Nucleation of reaction-diffusion waves on curved surfaces

We study reaction-diffusion waves on curved two-dimensional surfaces, and determine the influence of curvature upon the nucleation and propagation of spatially localized waves in an excitable medium modelled by the generic FitzHugh-Nagumo model. We show that the stability of propagating wave segments depends crucially on the curvature of the surface. As they propagate, they may shrink to the uniform steady state, or expand, depending on whether they are smaller or larger, respectively, than a critical nucleus. This critical nucleus for wave propagation is modified by the curvature acting like an effective space-dependent local spatial coupling, similar to diffusion, thus extending the regime of propagating excitation waves beyond the excitation threshold of flat surfaces. In particular, a negative gradient of Gaussian curvature $\Gamma$, as on the outside of a torus surface (positive $\Gamma$), when the wave segment symmetrically extends into the inside (negative $\Gamma$), allows for stable propagation of localized wave segments remaining unchanged in size and shape, or oscillating periodically in size

Analyzing critical propagation in a reaction-diffusion-advection model using unstable slow waves

The effect of advection on the critical minimal speed of traveling waves is studied. Previous theoretical studies estimated the effect on the velocity of stable fast waves and predicted the existence of a critical advection strength below which propagating waves are not supported anymore. In this paper, the critical advection strength is calculated taking into account the unstable slow wave solution. Thereby, theoretical results predict, that advection can induce stable wave propagation in the non-excitable parameter regime, if the advection strength exceeds a critical value. In addition, an analytical expression for the advection-velocity relation of the unstable slow wave is derived. Predictions are confirmed numerically in a two-variable reaction-diffusion model.Comment: 11 pages, 8 figure

Concepts and Actors in Organic Livestock Husbandry in Bolivia

Traditional smallholder livestock production is expected to correspond widely with principles of organic livestock farming. Though, the real magnitude of livestock under organic and alike management is unknown. From stakeholder analysis and structured interviews with key persons in Bolivia it is deduced that similarities are widely given, whereas it is questioned whether a formal individual certification approach for livestock products will match the farmer interests and consumer demands

Analysis of thermal evolution in textile fabrics using advanced microstructure simulation techniques

Nowadays, membrane structures represent a modern construction element to be used as roof material in modern buildings or as design element in combination with traditional architecture. Membranes are mostly used in an outdoor environment. Therefore they are exposed to wind, radiation (solar and infrared), rain and snow. Specific membranes are three-dimensional fabrics which can be used as energy absorber or as insulation of membrane roofs. The applicability as energy absorber becomes important if the three-dimensional fabrics are designed as a porous flow channel streamed by air and convectively heated up. The transferred energy may be stored in a latent heat storage system. Due to their porous structure, textile fabrics have a large heat-exchanging surface. If they are handled as homogenized porous structures, the heat transfer processes can not be described in a correct way. Therefore a microstructure model locally resolving all filaments of the three-dimensional fabrics has been formulated. By using an advanced meshing tool, a simulation technique has been developed taking into account the local heat conduction properties of the different materials. To analyse the heat transfer processes inside the three-dimensional fabrics, numerical simulations have been performed using the phase-field solver (Pace3D) of the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology and the commercial CFD-Solver StarCCM+. For a better understanding of the thermal behaviour of the fabrics, different thermal loads including thermal conduction in the microstructure (filaments) and convection by the surrounding air have been computed. The results show that the advanced simulation techniques allow to analyse the rate of conductive and convective heat transfer in three-dimensional fabrics. The results of the applied computational methods are compared

Channeling 5-min photospheric oscillations into the solar outer atmosphere through small-scale vertical magnetic flux tubes

We report two-dimensional MHD simulations which demonstrate that photospheric 5-min oscillations can leak into the chromosphere inside small-scale vertical magnetic flux tubes. The results of our numerical experiments are compatible with those inferred from simultaneous spectropolarimetric observations of the photosphere and chromosphere obtained with the Tenerife Infrared Polarimeter (TIP) at 10830 A. We conclude that the efficiency of energy exchange by radiation in the solar photosphere can lead to a significant reduction of the cut-off frequency and may allow for the propagation of the 5 minutes waves vertically into the chromosphere.Comment: accepted by ApJ

