A multiple scales approach to crack front waves

Perturbation of a propagating crack with a straight edge is solved using the method of matched asymptotic expansions (MAE). This provides a simplified analysis in which the inner and outer solutions are governed by distinct mechanics. The inner solution contains the explicit perturbation and is governed by a quasi-static equation. The outer solution determines the radiation of energy away from the tip, and requires solving dynamic equations in the unperturbed configuration. The outer and inner expansions are matched via the small parameter L/l defined by the disparate length scales: the crack perturbation length L and the outer length scale l associated with the loading. The method is first illustrated for a scalar crack model and then applied to the elastodynamic mode I problem. The dispersion relation for crack front waves is found by requiring that the energy release rate is unaltered under perturbation. The wave speed is calculated as a function of the nondimensional parameter kl where k is the crack front wavenumber, and dispersive properties of the crack front wave speed are described for the first time. The example problems considered here demonstrate that the potential of using MAE for moving boundary value problems with multiple scales.Comment: 25 pages, 5 figure

Correlated photon pairs generated from a warm atomic ensemble

We present measurements of the cross-correlation function of photon pairs at 780 nm and 1367 nm, generated in a hot rubidium vapor cell. The temporal character of the biphoton is determined by the dispersive properties of the medium where the pair generation takes place. We show that short correlation times occur for optically thick samples, which can be understood in terms of off-resonant pair generation. By modifying the linear response of the sample, we produce near-resonant photon pairs, which could in principle be used for entanglement distribution

Winter wheat: A model for the simulation of growth and yield in winter wheat

The basic ideas and constructs for a general physical/physiological process level winter wheat simulation model are documented. It is a materials balance model which calculates daily increments of photosynthate production and respiratory losses in the crop canopy. The partitioning of the resulting dry matter to the active growing tissues in the plant each day, transpiration and the uptake of nitrogen from the soil profile are simulated. It incorporates the RHIZOS model which simulates, in two dimensions, the movement of water, roots, and soluble nutrients through the soil profile. It records the time of initiation of each of the plant organs. These phenological events are calculated from temperature functions with delays resulting from physiological stress. Stress is defined mathematically as an imbalance in the metabolite supply; demand ratio. Physiological stress is also the basis for the calculation of rates of tiller and floret abortion. Thus, tillering and head differentiation are modeled as the resulants of the two processes, morphogenesis and abortion, which may be occurring simulaneously

Charge Exchange Processes between Excited Helium and Fully Stripped Ions

We made a classical trajectory Monte Carlo (CTMC) calculation of state selective cross sections for processes between some light ions and excited helium. The results, useful for analysis of spectroscopic data of fusion devices, are in good agreement with theoretical predictions of scaling laws.Comment: LaTex, 8 pages, 4 figures (available on request to the authors), DFPD/94/TH/57, to be published in Phys. Rev.

Fiscal Year 1997

Development of high-temperature superconductors (HTS) has undergone tremendous progress during the past year. Kilometer tape lengths and associated magnets based on BSCCO materials are now commercially available from several industrial partners. Superconducting properties in the exciting YBCO coated conductors continue to be improved over longer lengths. The Superconducting Partnership Initiative (SPI) projects to develop HTS fault current limiters and transmission cables have demonstrated that HTS prototype applications can be produced successfully with properties appropriate for commercial applications. Research and development activities at LANL related to the HTS program for Fiscal Year 1997 are collected in this report. LANL continues to support further development of Bi2223 and Bi2212 tapes in collaboration with American Superconductor Corporation (ASC) and Oxford Superconductivity Technology, Inc. (OSTI), respectively. The tape processing studies involving novel thermal treatments and microstructural characterization have assisted these companies in commercializing these materials. The research on second-generation YBCO-coated conductors produced by pulsed-laser deposition (PLD) over buffer template layers produced by ion beam-assisted deposition (IBAD) continues to lead the world. The applied physics studies of magnetic flux pinning by proton and heavy ion bombardment of BSCCO and YBCO tapes have provided many insights into improving the behavior of these materials in magnetic fields. Sections 4 to 7 of this report contain a list of 29 referred publications and 15 conference abstracts, a list of patent and license activities, and a comprehensive list of collaborative agreements in progress and completed

