411 research outputs found
The Local-Time Variation of the Quiet Plasmasphere: Geosynchronous Observations and Kinetic Theory
The quiet-time structure of the plasmaspheric density was investigated using observations of the Los Alamos geosynchronous satellites, and these observations were compared with theoretical predictions of the quasi-static localtime variation by a kinetic model. It was found that the coupling to the ionosphere (via the local-time variation of the exobase) played a key role in determining the density structure at 6.6 RE. The kinetic model predicts that most of the local-time variation at geosynchronous orbit is due to the variation of the exobase parameters. During quiet times, when the convection electric field is dominated by the corotation field, the effects due to flux-tube convection are less prominent than those due to the exobase variation. In addition, the kinetic model predicts that the geosynchronous plasmaspheric density level is at most only 25% of saturation density, even when geomagnetic activity is low. The low night-time densities of the ionospheric footpoints, and the subsequent long trapping time scales, prevent the equatorial densities from reaching saturatio
Impact of Formulation and Slurry Properties on Lithium-ion Electrode Manufacturing
The characteristics and performance of lithium-ion batteries typically rely on the precise combination of materials in their component electrodes. Understanding the impact of this formulation and the interdependencies between each component is critical in optimising cell performance. Such optimisation is difficult as the cost and effort for the myriad of possible combinations is too high. This problem is addressed by combining a design of experiments (DoE) and advanced statistical machine learning approach with comprehensive experimental characterisation of electrode slurries and coatings. An industry relevant graphite anode system is used, and with the aid of DoE, less than 30 experiments are defined to map impact of different weight fractions of active material (80–96 wt%), conductive additive (Carbon Black at 1–10 wt%) and a two-component binder system (Carboxymethyl Cellulose (CMC) at 1–3 wt% and Styrene Butadiene Rubber (SBR), at 1–7 wt%). Using Explainable Machine Learning (XML) methods, correlations between the formulation, slurry weight percentage (30–50 wt% in water) and coating speed (1–15 m/min) are quantified. Slurry viscosity, while known to depend on the CMC concentration, is also heavily influenced by carbon black and SBR when at high concentration, as is common in research. Viscosity increasing components also improve adhesion, by improving dispersion and hindering binder migration. Conductivity of the coating on current collector is sensitive to the current collector-coating interface, which makes it a highly useful probe. Improvements in cell capacity are observed with higher viscosity formulations (High weight percentage, CMC content), attributed to reduction in migration and slumping of the slurry on the current collector. SBR had a negative impact at any concentration due to its insulating nature, and carbon black reduces gravimetric capacity when included at high concentrations. The insights from this study facilitate the formulation optimisation of electrodes providing improved slurry design rules for future high performance electrode manufacturing
Truncated Levy Random Walks and Generalized Cauchy Processes
A continuous Markovian model for truncated Levy random walks is proposed. It
generalizes the approach developed previously by Lubashevsky et al. Phys. Rev.
E 79, 011110 (2009); 80, 031148 (2009), Eur. Phys. J. B 78, 207 (2010) allowing
for nonlinear friction in wondering particle motion and saturation of the noise
intensity depending on the particle velocity. Both the effects have own reason
to be considered and individually give rise to truncated Levy random walks as
shown in the paper. The nonlinear Langevin equation governing the particle
motion was solved numerically using an order 1.5 strong stochastic Runge-Kutta
method and the obtained numerical data were employed to calculate the geometric
mean of the particle displacement during a certain time interval and to
construct its distribution function. It is demonstrated that the time
dependence of the geometric mean comprises three fragments following one
another as the time scale increases that can be categorized as the ballistic
regime, the Levy type regime (superballistic, quasiballistic, or superdiffusive
one), and the standard motion of Brownian particles. For the intermediate Levy
type part the distribution of the particle displacement is found to be of the
generalized Cauchy form with cutoff. Besides, the properties of the random
walks at hand are shown to be determined mainly by a certain ratio of the
friction coefficient and the noise intensity rather then their characteristics
individually.Comment: 7 pages, 3 figure
Beyond Blobs in Percolation Cluster Structure: The Distribution of 3-Blocks at the Percolation Threshold
The incipient infinite cluster appearing at the bond percolation threshold
can be decomposed into singly-connected ``links'' and multiply-connected
``blobs.'' Here we decompose blobs into objects known in graph theory as
3-blocks. A 3-block is a graph that cannot be separated into disconnected
subgraphs by cutting the graph at 2 or fewer vertices. Clusters, blobs, and
3-blocks are special cases of -blocks with , 2, and 3, respectively. We
study bond percolation clusters at the percolation threshold on 2-dimensional
square lattices and 3-dimensional cubic lattices and, using Monte-Carlo
simulations, determine the distribution of the sizes of the 3-blocks into which
the blobs are decomposed. We find that the 3-blocks have fractal dimension
in 2D and in 3D. These fractal dimensions are
significantly smaller than the fractal dimensions of the blobs, making possible
more efficient calculation of percolation properties. Additionally, the
closeness of the estimated values for in 2D and 3D is consistent with the
possibility that is dimension independent. Generalizing the concept of
the backbone, we introduce the concept of a ``-bone'', which is the set of
all points in a percolation system connected to disjoint terminal points
(or sets of disjoint terminal points) by disjoint paths. We argue that the
fractal dimension of a -bone is equal to the fractal dimension of
-blocks, allowing us to discuss the relation between the fractal dimension
of -blocks and recent work on path crossing probabilities.Comment: All but first 2 figs. are low resolution and are best viewed when
printe
Magnetoresistance of Three-Constituent Composites: Percolation Near a Critical Line
Scaling theory, duality symmetry, and numerical simulations of a random
network model are used to study the magnetoresistance of a
metal/insulator/perfect conductor composite with a disordered columnar
microstructure. The phase diagram is found to have a critical line which
separates regions of saturating and non-saturating magnetoresistance. The
percolation problem which describes this line is a generalization of
anisotropic percolation. We locate the percolation threshold and determine the
t = s = 1.30 +- 0.02, nu = 4/3 +- 0.02, which are the same as in
two-constituent 2D isotropic percolation. We also determine the exponents which
characterize the critical dependence on magnetic field, and confirm numerically
that nu is independent of anisotropy. We propose and test a complete scaling
description of the magnetoresistance in the vicinity of the critical line.Comment: Substantially revised version; description of behavior in finite
magnetic fields added. 7 pages, 7 figures, submitted to PR
Rigidity percolation in a field
Rigidity Percolation with g degrees of freedom per site is analyzed on
randomly diluted Erdos-Renyi graphs with average connectivity gamma, in the
presence of a field h. In the (gamma,h) plane, the rigid and flexible phases
are separated by a line of first-order transitions whose location is determined
exactly. This line ends at a critical point with classical critical exponents.
