245 research outputs found
Does the continuum theory of dynamic fracture work?
We investigate the validity of the Linear Elastic Fracture Mechanics approach
to dynamic fracture. We first test the predictions in a lattice simulation,
using a formula of Eshelby for the time-dependent Stress Intensity Factor.
Excellent agreement with the theory is found. We then use the same method to
analyze the experiment of Sharon and Fineberg. The data here is not consistent
with the theoretical expectation.Comment: 4 page
Steady-State Cracks in Viscoelastic Lattice Models II
We present the analytic solution of the Mode III steady-state crack in a
square lattice with piecewise linear springs and Kelvin viscosity. We show how
the results simplify in the limit of large width. We relate our results to a
model where the continuum limit is taken only along the crack direction. We
present results for small velocity, and for large viscosity, and discuss the
structure of the critical bifurcation for small velocity. We compute the size
of the process zone wherein standard continuum elasticity theory breaks down.Comment: 17 pages, 3 figure
Surface Instability in Windblown Sand
We investigate the formation of ripples on the surface of windblown sand
based on the one-dimensional model of Nishimori and Ouchi [Phys. Rev. Lett. 71,
197 (1993)], which contains the processes of saltation and grain relaxation. We
carry out a nonlinear analysis to determine the propagation speed of the
restabilized ripple patterns, and the amplitudes and phases of their first,
second, and third harmonics. The agreement between the theory and our numerical
simulations is excellent near the onset of instability. We also determine the
Eckhaus boundary, outside which the steady ripple patterns are unstable.Comment: 23 pages, 8 figure
Anomalous Dynamic Scaling in Locally-Conserved Coarsening of Fractal Clusters
We report two-dimensional phase-field simulations of locally-conserved
coarsening dynamics of random fractal clusters with fractal dimension D=1.7 and
1.5. The correlation function, cluster perimeter and solute mass are measured
as functions of time. Analyzing the correlation function dynamics, we identify
two different time-dependent length scales that exhibit power laws in time. The
exponents of these power laws are independent of D, one of them is apparently
the classic exponent 1/3. The solute mass versus time exhibits dynamic scaling
with a D-dependent exponent, in agreement with a simple scaling theory.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figure
Viscous fingering in liquid crystals: Anisotropy and morphological transitions
We show that a minimal model for viscous fingering with a nematic liquid
crystal in which anisotropy is considered to enter through two different
viscosities in two perpendicular directions can be mapped to a two-fold
anisotropy in the surface tension. We numerically integrate the dynamics of the
resulting problem with the phase-field approach to find and characterize a
transition between tip-splitting and side-branching as a function of both
anisotropy and dimensionless surface tension. This anisotropy dependence could
explain the experimentally observed (reentrant) transition as temperature and
applied pressure are varied. Our observations are also consistent with previous
experimental evidence in viscous fingering within an etched cell and
simulations of solidification.Comment: 12 pages, 3 figures. Submitted to PR
Lubricating Bacteria Model for Branching growth of Bacterial Colonies
Various bacterial strains (e.g. strains belonging to the genera Bacillus,
Paenibacillus, Serratia and Salmonella) exhibit colonial branching patterns
during growth on poor semi-solid substrates. These patterns reflect the
bacterial cooperative self-organization. Central part of the cooperation is the
collective formation of lubricant on top of the agar which enables the bacteria
to swim. Hence it provides the colony means to advance towards the food. One
method of modeling the colonial development is via coupled reaction-diffusion
equations which describe the time evolution of the bacterial density and the
concentrations of the relevant chemical fields. This idea has been pursued by a
number of groups. Here we present an additional model which specifically
includes an evolution equation for the lubricant excreted by the bacteria. We
show that when the diffusion of the fluid is governed by nonlinear diffusion
coefficient branching patterns evolves. We study the effect of the rates of
emission and decomposition of the lubricant fluid on the observed patterns. The
results are compared with experimental observations. We also include fields of
chemotactic agents and food chemotaxis and conclude that these features are
needed in order to explain the observations.Comment: 1 latex file, 16 jpeg files, submitted to Phys. Rev.
