2,855 research outputs found
On the Nature of Singularities in Plane Symmetric Scalar Field Cosmologies
The nature of the initial singularity in spatially compact plane symmetric
scalar field cosmologies is investigated. It is shown that this singularity is
crushing and velocity dominated and that the Kretschmann scalar diverges
uniformly as it is approached. The last fact means in particular that a maximal
globally hyperbolic spacetime in this class cannot be extended towards the past
through a Cauchy horizon. A subclass of these spacetimes is identified for
which the singularity is isotropic.Comment: 7 pages, MPA-AR-94-
Shear dynamics in Bianchi I cosmologies with R^n-gravity
We give the equations governing the shear evolution in Bianchi spacetimes for
general f(R)-theories of gravity. We consider the case of R^n-gravity and
perform a detailed analysis of the dynamics in Bianchi I cosmologies which
exhibit local rotational symmetry. We find exact solutions and study their
behaviour and stability in terms of the values of the parameter n. In
particular, we found a set of cosmic histories in which the universe is
initially isotropic, then develops shear anisotropies which approaches a
constant value.Comment: 25 pages LaTeX, 6 figures. Revised to match the final version
accepted for publication in CQ
Apparent horizons in the quasi-spherical Szekeres models
The notion of an apparent horizon (AH) in a collapsing object can be carried
over from the Lema\^{\i}tre -- Tolman (L--T) to the quasispherical Szekeres
models in three ways: 1. Literally by the definition -- the AH is the boundary
of the region, in which every bundle of null geodesics has negative expansion
scalar. 2. As the locus, at which null lines that are as nearly radial as
possible are turned toward decreasing areal radius . These lines are in
general nongeodesic. The name "absolute apparent horizon" (AAH) is proposed for
this locus. 3. As the boundary of a region, where null \textit{geodesics} are
turned toward decreasing . The name "light collapse region" (LCR) is
proposed for this region (which is 3-dimensional in every space of constant
); its boundary coincides with the AAH. The AH and AAH coincide in the L--T
models. In the quasispherical Szekeres models, the AH is different from (but
not disjoint with) the AAH. Properties of the AAH and LCR are investigated, and
the relations between the AAH and the AH are illustrated with diagrams using an
explicit example of a Szekeres metric. It turns out that an observer who is
already within the AH is, for some time, not yet within the AAH. Nevertheless,
no light signal can be sent through the AH from the inside. The analogue of the
AAH for massive particles is also considered.Comment: 14 pages, 9 figures, includes little extensions and style corrections
made after referee's comments, the text matches the published versio
No Chaos in Brane-World Cosmology
We discuss the asymptotic dynamical evolution of spatially homogeneous
brane-world cosmological models close to the initial singularity. We find that
generically the cosmological singularity is isotropic in Bianchi type IX
brane-world models and consequently these models do not exhibit Mixmaster or
chaotic-like behaviour close to the initial singularity. We argue that this is
typical of more general cosmological models in the brane-world scenario. In
particular, we show that an isotropic singularity is a past-attractor in all
orthogonal Bianchi models and is a local past-attractor in a class of
inhomogeneous brane-world models.Comment: Updated Refs. Final version to appear in Class. Quantum Gra
Buckling of slender composite concrete‐filled steel columns
The paper presents the analysis of the experimental data of 1817 on concrete‐filled steel tubes ‐ CFSTs. These results are compared with the predicted results of the load‐bearing capacity of calculations of slender elements according to the methods suggested by Eurocode 4. The following types of tested CFSTs were analysed: circular and rectangular hollow section stub and long columns fully filled with concrete, which were with or without applied moments at the ends of specimen. During the results obtained in the result of the tests on the load bearing capacity for circular concrete‐filled steel tubular columns correspond with the calculated values based on methods presented by Eurocode 4. The experimental values of load bearing capacity for members of concrete‐filled rectangular hollow sections agree very well with the theoretical values where the concrete cylinder strength is below 75 N/mm2. The analysis demonstrated that preloading of concrete‐filled hollow section members does not influence the load bearing capacity.
This paper also presents the examination of stress state distribution for concrete‐filled hollow section members, influence of concrete preloading and of longitudinal stress strain curves.
