Laboratory experiments on cohesive soil bed fluidization by water waves

Part I. Relationships between the rate of bed fluidization and the rate of wave energy dissipation, by Jingzhi Feng and Ashish J. Mehta and Part II. In-situ rheometry for determining the dynamic response of bed, by David J.A. Williams and P. Rhodri Williams. A series of preliminary laboratory flume experiments were carried out to examine the time-dependent behavior of a cohesive soil bed subjected to progressive, monochromatic waves. The bed was an aqueous, 50/50 (by weight) mixture of a kaolinite and an attapulgite placed in a plexiglass trench. The nominal bed thickness was 16 cm with density ranging from 1170 to 1380 kg/m 3, and water above was 16 to 20 cm deep. Waves of design height ranging from 2 to 8 cm and a nominal frequency of 1 Hz were run for durations up to 2970 min. Part I of this report describes experiments meant to examine the rate at which the bed became fluidized, and its relation to the rate of wave energy dissipation. Part II gives results on in-situ rheometry used to track the associated changes in bed rigidity. Temporal and spatial changes of the effective stress were measured during the course of wave action, and from these changes the bed fluidization rate was calculated. A wave-mud interaction model developed in a companion study was employed to calculate the rate of wave energy dissipation. The dependence of the rate of fluidization on the rate of energy dissipation was then explored. Fluidization, which seemingly proceeded down from the bed surface, occurred as a result of the loss of structural integrity of the soil matrix through a buildup of the excess pore pressure and the associated loss of effective stress. The rate of fluidization was typically greater at the beginning of wave action and apparently approached zero with time. This trend coincided with the approach of the rate of energy dissipation to a constant value. In general it was also observed that, for a given wave frequency, the larger the wave height the faster the rate of fluidization and thicker the fluid mud layer formed. On the other hand, increasing the time of bed consolidation prior to wave action decreased the fluidization rate due to greater bed rigidity. Upon cessation of wave action structural recovery followed. Dynamic rigidity was measured by specially designed, in situ shearometers placed in the bed at appropriate elevations to determine the time-dependence of the storage and loss moduli, G' and G", of the viscoelastic clay mixture under 1 Hz waves. As the inter-particle bonds of the space-filling, bed material matrix weakened, the shear propagation velocity decreased measurably. Consequently, G' decreased and G" increased as a transition from dynamically more elastic to more viscous response occurred. These preliminary experiments have demonstrated the validity of the particular rheometric technique used, and the critical need for synchronous, in-situ measurements of pore pressures and moduli characterizing bed rheology in studies on mud fluidization. This study was supported by WES contract DACW39-90-K-0010. (This document contains 151 pages.

The Spectral Correlation Function -- A New Tool for Analyzing Spectral-Line Maps

The "spectral correlation function" analysis we introduce in this paper is a new tool for analyzing spectral-line data cubes. Our initial tests, carried out on a suite of observed and simulated data cubes, indicate that the spectral correlation function [SCF] is likely to be a more discriminating statistic than other statistical methods normally applied. The SCF is a measure of similarity between neighboring spectra in the data cube. When the SCF is used to compare a data cube consisting of spectral-line observations of the ISM with a data cube derived from MHD simulations of molecular clouds, it can find differences that are not found by other analyses. The initial results presented here suggest that the inclusion of self-gravity in numerical simulations is critical for reproducing the correlation behavior of spectra in star-forming molecular clouds.Comment: 29 pages, including 4 figures (tar file submitted as source) See also: http://cfa-www.harvard.edu/~agoodman/scf/velocity_methods.htm

Continuous phase amplification with a Sagnac interferometer

We describe a weak value inspired phase amplification technique in a Sagnac interferometer. We monitor the relative phase between two paths of a slightly misaligned interferometer by measuring the average position of a split-Gaussian mode in the dark port. Although we monitor only the dark port, we show that the signal varies linearly with phase and that we can obtain similar sensitivity to balanced homodyne detection. We derive the source of the amplification both with classical wave optics and as an inverse weak value.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figures, previously submitted for publicatio

Conformational modulation of sequence recognition in synthetic macromolecules

The different triplet sequences in high molecular weight aromatic copolyimides comprising pyromellitimide units ("I") flanked by either ether-ketone ("K") or ether-sulfone residues ("S") show different binding strengths for pyrene-based tweezer-molecules. Such molecules bind primarily to the diimide unit through complementary π-π-stacking and hydrogen bonding. However, as shown by the magnitudes of 1H NMR complexation shifts and tweezer-polymer binding constants, the triplet "SIS" binds tweezer-molecules more strongly than "KIS" which in turn bind such molecules more strongly than "KIK". Computational models for tweezer-polymer binding, together with single-crystal X-ray analyses of tweezer-complexes with macrocyclic ether-imides, reveal that the variations in binding strength between the different triplet sequences arise from the different conformational preferences of aromatic rings at diarylketone and diarylsulfone linkages. These preferences determine whether or not chain-folding and secondary π−π-stacking occurs between the arms of the tweezermolecule and the 4,4'-biphenylene units which flank the central diimide residue

Raman scattering mediated by neighboring molecules

Raman scattering is most commonly associated with a change in vibrational state within individual molecules, the corresponding frequency shift in the scattered light affording a key way of identifying material structures. In theories where both matter and light are treated quantum mechanically, the fundamental scattering process is represented as the concurrent annihilation of a photon from one radiation mode and creation of another in a different mode. Developing this quantum electrodynamical formulation, the focus of the present work is on the spectroscopic consequences of electrodynamic coupling between neighboring molecules or other kinds of optical center. To encompass these nanoscale interactions, through which the molecular states evolve under the dual influence of the input light and local fields, this work identifies and determines two major mechanisms for each of which different selection rules apply. The constituent optical centers are considered to be chemically different and held in a fixed orientation with respect to each other, either as two components of a larger molecule or a molecular assembly that can undergo free rotation in a fluid medium or as parts of a larger, solid material. The two centers are considered to be separated beyond wavefunction overlap but close enough together to fall within an optical near-field limit, which leads to high inverse power dependences on their local separation. In this investigation, individual centers undergo a Stokes transition, whilst each neighbor of a different species remains in its original electronic and vibrational state. Analogous principles are applicable for the anti-Stokes case. The analysis concludes by considering the experimental consequences of applying this spectroscopic interpretation to fluid media; explicitly, the selection rules and the impact of pressure on the radiant intensity of this process

Transcranial magnetic stimulation: Improved coil design for deep brain investigation

This paper reports on a design for a coil for transcranial magnetic stimulation. The design shows potential for improving the penetration depth of the magnetic field, allowing stimulation of subcortical structures within the brain. The magnetic and induced electric fields in the human head have been calculated with finite element electromagnetic modeling software and compared with empirical measurements. Results show that the coil design used gives improved penetration depth, but also indicates the likelihood of stimulation of additional tissue resulting from the spatial distribution of the magnetic field