From invasion percolation to flow in rock fracture networks

The main purpose of this work is to simulate two-phase flow in the form of immiscible displacement through anisotropic, three-dimensional (3D) discrete fracture networks (DFN). The considered DFNs are artificially generated, based on a general distribution function or are conditioned on measured data from deep geological investigations. We introduce several modifications to the invasion percolation (MIP) to incorporate fracture inclinations, intersection lines, as well as the hydraulic path length inside the fractures. Additionally a trapping algorithm is implemented that forbids any advance of the invading fluid into a region, where the defending fluid is completely encircled by the invader and has no escape route. We study invasion, saturation, and flow through artificial fracture networks, with varying anisotropy and size and finally compare our findings to well studied, conditioned fracture networks.Comment: 18 pages, 10 figure

Phase boundary anisotropy and its effects on the maze-to-lamellar transition in a directionally solidified Al-Al2Cu eutectic

Solid-solid phase boundary anisotropy is a key factor controlling the selection and evolution of non-faceted eutectic patterns during directional solidification. This is most remarkably observed during the so-called maze-to-lamellar transition. By using serial sectioning, we followed the spatio-temporal evolution of a maze pattern over long times in a large Al-Al2Cu eutectic grain with known crystal orientation of the Al and Al2Cu phases, hence known crystal orientation relationship (OR). The corresponding phase boundary energy anisotropy ($\gamma$-plot) was also known, as being previously estimated from molecular-dynamics computations. The experimental observations reveal the time-scale of the maze-to-lamellar transition and shed light on the processes involved in the gradual alignment of the phase boundaries to one distinct energy minimum which nearly corresponds to one distinct plane from the family $\{120\}^{\rm{Al}} //\{110\}^{\rm{Al2Cu}}$. This particular plane is selected due to a crystallographic bias induced by a small disorientation of the crystals relative to the perfect OR. The symmetry of the OR is thus slightly broken, which promotes lamellar alignment. Finally, the maze-to-lamellar transition leaves behind a network of fault lines inherited from the phase boundary alignment process. In the maze pattern, the fault lines align along the corners of the Wulff shape, thus allowing us to propose a link between the pattern defects and missing orientations in the Wulff shapeComment: 26 pages, 6 figure

Superconductivity of SrTiO_{3-\delta}

Superconducting SrTiO_{3-\delta} was obtained by annealing single crystalline SrTiO_3 samples in ultra high vacuum. An analysis of the V(I) characteristics revealed very small critical currents I_c which can be traced back to a unavoidable doping inhomogeneity. R(T) curves were measured for a range of magnetic fields B at I<<I_c, thereby probing only the sample regions with the highest doping level. The resulting curves B_{c2}(T) show upward curvature, both at small and strong doping. These results are discussed in the context of bipolaronic and conventional superconductivity with Fermi surface anisotropy. We conclude that the special superconducting properties of SrTiO_{3-\delta} can be related to its Fermi surface and compare this finding with properties of the recently discovered superconductor MgB_2.Comment: EPJ style, 6 pages, 8 figures; minor changes, Fig. 5 replaced; use PDF version for printout

Field structure and electron life times in the MEFISTO Electron Cyclotron Resonance Ion Source

The complex magnetic field of the permanent-magnet electron cyclotron resonance (ECR) ion source MEFISTO located at the University of Bern have been numerically simulated. For the first time the magnetized volume qualified for electron cyclotron resonance at 2.45 GHz and 87.5 mT has been analyzed in highly detailed 3D simulations with unprecedented resolution. New results were obtained from the numerical simulation of 25211 electron trajectories. The evident characteristic ion sputtering trident of hexapole confined ECR sources has been identified with the field and electron trajectory distribution. Furthermore, unexpected long electron trajectory lifetimes were found.Comment: 11 pages, 18 figure

3D Radio and X-Ray Modeling and Data Analysis Software: Revealing Flare Complexity

We have undertaken a major enhancement of our IDL-based simulation tools developed earlier for modeling microwave and X-ray emission. The object-based architecture provides an interactive graphical user interface that allows the user to import photospheric magnetic field maps and perform magnetic field extrapolations to almost instantly generate 3D magnetic field models, to investigate the magnetic topology of these models by interactively creating magnetic field lines and associated magnetic flux tubes, to populate the flux tubes with user-defined nonuniform thermal plasma and anisotropic, nonuniform, nonthermal electron distributions; to investigate the spatial and spectral properties of radio and X-ray emission calculated from the model, and to compare the model-derived images and spectra with observational data. The application integrates shared-object libraries containing fast gyrosynchrotron emission codes developed in FORTRAN and C++, soft and hard X-ray codes developed in IDL, a FORTRAN-based potential-field extrapolation routine and an IDL-based linear force free field extrapolation routine. The interactive interface allows users to add any user-defined radiation code that adheres to our interface standards, as well as user-defined magnetic field extrapolation routines. Here we use this tool to analyze a simple single-loop flare and use the model to constrain the 3D structure of the magnetic flaring loop and 3D spatial distribution of the fast electrons inside this loop. We iteratively compute multi-frequency microwave and multi-energy X-ray images from realistic magnetic fluxtubes obtained from an extrapolation of a magnetogram taken prior to the flare, and compare them with imaging data obtained by SDO, NoRH, and RHESSI instruments. We use this event to illustrate use of the tool for general interpretation of solar flares to address disparate problems in solar physics.Comment: 12 pages, 11 figures, ApJ accepte