7,012 research outputs found
Interphase layer optimization for metal matrix composites with fabrication considerations
A methodology is presented to reduce the final matrix microstresses for metal matrix composites by concurrently optimizing the interphase characteristics and fabrication process. Application cases include interphase tailoring with and without fabrication considerations for two material systems, graphite/copper and silicon carbide/titanium. Results indicate that concurrent interphase/fabrication optimization produces significant reductions in the matrix residual stresses and strong coupling between interphase and fabrication tailoring. The interphase coefficient of thermal expansion and the fabrication consolidation pressure are the most important design parameters and must be concurrently optimized to further reduce the microstresses to more desirable magnitudes
Tailored metal matrix composites for high-temperature performance
A multi-objective tailoring methodology is presented to maximize stiffness and load carrying capacity of a metal matrix cross-ply laminated at elevated temperatures. The fabrication process and fiber volume ratio are used as the design variables. A unique feature is the concurrent effects from fabrication, residual stresses, material nonlinearity, and thermo-mechanical loading on the laminate properties at the post-fabrication phase. For a (0/90)(sub s) graphite/copper laminate, strong coupling was observed between the fabrication process, laminate characteristics, and thermo-mechanical loading. The multi-objective tailoring was found to be more effective than single objective tailoring. Results indicate the potential to increase laminate stiffness and load carrying capacity by controlling the critical parameters of the fabrication process and the laminate
Baryon Electromagnetic Properties in Partially Quenched Heavy Hadron Chiral Perturbation Theory
The electromagnetic properties of baryons containing a heavy quark are
calculated at next-to-leading order in partially quenched heavy hadron chiral
perturbation theory. Calculations are performed for three light flavors in the
isospin limit and additionally for two light non-degenerate flavors. We use
partially-quenched charge matrices that are easy to implement on the lattice.
The results presented are necessary for the light quark mass extrapolation and
zero-momentum extrapolation of lattice QCD and partially quenched lattice QCD
calculations of heavy hadron electromagnetic properties. Additionally relations
between the sextet electromagnetic form factors and transition form factors are
derived.Comment: 29 pages, 3 figures, RevTex
Doubly Heavy Baryons and Quark-Diquark Symmetry in Quenched and Partially Quenched Chiral Perturbation Theory
We extend the chiral Lagrangian with heavy quark-diquark symmetry to quenched
and partially quenched theories. These theories are used to derive formulae for
the chiral extrapolation of masses and hyperfine splittings of doubly heavy
baryons in lattice QCD simulations. A quark-diquark symmetry prediction for the
hyperfine splittings of heavy mesons and doubly heavy baryons is rather
insensitive to chiral corrections in both quenched and partially quenched QCD.
Extrapolation formulae for the doubly heavy baryon electromagnetic transition
moments are also determined for the partially quenched theory.Comment: 19pp, Ref. adde
Small angle neutron scattering contrast variation reveals heterogeneities of interactions in protein gels
The structure of model gluten protein gels prepared in ethanol/water is
investigated by small angle X-ray (SAXS) and neutrons (SANS) scattering. We
show that gluten gels display radically different SAXS and SANS profiles when
the solvent is (at least partially) deuterated. The detailed analysis of the
SANS signal as a function of the solvent deuteration demonstrates
heterogeneities of sample deuteration at different length scales. The
progressive exchange between the protons (H) of the proteins and the deuteriums
(D) of the solvent is inhomogeneous and 60 nm large zones that are enriched in
H are evidenced. In addition, at low protein concentration, in the sol state,
solvent deuteration induces a liquid/liquid phase separation. Complementary
biochemical and structure analyses show that the denser protein phase is more
protonated and specifically enriched in glutenin, the polymeric fraction of
gluten proteins. These findings suggest that the presence of H-rich zones in
gluten gels would arise from the preferential interaction of glutenin polymers
through a tight network of non-exchangeable intermolecular hydrogen bonds.Comment: Soft Matter, Royal Society of Chemistry, 201
Staggered Chiral Perturbation Theory and the Fourth-Root Trick
Staggered chiral perturbation theory (schpt) takes into account the
"fourth-root trick" for reducing unwanted (taste) degrees of freedom with
staggered quarks by multiplying the contribution of each sea quark loop by a
factor of 1/4. In the special case of four staggered fields (four flavors,
nF=4), I show here that certain assumptions about analyticity and phase
structure imply the validity of this procedure for representing the rooting
trick in the chiral sector. I start from the observation that, when the four
flavors are degenerate, the fourth root simply reduces nF=4 to nF=1. One can
then treat nondegenerate quark masses by expanding around the degenerate limit.
