47,876 research outputs found
Characteristics and classification of A-type supergiants in the Small Magellanic Cloud
We address the relationship between spectral type and physical properties for
A-type supergiants in the SMC. We first construct a self-consistent
classification scheme for A supergiants, employing the calcium K to H epsilon
line ratio as a temperature-sequence discriminant. Following the precepts of
the `MK process', the same morphological criteria are applied to Galactic and
SMC spectra with the understanding there may not be a correspondence in
physical properties between spectral counterparts in different environments. We
then discuss the temperature scale, concluding that A supergiants in the SMC
are systematically cooler than their Galactic counterparts at the same spectral
type, by up to ~10%. Considering the relative line strengths of H gamma and the
CH G-band we extend our study to F and early G-type supergiants, for which
similar effects are found. We note the implications for analyses of
extragalactic luminous supergiants, for the flux-weighted gravity-luminosity
relationship and for population synthesis studies in unresolved stellar
systems.Comment: 14 pages, 14 figures, accepted by MNRAS; minor section removed prior
to final publicatio
Adaptive high-order finite element solution of transient elastohydrodynamic lubrication problems
This article presents a new numerical method to solve transient line contact elastohydrodynamic lubrication (EHL) problems. A high-order discontinuous Galerkin (DG) finite element method is used for the spatial discretization, and the standard Crank-Nicolson method is employed to approximate the time derivative. An h-adaptivity method is used for grid adaptation with the time-stepping, and the penalty method is employed to handle the cavitation condition.
The roughness model employed here is a simple indentation, which is located on the upper surface. Numerical results are presented comparing the DG method to standard finite difference (FD) techniques. It is shown that micro-EHL features are captured with far fewer degrees of freedom than when using low-order FD methods
Making a national atlas of population by computer
This paper describes the conceptual and practical problems encountered and solved in producing a multi-colour atlas of population characteristics in Great Britain. The atlas itself is in A4 format; it consists of some thirty-four maps of Great Britain in four colours and the same number of regional maps, together with descriptive text. All maps were plotted on a laser plotter with a resolution of 127 microns. The paper describes how mapping of ratios, such as percentages, was found to be highly misleading and describes the novel probability mapping solution adopted, based on the signed chi-square statistic. In addition, the rationale for selecting the class intervals and for selecting colour schemes is described
Smilansky's model of irreversible quantum graphs, II: the point spectrum
In the model suggested by Smilansky one studies an operator describing the
interaction between a quantum graph and a system of K one-dimensional
oscillators attached at different points of the graph. This paper is a
continuation of our investigation of the case K>1. For the sake of simplicity
we consider K=2, but our argument applies to the general situation. In this
second paper we apply the variational approach to the study of the point
spectrum.Comment: 18 page
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SLS Materials Development Method for Rapid Manufacturing
As soon as SFF technology development began to make Rapid Prototyping possible the
interest in Rapid Manufacturing (RM) began to grow. The advantages in terms of
functional integration, elimination of tooling and fixtures and mass customization make a
compelling case for RM, leading some in the field to call it the next industrial revolution.
Yet without the materials properties necessary to provide the function and variety
currently available from mass production methods, the application of RM will remain
limited. Developing new materials for the SLS process, one immediate step toward a
larger portfolio of RM materials, is very challenging. The formation of high quality SLS
parts relies on appropriate powder characteristics, thermal cycles and sintering behavior.
Based on a brief examination of the key factors in SLS processing and a research project
to develop a new binder material for Silicon Carbide composites, a systematic materials
development method is proposed in this paper. The method provides guidance for
introducing new SLS materials, support for educating new SLS users and researchers and
direction for several future research projects.Mechanical Engineerin
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Rapid Manufacturing of Silicon Carbide Composites
From the earliest days of SFF technology development, a viable technique for the direct
manufacture of fully-functional parts has been a major technology goal. While direct metal
methods have been demonstrated for a variety of metals including aluminum, steel and titanium,
they have not reached wide commercial application due to processing speed, final material
properties and surface finish. In this paper the development of an SLS-based rapid
manufacturing (RM) platform is reviewed. The core of this platform is a thermosetting binder
system for preform parts in contrast to the thermoplastic materials currently available for SLS.
The preforms may include metal and/or ceramic powders. A variety of fully functional parts
can be prepared from different combinations of materials and post processing steps including
binder pyrolysis, free-standing alloy infiltration, room temperature polymer infiltration and
machining. The main issues of these steps are reviewed followed by a discussion about the
support of RM. This paper is an intermediate report additional materials, applications, process
models and product design strategies will be incorporated into the project in the next year.Mechanical Engineerin
Kinetic pathways of multi-phase surfactant systems
The relaxation following a temperature quench of two-phase (lamellar and
sponge phase) and three-phase (lamellar, sponge and micellar phase) samples,
has been studied in an SDS/octanol/brine system. In the three-phase case we
have observed samples that are initially mainly sponge phase with lamellar and
micellar phase on the top and bottom respectively. Upon decreasing temperature
most of the volume of the sponge phase is replaced by lamellar phase. During
the equilibriation we have observed three regimes of behaviour within the
sponge phase: (i) disruption in the sponge texture, then (ii) after the sponge
phase homogenises there is a lamellar nucleation regime and finally (iii) a
bizarre plume connects the lamellar phase with the micellar phase. The
relaxation of the two-phase sample proceeds instead in two stages. First
lamellar drops nucleate in the sponge phase forming a onion `gel' structure.
Over time the lamellar structure compacts while equilibriating into a two phase
lamellar/sponge phase sample. We offer possible explanatioins for some of these
observations in the context of a general theory for phase kinetics in systems
with one fast and one slow variable.Comment: 1 textfile, 20 figures (jpg), to appear in PR
A Geometric, Dynamical Approach to Thermodynamics
We present a geometric and dynamical approach to the micro-canonical ensemble
of classical Hamiltonian systems. We generalize the arguments in \cite{Rugh}
and show that the energy-derivative of a micro-canonical average is itself
micro-canonically observable. In particular, temperature, specific heat and
higher order derivatives of the entropy can be observed dynamically. We give
perturbative, asymptotic formulas by which the canonical ensemble itself can be
reconstructed from micro-canonical measurements only. In a purely
micro-canonical approach we rederive formulas by Lebowitz et al \cite{LPV},
relating e.g. specific heat to fluctuations in the kinetic energy. We show that
under natural assumptions on the fluctuations in the kinetic energy the
micro-canonical temperature is asymptotically equivalent to the standard
canonical definition using the kinetic energy.Comment: 7 pages, LaTeX, uses RevTex. New sections and examples using
fluctuations in the kinetic energy adde
Birds and people in Europe
At a regional scale, species richness and human population size are frequently positively correlated across space. Such patterns may arise because both species richness and human density increase with energy availability. If the species-energy relationship is generated through the 'more individuals' hypothesis, then the prediction is that areas with high human densities will also support greater numbers of individuals from other taxa. We use the unique data available for the breeding birds in Europe to test this prediction.
Overall regional densities of bird species are higher in areas with more people; species of conservation concern exhibit the same pattern. Avian density also increases faster with human density than does avian biomass, indicating that areas with a higher human density have a higher proportion of small-bodied individuals. The analyses also underline the low numbers of breeding birds in Europe relative to humans, with a median of just three individual birds per person, and 4 g of bird for every kilogram of human
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