DESIGN, FABRICATION, AND CHARACTERIZATION OF SINGLE CRYSTAL SILICON LATCHINGSNAP FASTENERS FOR MICRO ASSEMBLY

A snap fastener is a deformable device consisting of a pair of mating surfaces that "snap" together during assembly. Because of the simple, linear assembly motion, such latching micro fasteners have a wide range of applications in micro assembly tasks, e.g.\ for devices with multiple or layered components, or micro opto-mechanical plugs. At the micro scale, conventional types of fasteners like screws and hinges are unlikely to work due to present fabrication constraints and large friction forces. Micro snap fasteners also have great potential to be used as sensors with memory

Effect of Crushed Sand and Bacillus Subtilis on the Cantabro Loss of Bacterial Concrete

Bacterial concrete has emerged as a remedial measure for healing cracks in structures such as bridges, RCC buildings, RCC pipes, canal linings and pavements. Crack formation is an extremely common occurrence in concrete structures, and allows water and different chemicals to enter the concrete through cracks, diminishing its strength. In addition, it has consequences on the reinforcement once it comes into contact with water, CO2 and other chemicals. The repair of cracks within concrete requires regular maintenance and special kinds of treatment, which can be very expensive. In bacterial concrete, particular types of microorganism can be extremely useful for refurbishing cracks in existing concrete structures. In this research, an experimental investigation was made to prevent cracks in concrete using Bacillus subtilis bacteria and calcium lactate. Bacillus subtilis bacteria with calcite lactate were used at varying percentages of 5%, 10% and 15% cement weight for M40 grade concrete. The fine aggregate used in all the mixes was crushed rock sand. A Cantabro loss test was conducted for all the mixes after 3, 7, 14 and 28 days of curing. An empirical relation between flexural and compressive strength is proposed in the form of ft = 0.66 ?fck for river sand mixes and  ft = 0.89fck0.46for crushed rock sand. An empirical relation is also proposed between Cantabro loss and flexural strength for bacterial concrete

Prediction Of Strength Properties Of Geopolymer Concrete Using Artificial Intelligence Techniques

Several studies have successfully used fly-ash (FA)-like waste material for the manufacturing of geopolymer concrete (GPC). This study uses gene expression programming (GEP), a type of soft computing approach, to produce an empirical equation that estimates the compressive strength fc0 of GPC using FA. Through a thorough analysis of the published research, a consistent, large, and trustworthy data set is assembled in order to develop a model. 298 fc0 experimental outcomes make up the collected data set. The following are considered explanatory variables: the amount of extra water added as percent FA (%EW), the percentage of plasticizer (%P), the initial curing temperature (T), the specimen's age (A), the curing duration (t), the ratio of fine aggregate to total aggregate (F/AG), the percentage of total aggregate by volume (%AG), the molarity of the NaOH solution, the activator or alkali to FA ratio (AL/FA), the ratio of sodium oxide (Na2O) to water (N/W) for preparing Na2SiO3 solution, and the ratio of Na2SiO3 to NaOH (Ns/No). An empirical GEP equation is put forth to calculate the fc0 of GPC using FA. The suggested model's precision, applicability, and forecasting capacity were assessed using parametric analysis, statistical verification, and a comparison with both linear and non-linear regression equations

The combined effects of electrojet strength and the geomagnetic activity (<I>K_p</I>-index) on the post sunset height rise of the F-layer and its role in the generation of ESF during high and low solar activity periods

