properties of MOFs such as 3D structures, high surface areas, and controlled nitrogen doping.« less

Ordered Pt 3Co Intermetallic Nanoparticles Derived from Metal–Organic Frameworks for Oxygen Reduction

DOE PAGES

Wang, Xiao Xia; Hwang, Sooyeon; Pan, Yung-Tin; ...

2018-06-06

Highly ordered Pt alloy structures are proved effective to improve their catalytic activity and stability for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) for proton exchange membrane fuel cells. Here, we report a new approach to preparing ordered Pt 3Co intermetallic nanoparticles through a facile thermal treatment of Pt nanoparticles supported on Co-doped metal-organic framework (MOF)-derived carbon. In particular, the atomically dispersed Co sites, which are originally embedded into MOF-derived carbon, diffuse into Pt nanocrystals and form ordered Pt 3Co structures. It is very crucial for the formation of the ordered Pt 3Co to carefully control the doping content of Co intomore » the MOFs and the heating temperatures for Co diffusion. The optimal Pt 3Co nanoparticle catalyst has achieved significantly enhanced activity and stability, exhibiting a half-wave potential up to 0.92 V vs. RHE and only losing 12 mV after 30,000 potential cycling between 0.6 and 1.0 V. The highly ordered intermetallic structure was retained after the accelerated stress tests evidenced by atomic-scale elemental mapping. Fuel cell tests further verified the high intrinsic activity of the ordered Pt 3Co catalysts. Unlike the direct use of MOF-derived carbon supports for depositing Pt, we utilized MOF-derived carbon containing atomically dispersed Co sites as Co sources to prepare ordered Pt 3Co intermetallic catalysts. Finally, the new synthesis approach provides an effective strategy to develop active and stable Pt alloy catalysts by leveraging the unique properties of MOFs such as 3D structures, high surface areas, and controlled nitrogen doping.« less

Stable Vanadium Isotopes as a Redox Proxy at High Temperatures?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Prytulak, J.; Sossi, P.; Halliday, A.; Plank, T. A.; Savage, P.; Woodhead, J. D.

2016-12-01

There is currently no consensus on the relative oxygen fugacity (fO2) of the mantle source of mid-ocean ridge basalts compared to the sub-arc mantle, the region that is central to the mediation of crust-mantle mass balances. Vanadium is a multivalent transition metal whose stable isotope fractionation may reflect oxygen fugacity (fO2). However, a direct link between V isotope composition and fO2 is currently far from convincingly demonstrated. Furthermore, differences in co-ordination environment also play a large role in causing stable isotope fractionation. Here we present V isotope measurements of two suites of co-genetic magmas from contrasting tectonic settings: the Mariana arc and Hekla volcano, Iceland. We use this data alongside the tightly constrained V isotope composition of MORB [1] to assess the effects of fO2 and crystal fractionation on stable vanadium isotopes. We show that, for a given MgO content, V isotopes are identical within analytical error between arc basalts from the Marianas, lavas from Hekla, and MORB. The most striking aspect of our igneous, high temperature V isotope data is the large isotope fractionation (on the order of 2 ‰) towards heavier values in magmatic suites from both Hekla and the Marianas with progressive differentiation. We use a self consistent model of fractionating cotectic phases in both igneous suites to match major, trace and V isotope data. Vanadium partition coefficients required for (titano)magnetite are significantly higher in Hekla (DVmag = 42) than Mariana lavas (DVmag = 32), consistent with a more oxidised source in the latter. Calculated Rayleigh fractionation factors are similar in both suites (Δ51Vmin-melt of -0.4 to -0.5‰) and strongly implicate co-ordination differences between oxides and melt are the dominant driving force for V isotope fractionation. Thus, although fO2likely has a second order effect on V isotopes, they are not a direct proxy for oxygen fugacity in magmatic systems. [1] Prytulak, et al. 2013. EPSL 365, 177-189

Iris recognition based on key image feature extraction.

PubMed

Ren, X; Tian, Q; Zhang, J; Wu, S; Zeng, Y

2008-01-01

In iris recognition, feature extraction can be influenced by factors such as illumination and contrast, and thus the features extracted may be unreliable, which can cause a high rate of false results in iris pattern recognition. In order to obtain stable features, an algorithm was proposed in this paper to extract key features of a pattern from multiple images. The proposed algorithm built an iris feature template by extracting key features and performed iris identity enrolment. Simulation results showed that the selected key features have high recognition accuracy on the CASIA Iris Set, where both contrast and illumination variance exist.

A Compact Operational Amplifier with Load-Insensitive Stability Compensation for High-Precision Transducer Interface.

PubMed

Yu, Zhanghao; Yang, Xi; Chung, SungWon

2018-01-29

High-resolution electronic interface circuits for transducers with nonlinear capacitive impedance need an operational amplifier, which is stable for a wide range of load capacitance. Such operational amplifier in a conventional design requires a large area for compensation capacitors, increasing costs and limiting applications. In order to address this problem, we present a gain-boosted two-stage operational amplifier, whose frequency response compensation capacitor size is insensitive to the load capacitance and also orders of magnitude smaller compared to the conventional Miller-compensation capacitor that often dominates chip area. By exploiting pole-zero cancellation between a gain-boosting stage and the main amplifier stage, the compensation capacitor of the proposed operational amplifier becomes less dependent of load capacitance, so that it can also operate with a wide range of load capacitance. A prototype operational amplifier designed in 0.13-μm complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) with a 400-fF compensation capacitor occupies 900- μ m 2 chip area and achieves 0.022-2.78-MHz unity gain bandwidth and over 65 ∘ phase margin with a load capacitance of 0.1-15 nF. The prototype amplifier consumes 7.6 μ W from a single 1.0-V supply. For a given compensation capacitor size and a chip area, the prototype design demonstrates the best reported performance trade-off on unity gain bandwidth, maximum stable load capacitance, and power consumption.

Compressive Sensing Cluster Expansion Studies of Lithium Intercalation and Phase Transformation in MoS2 for Energy Storage

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Chi-Ping; Zhou, Fei; Ozolins, Vidvuds; University of California, Los Angeles Collaboration; Lawrence livermore national laboratory Collaboration

2015-03-01

Bulk molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) is a good electrode material candidate for energy storage applications, such as lithium ion batteries and supercapacitors due to its high theoretical energy and power density. First-principles density-functional theory (DFT) calculations combined with cluster expansion are an effective method to study thermodynamic and kinetic properties of electrode materials. In order to construct accurate models for cluster expansion, it is important to effectively choose clusters with significant contributions. In this work, we employ a compressive sensing based technique to select relevant clusters in order to build an accurate Hamiltonian for cluster expansion, enabling the study of Li intercalation in MoS2. We find that the 2H MoS2 structure is only stable at low Li content while 1T MoS2 is the preferred phase at high Li content. The results show that the 2H MoS2 phase transforms into the disordered 1T phase and the disordered 1T structure remains after the first Li insertion/deinsertion cycle suggesting that disordered 1T MoS2 is stable even at dilute Li content. This work also highlights that cluster expansion treated with compressive sensing is an effective and powerful tool for model construction and can be applied to advanced battery and supercapacitor electrode materials.

High- and low-temperature-stable thermite composition for producing high-pressure, high-velocity gases

DOEpatents

Halcomb, Danny L.; Mohler, Jonathan H.

1990-10-16

A high- and low-temperature-stable thermite composition for producing high-pressure and high-velocity gases comprises an oxidizable metal, an oxidizing reagent, and a high-temperature-stable gas-producing additive selected from the group consisting of metal carbides and metal nitrides.

Feasibility of self-correcting quantum memory and thermal stability of topological order

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

Yoshida, Beni, E-mail: rouge@mit.edu

2011-10-15

Recently, it has become apparent that the thermal stability of topologically ordered systems at finite temperature, as discussed in condensed matter physics, can be studied by addressing the feasibility of self-correcting quantum memory, as discussed in quantum information science. Here, with this correspondence in mind, we propose a model of quantum codes that may cover a large class of physically realizable quantum memory. The model is supported by a certain class of gapped spin Hamiltonians, called stabilizer Hamiltonians, with translation symmetries and a small number of ground states that does not grow with the system size. We show that themore » model does not work as self-correcting quantum memory due to a certain topological constraint on geometric shapes of its logical operators. This quantum coding theoretical result implies that systems covered or approximated by the model cannot have thermally stable topological order, meaning that systems cannot be stable against both thermal fluctuations and local perturbations simultaneously in two and three spatial dimensions. - Highlights: > We define a class of physically realizable quantum codes. > We determine their coding and physical properties completely. > We establish the connection between topological order and self-correcting memory. > We find they do not work as self-correcting quantum memory. > We find they do not have thermally stable topological order.« less

Unconditionally stable, second-order accurate schemes for solid state phase transformations driven by mechano-chemical spinodal decomposition

DOE PAGES

Sagiyama, Koki; Rudraraju, Shiva; Garikipati, Krishna

2016-09-13

Here, we consider solid state phase transformations that are caused by free energy densities with domains of non-convexity in strain-composition space; we refer to the non-convex domains as mechano-chemical spinodals. The non-convexity with respect to composition and strain causes segregation into phases with different crystal structures. We work on an existing model that couples the classical Cahn-Hilliard model with Toupin’s theory of gradient elasticity at finite strains. Both systems are represented by fourth-order, nonlinear, partial differential equations. The goal of this work is to develop unconditionally stable, second-order accurate time-integration schemes, motivated by the need to carry out large scalemore » computations of dynamically evolving microstructures in three dimensions. We also introduce reduced formulations naturally derived from these proposed schemes for faster computations that are still second-order accurate. Although our method is developed and analyzed here for a specific class of mechano-chemical problems, one can readily apply the same method to develop unconditionally stable, second-order accurate schemes for any problems for which free energy density functions are multivariate polynomials of solution components and component gradients. Apart from an analysis and construction of methods, we present a suite of numerical results that demonstrate the schemes in action.« less

The stability of vocational interests from early adolescence to middle adulthood: a quantitative review of longitudinal studies.

PubMed

Low, K S Douglas; Yoon, Mijung; Roberts, Brent W; Rounds, James

2005-09-01

The present meta-analysis examined the stability of vocational interests from early adolescence (age 12) to middle adulthood (age 40). Stability was represented by rank-order and profile correlations. Interest stability remained unchanged during much of adolescence and increased dramatically during the college years (age 18-21.9), where it remained for the next 2 decades. Analyses of potential moderators showed that retest time interval was negatively related to interest stability and that rank-order stability was less stable than profile stability. Although cohort standings did not moderate stability, interests of the 1940s birth cohort were less stable than those of other cohorts. Furthermore, interests reflecting hands-on physical activities and self-expressive/artistic activities were more stable than scientific, social, enterprising, and clerical interests. Vocational interests showed substantial continuity over time, as evidenced by their higher longitudinal stability when compared with rank-order stability of personality traits. The findings are discussed in the context of psychosocial development.

Tellurium stable isotope fractionation in chondritic meteorites and some terrestrial samples

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fehr, Manuela A.; Hammond, Samantha J.; Parkinson, Ian J.

2018-02-01

New methodologies employing a 125Te-128Te double-spike were developed and applied to obtain high precision mass-dependent tellurium stable isotope data for chondritic meteorites and some terrestrial samples by multiple-collector inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Analyses of standard solutions produce Te stable isotope data with a long-term reproducibility (2SD) of 0.064‰ for δ130/125Te. Carbonaceous and enstatite chondrites display a range in δ130/125Te of 0.9‰ (0.2‰ amu-1) in their Te stable isotope signature, whereas ordinary chondrites present larger Te stable isotope fractionation, in particular for unequilibrated ordinary chondrites, with an overall variation of 6.3‰ for δ130/125Te (1.3‰ amu-1). Tellurium stable isotope variations in ordinary chondrites display no correlation with Te contents or metamorphic grade. The large Te stable isotope fractionation in ordinary chondrites is likely caused by evaporation and condensation processes during metamorphism in the meteorite parent bodies, as has been suggested for other moderately and highly volatile elements displaying similar isotope fractionation. Alternatively, they might represent a nebular signature or could have been produced during chondrule formation. Enstatite chondrites display slightly more negative δ130/125Te compared to carbonaceous chondrites and equilibrated ordinary chondrites. Small differences in the Te stable isotope composition are also present within carbonaceous chondrites and increase in the order CV-CO-CM-CI. These Te isotope variations within carbonaceous chondrites may be due to mixing of components that have distinct Te isotope signatures reflecting Te stable isotope fractionation in the early solar system or on the parent bodies and potentially small so-far unresolvable nucleosynthetic isotope anomalies of up to 0.27‰. The Te stable isotope data of carbonaceous and enstatite chondrites displays a general correlation with the oxidation state and hence might provide a record of the nebular formation environment. The Te stable isotope fractionation of the carbonaceous chondrites CI and CM (and CO potentially) overlap within uncertainty with data for terrestrial Te standard solutions, sediments and ore samples. Assuming the silicate Earth displays similar Te isotope fractionation as the studied terrestrial samples, the data indicate that the late veneer might have been delivered by material similar to CI or CM (or possibly) CO carbonaceous chondrites in terms of Te isotope composition. Nine terrestrial samples display resolvable Te stable isotope fractionation of 0.85 and 0.60‰ for δ130/125Te for sediment and USGS geochemical exploration reference samples, respectively. Tellurium isotopes therefore have the potential to become a new geochemical sedimentary proxy, as well as a proxy for ore-exploration.

Triggered Snap-Through of Bistable Shells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cai, Yijie; Huang, Shicheng; Trase, Ian; Hu, Nan; Chen, Zi

Elastic bistable shells are common structures in nature and engineering, such as the lobes of the Venus flytrap or the surface of a toy jumping poppers. Despite their ubiquity, the parameters that control the bistability of such structures are not well understood. In this study, we explore how the geometrical features of radially symmetric elastic shells affect the shape and potential energy of a shell's stable states, and how to tune certain parameters in order to generate a snap-through transition from a convex semi-stable state to concave stable state. We fabricated a series of elastic shells with varying geometric parameters out of silicone rubber and measured the resulting potential energy in the semi-stable state. Finite element simulations were also conducted in order to determine the deformation and stress in the shells during snap-through. It was found that the energy of the semi-stable state is controlled by only two geometric parameters and a dimensionless ratio. We also noted two distinct transitions during snap-through, one between monostability and semi-bistability (the state a popper toy is in before it snaps-through and jumps), and a second transition between semi-bistability and true bistability. This work shows that it is possible to use a set of simple parameters to tailor the energy landscape of an elastic shell in order to generate complex trigger motions for their potential use in smart applications. Z.C. acknowledge support from Society in Science-Branco Weiss Fellowship, administered by ETH Zurich.

Molecular beam epitaxy-grown wurtzite MgS thin films for solar-blind ultra-violet detection

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

Lai, Y. H.; He, Q. L.; Department of Physics and William Mong Institute of Nano Science and Technology, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, HKSAR, People's Republic of China

2013-04-29

Molecular beam epitaxy grown MgS on GaAs(111)B substrate was resulted in wurtzite phase, as demonstrated by detailed structural characterizations. Phenomenological arguments were used to account for why wurtzite phase is preferred over zincblende phase or its most stable rocksalt phase. Results of photoresponse and reflectance measurements performed on wurtzite MgS photodiodes suggest a direct bandgap at around 5.1 eV. Their response peaks at 245 nm with quantum efficiency of 9.9% and enjoys rejection of more than three orders at 320 nm and close to five orders at longer wavelengths, proving the photodiodes highly competitive in solar-blind ultraviolet detection.

Third-order nonlinear optical properties of methylammonium lead halide perovskite films

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

Johnson, Justin C.; Li, Zhen; Ndione, Paul F.

2016-01-01

We report third-order nonlinear coefficient values and decay time kinetics vs. halide composition (CH3NH3PbBr3 and CH3NH3PbBr2I), temperature, and excitation wavelength. The maximum values of the third-order nonlinear susceptibility X(3) (-1.6 x 10-6 esu) are similar to or larger than many common third-order materials. The source of the nonlinearity is shown to be primarily excitonic in the tribromide film by virtue of its strong enhancement near the exciton resonance. Nonresonant excitation reduces the nonlinearity significantly, as does increasing the temperature. Substitution of one I for one Br also reduces the nonlinearity by at least one order of magnitude, presumably due tomore » the lack of strong exciton resonance in the substituted form. The thin films are stable, highly homogenous (lacking significant light scattering), and simple and inexpensive to fabricate, making them potentially useful in a variety of optoelectronic applications in which wavelength selectivity is important.« less

Identification, Attribution, and Quantification of Highly Heterogeneous Methane Sources Using a Mobile Stable Isotope Analyzer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Crosson, E.; Rella, C.; Cunningham, K.

2012-04-01

Despite methane's importance as a potent greenhouse gas second only to carbon dioxide in the magnitude of its contribution to global warming, natural contributions to the overall methane budget are only poorly understood. A big contributor to this gap in knowledge is the highly spatially and temporally heterogeneous nature of most natural (and for that matter anthropogenic) methane sources. This high degree of heterogeneity, where the methane emission rates can vary over many orders of magnitude on a spatial scale of meters or even centimeters, and over a temporal scale of minutes or even seconds, means that traditional methods of emissions flux estimation, such as flux chambers or eddy-covariance, are difficult or impossible to apply. In this paper we present new measurement methods that are capable of detecting, attributing, and quantifying emissions from highly heterogeneous sources. These methods take full advantage of the new class of methane concentration and stable isotope analyzers that are capable of laboratory-quality analysis from a mobile field platform in real time. In this paper we present field measurements demonstrating the real-time detection of methane 'hot spots,' attribution of the methane to a source process via real-time stable isotope analysis, and quantification of the emissions flux using mobile concentration measurements of the horizontal and vertical atmospheric dispersion, combined with atmospheric transport calculations. Although these techniques are applicable to both anthropogenic and natural methane sources, in this initial work we focus primarily on landfills and fugitive emissions from natural gas distribution, as these sources are better characterized, and because they provide a more reliable and stable source of methane for quantifying the measurement uncertainty inherent in the different methods. Implications of these new technologies and techniques are explored for the quantification of natural methane sources in a variety of environments, including wetlands, peatlands, and the arctic.

Highly stable and self-repairing membrane-mimetic 2D nanomaterials assembled from lipid-like peptoids

DOE PAGES

Jin, Haibao; Jiao, Fang; Daily, Michael D.; ...

2016-07-12

Two-dimensional (2D) materials with molecular-scale thickness have attracted increasing interest for separation, electronic, catalytic, optical, energy and biomedical applications. Although extensive research on 2D materials, such as graphene and graphene oxide, has been performed in recent years, progress is limited on self-assembly of 2D materials from sequence-specific macromolecules, especially from synthetic sequences that could exhibit lipid-like self-assembly of bilayer sheets and mimic membrane proteins for functions. The creation of such new class of materials could enable development of highly stable biomimetic membranes that exhibit cell-membrane-like molecular transport with exceptional selectively and high transport rates. Here we demonstrate self-assembly of lipid-likemore » 12-mer peptoids into extremely stable, crystalline, flexible and free-standing 2D membrane materials. As with cell membranes, upon exposure to external stimuli, these materials exhibit changes in thickness, varying from 3.5 nm to 5.6 nm. We find that self-assembly occurs through a facile crystallization process, in which inter-peptoid hydrogen bonds and enhanced hydrophobic interactions drive the formation of a highly-ordered structure. Molecular simulation confirms this is the energetically favored structure. Displaying functional groups at arbitrary locations of membrane-forming peptoids produces membranes with similar structures. This research further shows that single-layer membranes can be coated onto substrate surfaces. Moreover, membranes with mechanically-induced defects can self-repair. Given that peptoids are sequence-specific and exhibit protein-like molecular recognition with enhanced stability, we anticipate our membranes to be a robust platform tailored to specific applications.« less

Highly stable and self-repairing membrane-mimetic 2D nanomaterials assembled from lipid-like peptoids

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

Jin, Haibao; Jiao, Fang; Daily, Michael D.

Two-dimensional (2D) materials with molecular-scale thickness have attracted increasing interest for separation, electronic, catalytic, optical, energy and biomedical applications. Although extensive research on 2D materials, such as graphene and graphene oxide, has been performed in recent years, progress is limited on self-assembly of 2D materials from sequence-specific macromolecules, especially from synthetic sequences that could exhibit lipid-like self-assembly of bilayer sheets and mimic membrane proteins for functions. The creation of such new class of materials could enable development of highly stable biomimetic membranes that exhibit cell-membrane-like molecular transport with exceptional selectively and high transport rates. Here we demonstrate self-assembly of lipid-likemore » 12-mer peptoids into extremely stable, crystalline, flexible and free-standing 2D membrane materials. As with cell membranes, upon exposure to external stimuli, these materials exhibit changes in thickness, varying from 3.5 nm to 5.6 nm. We find that self-assembly occurs through a facile crystallization process, in which inter-peptoid hydrogen bonds and enhanced hydrophobic interactions drive the formation of a highly-ordered structure. Molecular simulation confirms this is the energetically favored structure. Displaying functional groups at arbitrary locations of membrane-forming peptoids produces membranes with similar structures. This research further shows that single-layer membranes can be coated onto substrate surfaces. Moreover, membranes with mechanically-induced defects can self-repair. Given that peptoids are sequence-specific and exhibit protein-like molecular recognition with enhanced stability, we anticipate our membranes to be a robust platform tailored to specific applications.« less

Controlling the Active Sites of Sulfur-Doped Carbon Nanotube-Graphene Nanolobes for Highly Efficient Oxygen Evolution and Reduction Catalysis

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

El-Sawy, Abdelhamid M.; Mosa, Islam M.; Su, Dong

Controlling active sites of metal-free catalysts is an important strategy to enhance activity of the oxygen evolution reaction (OER). We made many attempts have been made to develop metal-free catalysts, but the lack of understanding of active-sites at the atomic-level has slowed the design of highly active and stable metal-free catalysts. We also developed a sequential two-step strategy to dope sulfur into carbon nanotube–graphene nanolobes. This bidoping strategy introduces stable sulfur–carbon active-sites. Fluorescence emission of the sulfur K-edge by X-ray absorption near edge spectroscopy (XANES) and scanning transmission electron microscopy electron energy loss spectroscopy (STEM-EELS) mapping and spectra confirm thatmore » increasing the incorporation of heterocyclic sulfur into the carbon ring of CNTs not only enhances OER activity with an overpotential of 350 mV at a current density of 10 mA cm -2, but also retains 100% of stability after 75 h. Furthermore, the bidoped sulfur carbon nanotube–graphene nanolobes behave like the state-of-the-art catalysts for OER but outperform those systems in terms of turnover frequency (TOF) which is two orders of magnitude greater than (20% Ir/C) at 400 mV overpotential with very high mass activity 1000 mA cm -2 at 570 mV. Moreover, the sulfur bidoping strategy shows high catalytic activity for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). Stable bifunctional (ORR and OER) catalysts are low cost, and light-weight bidoped sulfur carbon nanotubes are potential candidates for next-generation metal-free regenerative fuel cells.« less

Controlling the Active Sites of Sulfur-Doped Carbon Nanotube-Graphene Nanolobes for Highly Efficient Oxygen Evolution and Reduction Catalysis

DOE PAGES

El-Sawy, Abdelhamid M.; Mosa, Islam M.; Su, Dong; ...

2015-12-03

Controlling active sites of metal-free catalysts is an important strategy to enhance activity of the oxygen evolution reaction (OER). We made many attempts have been made to develop metal-free catalysts, but the lack of understanding of active-sites at the atomic-level has slowed the design of highly active and stable metal-free catalysts. We also developed a sequential two-step strategy to dope sulfur into carbon nanotube–graphene nanolobes. This bidoping strategy introduces stable sulfur–carbon active-sites. Fluorescence emission of the sulfur K-edge by X-ray absorption near edge spectroscopy (XANES) and scanning transmission electron microscopy electron energy loss spectroscopy (STEM-EELS) mapping and spectra confirm thatmore » increasing the incorporation of heterocyclic sulfur into the carbon ring of CNTs not only enhances OER activity with an overpotential of 350 mV at a current density of 10 mA cm -2, but also retains 100% of stability after 75 h. Furthermore, the bidoped sulfur carbon nanotube–graphene nanolobes behave like the state-of-the-art catalysts for OER but outperform those systems in terms of turnover frequency (TOF) which is two orders of magnitude greater than (20% Ir/C) at 400 mV overpotential with very high mass activity 1000 mA cm -2 at 570 mV. Moreover, the sulfur bidoping strategy shows high catalytic activity for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). Stable bifunctional (ORR and OER) catalysts are low cost, and light-weight bidoped sulfur carbon nanotubes are potential candidates for next-generation metal-free regenerative fuel cells.« less

Microbial Carbonic Anhydrases in Biomimetic Carbon Sequestration for Mitigating Global Warming: Prospects and Perspectives

PubMed Central

Bose, Himadri; Satyanarayana, Tulasi

2017-01-01

All the leading cities in the world are slowly becoming inhospitable for human life with global warming playing havoc with the living conditions. Biomineralization of carbon dioxide using carbonic anhydrase (CA) is one of the most economical methods for mitigating global warming. The burning of fossil fuels results in the emission of large quantities of flue gas. The temperature of flue gas is quite high. Alkaline conditions are necessary for CaCO3 precipitation in the mineralization process. In order to use CAs for biomimetic carbon sequestration, thermo-alkali-stable CAs are, therefore, essential. CAs must be stable in the presence of various flue gas contaminants too. The extreme environments on earth harbor a variety of polyextremophilic microbes that are rich sources of thermo-alkali-stable CAs. CAs are the fastest among the known enzymes, which are of six basic types with no apparent sequence homology, thus represent an elegant example of convergent evolution. The current review focuses on the utility of thermo-alkali-stable CAs in biomineralization based strategies. A variety of roles that CAs play in various living organisms, the use of CA inhibitors as drug targets and strategies for overproduction of CAs to meet the demand are also briefly discussed. PMID:28890712

The chemistry of rare earth elements in the solar nebula

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Larimer, J. W.; Bartholomay, H. A.; Fegley, B.

1984-01-01

The high concentration of rare earth elements (REE) in primitive CaS suggests that the REE along with the other normally lithophile elements form stable sulfides under the unusual conditions which existed during the formation of enstatite chrondites. In order to acquire a more quantitative framework in which to interpret these data, the behavior of the REE in systems with solar, or slightly fractionated solar, composition is being studied. These new data introduce modest changes in the behavior of some of the REE when compared to previous studies. For example, the largest differences are in the stabilities of the gaseous monoxides of Ce, Eu, Tb, Ho, and Tm, all of which now appear to be less stable than previously thought, and YbO(g) which is somewhat more stable. Much more significant are the changes in REE distribution in the gas phase in fractionated systems, especially those made more reducing by changing the C/O ratio from the solar value of 0.6 to about 1.0. In almost all cases, the exceptions being Eu, Tm and Yb whose elemental gaseous species dominate, the monosulfides become more abundant. Moreover, the solid oxides of Eu, Tm and Yb become less stable under more reducing conditions which, in effect, should reduce the condensation temperature of all REE in more reduced systems.

FORMATION OF STABLE MAGNETARS FROM BINARY NEUTRON STAR MERGERS

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

Giacomazzo, Bruno; Perna, Rosalba

2013-07-10

By performing fully general relativistic magnetohydrodynamic simulations of binary neutron star mergers, we investigate the possibility that the end result of the merger is a stable magnetar. In particular, we show that, for a binary composed of two equal-mass neutron stars (NSs) of gravitational mass M {approx} 1.2 M{sub Sun} and equation of state similar to Shen et al. at high densities, the merger product is a stable NS. Such NS is found to be differentially rotating and ultraspinning with spin parameter J/M{sup 2} {approx} 0.86, where J is its total angular momentum, and it is surrounded by a diskmore » of Almost-Equal-To 0.1 M{sub Sun }. While in our global simulations the magnetic field is amplified by about two orders of magnitude, local simulations have shown that hydrodynamic instabilities and the onset of the magnetorotational instability could further increase the magnetic field strength up to magnetar levels. This leads to the interesting possibility that, for some NS mergers, a stable and magnetized NS surrounded by an accretion disk could be formed. We discuss the impact of these new results for the emission of electromagnetic counterparts of gravitational wave signals and for the central engine of short gamma-ray bursts.« less

Microbial Carbonic Anhydrases in Biomimetic Carbon Sequestration for Mitigating Global Warming: Prospects and Perspectives.

PubMed

Bose, Himadri; Satyanarayana, Tulasi

2017-01-01

All the leading cities in the world are slowly becoming inhospitable for human life with global warming playing havoc with the living conditions. Biomineralization of carbon dioxide using carbonic anhydrase (CA) is one of the most economical methods for mitigating global warming. The burning of fossil fuels results in the emission of large quantities of flue gas. The temperature of flue gas is quite high. Alkaline conditions are necessary for CaCO 3 precipitation in the mineralization process. In order to use CAs for biomimetic carbon sequestration, thermo-alkali-stable CAs are, therefore, essential. CAs must be stable in the presence of various flue gas contaminants too. The extreme environments on earth harbor a variety of polyextremophilic microbes that are rich sources of thermo-alkali-stable CAs. CAs are the fastest among the known enzymes, which are of six basic types with no apparent sequence homology, thus represent an elegant example of convergent evolution. The current review focuses on the utility of thermo-alkali-stable CAs in biomineralization based strategies. A variety of roles that CAs play in various living organisms, the use of CA inhibitors as drug targets and strategies for overproduction of CAs to meet the demand are also briefly discussed.

Enthalpy and high temperature relaxation kinetics of stable vapor-deposited glasses of toluene

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

Bhattacharya, Deepanjan; Sadtchenko, Vlad, E-mail: vlad@gwu.edu

Stable non-crystalline toluene films of micrometer and nanometer thicknesses were grown by vapor deposition at distinct rates and probed by fast scanning calorimetry. Fast scanning calorimetry is shown to be extremely sensitive to the structure of the vapor-deposited phase and was used to characterize simultaneously its kinetic stability and its thermodynamic properties. According to our analysis, transformation of vapor-deposited samples of toluene during heating with rates in excess 10{sup 5} K s{sup −1} follows the zero-order kinetics. The transformation rate correlates strongly with the initial enthalpy of the sample, which increases with the deposition rate according to sub-linear law. Analysismore » of the transformation kinetics of vapor-deposited toluene films of various thicknesses reveal a sudden increase in the transformation rate for films thinner than 250 nm. The change in kinetics seems to correlate with the surface roughness scale of the substrate. The implications of these findings for the formation mechanism and structure of vapor-deposited stable glasses are discussed.« less

Killer whale nuclear genome and mtDNA reveal widespread population bottleneck during the last glacial maximum.

PubMed

Moura, Andre E; Janse van Rensburg, Charlene; Pilot, Malgorzata; Tehrani, Arman; Best, Peter B; Thornton, Meredith; Plön, Stephanie; de Bruyn, P J Nico; Worley, Kim C; Gibbs, Richard A; Dahlheim, Marilyn E; Hoelzel, Alan Rus

2014-05-01

Ecosystem function and resilience is determined by the interactions and independent contributions of individual species. Apex predators play a disproportionately determinant role through their influence and dependence on the dynamics of prey species. Their demographic fluctuations are thus likely to reflect changes in their respective ecological communities and habitat. Here, we investigate the historical population dynamics of the killer whale based on draft nuclear genome data for the Northern Hemisphere and mtDNA data worldwide. We infer a relatively stable population size throughout most of the Pleistocene, followed by an order of magnitude decline and bottleneck during the Weichselian glacial period. Global mtDNA data indicate that while most populations declined, at least one population retained diversity in a stable, productive ecosystem off southern Africa. We conclude that environmental changes during the last glacial period promoted the decline of a top ocean predator, that these events contributed to the pattern of diversity among extant populations, and that the relatively high diversity of a population currently in productive, stable habitat off South Africa suggests a role for ocean productivity in the widespread decline.

Computational Discovery of New Materials Under Pressure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zurek, Eva

The pressure variable opens the door towards the synthesis of materials with unique properties, ie. superconductivity, hydrogen storage media, high-energy density and superhard materials, to name a few. Indeed, recently superconductivity has been observed below 203 K and 103 K in samples of compressed sulfur dihydride and phosphine, respectively. Under pressure elements that would not normally combine may form stable compounds, or may mix in novel proportions. As a result using our chemical intuition developed at 1 atm to theoretically predict stable phases is bound to fail. In order to enable our search for superconducting hydrogen-rich systems under pressure, we have developed XtalOpt, an open-source evolutionary algorithm for crystal structure prediction. New advances in XtalOpt that enable the prediction of unit cells with greater complexity will be described. XtalOpt has been employed to find the most stable structures of hydrides with unique stoichiometries under pressure. The electronic structure and bonding of the predicted phases has been analyzed by detailed first-principles calculations based on density functional theory. The results of our computational experiments are helping us to build chemical and physical intuition for compressed solids.

Phase stability of TiO 2 polymorphs from diffusion Quantum Monte Carlo

DOE PAGES

Luo, Ye; Benali, Anouar; Shulenburger, Luke; ...

2016-11-24

Titanium dioxide, TiO 2, has multiple applications in catalysis, energy conversion and memristive devices because of its electronic structure. Most of applications utilize the naturally existing phases: rutile, anatase and brookite. In spite of the simple form of TiO 2 and its wide uses, there is long- standing disagreement between theory and experiment on the energetic ordering of these phases that has never been resolved. We present the first analysis of phase stability at zero temperature using the highly accurate many-body fixed node diffusion Quantum Monte Carlo (QMC) method. We include temperature effects by calculating the Helmholtz free energy includingmore » both internal energy corrected by QMC and vibrational contributions from phonon calculations within the quasi harmonic approximation via density functional perturbation theory. Our QMC calculations find that anatase is the most stable phase at zero temperature, consistent with many previous mean- field calculations. Furthermore, at elevated temperatures, rutile becomes the most stable phase. For all finite temperatures, brookite is always the least stable phase.« less

Sanctions as honest signals--the evolution of pool punishment by public sanctioning institutions.

