Supporting 'design for reuse' with modular design

Engineering design reuse refers to the utilization of any knowledge gained from the design activity to support future design. As such, engineering design reuse approaches are concerned with the support, exploration, and enhancement of design knowledge prior, during, and after a design activity. Modular design is a product structuring principle whereby products are developed with distinct modules for rapid product development, efficient upgrades, and possible reuse (of the physical modules). The benefits of modular design center on a greater capacity for structuring component parts to better manage the relation between market requirements and the designed product. This study explores the capabilities of modular design principles to provide improved support for the engineering design reuse concept. The correlations between modular design and 'reuse' are highlighted, with the aim of identifying its potential to aid the little-supported process of design for reuse. In fulfilment of this objective the authors not only identify the requirements of design for reuse, but also propose how modular design principles can be extended to support design for reuse

Role of the Coulomb and the vector-isovector ρ\rho potentials in the isospin asymmetry of nuclear pseudospin

We investigate the role of the Coulomb and the vector-isovector $\rho$ potentials in the asymmetry of the neutron and proton pseudospin splittings in nuclei. To this end, we solve the Dirac equation for the nucleons using central vector and scalar potentials with Woods-Saxon shape and $Z$ and $N-Z$ dependent Coulomb and $\rho$ potentials added to the vector potential. We study the effect of these potentials on the energy splittings of proton and neutron pseudospin partners along a Sn isotopic chain. We use an energy decomposition proposed in a previous work to assess the effect of a pseudospin-orbit potential on those splittings. We conclude that the effect of the Coulomb potential is quite small and the $\rho$ potential gives the main contribution to the observed isospin asymmetry of the pseudospin splittings. This isospin asymmetry results from a cancellation of the various energy terms and cannot be attributed only to the pseudospin-orbit term, confirming the dynamical character of this symmetry pointed out in previous works.Comment: 9 pages, 11 figures, uses revtex4; title was changed and several small corrections were made throughout the tex

Pseudospin symmetry as a relativistic dynamical symmetry in the nucleus

Pseudospin symmetry in nuclei is investigated by solving the Dirac equation with Woods-Saxon scalar and vector radial potentials, and studying the correlation of the energy splittings of pseudospin partners with the nuclear potential parameters. The pseudospin interaction is related to a pseudospin-orbit term that arises in a Schroedinger-like equation for the lower component of the Dirac spinor. We show that the contribution from this term to the energy splittings of pseudospin partners is large. The near pseudospin degeneracy results from a significant cancelation among the different terms in that equation, manifesting the dynamical character of this symmetry in the nucleus. We analyze the isospin dependence of the pseudospin symmetry and find that its dynamical character is behind the different pseudospin splittings observed in neutron and proton spectra of nuclei.Comment: 13 pages, 9 figures, uses REVTeX4 macro

A mutli-technique search for the most primitive CO chondrites

As part of a study to identify the most primitive COs and to look for weakly altered CMs amongst the COs, we have conducted a multi-technique study of 16 Antarctic meteorites that had been classified as primitive COs. For this study, we have determined: (1) the bulk H, C and N abundances and isotopes, (2) bulk O isotopic compositions, (3) bulk modal mineralogies, and (4) for some selected samples the abundances and compositions of their insoluble organic matter (IOM). Two of the 16 meteorites do appear to be CMs – BUC 10943 seems to be a fairly typical CM, while MIL 090073 has probably been heated. Of the COs, DOM 08006 appears to be the most primitive CO identified to date and is quite distinct from the other members of its pairing group. The other COs fall into two groups that are less primitive than DOM 08006 and ALH 77307, the previously most primitive CO. The first group is composed of members of the DOM 08004 pairing group, except DOM 08006. The second group is composed of meteorites belonging to the MIL 03377 and MIL 07099 pairing groups. These two pairing groups should probably be combined. There is a dichotomy in the bulk O isotopes between the primitive (all Antarctic finds) and the more metamorphosed COs (mostly falls). This dichotomy can only partly be explained by the terrestrial weathering experienced by the primitive Antarctic samples. It seems that the more equilibrated samples interacted to a greater extent with 16O-poor material, probably water, than the more primitive meteorites