International audienceSeveral investigations have been carried out to identify the factors that are responsible for the day-to-day variability in the occurrence of equatorial spread-F (ESF). But the precise forecasting of ESF on a day-to-day basis is still far from reality. The nonlinear development and the sustenance of ESF/plasma bubbles is decided by the background ionospheric conditions, such as the base height of the F-layer (h'F), the electron density gradient (dN/dz), maximum ionization density (Nmax), geomagnetic activity and the neutral dynamics. There is increasing evidence in the literature during the recent past that shows a well developed Equatorial Ionization Anomaly (EIA) during the afternoon hours contributes significantly to the initiation of ESF during the post-sunset hours. Also, there exists a good correlation between the Equatorial Ionization Anomaly (EIA) and the Integrated Equatorial ElectroJet (IEEJ) strength, as the driving force for both is the same, namely, the zonal electric field at the equator. In this paper, we present a linear relationship that exists between the daytime integrated equatorial electrojet (IEEJ) strength and the maximum elevated height of the F-layer during post-sunset hours (denoted as peak h'F). An inverse relationship that exists between the 6-h average Kp-index prior to the local sunset and the peak h'F of the F-layer is also presented. A systematic study on the combined effects of the IEEJ and the average Kp-index on the post-sunset, peak height of the F-layer (peak h'F), which controls the development of ESF/plasma bubbles, is carried out using the ionosonde data from an equatorial station, Trivandrum (8.47° N, 76.91° E, dip.lat. 0.5° N), an off-equatorial station, SHAR (13.6° N, 79.8° E, dip.lat. 10.8° N) and VHF scintillations (244 MHz) observed over a nearby low-latitude station, Waltair (17.7° N, 83.3° E, dip.lat. 20° N). From this study, it has been found that the threshold base height of the F-layer at the equator for the development of plasma bubbles is reduced from 405 km to 317 km as the solar activity decreases from March 2001 (mean Rz=113.5) to March 2005 (mean Rz=24.5). This decrease in threshold height with the decreasing solar activity is explained on the basis of changes in the local linear growth rate of the collisional Rayleigh-Taylor instability, due to the variability of various terms such as inverse density gradient scale length (L?1), ion-neutral collision frequency (?in) and recombination rate (R) with the changes in the solar activity

Unsteady flow of a nanofluid over a sphere with nonlinear Boussinesq approximation

A theoretical study is presented of transient mixed convection boundary layer flow of a nanofluid in the forward stagnation region of a heated sphere which is rotating with time dependent angular velocity. The effect of the non-linear Boussinesq approximation is taken into account. The nanofluid is treated as a two-component mixture i.e. nano-particles distributed homogenously in a base fluid (water or gas). The effects of the Brownian motion and thermophoresis are included for the nanofluid and constant wall temperature is imposed at the sphere surface. The first and second laws of thermodynamics are employed in order to study thermophysics as well as heat and mass transfer phenomena. By introducing appropriate similarity variables the governing equations are transformed into a system of dimensionless, nonlinear, coupled, ordinary differential equations which are solved numerically by applying the second-order accurate implicit finite difference Keller box method. The reliability and efficiency of the obtained numerical results are validated via comparison with the previously published results for special cases. The effects of various parameters on primary and secondary velocities, temperature, nanofluid volume fraction (concentration), primary and secondary shear stress functions, Nusselt number function (wall heat transfer rate) and Sherwood number function (wall nanoparticle mass transfer rate) are visualized. Furthermore the influence of non-linear temperature parameter, Brinkman parameter (ratio of Brinkman number to dimensionless temperature ratio), local Reynolds number and unsteadiness parameter on entropy generation number is computed. A strong elevation in entropy generation number is computed with both increasing Brinkman parameter and unsteadiness parameter. Primary and secondary surface shear stresses, Nusselt number and Sherwood number also increase with unsteadiness and rotation parameters. Primary shear stress is boosted with increasing mixed convection parameter and Brownian motion effect whereas secondary shear stress is depressed. Temperatures are suppressed with increasing nonlinear temperature parameter whereas nano-particle concentrations are elevated. Increasing thermophoresis parameter enhances both temperatures and nano-particle concentration values. The simulations find applications in rotating chemical engineering mixing systems and nano-coating transport phenomena

Measurement of Branching Fractions and Rate Asymmetries in the Rare Decays B -> K(*) l+ l-

In a sample of 471 million BB events collected with the BABAR detector at the PEP-II e+e- collider we study the rare decays B -> K(*) l+ l-, where l+ l- is either e+e- or mu+mu-. We report results on partial branching fractions and isospin asymmetries in seven bins of di-lepton mass-squared. We further present CP and lepton-flavor asymmetries for di-lepton masses below and above the J/psi resonance. We find no evidence for CP or lepton-flavor violation. The partial branching fractions and isospin asymmetries are consistent with the Standard Model predictions and with results from other experiments.Comment: 16 pages, 14 figures, accepted by Phys. Rev.

