15,624 research outputs found
Engineering analysis and design of a mechanism to simulate a sonic boom
Mechanism simulating vibrational and acoustic properties of sonic boom
Development and evaluation of a device to simulate a sonic boom
A device to simulate the vibrational and acoustical properties of a sonic boom was developed and evaluated. The design employed a moving circular diaphragm which produced pressure variations by altering the volume of an air-tight enclosure that was located adjacent to an acoustical test chamber. A review of construction oriented problems, along with their solutions, is presented. The simulator is shown to produce the effects of sonic booms having pressure signatures with rise times as low as 5 milliseconds, durations as short as 80 milliseconds, and overpressures as high as 2.5 pounds per square foot. Variations in the signatures are possible by independent adjustments of the simulator. The energy spectral density is also shown to be in agreement with theory and with actual measurements for aircraft
Asymptotics of 4d spin foam models
We study the asymptotic properties of four-simplex amplitudes for various
four-dimensional spin foam models. We investigate the semi-classical limit of
the Ooguri, Euclidean and Lorentzian EPRL models using coherent states for the
boundary data. For some classes of geometrical boundary data, the asymptotic
formulae are given, in all three cases, by simple functions of the Regge action
for the four-simplex geometry.Comment: 10 pages, Proceedings for the 2nd Corfu summer school and workshop on
quantum gravity and quantum geometry, talk given by Winston J. Fairbair
Coupling of spacetime atoms and spin foam renormalisation from group field theory
We study the issue of coupling among 4-simplices in the context of spin foam
models obtained from a group field theory formalism. We construct a
generalisation of the Barrett-Crane model in which an additional coupling
between the normals to tetrahedra, as defined in different 4-simplices that
share them, is present. This is realised through an extension of the usual
field over the group manifold to a five argument one. We define a specific
model in which this coupling is parametrised by an additional real parameter
that allows to tune the degree of locality of the resulting model,
interpolating between the usual Barrett-Crane model and a flat BF-type one.
Moreover, we define a further extension of the group field theory formalism in
which the coupling parameter enters as a new variable of the field, and the
action presents derivative terms that lead to modified classical equations of
motion. Finally, we discuss the issue of renormalisation of spin foam models,
and how the new coupled model can be of help regarding this.Comment: RevTeX, 18 pages, no figure
Herd health status and management practices on 16 Irish suckler beef farms
peer-reviewedBackground: There have been few studies published internationally which document herd health management practices in suckler beef herds and no published Irish studies. The study objective was to document herd health status and management practices on sixteen Irish suckler beef herds over a two year period (2009–2010). The farms used in the study were part of the Teagasc BETTER farm beef programme. The mean (s.d.) herd size, stocking rate and farm size was 68 cows (27.6), 2.0 LU/ha (0.3) and 64.3 (21.6) adjusted hectares, respectively. Two questionnaires were designed; 1) a farmer questionnaire to collect information on farm background and current herd health control practices and 2) a veterinary questionnaire to collect information on the extent of animal health advice given by veterinarians to their clients and identification of any on-farm herd health issues.
Results: Dystocia, calf pneumonia, and calf diarrhoea, in that order, were identified as the primary herd health issues in these Irish suckler beef herds. In addition, substantial deficiencies in biosecurity practices were also identified on these farms.
Conclusions: The findings of this study may serve as the focus for future research in animal health management practices in Irish suckler beef herds
Observables in 3-dimensional quantum gravity and topological invariants
In this paper we report some results on the expectation values of a set of
observables introduced for 3-dimensional Riemannian quantum gravity with
positive cosmological constant, that is, observables in the Turaev-Viro model.
Instead of giving a formal description of the observables, we just formulate
the paper by examples. This means that we just show how an idea works with
particular cases and give a way to compute 'expectation values' in general by a
topological procedure.Comment: 24 pages, 47 figure
A magnetic damper for first mode vibration reduction in multimass flexible rotors
Many rotating machines such as compressors, turbines and pumps have long thin shafts with resulting vibration problems, and would benefit from additional damping near the center of the shaft. Magnetic dampers have the potential to be employed in these machines because they can operate in the working fluid environment unlike conventional bearings. An experimental test rig is described which was set up with a long thin shaft and several masses to represent a flexible shaft machine. An active magnetic damper was placed in three locations: near the midspan, near one end disk, and close to the bearing. With typical control parameter settings, the midspan location reduced the first mode vibration 82 percent, the disk location reduced it 75 percent and the bearing location attained a 74 percent reduction. Magnetic damper stiffness and damping values used to obtain these reductions were only a few percent of the bearing stiffness and damping values. A theoretical model of both the rotor and the damper was developed and compared to the measured results. The agreement was good
Nematode control in suckler beef cattle over their first two grazing seasons using a targeted selective treatment approach
peer-reviewedBackground
With concerns over the development of anthelmintic resistance in cattle nematode populations, we must re-examine our approach to nematode control in cattle. Targeted selective treatments (TST), whereby individual animals are treated instead of entire groups, are being investigated as an alternative. The study objective was to determine if anthelmintic usage could be reduced using a TST-based approach to nematode control in spring-born suckler beef cattle over their first and second grazing seasons (SGS) without affecting performance. In the first grazing season (FGS), 99 calves with an initial mean (s.d.) calf age and live weight on day 0 (June 28th 2012) of 107 (23.1) days and 160 (32.5) kg, respectively, were used. The study commenced on day 0 when calves were randomised and allocated to one of two treatments; 1), standard treatment (control) and 2), TST. Control calves were treated subcutaneously with ivermectin on days 0, 41 and 82 in the FGS. All calves were treated with ivermectin on day 124 and housed on day 133. In the SGS, only heifer calves from the FGS were used and control heifers were treated with ivermectin on day 393. Animals were weighed, blood and faecal sampled every three weeks. The TST animals were treated with ivermectin if thresholds based on a combination of plasma pepsinogen concentrations, faecal egg count and/or the presence of Dictyocaulus viviparus larvae in faeces (FGS only) were reached.
Results
No TST calves reached the treatment threshold criteria in the FGS. The FGS average daily live weight gain (ADG ± s.e.m.) for control and TST group calves was 0.89 ± 0.02 kg and 0.94 ± 0.02 kg day−1, respectively (P = 0.17). In the SGS, all heifers were treated with ivermectin on day 431 due to clinical signs of respiratory disease. The ADG for control and TST heifers from turnout on day 321 to day 431 was 0.90 ± 0.04 and 0.80 ± 0.04 kg day−1, respectively (P = 0.03).
Conclusions
Spring-born FGS suckler beef calves require minimal anthelmintic treatment to maintain performance. In contrast, clinical parasitic disease may develop in the SGS unless appropriate anthelmintic treatment is provided
- …