PubMed

Schoenmakers, Sarah; Hilbe, Christian; Blasius, Bernd; Traulsen, Arne

2014-09-07

In many species, mutual cooperation is stabilized by forms of policing and peer punishment: if cheaters are punished, there is a strong selective pressure to cooperate. Most human societies have complemented, and sometimes even replaced, such peer punishment mechanisms with pool punishment, where punishment is outsourced to central institutions such as the police. Even before free-riding occurs, such institutions require investments, which could serve as costly signals. Here, we show with a game theoretical model that this signaling effect in turn can be crucial for the evolution of punishment institutions: In the absence of such signals, pool punishment is only stable with second-order punishment and can only evolve when individuals have the freedom not to take part in any interaction. With such signals, individuals can opportunistically adjust their behavior, which promotes the evolution of stable pool punishment even in situations where no one can stand aside. Thus, the human propensity to react opportunistically to credible punishment threats is often sufficient to establish stable punishment institutions and to maintain high levels of cooperation. Copyright © 2014 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Sanctions as honest signals – The evolution of pool punishment by public sanctioning institutions

PubMed Central

Schoenmakers, Sarah; Hilbe, Christian; Blasius, Bernd; Traulsen, Arne

2014-01-01

In many species, mutual cooperation is stabilized by forms of policing and peer punishment: if cheaters are punished, there is a strong selective pressure to cooperate. Most human societies have complemented, and sometimes even replaced, such peer punishment mechanisms with pool punishment, where punishment is outsourced to central institutions such as the police. Even before free-riding occurs, such institutions require investments, which could serve as costly signals. Here, we show with a game theoretical model that this signaling effect in turn can be crucial for the evolution of punishment institutions: In the absence of such signals, pool punishment is only stable with second-order punishment and can only evolve when individuals have the freedom not to take part in any interaction. With such signals, individuals can opportunistically adjust their behavior, which promotes the evolution of stable pool punishment even in situations where no one can stand aside. Thus, the human propensity to react opportunistically to credible punishment threats is often sufficient to establish stable punishment institutions and to maintain high levels of cooperation. PMID:24768866

Facile synthesis of highly stable and well-dispersed mesoporous ZrO(2)/carbon composites with high performance in oxidative dehydrogenation of ethylbenzene.

PubMed

Li, Qiang; Xu, Jie; Wu, Zhangxiong; Feng, Dan; Yang, Jianping; Wei, Jing; Wu, Qingling; Tu, Bo; Cao, Yong; Zhao, Dongyuan

2010-09-28

Highly ordered mesoporous ZrO(2)/carbon (FDU-15) composites have been synthesized via a facile evaporation induced triconstituent co-assembly (EISA) approach by using Pluronic F127 as a template and zirconium oxychloride octahydrate and resol as Zr and carbon sources. The synthesized mesoporous composites exhibit a highly ordered two-dimensional (2-D) hexagonal mesostructure with relatively high specific surface areas (up to 947 m(2) g(-1)), pore sizes around 3.8 nm and high pore volumes (up to 0.71 cm(3) g(-1)). The results clearly show that the crystalline zirconia nanoparticles (ca. 1.9-3.9 nm) are well-dispersed in amorphous matrices of the ordered mesoporous carbon FDU-15 materials, which construct the nanocomposites. The ordered mesostructures of the obtained ZrO(2)/FDU-15 composites can be well-retained even at the high pyrolysis temperature (up to 900 degrees C), suggesting a high thermal stability. The zirconia content of the ZrO(2)/FDU-15 composites can be tunable in a wide range (up to 47%). Moreover, the resultant mesoporous ZrO(2)/FDU-15 composites exhibit high catalytic activity in oxidative dehydrogenation (ODH) of ethylbenzene (EB) to styrene (ST), with high ethylbenzene conversion (59.6%) and styrene selectivity (90.4%), which is mainly attributed to the synergistic catalytic effect between the oxygen-containing groups located on the carbon pore walls and weakly basic sites of the nanocrystalline ZrO(2). Furthermore, the high specific surface areas and opening pore channels are also responsible for their high catalytic activity. Therefore, it is a very promising catalyst material in styrene production on an industrial scale.

Microcanonical molecular simulations of methane hydrate nucleation and growth: evidence that direct nucleation to sI hydrate is among the multiple nucleation pathways.

PubMed

Zhang, Zhengcai; Walsh, Matthew R; Guo, Guang-Jun

2015-04-14

The results of six high-precision constant energy molecular dynamics (MD) simulations initiated from methane-water systems equilibrated at 80 MPa and 250 K indicate that methane hydrates can nucleate via multiple pathways. Five trajectories nucleate to an amorphous solid. One trajectory nucleates to a structure-I hydrate template with long-range order which spans the simulation box across periodic boundaries despite the presence of several defects. While experimental and simulation data for hydrate nucleation with different time- and length-scales suggest that there may exist multiple pathways for nucleation, including metastable intermediates and the direct formation of the globally-stable phase, this work provides the most compelling evidence that direct formation to the globally stable crystalline phase is one of the multiple pathways available for hydrate nucleation.

Stable Single-Mode Operation of Distributed Feedback Quantum Cascade Laser by Optimized Reflectivity Facet Coatings.

PubMed

Wang, Dong-Bo; Zhang, Jin-Chuan; Cheng, Feng-Min; Zhao, Yue; Zhuo, Ning; Zhai, Shen-Qiang; Wang, Li-Jun; Liu, Jun-Qi; Liu, Shu-Man; Liu, Feng-Qi; Wang, Zhan-Guo

2018-02-02

In this work, quantum cascade lasers (QCLs) based on strain compensation combined with two-phonon resonance design are presented. Distributed feedback (DFB) laser emitting at ~ 4.76 μm was fabricated through a standard buried first-order grating and buried heterostructure (BH) processing. Stable single-mode emission is achieved under all injection currents and temperature conditions without any mode hop by the optimized antireflection (AR) coating on the front facet. The AR coating consists of a double layer dielectric of Al 2 O 3 and Ge. For a 2-mm laser cavity, the maximum output power of the AR-coated DFB-QCL was more than 170 mW at 20 °C with a high wall-plug efficiency (WPE) of 4.7% in a continuous-wave (CW) mode.

Interplay of local structure, charge, and spin in bilayered manganese perovskites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rybicki, Damian; Sikora, Marcin; Przewoznik, Janusz; Kapusta, Czesław; Mitchell, John F.

2018-03-01

Chemical doping is a reliable method of modification of the electronic properties of transition metal compounds. In manganese perovskites, it leads to charge transfer and peculiar ordering phenomena. However, depending on the interplay of the local crystal structure and electronic properties, synthesis of stable compounds in the entire doping range is often impossible. Here, we show results of high-energy resolution x-ray absorption and emission spectroscopies on a La2 -2 xSr1 +2 xMn2O7 family of bilayered manganites in a broad doping range (0.5 ≤x ≤1 ). We established a relation between local Mn charge and Mn-O distances as a function of doping. Based on a comparison of such relation with other manganites, we suggest why stable structures cannot be realized for certain doping levels of bilayered compounds.

Solitonic dynamics and excitations of the nonlinear Schrödinger equation with third-order dispersion in non-Hermitian PT-symmetric potentials.

PubMed

Chen, Yong; Yan, Zhenya

2016-03-22

Solitons are of the important significant in many fields of nonlinear science such as nonlinear optics, Bose-Einstein condensates, plamas physics, biology, fluid mechanics, and etc. The stable solitons have been captured not only theoretically and experimentally in both linear and nonlinear Schrödinger (NLS) equations in the presence of non-Hermitian potentials since the concept of the parity-time -symmetry was introduced in 1998. In this paper, we present novel bright solitons of the NLS equation with third-order dispersion in some complex -symmetric potentials (e.g., physically relevant -symmetric Scarff-II-like and harmonic-Gaussian potentials). We find stable nonlinear modes even if the respective linear -symmetric phases are broken. Moreover, we also use the adiabatic changes of the control parameters to excite the initial modes related to exact solitons to reach stable nonlinear modes. The elastic interactions of two solitons are exhibited in the third-order NLS equation with -symmetric potentials. Our results predict the dynamical phenomena of soliton equations in the presence of third-order dispersion and -symmetric potentials arising in nonlinear fiber optics and other physically relevant fields.

Solitonic dynamics and excitations of the nonlinear Schrödinger equation with third-order dispersion in non-Hermitian PT-symmetric potentials

PubMed Central

Chen, Yong; Yan, Zhenya

2016-01-01

Solitons are of the important significant in many fields of nonlinear science such as nonlinear optics, Bose-Einstein condensates, plamas physics, biology, fluid mechanics, and etc. The stable solitons have been captured not only theoretically and experimentally in both linear and nonlinear Schrödinger (NLS) equations in the presence of non-Hermitian potentials since the concept of the parity-time -symmetry was introduced in 1998. In this paper, we present novel bright solitons of the NLS equation with third-order dispersion in some complex -symmetric potentials (e.g., physically relevant -symmetric Scarff-II-like and harmonic-Gaussian potentials). We find stable nonlinear modes even if the respective linear -symmetric phases are broken. Moreover, we also use the adiabatic changes of the control parameters to excite the initial modes related to exact solitons to reach stable nonlinear modes. The elastic interactions of two solitons are exhibited in the third-order NLS equation with -symmetric potentials. Our results predict the dynamical phenomena of soliton equations in the presence of third-order dispersion and -symmetric potentials arising in nonlinear fiber optics and other physically relevant fields. PMID:27002543

Synthesis of high efficient Cu/TiO2 photocatalysts by grinding and their size-dependent photocatalytic hydrogen production

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ni, Dawei; Shen, Haiyan; Li, Huiqiao; Ma, Ying; Zhai, Tianyou

2017-07-01

Recently, copper species have been extensively investigated to replace Pt as efficient co-catalysts for the evolution of H2 due to their low cost and relatively high activity. Cu nanoparticles less than 5 nm are successfully decorated on TiO2 surface in this work by an easy and mild milling process. These Cu nanoparticles are highly dispersed on TiO2 when the loading amount of Cu is no more than 10 wt%. The sizes of Cu nanoparticles can be controlled by changing the milling environment and decrease in the order of Cu-ethanol > Cu-water > Cu nanoparticles obtained through drying milling. The highest and stable hydrogen generation can be realized on Cu/TiO2 with 2.0 wt% Cu and sizes of Cu nanoparticles ranging from 2 to 4 nm, in which high and stable photocurrent confirms promoted photogenerated charge separation. Smaller Cu clusters are demonstrated to be detrimental to hydrogen evolution at same Cu content. High loading of Cu nanoparticles of 2-4 nm will benefit photogenerated electron-hole recombination and thus decrease the activity of Cu/TiO2. The results here demonstrate the key roles of Cu cluster size in addition to Cu coverage on photocatalytic activity of Cu/TiO2 composite photocatalysts.

Mitochondrial genomes and avian phylogeny: complex characters and resolvability without explosive radiations.

PubMed

Gibb, Gillian C; Kardailsky, Olga; Kimball, Rebecca T; Braun, Edward L; Penny, David

2007-01-01

We improve the taxon sampling for avian phylogeny by analyzing 7 new mitochondrial genomes (a toucan, woodpecker, osprey, forest falcon, American kestrel, heron, and a pelican). This improves inference of the avian tree, and it supports 3 major conclusions. The first is that some birds (including a parrot, a toucan, and an osprey) exhibit a complete duplication of the control region (CR) meaning that there are at least 4 distinct gene orders within birds. However, it appears that there are regions of continued gene conversion between the duplicate CRs, resulting in duplications that can be stable for long evolutionary periods. Because of this stable duplicated state, gene order can eventually either revert to the original order or change to the new gene order. The existence of this stable duplicate state explains how an apparently unlikely event (finding the same novel gene order) can arise multiple times. Although rare genomic changes have theoretical advantages for tree reconstruction, they can be compromised if these apparently rare events have a stable intermediate state. Secondly, the toucan and woodpecker improve the resolution of the 6-way split within Neoaves that has been called an "explosive radiation." An explosive radiation implies that normal microevolutionary events are insufficient to explain the observed macroevolution. By showing the avian tree is, in principle, resolvable, we demonstrate that the radiation of birds is amenable to standard evolutionary analysis. Thirdly, and as expected from theory, additional taxa breaking up long branches stabilize the position of some problematic taxa (like the falcon). In addition, we report that within the birds of prey and allies, we did not find evidence pairing New World vultures with storks or accipitrids (hawks, eagles, and osprey) with Falconids.

Persistent model order reduction for complex dynamical systems using smooth orthogonal decomposition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ilbeigi, Shahab; Chelidze, David

2017-11-01

Full-scale complex dynamic models are not effective for parametric studies due to the inherent constraints on available computational power and storage resources. A persistent reduced order model (ROM) that is robust, stable, and provides high-fidelity simulations for a relatively wide range of parameters and operating conditions can provide a solution to this problem. The fidelity of a new framework for persistent model order reduction of large and complex dynamical systems is investigated. The framework is validated using several numerical examples including a large linear system and two complex nonlinear systems with material and geometrical nonlinearities. While the framework is used for identifying the robust subspaces obtained from both proper and smooth orthogonal decompositions (POD and SOD, respectively), the results show that SOD outperforms POD in terms of stability, accuracy, and robustness.

A high-current electron gun for the electron beam ion trap at the National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory.

PubMed

Schwarz, S; Baumann, T M; Kittimanapun, K; Lapierre, A; Snyder, A

2014-02-01

The Electron Beam Ion Trap (EBIT) in NSCL's reaccelerator ReA uses continuous ion injection and accumulation. In order to maximize capture efficiency and minimize breeding time into high charge states, the EBIT requires a high-current/high current-density electron beam. A new electron gun insert based on a concave Ba-dispenser cathode has been designed and built to increase the current transmitted through the EBIT's superconducting magnet. With the new insert, stable EBIT operating conditions with 0.8 A of electron beam have been established. The design of the electron gun is presented together with calculated and measured perveance data. In order to assess the experimental compression of the electron beam, a pinhole CCD camera has been set up to measure the electron beam radius. The camera observes X-rays emitted from highly charged ions, excited by the electron beam. Initial tests with this camera setup will be presented. They indicate that a current density of 640 A/cm(2) has been reached when the EBIT magnet was operated at 4 T.

A high-current electron gun for the electron beam ion trap at the National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory

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

Schwarz, S., E-mail: schwarz@nscl.msu.edu; Baumann, T. M.; Kittimanapun, K.

The Electron Beam Ion Trap (EBIT) in NSCL’s reaccelerator ReA uses continuous ion injection and accumulation. In order to maximize capture efficiency and minimize breeding time into high charge states, the EBIT requires a high-current/high current-density electron beam. A new electron gun insert based on a concave Ba-dispenser cathode has been designed and built to increase the current transmitted through the EBIT’s superconducting magnet. With the new insert, stable EBIT operating conditions with 0.8 A of electron beam have been established. The design of the electron gun is presented together with calculated and measured perveance data. In order to assessmore » the experimental compression of the electron beam, a pinhole CCD camera has been set up to measure the electron beam radius. The camera observes X-rays emitted from highly charged ions, excited by the electron beam. Initial tests with this camera setup will be presented. They indicate that a current density of 640 A/cm{sup 2} has been reached when the EBIT magnet was operated at 4 T.« less

Dynamic earthquake rupture simulation on nonplanar faults embedded in 3D geometrically complex, heterogeneous Earth models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Duru, K.; Dunham, E. M.; Bydlon, S. A.; Radhakrishnan, H.

2014-12-01

Dynamic propagation of shear ruptures on a frictional interface is a useful idealization of a natural earthquake.The conditions relating slip rate and fault shear strength are often expressed as nonlinear friction laws.The corresponding initial boundary value problems are both numerically and computationally challenging.In addition, seismic waves generated by earthquake ruptures must be propagated, far away from fault zones, to seismic stations and remote areas.Therefore, reliable and efficient numerical simulations require both provably stable and high order accurate numerical methods.We present a numerical method for:a) enforcing nonlinear friction laws, in a consistent and provably stable manner, suitable for efficient explicit time integration;b) dynamic propagation of earthquake ruptures along rough faults; c) accurate propagation of seismic waves in heterogeneous media with free surface topography.We solve the first order form of the 3D elastic wave equation on a boundary-conforming curvilinear mesh, in terms of particle velocities and stresses that are collocated in space and time, using summation-by-parts finite differences in space. The finite difference stencils are 6th order accurate in the interior and 3rd order accurate close to the boundaries. Boundary and interface conditions are imposed weakly using penalties. By deriving semi-discrete energy estimates analogous to the continuous energy estimates we prove numerical stability. Time stepping is performed with a 4th order accurate explicit low storage Runge-Kutta scheme. We have performed extensive numerical experiments using a slip-weakening friction law on non-planar faults, including recent SCEC benchmark problems. We also show simulations on fractal faults revealing the complexity of rupture dynamics on rough faults. We are presently extending our method to rate-and-state friction laws and off-fault plasticity.

Patterns in stable isotope ratios of particulate material from the eastern US continental shelf

EPA Science Inventory

Stable isotope measurements of nitrogen and carbon (δ15N, δ13C) in estuarine, nearshore, and open ocean ecosystems are often utilized in order to characterize human influences, elucidate food web dynamics, or better understand nitrogen cycling. Reliable information a...

A Very Much Faster and More Sensitive In Situ Stable Isotope Analysis Instrument

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Coleman, M.; Christensen, L. E.; Kriesel, J. M.; Kelly, J. F.; Moran, J. J.; Vance, S.

2016-10-01

We are developing, Capillary Absorption Spectrometry (CAS) for H and O stable isotope analyses, giving > 4 orders of magnitude improved sensitivity, allowing analysis of 5 nano-moles of water and coupled to laser sampling to free water from hydrated minerals and ice.

High resolution (<1nm) interferometric fiber-optic sensor of vibrations in high-power transformers.

PubMed

Garcia-Souto, Jose A; Lamela-Rivera, Horacio

2006-10-16

A novel fiber-optic interferometric sensor is presented for vibrations measurements and analysis. In this approach, it is shown applied to the vibrations of electrical structures within power transformers. A main feature of the sensor is that an unambiguous optical phase measurement is performed using the direct detection of the interferometer output, without external modulation, for a more compact and stable implementation. High resolution of the interferometric measurement is obtained with this technique (<1 nm). The optical-fiber transducer is also specifically designed for magnifying the localized vibrations in order to modulate deeply the interferometric signal. Other advantages of the implementation for measurements within transformers are also highlighted.

Electronic structure and reactivity of cobalt oxide dimers and their hexacarbonyl complexes: a density functional study.

PubMed

Uzunova, Ellie L; Mikosch, Hans

2012-03-29

The dimers of cobalt oxide (CoO)(2) with cyclic and open bent structure are studied with the B1LYP density functional; the ordering of states is validated by the CCSD(T) method. The D(2h)-symmetry rhombic dioxide Co(2)O(2) with antiferromagnetically ordered electrons on cobalt centers is the global minimum. The cyclic peroxide Co(2)(O(2)) with side-on-bonded dioxygen in (7)B(2) ground state is separated from the global minimum by an energy gap of 3.15 eV. The dioxide is highly reactive as indicated by the high value of proton affinity and chemical reactivity indices. The four-member ring structures are more stable than those with three-member ring or chain configuration. The thermodynamic stability toward dissociation to CoO increases upon carbonylation, whereas proton affinity and reactivity with release of molecular oxygen also increase. The global minimum of Co(2)O(2)(CO)(6) corresponds to a triplet state (3)A" with oxygen atoms shifted above the molecular plane of the rhombic dioxide Co(2)O(2). The SOMO-LUMO gap in the ground-state carbonylated dioxide is wider, compared to the same gap in the bare dicobalt dioxide. The peroxo-isomer Co(2)(O(2))(CO)(6) retains the planar Co(2)(O(2)) ring and is only stable in a high-spin state (7)A". The carbonylated clusters have increased reactivity in both redox and nucleophilic reactions, as a result of the increased electron density in the Co(2)O(2)-ring area.

Simulation of free energies of bicontinuous morphologies formed through block copolymer/homopolymer self-assembly

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Padmanabhan, Poornima; Martinez-Veracoechea, Francisco; Escobedo, Fernando

Different types of bicontinuous phases can be formed from A-B diblock copolymers by the addition of A-type homopolymers over a range of compositions and relative chain lengths. Particle-based molecular simulations were used to study three bicontinuous phases - double gyroid (G), double diamond (D) and plumber's nightmare (P) - near their triple point of coexistence. For 3-D ordered phases, the stability of the morphology formed in simulation is highly sensitive to box size whose exact size is unknown a-priori. Accurate free energy estimates are required to ascertain the stable phase, particularly when multiple competing phases spontaneously form at the conditions of interest. A variant of thermodynamic integration was implemented to obtain free energies and hence identify the stable phases and their optimal box sizes by tracing a reversible path that connects the ordered and disordered phases. Clear evidence was found of D-G and D-P phase coexistence, consistent with previous predictions for the same blend using Self-consistent field theory. Our simulations also allowed us to examine the microscopic details of these coexisting bicontinuous phases and detect key differences between the microstructure of their nodes and struts.

Encapsulation of nZVI particles using a Gum Arabic stabilized oil-in-water emulsion.

PubMed

Long, Tao; Ramsburg, C Andrew

2011-05-30

Stabilization of reactive iron particles against aggregation and sedimentation is a critical engineering aspect for successful application of nZVI (nanoscale zero valent iron) within the contaminated subsurface environment. In this work we explore the stability and reactivity of a new encapsulation approach that relies upon Gum Arabic to stabilize high quantities of nZVI (∼ 12 g/L) in the dispersed phase of a soybean oil-in-water emulsion. The emulsion is kinetically stable due to substantial repulsive barriers to droplet-droplet induced deformation and subsequent coalescence. Sedimentation time scales were found to be on the order of hours (τ=4.77 ± 0.02 h). Thus, the use of Gum Arabic represents an advance in stabilizing nZVI-in-oil-in-water emulsions. nZVI within the emulsion was shown to be reactive with both TCE degradation and H(2) production observed. Degradation rates were observed to be on the same order of magnitude as those reported for less stable, aqueous suspensions of nZVI. TCE consumption within the emulsion was described with an equivalent aqueous phase rate coefficient of ∼ 5 × 10(-4)L(aq)/m(2)h. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The role of moisture in the nest thermoregulation of social wasps.

PubMed

Klingner, R; Richter, K; Schmolz, E; Keller, B

2005-09-01

Paper nests of social wasps are intriguing constructions for both, biologists and engineers. We demonstrate that moisture and latent heat significantly influence the thermal performance of the nest construction. Two colonies of the hornet Vespa crabro were investigated in order to clarify the relation of the temperature and the moisture regime inside the nest. Next to fairly stable nest temperatures the hornets maintain a high relative humidity inside the nest. We found that in consequence a partial vapor-pressure gradient between nest and ambient drives a constant vapor flux through the envelope. The vapor flux is limited by the diffusion resistance of the envelope. The driving force of vapor flux is heat, which is consumed through evaporation inside the nest. The colony has to compensate this loss with metabolic heat production in order to maintain a stable nest temperature. However, humidity fluctuations inside the nest induce circadian adsorption and desorption cycles, which stabilize the nest temperature and thus contribute significantly to temperature homeostasis. Our study demonstrates that both mechanisms influence nest thermoregulation and need to be considered to understand the thermodynamic behavior of nests of wasps and social insects in general.

Statistical Mechanics and Dynamics of the Outer Solar System.I. The Jupiter/Saturn Zone

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Grazier, K. R.; Newman, W. I.; Kaula, W. M.; Hyman, J. M.

1996-01-01

We report on numerical simulations designed to understand how the solar system evolved through a winnowing of planetesimals accreeted from the early solar nebula. This sorting process is driven by the energy and angular momentum and continues to the present day. We reconsider the existence and importance of stable niches in the Jupiter/Saturn Zone using greatly improved numerical techniques based on high-order optimized multi-step integration schemes coupled to roundoff error minimizing methods.

A review of advanced high performance, insensitive and thermally stable energetic materials emerging for military and space applications.

PubMed

Sikder, A K; Sikder, Nirmala

2004-08-09

Energetic materials used extensively both for civil and military applications. There are continuous research programmes worldwide to develop new materials with higher performance and enhanced insensitivity to thermal or shock insults than the existing ones in order to meet the requirements of future military and space applications. This review concentrates on recent advances in syntheses, potential formulations and space applications of potential compounds with respect to safety, performance and stability.

Self-assembled pentacenequinone derivative for trace detection of picric acid.

PubMed

Bhalla, Vandana; Gupta, Ankush; Kumar, Manoj; Rao, D S Shankar; Prasad, S Krishna

2013-02-01

Pentacenequinone derivative 3 forms luminescent supramolecular aggregates both in bulk as well as in solution phase. In bulk phase at high temperature, long-range stacking of columns leads to formation of stable and ordered columnar mesophase. Further, derivative 3 works as sensitive chemosensor for picric acid (PA) and gel-coated paper strips detect PA at nanomolar level and provide a simple, portable, and low-cost method for detection of PA in aqueous solution, vapor phase, and in contact mode.

Rethinking the evolution of specialization: A model for the evolution of phenotypic heterogeneity.

PubMed

Rubin, Ilan N; Doebeli, Michael

2017-12-21

Phenotypic heterogeneity refers to genetically identical individuals that express different phenotypes, even when in the same environment. Traditionally, "bet-hedging" in fluctuating environments is offered as the explanation for the evolution of phenotypic heterogeneity. However, there are an increasing number of examples of microbial populations that display phenotypic heterogeneity in stable environments. Here we present an evolutionary model of phenotypic heterogeneity of microbial metabolism and a resultant theory for the evolution of phenotypic versus genetic specialization. We use two-dimensional adaptive dynamics to track the evolution of the population phenotype distribution of the expression of two metabolic processes with a concave trade-off. Rather than assume a Gaussian phenotype distribution, we use a Beta distribution that is capable of describing genotypes that manifest as individuals with two distinct phenotypes. Doing so, we find that environmental variation is not a necessary condition for the evolution of phenotypic heterogeneity, which can evolve as a form of specialization in a stable environment. There are two competing pressures driving the evolution of specialization: directional selection toward the evolution of phenotypic heterogeneity and disruptive selection toward genetically determined specialists. Because of the lack of a singular point in the two-dimensional adaptive dynamics and the fact that directional selection is a first order process, while disruptive selection is of second order, the evolution of phenotypic heterogeneity dominates and often precludes speciation. We find that branching, and therefore genetic specialization, occurs mainly under two conditions: the presence of a cost to maintaining a high phenotypic variance or when the effect of mutations is large. A cost to high phenotypic variance dampens the strength of selection toward phenotypic heterogeneity and, when sufficiently large, introduces a singular point into the evolutionary dynamics, effectively guaranteeing eventual branching. Large mutations allow the second order disruptive selection to dominate the first order selection toward phenotypic heterogeneity. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A new RF window designed for high-power operation in an S-band LINAC RF system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Joo, Youngdo; Kim, Seung-Hwan; Hwang, Woonha; Ryu, Jiwan; Roh, Sungjoo

2016-09-01

A new RF window is designed for high-power operation at the Pohang Light Source-II (PLSII) S-band linear accelerator (LINAC) RF system. In order to reduce the strength of the electric field component perpendicular to the ceramic disk, which is commonly known as the main cause of most discharge breakdowns in ceramic disk, we replace the pill-box type cavity in the conventional RF window with an overmoded cavity. The overmoded cavity is coupled with input and output waveguides through dual side-wall coupling irises to reduce the electric field strength at the iris and the number of possible mode competitions. The finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) simulation, CST MWS, was used in the design process. The simulated maximum electric field component perpendicular to the ceramic for the new RF window is reduced by an order of magnitude compared with taht for the conventional RF window, which holds promise for stable high-power operation.

High temperature two component explosive

DOEpatents

Mars, James E.; Poole, Donald R.; Schmidt, Eckart W.; Wang, Charles

1981-01-01

A two component, high temperature, thermally stable explosive composition comprises a liquid or low melting oxidizer and a liquid or low melting organic fuel. The oxidizer and fuel in admixture are incapable of substantial spontaneous exothermic reaction at temperatures on the order of 475.degree. K. At temperatures on the order of 475.degree. K., the oxidizer and fuel in admixture have an activation energy of at least about 40 kcal/mol. As a result of the high activation energy, the preferred explosive compositions are nondetonable as solids at ambient temperature, and become detonable only when heated beyond the melting point. Preferable oxidizers are selected from alkali or alkaline earth metal nitrates, nitrites, perchlorates, and/or mixtures thereof. Preferred fuels are organic compounds having polar hydrophilic groups. The most preferred fuels are guanidinium nitrate, acetamide and mixtures of the two. Most preferred oxidizers are eutectic mixtures of lithium nitrate, potassium nitrate and sodium nitrate, of sodium nitrite, sodium nitrate and potassium nitrate, and of potassium nitrate, calcium nitrate and sodium nitrate.

Advanced Age Dissociates Dual Functions of the Perirhinal Cortex

PubMed Central

Burke, Sara N.; Maurer, Andrew P.; Nematollahi, Saman; Uprety, Ajay; Wallace, Jenelle L.

2014-01-01

The perirhinal cortex (PRC) is proposed to both represent high-order sensory information and maintain those representations across delays. These cognitive processes are required for recognition memory, which declines during normal aging. Whether or not advanced age affects the ability of PRC principal cells to support these dual roles, however, is not known. The current experiment recorded PRC neurons as young and aged rats traversed a track. When objects were placed on the track, a subset of the neurons became active at discrete locations adjacent to objects. Importantly, the aged rats had a lower proportion of neurons that were activated by objects. Once PRC activity patterns in the presence of objects were established, however, both age groups maintained these representations across delays up to 2 h. These data support the hypothesis that age-associated deficits in stimulus recognition arise from impairments in high-order stimulus representation rather than difficulty in sustaining stable activity patterns over time. PMID:24403147

Treatment of the polar coordinate singularity in axisymmetric wave propagation using high-order summation-by-parts operators on a staggered grid

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

Prochnow, Bo; O'Reilly, Ossian; Dunham, Eric M.

In this paper, we develop a high-order finite difference scheme for axisymmetric wave propagation in a cylindrical conduit filled with a viscous fluid. The scheme is provably stable, and overcomes the difficulty of the polar coordinate singularity in the radial component of the diffusion operator. The finite difference approximation satisfies the principle of summation-by-parts (SBP), which is used to establish stability using the energy method. To treat the coordinate singularity without losing the SBP property of the scheme, a staggered grid is introduced and quadrature rules with weights set to zero at the endpoints are considered. Finally, the accuracy ofmore » the scheme is studied both for a model problem with periodic boundary conditions at the ends of the conduit and its practical utility is demonstrated by modeling acoustic-gravity waves in a magmatic conduit.« less

A Kinetic and DRIFTS Study of Supported Pt Catalysts for NO Oxidation

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

Toops, Todd J; Ji, Yaying; Graham, Uschi

NO oxidation was studied over Pt/CeO2 and Pt/SiO2 catalysts. Apparent activation energies (Ea) of 31.4 and 40.6 kJ/mole were determined for Pt/CeO2 and Pt/SiO2, respectively, while reaction orders for NO and O2 were fractional and positive for both catalysts. Pre-treatment of the catalysts with SO2 caused a decrease in the Ea values, while the reaction orders were only slightly changed. In situ DRIFTS measurements indicated that high concentrations of nitrate species were formed on the surface of Pt/CeO2 during NO oxidation, while almost no surface species could be detected on Pt/SiO2. The addition of SO2 resulted in the formation ofmore » a highly stable sulfate at the expense of nitrate species and caused an irreversible loss of catalytic activity for Pt/CeO2.« less

Advanced age dissociates dual functions of the perirhinal cortex.

PubMed

Burke, Sara N; Maurer, Andrew P; Nematollahi, Saman; Uprety, Ajay; Wallace, Jenelle L; Barnes, Carol A

2014-01-08

The perirhinal cortex (PRC) is proposed to both represent high-order sensory information and maintain those representations across delays. These cognitive processes are required for recognition memory, which declines during normal aging. Whether or not advanced age affects the ability of PRC principal cells to support these dual roles, however, is not known. The current experiment recorded PRC neurons as young and aged rats traversed a track. When objects were placed on the track, a subset of the neurons became active at discrete locations adjacent to objects. Importantly, the aged rats had a lower proportion of neurons that were activated by objects. Once PRC activity patterns in the presence of objects were established, however, both age groups maintained these representations across delays up to 2 h. These data support the hypothesis that age-associated deficits in stimulus recognition arise from impairments in high-order stimulus representation rather than difficulty in sustaining stable activity patterns over time.

Study of gain-coupled distributed feedback laser based on high order surface gain-coupled gratings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gao, Feng; Qin, Li; Chen, Yongyi; Jia, Peng; Chen, Chao; Cheng, LiWen; Chen, Hong; Liang, Lei; Zeng, Yugang; Zhang, Xing; Wu, Hao; Ning, Yongqiang; Wang, Lijun

2018-03-01

Single-longitudinal-mode, gain-coupled distributed feedback (DFB) lasers based on high order surface gain-coupled gratings are achieved. Periodic surface metal p-contacts with insulated grooves realize gain-coupled mechanism. To enhance gain contrast in the quantum wells without the introduction of effective index-coupled effect, groove length and depth were well designed. Our devices provided a single longitudinal mode with the maximum CW output power up to 48.8 mW/facet at 971.31 nm at 250 mA without facet coating, 3dB linewidth (<3.2 pm) and SMSR (>39 dB). Optical bistable characteristic was observed with a threshold current difference. Experimentally, devices with different cavity lengths were contrasted on power-current and spectrum characteristics. Due to easy fabrication technique and stable performance, it provides a method of fabricating practical gain-coupled distributed feedback lasers for commercial applications.

Distributed Adaptive Neural Network Output Tracking of Leader-Following High-Order Stochastic Nonlinear Multiagent Systems With Unknown Dead-Zone Input.

