Wear effects and mechanisms of soot-contaminated automotive lubricants

A study has been carried out to investigate the influence of soot-contaminated automotive lubricants in the wear process of a simulated engine valve train contact. Previous research on this topic has been mainly performed from a chemical point of view in fundamental studies, with insufficient relevance to real engine conditions, i.e. load and geometry. This study investigates the conditions under which wear occurs through specimen testing. The objective of the work was to understand the wear mechanisms that occur within the contaminated contact zone, to help in future development of a predictive wear model to assist in the valve-train design process. The effects of soot in lubricants have been tested using a reciprocating test-rig specifically designed for this application, where a steel disc is held in a bath of oil and a steel ball (replicating a valve train contact) is attached to a reciprocating arm. The materials, contact geometry and loading conditions are all related to specific conditions experienced within an engine's valve train. The testing was carried out under various contact conditions, using carbon black as a soot simulant. Wear measurements were taken during the tests and wear scar morphology was studied. The results have revealed how varying lubrication conditions changes the wear rate of engine components and determines the wear mechanism that dominates for specific situations

Determination of Li-6 -- He-4 interaction from multi-energy scattering data

We present the first successful potential model description of Li-6 -- He-4 scattering. The differential cross-sections for three energies and the vector analyzing powers for two energies were fitted by a single potential with energy dependent imaginary components. An essential ingredient is a set of Majorana terms in each component. The potential was determined using a recently developed direct data-to-potential inversion method which is a generalisation of the IP S-matrix-to-potential inversion algorithm. We discuss the problems related to this phenomenological approach, and discuss the relationship of our results to existing and future theories.Comment: 9 pages plain LaTeX, 6 postscript figue

Supersymmetry from a braided point of view

We show that one-dimensional superspace is isomorphic to a non-trivial but consistent limit as $q\to-1$ of the braided line. Supersymmetry is identified as translational invariance along this line. The supertranslation generator and covariant derivative are obtained in the limit in question as the left and right derivatives of the calculus on the braided line.Comment: LateX file. 10 pages. To appear in Phys. Lett.

An Improved Description of the Dielectric Breakdown in Oxides Based on a Generalized Weibull distribution

In this work, we address modal parameter fluctuations in statistical distributions describing charge-to-breakdown $(Q_{BD})$ and/or time-to-breakdown $(t_{BD})$ during the dielectric breakdown regime of ultra-thin oxides, which are of high interest for the advancement of electronic technology. We reobtain a generalized Weibull distribution ($q$-Weibull), which properly describes $(t_{BD})$ data when oxide thickness fluctuations are present, in order to improve reliability assessment of ultra-thin oxides by time-to-breakdown $(t_{BD})$ extrapolation and area scaling. The incorporation of fluctuations allows a physical interpretation of the $q$-Weibull distribution in connection with the Tsallis statistics. In support to our results, we analyze $t_{BD}$ data of SiO$_2$-based MOS devices obtained experimentally and theoretically through a percolation model, demonstrating an advantageous description of the dielectric breakdown by the $q$-Weibull distribution.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figure

Mask formulas for cograssmannian Kazhdan-Lusztig polynomials

We give two contructions of sets of masks on cograssmannian permutations that can be used in Deodhar's formula for Kazhdan-Lusztig basis elements of the Iwahori-Hecke algebra. The constructions are respectively based on a formula of Lascoux-Schutzenberger and its geometric interpretation by Zelevinsky. The first construction relies on a basis of the Hecke algebra constructed from principal lower order ideals in Bruhat order and a translation of this basis into sets of masks. The second construction relies on an interpretation of masks as cells of the Bott-Samelson resolution. These constructions give distinct answers to a question of Deodhar.Comment: 43 page

Modeling water waves beyond perturbations

In this chapter, we illustrate the advantage of variational principles for modeling water waves from an elementary practical viewpoint. The method is based on a `relaxed' variational principle, i.e., on a Lagrangian involving as many variables as possible, and imposing some suitable subordinate constraints. This approach allows the construction of approximations without necessarily relying on a small parameter. This is illustrated via simple examples, namely the Serre equations in shallow water, a generalization of the Klein-Gordon equation in deep water and how to unify these equations in arbitrary depth. The chapter ends with a discussion and caution on how this approach should be used in practice.Comment: 15 pages, 1 figure, 39 references. This document is a contributed chapter to an upcoming volume to be published by Springer in Lecture Notes in Physics Series. Other author's papers can be downloaded at http://www.denys-dutykh.com

Thin film coatings which inhibit spin relaxation of polarized potassium atoms

A prototype of a polarized deuterium target which employs the spin exchange method is being developed. The mixing cell for mixing deuterium atoms and potassium vapor requires a surface that will reflect these atoms without being destroyed by the corrosive potassium. Thin film coating methods and a technique for coating pyrex are described. Results of spin relaxation measurements are given. (LEW

The measurement of liner - piston skirt oil film thickness by an ultrasonic means

The paper presents a novel method for the measurement of lubricant film thickness in the piston-liner contact. Direct measurement of the film in this conjunction has always posed a problem, particularly under fired conditions. The principle is based on capturing and analysing the reflection of an ultrasonic pulse at the oil film. The proportion of the wave amplitude reflected can be related to the thickness of the oil film. A single cylinder 4-stroke engine on a dyno test platform was used for evaluation of the method. A piezo-electric transducer was bonded to the outside of the cylinder liner and used to emit high frequency short duration ultrasonic pulses. These pulses were used to determine the oil film thickness as the piston skirt passed over the sensor location. Oil films in the range 2 to 21 μm were recorded varying with engine speeds. The results have been shown to be in agreement with detailed numerical predictions

Herd-level risk factors of bovine tuberculosis in England and Wales after the 2001 foot-and-mouth disease epidemic

We present the results of a 2005 case–control study of bovine tuberculosis (bTB) breakdowns in English and Welsh herds. The herd management, farming practices, and environmental factors of 401matched pairs of case and control herds were investigated to provide a picture of herd-level risk factors in areas of varying bTB incidence. A global conditional logistic regression model, with region-specific variants, was used to compare case herds that had experienced a confirmed bTB breakdown to contemporaneous control herds matched on region, herd type, herd size, and parish testing interval. Contacts with cattle from contiguous herds and sourcing cattle from herds with a recent history of bTB were associated with an increased risk in both the global and regional analyses. Operating a farm over several premises, providing cattle feed inside the housing, and the presence of badgers were also identified as significantly associated with an increased bTB risk. Steps taken to minimize cattle contacts with neighboring herds and altering trading practices could have the potential to reduce the size of the bTB epidemic. In principle, limiting the interactions between cattle and wildlife may also be useful; however this study did not highlight any specific measures to implement