220 research outputs found
Two scenarios for avalanche dynamics in inclined granular layers
We report experimental measurements of avalanche behavior of thin granular
layers on an inclined plane for low volume flow rate. The dynamical properties
of avalanches were quantitatively and qualitatively different for smooth glass
beads compared to irregular granular materials such as sand. Two scenarios for
granular avalanches on an incline are identified and a theoretical explanation
for these different scenarios is developed based on a depth-averaged approach
that takes into account the differing rheologies of the granular materials.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures, accepted to Phys. Rev. Let
Universal criterion for the breakup of invariant tori in dissipative systems
The transition from quasiperiodicity to chaos is studied in a two-dimensional
dissipative map with the inverse golden mean rotation number. On the basis of a
decimation scheme, it is argued that the (minimal) slope of the critical
iterated circle map is proportional to the effective Jacobian determinant.
Approaching the zero-Jacobian-determinant limit, the factor of proportion
becomes a universal constant. Numerical investigation on the dissipative
standard map suggests that this universal number could become observable in
experiments. The decimation technique introduced in this paper is readily
applicable also to the discrete quasiperiodic Schrodinger equation.Comment: 13 page
Quantum Films Adsorbed on Graphite: Third and Fourth Helium Layers
Using a path-integral Monte Carlo method for simulating superfluid quantum
films, we investigate helium layers adsorbed on a substrate consisting of
graphite plus two solid helium layers. Our results for the promotion densities
and the dependence of the superfluid density on coverage are in agreement with
experiment. We can also explain certain features of the measured heat capacity
as a function of temperature and coverage.Comment: 13 pages in the Phys. Rev. two-column format, 16 Figure
Normalized statical analysis with frequency and load variation for the class-E converter based on piezoelectric transformers
Statistical Properties of Turbulence: An Overview
We present an introductory overview of several challenging problems in the
statistical characterisation of turbulence. We provide examples from fluid
turbulence in three and two dimensions, from the turbulent advection of passive
scalars, turbulence in the one-dimensional Burgers equation, and fluid
turbulence in the presence of polymer additives.Comment: 34 pages, 31 figure
QTL for phytosterol and sinapate ester content in Brassica napus L. collocate with the two erucic acid genes
Improving oil and protein quality for food and feed purposes is an important goal in rapeseed (Brassica napus L.) breeding programs. Rapeseed contains phytosterols, used to enrich food products, and sinapate esters, which are limiting the utilization of rapeseed proteins in the feed industry. Increasing the phytosterol content of oil and lowering sinapate ester content of meal could increase the value of the oilseed rape crop. The objective of the present study was to identify quantitative trait loci (QTL) for phytosterol and sinapate ester content in a winter rapeseed population of 148 doubled haploid lines, previously found to have a large variation for these two traits. This population also segregated for the two erucic acid genes. A close negative correlation was found between erucic acid and phytosterol content (Spearman’s rank correlation, rs = −0.80**). For total phytosterol content, three QTL were detected, explaining 60% of the genetic variance. The two QTL with the strongest additive effects were mapped on linkage groups N8 and N13 within the confidence intervals of the two erucic acid genes. For sinapate ester content four QTL were detected, explaining 53% of the genetic variance. Again, a close negative correlation was found between erucic acid and sinapate ester content (rs = −0.66**) and the QTL with the strongest additive effects mapped on linkage groups N8 and N13 within the confidence intervals of the two erucic acid genes. The results suggests, that there is a pleiotropic effect of the two erucic acid genes on phytosterol and sinapate ester content; the effect of the alleles for low erucic acid content is to increase phytosterol and sinapate ester content. Possible reasons for this are discussed based on known biosynthetic pathways
Bifurcations in annular electroconvection with an imposed shear
We report an experimental study of the primary bifurcation in
electrically-driven convection in a freely suspended film. A weakly conducting,
submicron thick smectic liquid crystal film was supported by concentric
circular electrodes. It electroconvected when a sufficiently large voltage
was applied between its inner and outer edges. The film could sustain rapid
flows and yet remain strictly two-dimensional. By rotation of the inner
electrode, a circular Couette shear could be independently imposed. The control
parameters were a dimensionless number , analogous to the Rayleigh
number, which is and the Reynolds number of the
azimuthal shear flow. The geometrical and material properties of the film were
characterized by the radius ratio , and a Prandtl-like number . Using measurements of current-voltage characteristics of a large number of
films, we examined the onset of electroconvection over a broad range of
, and . We compared this data quantitatively to
the results of linear stability theory. This could be done with essentially no
adjustable parameters. The current-voltage data above onset were then used to
infer the amplitude of electroconvection in the weakly nonlinear regime by
fitting them to a steady-state amplitude equation of the Landau form. We show
how the primary bifurcation can be tuned between supercritical and subcritical
by changing and .Comment: 17 pages, 12 figures. Submitted to Phys. Rev. E. Minor changes after
refereeing. See also http://mobydick.physics.utoronto.c
Biophysical forcing of particle production and distribution during a spring bloom in the North Atlantic
Abstract: The beam attenuation serves as a proxy for particulate matter and is a key parameter in visibility algorithms for the aquatic environment. It is well known, however, that the beam attenuation is a function of the acceptance angle of the transmissometer used to measure it. Here we compare eight different transmissometers with four different acceptance angles using four different deployment strategies and sites, and find that their mean attenuation values differ markedly and in a consistent way with instrument acceptance angle: smaller acceptance angles provide higher beam attenuation values. This difference is due to variations in scattered light collected with different acceptance angles and is neither constant nor easy to parameterize. Variability (in space or time) in the ratios of beam attenuations measured by two different instruments correlates, in most cases, with the particle size parameter (as expected from Mie theory), but this correlation is often weak and can be the opposite of expectations based on particle size changes. We recommended careful consideration of acceptance angle in applications of beam transmission data especially when comparing data from different instruments
Biophysical forcing of particle production and distribution during a spring bloom in the North Atlantic
Abstract: The beam attenuation serves as a proxy for particulate matter and is a key parameter in visibility algorithms for the aquatic environment. It is well known, however, that the beam attenuation is a function of the acceptance angle of the transmissometer used to measure it. Here we compare eight different transmissometers with four different acceptance angles using four different deployment strategies and sites, and find that their mean attenuation values differ markedly and in a consistent way with instrument acceptance angle: smaller acceptance angles provide higher beam attenuation values. This difference is due to variations in scattered light collected with different acceptance angles and is neither constant nor easy to parameterize. Variability (in space or time) in the ratios of beam attenuations measured by two different instruments correlates, in most cases, with the particle size parameter (as expected from Mie theory), but this correlation is often weak and can be the opposite of expectations based on particle size changes. We recommended careful consideration of acceptance angle in applications of beam transmission data especially when comparing data from different instruments
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