5,490 research outputs found
Ripples in Tapped or Blown Powder
We observe ripples forming on the surface of a granular powder in a container
submitted from below to a series of brief and distinct shocks. After a few
taps, the pattern turns out to be stable against any further shock of the same
amplitude. We find experimentally that the characteristic wavelength of the
pattern is proportional to the amplitude of the shocks. Starting from
consideration involving Darcy's law for air flow through the porous granulate
and avalanche properties, we build up a semi-quantitative model which fits
satisfactorily the set of experimental observations as well as a couple of
additional experiments.Comment: 7 pages, four postscript figures, submitted PRL 11/19/9
In-depth description of Electrohydrodynamic conduction pumping of dielectric liquids: physical model and regime analysis
In this work, we discuss the fundamental aspects of Electrohydrodynamic (EHD) conduction pumping of dielectric liquids. We build a mathematical model of conduction pumping that can be applied to all sizes, down to microsized pumps. In order to do this, we discuss the relevance of the Electrical Double Layer (EDL) that appears naturally on nonmetallic substrates. In the process, we identify a new dimensionless parameter related to the value of the zeta potential of the substrate-liquid pair, which quantifies the influence of these EDLs on the performance of the pump. This parameter also describes the transition from EHD conduction pumping to electro-osmosis. We also discuss in detail the two limiting working regimes in EHD conduction pumping: ohmic and saturation. We introduce a new dimensionless parameter, accounting for the electric field enhanced dissociation that, along with the conduction number, allows us to identify in which regime the pump operates.Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades PGC2018-099217-B-I0
Bose-Einstein condensate dark matter phase transition from finite temperature symmetry breaking of Klein-Gordon fields
In this paper the thermal evolution of scalar field dark matter particles at
finite cosmological temperatures is studied. Starting with a real scalar field
in a thermal bath and using the one loop quantum corrections potential, we
rewrite Klein-Gordon's (KG) equation in its hydrodynamical representation and
study the phase transition of this scalar field due to a Z_2 symmetry breaking
of its potential. A very general version of a nonlinear Schr\"odinger equation
is obtained. When introducing Madelung's representation, the continuity and
momentum equations for a non-ideal SFDM fluid are formulated, and the
cosmological scenario with the SFDM described in analogy to an imperfect fluid
is then considered where dissipative contributions are obtained in a natural
way.Additional terms appear compared to those obtained in the classical version
commonly used to describe the \LambdaCDM model, i.e., the ideal fluid. The
equations and parameters that characterize the physical properties of the
system such as its energy, momentum and viscous flow are related to the
temperature of the system, scale factor, Hubble's expansion parameter and the
matter energy density. Finally, some details on how galaxy halos and smaller
structures might be able to form by condensation of this SF are given.Comment: Substantial changes have been made to the paper, following the
referees recommendations. 16 pages. Published in Classical and Quantum
Gravit
Mechanical properties of freely suspended atomically thin dielectric layers of mica
We have studied the elastic deformation of freely suspended atomically thin
sheets of muscovite mica, a widely used electrical insulator in its bulk form.
Using an atomic force microscope, we carried out bending test experiments to
determine the Young's modulus and the initial pre-tension of mica nanosheets
with thicknesses ranging from 14 layers down to just one bilayer. We found that
their Young's modulus is high (190 GPa), in agreement with the bulk value,
which indicates that the exfoliation procedure employed to fabricate these
nanolayers does not introduce a noticeable amount of defects. Additionally,
ultrathin mica shows low pre-strain and can withstand reversible deformations
up to tens of nanometers without breaking. The low pre-tension and high Young's
modulus and breaking force found in these ultrathin mica layers demonstrates
their prospective use as a complement for graphene in applications requiring
flexible insulating materials or as reinforcement in nanocomposites.Comment: 9 pages, 5 figures, selected as cover of Nano Research, Volume 5,
Number 8 (2012
Causal analysis of the pinion teeth failure in a limestone Reclaimer
This paper presents a causal analysis of an unexpected failure of the pinion teeth of a large reducer installed in a limestone reclaimer which is part of a raw material transportation system of a cement factory. The Montano methodology is applied. It includes a collection of documentation, evidences, evaluation of failure mechanism by visual inspection and some hypothesis and their validation based on the analysis of the material resistance. It is demonstrated that although the teeth of the pinion were made of a suitable material and cemented correctly, they worked overloaded due to the presence of large rocks in the raw material. A resulting increase of contact tensions in the teeth over the allowed limits led to a fatigue failure process which is described in this work. The results of the analysis can be of great interest in order to develop preventive measures and avoid future undesired plant stoppages and economic losses
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