An Eulerian projection method for quasi-static elastoplasticity

A well-established numerical approach to solve the Navier--Stokes equations for incompressible fluids is Chorin's projection method, whereby the fluid velocity is explicitly updated, and then an elliptic problem for the pressure is solved, which is used to orthogonally project the velocity field to maintain the incompressibility constraint. In this paper, we develop a mathematical correspondence between Newtonian fluids in the incompressible limit and hypo-elastoplastic solids in the slow, quasi-static limit. Using this correspondence, we formulate a new fixed-grid, Eulerian numerical method for simulating quasi-static hypo-elastoplastic solids, whereby the stress is explicitly updated, and then an elliptic problem for the velocity is solved, which is used to orthogonally project the stress to maintain the quasi-staticity constraint. We develop a finite-difference implementation of the method and apply it to an elasto-viscoplastic model of a bulk metallic glass based on the shear transformation zone theory. We show that in a two-dimensional plane strain simple shear simulation, the method is in quantitative agreement with an explicit method. Like the fluid projection method, it is efficient and numerically robust, making it practical for a wide variety of applications. We also demonstrate that the method can be extended to simulate objects with evolving boundaries. We highlight a number of correspondences between incompressible fluid mechanics and quasi-static elastoplasticity, creating possibilities for translating other numerical methods between the two classes of physical problems.Comment: 49 pages, 20 figure

A study of the high-inclination population in the Kuiper belt - II. The Twotinos

As the second part of our study, in this paper we proceed to explore the dynamics of the high-inclination Twotinos in the 1:2 Neptune mean motion resonance (NMMR). Depending on the inclination $i$, we show the existence of two critical eccentricities $e_a(i)$ and $e_c(i)$, which are lower limits of the eccentricity $e$ for the resonant angle $\sigma$ to exhibit libration and asymmetric libration, respectively. Accordingly, we have determined the libration centres $\sigma_0$ for inclined orbits, which are strongly dependent on $i$. With initial $\sigma=\sigma_0$ on a fine grid of $(e, i)$, the stability of orbits in the 1:2 NMMR is probed by 4-Gyr integrations. It is shown that symmetric librators are totally unstable for $i\ge30^{\circ}$; while stable asymmetric librators exist for $i$ up to $90^{\circ}$. We further investigate the 1:2 NMMR capture and retention of planetesimals with initial inclinations $i_0\le90^{\circ}$ in the planet migration model using a time-scale of $2\times10^7$ yr. We find that: (1) the capture efficiency of the 1:2 NMMR decreases drastically with the increase of $i_0$, and it goes to 0 when $i_0\ge60^{\circ}$; (2) the probability of discovering Twotinos with $i>25^{\circ}$, beyond observed values, is roughly estimated to be $\le0.1$ per cent; (3) more particles are captured into the leading rather than the trailing asymmetric resonance for $i_0\le10^{\circ}$, but this number difference appears to be the opposite at $i_0=20^{\circ}$ and is continuously varying for even larger $i_0$; (4) captured Twotinos residing in the trailing resonance or having $i>15^{\circ}$ are practically outside the Kozai mechanism, like currently observed samples.Comment: 13 pages, 10 figures, Accepted by MNRAS. Comments welcome

Formation and transformation of the 3:1 mean-motion resonance in 55 Cancri System

We report in this paper the numerical simulations of the capture into the 3:1 mean-motion resonance between the planet b and c in the 55 Cancri system. The results show that this resonance can be obtained by a differential planetary migration. The moderate initial eccentricities, relatively slower migration and suitable eccentricity damping rate increase significantly the probability of being trapped in this resonance. Otherwise, the system crosses the 3:1 commensurability avoiding resonance capture, to be eventually captured into a 2:1 resonance or some other higher-order resonances. After the resonance capture, the system could jump from one orbital configuration to another one if the migration continues, making a large region of the configuration space accessible for a resonance system. These investigations help us understand the diversity of resonance configurations and put some constrains on the early dynamical evolution of orbits in the extra-solar planetary systems.Comment: 6 pages with 2 figures. Submitted for publication in the proceedings of IAU Symposium No.249. A paper telling much more details than this paper is under preparin

Inertial coalescence of droplets on a partially wetting substrate

We consider the growth rate of the height of the connecting bridge in rapid surface-tension-driven coalescence of two identical droplets attached on a partially wetting substrate. For a wide range of contact angle values, the height of the bridge grows with time following a power law with a universal exponent of 2/3, up to a threshold time, beyond which a 1/2 exponent results, that is known for coalescence of freely-suspended droplets. In a narrow range of contact angle values close to 90°, this threshold time rapidly vanishes and a 1/2 exponent results for a 90° contact angle. The argument is confirmed by three-dimensional numerical simulations based on a diffuse interface method with adaptive mesh refinement and a volume-of-fluid method