850 research outputs found
Shear localization as a mesoscopic stress-relaxation mechanism in fused silica glass at high strain rates
Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of fused silica glass deforming in pressure-shear, while revealing useful insights into processes unfolding at the atomic level, fail spectacularly in that they grossly overestimate the magnitude of the stresses relative to those observed, e. g., in plate-impact experiments. We interpret this gap as evidence of relaxation mechanisms that operate at mesoscopic lengthscales and which, therefore, are not taken into account in atomic-level calculations. We specifically hypothesize that the dominant mesoscopic relaxation mechanism is shear banding. We evaluate this hypothesis by first generating MD data over the relevant range of temperature and strain rate and then carrying out continuum shear-banding calculations in a plate-impact configuration using a critical-state plasticity model fitted to the MD data. The main outcome of the analysis is a knock-down factor due to shear banding that effectively brings the predicted level of stress into alignment with experimental observation, thus resolving the predictive gap of MD calculations
Modelling and Simulation of Cratering and Ejecta Production During High Velocity Impacts
During an impact event from a high velocity particle (moving at speeds of around 100 m/s or greater) a significant amount of ejecta can be formed and thrown away from the impact point at velocities on the same order as the original impactor. The amount, size distribution, and speed distribution of this ejecta vary with the impact conditions. Predicting this cratering and ejecta phenomena has applications to many areas, including solar system formation, asteroid defense considerations, and micrometeorite impacts on satellites. This paper will look at the physics and modeling of these impacts and the subsequent ejecta formation from these hypervelocity particles. Impacts are modeled using adaptive smooth particle hydrodynamics, and crater volume and ejecta characteristics are quantified and presented. Good agreement with two experimental test cases is obtained
A Multiscale cohesive law for carbon fiber networks
Better predictive models of mechanical failure in low-weight heat shield composites would aid material certification for missions with aggressive atmospheric entry conditions. Here, we develop such a model for the rapid engineering analysis of the failure limits of phenolic impregnated carbon ablator (PICA) - a leading heat shield material whose structural component is a carbon fiber network. We hypothesize inelastic deformation failure mechanisms and model their behavior using molecular dynamics simulations to calculate the binding energy. We then upscale this binding energy to the macroscale using a renormalization argument. The approach delivers insightful and reasonably accurate macroscale predictions that compare favorably to experiments. In application, the model is validated for a particular variety of PICA by comparison to experiment and would then be used to study design scenarios in different entry conditions
A Multiscale cohesive law for carbon fiber networks
Better predictive models of mechanical failure in low-weight heat shield composites would aid material certification for missions with aggressive atmospheric entry conditions. Here, we develop such a model for the rapid engineering analysis of the failure limits of phenolic impregnated carbon ablator (PICA) - a leading heat shield material whose structural component is a carbon fiber network. We hypothesize inelastic deformation failure mechanisms and model their behavior using molecular dynamics simulations to calculate the binding energy. We then upscale this binding energy to the macroscale using a renormalization argument. The approach delivers insightful and reasonably accurate macroscale predictions that compare favorably to experiments. In application, the model is validated for a particular variety of PICA by comparison to experiment and would then be used to study design scenarios in different entry conditions
Oceans and space: new frontiers in investment protection?
This article provides background and introduces into the overarching themes of the contributions to the Special Issue dealing with investment protection in areas beyond territorial jurisdiction at sea and in outer space. It explains that fast-paced commercialization, evolving technological advances, and the inevitable need for regulatory intervention make the oceans and space into an increasingly important topic in international investment law. At the same time, investment lawyers, as well as experts in the law of the sea and space law, have largely ignored the legal issues foreign investments raise in these spaces. The article sketches out a framework for addressing the underlying issues from an investment law perspective, pointing out both familiar conceptual approaches and novel challenges
Shear localization as a mesoscopic stress-relaxation mechanism in fused silica glass at high strain rates
Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of fused silica glass deforming in pressure-shear, while revealing useful insights into processes unfolding at the atomic level, fail spectacularly in that they grossly overestimate the magnitude of the stresses relative to those observed, e. g., in plate-impact experiments. We interpret this gap as evidence of relaxation mechanisms that operate at mesoscopic lengthscales and which, therefore, are not taken into account in atomic-level calculations. We specifically hypothesize that the dominant mesoscopic relaxation mechanism is shear banding. We evaluate this hypothesis by first generating MD data over the relevant range of temperature and strain rate and then carrying out continuum shear-banding calculations in a plate-impact configuration using a critical-state plasticity model fitted to the MD data. The main outcome of the analysis is a knock-down factor due to shear banding that effectively brings the predicted level of stress into alignment with experimental observation, thus resolving the predictive gap of MD calculations
The Longitudinal Polarimeter at HERA
The design, construction and operation of a Compton back-scattering laser
polarimeter at the HERA storage ring at DESY are described. The device measures
the longitudinal polarization of the electron beam between the spin rotators at
the HERMES experiment with a fractional systematic uncertainty of 1.6%. A
measurement of the beam polarization to an absolute statistical precision of
0.01 requires typically one minute when the device is operated in the
multi-photon mode. The polarimeter also measures the polarization of each
individual electron bunch to an absolute statistical precision of 0.06 in
approximately five minutes. It was found that colliding and non-colliding
bunches can have substantially different polarizations. This information is
important to the collider experiments H1 and ZEUS for their future
longitudinally polarized electron program because those experiments use the
colliding bunches only.Comment: 21 pages (Latex), 14 figures (EPS
Suppression of Richtmyer-Meshkov instability via special pairs of shocks and phase transitions
The classical Richtmyer-Meshkov instability is a hydrodynamic instability
characterizing the evolution of an interface following shock loading. In
contrast to other hydrodynamic instabilities such as Rayleigh-Taylor, it is
known for being unconditionally unstable: regardless of the direction of shock
passage, any deviations from a flat interface will be amplified. In this
article, we show that for negative Atwood numbers, there exist special
sequences of shocks which result in a nearly perfectly suppressed instability
growth. We demonstrate this principle computationally and experimentally with
stepped fliers and phase transition materials. A fascinating immediate
corollary is that in specific instances a phase transitioning material may
self-suppress RMI
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