567 research outputs found
Natural tracers in recent groundwaters from different Alpine aquifers
Groundwater with underground residence times between days and a few years have been investigated over more than 20 years from 487 remote sites located in different aquifer types in the Alpine belt. Analysis of the data reveals that groundwaters evolved in crystalline, evaporite, carbonate, molasse, and flysch aquifers can be clearly distinguished based on their major and trace element composition and degree of mineralisation. A further subdivision can be made even within one aquifer type based on the trace element compositions, which are characteristic for the lithologic environment. Major and trace element concentrations can be quantitatively described by interaction of the groundwater with the aquifer-specific mineralogy along the flow path. Because all investigated sites show minimal anthropogenic influences, the observed concentration ranges represent the natural background concentrations and can thus serve as a "geo-reference” for recent groundwaters from these five aquifer types. This "geo-reference” is particularly useful for the identification of groundwater contamination. It further shows that drinking water standards can be grossly exceeded for critical elements by purely natural processe
Coexisting Pulses in a Model for Binary-Mixture Convection
We address the striking coexistence of localized waves (`pulses') of
different lengths which was observed in recent experiments and full numerical
simulations of binary-mixture convection. Using a set of extended
Ginzburg-Landau equations, we show that this multiplicity finds a natural
explanation in terms of the competition of two distinct, physical localization
mechanisms; one arises from dispersion and the other from a concentration mode.
This competition is absent in the standard Ginzburg-Landau equation. It may
also be relevant in other waves coupled to a large-scale field.Comment: 5 pages revtex with 4 postscript figures (everything uuencoded
Attractive Interaction Between Pulses in a Model for Binary-Mixture Convection
Recent experiments on convection in binary mixtures have shown that the
interaction between localized waves (pulses) can be repulsive as well as {\it
attractive} and depends strongly on the relative {\it orientation} of the
pulses. It is demonstrated that the concentration mode, which is characteristic
of the extended Ginzburg-Landau equations introduced recently, allows a natural
understanding of that result. Within the standard complex Ginzburg-Landau
equation this would not be possible.Comment: 7 pages revtex with 3 postscript figures (uuencoded
A New Class of Nonsingular Exact Solutions for Laplacian Pattern Formation
We present a new class of exact solutions for the so-called {\it Laplacian
Growth Equation} describing the zero-surface-tension limit of a variety of 2D
pattern formation problems. Contrary to common belief, we prove that these
solutions are free of finite-time singularities (cusps) for quite general
initial conditions and may well describe real fingering instabilities. At long
times the interface consists of N separated moving Saffman-Taylor fingers, with
``stagnation points'' in between, in agreement with numerous observations. This
evolution resembles the N-soliton solution of classical integrable PDE's.Comment: LaTeX, uuencoded postscript file
Analytical approach to viscous fingering in a cylindrical Hele-Shaw cell
We report analytical results for the development of the viscous fingering
instability in a cylindrical Hele-Shaw cell of radius a and thickness b. We
derive a generalized version of Darcy's law in such cylindrical background, and
find it recovers the usual Darcy's law for flow in flat, rectangular cells,
with corrections of higher order in b/a. We focus our interest on the influence
of cell's radius of curvature on the instability characteristics. Linear and
slightly nonlinear flow regimes are studied through a mode-coupling analysis.
Our analytical results reveal that linear growth rates and finger competition
are inhibited for increasingly larger radius of curvature. The absence of
tip-splitting events in cylindrical cells is also discussed.Comment: 14 pages, 3 ps figures, Revte
Sources and sinks separating domains of left- and right-traveling waves: Experiment versus amplitude equations
In many pattern forming systems that exhibit traveling waves, sources and
sinks occur which separate patches of oppositely traveling waves. We show that
simple qualitative features of their dynamics can be compared to predictions
from coupled amplitude equations. In heated wire convection experiments, we
find a discrepancy between the observed multiplicity of sources and theoretical
predictions. The expression for the observed motion of sinks is incompatible
with any amplitude equation description.Comment: 4 pages, RevTeX, 3 figur
Scaling Relations of Viscous Fingers in Anisotropic Hele-Shaw Cells
Viscous fingers in a channel with surface tension anisotropy are numerically
studied. Scaling relations between the tip velocity v, the tip radius and the
pressure gradient are investigated for two kinds of boundary conditions of
pressure, when v is sufficiently large. The power-law relations for the
anisotropic viscous fingers are compared with two-dimensional dendritic growth.
The exponents of the power-law relations are theoretically evaluated.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figure
Mode-coupling approach to non-Newtonian Hele-Shaw flow
The Saffman-Taylor viscous fingering problem is investigated for the
displacement of a non-Newtonian fluid by a Newtonian one in a radial Hele-Shaw
cell. We execute a mode-coupling approach to the problem and examine the
morphology of the fluid-fluid interface in the weak shear limit. A differential
equation describing the early nonlinear evolution of the interface modes is
derived in detail. Owing to vorticity arising from our modified Darcy's law, we
introduce a vector potential for the velocity in contrast to the conventional
scalar potential. Our analytical results address how mode-coupling dynamics
relates to tip-splitting and side branching in both shear thinning and shear
thickening cases. The development of non-Newtonian interfacial patterns in
rectangular Hele-Shaw cells is also analyzed.Comment: 14 pages, 5 ps figures, Revtex4, accepted for publication in Phys.
Rev.
Dynamics of a hyperbolic system that applies at the onset of the oscillatory instability
A real hyperbolic system is considered that applies near the onset of the oscillatory instability in large spatial domains. The validity of that system requires that some intermediate scales (large compared with the basic wavelength of the unstable modes but small compared with the size of the system) remain inhibited; that condition is analysed in some detail. The dynamics associated with the hyperbolic system is fully analysed to conclude that it is very simple if the coefficient of the cross-nonlinearity is such that , while the system exhibits increasing complexity (including period-doubling sequences, quasiperiodic transitions, crises) as the bifurcation parameter grows if ; if then the system behaves subcritically. Our results are seen to compare well, both qualitatively and quantitatively, with the experimentally obtained ones for the oscillatory instability of straight rolls in pure Rayleigh - BĂ©nard convection
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