PubMed

Hua, Changchun; Zhang, Liuliu; Guan, Xinping

2017-01-01

This paper studies the problem of distributed output tracking consensus control for a class of high-order stochastic nonlinear multiagent systems with unknown nonlinear dead-zone under a directed graph topology. The adaptive neural networks are used to approximate the unknown nonlinear functions and a new inequality is used to deal with the completely unknown dead-zone input. Then, we design the controllers based on backstepping method and the dynamic surface control technique. It is strictly proved that the resulting closed-loop system is stable in probability in the sense of semiglobally uniform ultimate boundedness and the tracking errors between the leader and the followers approach to a small residual set based on Lyapunov stability theory. Finally, two simulation examples are presented to show the effectiveness and the advantages of the proposed techniques.

Thermally and electrically controllable multiple high harmonics generation by harmonically driven quasi-two-dimensional electron gas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maglevanny, I. I.; Smolar, V. A.; Karyakina, T. I.

2018-06-01

In this paper, we consider the activation processes in nonlinear meta-stable system based on a lateral (quasi-two-dimensional) superlattice and study the dynamics of such a system externally driven by a harmonic force. The internal control parameters are the longitudinal applied electric field and the sample temperature. The spontaneous transverse electric field is considered as an order parameter. The forced violations of order parameter are considered as a response of a system to periodic driving. We investigate the cooperative effects of self-organization and high harmonic forcing from the viewpoint of catastrophe theory and show the possibility of generation of third and higher odd harmonics in output signal that lead to distortion of its wave front. A higher harmonics detection strategy is further proposed and explained in detail by exploring the influences of system parameters on the response output of the system that are discussed through numerical simulations.

Stable switching among high-order modes in polariton condensates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sun, Yongbao; Yoon, Yoseob; Khan, Saeed; Ge, Li; Steger, Mark; Pfeiffer, Loren N.; West, Ken; Türeci, Hakan E.; Snoke, David W.; Nelson, Keith A.

2018-01-01

We report multistate optical switching among high-order bouncing-ball modes ("ripples") and whispering-gallery modes ("petals") of exciton-polariton condensates in a laser-generated annular trap. By tailoring the diameter and power of the annular trap, the polariton condensate can be switched among different trapped modes, accompanied by redistribution of spatial densities and superlinear increase in the emission intensities, implying that polariton condensates in this geometry could be exploited for an all-optical multistate switch. A model based on non-Hermitian modes of the generalized Gross-Pitaevskii equation reveals that this mode switching arises from competition between pump-induced gain and in-plane polariton loss. The parameters for reproducible switching among trapped modes have been measured experimentally, giving us a phase diagram for mode switching. Taken together, the experimental result and theoretical modeling advance our fundamental understanding of the spontaneous emergence of coherence and move us toward its practical exploitation.

Treatment of the polar coordinate singularity in axisymmetric wave propagation using high-order summation-by-parts operators on a staggered grid

DOE PAGES

Prochnow, Bo; O'Reilly, Ossian; Dunham, Eric M.; ...

2017-03-16

In this paper, we develop a high-order finite difference scheme for axisymmetric wave propagation in a cylindrical conduit filled with a viscous fluid. The scheme is provably stable, and overcomes the difficulty of the polar coordinate singularity in the radial component of the diffusion operator. The finite difference approximation satisfies the principle of summation-by-parts (SBP), which is used to establish stability using the energy method. To treat the coordinate singularity without losing the SBP property of the scheme, a staggered grid is introduced and quadrature rules with weights set to zero at the endpoints are considered. Finally, the accuracy ofmore » the scheme is studied both for a model problem with periodic boundary conditions at the ends of the conduit and its practical utility is demonstrated by modeling acoustic-gravity waves in a magmatic conduit.« less

Slow decomposition of lower order roots: a key mechanism of root carbon and nutrient retention in the soil.

PubMed

Fan, Pingping; Guo, Dali

2010-06-01

Among tree fine roots, the distal small-diameter lateral branches comprising first- and second-order roots lack secondary (wood) development. Therefore, these roots are expected to decompose more rapidly than higher order woody roots. But this prediction has not been tested and may not be correct. Current evidence suggests that lower order roots may decompose more slowly than higher order roots in tree species associated with ectomycorrhizal (EM) fungi because they are preferentially colonized by fungi and encased by a fungal sheath rich in chitin (a recalcitrant compound). In trees associated with arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi, lower order roots do not form fungal sheaths, but they may have poorer C quality, e.g. lower concentrations of soluble carbohydrates and higher concentrations of acid-insolubles than higher order roots, thus may decompose more slowly. In addition, litter with high concentrations of acid insolubles decomposes more slowly under higher N concentrations (such as lower order roots). Therefore, we propose that in both AM and EM trees, lower order roots decompose more slowly than higher order roots due to the combination of poor C quality and high N concentrations. To test this hypothesis, we examined decomposition of the first six root orders in Fraxinus mandshurica (an AM species) and Larix gmelinii (an EM species) using litterbag method in northeastern China. We found that lower order roots of both species decomposed more slowly than higher order roots, and this pattern appears to be associated mainly with initial C quality and N concentrations. Because these lower order roots have short life spans and thus dominate root mortality, their slow decomposition implies that a substantial fraction of the stable soil organic matter pool is derived from these lower order roots, at least in the two species we studied.

The birth order puzzle.

PubMed

Zajonc, R B; Markus, H; Markus, G B

1979-08-01

Studies relating intellectual performance to birth order report conflicting results, some finding intellectual scores to increase, others to decrease with birth order. In contrast, the relationship between intellectual performance and family size is stable and consistently replicable. Why do these two highly related variables generate such divergent results? This birth order puzzle is resolved by means of the confluence model that quantifies the influences upon intellectual growth arising within the family context. At the time of a new birth, two opposing influences act upon intellectual growth of the elder sibling: (a) his or her intellectual environment is "diluted" and (b) he or she loses the "last-born's handicap" and begins serving as an intellectual resource to the younger sibling. Since these opposite effects are not equal in magnitude, the differences in intellectual performance among birth ranks are shown to be age dependent. While elder children may surpass their younger siblings in intellectual performance at some ages, they may be overtaken by them at others. Thus when age is taken into consideration, the birth order literature loses its chaotic character and an orderly pattern of results emerges.

On the structure of the disordered Bi 2Te 4O 11 phase

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Masson, O.; Thomas, P.; Durand, O.; Hansen, T.; Champarnaud, J. C.; Mercurio, D.

2004-06-01

The structure of the disordered metastable Bi 2Te 4O 11 phase has been investigated using both neutron powder diffraction and reverse Monte Carlo (RMC) modelling. The average structure, of fluorite-type (space group Fm 3¯m ), is characterized by very high Debye-Waller parameters, especially for oxygen. Whereas the cations form a fairly well-defined FCC lattice, the oxygen sublattice is very disordered. It is shown that the local order is similar to that present in the stable monoclinic Bi 2Te 4O 11 phase. Clear differences are observed for the intermediate range order. The present phase is analogous to the "anti-glass" phases reported by Trömel in other tellurium-based mixed oxides. However, whereas Trömel defines anti-glass as having long range order but no short range order, it is shown here that this phase is best described as an intermediate state between the amorphous and crystalline states, i.e. having short and medium range order similar to that of tellurite glasses and a premise of long range order with the cations only.

PHYSICAL-CONSTRAINT-PRESERVING CENTRAL DISCONTINUOUS GALERKIN METHODS FOR SPECIAL RELATIVISTIC HYDRODYNAMICS WITH A GENERAL EQUATION OF STATE

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

Wu, Kailiang; Tang, Huazhong, E-mail: wukl@pku.edu.cn, E-mail: hztang@math.pku.edu.cn

The ideal gas equation of state (EOS) with a constant adiabatic index is a poor approximation for most relativistic astrophysical flows, although it is commonly used in relativistic hydrodynamics (RHD). This paper develops high-order accurate, physical-constraints-preserving (PCP), central, discontinuous Galerkin (DG) methods for the one- and two-dimensional special RHD equations with a general EOS. It is built on our theoretical analysis of the admissible states for RHD and the PCP limiting procedure that enforce the admissibility of central DG solutions. The convexity, scaling invariance, orthogonal invariance, and Lax–Friedrichs splitting property of the admissible state set are first proved with themore » aid of its equivalent form. Then, the high-order central DG methods with the PCP limiting procedure and strong stability-preserving time discretization are proved, to preserve the positivity of the density, pressure, specific internal energy, and the bound of the fluid velocity, maintain high-order accuracy, and be L {sup 1}-stable. The accuracy, robustness, and effectiveness of the proposed methods are demonstrated by several 1D and 2D numerical examples involving large Lorentz factor, strong discontinuities, or low density/pressure, etc.« less

W-transform for exponential stability of second order delay differential equations without damping terms.

PubMed

Domoshnitsky, Alexander; Maghakyan, Abraham; Berezansky, Leonid

2017-01-01

In this paper a method for studying stability of the equation [Formula: see text] not including explicitly the first derivative is proposed. We demonstrate that although the corresponding ordinary differential equation [Formula: see text] is not exponentially stable, the delay equation can be exponentially stable.

Effective elimination of chimeric tissue in transgenics for the stable genetic transformation of lesquerella fendleri

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

In order to improve the potential of Lesquerella fendleri as a valuable industrial oilseed crop, a stable genetic transformation system was developed. Genetic transformation was performed by inoculating leaf segments with an Agrobacterium tumefaciens strain AGL1 carrying binary vector pCAMBIA 1301.1...

Hybrid High-Order methods for finite deformations of hyperelastic materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abbas, Mickaël; Ern, Alexandre; Pignet, Nicolas

2018-01-01

We devise and evaluate numerically Hybrid High-Order (HHO) methods for hyperelastic materials undergoing finite deformations. The HHO methods use as discrete unknowns piecewise polynomials of order k≥1 on the mesh skeleton, together with cell-based polynomials that can be eliminated locally by static condensation. The discrete problem is written as the minimization of a broken nonlinear elastic energy where a local reconstruction of the displacement gradient is used. Two HHO methods are considered: a stabilized method where the gradient is reconstructed as a tensor-valued polynomial of order k and a stabilization is added to the discrete energy functional, and an unstabilized method which reconstructs a stable higher-order gradient and circumvents the need for stabilization. Both methods satisfy the principle of virtual work locally with equilibrated tractions. We present a numerical study of the two HHO methods on test cases with known solution and on more challenging three-dimensional test cases including finite deformations with strong shear layers and cavitating voids. We assess the computational efficiency of both methods, and we compare our results to those obtained with an industrial software using conforming finite elements and to results from the literature. The two HHO methods exhibit robust behavior in the quasi-incompressible regime.

Gas Wave Bearings: A Stable Alternative to Journal Bearings for High-Speed Oil-Free Machines

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dimofte, Florin

2005-01-01

To run both smoothly and efficiently, high-speed machines need stable, low-friction bearings to support their rotors. In addition, an oil-free bearing system is a common requirement in today's designs. Therefore, self-acting gas film bearings are becoming the bearing of choice in high-performance rotating machinery, including that used in the machine tool industry. Although plain journal bearings carry more load and have superior lift and land characteristics, they suffer from instability problems. Since 1992, a new type of fluid film bearing, the wave bearing, has been under development at the NASA Lewis Research Center in Cleveland, Ohio, by Dr. Florin Dimofte, a Senior Research Associate of the University of Toledo. One unique characteristic of the waved journal bearing that gives it improved capabilities over conventional journal bearings is the low-amplitude waves of its inner diameter surface. The radial clearance is on the order of one thousandth of the shaft radius, and the wave amplitude is nominally up to one-half the clearance. This bearing concept offers a load capacity which is very close to that of a plain journal bearing, but it runs more stably at nominal speeds.

High-fidelity spin measurement on the nitrogen-vacancy center

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hanks, Michael; Trupke, Michael; Schmiedmayer, Jörg; Munro, William J.; Nemoto, Kae

2017-10-01

Nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centers in diamond are versatile candidates for many quantum information processing tasks, ranging from quantum imaging and sensing through to quantum communication and fault-tolerant quantum computers. Critical to almost every potential application is an efficient mechanism for the high fidelity readout of the state of the electronic and nuclear spins. Typically such readout has been achieved through an optically resonant fluorescence measurement, but the presence of decay through a meta-stable state will limit its efficiency to the order of 99%. While this is good enough for many applications, it is insufficient for large scale quantum networks and fault-tolerant computational tasks. Here we explore an alternative approach based on dipole induced transparency (state-dependent reflection) in an NV center cavity QED system, using the most recent knowledge of the NV center’s parameters to determine its feasibility, including the decay channels through the meta-stable subspace and photon ionization. We find that single-shot measurements above fault-tolerant thresholds should be available in the strong coupling regime for a wide range of cavity-center cooperativities, using a majority voting approach utilizing single photon detection. Furthermore, extremely high fidelity measurements are possible using weak optical pulses.

Research Update: Behind the high efficiency of hybrid perovskite solar cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fakharuddin, Azhar; De Rossi, Francesca; Watson, Trystan M.; Schmidt-Mende, Lukas; Jose, Rajan

2016-09-01

Perovskite solar cells (PSCs) marked tremendous progress in a short period of time and offer bright hopes for cheap solar electricity. Despite high power conversion efficiency >20%, its poor operational stability as well as involvement of toxic, volatile, and less-abundant materials hinders its practical deployment. The fact that degradation and toxicity are typically observed in the most successful perovskite involving organic cation and toxic lead, i.e., CH3NH3PbX3, requires a deep understanding of their role in photovoltaic performance in order to envisage if a non-toxic, stable yet highly efficient device is feasible. Towards this, we first provide an overview of the basic chemistry and physics of halide perovskites and its correlation with its extraordinary properties such as crystal structure, bandgap, ferroelectricity, and electronic transport. We then discuss device related aspects such as the various device designs in PSCs and role of interfaces in origin of PV parameters particularly open circuit voltage, various film processing methods and their effect on morphology and characteristics of perovskite films, and the origin and elimination of hysteresis and operational stability in these devices. We then identify future perspectives for stable and efficient PSCs for practical deployment.

Photoconductivity of high-voltage space insulating materials

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Coffey, H. T.; Nanevicz, J. E.; Adamo, R. C.

1975-01-01

The dark and photoconductivities of four high voltage spacecraft insulators, Kapton-H, FEP Teflon, Parylene, and fused quartz, were studied under a variety of conditions intended to simulate a space environment. All measurements were made in a vacuum of less than .00001 torr while the temperature was varied from 22 C to 100 C. Some of the samples used employed conventional deposited metal electrodes--others employed electrodes composed either of an electron beam or a plasma formed by ionization of the residual gas in the test chamber. Test results show: (1) Kapton had unusual conduction properties; it conductivity decreased by more than an order of magnitude when heated at 100 C in a vacuum, but ultimately attained a stable and reproducible value. (2) Both Teflon and fused quartz had high dark resistivities but low photoresistivities when exposed to UV. Optical-density measurements revealed that both materials transmitted UV with little attenuation. (3) Parylene was found to have a low but relatively stable resistivity--comparatively minor changes occurred upon heating or illuminating the sample. Optical-density measurements showed that Parylene was absorbent in the UV and would prevent photoemission from the metal electrode on the back surface.

An Investigation of Surge in a High-Speed Centrifugal Compressor Using Digital PIV

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wernet, Mark P.; Bright, Michelle M.; Skoch, Gary J.

2002-01-01

Compressor stall is a catastrophic breakdown of the flow in a compressor, which can lead to a loss of engine power, large pressure transients in the inlet/nacelle and engine flameout. The implementation of active or passive strategies for controlling rotating stall and surge can significantly extend the stable operating range of a compressor without substantially sacrificing performance. It is crucial to identify the dynamic changes occurring in the flow field prior to rotating stall and surge in order to successfully control these events. Generally, pressure transducer measurements are made to capture the transient response of a compressor prior to rotating stall. In this investigation, Digital Particle Imaging Velocimetry (DPIV) is used in conjunction with dynamic pressure transducers to simultaneously capture transient velocity and pressure measurements in the non-stationary flow field during compressor surge. DPIV is an instantaneous, planar measurement technique which is ideally suited for studying transient flow phenomena in high speed turbomachinery and has been used previously to successfully map the stable operating point flow field in the diffuser of a high speed centrifugal compressor. Through the acquisition of both DPIV images and transient pressure data, the time evolution of the unsteady flow during surge is revealed.

Electrochemistry and electrochemiluminescence from a redox-active metal-organic framework.

PubMed

Xu, Yang; Yin, Xue-Bo; He, Xi-Wen; Zhang, Yu-Kui

2015-06-15

The marriage of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) and electrochemiluminescence (ECL) can combine their merits together. Designing ECL-active MOF with a high electron transfer capacity and high stability is critical for ECL emission. Here we reported the ECL from a redox-active MOF prepared from {Ru[4,4'-(HO2C)2-bpy]2bpy}(2+) and Zn(2+); a property of MOFs has not been reported previously. The MOF structure is independent of its charge and is therefore stable electrochemically. The redox-activity and well-ordered porous structure of the MOF were confirmed by its electrochemical properties and ECL emission. The high ECL emission indicated the ease of electron transfer between the MOF and co-reactants. Furthermore, the MOF exhibited permselectivity, charge selectivity, and catalytic selectivity along with a stable and concentration-dependent ECL emission toward co-reactants. ECL mechanism was proposed based on the results. The detection and recovery of cocaine in the serum sample was used to validate the feasibility of MOF- based ECL system. The information obtained in this study provides a better understanding of the redox properties of MOFs and their potential electrochemical applications. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Autonomy and Fear of Synthetic Biology: How Can Patients' Autonomy Be Enhanced in the Field of Synthetic Biology? A Qualitative Study with Stable Patients.

PubMed

Rakic, Milenko; Wienand, Isabelle; Shaw, David; Nast, Rebecca; Elger, Bernice S

2017-04-01

We analyzed stable patients' views regarding synthetic biology in general, the medical application of synthetic biology, and their potential participation in trials of synthetic biology in particular. The aim of the study was to find out whether patients' views and preferences change after receiving more detailed information about synthetic biology and its clinical applications. The qualitative study was carried out with a purposive sample of 36 stable patients, who suffered from diabetes or gout. Interviews were transcribed verbatim, translated and fully anonymized. Thematic analysis was applied in order to examine stable patients' attitudes towards synthetic biology, its medical application, and their participation in trials. When patients were asked about synthetic biology in general, most of them were anxious that something uncontrollable could be created. After a concrete example of possible future treatment options, patients started to see synthetic biology in a more positive way. Our study constitutes an important first empirical insight into stable patients' views on synthetic biology and into the kind of fears triggered by the term "synthetic biology." Our results show that clear and concrete information can change patients' initial negative feelings towards synthetic biology. Information should thus be transmitted with great accuracy and transparency in order to reduce irrational fears of patients and to minimize the risk that researchers present facts too positively for the purposes of persuading patients to participate in clinical trials. Potential participants need to be adequately informed in order to be able to autonomously decide whether to participate in human subject research involving synthetic biology.

Direct Immersion Annealing of Block Copolymer Thin Films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Karim, Alamgir

We demonstrate ordering of thin block copolymer (BCP) films via direct immersion annealing (DIA) at enhanced rate leading to stable morphologies. The BCP films are immersed in carefully selected mixtures of good and marginal solvents that can impart enhanced polymer mobility, while inhibiting film dissolution. DIA is compatible with roll-to-roll assembly manufacturing and has distinct advantages over conventional thermal annealing and batch processing solvent-vapor annealing methods. We identify three solvent composition-dependent BCP film ordering regimes in DIA for the weakly interacting polystyrene -poly(methyl methacrylate) (PS -PMMA) system: rapid short range order, optimal long-range order, and a film instability regime. Kinetic studies in the ``optimal long-range order'' processing regime as a function of temperature indicate a significant reduction of activation energy for BCP grain growth compared to oven annealing at conventional temperatures. An attractive feature of DIA is its robustness to ordering other BCP (e.g. PS-P2VP) and PS-PMMA systems exhibiting spherical, lamellar and cylindrical ordering. Inclusion of nanoparticles in these films at high concentrations and fast ordering kinetics study with neutron reflectivity and SANS will be discussed. This is (late) Contributed Talk Abstract for Dillon Medal Symposium at DPOLY - discussed with DPOLY Chair Dvora Perahia.

Containerless processing at high temperatures using acoustic levitation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rey, C. A.; Merkley, D. R.; Hampton, S.; Devos, J.; Mapes-Riordan, D.; Zatarski, M.

1991-01-01

Advanced techniques are presented which facilitate the development of inert or reducing atmospheres in excess of 2000 K in order to improve processing of containerless capabilities at higher temperatures and to provide more contamination-free environments. Recent testing, in the laboratory and aboard the NASA KC-135 aircraft, of a high-temperature acoustic positioner demonstrated the effectiveness of a specimen motion damping system and of specimen spin control. It is found that stable positioning can be achieved under ambient and heated conditions, including the transient states of heat-up and cool-down. An incorporated high-temperature levitator was found capable of processing specimens of up to 6-mm diameter in a high-purity environment without the contaminating effects of a container at high temperatures and with relative quiescence.

The application of chemical and isotopic tracers to characterize aerosol sources and processing in marine air

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Turekian, Vaughan Charles

2000-12-01

Aerosol production, transport, chemical and physical evolution and deposition impact the environment by influencing radiation budgets, altering the composition of the atmosphere, and delivering nutrients to marine and terrestrial ecosystems. The objective of this research was to combine high-resolution chemical measurements with stable isotopic analysis in order to characterize the sources and processing of carbon, nitrogen and sulfur bearing compounds, associated with sized aerosols on Bermuda, during spring. Chemical tracers combined with forward and backward trajectories demonstrated the transport of biomass burning products from North America to Bermuda. The size distributions of NH4+ from 1998 differed from those during spring, 1997, a year without the large-scale burning. These results suggest that transport of biomass burning products altered the pH of the aerosols. Marine and continentally derived carbon was associated with all aerosol size fractions. Supermicron radius sea- salt aerosol was enriched in marine derived carbon by 2 orders of magnitude compared to bulk surface seawater. Enrichments of oxalate relative to methanesulfonic acid (MSA) in supermicron radius aerosol suggested in situ formation of oxalate within the sea-salt solution, or direct injection from the organic rich surface microlayer. Compound specific isotope analysis of oxalic acid, indicated a marine source for all aerosol size fractions, indicating formation from in the gas phase for the submicron radius aerosol. Stable sulfur isotopes indicated that the biogenic non- sea-salt (nss) SO42-/MSA ratio varied with aerosol size indicating that MSA may not be a conservative tracer of biogenic nss SO4 2- in bulk aerosol sampling. The calculated biogenic nss SO 42-/MSA based on stable isotopes and sized aerosol sampling, was 3 times lower than previous estimates for Bermuda. Stable nitrogen isotope values for submicron and supermicron aerosol where significantly different, consistent with their different chemical compositions. Results suggested that HNO3 incorporation into supermicron aerosol was essentially unidirectional whereas submicron aerosol was both a source and a sink for NH3(g). Variable aerosol liquid water content over the relatively longer atmospheric lifetimes of submicron aerosol may lead to multiple NH3 phase changes. This study was the first to combine sized aerosol sampling, high-resolution chemical analysis and multiple stable isotopes to characterize both the sources and the processing of aerosols in marine air. The results of this study, therefore, provide crucial information for source apportionment of environmentally important atmospheric species in continentally impacted, marine air.

Highly Ordered Periodic Au/TiO₂ Hetero-Nanostructures for Plasmon-Induced Enhancement of the Activity and Stability for Ethanol Electro-oxidation.

PubMed

Jin, Zhao; Wang, Qiyu; Zheng, Weitao; Cui, Xiaoqiang

2016-03-02

The catalytic electro-oxidation of ethanol is the essential technique for direct alcohol fuel cells (DAFCs) in the area of alternative energy for the ability of converting the chemical energy of alcohol into the electric energy directly. Developing highly efficient and stable electrode materials with antipoisoning ability for ethanol electro-oxidation remains a challenge. A highly ordered periodic Au-nanoparticle (NP)-decorated bilayer TiO2 nanotube (BTNT) heteronanostructure was fabricated by a two-step anodic oxidation of Ti foil and the subsequent photoreduction of HAuCl4. The plasmon-induced charge separation on the heterointerface of Au/TiO2 electrode enhances the electrocatalytic activity and stability for the ethanol oxidation under visible light irradiation. The highly ordered periodic heterostructure on the electrode surface enhanced the light harvesting and led to the greater performance of ethanol electro-oxidation under irradiation compared with the ordinary Au NPs-decorated monolayer TiO2 nanotube (MTNT). This novel Au/TiO2 electrode also performed a self-cleaning property under visible light attributed to the enhanced electro-oxidation of the adsorbed intermediates. This light-driven enhancement of the electrochemical performances provides a development strategy for the design and construction of DAFCs.

Highly-ordered supportless three-dimensional nanowire networks with tunable complexity and interwire connectivity for device integration.

PubMed

Rauber, Markus; Alber, Ina; Müller, Sven; Neumann, Reinhard; Picht, Oliver; Roth, Christina; Schökel, Alexander; Toimil-Molares, Maria Eugenia; Ensinger, Wolfgang

2011-06-08

The fabrication of three-dimensional assemblies consisting of large quantities of nanowires is of great technological importance for various applications including (electro-)catalysis, sensitive sensing, and improvement of electronic devices. Because the spatial distribution of the nanostructured material can strongly influence the properties, architectural design is required in order to use assembled nanowires to their full potential. In addition, special effort has to be dedicated to the development of efficient methods that allow precise control over structural parameters of the nanoscale building blocks as a means of tuning their characteristics. This paper reports the direct synthesis of highly ordered large-area nanowire networks by a method based on hard templates using electrodeposition within nanochannels of ion track-etched polymer membranes. Control over the complexity of the networks and the dimensions of the integrated nanostructures are achieved by a modified template fabrication. The networks possess high surface area and excellent transport properties, turning them into a promising electrocatalyst material as demonstrated by cyclic voltammetry studies on platinum nanowire networks catalyzing methanol oxidation. Our method opens up a new general route for interconnecting nanowires to stable macroscopic network structures of very high integration level that allow easy handling of nanowires while maintaining their connectivity.

DNS of Low-Pressure Turbine Cascade Flows with Elevated Inflow Turbulence Using a Discontinuous-Galerkin Spectral-Element Method

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Garai, Anirban; Diosady, Laslo T.; Murman, Scott M.; Madavan, Nateri K.

2016-01-01

Recent progress towards developing a new computational capability for accurate and efficient high-fidelity direct numerical simulation (DNS) and large-eddy simulation (LES) of turbomachinery is described. This capability is based on an entropy- stable Discontinuous-Galerkin spectral-element approach that extends to arbitrarily high orders of spatial and temporal accuracy, and is implemented in a computationally efficient manner on a modern high performance computer architecture. An inflow turbulence generation procedure based on a linear forcing approach has been incorporated in this framework and DNS conducted to study the effect of inflow turbulence on the suction- side separation bubble in low-pressure turbine (LPT) cascades. The T106 series of airfoil cascades in both lightly (T106A) and highly loaded (T106C) configurations at exit isentropic Reynolds numbers of 60,000 and 80,000, respectively, are considered. The numerical simulations are performed using 8th-order accurate spatial and 4th-order accurate temporal discretization. The changes in separation bubble topology due to elevated inflow turbulence is captured by the present method and the physical mechanisms leading to the changes are explained. The present results are in good agreement with prior numerical simulations but some expected discrepancies with the experimental data for the T106C case are noted and discussed.

Liquid crystal modulator with ultra-wide dynamic range and adjustable driving voltage.

PubMed

Wang, Xing-jun; Huang, Zhang-di; Feng, Jing; Chen, Xiang-fei; Liang, Xiao; Lu, Yan-qing

2008-08-18

We demonstrated a reflective-type liquid crystal (LC) intensity modulator in 1550 nm telecomm band. An effective way to compensate the residual phase of a LC cell is proposed. With the adjustment of a true zero-order quarter wave plate and enhanced by total internal reflection induced birefringence, over 53 dB dynamic range was achieved, which is much desired for some high-end optical communication, infrared scene projection applications. In addition, the driving voltages were decreased and adjustable. Mechanical and spectral tolerance measurements show that our LC modulator is quite stable. Further applications of our experimental setup were discussed including bio-sensors and high speed modulators.

The mitochondrial genomes of Campodea fragilis and C. lubbocki(Hexapoda: Diplura): high genetic divergence in a morphologically uniformtaxon

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

Podsiadlowski, L.; Carapelli, A.; Nardi, F.

2005-12-01

Mitochondrial genomes from two dipluran hexapods of the genus Campodea have been sequenced. Gene order is the same as in most other hexapods and crustaceans. Secondary structures of tRNAs reveal specific structural changes in tRNA-C, tRNA-R, tRNA-S1 and tRNA-S2. Comparative analyses of nucleotide and amino acid composition, as well as structural features of both ribosomal RNA subunits, reveal substantial differences among the analyzed taxa. Although the two Campodea species are morphologically highly uniform, genetic divergence is larger than expected, suggesting a long evolutionary history under stable ecological conditions.

High-speed highly temperature stable 980 nm VCSELs operating at 25 Gb/s at up to 85 °C for short reach optical interconnects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mutig, Alex; Lott, James A.; Blokhin, Sergey A.; Moser, Philip; Wolf, Philip; Hofmann, Werner; Nadtochiy, Alexey M.; Bimberg, Dieter

2011-03-01

The progressive penetration of optical communication links into traditional copper interconnect markets greatly expands the applications of vertical cavity surface emitting lasers (VCSELs) for the next-generation of board-to-board, moduleto- module, chip-to-chip, and on-chip optical interconnects. Stability of the VCSEL parameters at high temperatures is indispensable for such applications, since these lasers typically reside directly on or near integrated circuit chips. Here we present 980 nm oxide-confined VCSELs operating error-free at bit rates up to 25 Gbit/s at temperatures as high as 85 °C without adjustment of the drive current and peak-to-peak modulation voltage. The driver design is therefore simplified and the power consumption of the driver electronics is lowered, reducing the production and operational costs. Small and large signal modulation experiments at various temperatures from 20 up to 85 °C for lasers with different oxide aperture diameters are presented in order to analyze the physical processes controlling the performance of the VCSELs. Temperature insensitive maximum -3 dB bandwidths of around 13-15 GHz for VCSELs with aperture diameters of 10 μm and corresponding parasitic cut-off frequencies exceeding 22 GHz are observed. Presented results demonstrate the suitability of our VCSELs for practical high speed and high temperature stable short-reach optical links.

Progress in the Development of a Class of Efficient Low Dissipative High Order Shock-capturing Methods

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Yee, H. C.; Sjogreen, B.; Sandham, N. D.; Hadjadj, A.; Kwak, Dochan (Technical Monitor)

2000-01-01

In a series of papers, Olsson (1994, 1995), Olsson & Oliger (1994), Strand (1994), Gerritsen Olsson (1996), Yee et al. (1999a,b, 2000) and Sandham & Yee (2000), the issue of nonlinear stability of the compressible Euler and Navier-Stokes Equations, including physical boundaries, and the corresponding development of the discrete analogue of nonlinear stable high order schemes, including boundary schemes, were developed, extended and evaluated for various fluid flows. High order here refers to spatial schemes that are essentially fourth-order or higher away from shock and shear regions. The objective of this paper is to give an overview of the progress of the low dissipative high order shock-capturing schemes proposed by Yee et al. (1999a,b, 2000). This class of schemes consists of simple non-dissipative high order compact or non-compact central spatial differencings and adaptive nonlinear numerical dissipation operators to minimize the use of numerical dissipation. The amount of numerical dissipation is further minimized by applying the scheme to the entropy splitting form of the inviscid flux derivatives, and by rewriting the viscous terms to minimize odd-even decoupling before the application of the central scheme (Sandham & Yee). The efficiency and accuracy of these scheme are compared with spectral, TVD and fifth- order WENO schemes. A new approach of Sjogreen & Yee (2000) utilizing non-orthogonal multi-resolution wavelet basis functions as sensors to dynamically determine the appropriate amount of numerical dissipation to be added to the non-dissipative high order spatial scheme at each grid point will be discussed. Numerical experiments of long time integration of smooth flows, shock-turbulence interactions, direct numerical simulations of a 3-D compressible turbulent plane channel flow, and various mixing layer problems indicate that these schemes are especially suitable for practical complex problems in nonlinear aeroacoustics, rotorcraft dynamics, direct numerical simulation or large eddy simulation of compressible turbulent flows at various speeds including high-speed shock-turbulence interactions, and general long time wave propagation problems. These schemes, including entropy splitting, have also been extended to freestream preserving schemes on curvilinear moving grids for a thermally perfect gas (Vinokur & Yee 2000).

Phase-change memory function of correlated electrons in organic conductors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oike, H.; Kagawa, F.; Ogawa, N.; Ueda, A.; Mori, H.; Kawasaki, M.; Tokura, Y.

2015-01-01

Phase-change memory (PCM), a promising candidate for next-generation nonvolatile memories, exploits quenched glassy and thermodynamically stable crystalline states as reversibly switchable state variables. We demonstrate PCM functions emerging from a charge-configuration degree of freedom in strongly correlated electron systems. Nonvolatile reversible switching between a high-resistivity charge-crystalline (or charge-ordered) state and a low-resistivity quenched state, charge glass, is achieved experimentally via heat pulses supplied by optical or electrical means in organic conductors θ -(BEDT-TTF)2X . Switching that is one order of magnitude faster is observed in another isostructural material that requires faster cooling to kinetically avoid charge crystallization, indicating that the material's critical cooling rate can be useful guidelines for pursuing a faster correlated-electron PCM function.

