8,662 research outputs found
RESCUE Testing of Full-Scale In-Situ Structures
At SRI International a state-of-the-art technique for testing large-scale structures to dynamic motion resembling that from a large magnitude earthquake has been developed. The technique, referred to as repeatable earth shaking by controlled underground expansion (RESCUE), may allow actual full-scale structures to be tested in-situ. In this paper we present the results of a finite element simulation of a full-scale highway overpass loaded from ground motion produced by the RESCUE technique. Results indicated that the RESCUE technique could generate significantly enough ground motion to excite failure damage modes
On the ground electronic states of copper silicide and its ions
The low-lying electronic states of SiCu, SiCu^+, and SiCu^− have been studied using a variety of high-level ab initio techniques. As expected on the basis of simple orbital occupancy and bond forming for Si(s^2p^2)+Cu(s^1) species, ^2Π_r, ^1Σ^+, and ^3Σ^− states were found to be the ground electronic states for SiCu, SiCu^+, and SiCu^−, respectively; the ^2Π_r state is not that suggested in most recent experimental studies. All of these molecules were found to be quite strongly bound although the bond lengths, bond energies, and harmonic frequencies vary slightly among them, as a result of the nonbonding character of the 2π-MO (molecular orbital) [composed almost entirely of the Si 3p-AO (atomic orbital)], the occupation of which varies from 0 to 2 within the ^1Σ^+, ^2Π_r, and ^3Σ^− series. The neutral SiCu is found to have bound excited electronic states of ^4Σ^−, ^2Δ, ^2Σ^+, and ^2Π_i symmetry lying 0.5, 1.2, 1.8, and 3.2 eV above the ^2Π_r ground state. It is possible but not yet certain that the ^2Π_i state is, in fact, the “B state” observed in the recent experimental studies by Scherer, Paul, Collier, and Saykally
An experimental investigation of two large annular diffusers with swirling and distorted inflow
Two annular diffusers downstream of a nacelle-mounted fan were tested for aerodynamic performance, measured in terms of two static pressure recovery parameters (one near the diffuser exit plane and one about three diameters downstream in the settling duct) in the presence of several inflow conditions. The two diffusers each had an inlet diameter of 1.84 m, an area ratio of 2.3, and an equivalent cone angle of 11.5, but were distinguished by centerbodies of different lengths. The dependence of diffuser performance on various combinations of swirling, radially distorted, and/or azimuthally distorted inflow was examined. Swirling flow and distortions in the axial velocity profile in the annulus upstream of the diffuser inlet were caused by the intrinsic flow patterns downstream of a fan in a duct and by artificial intensification of the distortions. Azimuthal distortions or defects were generated by the addition of four artificial devices (screens and fences). Pressure recovery data indicated beneficial effects of both radial distortion (for a limited range of distortion levels) and inflow swirl. Small amounts of azimuthal distortion created by the artificial devices produced only small effects on diffuser performance. A large artificial distortion device was required to produce enough azimuthal flow distortion to significantly degrade the diffuser static pressure recovery
Do Action Video Games Improve Perception and Cognition?
