Experimental and numerical study of interaction between particle loaded fluid and a rough wall with micropillars

© 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. Experimental and numerical studies of the behavior of a slurry in a shear flow over a rough surface with a defined micro-structure are presented. A new ring shear device was built which contains an optically transparent test chamber. Its bottom wall contains arrays of micro-cantilever force sensors simulating a defined surface roughness created by deep-etching of micro-pillars in a silicon wafer. The results of visual observation of the interaction of the suspension with the structured surface during severe deformation are shown. Observations comprise the liquid phase motion, i.e., the interaction between the liquid phase and solid particles, the movement of separate particles and their interactions with the micro-pillars. Abrupt changes in rotational motion and translational velocity of particles are observed that induce mutual collisions and successive formation and break-up of cluster structures of various types. In addition to the experiments the process was simulated with discrete element (DEM) simulations. Many characteristics found in the experiments are reproduced by the simulations. Furthermore the physical quantities of the process like contact forces or velocities can be quantified which helps us to develop more detailed models of the abrasive behavior of slurries

Von Neumann equations with time-dependent Hamiltonians and supersymmetric quantum mechanics

Starting with a time-independent Hamiltonian $h$ and an appropriately chosen solution of the von Neumann equation $i\dot\rho(t)=[ h,\rho(t)]$ we construct its binary-Darboux partner $h_1(t)$ and an exact scattering solution of $i\dot\rho_1(t)=[h_1(t),\rho_1(t)]$ where $h_1(t)$ is time-dependent and not isospectral to $h$. The method is analogous to supersymmetric quantum mechanics but is based on a different version of a Darboux transformation. We illustrate the technique by the example where $h$ corresponds to a 1-D harmonic oscillator. The resulting $h_1(t)$ represents a scattering of a soliton-like pulse on a three-level system.Comment: revtex, 3 eps file

Covariance systems

We introduce new definitions of states and of representations of covariance systems. The GNS-construction is generalized to this context. It associates a representation with each state of the covariance system. Next, states are extended to states of an appropriate covariance algebra. Two applications are given. We describe a nonrelativistic quantum particle, and we give a simple description of the quantum spacetime model introduced by Doplicher et al.Comment: latex with ams-latex, 23 page

Generalized early warning signals in multivariate and gridded data with an application to tropical cyclones

Tipping events in dynamical systems have been studied across many applications, often by measuring changes in variance or autocorrelation in a one-dimensional time series. In this paper, methods for detecting early warning signals of tipping events in multidimensional systems are reviewed and expanded. An analytical justification of the use of dimension-reduction by empirical orthogonal functions, in the context of early warning signals, is provided and the one-dimensional techniques are also extended to spatially separated time series over a 2D field. The challenge of predicting an approaching tropical cyclone by a tipping-point analysis of the sea-level pressure series is used as the primary example, and an analytical model of a moving cyclone is also developed in order to test predictions. We show that the one-dimensional power spectrum indicator may be used following dimension-reduction or over a 2D field. We also show the validity of our moving cyclone model with respect to tipping-point indicators. Many dynamical systems experience sudden shifts in behavior, often referred to as tipping points or critical transitions. A volume of work is dedicated to detecting and predicting these critical transitions, often making use of generic early warning signal (EWS) indicators based on autocorrelation1,2 and increasing variance.3,4 Similar indicators based on other scaling properties of the time series, namely, detrended fluctuation analysis (DFA)5,6 and power spectrum scaling,7 have also been used. Other methods have estimated parameters to fit a model to the data, both for detecting critical transitions8–10 and for predicting future transitions dynamics

Complete positivity of nonlinear evolution: A case study

Simple Hartree-type equations lead to dynamics of a subsystem that is not completely positive in the sense accepted in mathematical literature. In the linear case this would imply that negative probabilities have to appear for some system that contains the subsystem in question. In the nonlinear case this does not happen because the mathematical definition is physically unfitting as shown on a concrete example.Comment: extended version, 3 appendices added (on mixed states, projection postulate, nonlocality), to be published in Phys. Rev.