Performance evaluation of a non-woven lithium ion battery separator prepared through a paper-making process

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Xiaosong

2014-06-01

Porous separator functions to electrically insulate the negative and positive electrodes yet communicate lithium ions between the two electrodes when infiltrated with a liquid electrolyte. The separator must fulfill numerous requirements (e.g. permeability, wettability, and thermal stability) in order to optimize the abuse tolerance and electrochemical performance of a battery. Non-woven mat separators have advantages such as high porosity and heat resistance. However, their applications in lithium ion batteries are very limited as their inadequate pore structures could cause accelerated battery performance degradation and even internal short. This work features the development of thermally stable non-woven composite separators using a low cost paper-making process. The composite separators offer significantly improved thermal dimensional stability and exhibit superior wettability by the liquid electrolyte compared to a conventional polypropylene separator. The open porous structures of the non-woven composite separators also resulted in high effective ionic conductivities. The electrochemical performance of the composite separators was tested in coin cells. Stable cycle performances and improved rate capabilities have been observed for the coin cells with these composite separators.

A graphene-based platform for single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) genotyping.

PubMed

Liu, Meng; Zhao, Huimin; Chen, Shuo; Yu, Hongtao; Zhang, Yaobin; Quan, Xie

2011-06-15

A facile, rapid, stable and sensitive approach for fluorescent detection of single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) is designed based on DNA ligase reaction and π-stacking between the graphene and the nucleotide bases. In the presence of perfectly matched DNA, DNA ligase can catalyze the linkage of fluorescein amidite-labeled single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) and a phosphorylated ssDNA, and thus the formation of a stable duplex in high yield. However, the catalytic reaction cannot effectively carry out with one-base mismatched DNA target. In this case, we add graphene to the system in order to produce different quenching signals due to its different adsorption affinity for ssDNA and double-stranded DNA. Taking advantage of the unique surface property of graphene and the high discriminability of DNA ligase, the proposed protocol exhibits good performance in SNP genotyping. The results indicate that it is possible to accurately determine SNP with frequency as low as 2.6% within 40 min. Furthermore, the presented flexible strategy facilitates the development of other biosensing applications in the future. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Thermal Degradation Kinetics Modeling of Benzophenones and Xanthones during High-Temperature Oxidation of Cyclopia genistoides (L.) Vent. Plant Material.

PubMed

Beelders, Theresa; de Beer, Dalene; Joubert, Elizabeth

2015-06-10

Degradation of the major benzophenones, iriflophenone-3-C-glucoside-4-O-glucoside and iriflophenone-3-C-glucoside, and the major xanthones, mangiferin and isomangiferin, of Cyclopia genistoides followed first-order reaction kinetics during high-temperature oxidation of the plant material at 80 and 90 °C. Iriflophenone-3-C-glucoside-4-O-glucoside was shown to be the most thermally stable compound. Isomangiferin was the second most stable compound at 80 °C, while its degradation rate constant was influenced the most by increased temperature. Mangiferin and iriflophenone-3-C-glucoside had comparable degradation rate constants at 80 °C. The thermal degradation kinetic model was subsequently evaluated by subjecting different batches of plant material to oxidative conditions (90 °C/16 h). The model accurately predicted the individual contents of three of the compounds in aqueous extracts prepared from oxidized plant material. The impact of benzophenone and xanthone degradation was reflected in the decreased total antioxidant capacity of the aqueous extracts, as determined using the oxygen radical absorbance capacity and DPPH(•) scavenging assays.

Characteristics and carbon stable isotopes of fluids in the Southern Kerala granulites and their bearing on the source of CO2

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Santosh, M.; Jackson, D. H.; Mattey, D. P.; Harris, N. B. W.

1988-01-01

Carbon dioxide-rich inclusions commonly occur in the banded charnockites and khondalites of southern Kerala as well as in the incipient charnockites formed by desiccation of gneisses along oriented zones. The combined high density fluid inclusion isochores and the range of thermometric estimates from mineral assemblages indicate entrapment pressures in the range of 5.4 to 6.1 Kbar. The CO2 equation of state barometry closely compares with the 5 plus or minus 1 Kbar estimate from mineral phases for the region. The isochores for the high density fluid inclusions in all the three rock types pass through the P-T domain recorded by phase equilibria, implying that carbon dioxide was the dominating ambient fluid species during peak metamorphic conditions. In order to constrain the source of fluids and to evaluate the mechanism of desiccation, researchers undertook detailed investigations of the carbon stable isotope composition of entrapped fluids. Researchers report here the results of preliminary studies in some of the classic localities in southern Kerala namely, Ponmudi, Kottavattom, Manali and Kadakamon.

A Magnetically Separable, Highly Stable Enzyme System Based on Nanocomposites of Enzymes and Magnetic Nanoparticles Shipped in Hierarchically Ordered, Mesocellular, Mesoporous Silica

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

Kim, Jungbae; Lee, Jinwoo; Na, Hyon Bin

2005-12-01

Enzymes are versatile nanoscale biocatalysts, and find increasing applications in many areas, including organic synthesis[1-3] and bioremediation.[4-5] However, the application of enzymes is often hampered by the short catalytic lifetime of enzymes and by the difficulty in recovery and recycling. To solve these problems, there have been a lot of efforts to develop effective enzyme immobilization techniques. Recent advances in nanotechnology provide more diverse materials and approaches for enzyme immobilization. For example, mesoporous materials offer potential advantages as a host of enzymes due to their well-controlled porosity and large surface area for the immobilization of enzymes.[6,7] On the other hand,more » it has been demonstrated that enzymes attached on magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles can be easily recovered using a magnet and recycled for iterative uses.[8] In this paper, we report the development of magnetically-separable and highly-stable enzyme system by the combined use of two different kinds of nanostructured materials: magnetic nanoparticles and mesoporous silica.« less

In situ analysis of capacity fade in thin-film anodes for high performance Li-ion all-solid-state batteries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Leite, Marina S.; Gong, Chen; Ruzmetov, Dmitry; Talin, A. Alec

There is still a pressing need to understand how the solid-interfaces in Li-ion all-solid-batteries form, including their chemical composition and electrical characteristics. In order to resolve the origin of the degradation mechanism in Al anodes, we combine in situ scanning electron microscopy in ultra-high vacuum with electrochemical cycling, in addition to ex situ characterization of the morphological, chemical, and electrical changes of the Al anodes upon lithiation. An AlLi alloy capped by a stable Al-Li-O is formed on the top surface of the anode, trapping Li, which results in the capacity fade, from 48.0 to 41.5 μ.Ah/cm2 in two cycles. The addition of a Cu capping layer is insufficient to prevent the device degradation because of the fast Li diffusion within Al. Yet, Si present extremely stable cycling: >92% of capacity retention after 100 cycles, with average Coulombic efficiency of 98%. Our in situ measurements represent a new platform for probing the real-time degradation of electrodes in all-solid-state batteries for energy storage devices.

Effects of Different Social and Environmental Conditions on Established Dominance Relationships in Crayfish.

PubMed

Herberholz, Jens; Swierzbinski, Matthew E; Birke, Juliane M

2016-04-01

Like most social animals, crayfish readily form dominance relationships and linear social hierarchies when competing for limited resources. Competition often entails dyadic aggressive interactions, from which one animal emerges as the dominant and one as the subordinate. Once dominance relationships are formed, they typically remain stable for extended periods of time; thus, access to future resources is divided unequally among conspecifics. We previously showed that firmly established dominance relationships in juvenile crayfish can be disrupted by briefly adding a larger conspecific to the original pair. This finding suggested that the stability of social relationships in crayfish was highly context-dependent and more transient than previously assumed. We now report results that further identify the mechanisms underlying the destabilization of crayfish dominance relationships. We found that rank orders remained stable when conspecifics of smaller or equal size were added to the original pair, suggesting that both dominant and subordinate must be defeated by a larger crayfish in order to destabilize dominance relationships. We also found that dominance relationships remained stable when both members of the original pair were defeated by larger conspecifics in the absence of their original opponent. This showed that dominance relationships are not destabilized unless both animals experience defeat together. Lastly, we found that dominance relationships of pairs were successfully disrupted by larger intruders, although with reduced magnitude, after all chemical cues associated with earlier agonistic experiences were eliminated. These findings provide important new insights into the contextual features that regulate the stability of social dominance relationships in crayfish and probably in other species as well. © 2016 Marine Biological Laboratory.

Wavelength tunable L Band polarization-locked vector soliton fiber laser based on SWCNT-SA and CFBG

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yan, Yaxi; Wang, Jiaqi; Wang, Liang; Cheng, Zhenzhou

2018-04-01

Wavelength tunable L-Band polarization-locked vector soliton fiber laser based on single-walled carbon nanotube saturable absorber (SWCNT-SA) and chirped fiber Bragg grating (CFBG) is presented for the first time. By inserting the SWCNT-SA into an all-fiber laser cavity, polarization-locked vector solitons (PLVS) are obtained. The CFBG glued on a plastic cantilever is used for wavelength tuning. By mechanically bending the cantilever, the center wavelength of the PLVS pulses can be continuously tuned from 1606.8 nm to 1614 nm, while the polarization-locked state is kept stable. The properties and dynamics of PLVSs are experimentally investigated and stable PLVS operation including high-order PLVSs is demonstrated. The pulse width and repetition rate are 7.06 ps and 11.9 MHz at a wavelength of 1611 nm, respectively. This work demonstrates the feasibility of using polarization-insensitive CFBG to realize wavelength tuning in PLVS fiber laser.

Optimality and oscillations near the edge of stability in the dynamics of autonomous vehicle platoons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Davis, L. C.

2013-09-01

A model that includes the mechanical response of a vehicle to a demanded change in acceleration is analyzed to determine the string stability of a platoon of autonomous vehicles. The response is characterized by a first-order time constant τ and an explicit delay td. The minimum value of the acceleration feedback control gain is found from calculations of the velocity of vehicles following a lead vehicle that decelerates sharply from high speed to low speed. Larger values of ξ (in the stable range) give larger values of deceleration for vehicles in the platoon. Optimal operation is attained close to the minimum value of ξ for stability. Small oscillations are found after the main peak in deceleration for ξ in the stable region but near the transition to instability. A theory for predicting the frequency and amplitude of the oscillations is presented.

Interplay of local structure, charge, and spin in bilayered manganese perovskites

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

Rybicki, Damian; Sikora, Marcin; Przewoznik, Janusz

Chemical doping is a reliable method of modification of the electronic properties of transition metal compounds. In manganese perovskites, it leads to charge transfer and peculiar ordering phenomena. However, depending on the interplay of the local crystal structure and electronic properties, synthesis of stable compounds in the entire doping range is often impossible. In this paper, we show results of high-energy resolution x-ray absorption and emission spectroscopies on amore » $${\\mathrm{La}}_{2{-}2x}{\\mathrm{Sr}}_{1+2x}{\\mathrm{Mn}}_{2}{\\mathrm{O}}_{7}$$ family of bilayered manganites in a broad doping range $$(0.5{\\le}x{\\le}1)$$. We established a relation between local Mn charge and Mn-O distances as a function of doping. Finally, based on a comparison of such relation with other manganites, we suggest why stable structures cannot be realized for certain doping levels of bilayered compounds.« less

Stable diffraction-management soliton in a periodic structure with alternating left-handed and right-handed media

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Jinggui

2017-09-01

In this paper, we first derive a modified two-dimensional non-linear Schrödinger equation including high-order diffraction (HOD) suitable for the propagation of optical beam near the low-diffraction regime in Kerr non-linear media with spatial dispersion. Then, we apply our derived physical model to a designed two-dimensional configuration filled with alternate layers of a left-handed material (LHM) and a right-handed media by employing the mean-field theory. It is found that the periodic structure including LHM may experience diminished, cancelled, and even reversed diffraction behaviours through engineering the relative thickness between both media. In particular, the variational method analytically predicts that close to the zero-diffraction regime, such periodic structure can support stable diffraction-management solitons whose beamwidth and peak amplitude evolve periodically with the help of HOD effect. Numerical simulation based on the split-step Fourier method confirms the analytical results.

Interplay of local structure, charge, and spin in bilayered manganese perovskites

DOE PAGES

Rybicki, Damian; Sikora, Marcin; Przewoznik, Janusz; ...

2018-03-27

Chemical doping is a reliable method of modification of the electronic properties of transition metal compounds. In manganese perovskites, it leads to charge transfer and peculiar ordering phenomena. However, depending on the interplay of the local crystal structure and electronic properties, synthesis of stable compounds in the entire doping range is often impossible. In this paper, we show results of high-energy resolution x-ray absorption and emission spectroscopies on amore » $${\\mathrm{La}}_{2{-}2x}{\\mathrm{Sr}}_{1+2x}{\\mathrm{Mn}}_{2}{\\mathrm{O}}_{7}$$ family of bilayered manganites in a broad doping range $$(0.5{\\le}x{\\le}1)$$. We established a relation between local Mn charge and Mn-O distances as a function of doping. Finally, based on a comparison of such relation with other manganites, we suggest why stable structures cannot be realized for certain doping levels of bilayered compounds.« less

Continuous uniformly finite time exact disturbance observer based control for fixed-time stabilization of nonlinear systems with mismatched disturbances

PubMed Central

Liu, Chongxin; Liu, Hang

2017-01-01

This paper presents a continuous composite control scheme to achieve fixed-time stabilization for nonlinear systems with mismatched disturbances. The composite controller is constructed in two steps: First, uniformly finite time exact disturbance observers are proposed to estimate and compensate the disturbances. Then, based on adding a power integrator technique and fixed-time stability theory, continuous fixed-time stable state feedback controller and Lyapunov functions are constructed to achieve global fixed-time system stabilization. The proposed control method extends the existing fixed-time stable control results to high order nonlinear systems with mismatched disturbances and achieves global fixed-time system stabilization. Besides, the proposed control scheme improves the disturbance rejection performance and achieves performance recovery of nominal system. Simulation results are provided to show the effectiveness, the superiority and the applicability of the proposed control scheme. PMID:28406966

Super Stable Ferroelectrics with High Curie Point.

PubMed

Gao, Zhipeng; Lu, Chengjia; Wang, Yuhang; Yang, Sinuo; Yu, Yuying; He, Hongliang

2016-04-07

Ferroelectric materials are of great importance in the sensing technology due to the piezoelectric properties. Thermal depoling behavior of ferroelectrics determines the upper temperature limit of their application. So far, there is no piezoelectric material working above 800 °C available. Here, we show Nd2Ti2O7 with a perovskite-like layered structure has good resistance to thermal depoling up to 1400 °C. Its stable behavior is because the material has only 180° ferroelectric domains, complex structure change at Curie point (Tc) and their sintering temperature is below their Tc, which avoided the internal stresses produced by the unit cell volume change at Tc. The phase transition at Tc shows a first order behavior which involving the tilting and rotation of the octahedron. The Curie - Weiss temperature is calculated, which might explain why the thermal depoling starts at about 1400 °C.

Super Stable Ferroelectrics with High Curie Point

PubMed Central

Gao, Zhipeng; Lu, Chengjia; Wang, Yuhang; Yang, Sinuo; Yu, Yuying; He, Hongliang

2016-01-01

Ferroelectric materials are of great importance in the sensing technology due to the piezoelectric properties. Thermal depoling behavior of ferroelectrics determines the upper temperature limit of their application. So far, there is no piezoelectric material working above 800 °C available. Here, we show Nd2Ti2O7 with a perovskite-like layered structure has good resistance to thermal depoling up to 1400 °C. Its stable behavior is because the material has only 180° ferroelectric domains, complex structure change at Curie point (Tc) and their sintering temperature is below their Tc, which avoided the internal stresses produced by the unit cell volume change at Tc. The phase transition at Tc shows a first order behavior which involving the tilting and rotation of the octahedron. The Curie – Weiss temperature is calculated, which might explain why the thermal depoling starts at about 1400 °C. PMID:27053338

A Compact Operational Amplifier with Load-Insensitive Stability Compensation for High-Precision Transducer Interface

PubMed Central

Yang, Xi

2018-01-01

High-resolution electronic interface circuits for transducers with nonlinear capacitive impedance need an operational amplifier, which is stable for a wide range of load capacitance. Such operational amplifier in a conventional design requires a large area for compensation capacitors, increasing costs and limiting applications. In order to address this problem, we present a gain-boosted two-stage operational amplifier, whose frequency response compensation capacitor size is insensitive to the load capacitance and also orders of magnitude smaller compared to the conventional Miller-compensation capacitor that often dominates chip area. By exploiting pole-zero cancellation between a gain-boosting stage and the main amplifier stage, the compensation capacitor of the proposed operational amplifier becomes less dependent of load capacitance, so that it can also operate with a wide range of load capacitance. A prototype operational amplifier designed in 0.13-μm complementary metal–oxide–semiconductor (CMOS) with a 400-fF compensation capacitor occupies 900-μm2 chip area and achieves 0.022–2.78-MHz unity gain bandwidth and over 65∘ phase margin with a load capacitance of 0.1–15 nF. The prototype amplifier consumes 7.6 μW from a single 1.0-V supply. For a given compensation capacitor size and a chip area, the prototype design demonstrates the best reported performance trade-off on unity gain bandwidth, maximum stable load capacitance, and power consumption. PMID:29382183

Geochemical phase and particle size relationships of metals in urban road dust.

PubMed

Jayarathne, Ayomi; Egodawatta, Prasanna; Ayoko, Godwin A; Goonetilleke, Ashantha

2017-11-01

Detailed knowledge of the processes that metals undergo during dry weather periods whilst deposited on urban surfaces and their environmental significance is essential to predict the potential influence of metals on stormwater quality in order to develop appropriate stormwater pollution mitigation measures. However, very limited research has been undertaken in this area. Accordingly, this study investigated the geochemical phase and particle size relationships of seven metals which are commonly associated with urban road dust, using sequential extraction in order to assess their mobility characteristics. Metals in the sequentially extracted fractions of exchangeable, reducible, oxidisable and residual were found to follow a similar trend for different land uses even though they had variable accumulation loads. The high affinity of Cd and Zn for exchangeable reactions in both, bulk and size-fractionated solid samples confirmed their high mobility, while the significant enrichment of Ni and Cr in the stable residual fraction indicated a low risk of mobility. The study results also confirmed the availability of Cu, Pb and Mn in both, stable and mobile fractions. The fine fraction of solids (<150 μm) and antecedent dry days can be highlighted as important parameters when determining the fate of metals associated with urban road dust. The outcomes from this study are expected to contribute to the development of effective stormwater pollution mitigation strategies by taking into consideration the metal-particulate relationships. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Sb content dependent thermoelectric properties of the p-type ZnO:Sb films fabricated by oxidation method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Guojian; Lin, Xiao; Liu, Shiying; Jia, Baohai; Wang, Qiang

2018-05-01

It is important to fabricate stable p-type ZnO:Sb thermoelectric (TE) films for the p-n homojunction TE devices that convert waste heat directly into electricity. In this study, the ZnO:Sb films with different Sb contents were prepared by oxidizing evaporated Zn-Sb films in oxygen. The film with a high Sb content (5.32%) is easy to form Zn4Sb3 and ZnSb compound in the wurtzite ZnO. The resistivity has a sharply reduction with the Sb content from 0.228 Ω·m of 3.95% Sb to 4.68 × 10-5 Ω·m of 5.32% Sb. The lowest resistivity is lower at least one order of magnitude than the results of others with the similar Sb content. The Seebeck coefficient indicates that the 5.32% Sb film remains stable p-type conduction. The carrier concentration is about 1020 cm-3 and is higher at least one order of magnitude than the other results. Raman analysis indicates that the peak of E2high related O sublattice vibrations indicates that the O sites are substituted by Sb3+ ions, which increases the carrier concentration. However, the mobility is relatively weak because the intrinsic host lattice defects activated as vibrating complexes. The power factor of the p-type ZnO:Sb of the 5.32% Sb film at 427 °C is 46.79 μW/m·K2.

Testing the Stability of 2-D Recursive QP, NSHP and General Digital Filters of Second Order

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rathinam, Ananthanarayanan; Ramesh, Rengaswamy; Reddy, P. Subbarami; Ramaswami, Ramaswamy

Several methods for testing stability of first quadrant quarter-plane two dimensional (2-D) recursive digital filters have been suggested in 1970's and 80's. Though Jury's row and column algorithms, row and column concatenation stability tests have been considered as highly efficient mapping methods. They still fall short of accuracy as they need infinite number of steps to conclude about the exact stability of the filters and also the computational time required is enormous. In this paper, we present procedurally very simple algebraic method requiring only two steps when applied to the second order 2-D quarter - plane filter. We extend the same method to the second order Non-Symmetric Half-plane (NSHP) filters. Enough examples are given for both these types of filters as well as some lower order general recursive 2-D digital filters. We applied our method to barely stable or barely unstable filter examples available in the literature and got the same decisions thus showing that our method is accurate enough.

Alternating direction implicit methods for parabolic equations with a mixed derivative

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Beam, R. M.; Warming, R. F.

1980-01-01

Alternating direction implicit (ADI) schemes for two-dimensional parabolic equations with a mixed derivative are constructed by using the class of all A(0)-stable linear two-step methods in conjunction with the method of approximate factorization. The mixed derivative is treated with an explicit two-step method which is compatible with an implicit A(0)-stable method. The parameter space for which the resulting ADI schemes are second-order accurate and unconditionally stable is determined. Some numerical examples are given.

Alternating direction implicit methods for parabolic equations with a mixed derivative

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Beam, R. M.; Warming, R. F.

1979-01-01

Alternating direction implicit (ADI) schemes for two-dimensional parabolic equations with a mixed derivative are constructed by using the class of all A sub 0-stable linear two-step methods in conjunction with the method of approximation factorization. The mixed derivative is treated with an explicit two-step method which is compatible with an implicit A sub 0-stable method. The parameter space for which the resulting ADI schemes are second order accurate and unconditionally stable is determined. Some numerical examples are given.

Strategy for designing stable and powerful nitrogen-rich high-energy materials by introducing boron atoms.

PubMed

Wu, Wen-Jie; Chi, Wei-Jie; Li, Quan-Song; Li, Ze-Sheng

2017-06-01

One of the most important aims in the development of high-energy materials is to improve their stability and thus ensure that they are safe to manufacture and transport. In this work, we theoretically investigated open-chain N 4 B 2 isomers using density functional theory in order to find the best way of stabilizing nitrogen-rich molecules. The results show that the boron atoms in these isomers are aligned linearly with their neighboring atoms, which facilitates close packing in the crystals of these materials. Upon comparing the energies of nine N 4 B 2 isomers, we found that the structure with alternating N and B atoms had the lowest energy. Structures with more than one nitrogen atom between two boron atoms had higher energies. The energy of N 4 B 2 increases by about 50 kcal/mol each time it is rearranged to include an extra nitrogen atom between the two boron atoms. More importantly, our results also show that boron atoms stabilize nitrogen-rich molecules more efficiently than carbon atoms do. Also, the combustion of any isomer of N 4 B 2 releases more heat than the corresponding isomer of N 4 C 2 does under well-oxygenated conditions. Our study suggests that the three most stable N 4 B 2 isomers (BN13, BN24, and BN34) are good candidates for high-energy molecules, and it outlines a new strategy for designing stable boron-containing high-energy materials. Graphical abstract The structural characteristics, thermodynamic stabilities, and exothermic properties of nitrogen-rich N 4 B 2 isomers were investigated by means of density functional theory.

High-coercivity, thermally stable and low unblocking temperature magnetic phase: Implications for Archeomagnetic studies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hartmann, G. A.; Gallet, Y.; Trindade, R. I.; Genevey, A.; Berquo, T. S.; Neumann, R.; Le Goff, M.

2013-05-01

The thermoremanent magnetization in baked clay archeological materials provide very useful information on the time evolution of the Earth's magnetic field over the past few millennia. In these materials, a thermally stable magnetic phase characterized by high coercivities (>400 mT) and low unblocking temperatures (~200 degrees Celsius) has recently been recognized in European bricks, tiles, kilns and hearth samples. Both the identification and the origin of this phase remain, however, poorly constrained. The very same high-coercivity, thermally stable, low unblocking temperature (HCSLT) magnetic phase has been identified in Brazilian bricks fragments dated of the past five centuries. We report here a large set of measurements on a selected collection of samples showing variable contributions of the HCSLT phase. These measurements include low-field magnetic susceptibility vs. temperature curves, hysteresis loops, isothermal remanent magnetization (IRM) acquisition, thermal demagnetization of the three-axis IRM, first order reversal curves (FORC), low-temperature magnetization experiments (remanent magnetization curves and alternating current susceptibility), Mössbauer spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction. Results show the coexistence of low-coercivity magnetic minerals (magnetite and titanomagnetite) and high-coercivity minerals (hematite, HCSLT phase and, in some cases, goethite). We note that the HCSLT magnetic phase is always found in association with hematite. We further observe that the Mössbauer spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction spectra, and the FORC diagrams are also very similar to results previously obtained from annealed clays in which nontronite or iron-rich montmorillonite was transformed into Al-substituted hematite by heating. The HCSLT magnetic phase is thus confidently identified as being hematite with Al substitution. Moreover, considering the abundance of montmorillonite in clay mining settings, we suggest that the widespread occurrence of HCSLT in archeological materials predominantly originates from the transformation of iron-rich montmorillonite during the manufacturing (heating) process.

Polyhydroxyalkanoate Production on Waste Water Treatment Plants: Process Scheme, Operating Conditions and Potential Analysis for German and European Municipal Waste Water Treatment Plants

PubMed Central

Pittmann, Timo; Steinmetz, Heidrun

2017-01-01

This work describes the production of polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) as a side stream process on a municipal waste water treatment plant (WWTP) and a subsequent analysis of the production potential in Germany and the European Union (EU). Therefore, tests with different types of sludge from a WWTP were investigated regarding their volatile fatty acids (VFA) production-potential. Afterwards, primary sludge was used as substrate to test a series of operating conditions (temperature, pH, retention time (RT) and withdrawal (WD)) in order to find suitable settings for a high and stable VFA production. In a second step, various tests regarding a high PHA production and stable PHA composition to determine the influence of substrate concentration, temperature, pH and cycle time of an installed feast/famine-regime were conducted. Experiments with a semi-continuous reactor operation showed that a short RT of 4 days and a small WD of 25% at pH = 6 and around 30 °C is preferable for a high VFA production rate (PR) of 1913 mgVFA/(L×d) and a stable VFA composition. A high PHA production up to 28.4% of cell dry weight (CDW) was reached at lower substrate concentration, 20 °C, neutral pH-value and a 24 h cycle time. A final step a potential analysis, based on the results and detailed data from German waste water treatment plants, showed that the theoretically possible production of biopolymers in Germany amounts to more than 19% of the 2016 worldwide biopolymer production. In addition, a profound estimation regarding the EU showed that in theory about 120% of the worldwide biopolymer production (in 2016) could be produced on European waste water treatment plants. PMID:28952533

The sarcomeric cytoskeleton: from molecules to motion.

PubMed

Gautel, Mathias; Djinović-Carugo, Kristina

2016-01-01

Highly ordered organisation of striated muscle is the prerequisite for the fast and unidirectional development of force and motion during heart and skeletal muscle contraction. A group of proteins, summarised as the sarcomeric cytoskeleton, is essential for the ordered assembly of actin and myosin filaments into sarcomeres, by combining architectural, mechanical and signalling functions. This review discusses recent cell biological, biophysical and structural insight into the regulated assembly of sarcomeric cytoskeleton proteins and their roles in dissipating mechanical forces in order to maintain sarcomere integrity during passive extension and active contraction. α-Actinin crosslinks in the Z-disk show a pivot-and-rod structure that anchors both titin and actin filaments. In contrast, the myosin crosslinks formed by myomesin in the M-band are of a ball-and-spring type and may be crucial in providing stable yet elastic connections during active contractions, especially eccentric exercise. © 2016. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.

An electron microscope for the aberration-corrected era.

PubMed

Krivanek, O L; Corbin, G J; Dellby, N; Elston, B F; Keyse, R J; Murfitt, M F; Own, C S; Szilagyi, Z S; Woodruff, J W

2008-02-01

Improved resolution made possible by aberration correction has greatly increased the demands on the performance of all parts of high-end electron microscopes. In order to meet these demands, we have designed and built an entirely new scanning transmission electron microscope (STEM). The microscope includes a flexible illumination system that allows the properties of its probe to be changed on-the-fly, a third-generation aberration corrector which corrects all geometric aberrations up to fifth order, an ultra-responsive yet stable five-axis sample stage, and a flexible configuration of optimized detectors. The microscope features many innovations, such as a modular column assembled from building blocks that can be stacked in almost any order, in situ storage and cleaning facilities for up to five samples, computer-controlled loading of samples into the column, and self-diagnosing electronics. The microscope construction is described, and examples of its capabilities are shown.

Multi-scale structure, pasting and digestibility of heat moisture treated red adzuki bean starch.

PubMed

Wang, Hongwei; Wang, Zhaoyuan; Li, Xiaoxi; Chen, Ling; Zhang, Binjia

2017-09-01

The pasting and digestibility of a red adzuki bean starch were simultaneously modulated by heat-moisture treatment (HMT) through altering the multi-scale structure. HMT, especially at high moisture content, could disrupt the granule integrity, semicrystalline lamellae, molecular order (crystallites) and molecular chains. Also, certain rearrangement of starch molecules occurred to form ordered structures with increased thermal stability as shown by DSC. This concomitant disordering and reassembly in the multi-scale structure converted the fractions of resistant starch (RS) and rapidly digestible starch (RDS) into that of slowly digestible starch (SDS). Furthermore, the emergence of thermally-stable orders increased the pasting temperature but suppressed the swelling of granules during heating. Hence, HMT-modified red adzuki starch may serve as a potential thickener/gelling agent with slow digestion rate for various foods. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

The feature extraction of "cat-eye" targets based on bi-spectrum

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Tinghua; Fan, Guihua; Sun, Huayan

2016-10-01

In order to resolve the difficult problem of detection and identification of optical targets in complex background or in long-distance transmission, this paper mainly study the range profiles of "cat-eye" targets using bi-spectrum. For the problems of laser echo signal attenuation serious and low Signal-Noise Ratio (SNR), the multi-pulse laser signal echo signal detection algorithm which is based on high-order cumulant, filter processing and the accumulation of multi-pulse is proposed. This could improve the detection range effectively. In order to extract the stable characteristics of the one-dimensional range profile coming from the cat-eye targets, a method is proposed which extracts the bi-spectrum feature, and uses the singular value decomposition to simplify the calculation. Then, by extracting data samples of different distance, type and incidence angle, verify the stability of the eigenvector and effectiveness extracted by bi-spectrum.

Quinone-based stable isotope probing for assessment of 13C substrate-utilizing bacteria

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kunihiro, Tadao; Katayama, Arata; Demachi, Toyoko; Veuger, Bart; Boschker, Henricus T. S.; van Oevelen, Dick

2015-04-01

In this study, we attempted to establish quinone-stable-isotope probing (SIP) technique to link substrate-utilizing bacterial group to chemotaxonomic group in bacterial community. To identify metabolically active bacterial group in various environments, SIP techniques combined with biomarkers have been widely utilized as an attractive method for environmental study. Quantitative approaches of the SIP technique have unique advantage to assess substrate-incorporation into bacteria. As a most major quantitative approach, SIP technique based on phospholipid-derived fatty acids (PLFA) have been applied to simultaneously assess substrate-incorporation rate into bacteria and microbial community structure. This approach is powerful to estimate the incorporation rate because of the high sensitivity due to the detection by a gas chromatograph-combustion interface-isotope ratio mass spectrometer (GC-c-IRMS). However, its phylogenetic resolution is limited by specificity of a compound-specific marker. We focused on respiratory quinone as a biomarker. Our previous study found a good correlation between concentrations of bacteria-specific PLFAs and quinones over several orders of magnitude in various marine sediments, and the quinone method has a higher resolution (bacterial phylum level) for resolving differences in bacterial community composition more than that of bacterial PLFA. Therefore, respiratory quinones are potentially good biomarkers for quantitative approaches of the SIP technique. The LC-APCI-MS method as molecular-mass based detection method for quinone was developed and provides useful structural information for identifying quinone molecular species in environmental samples. LC-MS/MS on hybrid triple quadrupole/linear ion trap, which enables to simultaneously identify and quantify compounds in a single analysis, can detect high molecular compounds with their isotope ions. Use of LC-MS/MS allows us to develop quinone-SIP based on molecular mass differences due to 13C abundance in the quinone. In this study, we verified carbon stable isotope of quinone compared with bulk carbon stable isotope of bacterial culture. Results indicated a good correlation between carbon stable isotope of quinone compared with bulk carbon stable isotope. However, our measurement conditions for detection of quinone isotope-ions incurred underestimation of 13C abundance in the quinone. The quinone-SIP technique needs further optimization for measurement conditions of LC-MS/MS.

Improving Core Strength to Prevent Injury

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Oliver, Gretchen D.; Adams-Blair, Heather R.

2010-01-01

Regardless of the sport or skill, it is essential to have correct biomechanical positioning, or postural control, in order to maximize energy transfer. Correct postural control requires a strong, stable core. A strong and stable core allows one to transfer energy effectively as well as reduce undue stress. An unstable or weak core, on the other…

Getting a Picture that Is Both Accurate and Stable: Situation Models and Epistemic Validation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schroeder, Sascha; Richter, Tobias; Hoever, Inga

2008-01-01

Text comprehension entails the construction of a situation model that prepares individuals for situated action. In order to meet this function, situation model representations are required to be both accurate and stable. We propose a framework according to which comprehenders rely on epistemic validation to prevent inaccurate information from…

Time difference of arrival estimation of microseismic signals based on alpha-stable distribution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jia, Rui-Sheng; Gong, Yue; Peng, Yan-Jun; Sun, Hong-Mei; Zhang, Xing-Li; Lu, Xin-Ming

2018-05-01

Microseismic signals are generally considered to follow the Gauss distribution. A comparison of the dynamic characteristics of sample variance and the symmetry of microseismic signals with the signals which follow α-stable distribution reveals that the microseismic signals have obvious pulse characteristics and that the probability density curve of the microseismic signal is approximately symmetric. Thus, the hypothesis that microseismic signals follow the symmetric α-stable distribution is proposed. On the premise of this hypothesis, the characteristic exponent α of the microseismic signals is obtained by utilizing the fractional low-order statistics, and then a new method of time difference of arrival (TDOA) estimation of microseismic signals based on fractional low-order covariance (FLOC) is proposed. Upon applying this method to the TDOA estimation of Ricker wavelet simulation signals and real microseismic signals, experimental results show that the FLOC method, which is based on the assumption of the symmetric α-stable distribution, leads to enhanced spatial resolution of the TDOA estimation relative to the generalized cross correlation (GCC) method, which is based on the assumption of the Gaussian distribution.