Проект установки отмывки электролитического порошка титана от фторидных солей электролита производительностью 30 кг/час

Выпускная квалификационная работа в форме дипломного проекта 118 с., 24 рис., 23 табл., 46 источников, 1 приложение. Ключевые слова: электролиз, катодный осадок, отмывка. Цель работы – спроектировать цех для проведения процесса отмывки титанового порошка. Основные конструктивные, технологические и технико-эксплуатационные характеристики: Объем и габаритные размеры основного аппарата составляют: V = 0,25 м3, D = 0,8 м, H = 1,8 м. Степень внедрения: проект находится на стадии разработки. Область применения: Химическая технология редких металлов. Экономическая эффективность/значимость работы: экономический эффект – снижение себестоимости титанового порошка и увеличение прибыли.Die Abschlußqualifikationsarbeit in Form vom Diplomprojekt 118 mit., 24 Abb., 23 Tabellen, 46 Quellen, 1 Anlage. Die Stichwörter: die Elektrolyse, die Kathodenablagerung, das Abwaschen. Das Ziel der Arbeit – die Abteilung für die Verwirklichung des Prozesses des Abwaschens des Titanpulvers zu entwerfen. Die Haupt- konstruktiven, technologischen und techniko-Betriebscharakteristiken: der Umfang und die Ladeumfänge des Hauptapparates bilden: V = 0,25 м3, D = 0,8 m, H = 1,8 m Die Stufe der Einführung: das Projekt befindet sich auf dem Stadium der Entwicklung. Das Gebiet der Anwendung: die Chemische Technologie der seltenen Metalle. Die Wirtschaftseffektivität/Bedeutsamkeit der Arbeit: der Nutzeffekt – die Selbstkostenverringerung des Titanpulvers und die Vergrößerung des Gewinnes

Quiet Sun magnetic fields from simultaneous inversions of visible and infrared spectropolarimetric observations

We study the quiet Sun magnetic fields using spectropolarimetric observations of the infrared and visible Fe I lines at 6301.5, 6302.5, 15648 and 15653 A. Magnetic field strengths and filling factors are inferred by the simultaneous fit of the observed Stokes profiles under the MISMA hypothesis. The observations cover an intra-network region at the solar disk center. We analyze 2280 Stokes profiles whose polarization signals are above noise in the two spectral ranges, which correspond to 40% of the field of view. Most of these profiles can be reproduced only with a model atmosphere including 3 magnetic components with very different field strengths, which indicates the co-existence of kG and sub-kG fields in our 1.5" resolution elements. We measure an unsigned magnetic flux density of 9.6 G considering the full field of view. Half of the pixels present magnetic fields with mixed polarities in the resolution element. The fraction of mixed polarities increases as the polarization weakens. We compute the probability density function of finding each magnetic field strength. It has a significant contribution of kG field strengths, which concentrates most of the observed magnetic flux and energy. This kG contribution has a preferred magnetic polarity, while the polarity of the weak fields is balanced.Comment: 16 pages and 14 figure

de-Broglie Wave-Front Engineering

We propose a simple method for the deterministic generation of an arbitrary continuous quantum state of the center-of-mass of an atom. The method's spatial resolution gradually increases with the interaction time with no apparent fundamental limitations. Such de-Broglie Wave-Front Engineering of the atomic density can find applications in Atom Lithography, and we discuss possible implementations of our scheme in atomic beam experiments.Comment: The figures' quality was improved, the text remains intact. 5 pages, 3 figures; submitted to PR

Quantum synthesis of arbitrary unitary operators

Nature provides us with a restricted set of microscopic interactions. The question is whether we can synthesize out of these fundamental interactions an arbitrary unitary operator. In this paper we present a constructive algorithm for realization of any unitary operator which acts on a (truncated) Hilbert space of a single bosonic mode. In particular, we consider a physical implementation of unitary transformations acting on 1-dimensional vibrational states of a trapped ion. As an example we present an algorithm which realizes the discrete Fourier transform.Comment: 6 RevTeX pages with 3 figures, submitted to Phys.Rev.A, see also http://nic.savba.sk/sav/inst/fyzi/qo