Santrauka
Straipsnyje aptariami 1817 betonšerdžiu plieniniu vamzdiniu strypu eksperimentiniai duomenys. Šie duomenys lyginami su rezultatais, gautais remiantis Eurocode 4 pateiktais kompozitiniu elementu laikomosios galios nustatymo metodais. Analizuojami tokie betonšerdžiu plieniniu strypu bandiniu tipai: pilnavidures trumpos arba liaunos apskritojo ir stačiakampio skerspjūvio vamzdines betonšerdes plienines kolonos su ju galuose veikiančiu lenkiamuoju momentu arba be jo. Apskritojo skerspjūvio betonšerdžiu kolonu bandymu metu gautieji laikomosios galios rezultatai atitinka remiantis Eurocode 4 pateiktais metodais apskaičiuotasias ju reikšmes. Stačiakampio skerspjūvio betonšerdžiu elementu laikomosios galios bandymais rastosios reikšmes labai gerai atitinka teorines reikšmes, kai šerdies betono ritininis stipris nesiekia 75 N/mm2. Analizuojant nustatyta, kad išankstinis betonšerdžiu elementu apkrovimas neturi beveik jokio poveikio elementu laikomajai galiai. Šiame straipsnyje taip pat nagrinejamas betonšerdžiu elementu itempiu būviu pasiskirstymas, betono apspaudimo poveikis bei išilginiu deformaciju ir itempiu kreives.
First Published Online: 24 Jun 2011
Reikšminiai žodžiai: kompozitines konstrukcijos, betonšerdes plienines vamzdines kolonos, Eurocode 4, skaičiavimas, lyginimas, liaunumas, klupumas, laikomoji galia, bandymo rezultata
Two-dimensional hydrodynamic lattice-gas simulations of binary immiscible and ternary amphiphilic fluid flow through porous media
The behaviour of two dimensional binary and ternary amphiphilic fluids under
flow conditions is investigated using a hydrodynamic lattice gas model. After
the validation of the model in simple cases (Poiseuille flow, Darcy's law for
single component fluids), attention is focussed on the properties of binary
immiscible fluids in porous media. An extension of Darcy's law which explicitly
admits a viscous coupling between the fluids is verified, and evidence of
capillary effects are described. The influence of a third component, namely
surfactant, is studied in the same context. Invasion simulations have also been
performed. The effect of the applied force on the invasion process is reported.
As the forcing level increases, the invasion process becomes faster and the
residual oil saturation decreases. The introduction of surfactant in the
invading phase during imbibition produces new phenomena, including
emulsification and micellisation. At very low fluid forcing levels, this leads
to the production of a low-resistance gel, which then slows down the progress
of the invading fluid. At long times (beyond the water percolation threshold),
the concentration of remaining oil within the porous medium is lowered by the
action of surfactant, thus enhancing oil recovery. On the other hand, the
introduction of surfactant in the invading phase during drainage simulations
slows down the invasion process -- the invading fluid takes a more tortuous
path to invade the porous medium -- and reduces the oil recovery (the residual
oil saturation increases).Comment: 48 pages, 26 figures. Phys. Rev. E (in press
Imaging Spectropolarimetry with IBIS II: on the fine structure of G-band bright features
We present new results from first observations of the quiet solar photosphere
performed through the Interferometric BIdimensional Spectrometer (IBIS) in
spectropolarimetric mode. IBIS allowed us to measure the four Stokes parameters
in the FeI 630.15 nm and FeI 630.25 nm lines with high spatial and spectral
resolutions for 53 minutes; the polarimetric sensitivity achieved by the
instrument is 0.003 the continuum intensity level. We focus on the correlation
which emerges between G-band bright feature brightness and magnetic filling
factor of ~ 1000 G (kG) fields derived by inverting Stokes I and V profiles.