A cosmological concordance model with dynamical vacuum term
We demonstrate that creation of dark-matter particles at a constant rate
implies the existence of a cosmological term that decays linearly with the
Hubble rate. We discuss the cosmological model that arises in this context and
test it against observations of the first acoustic peak in the cosmic microwave
background (CMB) anisotropy spectrum, the Hubble diagram for supernovas of type
Ia (SNIa), the distance scale of baryonic acoustic oscillations (BAO) and the
distribution of large scale structures (LSS). We show that a good concordance
is obtained, albeit with a higher value of the present matter abundance than in
the \Lambda CDM model. We also comment on general features of the CMB
anisotropy spectrum and on the cosmic coincidence problem.Comment: Revised version. Accepted for publication in Physics Letters
Molecular phylogenetics of Phyllanthus sensu lato (Phyllanthaceae): Towards coherent monophyletic taxa
The genus Phyllanthus is paraphyletic as currently circumscribed, with the genera Breynia, Glochidion and Synostemon nested within it. A phylogeny based on nuclear (ITS, PHYC) and chloroplast (matK, accD-psaI, trnS-trnG) markers is presented, including 18/18 subgenera and 53/70 sections. Differences in habit, branching type, floral and fruit characters are discussed, and we find indications for shifts in pollination and dispersal strategies possibly underlying the convergent evolution of these characters in multiple clades. Several taxonomic issues were found in the subgeneric classification of Phyllanthus that will require new transfers and rank changes. Phyllanthus subg. Anesonemoides, subg. Conami, subg. Emblica, subg. Gomphidium, subg. Kirganelia and subg. Phyllanthus are polyphyletic, and several sections appear to be paraphyletic (e.g., P. sect. Anisonema, sect. Emblicastrum, sect. Pseudoactephila, sect. Swartziani, and sect. Xylophylla); P. subg. Phyllanthodendron is furthermore paraphyletic with the genus Glochidion nested within. To create a classification of tribe Phyllantheae that comprises exclusively monophyletic taxa, it is necessary to treat several clades at the same taxonomic rank as the genera Breynia, Glochidion and Synostemon. Since combining all genera would lead to one giant heterogeneous genus that is difficult to define, we recommend dividing Phyllanthus into several monophyletic genera, which have previously been recognized and often possess diagnostic (combinations of) morphological characters. This new classification is forthcoming.Plant sciencesNaturali
Sneutrino-induced like sign dilepton signal with conserved R-parity
Lepton number violation could be manifest in the sneutrino sector of
supersymmetric extensions of the standard model with conserved R-parity. Then
sneutrinos decay partly into the ``wrong sign charged lepton'' final state, if
kinematically accessible. In sneutrino pair production or associated single
sneutrino production, the signal then is a like sign dilepton final state.
Under favourable circumstances, such a signal could be visible at the LHC or a
next generation linear collider for a relative sneutrino mass-splitting of
order and sneutrino width of order (1 GeV). On the
other hand, the like sign dilepton event rate at the TEVATRON is probably too
small to be observable.Comment: 19 pages, 14 Figures. Section about LSD at LHC and TEVATRON added.
Previous Title "Single sneutrino production and the wrong charged lepton
signal
Monte Carlo simulation of subsurface ordering kinetics in an fcc-alloy model
Within the atom-vacancy exchange mechanism in a nearest-neighbor interaction
model we investigate the kinetics of surface-induced ordering processes close
to the (001) surface of an fcc A_3B-alloy. After a sudden quench into the
ordered phase with a final temperature above the ordering spinodal, T_f > T_sp,
the early time kinetics is dominated by a segregation front which propagates
into the bulk with nearly constant velocity. Below the spinodal, T_f < T_sp,
motion of the segregation wave reflects a coarsening process which appears to
be slower than predicted by the Lifschitz-Allen-Cahn law. In addition, in the
front-penetrated region lateral growth differs distinctly from perpendicular
growth, as a result of the special structure of antiphase boundaries near the
surface. Our results are compared with recent experiments on the subsurface
ordering kinetics at Cu_3Au (001).Comment: 10 pages, 9 figures, submitted to Phys. Rev. B, in prin
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