375 research outputs found
Structure of velocity distributions in shock waves in granular gases with extension to molecular gases
International audienceVelocity distributions in normal shock waves obtained in dilute granular flows are studied. These distributions cannot be described by a simple functional shape and are believed to be bimodal. Our results show that these distributions are not strictly bimodal but a trimodal distribution is shown to be sufficient. The usual Mott-Smith bimodal description of these distributions, developed for molecular gases, and based on the coexistence of two subpopulations (a supersonic and a subsonic population) in the shock front, can be modified by adding a third subpopulation. Our experiments show that this additional population results from collisions between the supersonic and subsonic subpopulations. We propose a simple approach incorporating the role of this third intermediate population to model the measured probability distributions and apply it to granular shocks as well as shocks in molecular gases
Torsional birefringence in metric-affine Chern-Simons gravity: gravitational waves in late-time cosmology
In the context of the metric-affine Chern-Simons gravity endowed with
projective invariance, we derive analytical solutions for torsion and
nonmetricity in the homogeneous and isotropic cosmological case, described by a
flat Friedmann-Robertson-Walker metric. We describe in some details the general
properties of the cosmological solutions in the presence of a perfect fluid,
such as dynamical stability and the settling of big bounce points, and we
discuss the structure of some specific solutions reproducing de Sitter and
power law behaviours for the scale factor. Then, we focus on first-order
perturbations in the de Sitter scenario, and we study the propagation of
gravitational waves in the adiabatic limit, looking at tensor and scalar
polarizations. In particular, we find that metric tensor modes couple to
torsion tensor components, leading to the appearance, as in the metric version
of Chern-Simons gravity, of birefringence, described by different dispersion
relations for the left and right circularized polarization states. As a result,
the purely tensor part of torsion propagates like a wave, while nonmetricity
decouples and behaves like a harmonic oscillator. Finally, we discuss scalar
modes, outlining as they decay exponentially in time and do not propagate.Comment: References adde
Numerical studies towards practical large-eddy simulation
Large-eddy simulation developments and validations are presented for an
improved simulation of turbulent internal flows. Numerical methods are proposed
according to two competing criteria: numerical qualities (precision and
spectral characteristics), and adaptability to complex configurations. First,
methods are tested on academic test-cases, in order to abridge with fundamental
studies. Consistent results are obtained using adaptable finite volume method,
with higher order advection fluxes, implicit grid filtering and "low-cost"
shear-improved Smagorinsky model. This analysis particularly focuses on mean
flow, fluctuations, two-point correlations and spectra. Moreover, it is shown
that exponential averaging is a promising tool for LES implementation in
complex geometry with deterministic unsteadiness. Finally, adaptability of the
method is demonstrated by application to a configuration representative of
blade-tip clearance flow in a turbomachine
Crack Front Waves and the dynamics of a rapidly moving crack
Crack front waves are localized waves that propagate along the leading edge
of a crack. They are generated by the interaction of a crack with a localized
material inhomogeneity. We show that front waves are nonlinear entities that
transport energy, generate surface structure and lead to localized velocity
fluctuations. Their existence locally imparts inertia, which is not
incorporated in current theories of fracture, to initially "massless" cracks.
This, coupled to crack instabilities, yields both inhomogeneity and scaling
behavior within fracture surface structure.Comment: Embedded Latex file including 4 figure
Elastic forces that do no work and the dynamics of fast cracks
Elastic singularities such as crack tips, when in motion through a medium
that is itself vibrating, are subject to forces orthogonal to the direction of
motion and thus impossible to determine by energy considerations alone. This
fact is used to propose a universal scenario, in which three dimensionality is
essential, for the dynamic instability of fast cracks in thin brittle
materials.Comment: 8 pages Latex, 1 Postscript figur
Continuum field description of crack propagation
We develop continuum field model for crack propagation in brittle amorphous
solids. The model is represented by equations for elastic displacements
combined with the order parameter equation which accounts for the dynamics of
defects. This model captures all important phenomenology of crack propagation:
crack initiation, propagation, dynamic fracture instability, sound emission,
crack branching and fragmentation.Comment: 4 pages, 5 figures, submitted to Phys. Rev. Lett. Additional
information can be obtained from http://gershwin.msd.anl.gov/theor
Energy radiation of moving cracks
The energy radiated by moving cracks in a discrete background is analyzed.
The energy flow through a given surface is expressed in terms of a generalized
Poynting vector. The velocity of the crack is determined by the radiation by
the crack tip. The radiation becomes more isotropic as the crack velocity
approaches the instability threshold.Comment: 7 pages, embedded figure
Arrested Cracks in Nonlinear Lattice Models of Brittle Fracture
We generalize lattice models of brittle fracture to arbitrary nonlinear force
laws and study the existence of arrested semi-infinite cracks. Unlike what is
seen in the discontinuous case studied to date, the range in driving
displacement for which these arrested cracks exist is very small. Also, our
results indicate that small changes in the vicinity of the crack tip can have
an extremely large effect on arrested cracks. Finally, we briefly discuss the
possible relevance of our findings to recent experiments.Comment: submitted to PRE, Rapid Communication
Submillimetre point sources from the Archeops experiment: Very Cold Clumps in the Galactic Plane
Archeops is a balloon-borne experiment, mainly designed to measure the Cosmic
Microwave Background (CMB) temperature anisotropies at high angular resolution
(~ 12 arcminutes). By-products of the mission are shallow sensitivity maps over
a large fraction of the sky (about 30 %) in the millimetre and submillimetre
range at 143, 217, 353 and 545 GHz. From these maps, we produce a catalog of
bright submillimetre point sources. We present in this paper the processing and
analysis of the Archeops point sources. Redundancy across detectors is the key
factor allowing to sort out glitches from genuine point sources in the 20
independent maps. We look at the properties of the most reliable point sources,
totalling 304. Fluxes range from 1 to 10,000 Jy (at the frequencies covering
143 to 545 GHz). All sources are either planets (2) or of galactic origin.
Longitude range is from 75 to 198 degrees. Some of the sources are associated
with well-known Lynds Nebulae and HII compact regions in the galactic plane. A
large fraction of the sources have an IRAS counterpart. Except for Jupiter,
Saturn, the Crab and Cas A, all sources show a dust-emission-like modified
blackbody emission spectrum. Temperatures cover a range from 7 to 27 K. For the
coldest sources (T<10 K), a steep nu^beta emissivity law is found with a
surprising beta ~ 3 to 4. An inverse relationship between T and beta is
observed. The number density of sources at 353 GHz with flux brighter than 100
Jy is of the order of 1 per degree of Galactic longitude. These sources will
provide a strong check for the calibration of the Planck HFI focal plane
geometry as a complement to planets. These very cold sources observed by
Archeops should be prime targets for mapping observations by the Akari and
Herschel space missions and ground--based observatories.Comment: Version matching the published article (English improved). Published
in Astron. Astrophys, 21 pages, 13 figures, 4 tables Full article (with
complete tables) can be retrieved at
http://www.archeops.org/Archeops_Publicatio
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