AC-Tolerant Multifilament Coated Conductors

We report the magnetization losses in an experimental multifilament coated conductor. A 4 mm wide and 10 cm long YBCO coated conductor was subdivided into eight 0.5 mm wide filaments by laser ablation and subjected to post-ablation treatment. As the result, the hysteresis loss was reduced, as expected, in proportion to the width of the filaments. However, the coupling loss was reduced dramatically, and became practically negligible, in the range of a sweep rate up to 20 T/s. This represents a drastic improvement on previous multifilament conductors in which often the coupling losses became equal to the hysteresis loss at a sweep rate as low as 3-4 T/s. These results demonstrate that there is an effective and practical way to suppress coupling losses in coated multifilament conductors.Comment: This paper is based on a talk given at 2006 Applied Superconductivity Conference in Seattle, WA (August 27-September 1, 2006). To be published in IEEE Trans. Appl. Superconductivit

Optimisation of confinement in a fusion reactor using a nonlinear turbulence model

The confinement of heat in the core of a magnetic fusion reactor is optimised using a multidimensional optimisation algorithm. For the first time in such a study, the loss of heat due to turbulence is modelled at every stage using first-principles nonlinear simulations which accurately capture the turbulent cascade and large-scale zonal flows. The simulations utilise a novel approach, with gyrofluid treatment of the small-scale drift waves and gyrokinetic treatment of the large-scale zonal flows. A simple near-circular equilibrium with standard parameters is chosen as the initial condition. The figure of merit, fusion power per unit volume, is calculated, and then two control parameters, the elongation and triangularity of the outer flux surface, are varied, with the algorithm seeking to optimise the chosen figure of merit. A two-fold increase in the plasma power per unit volume is achieved by moving to higher elongation and strongly negative triangularity.Comment: 32 pages, 8 figures, accepted to JP

The Coase Theorem, or the Coasian Lens? An Application to GMO Regulation

We develop a property rights-transaction costs framework called the Coasian Lens (CL). We argue the CL captures Coase's seminal ideas (1937; 1960) more closely than the Coase Theorem. We use the CL to examine how regulation of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) may affect contract structures in the global agri-food chain.Research and Development/Tech Change/Emerging Technologies,

Shear thickening of cornstarch suspensions as a re-entrant jamming transition

We study the rheology of cornstarch suspensions, a dense system of non-Brownian particles that exhibits shear thickening, i.e. a viscosity that increases with increasing shear rate. Using MRI velocimetry we show that the suspension has a yield stress. From classical rheology it follows that as a function of the applied stress the suspension is first solid (yield stress), then liquid and then solid again when it shear thickens. The onset shear rate for thickening is found to depend on the measurement geometry: the smaller the gap of the shear cell, the lower the shear rate at which thickening occurs. Shear thickening can then be interpreted as the consequence of the Reynolds dilatancy: the system under flow wants to dilate but instead undergoes a jamming transition because it is confined, as confirmed by measurement of the dilation of the suspension as a function of the shear rate

Magnetization Losses in Multifilament Coated Superconductors

We report the results of a study of the magnetization losses in experimental multifilament, as well as control (uniform), coated superconductors exposed to time-varying magnetic field of various frequencies. Both the hysteresis loss, proportional to the sweep rate of the applied magnetic field, and the coupling loss, proportional to the square of the sweep rate, have been observed. A scaling is found that allows us to quantify each of these contributions and extrapolate the results of the experiment beyond the envelope of accessible field amplitude and frequency. The combined loss in the multifilament conductor is reduced by about 90% in comparison with the uniform conductor at full field penetration at sweep rate as high as 3T/s

Early career professionals: the mission of a task force

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/133554/1/jth13363_am.pdfhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/133554/2/jth13363.pd

The Integration of YBCO Coated Conductors into Magnets and Rotating Machinery

The implementation of the 2nd generation high-Tc superconductors in power applications, such as electrical transformers, motors and generators requires superconducting wires that are superior to copper Litz wires at cryogenic temperatures in terms of losses in time-varying magnetic field, as well as in engineering current density. Another problem is to find a way to make practical coils and armatures out of flat tape-like conductors with low bending strain tolerance. We discuss several novel approaches to the construction of coils and armatures based specifically on the properties of coated conductors manufactured today

The (In)Stability of Planetary Systems

We present results of numerical simulations which examine the dynamical stability of known planetary systems, a star with two or more planets. First we vary the initial conditions of each system based on observational data. We then determine regions of phase space which produce stable planetary configurations. For each system we perform 1000 ~1 million year integrations. We examine upsilon And, HD83443, GJ876, HD82943, 47UMa, HD168443, and the solar system (SS). We find that the resonant systems, 2 planets in a first order mean motion resonance, (HD82943 and GJ876) have very narrow zones of stability. The interacting systems, not in first order resonance, but able to perturb each other (upsilon And, 47UMa, and SS) have broad regions of stability. The separated systems, 2 planets beyond 10:1 resonance, (we only examine HD83443 and HD168443) are fully stable. Furthermore we find that the best fits to the interacting and resonant systems place them very close to unstable regions. The boundary in phase space between stability and instability depends strongly on the eccentricities, and (if applicable) the proximity of the system to perfect resonance. In addition to million year integrations, we also examined stability on ~100 million year timescales. For each system we ran ~10 long term simulations, and find that the Keplerian fits to these systems all contain configurations which may be regular on this timescale.Comment: 37 pages, 49 figures, 13 tables, submitted to Ap