37 research outputs found
Gravitational Coupling and Dynamical Reduction of The Cosmological Constant
We introduce a dynamical model to reduce a large cosmological constant to a
sufficiently small value. The basic ingredient in this model is a distinction
which has been made between the two unit systems used in cosmology and particle
physics. We have used a conformal invariant gravitational model to define a
particular conformal frame in terms of large scale properties of the universe.
It is then argued that the contributions of mass scales in particle physics to
the vacuum energy density should be considered in a different conformal frame.
In this manner, a decaying mechanism is presented in which the conformal factor
appears as a dynamical field and plays a key role to relax a large effective
cosmological constant. Moreover, we argue that this model also provides a
possible explanation for the coincidence problem.Comment: To appear in GR
YREC: The Yale Rotating Stellar Evolution Code
The stellar evolution code YREC is outlined with emphasis on its applications
to helio- and asteroseismology. The procedure for calculating calibrated solar
and stellar models is described. Other features of the code such as a non-local
treatment of convective core overshoot, and the implementation of a
parametrized description of turbulence in stellar models, are considered in
some detail. The code has been extensively used for other astrophysical
applications, some of which are briefly mentioned at the end of the paper.Comment: 10 pages, 2 figures, ApSS accepte
Revisiting the Local Scaling Hypothesis in Stably Stratified Atmospheric Boundary Layer Turbulence: an Integration of Field and Laboratory Measurements with Large-eddy Simulations
The `local scaling' hypothesis, first introduced by Nieuwstadt two decades
ago, describes the turbulence structure of stable boundary layers in a very
succinct way and is an integral part of numerous local closure-based numerical
weather prediction models. However, the validity of this hypothesis under very
stable conditions is a subject of on-going debate. In this work, we attempt to
address this controversial issue by performing extensive analyses of turbulence
data from several field campaigns, wind-tunnel experiments and large-eddy
simulations. Wide range of stabilities, diverse field conditions and a
comprehensive set of turbulence statistics make this study distinct
Breathing Current Domains in Globally Coupled Electrochemical Systems: A Comparison with a Semiconductor Model
Spatio-temporal bifurcations and complex dynamics in globally coupled
intrinsically bistable electrochemical systems with an S-shaped current-voltage
characteristic under galvanostatic control are studied theoretically on a
one-dimensional domain. The results are compared with the dynamics and the
bifurcation scenarios occurring in a closely related model which describes
pattern formation in semiconductors. Under galvanostatic control both systems
are unstable with respect to the formation of stationary large amplitude
current domains. The current domains as well as the homogeneous steady state
exhibit oscillatory instabilities for slow dynamics of the potential drop
across the double layer, or across the semiconductor device, respectively. The
interplay of the different instabilities leads to complex spatio-temporal
behavior. We find breathing current domains and chaotic spatio-temporal
dynamics in the electrochemical system. Comparing these findings with the
results obtained earlier for the semiconductor system, we outline bifurcation
scenarios leading to complex dynamics in globally coupled bistable systems with
subcritical spatial bifurcations.Comment: 13 pages, 11 figures, 70 references, RevTex4 accepted by PRE
http://pre.aps.or
Entropy Stable Finite Volume Approximations for Ideal Magnetohydrodynamics
This article serves as a summary outlining the mathematical entropy analysis of the ideal magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) equations. We select the ideal MHD equations as they are particularly useful for mathematically modeling a wide variety of magnetized fluids. In order to be self-contained we first motivate the physical properties of a magnetic fluid and how it should behave under the laws of thermodynamics. Next, we introduce a mathematical model built from hyperbolic partial differential equations (PDEs) that translate physical laws into mathematical equations. After an overview of the continuous analysis, we thoroughly describe the derivation of a numerical approximation of the ideal MHD system that remains consistent to the continuous thermodynamic principles. The derivation of the method and the theorems contained within serve as the bulk of the review article. We demonstrate that the derived numerical approximation retains the correct entropic properties of the continuous model and show its applicability to a variety of standard numerical test cases for MHD schemes. We close with our conclusions and a brief discussion on future work in the area of entropy consistent numerical methods and the modeling of plasmas
Combining a Memetic Algorithm with Integer Programming to Solve the Prize-Collecting Steiner Tree Problem
The prize-collecting Steiner tree problem on a graph with edge costs and vertex profits asks for a subtree minimizing the sum of the total cost of all edges in the subtree plus the total profit of all vertices not contained in the subtree. For this well-known problem we develop a new algorithmic framework consisting of three main parts: (1) An extensive preprocessing phase reduces the given graph without changing the structure of the optimal solution. (2) The central part of our approach is a memetic algorithm (MA) based on a steady-state evolutionary algorithm and an exact subroutine for the problem on trees. (3) The solution population of the memetic algorithm provides an excellent starting point for post-optimization by solving a relaxation of an integer linear programming (ILP) model constructed from a model for finding the minimum Steiner arborescence in a directed graph