Interior Estimates for Generalized Forchheimer Flows of Slightly Compressible Fluids

The generalized Forchheimer flows are studied for slightly compressible fluids in porous media with time-dependent Dirichlet boundary data for the pressure. No restrictions on the degree of the Forchheimer polynomial are imposed. We derive, for all time, the interior $L^\infty$-estimates for the pressure and its partial derivatives, and the interior $L^2$-estimates for its Hessian. The De Giorgi and Ladyzhenskaya-Uraltseva iteration techniques are used taking into account the special structures of the equations for both pressure and its gradient. These are combined with the uniform Gronwall-type bounds in establishing the asymptotic estimates when time tends to infinity

A family of steady two-phase generalized Forchheimer flows and their linear stability analysis

We model multi-dimensional two-phase flows of incompressible fluids in porous media using generalized Forchheimer equations and the capillary pressure. Firstly, we find a family of steady state solutions whose saturation and pressure are radially symmetric and velocities are rotation-invariant. Their properties are investigated based on relations between the capillary pressure, each phase's relative permeability and Forchheimer polynomial. Secondly, we analyze the linear stability of those steady states. The linearized system is derived and reduced to a parabolic equation for the saturation. This equation has a special structure depending on the steady states which we exploit to prove two new forms of the lemma of growth of Landis-type in both bounded and unbounded domains. Using these lemmas, qualitative properties of the solution of the linearized equation are studied in details. In bounded domains, we show that the solution decays exponentially in time. In unbounded domains, in addition to their stability, the solution decays to zero as the spatial variables tend to infinity. The BernsteinComment: 33 page

Properties of Generalized Forchheimer Flows in Porous Media

The nonlinear Forchheimer equations are used to describe the dynamics of fluid flows in porous media when Darcy's law is not applicable. In this article, we consider the generalized Forchheimer flows for slightly compressible fluids and study the initial boundary value problem for the resulting degenerate parabolic equation for pressure with the time-dependent flux boundary condition. We estimate $L^\infty$-norm for pressure and its time derivative, as well as other Lebesgue norms for its gradient and second spatial derivatives. The asymptotic estimates as time tends to infinity are emphasized. We then show that the solution (in interior $L^\infty$-norms) and its gradient (in interior $L^{2-\delta}$-norms) depend continuously on the initial and boundary data, and coefficients of the Forchheimer polynomials. These are proved for both finite time intervals and time infinity. The De Giorgi and Ladyzhenskaya-Uraltseva iteration techniques are combined with uniform Gronwall-type estimates, specific monotonicity properties, suitable parabolic Sobolev embeddings and a new fast geometric convergence result.Comment: 63 page

Predicting technology acceptance among student teachers in Malaysia: A structural equation modeling approach

In response towards the advances of technology in the Malaysian education system, the authors investigated the predictors of technology acceptance among a sample of student teachers. Data collected from 245 student teachers were tested against the Technology Acceptance Model using the structural equation modeling approach. The variables that were tested included perceived usefulness (PU), perceived ease of use (PEU), attitudes toward computer use (ATCU), and behavioural intentions to use the computer (BI). The results of the study showed that ATCU was significantly influenced by PU and PEU. PEU also influenced PU significantly and BI was jointly influenced by PU and ATCU

Importance sampling for quantum Monte Carlo in manifolds: Addressing the time scale problem in simulations of molecular aggregates

Several importance sampling strategies are developed and tested for stereographic projection diffusion Monte Carlo in manifolds. We test a family of one parameter trial wavefunctions for variational Monte Carlo in stereographically projected manifolds which can be used to produce importance sampling. We use the double well potential in one dimensional Euclidean space to study systematically sampling issues for diffusion Monte Carlo. We find that diffusion Monte Carlo with importance sampling in manifolds is orders of magnitude more efficient compared to unguided diffusion Monte Carlo. Additionally, diffusion Monte Carlo with importance sampling in manifolds can overcome problems with nonconfining potentials and can suppress quasiergodicity effectively. We obtain the ground state energy and the wavefunction for the Stokmayer trimer. (c) 2008 American Institute of Physics