Analytic expressions are given for the densities n_f of uncanceled degrees of
freedom and gamma_r of redundant bonds. Upon crossing the coexistence line, n_f
and gamma_r are continuous, although their first derivatives are discontinuous.
We extend, for the case of nonzero field, a recently proposed hypothesis,
namely that the density of uncanceled degrees of freedom is a ``free energy''
for Rigidity Percolation. Analytic expressions are obtained for the energy,
entropy, and specific heat. Some analogies with a liquid-vapor transition are
discussed. Particularizing to zero field, we find that the existence of a
(g+1)-core is a necessary condition for rigidity percolation with g degrees of
freedom. At the transition point gamma_c, Maxwell counting of degrees of
freedom is exact on the rigid cluster and on the (g+1)-rigid-core, i.e. the
average coordination of these subgraphs is exactly 2g, although gamma_r, the
average coordination of the whole system, is smaller than 2g. gamma_c is found
to converge to 2g for large g, i.e. in this limit Maxwell counting is exact
globally as well. This paper is dedicated to Dietrich Stauffer, on the occasion
of his 60th birthday.Comment: RevTeX4, psfig, 16 pages. Equation numbering corrected. Minor typos
correcte
The 3D Structure of N132D in the LMC: A Late-Stage Young Supernova Remnant
We have used the Wide Field Spectrograph (WiFeS) on the 2.3m telescope at
Siding Spring Observatory to map the [O III] 5007{\AA} dynamics of the young
oxygen-rich supernova remnant N132D in the Large Magellanic Cloud. From the
resultant data cube, we have been able to reconstruct the full 3D structure of
the system of [O III] filaments. The majority of the ejecta form a ring of
~12pc in diameter inclined at an angle of 25 degrees to the line of sight. We
conclude that SNR N132D is approaching the end of the reverse shock phase
before entering the fully thermalized Sedov phase of evolution. We speculate
that the ring of oxygen-rich material comes from ejecta in the equatorial plane
of a bipolar explosion, and that the overall shape of the SNR is strongly
influenced by the pre-supernova mass loss from the progenitor star. We find
tantalizing evidence of a polar jet associated with a very fast oxygen-rich
knot, and clear evidence that the central star has interacted with one or more
dense clouds in the surrounding ISM.Comment: Accepted for Publication in Astrophysics & Space Science, 18pp, 8
figure
Pulsar-wind nebulae and magnetar outflows: observations at radio, X-ray, and gamma-ray wavelengths
We review observations of several classes of neutron-star-powered outflows:
pulsar-wind nebulae (PWNe) inside shell supernova remnants (SNRs), PWNe
interacting directly with interstellar medium (ISM), and magnetar-powered
outflows. We describe radio, X-ray, and gamma-ray observations of PWNe,
focusing first on integrated spectral-energy distributions (SEDs) and global
spectral properties. High-resolution X-ray imaging of PWNe shows a bewildering
array of morphologies, with jets, trails, and other structures. Several of the
23 so far identified magnetars show evidence for continuous or sporadic
emission of material, sometimes associated with giant flares, and a few
possible "magnetar-wind nebulae" have been recently identified.Comment: 61 pages, 44 figures (reduced in quality for size reasons). Published
in Space Science Reviews, "Jets and Winds in Pulsar Wind Nebulae, Gamma-ray
Bursts and Blazars: Physics of Extreme Energy Release
The Intentional Use of Service Recovery Strategies to Influence Consumer Emotion, Cognition and Behaviour
Service recovery strategies have been identified as a critical factor in the success of. service organizations. This study develops a conceptual frame work to investigate how specific service recovery strategies influence the emotional, cognitive and negative behavioural responses of . consumers., as well as how emotion and cognition influence negative behavior. Understanding the impact of specific service recovery strategies will allow service providers' to more deliberately and intentionally engage in strategies that result in positive organizational outcomes. This study was conducted using a 2 x 2 between-subjects quasi-experimental design. The results suggest that service recovery has a significant impact on emotion, cognition and negative behavior. Similarly, satisfaction, negative emotion and positive emotion all influence negative behavior but distributive justice has no effect
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