Slow flows of yield stress fluids: complex spatio-temporal behaviour within a simple elasto-plastic model

A minimal athermal model for the flow of dense disordered materials is proposed, based on two generic ingredients: local plastic events occuring above a microscopic yield stress, and the non-local elastic release of the stress these events induce in the material. A complex spatio-temporal rheological behaviour results, with features in line with recent experimental observations. At low shear rates, macroscopic flow actually originates from collective correlated bursts of plastic events, taking place in dynamically generated fragile zones. The related correlation length diverges algebraically at small shear rates. In confined geometries bursts occur preferentially close to the walls yielding an intermittent form of flow localization.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure

Polymer and surface roughness effects on the drag crisis for falling spheres

8 pagesWe make time resolved velocity measurements of steel spheres in free fall through liquid using a continuous ultrasound technique. We explore two different ways to induce large changes in drag on the spheres: 1) a small quantity of viscoelastic polymer added to water and 2) altering the surface of the sphere. Low concentration polymer solutions and/or a pattern of grooves in the sphere surface induce an early drag crisis, which may reduce drag by more than 50 percent compared to smooth spheres in pure water. On the other hand, random surface roughness and/or high concentration polymer solutions reduce drag progressively and suppress the drag crisis. We also present a qualititative argument which ties the drag reduction observed in low concentration polymer solutions to the Weissenberg number and normal stress difference

Electron energy loss spectroscopy with parallel readout of energy and momentum

We introduce a high energy resolution electron source that matches the requirements for parallel readout of energy and momentum of modern hemispherical electron energy analyzers. The system is designed as an add-on device to typical photoemission chambers. Due to the multiplex gain, a complete phonon dispersion of a Cu(111) surface was measured in seven minutes with 4 meV energy resolution

Effective slip over superhydrophobic surfaces in thin channels

Superhydrophobic surfaces reduce drag by combining hydrophobicity and roughness to trap gas bubbles in a micro- and nanoscopic texture. Recent work has focused on specific cases, such as striped grooves or arrays of pillars, with limited theoretical guidance. Here, we consider the experimentally relevant limit of thin channels and obtain rigorous bounds on the effective slip length for any two-component (e.g. low-slip and high-slip) texture with given area fractions. Among all anisotropic textures, parallel stripes attain the largest (or smallest) possible slip in a straight, thin channel for parallel (or perpendicular) orientation with respect to the mean flow. For isotropic (e.g. chessboard or random) textures, the Hashin-Strikman conditions further constrain the effective slip. These results provide a framework for the rational design of superhydrophobic surfaces.Comment: 4+ page

Lieusaint – Ferme de la Fosse

Date de l'opération : 2007 (SD) ; 2007 (PT) Inventeur(s) : Bocquet-Liénard Anne (SUP) ; Fichet de Clairfontaine François (SRA) L’existence d’une officine de production potière sur le site de la ferme de la Fosse à Lieusaint (Manche), commune située au sud de Valognes, a été révélée par la découverte fortuite sur différentes parcelles de la propriété de concentrations importantes de céramiques (Fig. n°1 : Exemples de productions de la ferme de la Fosse). Une fosse dépotoir (tessonnière) était..

Lieusaint – Ferme de la Fosse

Date de l'opération : 2007 (SD) ; 2007 (PT) Inventeur(s) : Bocquet-Liénard Anne (SUP) ; Fichet de Clairfontaine François (SRA) L’existence d’une officine de production potière sur le site de la ferme de la Fosse à Lieusaint (Manche), commune située au sud de Valognes, a été révélée par la découverte fortuite sur différentes parcelles de la propriété de concentrations importantes de céramiques (Fig. n°1 : Exemples de productions de la ferme de la Fosse). Une fosse dépotoir (tessonnière) était..

Improving solar wind persistence forecasts: removing transient space weather events, and using observations away from the Sun-Earth line

This study demonstrates two significant ways of improving persistence forecasts of the solar wind, which exploit the relatively unchanging nature of the ambient solar wind to provide 27 day forecasts, when using data from the Lagrangian L1 point. Such forecasts are useful as a prediction tool for the ambient wind, and for benchmarking of solar wind models. We show that solar wind persistence forecasts can be improved by removing transient solar wind features such as coronal mass ejections (CMEs). Using CME indicators to automatically identify CME-contaminated periods in ACE data from 1998 to 2011, and replacing these with solar wind from a previous synodic rotation, persistence forecasts improve (relative to a baseline): skill scores for Bz, a crucial parameter for determining solar wind geoeffectiveness, improve by 7.7 percentage points when using a proton temperature-based indicator with good operational potential. We also show that persistence forecasts can be improved by using measurements away from L1, to reduce the requirement on coronal stability for an entire synodic period, at the cost of reduced lead time. Using STEREO-B data from 2007 to 2013 to create such a reduced lead time persistence forecast, we show that Bz skill scores improve by 17.1 percentage points relative to ACE. Finally, we report on implications for persistence forecasts from any future missions to the L5 Lagrangian point and on the successful operational implementation (in spring 2015) of the normal (ACE-based) and reduced lead time (STEREO-based) persistence forecasts in the Met Office's Space Weather Operations Centre, as well as plans for future improvements

Deuterium adsorption on (and desorption from) SiC(0001)-(3×3), (√3×√3)R30°, (6√3×6√3)R30° and quasi-free standing graphene obtained by hydrogen intercalation

International audienceWe present a comparative high-resolution electron energy-loss spectroscopy study on the interaction of atomic hydrogen and deuterium with various reconstructions of SiC(0 0 0 1). We first show that on both the (3 × 3) and reconstructions, deuterium atoms only bind to silicon atoms, thereby confirming the silicon-rich appellation of these reconstructions. Deuterium passivation of the (3 × 3) is only reversible when exposed to atomic deuterium at a surface temperature of 700 K since tri- and dideuterides, necessary precursors for silicon etching, are not stable. On the other hand, we show that the deuteration of the is always reversible because precursors to silicon etching are scarce on the surface. Then, we demonstrate that hydrogen (deuterium) adsorption at 300 K on both the (buffer-layer) and the quasi-free-standing graphene occurs on carbon atoms justifying their carbon-rich appellation. Comparison of the deuterium binding in the intercalation layer of quasi-free-standing graphene with the deuterated surface provides some indication on the bonding structure at the substrate intercalation layer. Finally, by measuring C-H (C-D) vibrational frequencies and hydrogen (deuterium) desorption temperatures we suggest that partial sp2-to-sp3 rehybridization occurs for the carbon atoms of the buffer-layer because of the corrugation related to covalent bonding to the SiC substrate. In contrast, on quasi-free-standing graphene hydrogen (deuterium) atoms adsorb similarly to what is observed on graphite, i.e. without preferential sticking related to the underlying SiC substrate

Expert judgement methodology for failure anticipation in nuclear power plants

Risk analysis is a tool for investigating and reducing incertainty related to outcomes of future activities. We are interested here in failure anticipation in nuclear power plant. This involves very specific systems with little or no existing historical failures. In such cases, both engineering judgement and historical data are used to quantify uncertainty related to the predictions, like probabilities and failure rates. This paper is focussed on this aspect. The purpose is to provide an expert judgment elicitation methodology for anticipating the failures of a component, up to the end of its design life cycle period, including eventually an extension period