13,962 research outputs found
Force-extension relation of cross-linked anisotropic polymer networks
Cross-linked polymer networks with orientational order constitute a wide
class of soft materials and are relevant to biological systems (e.g., F-actin
bundles). We analytically study the nonlinear force-extension relation of an
array of parallel-aligned, strongly stretched semiflexible polymers with random
cross-links. In the strong stretching limit, the effect of the cross-links is
purely entropic, independent of the bending rigidity of the chains. Cross-links
enhance the differential stretching stiffness of the bundle. For hard
cross-links, the cross-link contribution to the force-extension relation scales
inversely proportional to the force. Its dependence on the cross-link density,
close to the gelation transition, is the same as that of the shear modulus. The
qualitative behavior is captured by a toy model of two chains with a single
cross-link in the middle.Comment: 7 pages, 4 figure
Brayton heat exchanger unit development program (alternate design)
A Brayton Heat Exchanger Unit Alternate Design (BHXU-Alternate) consisting of a recuperator, a heat sink heat exchanger, and a gas ducting system, was designed and fabricated. The design was formulated to provide a high performance unit suitable for use in a long-life Brayton-cycle powerplant. Emphasis was on double containment against external leakage and leakage of the organic coolant into the gas stream. A parametric analysis and design study was performed to establish the optimum component configurations to achieve low weight and size and high reliability, while meeting the requirements of high effectiveness and low pressure drop. Layout studies and detailed mechanical and structural design were performed to obtain a flight-type packaging arrangement, including the close-coupled integration of the BHXU-Alternate with the Brayton Rotating Unit (BRU)
Capillary-gravity waves: The effect of viscosity on the wave resistance
The effect of viscosity on the wave resistance experienced by a 2d
perturbation moving at uniform velocity over the free surface of a fluid is
investigated. The analysis is based on Rayleigh's linearized theory of
capillary-gravity waves. It is shown in particular that the wave resistance
remains bounded as the velocity of the perturbation approches the minimun phase
speed, unlike what is predicted by the inviscid theory.Comment: Europhysics Letters, in pres
Two-dimensional shear modulus of a Langmuir foam
We deform a two-dimensional (2D) foam, created in a Langmuir monolayer, by
applying a mechanical perturbation, and simultaneously image it by Brewster
angle microscopy. We determine the foam stress tensor (through a determination
of the 2D gas-liquid line tension, 2.35 0.4 pJm) and the
statistical strain tensor, by analyzing the images of the deformed structure.
We deduce the 2D shear modulus of the foam, .
The foam effective rigidity is predicted to be , which agrees with the value obtained in an independent mechanical measurement.Comment: submitted May 12, 2003 ; resubmitted Sept 9, 200
Ion Trap Mass Spectrometers for Identity, Abundance and Behavior of Volatiles on the Moon
NASA GSFC and The Open University (UK) are collaborating to deploy an Ion Trap Mass Spectrometer on the Moon to investigate the lunar water cycle. The ITMS is flight-proven throughthe Rosetta Philae comet lander mission. It is also being developed under ESA funding to analyse samples drilled from beneath the lunar surface on the Roscosmos Luna-27 lander (2025).Now, GSFC and OU will now develop a compact ITMS instrument to study the near-surface lunar exosphere on board a CLPS Astrobotic lander at Lacus Mortis in 2021
Circular dielectric cavity and its deformations
The construction of perturbation series for slightly deformed dielectric
circular cavity is discussed in details. The obtained formulae are checked on
the example of cut disks. A good agreement is found with direct numerical
simulations and far-field experiments.Comment: 17 pages, 12 figure
Giant Magnetic Moments of Nitrogen Stabilized Mn Clusters and Their Relevance to Ferromagnetism in Mn Doped GaN
Using first principles calculations based on density functional theory, we
show that the stability and magnetic properties of small Mn clusters can be
fundamentally altered by the presence of nitrogen. Not only are their binding
energies substantially enhanced, but also the coupling between the magnetic
moments at Mn sites remains ferromagnetic irrespective of their size or shape.
In addition, these nitrogen stabilized Mn clusters carry giant magnetic moments
ranging from 4 Bohr magnetons in MnN to 22 Bohr magnetons in Mn_5N. It is
suggested that the giant magnetic moments of Mn_xN clusters may play a key role
in the ferromagnetism of Mn doped GaN which exhibit a wide range (10K - 940K)
of Curie temperatures
On Gravitational Radiation in Quadratic Gravity
We investigate the gravitational radiation emitted by an isolated system for
gravity theories with Lagrange density . As a formal result we
obtain leading order corrections to the quadrupole formula in General
Relativity. We make use of the analogy of theories with scalar--tensor
theories, which in contrast to General Relativity feature an additional scalar
degree of freedom. Unlike General Relativity, where the leading order
gravitational radiation is produced by quadrupole moments, the additional
degree of freedom predicts gravitational radiation of all multipoles, in
particular monopoles and dipoles, as this is the case for the most alternative
gravity theories known today. An application to a hypothetical binary pulsar
moving in a circular orbit yields the rough limit by constraining the dipole power to account at
most for 1% of the quadrupole power as predicted by General Relativity.Comment: 14 Pages, 1 Figur
Noncovariant gauge fixing in the quantum Dirac field theory of atoms and molecules
Starting from the Weyl gauge formulation of quantum electrodynamics (QED),
the formalism of quantum-mechanical gauge fixing is extended using techniques
from nonrelativistic QED. This involves expressing the redundant gauge degrees
of freedom through an arbitrary functional of the gauge-invariant transverse
degrees of freedom. Particular choices of functional can be made to yield the
Coulomb gauge and Poincar\'{e} gauge representations. The Hamiltonian we derive
therefore serves as a good starting point for the description of atoms and
molecules by means of a relativistic Dirac field. We discuss important
implications for the ontology of noncovariant canonical QED due to the gauge
freedom that remains present in our formulation.Comment: 8 pages, 0 figure
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