With additional assumptions on decoupling, the result can be extended to the
more interesting cases of nF=3, 2, or 1. A apparent paradox associated with the
one-flavor case is resolved. Coupled with some expected features of unrooted
staggered quarks in the continuum limit, in particular the restoration of taste
symmetry, schpt then implies that the fourth-root trick induces no problems
(for example, a violation of unitarity that persists in the continuum limit) in
the lowest energy sector of staggered lattice QCD. It also says that the theory
with staggered valence quarks and rooted staggered sea quarks behaves like a
simple, partially-quenched theory, not like a "mixed" theory in which sea and
valence quarks have different lattice actions. In most cases, the assumptions
made in this paper are not only sufficient but also necessary for the validity
of schpt, so that a variety of possible new routes for testing this validity
are opened.Comment: 39 pages, 3 figures. v3: minor changes: improved explanations and
less tentative discussion in several places; corresponds to published versio
Light elements in massive single and binary stars
We highlight the role of the light elements (Li, Be, B) in the evolution of
massive single and binary stars, which is largely restricted to a diagnostic
value, and foremost so for the element boron. However, we show that the boron
surface abundance in massive early type stars contains key information about
their foregoing evolution which is not obtainable otherwise. In particular, it
allows to constrain internal mixing processes and potential previous mass
transfer event for binary stars (even if the companion has disappeared). It may
also help solving the mystery of the slowly rotating nitrogen-rich massive main
sequence stars.Comment: 10 pages, 8 figures, to appear in proc. IAU-Symp. 268. C. Charbonnel
et al., eds
Optical characterization of marine phytoplankton assemblages within surface waters of the western Arctic Ocean.
An extensive data set of measurements within the Chukchi and Beaufort Seas is used to characterize the optical properties of seawater associated with different phytoplankton communities. Hierarchical cluster analysis of diagnostic pigment concentrations partitioned stations into four distinct surface phytoplankton communities based on taxonomic composition and average cell size. Concurrent optical measurements of spectral absorption and backscattering coefficients and remote-sensing reflectance were used to characterize the magnitudes and spectral shapes of seawater optical properties associated with each phytoplankton assemblage. The results demonstrate measurable differences among communities in the average spectral shapes of the phytoplankton absorption coefficient. Similar or smaller differences were also observed in the spectral shapes of nonphytoplankton absorption coefficients and the particulate backscattering coefficient. Phytoplankton on average, however, contributed only 25% or less to the total absorption coefficient of seawater. Our analyses indicate that the interplay between the magnitudes and relative contributions of all optically significant constituents generally dampens any influence of varying phytoplankton absorption spectral shapes on the total absorption coefficient, yet there is still a marked discrimination observed in the spectral shape of the ratio of the total backscattering to total absorption coefficient and remote-sensing reflectance among the phytoplankton assemblages. These spectral variations arise mainly from differences in the bio-optical environment in which specific communities were found, as opposed to differences in the spectral shapes of phytoplankton optical properties per se. These results suggest potential approaches for the development of algorithms to assess phytoplankton community composition from measurements of seawater optical properties in western Arctic waters
Spectroscopic determination of the fundamental parameters of 66 B-type stars in the field-of-view of the CoRoT satellite
We aim to determine the fundamental parameters of a sample of B stars with
apparent visual magnitudes below 8 in the field-of-view of the CoRoT space
mission, from high-resolution spectroscopy. We developed an automatic procedure
for the spectroscopic analysis of B-type stars with winds, based on an
extensive grid of FASTWIND model atmospheres. We use the equivalent widths
and/or the line profile shapes of continuum normalized hydrogen, helium and
silicon line profiles to determine the fundamental properties of these stars in
an automated way. After thorough tests, both on synthetic datasets and on very
high-quality, high-resolution spectra of B stars for which we already had
accurate values of their physical properties from alternative analyses, we
applied our method to 66 B-type stars contained in the ground-based archive of
the CoRoT space mission. We discuss the statistical properties of the sample
and compare them with those predicted by evolutionary models of B stars. Our
spectroscopic results provide a valuable starting point for any future seismic
modelling of the stars, should they be observed by CoRoT.Comment: 31 pages (including 14 pages online material), 32 figure
First orbital solution for the non-thermal emitter Cyg OB2 #9
After the first detection of its binary nature, the spectroscopic monitoring
of the non-thermal radio emitter Cyg OB2 #9 (P=2.4yrs) has continued, doubling
the number of available spectra of the star. Since the discovery paper of 2008,
a second periastron passage has occurred in February 2009. Using a variety of
techniques, the radial velocities could be estimated and a first, preliminary
orbital solution was derived from the HeI5876 line. The mass ratio appears
close to unity and the eccentricity is large, 0.7--0.75. X-ray data from 2004
and 2007 are also analyzed in quest of peculiarities linked to binarity. The
observations reveal no large overluminosity nor strong hardness, but it must be
noted that the high-energy data were taken after the periastron passage, at a
time where colliding wind emission may be low. Some unusual X-ray variability
is however detected, with a 10% flux decrease between 2004 and 2007. To clarify
their origin and find a more obvious signature of the wind-wind collision,
additional data, taken at periastron and close to it, are needed.Comment: 15 pages, 4 figures, accepted by Ap
- …