Construction of reduced order models for the non-linear Navier-Stokes equations using the proper orthogonal fecomposition (POD)/Galerkin method.

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

Fike, Jeffrey A.

2013-08-01

The construction of stable reduced order models using Galerkin projection for the Euler or Navier-Stokes equations requires a suitable choice for the inner product. The standard L2 inner product is expected to produce unstable ROMs. For the non-linear Navier-Stokes equations this means the use of an energy inner product. In this report, Galerkin projection for the non-linear Navier-Stokes equations using the L2 inner product is implemented as a first step toward constructing stable ROMs for this set of physics.

A Stable Clock Error Model Using Coupled First and Second Order Gauss-Markov Processes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Carpenter, Russell; Lee, Taesul

2008-01-01

Long data outages may occur in applications of global navigation satellite system technology to orbit determination for missions that spend significant fractions of their orbits above the navigation satellite constellation(s). Current clock error models based on the random walk idealization may not be suitable in these circumstances, since the covariance of the clock errors may become large enough to overflow flight computer arithmetic. A model that is stable, but which approximates the existing models over short time horizons is desirable. A coupled first- and second-order Gauss-Markov process is such a model.

Colloidal heteroaggregation: a strategy to prepare composite materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

López-López, J. M.; Schmitt, A.; Moncho-Jordá, A.; Hidalgo-Álvarez, R.

2009-01-01

In this work, we make use of single-cluster light-scattering (SCLS) experiments and Brownian dynamics (BD) simulations in order to investigate the formation of binary clusters of oppositely-charged colloidal particles by heteroaggregation processes. Two parameters determinate the stability, size and structure of the clusters: the relative concentration of both species x and the range of the particle-particle interactions κa. SCLS experiments reveal that stable binary clusters arise in asymmetric systems when particle-particle interactions are long-ranged. These stable aggregates group in bell-shaped distributions that correspond to compact clusters with different orders, i.e., with a given number of minority particles. It is found that x controls the distribution of the clusters among the different orders and κa determine the average size of the clusters belonging to each order. Finally, BD simulations allow us to interpret all these results within the the frame of the classic Hogg-Healy-Fuersternau theory.

Multistability of second-order competitive neural networks with nondecreasing saturated activation functions.

PubMed

Nie, Xiaobing; Cao, Jinde

2011-11-01

In this paper, second-order interactions are introduced into competitive neural networks (NNs) and the multistability is discussed for second-order competitive NNs (SOCNNs) with nondecreasing saturated activation functions. Firstly, based on decomposition of state space, Cauchy convergence principle, and inequality technique, some sufficient conditions ensuring the local exponential stability of 2N equilibrium points are derived. Secondly, some conditions are obtained for ascertaining equilibrium points to be locally exponentially stable and to be located in any designated region. Thirdly, the theory is extended to more general saturated activation functions with 2r corner points and a sufficient criterion is given under which the SOCNNs can have (r+1)N locally exponentially stable equilibrium points. Even if there is no second-order interactions, the obtained results are less restrictive than those in some recent works. Finally, three examples with their simulations are presented to verify the theoretical analysis.

High-temperature-stable and regenerable catalysts: platinum nanoparticles in aligned mesoporous silica wells.

PubMed

Xiao, Chaoxian; Maligal-Ganesh, Raghu V; Li, Tao; Qi, Zhiyuan; Guo, Zhiyong; Brashler, Kyle T; Goes, Shannon; Li, Xinle; Goh, Tian Wei; Winans, Randall E; Huang, Wenyu

2013-10-01

We report the synthesis, structural characterization, thermal stability study, and regeneration of nanostructured catalysts made of 2.9 nm Pt nanoparticles sandwiched between a 180 nm SiO2 core and a mesoporous SiO2 shell. The SiO2 shell consists of 2.5 nm channels that are aligned perpendicular to the surface of the SiO2 core. The nanostructure mimics Pt nanoparticles that sit in mesoporous SiO2 wells (Pt@MSWs). By using synchrotron-based small-angle X-ray scattering, we were able to prove the ordered structure of the aligned mesoporous shell. By using high-temperature cyclohexane dehydrogenation as a model reaction, we found that the Pt@MSWs of different well depths showed stable activity at 500 °C after the induction period. Conversely, a control catalyst, SiO2 -sphere-supported Pt nanoparticles without a mesoporous SiO2 shell (Pt/SiO2 ), was deactivated. We deliberately deactivated the Pt@MSWs catalyst with a 50 nm deep well by using carbon deposition induced by a low H2 /cyclohexane ratio. The deactivated Pt@MSWs catalyst was regenerated by calcination at 500 °C with 20 % O2 balanced with He. After the regeneration treatments, the activity of the Pt@MSWs catalyst was fully restored. Our results suggest that the nanostructured catalysts-Pt nanoparticles confined inside mesoporous SiO2 wells-are stable and regenerable for treatments and reactions that require high temperatures. Copyright © 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Time accurate application of the MacCormack 2-4 scheme on massively parallel computers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hudson, Dale A.; Long, Lyle N.

1995-01-01

Many recent computational efforts in turbulence and acoustics research have used higher order numerical algorithms. One popular method has been the explicit MacCormack 2-4 scheme. The MacCormack 2-4 scheme is second order accurate in time and fourth order accurate in space, and is stable for CFL's below 2/3. Current research has shown that the method can give accurate results but does exhibit significant Gibbs phenomena at sharp discontinuities. The impact of adding Jameson type second, third, and fourth order artificial viscosity was examined here. Category 2 problems, the nonlinear traveling wave and the Riemann problem, were computed using a CFL number of 0.25. This research has found that dispersion errors can be significantly reduced or nearly eliminated by using a combination of second and third order terms in the damping. Use of second and fourth order terms reduced the magnitude of dispersion errors but not as effectively as the second and third order combination. The program was coded using Thinking Machine's CM Fortran, a variant of Fortran 90/High Performance Fortran, and was executed on a 2K CM-200. Simple extrapolation boundary conditions were used for both problems.

Self-Consistent Field Theory for the Design of Thermoplastic Elastomers from Miktoarm Block Copolymer - Homopolymer Blends

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hamilton, Andrew Lawrence

We have used self-consistent field theory to study the morphological characteristics of blends of miktoarm block copolymers and homopolymers. More specifically, we have studied the effects of segregation strength, miktoarm block copolymer composition, and homopolymer size and volume fraction on the phase diagrams of these systems. A15 domains with discrete A-monomer spherical domains were found to be stable with A-monomer loading fractions of at least as high as 52%. Hexagonally-packed cylindrical domains were found to be stable at A-monomer loadings of at least as high as 72%. These findings represent a significant improvement from the loading fractions of 43% and 60% reported by Lynd et al. for spherical and cylindrical domains in neat miktoarm block copolymers, respectively. It is also quite possible that even greater loading fractions are achievable in systems too large for our simulations. These results predict exciting new materials for next-generation thermoplastic elastomers, since the ideal TPE has a large loading of A monomers in discrete, crystalline or glassy domains, surrounded by a continuous matrix of elastomeric B domains. Additionally, we have performed SCFT simulations modelled after experimental blends of polystyrene and polyisoprene-based miktoarm block copolymers and homopolymers. Certain experimental samples showed fascinating new "bricks and mortar" phases and swollen asymmetric lamellar phases. In both cases, the A domains are highly swollen with homopolymer, forcing the miktoarm block copolymer to segregate near the interface and adopt the role of a surfactant. The resulting structures maintain separate A and B domains, but lack long-range order. While it is not possible to study these mesophases using SCFT, since they lack long-range order and therefore well-defined symmetry, our SCFT results show the onset of macrophase separation at similar homopolymer loadings, for both the bricks and mortar phases and the highly swollen lamellae. This supports the theory that both phases are fluctuation-induced mesophases, similar to microemulsions in character, that lie in between the typical ordered structures and full macrophase separation.

Phenomenology of Polymorphism, III: p, TDiagram and Stability of Piracetam Polymorphs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Céolin, R.; Agafonov, V.; Louër, D.; Dzyabchenko, V. A.; Toscani, S.; Cense, J. M.

1996-02-01

The nootropic drug Piracetam is known to crystallize in three phases. In order to obtain their stability hierarchy from sublimation pressure inequalities, the drawing of a topologicalp,Tdiagram was attempted. For such a purpose and also for quality control, crystallographic and thermodynamic data were required. Powder X-ray diffractometry (XRD) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) were used. Molecular energy calculations were performed. Phase I melts at 426 K (ΔfusH(I) = +180 J·g-1). Phase II transforms into Phase I at 399 K (Δ(II→I)H= +24 J·g-1). Phase III transforms into phase I at 392 K (Δ(III→I)H= +28 J·g-1) or melts at 412 K (ΔfusH(III) = +210 J·g-1). Thep,Tdiagram shows that phase I is stable at higher temperature and phase II at lower temperature, like phase III, which is stable under high pressure. At room temperature, phase II is the more stable form, and phase I the less stable one. This agrees with the spontaneous I → II transformation observed at 298 K within a few hours, and with lattice energies, calculated previously. Molecular energy calculations and crystal structure comparison show how intermolecular hydrogen bonds and H-bonded dimers, in phases II and III, may stabilize conformations higher in energy than those of the isolated molecule and of phase I.

Applications of fractional lower order S transform time frequency filtering algorithm to machine fault diagnosis

PubMed Central

Wang, Haibin; Zha, Daifeng; Li, Peng; Xie, Huicheng; Mao, Lili

2017-01-01

Stockwell transform(ST) time-frequency representation(ST-TFR) is a time frequency analysis method which combines short time Fourier transform with wavelet transform, and ST time frequency filtering(ST-TFF) method which takes advantage of time-frequency localized spectra can separate the signals from Gaussian noise. The ST-TFR and ST-TFF methods are used to analyze the fault signals, which is reasonable and effective in general Gaussian noise cases. However, it is proved that the mechanical bearing fault signal belongs to Alpha(α) stable distribution process(1 < α < 2) in this paper, even the noise also is α stable distribution in some special cases. The performance of ST-TFR method will degrade under α stable distribution noise environment, following the ST-TFF method fail. Hence, a new fractional lower order ST time frequency representation(FLOST-TFR) method employing fractional lower order moment and ST and inverse FLOST(IFLOST) are proposed in this paper. A new FLOST time frequency filtering(FLOST-TFF) algorithm based on FLOST-TFR method and IFLOST is also proposed, whose simplified method is presented in this paper. The discrete implementation of FLOST-TFF algorithm is deduced, and relevant steps are summarized. Simulation results demonstrate that FLOST-TFR algorithm is obviously better than the existing ST-TFR algorithm under α stable distribution noise, which can work better under Gaussian noise environment, and is robust. The FLOST-TFF method can effectively filter out α stable distribution noise, and restore the original signal. The performance of FLOST-TFF algorithm is better than the ST-TFF method, employing which mixed MSEs are smaller when α and generalized signal noise ratio(GSNR) change. Finally, the FLOST-TFR and FLOST-TFF methods are applied to analyze the outer race fault signal and extract their fault features under α stable distribution noise, where excellent performances can be shown. PMID:28406916

Resonant Capture and Tidal Evolution in Circumbinary Systems: Testing the Case of Kepler-38

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zoppetti, F. A.; Beaugé, C.; Leiva, A. M.

2018-04-01

Circumbinary planets are thought to form far from the central binary and migrate inwards by interactions with the circumbinary disk, ultimately stopping near their present location either by a planetary trap near the disk inner edge or by resonance capture. Here, we analyze the second possibility, presenting a detailed numerical study on the capture process, resonant dynamics and tidal evolution of circumbinary planets in high-order mean-motion resonances (MMRs). Planetary migration was modeled as an external acceleration in an N-body code, while tidal effects were incorporated with a weak-friction equilibrium tide model. As a working example we chose Kepler-38, a highly evolved system with a planet in the vicinity of the 5/1 MMR. Our simulations show that resonance capture is a high-probability event under a large range of system parameters, although several different resonant configuration are possible. We identified three possible outcomes: aligned librations, anti-aligned librations and chaotic solutions. All were found to be dynamically stable, even after the dissipation of the disk, for time-spans of the order of the system's age. We found that while tidal evolution decreases the binary's separation, the semimajor axis of the planet is driven outwards. Although the net effect is a secular increase in the mean-motion ratio, the system requires a planetary tidal parameter of the order of unity to reproduce the observed orbital configuration. The results presented here open an interesting outlook into the complex dynamics of high-order resonances in circumbinary systems.

Current Status of Astrometry Satellite missions in Japan: JASMINE project series

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yano, T.; Gouda, N.; Kobayashi, Y.; Tsujimoto, T.; Hatsutori, Y.; Murooka, J.; Niwa, Y.; Yamada, Y.

Astrometry satellites have common technological issues. (A) Astrometry satellites are required to measure the positions of stars with high accuracy from the huge amount of data during the observational period. (B) The high stabilization of the thermal environment in the telescope is required. (C) The attitude-pointing stability of these satellites with sub-pixel accuracy is also required. Measurement of the positions of stars from a huge amount of data is the essence of astrometry. It is needed to exclude the systematic errors adequately for each image of stars in order to obtain the accurate positions. We have carried out a centroiding experiment for determining the positions of stars from about 10 000 image data. The following two points are important issues for the mission system of JASMINE in order to achieve our aim. For the small-JASMINE, we require the thermal stabilization of the telescope in order to obtain high astrometric accuracy of about 10 micro-arcsec. In order to accomplish a measurement of positions of stars with high accuracy, we must make a model of the distortion of the image on the focal plane with the accuracy of less than 0.1 nm. We have investigated numerically that the above requirement is achieved if the thermal variation is within about 1 K / 0.75 h. We also require the accuracy of the attitude-pointing stability of about 200 mas / 7 s. The utilization of the Tip-tilt mirror will make it possible to achieve such a stable pointing.

Resonant capture and tidal evolution in circumbinary systems: testing the case of Kepler-38

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zoppetti, F. A.; Beaugé, C.; Leiva, A. M.

2018-07-01

Circumbinary planets are thought to form far from the central binary and migrate inwards by interactions with the circumbinary disc, ultimately stopping near their present location either by a planetary trap near the disc inner edge or by resonance capture. Here, we analyse the second possibility, presenting a detailed numerical study on the capture process, resonant dynamics, and tidal evolution of circumbinary planets in high-order mean-motion resonances (MMRs). Planetary migration was modelled as an external acceleration in an N-body code, while tidal effects were incorporated with a weak-friction equilibrium tide model. As a working example, we chose Kepler-38, a highly evolved system with a planet in the vicinity of the 5/1 MMR. Our simulations show that resonance capture is a high-probability event under a large range of system parameters, although several different resonant configuration are possible. We identified three possible outcomes: aligned librations, anti-aligned librations, and chaotic solutions. All were found to be dynamically stable, even after the dissipation of the disc, for time spans of the order of the system's age. We found that while tidal evolution decreases the binary's separation, the semimajor axis of the planet is driven outwards. Although the net effect is a secular increase in the mean-motion ratio, the system requires a planetary tidal parameter of the order of unity to reproduce the observed orbital configuration. The results presented here open an interesting outlook into the complex dynamics of high-order resonances in circumbinary systems.

Equilibrium points, stability and numerical solutions of fractional-order predator-prey and rabies models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ahmed, E.; El-Sayed, A. M. A.; El-Saka, H. A. A.

2007-01-01

In this paper we are concerned with the fractional-order predator-prey model and the fractional-order rabies model. Existence and uniqueness of solutions are proved. The stability of equilibrium points are studied. Numerical solutions of these models are given. An example is given where the equilibrium point is a centre for the integer order system but locally asymptotically stable for its fractional-order counterpart.

Multilayered silica-biopolymer nanocapsules with a hydrophobic core and a hydrophilic tunable shell thickness

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vecchione, Raffaele; Luciani, Giuseppina; Calcagno, Vincenzo; Jakhmola, Anshuman; Silvestri, Brigida; Guarnieri, Daniela; Belli, Valentina; Costantini, Aniello; Netti, Paolo A.

2016-04-01

Stable, biocompatible, multifunctional and multicompartment nanocarriers are much needed in the field of nanomedicine. Here, we report a simple, novel strategy to design an engineered nanocarrier system featuring an oil-core/hybrid polymer/silica-shell. Silica shells with a tunable thickness were grown in situ, directly around a highly mono-disperse and stable oil-in-water emulsion system, stabilized by a double bio-functional polyelectrolyte heparin/chitosan layer. Such silica showed a complete degradation in a physiological medium (SBF) in a time frame of three days. Moreover, the outer silica shell was coated with polyethyleneglycol (PEG) in order to confer antifouling properties to the final nanocapsule. The outer silica layer combined its properties (it is an optimal bio-interface for bio-conjugations and for the embedding of hydrophilic drugs in the porous structure) with the capability to stabilize the oil core for the confinement of high payloads of lipophilic tracers (e.g. CdSe quantum dots, Nile Red) and drugs. In addition, polymer layers - besides conferring stability to the emulsion while building the silica shell - can be independently exploited if suitably functionalized, as demonstrated by conjugating chitosan with fluorescein isothiocyanate. Such numerous features in a single nanocarrier system make it very intriguing as a multifunctional platform for smart diagnosis and therapy.Stable, biocompatible, multifunctional and multicompartment nanocarriers are much needed in the field of nanomedicine. Here, we report a simple, novel strategy to design an engineered nanocarrier system featuring an oil-core/hybrid polymer/silica-shell. Silica shells with a tunable thickness were grown in situ, directly around a highly mono-disperse and stable oil-in-water emulsion system, stabilized by a double bio-functional polyelectrolyte heparin/chitosan layer. Such silica showed a complete degradation in a physiological medium (SBF) in a time frame of three days. Moreover, the outer silica shell was coated with polyethyleneglycol (PEG) in order to confer antifouling properties to the final nanocapsule. The outer silica layer combined its properties (it is an optimal bio-interface for bio-conjugations and for the embedding of hydrophilic drugs in the porous structure) with the capability to stabilize the oil core for the confinement of high payloads of lipophilic tracers (e.g. CdSe quantum dots, Nile Red) and drugs. In addition, polymer layers - besides conferring stability to the emulsion while building the silica shell - can be independently exploited if suitably functionalized, as demonstrated by conjugating chitosan with fluorescein isothiocyanate. Such numerous features in a single nanocarrier system make it very intriguing as a multifunctional platform for smart diagnosis and therapy. Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available. See DOI: 10.1039/c6nr01192f

Downscaling of conventional laser cladding technique to microengineering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

del Val, J.; Comesaña, R.; Lusquiños, F.; Riveiro, A.; Quintero, F.; Pou, J.

To get an adequate response to the high increase of micro-products demand, new techniques have been developed by different types of industries in the last years. One approach is to adapt the laser surface cladding technique to the scale of microengineering. A new experimental configuration has been developed based on a highly stable high power laser with a high beam quality and a micro-feeder adequate to supply submicron particles. This work collects our efforts to extend the operation range of the laser cladding to the laser micro-cladding in order to produce micro-coatings. The viability of this new technique has been demonstrated by depositing coatings with geometrical characteristics in the micrometer range (minimum values obtained: 32 μm of width and 12 μm of height).

Design of UAV high resolution image transmission system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gao, Qiang; Ji, Ming; Pang, Lan; Jiang, Wen-tao; Fan, Pengcheng; Zhang, Xingcheng

2017-02-01

In order to solve the problem of the bandwidth limitation of the image transmission system on UAV, a scheme with image compression technology for mini UAV is proposed, based on the requirements of High-definition image transmission system of UAV. The video codec standard H.264 coding module and key technology was analyzed and studied for UAV area video communication. Based on the research of high-resolution image encoding and decoding technique and wireless transmit method, The high-resolution image transmission system was designed on architecture of Android and video codec chip; the constructed system was confirmed by experimentation in laboratory, the bit-rate could be controlled easily, QoS is stable, the low latency could meets most applied requirement not only for military use but also for industrial applications.

[Evoked Potential Blind Extraction Based on Fractional Lower Order Spatial Time-Frequency Matrix].

PubMed

Long, Junbo; Wang, Haibin; Zha, Daifeng

2015-04-01

The impulsive electroencephalograph (EEG) noises in evoked potential (EP) signals is very strong, usually with a heavy tail and infinite variance characteristics like the acceleration noise impact, hypoxia and etc., as shown in other special tests. The noises can be described by a stable distribution model. In this paper, Wigner-Ville distribution (WVD) and pseudo Wigner-Ville distribution (PWVD) time-frequency distribution based on the fractional lower order moment are presented to be improved. We got fractional lower order WVD (FLO-WVD) and fractional lower order PWVD (FLO-PWVD) time-frequency distribution which could be suitable for a stable distribution process. We also proposed the fractional lower order spatial time-frequency distribution matrix (FLO-STFM) concept. Therefore, combining with time-frequency underdetermined blind source separation (TF-UBSS), we proposed a new fractional lower order spatial time-frequency underdetermined blind source separation (FLO-TF-UBSS) which can work in a stable distribution environment. We used the FLO-TF-UBSS algorithm to extract EPs. Simulations showed that the proposed method could effectively extract EPs in EEG noises, and the separated EPs and EEG signals based on FLO-TF-UBSS were almost the same as the original signal, but blind separation based on TF-UBSS had certain deviation. The correlation coefficient of the FLO-TF-UBSS algorithm was higher than the TF-UBSS algorithm when generalized signal-to-noise ratio (GSNR) changed from 10 dB to 30 dB and a varied from 1. 06 to 1. 94, and was approximately e- qual to 1. Hence, the proposed FLO-TF-UBSS method might be better than the TF-UBSS algorithm based on second order for extracting EP signal under an EEG noise environment.

High-density carrier-accumulated and electrically stable oxide thin-film transistors from ion-gel gate dielectric

PubMed Central

Fujii, Mami N.; Ishikawa, Yasuaki; Miwa, Kazumoto; Okada, Hiromi; Uraoka, Yukiharu; Ono, Shimpei

2015-01-01

The use of indium–gallium–zinc oxide (IGZO) has paved the way for high-resolution uniform displays or integrated circuits with transparent and flexible devices. However, achieving highly reliable devices that use IGZO for low-temperature processes remains a technological challenge. We propose the use of IGZO thin-film transistors (TFTs) with an ionic-liquid gate dielectric in order to achieve high-density carrier-accumulated IGZO TFTs with high reliability, and we discuss a distinctive mechanism for the degradation of this organic–inorganic hybrid device under long-term electrical stress. Our results demonstrated that an ionic liquid or gel gate dielectric provides highly reliable and low-voltage operation with IGZO TFTs. Furthermore, high-density carrier accumulation helps improve the TFT characteristics and reliability, and it is highly relevant to the electronic phase control of oxide materials and the degradation mechanism for organic–inorganic hybrid devices. PMID:26677773

High-density carrier-accumulated and electrically stable oxide thin-film transistors from ion-gel gate dielectric.

PubMed

Fujii, Mami N; Ishikawa, Yasuaki; Miwa, Kazumoto; Okada, Hiromi; Uraoka, Yukiharu; Ono, Shimpei

2015-12-18

The use of indium-gallium-zinc oxide (IGZO) has paved the way for high-resolution uniform displays or integrated circuits with transparent and flexible devices. However, achieving highly reliable devices that use IGZO for low-temperature processes remains a technological challenge. We propose the use of IGZO thin-film transistors (TFTs) with an ionic-liquid gate dielectric in order to achieve high-density carrier-accumulated IGZO TFTs with high reliability, and we discuss a distinctive mechanism for the degradation of this organic-inorganic hybrid device under long-term electrical stress. Our results demonstrated that an ionic liquid or gel gate dielectric provides highly reliable and low-voltage operation with IGZO TFTs. Furthermore, high-density carrier accumulation helps improve the TFT characteristics and reliability, and it is highly relevant to the electronic phase control of oxide materials and the degradation mechanism for organic-inorganic hybrid devices.

Interactions of aqueous Ag+ with fulvic acids: mechanisms of silver nanoparticle formation and investigation of stability.

PubMed

Adegboyega, Nathaniel F; Sharma, Virender K; Siskova, Karolina; Zbořil, Radek; Sohn, Mary; Schultz, Brian J; Banerjee, Sarbajit

2013-01-15

This study investigated the possible natural formation of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) in Ag(+)-fulvic acid (FA) solutions under various environmentally relevant conditions (temperature, pH, and UV light). Increase in temperature (24-90 °C) and pH (6.1-9.0) of Ag(+)-Suwannee River fulvic acid (SRFA) solutions accelerated the appearance of the characteristic surface plasmon resonance (SPR) of AgNPs. The rate of AgNP formation via reduction of Ag(+) in the presence of different FAs (SRFA, Pahokee Peat fulvic acid, PPFA, Nordic lake fulvic acid, NLFA) and Suwannee River humic acid (SRHA) followed the order NLFA > SRHA > PPFA > SRFA. This order was found to be related to the free radical content of the acids, which was consistent with the proposed mechanism. The same order of AgNP growth was seen upon UV light illumination of Ag(+)-FA and Ag(+)-HA mixtures in moderately hard reconstituted water (MHRW). Stability studies of AgNPs, formed from the interactions of Ag(+)-SRFA, over a period of several months showed that these AgNPs were highly stable with SPR peak reductions of only ~15%. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and dynamic light scattering (DLS) measurements revealed bimodal particle size distributions of aged AgNPs. The stable AgNPs formed through the reduction of Ag(+) by fulvic and humic acid fractions of natural organic matter in the environment may be transported over significant distances and might also influence the overall bioavailability and ecotoxicity of AgNPs.

Perdurance of multiply connected de Sitter space

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

González-Díaz, Pedro F.

1999-06-01

This paper deals with a study of the effects that spherically symmetric first-order metric perturbations and vacuum quantum fluctuations have on the stability of the multiply connected de Sitter spacetime recently proposed by Gott and Li. It is the main conclusion of this study that although such a spacetime is stable to the classical metric perturbations for any size of the nonchronal region, it is only stable against the quantum fluctuations of vacuum if the size of the multiply connected region is of the order of the Planck scale. Therefore, boundary conditions for the state of the universe based on the notion that the universe created itself in a regime where closed timelike curves were active and stable still appear to be physically and philosophically well supported as are those boundary conditions relying on the notion that the universe was created out of nothing.

Application of the E - Turbulence Closure Model to the Neutral and Stable Atmospheric Boundary Layer.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Duynkerke, P. G.

1988-03-01

In the E - turbulence model an eddy-exchange coefficient is evaluated from the turbulent kinetic energy E and viscous dissipation . In this study we will apply the E - model to the stable and neutral atmospheric boundary layer. A discussion is given on the equation for , which terms should be included and how we have evaluated the constants. Constant cooling rate results for the stable atmospheric boundary layer are compared with a second-order closure study. For the neutral atmospheric boundary layer a comparison is made with observations, large-eddy simulations and a second-order closure study. It is shown that a small stability effect can change the neutral atmospheric boundary layer quite drastically, and therefore, it will be difficult to observe a neutral boundary layer in the atmosphere.

Coexistence of magnetic and charge order in a two-component order parameter description of the layered superconductors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Doria, Mauro M.; Vargas-Paredes, Alfredo A.; Cariglia, Marco

2014-12-01

We consider an effective theory of superconductivity for layered superconductors using a two-component order parameter, and show that it allows the formation of a condensate with magnetic and charge degrees of freedom. This condensate is an inhomogeneous state, topologically stable, that exists without the presence of an applied magnetic field. In particular, it is associated to a charge density in the superconducting layers. We show that well defined angular momentum states have for their lowest moment an hexadecapole charge distribution, i.e. quartic in the momenta. Our approach is based on solving first order equations (FOE) that generalize the Abrikosov-Bogomolny equations of the Ginzburg-Landau theory with one order parameter. The FOE solve the variational equations of the theory in the limit of a small order parameter, which is achieved for the special temperature that corresponds to the crossing of the superconducting dome and the pseudogap transition line. This topologically stable state is a condensate of skyrmions that breaks time reversal symmetry and produces a weak local magnetic field below the threshold of experimental observation.

Size-induced chemical and magnetic ordering in individual Fe-Au nanoparticles.

PubMed

Mukherjee, Pinaki; Manchanda, Priyanka; Kumar, Pankaj; Zhou, Lin; Kramer, Matthew J; Kashyap, Arti; Skomski, Ralph; Sellmyer, David; Shield, Jeffrey E

2014-08-26

Formation of chemically ordered compounds of Fe and Au is inhibited in bulk materials due to their limited mutual solubility. However, here we report the formation of chemically ordered L12-type Fe3Au and FeAu3 compounds in Fe-Au sub-10 nm nanoparticles, suggesting that they are equilibrium structures in size-constrained systems. The stability of these L12-ordered Fe3Au and FeAu3 compounds along with a previously discovered L10-ordered FeAu has been explained by a size-dependent equilibrium thermodynamic model. Furthermore, the spin ordering of these three compounds has been computed using ab initio first-principle calculations. All ordered compounds exhibit a substantial magnetization at room temperature. The Fe3Au had a high saturation magnetization of about 143.6 emu/g with a ferromagnetic spin structure. The FeAu3 nanoparticles displayed a low saturation magnetization of about 11 emu/g. This suggests a antiferromagnetic spin structure, with the net magnetization arising from uncompensated surface spins. First-principle calculations using the Vienna ab initio simulation package (VASP) indicate that ferromagnetic ordering is energetically most stable in Fe3Au, while antiferromagnetic order is predicted in FeAu and FeAu3, consistent with the experimental results.

The impact of symptom stability on time frame and recall reliability in CFS.

PubMed

Evans, Meredyth; Jason, Leonard A

This study is an investigation of the potential impact of perceived symptom stability on the recall reliability of symptom severity and frequency as reported by individuals with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). Symptoms were recalled using three different recall timeframes (the past week, the past month, and the past six months) and at two assessment points (with one week in between each assessment). Participants were 51 adults (45 women and 6 men), between the ages of 29 and 66 with a current diagnosis of CFS. Multilevel Model (MLM) Analyses were used to determine the optimal recall timeframe (in terms of test-retest reliability) for reporting symptoms perceived as variable and as stable over time. Headaches were recalled more reliably when they were reported as stable over time. Furthermore, the optimal timeframe in terms of test-retest reliability for stable symptoms was highly uniform, such that all Fukuda 1 CFS symptoms were more reliably recalled at the six month timeframe. Furthermore, the optimal timeframe for CFS symptoms perceived as variable, differed across symptoms. Symptom stability and recall timeframe are important to consider in order to improve the accuracy and reliability of the current methods for diagnosing this illness.

Killer Whale Nuclear Genome and mtDNA Reveal Widespread Population Bottleneck during the Last Glacial Maximum

PubMed Central

Moura, Andre E.; Janse van Rensburg, Charlene; Pilot, Malgorzata; Tehrani, Arman; Best, Peter B.; Thornton, Meredith; Plön, Stephanie; de Bruyn, P.J. Nico; Worley, Kim C.; Gibbs, Richard A.; Dahlheim, Marilyn E.; Hoelzel, Alan Rus

2014-01-01

Ecosystem function and resilience is determined by the interactions and independent contributions of individual species. Apex predators play a disproportionately determinant role through their influence and dependence on the dynamics of prey species. Their demographic fluctuations are thus likely to reflect changes in their respective ecological communities and habitat. Here, we investigate the historical population dynamics of the killer whale based on draft nuclear genome data for the Northern Hemisphere and mtDNA data worldwide. We infer a relatively stable population size throughout most of the Pleistocene, followed by an order of magnitude decline and bottleneck during the Weichselian glacial period. Global mtDNA data indicate that while most populations declined, at least one population retained diversity in a stable, productive ecosystem off southern Africa. We conclude that environmental changes during the last glacial period promoted the decline of a top ocean predator, that these events contributed to the pattern of diversity among extant populations, and that the relatively high diversity of a population currently in productive, stable habitat off South Africa suggests a role for ocean productivity in the widespread decline. PMID:24497033

Results from the Mochi.Labjet Experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lavine, Eric Sander; You, Setthivoine

2017-10-01

Magnetized plasma jets are generally modeled as magnetic flux tubes filled with flowing plasma governed by magnetohydrodynamics (MHD). Recent theoretical work has outlined a more fundamental approach based on flux tubes of canonical vorticity, where canonical vorticity is defined as the circulation of a species' canonical momentum. This approach extends the concept of magnetic flux tube evolution to include the effects of finite particle momentum and enables visualization of the topology of plasma jets in regimes beyond MHD. Under the appropriate conditions this framework suggests how to form and drive stable, collimated plasma jets with very long aspect-ratios. To explore this possibility, a triple electrode planar plasma gun (Mochi.LabJet) has been designed to produce helical shear flows inside a driven magnetized plasma jet. High speed video confirms the experiment can produce long ( 1m), collimated, stable jets with core plasma currents of 60 - 80 kA, skin currents of 100 - 120 kA and axial velocities on the order of 40 - 80 km/s (for hydrogen). Presented here are magnetic and ion flow velocity measurements as well as stability space analysis that suggests the jets are stable to kink instabilities over many Alfvén times.

