Modal element method for scattering of sound by absorbing bodies

The modal element method for acoustic scattering from 2-D body is presented. The body may be acoustically soft (absorbing) or hard (reflecting). The infinite computational region is divided into two subdomains - the bounded finite element domain, which is characterized by complicated geometry and/or variable material properties, and the surrounding unbounded homogeneous domain. The acoustic pressure field is represented approximately in the finite element domain by a finite element solution, and is represented analytically by an eigenfunction expansion in the homogeneous domain. The two solutions are coupled by the continuity of pressure and velocity across the interface between the two subdomains. Also, for hard bodies, a compact modal ring grid system is introduced for which computing requirements are drastically reduced. Analysis for 2-D scattering from solid and coated (acoustically treated) bodies is presented, and several simple numerical examples are discussed. In addition, criteria are presented for determining the number of modes to accurately resolve the scattered pressure field from a solid cylinder as a function of the frequency of the incoming wave and the radius of the cylinder

Informal Fallacies as Abductive Inferences

 All who teach logic are familiar with informal fallacies such as ad ignorantium (appeal to ignorance) and ad populum (appeal to popularity). While it is easy to give clear examples of poor reasoning of this sort, instructors are also cognizant of what might be called “exceptions”: when it is legitimate to appeal to popularity or to an absence of evidence. The view I defend here is that appeals to popularity and ignorance (and some other fallacies) should best be viewed as instances of abductive reasoning, or inferences to the best explanation. Thus, determinations of whether these types of arguments are good ones will rest on the criteria that determine good reasoning for abductive arguments generally

ANALYSIS OF THE DELAWARE MARKET FOR ORGANICALLY GROWN PRODUCE

Agribusiness,

Computer program for Bessel and Hankel functions

A set of FORTRAN subroutines for calculating Bessel and Hankel functions is presented. The routines calculate Bessel and Hankel functions of the first and second kinds, as well as their derivatives, for wide ranges of integer order and real or complex argument in single or double precision. Depending on the order and argument, one of three evaluation methods is used: the power series definition, an Airy function expansion, or an asymptotic expansion. Routines to calculate Airy functions and their derivatives are also included

AN ANALYSIS OF CONSUMER PERCEPTIONS OF FRESH FISH AND SEAFOOD IN THE DELMARVA REGION

Consumer/Household Economics,

Finite Difference Time Marching in the Frequency Domain: A Parabolic Formulation for the Convective Wave Equation

An explicit finite difference iteration scheme is developed to study harmonic sound propagation in ducts. To reduce storage requirements for large 3D problems, the time dependent potential form of the acoustic wave equation is used. To insure that the finite difference scheme is both explicit and stable, time is introduced into the Fourier transformed (steady-state) acoustic potential field as a parameter. Under a suitable transformation, the time dependent governing equation in frequency space is simplified to yield a parabolic partial differential equation, which is then marched through time to attain the steady-state solution. The input to the system is the amplitude of an incident harmonic sound source entering a quiescent duct at the input boundary, with standard impedance boundary conditions on the duct walls and duct exit. The introduction of the time parameter eliminates the large matrix storage requirements normally associated with frequency domain solutions, and time marching attains the steady-state quickly enough to make the method favorable when compared to frequency domain methods. For validation, this transient-frequency domain method is applied to sound propagation in a 2D hard wall duct with plug flow

Modal Ring Method for the Scattering of Electromagnetic Waves

The modal ring method for electromagnetic scattering from perfectly electric conducting (PEC) symmetrical bodies is presented. The scattering body is represented by a line of finite elements (triangular) on its outer surface. The infinite computational region surrounding the body is represented analytically by an eigenfunction expansion. The modal ring method effectively reduces the two dimensional scattering problem to a one-dimensional problem similar to the method of moments. The modal element method is capable of handling very high frequency scattering because it has a highly banded solution matrix

Preconditioning the Helmholtz Equation for Rigid Ducts

An innovative hyperbolic preconditioning technique is developed for the numerical solution of the Helmholtz equation which governs acoustic propagation in ducts. Two pseudo-time parameters are used to produce an explicit iterative finite difference scheme. This scheme eliminates the large matrix storage requirements normally associated with numerical solutions to the Helmholtz equation. The solution procedure is very fast when compared to other transient and steady methods. Optimization and an error analysis of the preconditioning factors are present. For validation, the method is applied to sound propagation in a 2D semi-infinite hard wall duct

Replication of Molluscum Contagiosum Virus

AbstractMolluscum contagiosum virus (MCV) infects preadolescent children and sexually active adults, frequently causing a disfiguring cutaneous disease in immunosuppressed HIV-infected individuals. The development of an efficacious treatment regime has been hampered by the failure to replicate the virus in the laboratory. Here we report the first demonstration of MCV replication in an experimental system. In human foreskin grafts to athymic mice, MCV induced morphological changes which were indistinguishable from patient biopsies and included the development and migration of molluscum bodies containing mature virions to the epidermal surface

Finite Difference Time Marching in the Frequency Domain: A Parabolic Formulation for Aircraft Acoustic Nacelle Design

An explicit finite difference iteration scheme is developed to study harmonic sound propagation in aircraft engine nacelles. To reduce storage requirements for large 3D problems, the time dependent potential form of the acoustic wave equation is used. To insure that the finite difference scheme is both explicit and stable, time is introduced into the Fourier transformed (steady-state) acoustic potential field as a parameter. Under a suitable transformation, the time dependent governing equation in frequency space is simplified to yield a parabolic partial differential equation, which is then marched through time to attain the steady-state solution. The input to the system is the amplitude of an incident harmonic sound source entering a quiescent duct at the input boundary, with standard impedance boundary conditions on the duct walls and duct exit. The introduction of the time parameter eliminates the large matrix storage requirements normally associated with frequency domain solutions, and time marching attains the steady-state quickly enough to make the method favorable when compared to frequency domain methods. For validation, this transient-frequency domain method is applied to sound propagation in a 2D hard wall duct with plug flow