Adaptive cluster expansion for the inverse Ising problem: convergence, algorithm and tests

We present a procedure to solve the inverse Ising problem, that is to find the interactions between a set of binary variables from the measure of their equilibrium correlations. The method consists in constructing and selecting specific clusters of variables, based on their contributions to the cross-entropy of the Ising model. Small contributions are discarded to avoid overfitting and to make the computation tractable. The properties of the cluster expansion and its performances on synthetic data are studied. To make the implementation easier we give the pseudo-code of the algorithm.Comment: Paper submitted to Journal of Statistical Physic

Quantum feedback with weak measurements

The problem of feedback control of quantum systems by means of weak measurements is investigated in detail. When weak measurements are made on a set of identical quantum systems, the single-system density matrix can be determined to a high degree of accuracy while affecting each system only slightly. If this information is fed back into the systems by coherent operations, the single-system density matrix can be made to undergo an arbitrary nonlinear dynamics, including for example a dynamics governed by a nonlinear Schr\"odinger equation. We investigate the implications of such nonlinear quantum dynamics for various problems in quantum control and quantum information theory, including quantum computation. The nonlinear dynamics induced by weak quantum feedback could be used to create a novel form of quantum chaos in which the time evolution of the single-system wave function depends sensitively on initial conditions.Comment: 11 pages, TeX, replaced to incorporate suggestions of Asher Pere

NEAT-FT: the European fiber link collaboration

The development of clocks based on optical transitions during the past three decades culminates in the availability of optical clocks with unprecedented stability and uncertainty . Simultaneously, increasing requirements for accurate time and frequency signals, e.g. for tests of fundamental physics or novel applications in relativistic geodesy, put forward new challenges. Typically, such applications rely on the comparison of two remote clocks. Thus, major challenges are how to synchronize these clocks over long distances or how to get the time or frequency signal of a clock to the location where it is required. It is generally agreed that optical fiber links are an excellent alternative to established satellite based distant clock comparison and synchronization techniques. A European joint research project called Network for European Accurate Time and Frequency Transfer (NEAT-FT) has been initiated in 2011 to lay the foundations for a novel approach to disseminate high-precision timing and ultrastable frequency signals by using existing fiber infrastructure. Since Europe has a large number of modern ultra-precise clocks, special emphasis is put on the development of new techniques for time transfer and phase-coherent comparison of remotely located optical clocks and the feasibility of a European fibre network connecting optical clocks in Europe. This talk highlights recent achievements and discusses some applications and prospects

Translation invariant extensions of finite volume measures

We investigate the following questions: Given a measure μΛ on configurations on a subset Λ of a lattice L, where a configuration is an element of ΩΛ for some fixed set Ω, does there exist a measure μ on configurations on all of L, invariant under some specified symme- try group of L, such that μΛ is its marginal on configurations on Λ? When the answer is yes, what are the properties, e.g., the entropies, of such measures? Our primary focus is the case in which L = Zd and the symmetries are the translations. For the case in which Λ is an interval in Z we give a simple necessary and sufficient condition, local translation invariance (LTI), for extendibility. For LTI measures we construct extensions having maximal entropy, which we show are Gibbs measures; this construction extends to the case in which L is the Bethe lattice. On Z we also consider extensions supported on periodic configurations, which are analyzed using de Bruijn graphs and which include the extensions with minimal entropy. When Λ ⊂ Z is not an interval, or when Λ ⊂ Zd with d > 1, the LTI condition is necessary but not sufficient for extendibility. For Zd with d > 1, extendibility is in some sense undecidable

Discovery of AZD3199, an inhaled ultralong acting β2 receptor agonist with rapid onset of action

A series of dibasic des-hydroxy β2 receptor agonists has been prepared and evaluated for potential as inhaled ultra-long acting bronchodilators. Determination of activities at the human β-adrenoreceptors demonstrated a series of highly potent and selective β2 receptor agonists that were progressed to further study in a guinea pig histamine-induced bronchoconstriction model. Following further assessment by; onset studies in guinea pig tracheal rings and human bronchial rings contracted with methacholine (guinea pigs) or carbachol (humans), duration of action studies in guinea pigs after intratracheal (i. t.) administration and further selectivity and safety profiling AZD3199 was shown to have an excellent over all profile and was progressed into clinical evaluation as a new ultra-long acting inhaled β2 receptor agonist with rapid onset of action