Entropy Splitting for High Order Numerical Simulation of Compressible Turbulence

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sandham, N. D.; Yee, H. C.; Kwak, Dochan (Technical Monitor)

2000-01-01

A stable high order numerical scheme for direct numerical simulation (DNS) of shock-free compressible turbulence is presented. The method is applicable to general geometries. It contains no upwinding, artificial dissipation, or filtering. Instead the method relies on the stabilizing mechanisms of an appropriate conditioning of the governing equations and the use of compatible spatial difference operators for the interior points (interior scheme) as well as the boundary points (boundary scheme). An entropy splitting approach splits the inviscid flux derivatives into conservative and non-conservative portions. The spatial difference operators satisfy a summation by parts condition leading to a stable scheme (combined interior and boundary schemes) for the initial boundary value problem using a generalized energy estimate. A Laplacian formulation of the viscous and heat conduction terms on the right hand side of the Navier-Stokes equations is used to ensure that any tendency to odd-even decoupling associated with central schemes can be countered by the fluid viscosity. A special formulation of the continuity equation is used, based on similar arguments. The resulting methods are able to minimize spurious high frequency oscillation producing nonlinear instability associated with pure central schemes, especially for long time integration simulation such as DNS. For validation purposes, the methods are tested in a DNS of compressible turbulent plane channel flow at a friction Mach number of 0.1 where a very accurate turbulence data base exists. It is demonstrated that the methods are robust in terms of grid resolution, and in good agreement with incompressible channel data, as expected at this Mach number. Accurate turbulence statistics can be obtained with moderate grid sizes. Stability limits on the range of the splitting parameter are determined from numerical tests.

Birefringent Stable Glass with Predominantly Isotropic Molecular Orientation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Tianyi; Exarhos, Annemarie L.; Alguire, Ethan C.; Gao, Feng; Salami-Ranjbaran, Elmira; Cheng, Kevin; Jia, Tiezheng; Subotnik, Joseph E.; Walsh, Patrick J.; Kikkawa, James M.; Fakhraai, Zahra

2017-09-01

Birefringence in stable glasses produced by physical vapor deposition often implies molecular alignment similar to liquid crystals. As such, it remains unclear whether these glasses share the same energy landscape as liquid-quenched glasses that have been aged for millions of years. Here, we produce stable glasses of 9-(3,5-di(naphthalen-1-yl)phenyl)anthracene molecules that retain three-dimensional shapes and do not preferentially align in a specific direction. Using a combination of angle- and polarization-dependent photoluminescence and ellipsometry experiments, we show that these stable glasses possess a predominantly isotropic molecular orientation while being optically birefringent. The intrinsic birefringence strongly correlates with increased density, showing that molecular ordering is not required to produce stable glasses or optical birefringence, and provides important insights into the process of stable glass formation via surface-mediated equilibration. To our knowledge, such novel amorphous packing has never been reported in the past.

Observation of ferromagnetic ordering in a stable α -Co (OH) 2 phase grown on a Mo S2 surface

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Debnath, Anup; Bhattacharya, Shatabda; Saha, Shyamal K.

2017-12-01

Because of the potential application of Co (OH) 2 in a magnetic cooling system as a result of its superior magnetocaloric effect many people have investigated magnetic properties of Co (OH) 2 . Unfortunately, most of the works have been carried out on the β -Co (OH) 2 phase due to the fact that the α -Co (OH) 2 phase is very unstable and continuously transformed into the stable β -Co (OH) 2 phase. However, in the present work, using a Mo S2 sheet as a two-dimensional template, we have been able to synthesize a stable α -Co (OH) 2 phase in addition to a β -Co (OH) 2 phase by varying the layer thickness. It is seen that for thinner samples the β phase, while for thicker samples α phase, is grown on the Mo S2 surface. Magnetic measurements are carried out for the samples over the temperature range from 2 to 300 K and it is seen that for the β phase, ferromagnetic ordering with fairly large coercivity (1271 Oe) at 2 K is obtained instead of the usual antiferromagnetism. The most interesting result is the observation of ferromagnetic ordering with a transition temperature (Curie temperature) more than 100 K in the α -Co (OH) 2 phase. Complete saturation in the hysteresis curve under application of very low field having coercivity of ˜162 Oe at 2 K and 60 Oe at 50 K is obtained. A thin stable α -Co (OH) 2 phase grown on Mo S2 surface with very soft ferromagnetic ordering will be very useful as the core material in electromagnets.

A mixed finite difference/Galerkin method for three-dimensional Rayleigh-Benard convection

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Buell, Jeffrey C.

1988-01-01

A fast and accurate numerical method, for nonlinear conservation equation systems whose solutions are periodic in two of the three spatial dimensions, is presently implemented for the case of Rayleigh-Benard convection between two rigid parallel plates in the parameter region where steady, three-dimensional convection is known to be stable. High-order streamfunctions secure the reduction of the system of five partial differential equations to a system of only three. Numerical experiments are presented which verify both the expected convergence rates and the absolute accuracy of the method.

A numerical method for systems of conservation laws of mixed type admitting hyperbolic flux splitting

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shu, Chi-Wang

1992-01-01

The present treatment of elliptic regions via hyperbolic flux-splitting and high order methods proposes a flux splitting in which the corresponding Jacobians have real and positive/negative eigenvalues. While resembling the flux splitting used in hyperbolic systems, the present generalization of such splitting to elliptic regions allows the handling of mixed-type systems in a unified and heuristically stable fashion. The van der Waals fluid-dynamics equation is used. Convergence with good resolution to weak solutions for various Riemann problems are observed.

Data compression strategies for ptychographic diffraction imaging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Loetgering, Lars; Rose, Max; Treffer, David; Vartanyants, Ivan A.; Rosenhahn, Axel; Wilhein, Thomas

2017-12-01

Ptychography is a computational imaging method for solving inverse scattering problems. To date, the high amount of redundancy present in ptychographic data sets requires computer memory that is orders of magnitude larger than the retrieved information. Here, we propose and compare data compression strategies that significantly reduce the amount of data required for wavefield inversion. Information metrics are used to measure the amount of data redundancy present in ptychographic data. Experimental results demonstrate the technique to be memory efficient and stable in the presence of systematic errors such as partial coherence and noise.

Transverse single-mode edge-emitting lasers based on coupled waveguides.

PubMed

Gordeev, Nikita Yu; Payusov, Alexey S; Shernyakov, Yuri M; Mintairov, Sergey A; Kalyuzhnyy, Nikolay A; Kulagina, Marina M; Maximov, Mikhail V

2015-05-01

We report on the transverse single-mode emission from InGaAs/GaAs quantum well edge-emitting lasers with broadened waveguide. The lasers are based on coupled large optical cavity (CLOC) structures where high-order vertical modes of the broad active waveguide are suppressed due to their resonant tunneling into a coupled single-mode passive waveguide. The CLOC lasers have shown stable Gaussian-shaped vertical far-field profiles with a reduced divergence of ∼22° FWHM (full width at half-maximum) in CW (continuous-wave) operation.

Point-contact sensors: New prospects for a nanoscale-sensitive technique

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kamarchuk, G. V.; Pospelov, A. P.; Yeremenko, A. V.; Faulques, E. C.; Yanson, I. K.

2006-11-01

Point contacts have been discovered to present excellent and unprecedented characteristics when used as gas sensors. A novel concept has been tested successfully and opens the way to useful applications. Copper point contacts were investigated in gas media such as NOx, HCl, H2S and human breath. They reveal high sensitivity to these gases: the measured signal increases by 2-3 orders of magnitude upon gas exposure. Sensor parameters are fully restored when gas action ceases. Stable reproducibility of experimental results was observed after several exposure cycles onto the investigated point contacts.

Polarization stable plasmonic sensor based on tilted fiber Bragg grating

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tomyshev, Kirill A.; Chamorovskiy, Yuriy K.; Ustimchik, Vasily E.; Butov, Oleg V.

2017-04-01

This paper presents a solution to one of the major problems of plasmonic fiber Bragg grating sensors concerning their high sensitivity to changes in the polarization state of light propagating through optical fiber. For the first time these kind of sensors have been produced using polarization maintaining fibers, thereby stabilization has been achieved using mechanical action and bending the supplied fiber. Comparative experiments have demonstrated that the sensor readings stability is at least an order of magnitude higher relative to other sensors, which record in a standard fiber with an isotropic structure.

Matching problem for primary and secondary signals in dual-phase TPC detectors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Radics, B.; Burjons, E.; Rubbia, A.

2018-05-01

The problem of matching primary and secondary light signals, belonging to the same event, is presented in the context of dual-phase time projection chambers. In large scale detectors the secondary light emission could be delayed up to order of milliseconds, which, combined with high signal rates, could make the matching of the signals challenging. A possible approach is offered in the framework of the Stable Marriage and the College Admission problem, for both of which solutions are given by the Gale-Shapley algorithm.

A Doppler-Cancellation Technique for Determining the Altitude Dependence of Gravitational Red Shift in an Earth Satellite

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Badessa, R. S.; Kent, R. L.; Nowell, J. C.; Searle, C. L.

1960-01-01

A cancellation technique permits measurement of the frequency of a source moving relative to an observer without the obscuring effect of first-order Doppler shifts. The application of this method to a gravitational red shift experiment involving the use of an earth satellite containing a highly stable oscillator is described. The rapidity with which a measurement can be made permits the taking of data at various altitudes in a given elliptical orbit. Tropospheric and ionospheric effects upon the accuracy of results are estimated.

Numerical investigation of sixth order Boussinesq equation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kolkovska, N.; Vucheva, V.

2017-10-01

We propose a family of conservative finite difference schemes for the Boussinesq equation with sixth order dispersion terms. The schemes are of second order of approximation. The method is conditionally stable with a mild restriction τ = O(h) on the step sizes. Numerical tests are performed for quadratic and cubic nonlinearities. The numerical experiments show second order of convergence of the discrete solution to the exact one.

New template family for the detection of gravitational waves from comparable-mass black hole binaries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Porter, Edward K.

2007-11-01

In order to improve the phasing of the comparable-mass waveform as we approach the last stable orbit for a system, various resummation methods have been used to improve the standard post-Newtonian waveforms. In this work we present a new family of templates for the detection of gravitational waves from the inspiral of two comparable-mass black hole binaries. These new adiabatic templates are based on reexpressing the derivative of the binding energy and the gravitational wave flux functions in terms of shifted Chebyshev polynomials. The Chebyshev polynomials are a useful tool in numerical methods as they display the fastest convergence of any of the orthogonal polynomials. In this case they are also particularly useful as they eliminate one of the features that plagues the post-Newtonian expansion. The Chebyshev binding energy now has information at all post-Newtonian orders, compared to the post-Newtonian templates which only have information at full integer orders. In this work, we compare both the post-Newtonian and Chebyshev templates against a fiducially exact waveform. This waveform is constructed from a hybrid method of using the test-mass results combined with the mass dependent parts of the post-Newtonian expansions for the binding energy and flux functions. Our results show that the Chebyshev templates achieve extremely high fitting factors at all post-Newtonian orders and provide excellent parameter extraction. We also show that this new template family has a faster Cauchy convergence, gives a better prediction of the position of the last stable orbit and in general recovers higher Signal-to-Noise ratios than the post-Newtonian templates.

Reduced Order Modeling Incompressible Flows

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Helenbrook, B. T.

2010-01-01

The details: a) Need stable numerical methods; b) Round off error can be considerable; c) Not convinced modes are correct for incompressible flow. Nonetheless, can derive compact and accurate reduced-order models. Can be used to generate actuator models or full flow-field models

Birth Order and Sibling Sex Ratio in a Population with High Fertility: Are Turkish Male to Female Transsexuals Different?

PubMed

Bozkurt, Ali; Bozkurt, Ozlem Hekim; Sonmez, Ipek

2015-07-01

Western studies have consistently found that androphilic (sexually attracted to men) male-to-female transsexuals have a later birth order and a relative excess of brothers compared with appropriate control participants. However, non-Western studies on birth order and sibling sex ratio in androphilic males (transsexual or non-transsexual) are rare. The objective of the study was to test the hypothesis that androphilic male-to-female transsexuals have a late birth order and a relative excess of brothers in a non-Western culture with a higher fertility rate. The participants were 60 androphilic male-to-female transsexuals and 61 male heterosexual controls. The transsexual participants had significantly more older brothers than the control participants, but the groups did not differ in their numbers of older sisters, younger brothers, or younger sisters. The foregoing pattern is usually referred to as the "fraternal birth order effect." Slater's and Berglin's Indexes both showed that the mean birth order of the control participants was very close to that expected from a random sample drawn from a demographically stable population whereas the mean birth order of the transsexual participants was later. A measure of sibship composition, brothers/all siblings, showed that the transsexual group had a higher proportion of male siblings compared with the control group. In conclusion, the present study found that Turkish androphilic male-to-female transsexuals show the same high fraternal birth order that has been found in comparable androphilic samples in Western Europe, North America, and the South Pacific, which suggests a common underlying biological causal mechanism.

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.

Intermediate honeycomb ordering to trigger oxygen redox chemistry in layered battery electrode

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mortemard de Boisse, Benoit; Liu, Guandong; Ma, Jiangtao; Nishimura, Shin-Ichi; Chung, Sai-Cheong; Kiuchi, Hisao; Harada, Yoshihisa; Kikkawa, Jun; Kobayashi, Yoshio; Okubo, Masashi; Yamada, Atsuo

2016-04-01

Sodium-ion batteries are attractive energy storage media owing to the abundance of sodium, but the low capacities of available cathode materials make them impractical. Sodium-excess metal oxides Na2MO3 (M: transition metal) are appealing cathode materials that may realize large capacities through additional oxygen redox reaction. However, the general strategies for enhancing the capacity of Na2MO3 are poorly established. Here using two polymorphs of Na2RuO3, we demonstrate the critical role of honeycomb-type cation ordering in Na2MO3. Ordered Na2RuO3 with honeycomb-ordered [Na1/3Ru2/3]O2 slabs delivers a capacity of 180 mAh g-1 (1.3-electron reaction), whereas disordered Na2RuO3 only delivers 135 mAh g-1 (1.0-electron reaction). We clarify that the large extra capacity of ordered Na2RuO3 is enabled by a spontaneously ordered intermediate Na1RuO3 phase with ilmenite O1 structure, which induces frontier orbital reorganization to trigger the oxygen redox reaction, unveiling a general requisite for the stable oxygen redox reaction in high-capacity Na2MO3 cathodes.

Sub-100 fs pulses from an all-polarization maintaining Yb-fiber oscillator with an anomalous dispersion higher-order-mode fiber.

PubMed

Verhoef, A J; Zhu, L; Israelsen, S Møller; Grüner-Nielsen, L; Unterhuber, A; Kautek, W; Rottwitt, K; Baltuška, A; Fernández, A

2015-10-05

We present an Yb-fiber oscillator with an all-polarization-maintaining cavity with a higher-order-mode fiber for dispersion compensation. The polarization maintaining higher order mode fiber introduces not only negative second order dispersion but also negative third order dispersion in the cavity, in contrast to dispersion compensation schemes used in previous demonstrations of all-polarization maintaining Yb-fiber oscillators. The performance of the saturable absorber mirror modelocked oscillator, that employs a free space scheme for coupling onto the saturable absorber mirror and output coupling, was investigated for different settings of the intracavity dispersion. When the cavity is operated with close to zero net dispersion, highly stable 0.5-nJ pulses externally compressed to sub-100-fs are generated. These are to our knowledge the shortest pulses generated from an all-polarization-maintaining Yb-fiber oscillator. The spectral phase of the output pulses is well behaved and can be compensated such that wing-free Fourier transform limited pulses can be obtained. Further reduction of the net intracavity third order dispersion will allow generating broader output spectra and consequently shorter pulses, without sacrificing pulse fidelity.

Intermediate honeycomb ordering to trigger oxygen redox chemistry in layered battery electrode.

PubMed

Mortemard de Boisse, Benoit; Liu, Guandong; Ma, Jiangtao; Nishimura, Shin-ichi; Chung, Sai-Cheong; Kiuchi, Hisao; Harada, Yoshihisa; Kikkawa, Jun; Kobayashi, Yoshio; Okubo, Masashi; Yamada, Atsuo

2016-04-18

Sodium-ion batteries are attractive energy storage media owing to the abundance of sodium, but the low capacities of available cathode materials make them impractical. Sodium-excess metal oxides Na2MO3 (M: transition metal) are appealing cathode materials that may realize large capacities through additional oxygen redox reaction. However, the general strategies for enhancing the capacity of Na2MO3 are poorly established. Here using two polymorphs of Na2RuO3, we demonstrate the critical role of honeycomb-type cation ordering in Na2MO3. Ordered Na2RuO3 with honeycomb-ordered [Na(1/3)Ru(2/3)]O2 slabs delivers a capacity of 180 mAh g(-1) (1.3-electron reaction), whereas disordered Na2RuO3 only delivers 135 mAh g(-1) (1.0-electron reaction). We clarify that the large extra capacity of ordered Na2RuO3 is enabled by a spontaneously ordered intermediate Na1RuO3 phase with ilmenite O1 structure, which induces frontier orbital reorganization to trigger the oxygen redox reaction, unveiling a general requisite for the stable oxygen redox reaction in high-capacity Na2MO3 cathodes.

Major effect of inherited rheology weakening in the crust and mantle on continental intraplate strain and seismicity rates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gueydan, Frédéric; Mazzotti, Stephane

2017-04-01

Stable Continental Regions (SCR, i.e., intraplate) are commonly viewed as non-deforming and very high resistance lithosphere domains, except in localized regions of higher strain and seismicity rates that often related to fossilized tectonic zones acting as weaker domains (e.g., Rhine Graben, New Madrid). Two main categories of models have been proposed to explain strain concentration in SCR: Local stress concentration (fault intersection, erosion pulse, …) and local lithosphere weakness (high geotherm, mantle anisotropy, …). In order to test the respective role of these various parameters of the stress - rheology - strain relationship, we propose a simple 1D model to quantify first-order continental strain rate variations using laboratory and field-based rheology laws for the crust and mantle. In particular, we include new strain-weakening rheologies in order to simulate tectonic heritage. Within the framework of near-failure equilibrium between tectonic forces and strain rates, we show that inherited rheology weakening plays a fundamental role in allowing for and explaining strain and seismicity concentration in intraplate weak zones. A comparison with empirical strain rate estimations in SCR and intraplate weak zones shows that inherited weakening rheologies can increase local strain rates by as much as three orders of magnitude, about one to two orders higher than that permitted by other processes such as stress concentration, thermal anomaly, etc.

Multi-Fault Diagnosis of Rolling Bearings via Adaptive Projection Intrinsically Transformed Multivariate Empirical Mode Decomposition and High Order Singular Value Decomposition

PubMed Central

Lv, Yong; Song, Gangbing

2018-01-01

Rolling bearings are important components in rotary machinery systems. In the field of multi-fault diagnosis of rolling bearings, the vibration signal collected from single channels tends to miss some fault characteristic information. Using multiple sensors to collect signals at different locations on the machine to obtain multivariate signal can remedy this problem. The adverse effect of a power imbalance between the various channels is inevitable, and unfavorable for multivariate signal processing. As a useful, multivariate signal processing method, Adaptive-projection has intrinsically transformed multivariate empirical mode decomposition (APIT-MEMD), and exhibits better performance than MEMD by adopting adaptive projection strategy in order to alleviate power imbalances. The filter bank properties of APIT-MEMD are also adopted to enable more accurate and stable intrinsic mode functions (IMFs), and to ease mode mixing problems in multi-fault frequency extractions. By aligning IMF sets into a third order tensor, high order singular value decomposition (HOSVD) can be employed to estimate the fault number. The fault correlation factor (FCF) analysis is used to conduct correlation analysis, in order to determine effective IMFs; the characteristic frequencies of multi-faults can then be extracted. Numerical simulations and the application of multi-fault situation can demonstrate that the proposed method is promising in multi-fault diagnoses of multivariate rolling bearing signal. PMID:29659510

Multi-Fault Diagnosis of Rolling Bearings via Adaptive Projection Intrinsically Transformed Multivariate Empirical Mode Decomposition and High Order Singular Value Decomposition.

PubMed

Yuan, Rui; Lv, Yong; Song, Gangbing

2018-04-16

Rolling bearings are important components in rotary machinery systems. In the field of multi-fault diagnosis of rolling bearings, the vibration signal collected from single channels tends to miss some fault characteristic information. Using multiple sensors to collect signals at different locations on the machine to obtain multivariate signal can remedy this problem. The adverse effect of a power imbalance between the various channels is inevitable, and unfavorable for multivariate signal processing. As a useful, multivariate signal processing method, Adaptive-projection has intrinsically transformed multivariate empirical mode decomposition (APIT-MEMD), and exhibits better performance than MEMD by adopting adaptive projection strategy in order to alleviate power imbalances. The filter bank properties of APIT-MEMD are also adopted to enable more accurate and stable intrinsic mode functions (IMFs), and to ease mode mixing problems in multi-fault frequency extractions. By aligning IMF sets into a third order tensor, high order singular value decomposition (HOSVD) can be employed to estimate the fault number. The fault correlation factor (FCF) analysis is used to conduct correlation analysis, in order to determine effective IMFs; the characteristic frequencies of multi-faults can then be extracted. Numerical simulations and the application of multi-fault situation can demonstrate that the proposed method is promising in multi-fault diagnoses of multivariate rolling bearing signal.

Broadband single-mode operation of standard optical fibers by using a sub-wavelength optical wire filter.

PubMed

Jung, Yongmin; Brambilla, Gilberto; Richardson, David J

2008-09-15

We report the use of a sub-wavelength optical wire (SOW) with a specifically designed transition region as an efficient tool to filter higher-order modes in multimode waveguides. Higher-order modes are effectively suppressed by controlling the transition taper profile and the diameter of the sub-wavelength optical wire. As a practical example, single-mode operation of a standard telecom optical fiber over a broad spectral window (400 approximately 1700 nm) was demonstrated with a 1microm SOW. The ability to obtain robust and stable single-mode operation over a very broad range of wavelengths offers new possibilities for mode control within fiber devices and is relevant to a range of application sectors including high performance fiber lasers, sensors, photolithography, and optical coherence tomography systems.

Self-assembled structures of Gaussian nematic particles.

PubMed

Nikoubashman, Arash; Likos, Christos N

2010-03-17

We investigate the stable crystalline configurations of a nematic liquid crystal made of soft parallel ellipsoidal particles interacting via a repulsive, anisotropic Gaussian potential. For this purpose, we use genetic algorithms (GA) in order to predict all relevant and possible solid phase candidates into which this fluid can freeze. Subsequently we present and discuss the emerging novel structures and the resulting zero-temperature phase diagram of this system. The latter features a variety of crystalline arrangements, in which the elongated Gaussian particles in general do not align with any one of the high-symmetry crystallographic directions, a compromise arising from the interplay and competition between anisotropic repulsions and crystal ordering. Only at very strong degrees of elongation does a tendency of the Gaussian nematics to align with the longest axis of the elementary unit cell emerge.

Models for short-wave instability in inviscid shear flows

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grimshaw, Roger

1999-11-01

The generation of instability in an invsicid fluid occurs by a resonance between two wave modes, where here the resonance occurs by a coincidence of phase speeds for a finite, non-zero wavenumber. We show that in the weakly nonlinear limit, the appropriate model consists of two coupled equations for the envelopes of the wave modes, in which the nonlinear terms are balanced with low-order cross-coupling linear dispersive terms rather than the more familiar high-order terms which arise in the nonlinear Schrodinger equation, for instance. We will show that this system may either contain gap solitons as solutions in the linearly stable case, or wave breakdown in the linearly unstable case. In this latter circumstance, the system either exhibits wave collapse in finite time, or disintegration into fine-scale structures.

Angular stable plates in proximal meta-epiphyseal tibial fractures: study of joint restoration and clinical and functional evaluation.

PubMed

Giannotti, S; Giovannelli, D; Dell'Osso, G; Bottai, V; Bugelli, G; Celli, F; Citarelli, C; Guido, G

2016-04-01

The tibial plateau fractures involve one of the main weight bearing joints of the human body. The goals of surgical treatment are anatomical reduction, articular surface reconstruction and high primary stability. The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical and functional outcomes after internal plate fixation of this kind of fractures. From January 2009 to December 2012, we treated 75 cases of tibial plateau fracture with angular stable plates. We used Rasmussen Score and the Knee Society Score for the clinical and functional evaluation. Twenty-five cases that underwent hardware removal had arthroscopic and CT evaluation of the joint. No complications occurred. The clinical and functional evaluation, performed by the KSS and Rasmussen Score, highlighted the high percentage of good-to-excellent results (over 90 %). In every case, the range of motion was good with flexion >90°. Arthroscopy showed the presence of chondral damage in 100 % of patients. In all the cases, we found that X-ray images seem better than the CT images. Angular stable plates allow to obtain a good primary stability, permitting an early joint recovery with an excellent range of motion. Avoiding to perform a knee arthrotomy at the time of fracture reduction could prove to be an advantage in terms of functional recovery. The meniscus on the injured bone should be preserved in order to maintain good function of the joint. X-ray images remain the gold standard in checking the progression of post-traumatic osteoarthritis.

Progress of the ELISE test facility: towards one hour pulses in hydrogen

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wünderlich, D.; Fantz, U.; Heinemann, B.; Kraus, W.; Riedl, R.; Wimmer, C.; the NNBI Team

2016-10-01

In order to fulfil the ITER requirements, the negative hydrogen ion source used for NBI has to deliver a high source performance, i.e. a high extracted negative ion current and simultaneously a low co-extracted electron current over a pulse length up to 1 h. Negative ions will be generated by the surface process in a low-temperature low-pressure hydrogen or deuterium plasma. Therefore, a certain amount of caesium has to be deposited on the plasma grid in order to obtain a low surface work function and consequently a high negative ion production yield. This caesium is re-distributed by the influence of the plasma, resulting in temporal instabilities of the extracted negative ion current and the co-extracted electrons over long pulses. This paper describes experiments performed in hydrogen operation at the half-ITER-size NNBI test facility ELISE in order to develop a caesium conditioning technique for more stable long pulses at an ITER relevant filling pressure of 0.3 Pa. A significant improvement of the long pulse stability is achieved. Together with different plasma diagnostics it is demonstrated that this improvement is correlated to the interplay of very small variations of parameters like the electrostatic potential and the particle densities close to the extraction system.

Generalizability of the Ordering among Five Formal Reasoning Tasks by an Ordering-Theoretic Method.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bart, William M.; And Others

1979-01-01

Five Inhelder-Piaget formal operations tasks were analyzed to determine the extent that the formal operational skills they assess were ordered into a stable hierarchy generalizable across samples of subjects. Subjects were 34 collegiate gymnasts (19 males, 15 females), and 22 students (1 male, 21 females) from a university nursing program.…

Thermodynamic States of the Mixed Spin 1/2 and Spin 1 Hexagonal Nanowire System Obtained from a Seven-Site Cluster Within an Improved Mean Field Approximation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mendes, R. G. B.; Barreto, F. C. Sá; Santos, J. P.

2018-04-01

The mean field approximation results in the mixedspin 1/2 Ising model and spin 1 Blume-Capel model, in the hexagonal nanowire system, are obtained from the Bogoliubov inequality. The Gibbs free energy, magnetization, and critical frontiers are obtained. Besides the stable branches of the order parameters, we obtain the metastable and unstable parts of these curves and also find phase transitions of the metastable branches of the order parameters. The classification of the stable, metastable, and unstable states is made by comparing the free energy values of these states.

Silacyanogen

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ignatyev, Igor S.; Schaefer, Henry F., III

1997-10-01

Structures of all possible linear isomers of the Si-substituted cyanogen were optimized at the SCF, B3LYP, MP2, and CCSD levels of theory. At all levels of theory the most stable isomer was found to be SiNCN, while for cyanogen the most stable structure is well known to be NCCN. The theoretical ordering of the stability of the acyclic structures is SiNCN>SiNNO>NSiCN>NSiNC. The difference in the order of stability of silacyanogen and cyanogen isomers is rationalized, taking into account the position of the unpaired electron on carbon in the CN radical and that on nitrogen in the SiN radical.

Behavioral Dynamics in Swimming: The Appropriate Use of Inertial Measurement Units.

PubMed

Guignard, Brice; Rouard, Annie; Chollet, Didier; Seifert, Ludovic

2017-01-01

Motor control in swimming can be analyzed using low- and high-order parameters of behavior. Low-order parameters generally refer to the superficial aspects of movement (i.e., position, velocity, acceleration), whereas high-order parameters capture the dynamics of movement coordination. To assess human aquatic behavior, both types have usually been investigated with multi-camera systems, as they offer high three-dimensional spatial accuracy. Research in ecological dynamics has shown that movement system variability can be viewed as a functional property of skilled performers, helping them adapt their movements to the surrounding constraints. Yet to determine the variability of swimming behavior, a large number of stroke cycles (i.e., inter-cyclic variability) has to be analyzed, which is impossible with camera-based systems as they simply record behaviors over restricted volumes of water. Inertial measurement units (IMUs) were designed to explore the parameters and variability of coordination dynamics. These light, transportable and easy-to-use devices offer new perspectives for swimming research because they can record low- to high-order behavioral parameters over long periods. We first review how the low-order behavioral parameters (i.e., speed, stroke length, stroke rate) of human aquatic locomotion and their variability can be assessed using IMUs. We then review the way high-order parameters are assessed and the adaptive role of movement and coordination variability in swimming. We give special focus to the circumstances in which determining the variability between stroke cycles provides insight into how behavior oscillates between stable and flexible states to functionally respond to environmental and task constraints. The last section of the review is dedicated to practical recommendations for coaches on using IMUs to monitor swimming performance. We therefore highlight the need for rigor in dealing with these sensors appropriately in water. We explain the fundamental and mandatory steps to follow for accurate results with IMUs, from data acquisition (e.g., waterproofing procedures) to interpretation (e.g., drift correction).

Behavioral Dynamics in Swimming: The Appropriate Use of Inertial Measurement Units

PubMed Central

Guignard, Brice; Rouard, Annie; Chollet, Didier; Seifert, Ludovic

2017-01-01

Motor control in swimming can be analyzed using low- and high-order parameters of behavior. Low-order parameters generally refer to the superficial aspects of movement (i.e., position, velocity, acceleration), whereas high-order parameters capture the dynamics of movement coordination. To assess human aquatic behavior, both types have usually been investigated with multi-camera systems, as they offer high three-dimensional spatial accuracy. Research in ecological dynamics has shown that movement system variability can be viewed as a functional property of skilled performers, helping them adapt their movements to the surrounding constraints. Yet to determine the variability of swimming behavior, a large number of stroke cycles (i.e., inter-cyclic variability) has to be analyzed, which is impossible with camera-based systems as they simply record behaviors over restricted volumes of water. Inertial measurement units (IMUs) were designed to explore the parameters and variability of coordination dynamics. These light, transportable and easy-to-use devices offer new perspectives for swimming research because they can record low- to high-order behavioral parameters over long periods. We first review how the low-order behavioral parameters (i.e., speed, stroke length, stroke rate) of human aquatic locomotion and their variability can be assessed using IMUs. We then review the way high-order parameters are assessed and the adaptive role of movement and coordination variability in swimming. We give special focus to the circumstances in which determining the variability between stroke cycles provides insight into how behavior oscillates between stable and flexible states to functionally respond to environmental and task constraints. The last section of the review is dedicated to practical recommendations for coaches on using IMUs to monitor swimming performance. We therefore highlight the need for rigor in dealing with these sensors appropriately in water. We explain the fundamental and mandatory steps to follow for accurate results with IMUs, from data acquisition (e.g., waterproofing procedures) to interpretation (e.g., drift correction). PMID:28352243

Water-Stable Nanoporous Polymer Films with Excellent Proton Conductivity.

PubMed

Wang, Zhengbang; Liang, Cong; Tang, Haolin; Grosjean, Sylvain; Shahnas, Artak; Lahann, Joerg; Bräse, Stefan; Wöll, Christof

2018-03-01

Achieving high values for proton conductivity in a material critically depends on providing hopping sites arranged in a regular fashion. Record values reported for regular, molecular crystals cannot yet be reached by technologically relevant systems, and the best values measured for polymer membranes suited for integration into devices are almost two orders of magnitude lower. Here, an alternative polymer membrane synthesis strategy based on the chemical modification of surface-mounted, monolithic, crystalline metal-organic framework thin films is demonstrated. Due to chemical crosslinking and subsequent removal of metal ions, these surface-mounted gels (SURGELs) are found to exhibit high proton conductivity (0.1 S cm -1 at 30 °C and 100% RH (relative humidity). These record values are attributed to the highly ordered polymer network structure containing regularly spaced carboxylic acid side groups. These covalently bound organic frameworks outperform conventional, ion-conductive polymers with regard to ion conductivity and water stability. Pronounced water-induced swelling, which causes severe mechanical instabilities in commercial membranes, is not observed. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Tomographic iterative reconstruction of a passive scalar in a 3D turbulent flow

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pisso, Ignacio; Kylling, Arve; Cassiani, Massimo; Solveig Dinger, Anne; Stebel, Kerstin; Schmidbauer, Norbert; Stohl, Andreas

2017-04-01

Turbulence in stable planetary boundary layers often encountered in high latitudes influences the exchange fluxes of heat, momentum, water vapor and greenhouse gases between the Earth's surface and the atmosphere. In climate and meteorological models, such effects of turbulence need to be parameterized, ultimately based on experimental data. A novel experimental approach is being developed within the COMTESSA project in order to study turbulence statistics at high resolution. Using controlled tracer releases, high-resolution camera images and estimates of the background radiation, different tomographic algorithms can be applied in order to obtain time series of 3D representations of the scalar dispersion. In this preliminary work, using synthetic data, we investigate different reconstruction algorithms with emphasis on algebraic methods. We study the dependence of the reconstruction quality on the discretization resolution and the geometry of the experimental device in both 2 and 3-D cases. We assess the computational aspects of the iterative algorithms focusing of the phenomenon of semi-convergence applying a variety of stopping rules. We discuss different strategies for error reduction and regularization of the ill-posed problem.