Frequent action video game players often outperform non-gamers on measures of perception and cognition, and some studies find that video game practice enhances those abilities. The possibility that video game training transfers broadly to other aspects of cognition is exciting because training on one task rarely improves performance on others. At first glance, the cumulative evidence suggests a strong relationship between gaming experience and other cognitive abilities, but methodological shortcomings call that conclusion into question. We discuss these pitfalls, identify how existing studies succeed or fail in overcoming them, and provide guidelines for more definitive tests of the effects of gaming on cognition
Quasi-discrete microwave solitons in a split ring resonator-based left-handed coplanar waveguide
We study the propagation of quasi-discrete microwave solitons in a nonlinear
left-handed coplanar waveguide coupled with split ring resonators. By
considering the relevant transmission line analogue, we derive a nonlinear
lattice model which is studied analytically by means of a quasi-discrete
approximation. We derive a nonlinear Schr{\"o}dinger equation, and find that
the system supports bright envelope soliton solutions in a relatively wide
subinterval of the left-handed frequency band. We perform systematic numerical
simulations, in the framework of the nonlinear lattice model, to study the
propagation properties of the quasi-discrete microwave solitons. Our numerical
findings are in good agreement with the analytical predictions, and suggest
that the predicted structures are quite robust and may be observed in
experiments
Quantum dot admittance probed at microwave frequencies with an on-chip resonator
We present microwave frequency measurements of the dynamic admittance of a
quantum dot tunnel coupled to a two-dimensional electron gas. The measurements
are made via a high-quality 6.75 GHz on-chip resonator capacitively coupled to
the dot. The resonator frequency is found to shift both down and up close to
conductance resonance of the dot corresponding to a change of sign of the
reactance of the system from capacitive to inductive. The observations are
consistent with a scattering matrix model. The sign of the reactance depends on
the detuning of the dot from conductance resonance and on the magnitude of the
tunnel rate to the lead with respect to the resonator frequency. Inductive
response is observed on a conductance resonance, when tunnel coupling and
temperature are sufficiently small compared to the resonator frequency.Comment: 8 pages, 4 figure
A modified hyperbolic tangent equation to determine equilibrium shape of headland bay beaches
When designing any artificial beach, it’s desirable to avoid (or minimise) future maintenance commitments by arranging the initial beach planshape so that it remains in equilibrium given the incident wave climate. Headlands bays, or embayments, where a sandy beach is held between two erosion resistant headlands, tend to evolve to a stable beach planshape with little movement of the beach contours over time. Several empirical bay shape equations have been derived to fit curves to the shoreline of headland bay beaches. One of the most widely adopted empirical equations is the parabolic bay shape equation, as it is the only equation that directly links the shoreline positions to the predominant wave direction and the point of diffraction. However, the main limitation with the application of the parabolic bay shape equation is locating the downcoast control point. As a result of research presented in this paper a new equation, based on the hyperbolic tangent shape equation was developed, which eliminates the requirement of placing the down coast control point and relies on defining a minimum beach width instead. This modified equation was incorporated into a new ArcGIS tool
A Brownian Motion Model of Parametric Correlations in Ballistic Cavities
A Brownian motion model is proposed to study parametric correlations in the
transmission eigenvalues of open ballistic cavities. We find interesting
universal properties when the eigenvalues are rescaled at the hard edge of the
spectrum. We derive a formula for the power spectrum of the fluctuations of
transport observables as a response to an external adiabatic perturbation. Our
formula correctly recovers the Lorentzian-squared behaviour obtained by
semiclassical approaches for the correlation function of conductance
fluctuations.Comment: 19 pages, written in RevTe
Manifestation of Quantum Chaos in Electronic Band Structures
We use semiconductors as an example to show that quantum chaos manifests
itself in the energy spectrum of crystals. We analyze the {\it ab initio} band
structure of silicon and the tight-binding spectrum of the alloy
, and show that some of their statistical properties obey the
universal predictions of quantum chaos derived from the theory of random
matrices. Also, the Bloch momenta are interpreted as external, tunable,
parameters, acting on the reduced (unit cell) Hamiltonian, in close analogy to
Aharonov-Bohm fluxes threading a torus. They are used in the investigation of
the parametric autocorrelator of crystal velocities. We find that our results
are in good agreement with the universal curves recently proposed by Simons and
coworkers.Comment: 15 pages with 6 Postscript figures included, RevTex-3, CMT-ERM/940
Exact Dynamical Correlation Functions of Calogero-Sutherland Model and One-Dimensional Fractional Statistics
One-dimensional model of non-relativistic particles with inverse-square
interaction potential known as Calogero-Sutherland Model (CSM) is shown to
possess fractional statistics. Using the theory of Jack symmetric polynomial
the exact dynamical density-density correlation function and the one-particle
Green's function (hole propagator) at any rational interaction coupling
constant are obtained and used to show clear evidences of the
fractional statistics. Motifs representing the eigenstates of the model are
also constructed and used to reveal the fractional {\it exclusion} statistics
(in the sense of Haldane's ``Generalized Pauli Exclusion Principle''). This
model is also endowed with a natural {\it exchange } statistics (1D analog of
2D braiding statistics) compatible with the {\it exclusion} statistics.
(Submitted to PRL on April 18, 1994)Comment: Revtex 11 pages, IASSNS-HEP-94/27 (April 18, 1994
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