Thermal-dynamic modeling study

Study provides basic information for designing models and conducting thermal-dynamic structural tests. Factors considered are development and interpretation of thermal-dynamic structural scaling laws; identification of major problem areas; and presentation of model fabrication, instrumentation, and test procedures

Modal sensitivity for structural systems with repeated frequencies

Repeated or closely packed modal frequencies are common physical occurrences for vibrating structures which are complex or possess multi-planes of symmetry. The computation of the sensitivity to structural modifications for these frequencies and mode shapes is made difficult by the fact that the mode shapes are not unique, since any linear combination of eigenvectors corresponding to a repeated eigenvalue is also an eigenvector. The work of Chen and Pan is extended, who used modal expansion techniques for accommodating the sensitivity analysis of structures with repeated eigenvalues. Starting with a discussion of the physical significance of sensitivity analysis for repeated frequency modes, a derivation is presented of the governing equations for the derivatives of a repeated eigenvalue. This is followed with a small example to illustrate the results. An efficient computation procedure, based upon an expansion of Nelson's ideas for large banded systems, is then proposed for systems with repeated or closely spaced eigenvalues

An interpretation and solution of ill-conditioned linear equations

Data insufficiency, poorly conditioned matrices and singularities in equations occur regularly in complex optimization, correlation, and interdisciplinary model studies. This work concerns itself with two methods of obtaining certain physically realistic solutions to ill-conditioned or singular algebraic systems of linear equations arising from such studies. Two efficient computational solution procedures that generally lead to locally unique solutions are presented when there is insufficient data to completely define the model, or a least-squares error formulation of this system results in an ill-conditioned system of equations. If it is assumed that a reasonable estimate of the uncertain data is available in both cases cited above, then we shall show how to obtain realistic solutions efficiently, in spite of the insufficiency of independent data. The proposed methods of solution are more efficient than singular-value decomposition for dealing with such systems, since they do not require solutions for all the non-zero eigenvalues of the coefficient matrix

Modal analysis and dynamic stresses for acoustically excited shuttle insulation tiles

Improvements and extensions to the RESIST computer program developed for determining the normalized modal stress response of shuttle insulation tiles are described. The new version of RESIST can accommodate primary structure panels with closed-cell stringers, in addition to the capability for treating open-cell stringers. In addition, the present version of RESIST numerically solves vibration problems several times faster than its predecessor. A new digital computer program, titled ARREST (Acoustic Response of Reusable Shuttle Tiles) is also described. Starting with modal information contained on output tapes from RESIST computer runs, ARREST determines RMS stresses, deflections and accelerations of shuttle panels with reusable surface insulation tiles. Both programs are applicable to stringer stiffened structural panels with or without reusable surface insulation titles

Vibration and stress analysis of soft-bonded shuttle insulation tiles. Modal analysis with compact widely space stringers

An efficient iterative procedure is described for the vibration and modal stress analysis of reusable surface insulation (RSI) of multi-tiled space shuttle panels. The method, which is quite general, is rapidly convergent and highly useful for this application. A user-oriented computer program based upon this procedure and titled RESIST (REusable Surface Insulation Stresses) has been prepared for the analysis of compact, widely spaced, stringer-stiffened panels. RESIST, which uses finite element methods, obtains three dimensional tile stresses in the isolator, arrestor (if any) and RSI materials. Two dimensional stresses are obtained in the tile coating and the stringer-stiffened primary structure plate. A special feature of the program is that all the usual detailed finite element grid data is generated internally from a minimum of input data. The program can accommodate tile idealizations with up to 850 nodes (2550 degrees-of-freedom) and primary structure idealizations with a maximum of 10,000 degrees-of-freedom. The primary structure vibration capability is achieved through the development of a new rapid eigenvalue program named ALARM (Automatic LArge Reduction of Matrices to tridiagonal form)

Thermal stress analysis of reusable surface insulation for shuttle

An iterative procedure for accurately determining tile stresses associated with static mechanical and thermally induced internal loads is presented. The necessary conditions for convergence of the method are derived. An user-oriented computer program based upon the present method of analysis was developed. The program is capable of analyzing multi-tiled panels and determining the associated stresses. Typical numerical results from this computer program are presented

Stress analysis of a doubly-curved skin with a flared nozzle port, phase v user's manual

Computer method for stress and deflection calculation of nozzle flow openings in large pressure vessel

Stress analysis of a doubly-curved skin with a flared nozzle port, phase v annual summary report

Computer method for stress and deflection calculation of nozzle flow openings in large pressure vessels

Generalized Casimir forces in non-equilibrium systems

In the present work we propose a method to determine fluctuation induced forces in non equilibrium systems. These forces are the analogue of the well known Casimir forces, which were originally introduced in Quantum Field theory and later extended to the area of Critical Phenomena. The procedure starts from the observation that many non equilibrium systems exhibit long-range correlations and the associated structure factors diverge in the long wavelength limit. The introduction of external bodies into such systems in general modifies the spectrum of these fluctuations and leads to the appearance of a net force between these bodies. The mechanism is illustrated by means of a simple example: a reaction diffusion equation with random noises.Comment: Submitted to Europhysics Letters. 7 pages, 2 figure

The muon Smasher's guide

We lay out a comprehensive physics case for a future high-energy muon collider, exploring a range of collision energies (from 1 to 100 TeV) and luminosities. We highlight the advantages of such a collider over proposed alternatives. We show how one can leverage both the point-like nature of the muons themselves as well as the cloud of electroweak radiation that surrounds the beam to blur the dichotomy between energy and precision in the search for new physics. The physics case is buttressed by a range of studies with applications to electroweak symmetry breaking, dark matter, and the naturalness of the weak scale. Furthermore, we make sharp connections with complementary experiments that are probing new physics effects using electric dipole moments, flavor violation, and gravitational waves. An extensive appendix provides cross section predictions as a function of the center-of-mass energy for many canonical simplified models