Effect of a High-Fructose Weight-Maintaining Diet on Lipogenesis and Liver Fat

PubMed Central

Noworolski, Susan M.; Wen, Michael J.; Dyachenko, Artem; Prior, Jessica L.; Weinberg, Melissa E.; Herraiz, Laurie A.; Tai, Viva W.; Bergeron, Nathalie; Bersot, Thomas P.; Rao, Madhu N.; Schambelan, Morris; Mulligan, Kathleen

2015-01-01

Context: Consumption of high-fructose diets promotes hepatic fatty acid synthesis (de novo lipogenesis [DNL]) and an atherogenic lipid profile. It is unclear whether these effects occur independent of positive energy balance and weight gain. Objectives: We compared the effects of a high-fructose, (25% of energy content) weight-maintaining diet to those of an isocaloric diet with the same macronutrient distribution but in which complex carbohydrate (CCHO) was substituted for fructose. Design, Setting, and Participants: Eight healthy men were studied as inpatients for consecutive 9-day periods. Stable isotope tracers were used to measure fractional hepatic DNL and endogenous glucose production (EGP) and its suppression during a euglycemic-hyperinsulinemic clamp. Liver fat was measured by magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Results: Weight remained stable. Regardless of the order in which the diets were fed, the high-fructose diet was associated with both higher DNL (average, 18.6 ± 1.4% vs 11.0 ± 1.4% for CCHO; P = .001) and higher liver fat (median, +137% of CCHO; P = .016) in all participants. Fasting EGP and insulin-mediated glucose disposal did not differ significantly, but EGP during hyperinsulinemia was greater (0.60 ± 0.07 vs 0.46 ± 0.06 mg/kg/min; P = .013) with the high-fructose diet, suggesting blunted suppression of EGP. Conclusion: Short-term high-fructose intake was associated with increased DNL and liver fat in healthy men fed weight-maintaining diets. PMID:25825943

XRD, TEM, and thermal analysis of Arizona Ca-montmorillonites modified with didodecyldimethylammonium bromide.

PubMed

Sun, Zhiming; Park, Yuri; Zheng, Shuilin; Ayoko, Godwin A; Frost, Ray L

2013-10-15

An Arizona SAz-2 calcium montmorillonite was modified by a typical dialkyl cationic surfactant (didodecyldimethylammonium bromide, abbreviated to DDDMA) through direct ion exchange. The obtained organoclays were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM), high-resolution thermogravimetric analysis (HR-TG), and infrared emission spectroscopy (IES). The intercalation of surfactants greatly increased the basal spacing of the interlayers and the conformation arrangement of the loaded surfactant were assessed based on the XRD and TEM measurements. This work shows that the dialkyl surfactant can be directly intercalated into the montmorillonite without first undergoing Na(+) exchange. Moreover, the thermal stability of organoclays and the different arrangements of the surfactant molecules intercalated in the SAz-2 Ca-montmorillonite were determined by a combination of TG and IES techniques. The detailed conformational ordering of different intercalated surfactants under different conditions was also studied. The surfactant molecule DDDMA has proved to be thermally stable even at 400°C which indicates that the prepared organoclay is stable to significantly high temperatures. This study offers new insights into the structure and thermal stabilities of SAz-2 Ca-montmorillonite modified with DDDMA. The experimental results also confirm the potential applications of organic SAz-2 Ca-montmorillonites as adsorbents and polymer-clay nanocomposites. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Trajectories of maternal verbal aggression across the middle school years: associations with negative view of self and social problems.

PubMed

Donovan, Kera L; Brassard, Marla R

2011-10-01

The primary research objective was to explore the relationship between trajectories of maternal verbal aggression (VA) experienced by low-income, community middle school students across a three-year period and outcomes that have been found to be related to VA in previous work, including a negative view of self and social problems. Longitudinal data were collected from 421 youth (51.8% male) attending two middle schools over 3 years using a multiple-informant survey design. K-means cluster analysis was used to identify trajectories of VA using youth ratings of the Conflict Tactics Scale: Parent-Child (Straus, Hamby, Finkelhor, Moore, & Runyan, 1998). Dependent variables were self-reported depression, self-esteem, delinquency, and peer victimization as well as peer-rated aggression and sensitive-isolated reputation. Four trajectory groups of VA were identified: Low Stable, Increasing, Decreasing, and High Stable. The 3-year average occurrence of VA was: 1.31, 9.18, 10.24, and 31.14 instances, respectively. Gender-specific MANOVAs revealed dramatic differences between the High Stable and Low Stable groups. High Stable boys reported significantly more depressive symptoms, delinquency, peer overt and relational victimization, and were less likely to have a sensitive/isolated reputation than Low Stable boys. High Stable girls reported significantly more depressive symptoms, low self-esteem, delinquency, peer overt and relational victimization and were rated by peers as having more aggressive/disruptive and relationally aggressive reputations than Low Stable girls. Girls in the High Stable group were more likely than other youth to report levels of depressive symptoms and delinquency >1 SD above the mean, while boys in the High Stable group were more likely to report levels of delinquency >1 SD above the mean. The Increasing and Decreasing groups also demonstrated significantly poorer functioning than the Low Stable group on most outcomes. Growth curve analysis revealed that VA showed a contemporaneous association with self-reported delinquency suggesting these factors are closely related. Any level of VA greater than the 1-2 instances per year reported by youth in the Low Stable group was associated with less favorable outcomes. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Flows, scaling, and the control of moment hierarchies for stochastic chemical reaction networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smith, Eric; Krishnamurthy, Supriya

2017-12-01

Stochastic chemical reaction networks (CRNs) are complex systems that combine the features of concurrent transformation of multiple variables in each elementary reaction event and nonlinear relations between states and their rates of change. Most general results concerning CRNs are limited to restricted cases where a topological characteristic known as deficiency takes a value 0 or 1, implying uniqueness and positivity of steady states and surprising, low-information forms for their associated probability distributions. Here we derive equations of motion for fluctuation moments at all orders for stochastic CRNs at general deficiency. We show, for the standard base case of proportional sampling without replacement (which underlies the mass-action rate law), that the generator of the stochastic process acts on the hierarchy of factorial moments with a finite representation. Whereas simulation of high-order moments for many-particle systems is costly, this representation reduces the solution of moment hierarchies to a complexity comparable to solving a heat equation. At steady states, moment hierarchies for finite CRNs interpolate between low-order and high-order scaling regimes, which may be approximated separately by distributions similar to those for deficiency-zero networks and connected through matched asymptotic expansions. In CRNs with multiple stable or metastable steady states, boundedness of high-order moments provides the starting condition for recursive solution downward to low-order moments, reversing the order usually used to solve moment hierarchies. A basis for a subset of network flows defined by having the same mean-regressing property as the flows in deficiency-zero networks gives the leading contribution to low-order moments in CRNs at general deficiency, in a 1 /n expansion in large particle numbers. Our results give a physical picture of the different informational roles of mean-regressing and non-mean-regressing flows and clarify the dynamical meaning of deficiency not only for first-moment conditions but for all orders in fluctuations.

A low-frequency chip-scale optomechanical oscillator with 58 kHz mechanical stiffening and more than 100th-order stable harmonics.

PubMed

Huang, Yongjun; Flores, Jaime Gonzalo Flor; Cai, Ziqiang; Yu, Mingbin; Kwong, Dim-Lee; Wen, Guangjun; Churchill, Layne; Wong, Chee Wei

2017-06-29

For the sensitive high-resolution force- and field-sensing applications, the large-mass microelectromechanical system (MEMS) and optomechanical cavity have been proposed to realize the sub-aN/Hz 1/2 resolution levels. In view of the optomechanical cavity-based force- and field-sensors, the optomechanical coupling is the key parameter for achieving high sensitivity and resolution. Here we demonstrate a chip-scale optomechanical cavity with large mass which operates at ≈77.7 kHz fundamental mode and intrinsically exhibiting large optomechanical coupling of 44 GHz/nm or more, for both optical resonance modes. The mechanical stiffening range of ≈58 kHz and a more than 100 th -order harmonics are obtained, with which the free-running frequency instability is lower than 10 -6 at 100 ms integration time. Such results can be applied to further improve the sensing performance of the optomechanical inspired chip-scale sensors.

Controlled Synthesis of Pt Nanowires with Ordered Large Mesopores for Methanol Oxidation Reaction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Chengwei; Xu, Lianbin; Yan, Yushan; Chen, Jianfeng

2016-08-01

Catalysts for methanol oxidation reaction (MOR) are at the heart of key green-energy fuel cell technology. Nanostructured Pt materials are the most popular and effective catalysts for MOR. Controlling the morphology and structure of Pt nanomaterials can provide opportunities to greatly increase their activity and stability. Ordered nanoporous Pt nanowires with controlled large mesopores (15, 30 and 45 nm) are facilely fabricated by chemical reduction deposition from dual templates using porous anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) membranes with silica nanospheres self-assembled in the channels. The prepared mesoporous Pt nanowires are highly active and stable electrocatalysts for MOR. The mesoporous Pt nanowires with 15 nm mesopores exhibit a large electrochemically active surface area (ECSA, 40.5 m2 g-1), a high mass activity (398 mA mg-1) and specific activity (0.98 mA cm-2), and a good If/Ib ratio (1.15), better than the other mesoporous Pt nanowires and the commercial Pt black catalyst.

High performance EUV multilayer structures insensitive to capping layer optical parameters.

PubMed

Pelizzo, Maria Guglielmina; Suman, Michele; Monaco, Gianni; Nicolosi, Piergiorgio; Windt, David L

2008-09-15

We have designed and tested a-periodic multilayer structures containing protective capping layers in order to obtain improved stability with respect to any possible changes of the capping layer optical properties (due to oxidation and contamination, for example)-while simultaneously maximizing the EUV reflection efficiency for specific applications, and in particular for EUV lithography. Such coatings may be particularly useful in EUV lithographic apparatus, because they provide both high integrated photon flux and higher stability to the harsh operating environment, which can affect seriously the performance of the multilayer-coated projector system optics. In this work, an evolutive algorithm has been developed in order to design these a-periodic structures, which have been proven to have also the property of stable performance with respect to random layer thickness errors that might occur during coating deposition. Prototypes have been fabricated, and tested with EUV and X-ray reflectometry, and secondary electron spectroscopy. The experimental results clearly show improved performance of our new a-periodic coatings design compared with standard periodic multilayer structures.

Thermal collapse and hierarchy of polymorphs in a faujasite-type zeolite and its analogous melt-quenched glass

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Palenta, Theresia; Fuhrmann, Sindy; Greaves, G. Neville; Schwieger, Wilhelm; Wondraczek, Lothar

2015-02-01

We examine the route of structural collapse and re-crystallization of faujasite-type (Na,K)-LSX zeolite. As the first step, a rather stable amorphous high density phase HDAcollapse is generated through an order-disorder transition from the original zeolite via a low density phase LDAcollapse, at around 790 °C. We find that the overall amorphization is driven by an increase in the bond angle distribution within T-O-T and a change in ring statistics to 6-membered TO4 (T = Si4+, Al3+) rings at the expense of 4-membered rings. The HDAamorph transforms into crystalline nepheline, though, through an intermediate metastable carnegieite phase. In comparison, the melt-derived glass of similar composition, HDAMQ, crystallizes directly into the nepheline phase without the occurrence of intermediate carnegieite. This is attributed to the higher structural order of the faujasite-derived HDAcollapse which prefers the re-crystallization into the highly symmetric carnegieite phase before transformation into nepheline with lower symmetry.

Discovering Event Structure in Continuous Narrative Perception and Memory.

PubMed

Baldassano, Christopher; Chen, Janice; Zadbood, Asieh; Pillow, Jonathan W; Hasson, Uri; Norman, Kenneth A

2017-08-02

During realistic, continuous perception, humans automatically segment experiences into discrete events. Using a novel model of cortical event dynamics, we investigate how cortical structures generate event representations during narrative perception and how these events are stored to and retrieved from memory. Our data-driven approach allows us to detect event boundaries as shifts between stable patterns of brain activity without relying on stimulus annotations and reveals a nested hierarchy from short events in sensory regions to long events in high-order areas (including angular gyrus and posterior medial cortex), which represent abstract, multimodal situation models. High-order event boundaries are coupled to increases in hippocampal activity, which predict pattern reinstatement during later free recall. These areas also show evidence of anticipatory reinstatement as subjects listen to a familiar narrative. Based on these results, we propose that brain activity is naturally structured into nested events, which form the basis of long-term memory representations. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Properties of tetrahedral clusters and medium range order in GaN during rapid solidification

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gao, Tinghong; Li, Yidan; Yao, Zhenzhen; Hu, Xuechen; Xie, Quan

2017-12-01

The solidification process of liquid gallium nitride has been studied by molecular dynamics simulation using the Stillinger-Weber potential at cooling rate of 10 K/ps. The structural properties of gallium nitride during the rapid cooling process were investigated in detail by the radial distribution functions, Voronoi polyhedron index and the visualization technology. The amorphous structures were formed with many medium range order structures at 200 K. The <4 0 0 0> polyhedron as the main polyhedron was more stable than other polyhedron in GaN during the quenching process. The cubic and hexahedral medium range order structures were formed by the close link between <4 0 0 0> polyhedron. The cubic crystal structures grew up through the crystalline surface by a layer-by-layer method to become more stable structures during the quenching process.

Method for preparing polyaniline fibers

DOEpatents

Mattes, Benjamin R.; Wang, Hsing-Lin

2000-01-01

Stable, concentrated solutions of high molecular weight polyaniline. In order to process high quality fibers and other articles possessing good mechanical properties, it is known that solution concentrations of the chosen polymer should be in the range from 15-30% (w/w). Moreover, it is desirable to use the highest molecular weight consistent with the solubility properties of the polymer. However, such solutions are inherently unstable, forming gels before processing can be achieved. The present invention describes the addition gel inhibitors (GIs) to the polymer solution, thereby permitting high concentrations (>15% (w/w)) of high molecular weight ((M.sub.w)>120,000, and (M.sub.n)>30,000) emeraldine base (EB) polyaniline to be dissolved. Secondary amines have been used for this purpose in concentrations which are small compared to those which might otherwise be used in a cosolvent role therefor. The resulting solutions are useful for generating excellent fibers, films, coatings and other objects, since the solutions are stable for significant time periods, and the GIs are present in too small concentrations to cause polymer deterioration. It is demonstrated that the GIs found to be useful do not act as cosolvents, and that gelation times of the solutions are directly proportional to the concentration of GI. In particular, there is a preferred concentration of GI, which if exceeded causes structural and electrical conductivity degradation of resulting articles. Heating of the solutions significantly improves solubility.

Efficient high-harmonic generation from a stable and compact ultrafast Yb-fiber laser producing 100 μJ, 350 fs pulses based on bendable photonic crystal fiber

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Feehan, James S.; Price, Jonathan H. V.; Butcher, Thomas J.; Brocklesby, William S.; Frey, Jeremy G.; Richardson, David J.

2017-01-01

The development of an Yb3+-fiber-based chirped-pulse amplification system and the performance in the generation of extreme ultraviolet (EUV) radiation by high-harmonic generation is reported. The fiber laser produced 100 μJ, 350 fs output pulses with diffraction-limited beam quality at a repetition rate of 16.7 kHz. The system used commercial single-mode, polarization maintaining fiber technology. This included a 40 μm core, easily packaged, bendable final amplifier fiber in order to enable a compact system, to reduce cost, and provide reliable and environmentally stable long-term performance. The system enabled the generation of 0.4 μW of EUV at wavelengths between 27 and 80 nm with a peak at 45 nm using xenon gas. The EUV flux of 1011 photons per second for a driving field power of 1.67 W represents state-of-the-art generation efficiency for single-fiber amplifier CPA systems, corresponding to a maximum calculated energy conversion efficiency of 2.4 × 10-7 from the infrared to the EUV. The potential for high average power operation at increased repetition rates and further suggested technical improvements are discussed. Future applications could include coherent diffractive imaging in the EUV, and high-harmonic spectroscopy.

A Drosophila heat shock response represents an exception rather than a rule amongst Diptera species.

PubMed

Zatsepina, O G; Przhiboro, A A; Yushenova, I A; Shilova, V; Zelentsova, E S; Shostak, N G; Evgen'ev, M B; Garbuz, D G

2016-08-01

Heat shock protein 70 (Hsp70) is the major player that underlies adaptive response to hyperthermia in all organisms studied to date. We investigated patterns of Hsp70 expression in larvae of dipteran species collected from natural populations of species belonging to four families from different evolutionary lineages of the order Diptera: Stratiomyidae, Tabanidae, Chironomidae and Ceratopogonidae. All investigated species showed a Hsp70 expression pattern that was different from the pattern in Drosophila. In contrast to Drosophila, all of the species in the families studied were characterized by high constitutive levels of Hsp70, which was more stable than that in Drosophila. When Stratiomyidae Hsp70 proteins were expressed in Drosophila cells, they became as short-lived as the endogenous Hsp70. Interestingly, three species of Ceratopogonidae and a cold-water species of Chironomidae exhibited high constitutive levels of Hsp70 mRNA and high basal levels of Hsp70. Furthermore, two species of Tabanidae were characterized by significant constitutive levels of Hsp70 and highly stable Hsp70 mRNA. In most cases, heat-resistant species were characterized by a higher basal level of Hsp70 than more thermosensitive species. These data suggest that different trends were realized during the evolution of the molecular mechanisms underlying the regulation of the responses of Hsp70 genes to temperature fluctuations in the studied families. © 2016 The Royal Entomological Society.

Construction of energy-stable projection-based reduced order models

DOE PAGES

Kalashnikova, Irina; Barone, Matthew F.; Arunajatesan, Srinivasan; ...

2014-12-15

Our paper aims to unify and extend several approaches for building stable projection-based reduced order models (ROMs) using the energy method and the concept of “energy-stability”. Attention is focused on linear time-invariant (LTI) systems. First, an approach for building energy stable Galerkin ROMs for linear hyperbolic or incompletely parabolic systems of partial differential equations (PDEs) using continuous projection is proposed. The key idea is to apply to the system a transformation induced by the Lyapunov function for the system, and to build the ROM in the transformed variables. The result of this procedure will be a ROM that is energy-stablemore » for any choice of reduced basis. It is shown that, for many PDE systems, the desired transformation is induced by a special inner product, termed the “symmetry inner product”. Next, attention is turned to building energy-stable ROMs via discrete projection. A discrete counterpart of the continuous symmetry inner product, termed the “Lyapunov inner product”, is derived. Moreover, it is shown that the Lyapunov inner product can be computed in a black-box fashion for a stable LTI system ari sing from the discretization of a system of PDEs in space. Projection in this inner product guarantees a ROM that is energy-stable, again for any choice of reduced basis. Connections between the Lyapunov inner product and the inner product induced by the balanced truncation algorithm are made. We also made comparisons between the symmetry inner product and the Lyapunov inner product. Performance of ROMs constructed using these inner products is evaluated on several benchmark test cases.« less

Belt-MRF for large aperture mirrors.

PubMed

Ren, Kai; Luo, Xiao; Zheng, Ligong; Bai, Yang; Li, Longxiang; Hu, Haixiang; Zhang, Xuejun

2014-08-11

With high-determinacy and no subsurface damage, Magnetorheological Finishing (MRF) has become an important tool in fabricating high-precision optics. But for large mirrors, the application of MRF is restricted by its small removal function and low material removal rate. In order to improve the material removal rate, shorten the processing cycle, we proposed a new MRF concept, named Belt-MRF to expand the application of MRF to large mirrors and made a prototype with a large remove function, using a belt instead of a very large polishing wheel to expand the polishing length. A series of experimental results on Silicon carbide (SiC) and BK 7 specimens and fabrication simulation verified that the Belt-MRF has high material removal rates, stable removal function and high convergence efficiency which makes it a promising technology for processing large aperture optical elements.

Switchable polarization-sensitive surface plasmon resonance of highly stable gold nanorods liquid crystals composites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Qingkun; Qian, Jun; Cai, Fuhong; Smalyukh, Ivan I.; He, Sailing

2011-12-01

In this work, we demonstrate the bulk self-alignment of gold nanorods (GNRs) dispersed in lyotropic nematic liquid crystals (LCs) with high optical absorption coefficient at the surface plasmon resonant wavelength. The polymer-coated GNRs which show spontaneous long-range orientational ordering along the director of LC host exhibit long-term stability as well as high concentration. External magnetic field and shearing allow for alignment and realignment of the orientation of gold nanorods by changing the director of the liquid crystal matrix. This results in a switchable polarization-sensitive surface plasmon resonance exhibiting stark differences from that of the same nanorods in isotropic fluids. The devise-scale bulk nanoparticle alignment may enable optical metamaterial mass production and control of surface plasmon resonance of nanoparticles.

GaSb-based VECSEL for high-power applications and Ho-pumping

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Holl, P.; Rattunde, M.; Adler, S.; Scholle, K.; Lamrini, S.; Fuhrberg, P.; Diwo-Emmer, E.; Aidam, R.; Bronner, W.; Wagner, J.

2017-02-01

The (AlGaIn)(AsSb) material system has been shown to be ideally suited to realize VECSELs for the 2-3 μm wavelength range. In this report we will present results on increasing the output power of the SDL chips with special emphasis on the 2.8 μm emission wavelength by means of low quantum defect pumping. Further on we have investigated concepts for a VECSEL-pumped Q-switched Ho:YAG laser in order to convert the high cw-power of the VECSEL into pulses with a high peak power. Up to 3.3 mJ of pulse energy were achieved with a compact setup (corresponding to a peak power of 30 kW at 110 ns pulse length) combined with stable pulsing behavior.

Transient phases during fast crystallization of organic thin films from solution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wan, Jing; Li, Yang; Ulbrandt, Jeffrey G.; Smilgies, Detlef-M.; Hollin, Jonathan; Whalley, Adam C.; Headrick, Randall L.

2016-01-01

We report an in situ microbeam grazing incidence X-ray scattering study of 2,7-dioctyl[1]benzothieno[3,2-b][1]benzothiophene (C8-BTBT) organic semiconductor thin film deposition by hollow pen writing. Multiple transient phases are observed during the crystallization for substrate temperatures up to ≈93 °C. The layered smectic liquid-crystalline phase of C8-BTBT initially forms and preceedes inter-layer ordering, followed by a transient crystalline phase for temperature >60 °C, and ultimately the stable phase. Based on these results, we demonstrate a method to produce extremely large grain size and high carrier mobility during high-speed processing. For high writing speed (25 mm/s), mobility up to 3.0 cm2/V-s has been observed.

Protein cross-linking by chlorinated polyamines and transglutamylation stabilizes neutrophil extracellular traps.

PubMed

Csomós, Krisztián; Kristóf, Endre; Jakob, Bernadett; Csomós, István; Kovács, György; Rotem, Omri; Hodrea, Judit; Bagoly, Zsuzsa; Muszbek, Laszlo; Balajthy, Zoltán; Csősz, Éva; Fésüs, László

2016-08-11

Neutrophil extracellular trap (NET) ejected from activated dying neutrophils is a highly ordered structure of DNA and selected proteins capable to eliminate pathogenic microorganisms. Biochemical determinants of the non-randomly formed stable NETs have not been revealed so far. Studying the formation of human NETs we have observed that polyamines were incorporated into the NET. Inhibition of myeloperoxidase, which is essential for NET formation and can generate reactive chlorinated polyamines through hypochlorous acid, decreased polyamine incorporation. Addition of exogenous primary amines that similarly to polyamines inhibit reactions catalyzed by the protein cross-linker transglutaminases (TGases) has similar effect. Proteomic analysis of the highly reproducible pattern of NET components revealed cross-linking of NET proteins through chlorinated polyamines and ɛ(γ-glutamyl)lysine as well as bis-γ-glutamyl polyamine bonds catalyzed by the TGases detected in neutrophils. Competitive inhibition of protein cross-linking by monoamines disturbed the cross-linking pattern of NET proteins, which resulted in the loss of the ordered structure of the NET and significantly reduced capacity to trap bacteria. Our findings provide explanation of how NETs are formed in a reproducible and ordered manner to efficiently neutralize microorganisms at the first defense line of the innate immune system.

Protein cross-linking by chlorinated polyamines and transglutamylation stabilizes neutrophil extracellular traps

PubMed Central

Csomós, Krisztián; Kristóf, Endre; Jakob, Bernadett; Csomós, István; Kovács, György; Rotem, Omri; Hodrea, Judit; Bagoly, Zsuzsa; Muszbek, Laszlo; Balajthy, Zoltán; Csősz, Éva; Fésüs, László

2016-01-01

Neutrophil extracellular trap (NET) ejected from activated dying neutrophils is a highly ordered structure of DNA and selected proteins capable to eliminate pathogenic microorganisms. Biochemical determinants of the non-randomly formed stable NETs have not been revealed so far. Studying the formation of human NETs we have observed that polyamines were incorporated into the NET. Inhibition of myeloperoxidase, which is essential for NET formation and can generate reactive chlorinated polyamines through hypochlorous acid, decreased polyamine incorporation. Addition of exogenous primary amines that similarly to polyamines inhibit reactions catalyzed by the protein cross-linker transglutaminases (TGases) has similar effect. Proteomic analysis of the highly reproducible pattern of NET components revealed cross-linking of NET proteins through chlorinated polyamines and ɛ(γ-glutamyl)lysine as well as bis-γ-glutamyl polyamine bonds catalyzed by the TGases detected in neutrophils. Competitive inhibition of protein cross-linking by monoamines disturbed the cross-linking pattern of NET proteins, which resulted in the loss of the ordered structure of the NET and significantly reduced capacity to trap bacteria. Our findings provide explanation of how NETs are formed in a reproducible and ordered manner to efficiently neutralize microorganisms at the first defense line of the innate immune system. PMID:27512953

Restoration of MRI Data for Field Nonuniformities using High Order Neighborhood Statistics

PubMed Central

Hadjidemetriou, Stathis; Studholme, Colin; Mueller, Susanne; Weiner, Michael; Schuff, Norbert

2007-01-01

MRI at high magnetic fields (> 3.0 T ) is complicated by strong inhomogeneous radio-frequency fields, sometimes termed the “bias field”. These lead to nonuniformity of image intensity, greatly complicating further analysis such as registration and segmentation. Existing methods for bias field correction are effective for 1.5 T or 3.0 T MRI, but are not completely satisfactory for higher field data. This paper develops an effective bias field correction for high field MRI based on the assumption that the nonuniformity is smoothly varying in space. Also, nonuniformity is quantified and unmixed using high order neighborhood statistics of intensity cooccurrences. They are computed within spherical windows of limited size over the entire image. The restoration is iterative and makes use of a novel stable stopping criterion that depends on the scaled entropy of the cooccurrence statistics, which is a non monotonic function of the iterations; the Shannon entropy of the cooccurrence statistics normalized to the effective dynamic range of the image. The algorithm restores whole head data, is robust to intense nonuniformities present in high field acquisitions, and is robust to variations in anatomy. This algorithm significantly improves bias field correction in comparison to N3 on phantom 1.5 T head data and high field 4 T human head data. PMID:18193095

An Investigation into the Relationship Between Distillate Yield and Stable Isotope Fractionation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sowers, T.; Wagner, A. J.

2016-12-01

Recent breakthroughs in laser spectrometry have allowed for faster, more efficient analyses of stable isotopic ratios in water samples. Commercially available instruments from Los Gatos Research and Picarro allow users to quickly analyze a wide range of samples, from seawater to groundwater, with accurate isotope ratios of D/H to within ± 0.2 ‰ and 18O/16O to within ± 0.03 ‰. While these instruments have increased the efficiency of stable isotope laboratories, they come with some major limitations, such as not being able to analyze hypersaline waters. The Los Gatos Research Liquid Water Isotope Analyzer (LWIA) can accurately and consistently measure the stable isotope ratios in waters with salinities ranging from 0 to 4 grams per liter (0 to 40 parts per thousand). In order to analyze water samples with salinities greater than 4 grams per liter, however, it was necessary to develop a consistent method through which to reduce salinity while causing as little fractionation as possible. Using a consistent distillation method, predictable fractionation of δ 18O and δ 2 H values was found to occur. This fractionation occurs according to a linear relationship with respect to the percent yield of the water in the sample. Using this method, samples with high salinity can be analyzed using laser spectrometry instruments, thereby enabling laboratories with Los Gatos or Picarro instruments to analyze those samples in house without having to dilute them using labor-intensive in-house standards or expensive premade standards.

Selection of reference genes for expression analyses of red-fleshed sweet orange (Citrus sinensis).

PubMed

Pinheiro, T T; Nishimura, D S; De Nadai, F B; Figueira, A; Latado, R R

2015-12-28

Red-fleshed oranges (Citrus sinensis) contain high levels of carotenoids and lycopene. The growing consumer demand for products with health benefits has increased interest in these types of Citrus cultivars as a potential source of nutraceuticals. However, little is known about the physiology of these cultivars under Brazilian conditions. Transcriptome and gene expression analyses are important tools in the breeding and management of red-fleshed sweet orange cultivars. Reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction is a method of quantifying gene expression, but various standardizations are required to obtain precise, accurate, and specific results. Among the standardizations required, the choice of suitable stable reference genes is fundamental. The objective of this study was to evaluate the stability of 11 candidate genes using various tissue and organ samples from healthy plants or leaves from citrus greening disease (Huanglongbing)-symptomatic plants of a Brazilian red-fleshed cultivar ('Sanguínea de Mombuca'), in order to select the most suitable reference gene for investigating gene expression under these conditions. geNorm and NormFinder identified genes that encoded translation initiation factor 3, ribosomal protein L35, and translation initiation factor 5A as the most stable genes under the biological conditions tested, and genes coding actin (ACT) and the subunit of the PSI reaction center subunit III were the least stable. Phosphatase, malate dehydrogenase, and ACT were the most stable genes in the leaf samples of infected plants.

Second-order numerical solution of time-dependent, first-order hyperbolic equations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shah, Patricia L.; Hardin, Jay

1995-01-01

A finite difference scheme is developed to find an approximate solution of two similar hyperbolic equations, namely a first-order plane wave and spherical wave problem. Finite difference approximations are made for both the space and time derivatives. The result is a conditionally stable equation yielding an exact solution when the Courant number is set to one.

hp-Adaptive time integration based on the BDF for viscous flows

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hay, A.; Etienne, S.; Pelletier, D.; Garon, A.

2015-06-01

This paper presents a procedure based on the Backward Differentiation Formulas of order 1 to 5 to obtain efficient time integration of the incompressible Navier-Stokes equations. The adaptive algorithm performs both stepsize and order selections to control respectively the solution accuracy and the computational efficiency of the time integration process. The stepsize selection (h-adaptivity) is based on a local error estimate and an error controller to guarantee that the numerical solution accuracy is within a user prescribed tolerance. The order selection (p-adaptivity) relies on the idea that low-accuracy solutions can be computed efficiently by low order time integrators while accurate solutions require high order time integrators to keep computational time low. The selection is based on a stability test that detects growing numerical noise and deems a method of order p stable if there is no method of lower order that delivers the same solution accuracy for a larger stepsize. Hence, it guarantees both that (1) the used method of integration operates inside of its stability region and (2) the time integration procedure is computationally efficient. The proposed time integration procedure also features a time-step rejection and quarantine mechanisms, a modified Newton method with a predictor and dense output techniques to compute solution at off-step points.

Prediction of neutral noble gas insertion compounds with heavier pnictides: FNgY (Ng = Kr and Xe; Y = As, Sb and Bi).

PubMed

Ghosh, Ayan; Manna, Debashree; Ghanty, Tapan K

2016-04-28

A novel class of interesting insertion compounds obtained through the insertion of a noble gas atom into the heavier pnictides have been explored by various ab initio quantum chemical techniques. Recently, the first neutral noble gas insertion compounds, FXeY (Y = P, N), were theoretically predicted to be stable; the triplet state was found to be the most stable state, with a high triplet-singlet energy gap, by our group. In this study, we investigated another noble gas inserted compound, FNgY (Ng = Kr and Xe; Y = As, Sb and Bi), with a triplet ground state. Density functional theory (DFT), second order Møller-Plesset perturbation theory (MP2), coupled-cluster theory (CCSD(T)) and multi-reference configuration interaction (MRCI) based techniques have been utilized to investigate the structures, stabilities, harmonic vibrational frequencies, charge distributions and topological properties of these compounds. These predicted species, FNgY (Ng = Kr and Xe; Y = As, Sb and Bi) are found to be energetically stable with respect to all the probable 2-body and 3-body dissociation pathways, except for the 2-body channel leading to the global minimum products (FY + Ng). Nevertheless, the finite barrier height corresponding to the saddle points of the compounds connected to their respective global minima products indicates that these compounds are kinetically stable. The structural parameters, energetics, and charge distribution results as well as atoms-in-molecules (AIM) analysis suggest that these predicted molecules can be best represented as F(-)[(3)NgY](+). Thus, all the aforementioned computed results clearly indicate that it may be possible to experimentally prepare the most stable triplet state of FNgY molecules under cryogenic conditions through a matrix isolation technique.

Population variation in isotopic composition of shorebird feathers: Implications for determining molting grounds

USGS Publications Warehouse

Torres-Dowdall, J.; Farmer, A.H.; Bucher, E.H.; Rye, R.O.; Landis, G.

2009-01-01

Stable isotope analyses have revolutionized the study of migratory connectivity. However, as with all tools, their limitations must be understood in order to derive the maximum benefit of a particular application. The goal of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of stable isotopes of C, N, H, O and S for assigning known-origin feathers to the molting sites of migrant shorebird species wintering and breeding in Argentina. Specific objectives were to: 1) compare the efficacy of the technique for studying shorebird species with different migration patterns, life histories and habitat-use patterns; 2) evaluate the grouping of species with similar migration and habitat use patterns in a single analysis to potentially improve prediction accuracy; and 3) evaluate the potential gains in prediction accuracy that might be achieved from using multiple stable isotopes. The efficacy of stable isotope ratios to determine origin was found to vary with species. While one species (White-rumped Sandpiper, Calidris fuscicollis) had high levels of accuracy assigning samples to known origin (91% of samples correctly assigned), another (Collared Plover, Charadrius collaris) showed low levels of accuracy (52% of samples correctly assigned). Intra-individual variability may account for this difference in efficacy. The prediction model for three species with similar migration and habitat-use patterns performed poorly compared with the model for just one of the species (71% versus 91% of samples correctly assigned). Thus, combining multiple sympatric species may not improve model prediction accuracy. Increasing the number of stable isotopes in the analyses increased the accuracy of assigning shorebirds to their molting origin, but the best combination - involving a subset of all the isotopes analyzed - varied among species.