Nonlinear time-series analysis of Hyperion's lightcurves

Hyperion is a satellite of Saturn that was predicted to remain in a chaotic rotational state. This was confirmed to some extent by Voyager 2 and Cassini series of images and some ground-based photometric observations. The aim of this aticle is to explore conditions for potential observations to meet in order to estimate a maximal Lyapunov Exponent (mLE), which being positive is an indicator of chaos and allows to characterise it quantitatively. Lightcurves existing in literature as well as numerical simulations are examined using standard tools of theory of chaos. It is found that existing datasets are too short and undersampled to detect a positive mLE, although its presence is not rejected. Analysis of simulated lightcurves leads to an assertion that observations from one site should be performed over a year-long period to detect a positive mLE, if present, in a reliable way. Another approach would be to use 2---3 telescopes spread over the world to have observations distributed more uniformly. This may be achieved without disrupting other observational projects being conducted. The necessity of time-series to be stationary is highly stressed.Comment: 34 pages, 12 figures, 4 tables; v2 after referee report; matches the version accepted in Astrophysics and Space Scienc

Combined CI+MBPT calculations of energy levels and transition amplitudes in Be, Mg, Ca, and Sr

Configuration interaction (CI) calculations in atoms with two valence electrons, carried out in the V(N-2) Hartree-Fock potential of the core, are corrected for core-valence interactions using many-body perturbation theory (MBPT). Two variants of the mixed CI+MBPT theory are described and applied to obtain energy levels and transition amplitudes for Be, Mg, Ca, and Sr

Application of small punch creep testing to a thermally sprayed CoNiCrAlY bond coat

High velocity oxy-fuel thermal spraying was used to prepare free-standing CoNiCrAlY (Co–31.7% Ni–20.8% Cr–8.1% Al–0.5% Y (wt%)) bond coat alloy samples approximately 0.5 mm thick. Creep tests were conducted at 750 °C on these samples using a small punch (SP) creep test method. The samples were characterised before and after creep testing using scanning electron microscopy with electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD). EBSD revealed a two phase fcc γ-Ni and bcc B2 β-NiAl microstructure with grain sizes ~1–2 μm for both phases, which did not change significantly following testing. The constant temperature SP test data were characterised by a minimum creep strain rate, View the MathML source, and a total time to failure, tf, at different applied stresses. The data are fitted to conventional power law equations with a stress exponent for creep close to 8 in the Norton power law and between 7 and 10 in the Monkman–Grant creep rupture law. Creep rupture was predominantly due to creep cavitation voids nucleating at both the γ–β interphase boundaries and the γ–γ grain boundaries leading to final failure by void linkage. However, rupture life was influenced by the quantity of oxide entrained in the coating during the spray deposition process

Kinetic Turbulence

The weak collisionality typical of turbulence in many diffuse astrophysical plasmas invalidates an MHD description of the turbulent dynamics, motivating the development of a more comprehensive theory of kinetic turbulence. In particular, a kinetic approach is essential for the investigation of the physical mechanisms responsible for the dissipation of astrophysical turbulence and the resulting heating of the plasma. This chapter reviews the limitations of MHD turbulence theory and explains how kinetic considerations may be incorporated to obtain a kinetic theory for astrophysical plasma turbulence. Key questions about the nature of kinetic turbulence that drive current research efforts are identified. A comprehensive model of the kinetic turbulent cascade is presented, with a detailed discussion of each component of the model and a review of supporting and conflicting theoretical, numerical, and observational evidence.Comment: 31 pages, 3 figures, 99 references, Chapter 6 in A. Lazarian et al. (eds.), Magnetic Fields in Diffuse Media, Astrophysics and Space Science Library 407, Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg (2015

Solar Wind Turbulence and the Role of Ion Instabilities

International audienc