2,586 research outputs found
Phase-field simulation of core-annular pipe flow
Phase-field methods have long been used to model the flow of immiscible
fluids. Their ability to naturally capture interface topological changes is
widely recognized, but their accuracy in simulating flows of real fluids in
practical geometries is not established. We here quantitatively investigate the
convergence of the phase-field method to the sharp-interface limit with
simulations of two-phase pipe flow. We focus on core-annular flows, in which a
highly viscous fluid is lubricated by a less viscous fluid, and validate our
simulations with an analytic laminar solution, a formal linear stability
analysis and also in the fully nonlinear regime. We demonstrate the ability of
the phase-field method to accurately deal with non-rectangular geometry, strong
advection, unsteady fluctuations and large viscosity contrast. We argue that
phase-field methods are very promising for quantitatively studying moderately
turbulent flows, especially at high concentrations of the disperse phase.Comment: Paper accepted for publication in International Journal of Multiphase
Flo
Writing Electronic Devices on Paper with Carbon Nanotube Ink
The normal paper used in any printer is among the cheapest flexible organic
materials that exist. We demonstrate that we can print on paper high-frequency
circuits tunable with an applied dc voltage. This is possible with the help of
an ink containing functionalized carbon nanotubes and water. After the water is
evaporated from the paper, the nanotubes remain steadily imprinted on paper,
showing a semiconducting behaviour and tunable electrical properties
Correction of distortion for optimal image stacking in Wide Field Adaptive Optics: Application to GeMS data
The advent of Wide Field Adaptive Optics (WFAO) systems marks the beginning
of a new era in high spatial resolution imaging. The newly commissioned Gemini
South Multi-Conjugate Adaptive Optics System (GeMS) combined with the infrared
camera Gemini South Adaptive Optics Imager (GSAOI), delivers quasi
diffraction-limited images over a field of 2 arc-minutes across. However,
despite this excellent performance, some variable residues still limit the
quality of the analyses. In particular, distortions severely affect GSAOI and
become a critical issue for high-precision astrometry and photometry. In this
paper, we investigate an optimal way to correct for the distortion following an
inverse problem approach. Formalism as well as applications on GeMS data are
presented.Comment: 10 pages, 6 figure
Deep GeMS/GSAOI near-infrared observations of N159W in the Large Magellanic Cloud
Aims. The formation and properties of star clusters at the edge of H II
regions are poorly known, partly due to limitations in angular resolution and
sensitivity, which become particularly critical when dealing with extragalactic
clusters. In this paper we study the stellar content and star-formation
processes in the young N159W region in the Large Magellanic Cloud.
Methods. We investigate the star-forming sites in N159W at unprecedented
spatial resolution using JHKs-band images obtained with the GeMS/GSAOI
instrument on the Gemini South telescope. The typical angular resolution of the
images is of 100 mas, with a limiting magnitude in H of 22 mag (90 percent
completeness). Photometry from our images is used to identify candidate young
stellar objects (YSOs) in N159W. We also determine the H-band luminosity
function of the star cluster at the centre of the H II region and use this to
estimate its initial mass function (IMF).
Results. We estimate an age of 2 + or - 1 Myr for the central cluster, with
its IMF described by a power-law with an index of gamma = - 1.05 + or - 0.2 ,
and with a total estimated mass of 1300 solar mass. We also identify 104
candidate YSOs, which are concentrated in clumps and subclusters of stars,
principally at the edges of the H II region. These clusters display signs of
recent and active star-formation such as ultra-compact H II regions, and
molecular outflows. This suggests that the YSOs are typically younger than the
central cluster, pointing to sequential star-formation in N159W, which has
probably been influenced by interactions with the expanding H II bubble
Experimental determination of microwave attenuation and electrical permittivity of double-walled carbon nanotubes
The attenuation and the electrical permittivity of the double-walled carbon nanotubes (DWCNTs) were determined in the frequency range of 1–65 GHz. A micromachined coplanar waveguide transmission line supported on a Si membrane with a thickness of 1.4 µm was filled with a mixture of DWCNTs. The propagation constants were then determined from the S parameter measurements. The DWCNTs mixture behaves like a dielectric in the range of 1–65 GHz with moderate losses and an abrupt change of the effective permittivity that is very useful for gas sensor detection. ©2006 American Institute of Physic
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