Chemically stable Au nanorods as probes for sensitive surface enhanced scattering (SERS) analysis of blue BIC ballpoint pens

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alyami, Abeer; Saviello, Daniela; McAuliffe, Micheal A. P.; Cucciniello, Raffaele; Mirabile, Antonio; Proto, Antonio; Lewis, Liam; Iacopino, Daniela

2017-08-01

Au nanorods were used as an alternative to commonly used Ag nanoparticles as Surface Enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS) probes for identification of dye composition of blue BIC ballpoint pens. When used in combination with Thin Layer Chromatography (TLC), Au nanorod colloids allowed identification of the major dye components of the BIC pen ink, otherwise not identifiable by normal Raman spectroscopy. Thanks to their enhanced chemical stability compared to Ag colloids, Au nanorods provided stable and reproducible SERS signals and allowed easy identification of phthalocyanine and triarylene dyes in the pen ink mixture. These findings were supported by FTIR and MALDI analyses, also performed on the pen ink. Furthermore, the self-assembly of Au nanorods into large area ordered superstructures allowed identification of BIC pen traces. SERS spectra of good intensity and high reproducibility were obtained using Au nanorod vertical arrays, due to the high density of hot spots and morphological reproducibility of these superstructures. These results open the way to the employment of SERS for fast screening analysis and for quantitative analysis of pens and faded pens which are relevant for the fields of forensic and art conservation sciences.

An Investigation of Surge in a High-Speed Centrifugal Compressor Using Digital PIV

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wernet, Mark P.; Bright, Michelle M.; Skoch, Gary J.

2001-01-01

Compressor stall is a catastrophic breakdown of the flow in a compressor, which con lead to a loss of engine power, large pressure transients in the inlet/nacelle, and engine flameout. The implementation of active or passive strategies for controlling rotating stall and surge can significantly extend the stable operating range of a compressor without substantially sacrificing performance. It is crucial to identify the dynamic changes occurring in the flow field prior to rotating stall and surge in order to control these events successfully. Generally, pressure transducer measurements are made to capture the transient response of a compressor prior to rotating stall. In this investigation, Digital Particle Imaging Velocimetry (DPIV) is used in conjunction with dynamic pressure transducers to capture transient velocity and pressure measurements simultaneously in the nonstationary flow field during compressor surge. DPIV is an instantaneous, planar measurement technique that is ideally suited for studying transient flow phenomena in highspeed turbomachinery and has been used previously to map the stable operating point flow field in the diffuser of a high-speed centrifugal compressor. Through the acquisition of both DPIV images and transient pressure data, the time evolution of the unsteady flow during surge is revealed.

The chemistry of the superheavy elements. II. The stability of high oxidation states in group 11 elements: Relativistic coupled cluster calculations for the di-, tetra- and hexafluoro metallates of Cu, Ag, Au, and element 111

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Seth, Michael; Cooke, Fiona; Schwerdtfeger, Peter; Heully, Jean-Louis; Pelissier, Michel

1998-09-01

The stability of the high oxidation states +3 and +5 in Group 11 fluorides is studied by relativistic Møller-Plesset (MP) and coupled cluster methods. Higher metal oxidation states are stabilized by relativistic effects. As a result, the hexafluoro complex of the Group 11 element with nuclear charge 111 and oxidation state +5 is the most stable compared to the other congeners. The results also suggest that AgF6- is thermodynamically stable and, therefore, it might be feasable to synthesize this compound. For the copper fluorides we observe very large oscillations in the Møller-Plesset series up to the fourth order. Nonrelativistic calculations lead to the expected trend in the metal-fluorine bond distances for the MF2- compounds, CuF2-

Development status of a high cooling capacity single stage pulse tube cryocooler

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hirayama, T.; Li, R.; Y Xu, M.; Zhu, S. W.

2017-12-01

High temperature superconducting (HTS) applications require high-capacity and high-reliability cooling solutions to keep HTS materials at temperatures of approximately 80 K. In order to meet such requirements, Sumitomo Heavy Industries, Ltd.(SHI) has been developing high cooling capacity GM-type active-buffer pulse tube cryocooler. An experimental unit was designed, built and tested. A cooling capacity of 390.5 W at 80 K, COP 0.042 was achieved with an input power of approximately 9 kW. The cold stage usually reaches a stable temperature of about 25 K within one hour starting at room temperature. Also, a simplified analysis was carried out to better understand the experimental unit. In the analysis, the regenerator, thermal conduction, heat exchanger and radiation losses were calculated. The net cooling capacity was about 80% of the PV work. The experimental results, the analysis method and results are reported in this paper.

Characterization of Unstable Rock Slopes Through Passive Seismic Measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kleinbrod, Ulrike; Burjánek, Jan; Fäh, Donat

2014-05-01

Catastrophic rock slope failures have high social impact, causing significant damage to infrastructure and many casualties throughout the world each year. Both detection and characterization of rock instabilities are therefore of key importance. Analysing unstable rock slopes by means of ambient vibrations might be a new alternative to the already existing methods as for example geotechnical displacement measurements. A systematic measurement campaign has been initiated recently in Switzerland in order to study the seismic response of potential rockslides concerning a broad class of slope failure mechanisms and material conditions. First results are presented in this contribution. Small aperture seismic arrays were deployed at sites of interest for a short period of time (several hours) in order to record ambient vibrations. During each measurement a reference station was installed on a stable part close to the instability. The total number of stations used varies from 16 down to 2, depending on the site scope and resource availability. Instable rock slopes show a highly directional ground motion which is significantly amplified with respect to stable areas. These effects are strongest at certain frequencies which are identified as eigenfrequencies of the unstable rock mass. The eigenfrequencies and predominant directions have been estimated by frequency dependent polarization analysis. Site-to-reference spectral ratios have been calculated as well in order to estimate the relative amplification of ground motion at unstable parts. The retrieved results were compared with independent in-situ observations and other available data. The directions of maximum amplification are in most cases perpendicular to open cracks mapped on the surface and in good agreement with the deformation directions obtained by geodetic measurements. The interpretation of the observed wave field is done through numerical modelling of seismic wave propagation in fractured media with complex topography. For example, a potential relation between eigenfrequencies and unstable rock mass volume is investigated.

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

Pebay, Philippe; Terriberry, Timothy B.; Kolla, Hemanth

Formulas for incremental or parallel computation of second order central moments have long been known, and recent extensions of these formulas to univariate and multivariate moments of arbitrary order have been developed. Formulas such as these, are of key importance in scenarios where incremental results are required and in parallel and distributed systems where communication costs are high. We survey these recent results, and improve them with arbitrary-order, numerically stable one-pass formulas which we further extend with weighted and compound variants. We also develop a generalized correction factor for standard two-pass algorithms that enables the maintenance of accuracy over nearlymore » the full representable range of the input, avoiding the need for extended-precision arithmetic. We then empirically examine algorithm correctness for pairwise update formulas up to order four as well as condition number and relative error bounds for eight different central moment formulas, each up to degree six, to address the trade-offs between numerical accuracy and speed of the various algorithms. Finally, we demonstrate the use of the most elaborate among the above mentioned formulas, with the utilization of the compound moments for a practical large-scale scientific application.« less

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

Pebay, Philippe; Terriberry, Timothy B.; Kolla, Hemanth

Formulas for incremental or parallel computation of second order central moments have long been known, and recent extensions of these formulas to univariate and multivariate moments of arbitrary order have been developed. Such formulas are of key importance in scenarios where incremental results are required and in parallel and distributed systems where communication costs are high. We survey these recent results, and improve them with arbitrary-order, numerically stable one-pass formulas which we further extend with weighted and compound variants. We also develop a generalized correction factor for standard two-pass algorithms that enables the maintenance of accuracy over nearly the fullmore » representable range of the input, avoiding the need for extended-precision arithmetic. We then empirically examine algorithm correctness for pairwise update formulas up to order four as well as condition number and relative error bounds for eight different central moment formulas, each up to degree six, to address the trade-offs between numerical accuracy and speed of the various algorithms. Finally, we demonstrate the use of the most elaborate among the above mentioned formulas, with the utilization of the compound moments for a practical large-scale scientific application.« less

Ordered three- and five-ply nanocomposites from ABC block terpolymer microphase separation with niobia and aluminosilicate sols

PubMed Central

Stefik, Morgan; Mahajan, Surbhi; Sai, Hiroaki; Epps, Thomas H.; Bates, Frank S.; Gruner, Sol M; DiSalvo, Francis J.; Wiesner, Ulrich

2009-01-01

We report the first use of a non-frustrated block terpolymer for the synthesis of highly ordered oxide nanocomposites containing multiple plies. The morphological behavior of 15 ISO-oxide nanocomposites was investigated spanning a large range of compositions along the ƒI=ƒS isopleth using aluminosilicate and niobia sols. Morphologies were determined by TEM and SAXS measurements. Four morphologies were identified, including core-shell hexagonal, core-shell double gyroid, three-domain lamellae, and core-shell inverse-hexagonal, in order of increasing O+oxide vol fraction. All of the resulting nanocomposites had three- or five-ply morphologies containing domains that were continuous in one, two, or three dimensions. The five-ply core-shell double gyroid phase was only found to be stable when the O+oxide domain was a minority. Removal of the polymer enabled simple and direct synthesis of mesoporous oxide materials while retaining the ordered network structure. We believe that advances in the synthesis of multi-ply nanocomposites will lead to advanced materials and devices containing multiple plies of functional materials. PMID:20209023

Ordered three- and five-ply nanocomposites from ABC block terpolymer microphase separation with niobia and aluminosilicate sols.

PubMed

Stefik, Morgan; Mahajan, Surbhi; Sai, Hiroaki; Epps, Thomas H; Bates, Frank S; Gruner, Sol M; Disalvo, Francis J; Wiesner, Ulrich

2009-11-24

We report the first use of a non-frustrated block terpolymer for the synthesis of highly ordered oxide nanocomposites containing multiple plies. The morphological behavior of 15 ISO-oxide nanocomposites was investigated spanning a large range of compositions along the ƒ(I)=ƒ(S) isopleth using aluminosilicate and niobia sols. Morphologies were determined by TEM and SAXS measurements. Four morphologies were identified, including core-shell hexagonal, core-shell double gyroid, three-domain lamellae, and core-shell inverse-hexagonal, in order of increasing O+oxide vol fraction. All of the resulting nanocomposites had three- or five-ply morphologies containing domains that were continuous in one, two, or three dimensions. The five-ply core-shell double gyroid phase was only found to be stable when the O+oxide domain was a minority. Removal of the polymer enabled simple and direct synthesis of mesoporous oxide materials while retaining the ordered network structure. We believe that advances in the synthesis of multi-ply nanocomposites will lead to advanced materials and devices containing multiple plies of functional materials.

[Research advances in identifying nitrate pollution sources of water environment by using nitrogen and oxygen stable isotopes].

PubMed

Mao, Wei; Liang, Zhi-wei; Li, Wei; Zhu, Yao; Yanng, Mu-yi; Jia, Chao-jie

2013-04-01

Water body' s nitrate pollution has become a common and severe environmental problem. In order to ensure human health and water environment benign evolution, it is of great importance to effectively identify the nitrate pollution sources of water body. Because of the discrepant composition of nitrogen and oxygen stable isotopes in different sources of nitrate in water body, nitrogen and oxygen stable isotopes can be used to identify the nitrate pollution sources of water environment. This paper introduced the fractionation factors of nitrogen and oxygen stable isotopes in the main processes of nitrogen cycling and the composition of these stable isotopes in main nitrate sources, compared the advantages and disadvantages of five pre-treatment methods for analyzing the nitrogen and oxygen isotopes in nitrate, and summarized the research advances in this aspect into three stages, i. e. , using nitrogen stable isotope alone, using nitrogen and oxygen stable isotopes simultaneously, and combining with mathematical models. The future research directions regarding the nitrate pollution sources identification of water environment were also discussed.

Validation of reference genes for quantifying changes in gene expression in virus-infected tobacco.

PubMed

Baek, Eseul; Yoon, Ju-Yeon; Palukaitis, Peter

2017-10-01

To facilitate quantification of gene expression changes in virus-infected tobacco plants, eight housekeeping genes were evaluated for their stability of expression during infection by one of three systemically-infecting viruses (cucumber mosaic virus, potato virus X, potato virus Y) or a hypersensitive-response-inducing virus (tobacco mosaic virus; TMV) limited to the inoculated leaf. Five reference-gene validation programs were used to establish the order of the most stable genes for the systemically-infecting viruses as ribosomal protein L25 > β-Tubulin > Actin, and the least stable genes Ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme (UCE) < PP2A < GAPDH. For local infection by TMV, the most stable genes were EF1α > Cysteine protease > Actin, and the least stable genes were GAPDH < PP2A < UCE. Using two of the most stable and the two least stable validated reference genes, three defense responsive genes were examined to compare their relative changes in gene expression caused by each virus. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Interpreting the role of pH on stable isotopes in large benthic foraminifera

USGS Publications Warehouse

Robbins, Lisa L.; Knorr, P.O.; Wynn, J.G.; Hallock, P.; Harries, P.

2016-01-01

Large benthic foraminifera (LBF) are prolific producers of calcium carbonate sediments in shallow, tropical environments that are being influenced by ocean acidification (OA). Two LBF species, Amphistegina gibbosa (Order Rotaliida) with low-Mg calcite tests and Archaias angulatus (Order Miliolida) with high-Mg calcite tests, were studied to assess the effects of pH 7.6 on oxygen and carbon isotopic fractionation between test calcite and ambient seawater. The δ18O and δ13C values of terminal chambers and of whole adult tests of both species after 6 weeks were not significantly different between pH treatments of 8.0 and 7.6. However, tests of juveniles produced during the 6-week treatments showed significant differences between δ18O and δ13C values from control (pH 8.0) when compared with the treatment (pH 7.6) for both species. Although each individual's growth was photographed and measured, difficulty in distinguishing and manually extracting newly precipitated calcite from adult specimens likely confounded any differences in isotopic signals. However, juvenile specimens that resulted from asexual reproduction that occurred during the experiments did not contain old carbonate that could confound the new isotopic signals. These data reveal a potential bias in the design of OA experiments if only adults are used to investigate changes in test chemistries. Furthermore, the results reaffirm that different calcification mechanisms in these two foraminiferal orders control the fractionation of stable isotopes in the tests and will reflect decreasing pH in seawater somewhat differently. .

Synthesis of Highly Dispersed and Highly Stable Supported Au–Pt Bimetallic Catalysts by a Two-Step Method

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

Wang, Xiaofeng; Zhao, Haiyan; Wu, Tianpin

2016-11-01

Highly dispersed and highly stable supported bimetallic catalysts were prepared using a two-step process. Pt nanoparticles (NPs) were first deposited on porous γ-Al2O3 particles by atomic layer deposition (ALD). Au NPs were synthesized by using gold(III) chloride as the Au precursor, and then immobilized on ALD Pt/γ-Al2O3 particles. The Au–Pt bimetallic catalysts were highly active and highly stable in a vigorously stirred liquid phase reaction of glucose oxidation.

Effectiveness of Provider Education Followed by Computerized Provider Order Entry Alerts in Reducing Inappropriate Red Blood Cell Transfusion.

PubMed

Patel, Vijay M; Rains, Anna W; Clark, Christopher T

2016-01-01

To reduce the rate of inappropriate red blood cell transfusion, a provider education program, followed by alerts in the computerized provider order entry system (CPOE), was established to encourage AABB transfusion guidelines. Metrics were established for nonemergent inpatient transfusions. Service lines with high order volume were targeted with formal education regarding AABB 2012 transfusion guidelines. Transfusion orders were reviewed in real time with email communications sent to ordering providers falling outside of AABB recommendations. After 12 months of provider education, alerts were activated in CPOE. With provider education alone, the incidence of pretransfusion hemoglobin levels greater than 8 g/dL decreased from 16.64% to 6.36%, posttransfusion hemoglobin levels greater than 10 g/dL from 14.03% to 3.78%, and number of nonemergent two-unit red blood cell orders from 45.26% to 22.66%. Red blood cell utilization decreased by 13%. No additional significant reduction in nonemergent two-unit orders was observed with CPOE alerts. Provider education, an effective and low-cost method, should be considered as a first-line method for reducing inappropriate red blood cell transfusion rates in stable adult inpatients. Alerts in the computerized order entry system did not significantly lower the percentage of two-unit red blood cells orders but may help to maintain educational efforts.

Tellurium Stable Isotope Fractionation in Chondritic Meteorites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fehr, M. A.; Hammond, S. J.; Parkinson, I. J.

2014-09-01

New Te double spike procedures were set up to obtain high-precision accurate Te stable isotope data. Tellurium stable isotope data for 16 chondrite falls are presented, providing evidence for significant Te stable isotope fractionation.

Patterns of Change in Collaboration Are Associated with Baseline Characteristics and Predict Outcome and Dropout Rates in Treatment of Multi-Problem Families. A Validation Study

PubMed Central

Bachler, Egon; Fruehmann, Alexander; Bachler, Herbert; Aas, Benjamin; Nickel, Marius; Schiepek, Guenter K.

2017-01-01

Objective: The present study validates the Multi-Problem Family (MPF)-Collaboration Scale), which measures the progress of goal directed collaboration of patients in the treatment of families with MPF and its relation to drop-out rates and treatment outcome. Method: Naturalistic study of symptom and competence-related changes in children of ages 4–18 and their caregivers. Setting: Integrative, structural outreach family therapy. Measures: The data of five different groups of goal directed collaboration (deteriorating collaboration, stable low collaboration, stable medium collaboration, stable high collaboration, improving collaboration) were analyzed in their relation to treatment expectation, individual therapeutic goals (ITG), family adversity index, severity of problems and global assessment of a caregiver’s functioning, child, and relational aspects. Results: From N = 810 families, 20% displayed stable high collaboration (n = 162) and 21% had a pattern of improving collaboration. The families with stable high or improving collaboration rates achieved significantly more progress throughout therapy in terms of treatment outcome expectancy (d = 0.96; r = 0.43), reaching ITG (d = 1.17; r = 0.50), family adversities (d = 0.55; r = 0.26), and severity of psychiatric symptoms (d = 0.31; r = 0.15). Furthermore, families with stable high or improving collaboration maintained longer treatments and had a bigger chance of finishing the therapy as planned. The odds of having a stable low or deteriorating collaboration throughout treatment were significantly higher for subjects who started treatment with low treatment expectation or high family-related adversities. Conclusion: The positive outcomes of homebased interventions for multi-problem families are closely related to “stable high” and an “improving” collaboration as measured with the MPF-Collaboration Scale. Patients who fall into these groups have a high treatment outcome expectancy and reduce psychological stress. For therapeutic interventions with multi-problem families it seems beneficial to maintain a stable high collaboration or help the collaboration, e.g., by fostering treatment expectation. PMID:28785232

Stable Lévy motion with inverse Gaussian subordinator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kumar, A.; Wyłomańska, A.; Gajda, J.

2017-09-01

In this paper we study the stable Lévy motion subordinated by the so-called inverse Gaussian process. This process extends the well known normal inverse Gaussian (NIG) process introduced by Barndorff-Nielsen, which arises by subordinating ordinary Brownian motion (with drift) with inverse Gaussian process. The NIG process found many interesting applications, especially in financial data description. We discuss here the main features of the introduced subordinated process, such as distributional properties, existence of fractional order moments and asymptotic tail behavior. We show the connection of the process with continuous time random walk. Further, the governing fractional partial differential equations for the probability density function is also obtained. Moreover, we discuss the asymptotic distribution of sample mean square displacement, the main tool in detection of anomalous diffusion phenomena (Metzler et al., 2014). In order to apply the stable Lévy motion time-changed by inverse Gaussian subordinator we propose a step-by-step procedure of parameters estimation. At the end, we show how the examined process can be useful to model financial time series.

Asymptotically flat, stable black hole solutions in Einstein-Yang-Mills-Chern-Simons theory.

PubMed

Brihaye, Yves; Radu, Eugen; Tchrakian, D H

2011-02-18

We construct finite mass, asymptotically flat black hole solutions in d=5 Einstein-Yang-Mills-Chern-Simons theory. Our results indicate the existence of a second order phase transition between Reissner-Nordström solutions and the non-Abelian black holes which generically are thermodynamically preferred. Some of the non-Abelian configurations are also stable under linear, spherically symmetric perturbations.

Evaluating the component contribution to nonlinear optical performances using stable [Ni4O4] cuboidal clusters as models.

PubMed

Hao, Zhi-Min; Chao, Meng-Yao; Liu, Yan; Song, Ying-Lin; Yang, Jun-Yi; Ding, Lifeng; Zhang, Wen-Hua; Lang, Jian-Ping

2018-06-19

Five stable clusters sharing the cuboidal [Ni4O4] skeleton are subjected to third-order nonlinear optical (NLO) property measurements. Preliminary results suggest that the NLO property is largely defined by the cluster core skeleton and the directly coordinated atoms, with limited contribution from the heavy atoms peripherally attached to the aromatic ligands.

Effect of a strong-current ion ring on spheromak stability

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

Litwin, C.; Sudan, R.N.

The stability of a spheromak with an energetic ion ring, carrying a current comparable to the plasma current, to the tilt mode is considered. For small departures from sphericity a perturbative approach is applied to an appropriate energy principle in order to calculate the lowest nontrivial kinetic contribution of the ion ring. An analytic stability criterion is obtained. It is seen that the prolate configuration becomes more stable while the oblate one is less stable than in the absence of the ring. The prolomak becomes stable when the ring kinetic energy exceeds the magnetic energy within the separatrix.

Coexistence of collapse and stable spatiotemporal solitons in multimode fibers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shtyrina, Olga V.; Fedoruk, Mikhail P.; Kivshar, Yuri S.; Turitsyn, Sergei K.

2018-01-01

We analyze spatiotemporal solitons in multimode optical fibers and demonstrate the existence of stable solitons, in a sharp contrast to earlier predictions of collapse of multidimensional solitons in three-dimensional media. We discuss the coexistence of blow-up solutions and collapse stabilization by a low-dimensional external potential in graded-index media, and also predict the existence of stable higher-order nonlinear waves such as dipole-mode spatiotemporal solitons. To support the main conclusions of our numerical studies we employ a variational approach and derive analytically the stability criterion for input powers for the collapse stabilization.

A stable second order method for training back propagation networks

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nachtsheim, Philip R.

1993-01-01

A simple method for improving the learning rate of the back-propagation algorithm is described. The basis of the method is that approximate second order corrections can be incorporated in the output units. The extended method leads to significant improvements in the convergence rate.

[Increase in orders for specific IgE tests and more positive results in children in 1985-2003].

PubMed

Baatenburg de Jong, A; Dikkeschei, L D; Brand, P L P

2008-08-09

To describe changes over time in the number of allergy tests for specific IgE ordered and outcomes in children, to help address the question whether the increase in allergies is due to an actual increase in sensitisation or an increase in diagnostic awareness of allergies among physicians. Retrospective and descriptive. We reviewed the results of all specific IgE tests performed in our hospital's laboratory for children 0-18 years of age in the period 1985-2003. This included tests ordered by both general practitioners and hospital-based specialists. We analysed trends over time in the number of tests ordered (as an indicator ofdiagnostic awareness) and test results (as an indicator ofsensitisation). Between 1989 and 1995, the annual number of tests ordered increased from 1 per 10,000 children to 95 per 10,000 children and remained stable thereafter. Before 1990, more than 90% of tests were ordered by hospital-based specialists; after 1990, approximately 70% of the tests were ordered by general practitioners (p < 0.001). The proportion of positive tests remained stable at approximately 27% until 1991, after which it increased to more than 45% (p < 0.001). The increase in the proportion of positive tests suggests an increase in atopic sensitization between 1985 and 2000 which has stabilized since.

Stability and stabilization of the lattice Boltzmann method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brownlee, R. A.; Gorban, A. N.; Levesley, J.

2007-03-01

We revisit the classical stability versus accuracy dilemma for the lattice Boltzmann methods (LBM). Our goal is a stable method of second-order accuracy for fluid dynamics based on the lattice Bhatnager-Gross-Krook method (LBGK). The LBGK scheme can be recognized as a discrete dynamical system generated by free flight and entropic involution. In this framework the stability and accuracy analysis are more natural. We find the necessary and sufficient conditions for second-order accurate fluid dynamics modeling. In particular, it is proven that in order to guarantee second-order accuracy the distribution should belong to a distinguished surface—the invariant film (up to second order in the time step). This surface is the trajectory of the (quasi)equilibrium distribution surface under free flight. The main instability mechanisms are identified. The simplest recipes for stabilization add no artificial dissipation (up to second order) and provide second-order accuracy of the method. Two other prescriptions add some artificial dissipation locally and prevent the system from loss of positivity and local blowup. Demonstration of the proposed stable LBGK schemes are provided by the numerical simulation of a one-dimensional (1D) shock tube and the unsteady 2D flow around a square cylinder up to Reynolds number Rẽ20000 .

Improved Monitoring of Semi-Continuous Anaerobic Digestion of Sugarcane Waste: Effects of Increasing Organic Loading Rate on Methanogenic Community Dynamics

PubMed Central

Leite, Athaydes Francisco; Janke, Leandro; Lv, Zuopeng; Harms, Hauke; Richnow, Hans-Hermann; Nikolausz, Marcell

2015-01-01

The anaerobic digestion of filter cake and its co-digestion with bagasse, and the effect of gradual increase of the organic loading rate (OLR) from start-up to overload were investigated. Understanding the influence of environmental and technical parameters on the development of particular methanogenic pathway in the biogas process was an important aim for the prediction and prevention of process failure. The rapid accumulation of volatile organic acids at high OLR of 3.0 to 4.0 gvs·L−1·day−1 indicated strong process inhibition. Methanogenic community dynamics of the reactors was monitored by stable isotope composition of biogas and molecular biological analysis. A potential shift toward the aceticlastic methanogenesis was observed along with the OLR increase under stable reactor operating conditions. Reactor overloading and process failure were indicated by the tendency to return to a predominance of hydrogenotrophic methanogenesis with rising abundances of the orders Methanobacteriales and Methanomicrobiales and drop of the genus Methanosarcina abundance. PMID:26404240

Multi-dimensional high order essentially non-oscillatory finite difference methods in generalized coordinates

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shu, Chi-Wang

1992-01-01

The nonlinear stability of compact schemes for shock calculations is investigated. In recent years compact schemes were used in various numerical simulations including direct numerical simulation of turbulence. However to apply them to problems containing shocks, one has to resolve the problem of spurious numerical oscillation and nonlinear instability. A framework to apply nonlinear limiting to a local mean is introduced. The resulting scheme can be proven total variation (1D) or maximum norm (multi D) stable and produces nice numerical results in the test cases. The result is summarized in the preprint entitled 'Nonlinearly Stable Compact Schemes for Shock Calculations', which was submitted to SIAM Journal on Numerical Analysis. Research was continued on issues related to two and three dimensional essentially non-oscillatory (ENO) schemes. The main research topics include: parallel implementation of ENO schemes on Connection Machines; boundary conditions; shock interaction with hydrogen bubbles, a preparation for the full combustion simulation; and direct numerical simulation of compressible sheared turbulence.

Observation of optomechanical buckling transitions

PubMed Central

Xu, H.; Kemiktarak, U.; Fan, J.; Ragole, S.; Lawall, J.; Taylor, J. M.

2017-01-01

Correlated phases of matter provide long-term stability for systems as diverse as solids, magnets and potential exotic quantum materials. Mechanical systems, such as buckling transition spring switches, can have engineered, stable configurations whose dependence on a control variable is reminiscent of non-equilibrium phase transitions. In hybrid optomechanical systems, light and matter are strongly coupled, allowing engineering of rapid changes in the force landscape, storing and processing information, and ultimately probing and controlling behaviour at the quantum level. Here we report the observation of first- and second-order buckling transitions between stable mechanical states in an optomechanical system, in which full control of the nature of the transition is obtained by means of the laser power and detuning. The underlying multiwell confining potential we create is highly tunable, with a sub-nanometre distance between potential wells. Our results enable new applications in photonics and information technology, and may enable explorations of quantum phase transitions and macroscopic quantum tunnelling in mechanical systems. PMID:28248293

Landsat-8 Operational Land Imager (OLI) radiometric performance on-orbit

USGS Publications Warehouse

Morfitt, Ron; Barsi, Julia A.; Levy, Raviv; Markham, Brian L.; Micijevic, Esad; Ong, Lawrence; Scaramuzza, Pat; Vanderwerff, Kelly

2015-01-01

Expectations of the Operational Land Imager (OLI) radiometric performance onboard Landsat-8 have been met or exceeded. The calibration activities that occurred prior to launch provided calibration parameters that enabled ground processing to produce imagery that met most requirements when data were transmitted to the ground. Since launch, calibration updates have improved the image quality even more, so that all requirements are met. These updates range from detector gain coefficients to reduce striping and banding to alignment parameters to improve the geometric accuracy. This paper concentrates on the on-orbit radiometric performance of the OLI, excepting the radiometric calibration performance. Topics discussed in this paper include: signal-to-noise ratios that are an order of magnitude higher than previous Landsat missions; radiometric uniformity that shows little residual banding and striping, and continues to improve; a dynamic range that limits saturation to extremely high radiance levels; extremely stable detectors; slight nonlinearity that is corrected in ground processing; detectors that are stable and 100% operable; and few image artifacts.

Laser frequency stabilization for LISA

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mueller, Guido; McNamara, Paul; Thorpe, Ira; Camp, Jordan

2005-01-01

The requirement on laser frequency noise in the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) depends on the velocity and our knowledge of the position of each spacecraft of the interferometer. Currently it is assumed that the lasers must have a pre-stabilized frequency stability of 30Hz/square root of Hz over LISA'S most sensitive frequency band (3 mHz - 30 mHz). The intrinsic frequency stability of even the most stable com- mercial lasers is several orders of magnitude above this level. Therefore it is necessary to stabilize the laser frequency to an ultra-stable frequency reference which meets the LISA requirements. The baseline frequency reference for the LISA lasers are high finesse optical cavities based on ULE spacers. We measured the stability of two ULE spacer cavities with respect to each other. Our current best results show a noise floor at, or below, 30 Hz/square root of Hz above 3 mHz. In this report we describe the experimental layout of the entire experiment and discuss the limiting noise sources.

Improvements to Level Set, Immersed Boundary methods for Interface Tracking

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vogl, Chris; Leveque, Randy

2014-11-01

It is not uncommon to find oneself solving a moving boundary problem under flow in the context of some application. Of particular interest is when the moving boundary exerts a curvature-dependent force on the liquid. Such a force arises when observing a boundary that is resistant to bending or has surface tension. Numerically speaking, stable numerical computation of the curvature can be difficult as it is often described in terms of high-order derivatives of either marker particle positions or of a level set function. To address this issue, the level set method is modified to track not only the position of the boundary, but the curvature as well. The definition of the signed-distance function that is used to modify the level set method is also used to develop an interpolation-free, closest-point method. These improvements are used to simulate a bending-resistant, inextensible boundary under shear flow to highlight area and volume conservation, as well as stable curvature calculation. Funded by a NSF MSPRF grant.

Magnon spectrum of the helimagnetic insulator Cu 2OSeO 3

DOE PAGES

Portnichenko, P. Y.; Romhányi, J.; Onykiienko, Y. A.; ...

2016-02-25

We report that complex low-temperature-ordered states in chiral magnets are typically governed by a competition between multiple magnetic interactions. The chiral-lattice multiferroic Cu 2OSeO 3 became the first insulating helimagnetic material in which a long-range order of topologically stable spin vortices known as skyrmions was established. Here we employ state-of-the-art inelastic neutron scattering to comprehend the full three-dimensional spin-excitation spectrum of Cu 2OSeO 3 over a broad range of energies. Distinct types of high- and low-energy dispersive magnon modes separated by an extensive energy gap are observed in excellent agreement with the previously suggested microscopic theory based on a modelmore » of entangled Cu 4 tetrahedra. The comparison of our neutron spectroscopy data with model spin-dynamical calculations based on these theoretical proposals enables an accurate quantitative verification of the fundamental magnetic interactions in Cu 2OSeO 3 that are essential for understanding its abundant low-temperature magnetically ordered phases.« less

Magnon spectrum of the helimagnetic insulator Cu2OSeO3

PubMed Central

Portnichenko, P. Y.; Romhányi, J.; Onykiienko, Y. A.; Henschel, A.; Schmidt, M.; Cameron, A. S.; Surmach, M. A.; Lim, J. A.; Park, J. T.; Schneidewind, A.; Abernathy, D. L.; Rosner, H.; van den Brink, Jeroen; Inosov, D. S.

2016-01-01

Complex low-temperature-ordered states in chiral magnets are typically governed by a competition between multiple magnetic interactions. The chiral-lattice multiferroic Cu2OSeO3 became the first insulating helimagnetic material in which a long-range order of topologically stable spin vortices known as skyrmions was established. Here we employ state-of-the-art inelastic neutron scattering to comprehend the full three-dimensional spin-excitation spectrum of Cu2OSeO3 over a broad range of energies. Distinct types of high- and low-energy dispersive magnon modes separated by an extensive energy gap are observed in excellent agreement with the previously suggested microscopic theory based on a model of entangled Cu4 tetrahedra. The comparison of our neutron spectroscopy data with model spin-dynamical calculations based on these theoretical proposals enables an accurate quantitative verification of the fundamental magnetic interactions in Cu2OSeO3 that are essential for understanding its abundant low-temperature magnetically ordered phases. PMID:26911567