Energy radiation of moving cracks

The energy radiated by moving cracks in a discrete background is analyzed. The energy flow through a given surface is expressed in terms of a generalized Poynting vector. The velocity of the crack is determined by the radiation by the crack tip. The radiation becomes more isotropic as the crack velocity approaches the instability threshold.Comment: 7 pages, embedded figure

Enhanced abundances in three large-diameter mixed-morphology supernova remnants

We present an X-ray study of three mixed-morphology supernova remnants (SNRs), HB 21, CTB 1 and HB 3, using archival ASCA and ROSAT data. These data are complemented by archival Chandra X-ray Observatory data for CTB 1 and XMM-Newton X-ray Observatory data for HB 3. The spectra from HB 21 and HB 3 are well-described with a single-temperature thermal plasma in ionization equilibrium, while a two-temperature thermal plasma is found in CTB 1. We found enhanced abundances in all three SNRs. The elemental abundance of Mg is clearly enhanced in CTB 1, while HB 21 has enhanced abundances of Si and S. The situation is not so clear in HB 3 -- the plasma in this SNR either has significantly enhanced abundances of O, Ne and Mg, or it has marginally enhanced abundances of Mg and under-abundant Fe. We discuss the plausibility of mixed-morphology SNR models for the three SNRs and the presence of enhanced abundances. We revise a list of MM SNRs and their properties, compare the three SNRs studied here with other members of this class, and discuss the presence of enhanced elemental abundances in MM SNRs. We also report the ASCA detection of a compact source in the southern part of HB 3. The source spectrum is consistent with a power law with a photon index of ~2.7, and an unabsorbed X-ray flux of ~10^{-12} erg/cm^2/s in the 0.5--10.0 keV band. The column density towards this source differs from that towards the SNR, and it is therefore unlikely they are related.Comment: 26 pages, 15 figures, revised version (minor changes), accepted for publication in ApJ (10 Aug 2006

Three dimensional loop quantum gravity: coupling to point particles

We consider the coupling between three dimensional gravity with zero cosmological constant and massive spinning point particles. First, we study the classical canonical analysis of the coupled system. Then, we go to the Hamiltonian quantization generalizing loop quantum gravity techniques. We give a complete description of the kinematical Hilbert space of the coupled system. Finally, we define the physical Hilbert space of the system of self-gravitating massive spinning point particles using Rovelli's generalized projection operator which can be represented as a sum over spin foam amplitudes. In addition we provide an explicit expression of the (physical) distance operator between two particles which is defined as a Dirac observable.Comment: Typos corrected and references adde

The XMM-LSS Survey: A well controlled X-ray cluster sample over the D1 CFHTLS area

We present the XMM-LSS cluster catalogue corresponding to the CFHTLS D1 area. The list contains 13 spectroscopically confirmed, X-ray selected galaxy clusters over 0.8 deg2 to a redshift of unity and so constitutes the highest density sample of clusters to date. Cluster X-ray bolometric luminosities range from 0.03 to 5x10^{44} erg/s. In this study, we describe our catalogue construction procedure: from the detection of X-ray cluster candidates to the compilation of a spectroscopically confirmed cluster sample with an explicit selection function. The procedure further provides basic X-ray products such as cluster temperature, flux and luminosity. We detected slightly more clusters with a (0.5-2.0 keV) X-ray fluxes of >2x10^{-14} erg/s/cm^{-2} than we expected based on expectations from deep ROSAT surveys. We also present the Luminosity-Temperature relation for our 9 brightest objects possessing a reliable temperature determination. The slope is in good agreement with the local relation, yet compatible with a luminosity enhancement for the 0.15 < z< 0.35 objects having 1 < T < 2 keV, a population that the XMM-LSS is identifying systematically for the first time. The present study permits the compilation of cluster samples from XMM images whose selection biases are understood. This allows, in addition to studies of large-scale structure, the systematic investigation of cluster scaling law evolution, especially for low mass X-ray groups which constitute the bulk of our observed cluster population. All cluster ancillary data (images, profiles, spectra) are made available in electronic form via the XMM-LSS cluster database.Comment: 12 pages 5 figures, MNRAS accepted. The paper with full resolution cluster images is available at http://vela.astro.ulg.ac.be/themes/spatial/xmm/LSS/rel_pub_e.htm