Measurement of B(B-->X_s {\gamma}), the B-->X_s {\gamma} photon energy spectrum, and the direct CP asymmetry in B-->X_{s+d} {\gamma} decays

The photon spectrum in B --> X_s {\gamma} decay, where X_s is any strange hadronic state, is studied using a data sample of (382.8\pm 4.2) \times 10^6 e^+ e^- --> \Upsilon(4S) --> BBbar events collected by the BABAR experiment at the PEP-II collider. The spectrum is used to measure the branching fraction B(B --> X_s \gamma) = (3.21 \pm 0.15 \pm 0.29 \pm 0.08)\times 10^{-4} and the first, second, and third moments = 2.267 \pm 0.019 \pm 0.032 \pm 0.003 GeV,, )^2> = 0.0484 \pm 0.0053 \pm 0.0077 \pm 0.0005 GeV^2, and )^3> = -0.0048 \pm 0.0011 \pm 0.0011 \pm 0.0004 GeV^3, for the range E_\gamma > 1.8 GeV, where E_{\gamma} is the photon energy in the B-meson rest frame. Results are also presented for narrower E_{\gamma} ranges. In addition, the direct CP asymmetry A_{CP}(B --> X_{s+d} \gamma) is measured to be 0.057 \pm 0.063. The spectrum itself is also unfolded to the B-meson rest frame; that is the frame in which theoretical predictions for its shape are made.Comment: 37 pages, 19 postscript figures, submitted to Phys. Rev. D. No analysis or results have changed from previous version. Some changes to improve clarity based on interactions with Phys. Rev. D referees, including one new Figure (Fig. 13), and some minor wording/punctuation/spelling mistakes fixe

Measurement of CP Asymmetries and Branching Fractions in Charmless Two-Body B-Meson Decays to Pions and Kaons

We present improved measurements of CP-violation parameters in the decays $B^0 \to \pi^+ \pi^-$, $B^0 \to K^+ \pi^-$, and $B^0 \to \pi^0 \pi^0$, and of the branching fractions for $B^0 \to \pi^0 \pi^0$ and $B^0 \to K^0 \pi^0$. The results are obtained with the full data set collected at the $\Upsilon(4S)$ resonance by the BABAR experiment at the PEP-II asymmetric-energy $B$ factory at the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, corresponding to $467 \pm 5$ million $B\bar B$ pairs. We find the CP-violation parameter values and branching fractions $S_{\pi^+\pi^-} = -0.68 \pm 0.10 \pm 0.03, C_{\pi^+\pi^-} = -0.25 \pm 0.08 \pm 0.02, A_{K^-\pi^+} = -0.107 \pm 0.016 ^{+0.006}_{-0.004}, C_{\pi^0\pi^0} = -0.43 \pm 0.26 \pm 0.05, Br(B^0 \to \pi^0 \pi^0) = (1.83 \pm 0.21 \pm 0.13) \times 10^{-6}, Br(B^0 \to K^0 \pi^0) = (10.1 \pm 0.6 \pm 0.4) \times 10^{-6},$ where in each case, the first uncertainties are statistical and the second are systematic. We observe CP violation with a significance of 6.7 standard deviations for $B^0 \to\pi^+\pi^-$ and 6.1 standard deviations for $B^0 \to K^+ \pi^-$, including systematic uncertainties. Constraints on the Unitarity Triangle angle $\alpha$ are determined from the isospin relations among the $B \to \pi\pi$ rates and asymmetries. Considering only the solution preferred by the Standard Model, we find $\alpha$ to be in the range $[71^\circ,109^\circ]$ at the 68% confidence level.Comment: 18 pages, 11 postscript figures, submitted to Phys. Rev.

Cross Sections for the Reactions e+e- --> K+ K- pi+pi-, K+ K- pi0pi0, and K+ K- K+ K- Measured Using Initial-State Radiation Events

We study the processes e+e- --> K+ K- pi+pi-gamma, K+ K- pi0pi0gamma, and K+ K- K+ K-gamma, where the photon is radiated from the initial state. About 84000, 8000, and 4200 fully reconstructed events, respectively, are selected from 454 fb-1 of BaBar data. The invariant mass of the hadronic final state defines the \epem center-of-mass energy, so that the K+ K- pi+pi- data can be compared with direct measurements of the e+e- --> K+ K- pi+pi- reaction. No direct measurements exist for the e+e- --> K+ K-pi0pi0 or e+e- --> K+ K-K+ K- reactions, and we present an update of our previous result with doubled statistics. Studying the structure of these events, we find contributions from a number of intermediate states, and extract their cross sections. In particular, we perform a more detailed study of the e+e- --> phi(1020)pipigamma reaction, and confirm the presence of the Y(2175) resonance in the phi(1020) f0(980) and K+K-f0(980) modes. In the charmonium region, we observe the J/psi in all three final states and in several intermediate states, as well as the psi(2S) in some modes, and measure the corresponding product of branching fraction and electron width.Comment: 35 pages, 42 figure