More in detail, we present the correlation first in a pixel-by-pixel study of
an approximatively 3 arcsec wide bright feature (a small network patch) and
then we show that such a result can be extended to all the bright features
found in the dataset at any instant of the time sequence. The higher the kG
filling factor associated to a feature the higher the brightness of the feature
itself. Filling factors up to about 35 % are obtained for the brightest
features. Considering the values of the filling factors derived from the
inversion analysis of spectropolarimetric data and the brightness variation
observed in G-band data we put forward an upper limit for the smallest scale
over which magnetic flux concentrations in intergranular lanes produce a G-band
brightness enhancement (~ 0.1''). Moreover, the brightness saturation observed
for feature sizes comparable to the resolution of the observations is
compatible with large G-band bright features being clusters of sub-arcsecond
bright points. This conclusion deserves to be confirmed by forthcoming
spectropolarimetric observations at higher spatial resolution.Comment: 10 pages, 7 figures, 1 table - Accepted for publication on Ap
Multiple genome-wide analyses of smoking behavior in the Framingham Heart Study
BACKGROUND: Cigarette smoking behavior may have a genetic basis. We assessed evidence for quantitative trait loci (QTLs) affecting the maximum number of cigarettes smoked per day, a trait meant to quantify this behavior, using data collected over 40 years as part of the Framingham Heart Study's original and offspring cohorts. RESULTS: Heritability was estimated to be approximately 21% using variance components (VC) methods (SOLAR), while oligogenic linkage and segregation analysis based on Bayesian Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) methods (LOKI) estimated a mean of two large QTLs contributing approximately 28% and 20%, respectively, to the trait's variance. Genome-wide parametric (FASTLINK) and VC linkage analyses (SOLAR) revealed several LOD scores greater than 1.0, with peak LOD scores using both methods on chromosomes 2, 17, and 20; multi-point MCMC methods followed up on these chromosomes. The most robust linkage results were for a QTL between 65 and 84 cM on chromosome 20 with signals from multiple sex- and age-adjusted analyses including two-point LOD scores of 1.30 (parametric) and 1.07 (heritability = 0.17, VC) at 70.51 cM, a multi-point LOD score of 1.50 (heritability = 0.20, VC) at 84 cM, and an intensity ratio of 12.0 (MCMC) at 65 cM. CONCLUSION: Familial aggregation of the maximum number of cigarettes smoked per day was consistent with a genetic component to this behavior, and oligogenic segregation analyses using MCMC suggested two important QTLs. Linkage signals on chromosome 20 between 65 and 84 cM were seen using multiple analytical methods. No linkage result, however, met genome-wide statistical significance criteria, and the true relationship between these regions and smoking behavior remains unclear
Isotropic singularity in inhomogeneous brane cosmological models
We discuss the asymptotic dynamical evolution of spatially inhomogeneous
brane-world cosmological models close to the initial singularity. By
introducing suitable scale-invariant dependent variables and a suitable gauge,
we write the evolution equations of the spatially inhomogeneous brane
cosmological models with one spatial degree of freedom as a system of
autonomous first-order partial differential equations. We study the system
numerically, and we find that there always exists an initial singularity, which
is characterized by the fact that spatial derivatives are dynamically
negligible. More importantly, from the numerical analysis we conclude that
there is an initial isotropic singularity in all of these spatially
inhomogeneous brane cosmologies for a range of parameter values which include
the physically important cases of radiation and a scalar field source. The
numerical results are supported by a qualitative dynamical analysis and a
calculation of the past asymptotic decay rates. Although the analysis is local
in nature, the numerics indicates that the singularity is isotropic for all
relevant initial conditions. Therefore this analysis, and a preliminary
investigation of general inhomogeneous () models, indicates that it is
plausible that the initial singularity is isotropic in spatially inhomogeneous
brane-world cosmological models and consequently that brane cosmology naturally
gives rise to a set of initial data that provide the conditions for inflation
to subsequently take place.Comment: 32 pages with 8 pictures. submitted to Class. Quant. Gra
Asymptotic silence-breaking singularities
We discuss three complementary aspects of scalar curvature singularities:
asymptotic causal properties, asymptotic Ricci and Weyl curvature, and
asymptotic spatial properties. We divide scalar curvature singularities into
two classes: so-called asymptotically silent singularities and non-generic
singularities that break asymptotic silence. The emphasis in this paper is on
the latter class which have not been previously discussed. We illustrate the
above aspects and concepts by describing the singularities of a number of
representative explicit perfect fluid solutions.Comment: 25 pages, 6 figure
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