Fracture Behavior and Digital Image Analysis of GFRP Reinforced Concrete Notched Beams

This study presents three-point bending fracture tests on glass fiber-reinforced polymer (GFRP) reinforced concrete notched beams. Few studies have been conducted to date to understand the fracture behavior of this type of specimens. The specimens have nominal depth, width, and length equal to 150 mm, 150 mm, and 550 mm. Plain concrete notched beams with the same dimensions are cast from the same batch of concrete to compare the responses with GFRP reinforced concrete notched beams. The notch of the plain concrete specimens is either saw cut or cast. These two notch fabrication methods are compared based on the load responses. The peak load, crack mouth opening displacement (CMOD), GFRP bar slip at two ends, and load point displacement are used to discuss the results of the fracture tests. In addition, digital image analysis is performed to identify the fracture process zone (FPZ) and the location of the neutral axis, which are used to determine the force in the GFRP bar via cross-sectional analysis. Finally, the GFRP bar force versus slip responses are compared with those from the pull-out tests performed on the same bar to show that the bond of the bar in the pull-out tests represents an upper bound limit compared to the behavior in bending

A hybrid constraint programming and semidefinite programming approach for the stable set problem

This work presents a hybrid approach to solve the maximum stable set problem, using constraint and semidefinite programming. The approach consists of two steps: subproblem generation and subproblem solution. First we rank the variable domain values, based on the solution of a semidefinite relaxation. Using this ranking, we generate the most promising subproblems first, by exploring a search tree using a limited discrepancy strategy. Then the subproblems are being solved using a constraint programming solver. To strengthen the semidefinite relaxation, we propose to infer additional constraints from the discrepancy structure. Computational results show that the semidefinite relaxation is very informative, since solutions of good quality are found in the first subproblems, or optimality is proven immediately.Comment: 14 page

Improving a branch-and-bound approach for the degree-constrained minimum spanning tree problem with LKH

The degree-constrained minimum spanning tree problem, which involves finding a minimum spanning tree of a given graph with upper bounds on the vertex degrees, has found multiple applications in several domains. In this paper, we propose a novel CP approach to tackle this problem where we extend a recent branch-and-bound approach with an adaptation of the LKH local search heuristic to deal with trees instead of tours. Every time a solution is found, it is locally optimised by our new heuristic, thus yielding a tightened cut. Our experimental evaluation shows that this significantly speeds up the branch-and-bound search and hence closes the performance gap to the state-of-the-art bottom-up CP approach

Determination of quark-antiquark component of the photon wave function for u, d, s quarks

Based on the data for the transitions pi0, eta, eta' -> gamma gamma^*(Q^2) and reactions of the e^+ e^- -annihilations, e^+ e^- -> rho0, omega, phi and e^+ e^--> hadrons at 1<E_{e^+e^-}<3.7 GeV, we determine the light-quark components of the photon wave function gamma^*(Q^2) -> q anti-q (q= u, d, s) for the region 0< Q^2 <1 (GeV/c)^2.Comment: 17 pages, some typos correcte

Search for Branons at LEP

We search, in the context of extra-dimension scenarios, for the possible existence of brane fluctuations, called branons. Events with a single photon or a single Z-boson and missing energy and momentum collected with the L3 detector in e^+ e^- collisions at centre-of-mass energies sqrt{s}=189-209$ GeV are analysed. No excess over the Standard Model expectations is found and a lower limit at 95% confidence level of 103 GeV is derived for the mass of branons, for a scenario with small brane tensions. Alternatively, under the assumption of a light branon, brane tensions below 180 GeV are excluded

Study of Spin and Decay-Plane Correlations of W Bosons in the e+e- -> W+W- Process at LEP

Data collected at LEP at centre-of-mass energies \sqrt(s) = 189 - 209 GeV are used to study correlations of the spin of W bosons using e+e- -> W+W- -> lnqq~ events. Spin correlations are favoured by data, and found to agree with the Standard Model predictions. In addition, correlations between the W-boson decay planes are studied in e+e- -> W+W- -> lnqq~ and e+e- -> W+W- -> qq~qq~ events. Decay-plane correlations, consistent with zero and with the Standard Model predictions, are measured

Ultrarelativistic sources in nonlinear electrodynamics

The fields of rapidly moving sources are studied within nonlinear electrodynamics by boosting the fields of sources at rest. As a consequence of the ultrarelativistic limit the delta-like electromagnetic shock waves are found. The character of the field within the shock depends on the theory of nonlinear electrodynamics considered. In particular, we obtain the field of an ultrarelativistic charge in the Born-Infeld theory.Comment: 10 pages, 3 figure

Measurement of the Cross Section for Open-Beauty Production in Photon-Photon Collisions at LEP

The cross section for open-beauty production in photon-photon collisions is measured using the whole high-energy and high-luminosity data sample collected by the L3 detector at LEP. This corresponds to 627/pb of integrated luminosity for electron-positron centre-of-mass energies from 189GeV to 209GeV. Events containing b quarks are identified through their semi-leptonic decay into electrons or muons. The e+e- -> e+e-b b~X cross section is measured within our fiducial volume and then extrapolated to the full phase space. These results are found to be in significant excess with respect to Monte Carlo predictions and next-to-leading order QCD calculations

Search for Branons at LEP

We search, in the context of extra-dimension scenarios, for the possible existence of brane fluctuations, called branons. Events with a single photon or a single Z-boson and missing energy and momentum collected with the L3 detector in e^+ e^- collisions at centre-of-mass energies sqrt{s}=189-209$ GeV are analysed. No excess over the Standard Model expectations is found and a lower limit at 95% confidence level of 103 GeV is derived for the mass of branons, for a scenario with small brane tensions. Alternatively, under the assumption of a light branon, brane tensions below 180 GeV are excluded

Measurement of Exclusive rho^0 rho^0 Production in Two-Photon Collisions at High Q^2 at LEP

Exclusive rho rho production in two-photon collisions involving a single highly virtual photon is studied with data collected at LEP at centre-of-mass energies 89GeV < \sqrt{s} < 209GeV with a total integrated luminosity of 854.7pb^-1 The cross section of the process gamma gamma^* -> rho rho is determined as a function of the photon virtuality, Q^2 and the two-photon centre-of-mass energy, Wgg, in the kinematic region: 1.2GeV^2 < Q^2 < 30GeV^2 and 1.1GeV < Wgg < 3GeV