12,905 research outputs found
The shape of the urine stream — from biophysics to diagnostics
We develop a new computational model of capillary-waves in free-jet flows, and apply this to the problem of urological diagnosis in this first ever study of the biophysics behind the characteristic shape of the urine stream as it exits the urethral meatus. The computational fluid dynamics model is used to determine the shape of a liquid jet issuing from a non-axisymmetric orifice as it deforms under the action of surface tension. The computational results are verified with experimental modelling of the urine stream. We find that the shape of the stream can be used as an indicator of both the flow rate and orifice geometry. We performed volunteer trials which showed these fundamental correlations are also observed in vivo for male healthy volunteers and patients undergoing treatment for low flow rate. For healthy volunteers, self estimation of the flow shape provided an accurate estimation of peak flow rate (+-2%). However for the patients, the relationship between shape and flow rate suggested poor meatal opening during voiding. The results show that self measurement of the shape of the urine stream can be a useful diagnostic tool for medical practitioners since it provides a non-invasive method of measuring urine flow rate and urethral dilation
Yang-Mills gravity in biconformal space
We write a gravity theory with Yang-Mills type action using the biconformal
gauging of the conformal group. We show that the resulting biconformal
Yang-Mills gravity theories describe 4-dim, scale-invariant general relativity
in the case of slowly changing fields. In addition, we systematically extend
arbitrary 4-dim Yang-Mills theories to biconformal space, providing a new arena
for studying flat space Yang-Mills theories. By applying the biconformal
extension to a 4-dim pure Yang-Mills theory with conformal symmetry, we
establish a 1-1, onto mapping between a set of gravitational gauge theories and
4-dim, flat space gauge theories.Comment: 27 pages; paper emphasis shifted to focus on gravity; references
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Opposite Thermodynamic Arrows of Time
A model in which two weakly coupled systems maintain opposite running
thermodynamic arrows of time is exhibited. Each experiences its own retarded
electromagnetic interaction and can be seen by the other. The possibility of
opposite-arrow systems at stellar distances is explored and a relation to dark
matter suggested.Comment: To appear in Phys. Rev. Let
The view from elsewhere: perspectives on ALife Modeling
Many artificial life researchers stress the interdisciplinary character of the field. Against such a backdrop, this report reviews and discusses artificial life, as it is depicted in, and as it interfaces with, adjacent disciplines (in particular, philosophy, biology, and linguistics), and in the light of a specific historical example of interdisciplinary research (namely cybernetics) with which artificial life shares many features. This report grew out of a workshop held at the Sixth European Conference on Artificial Life in Prague and features individual contributions from the workshop's eight speakers, plus a section designed to reflect the debates that took place during the workshop's discussion sessions. The major theme that emerged during these sessions was the identity and status of artificial life as a scientific endeavor
Apparent horizons in simplicial Brill wave initial data
We construct initial data for a particular class of Brill wave metrics using
Regge calculus, and compare the results to a corresponding continuum solution,
finding excellent agreement. We then search for trapped surfaces in both sets
of initial data, and provide an independent verification of the existence of an
apparent horizon once a critical gravitational wave amplitude is passed. Our
estimate of this critical value, using both the Regge and continuum solutions,
supports other recent findings.Comment: 7 pages, 6 EPS figures, LaTeX 2e. Submitted to Class. Quant. Gra
Fast algorithms for computing defects and their derivatives in the Regge calculus
Any practical attempt to solve the Regge equations, these being a large
system of non-linear algebraic equations, will almost certainly employ a
Newton-Raphson like scheme. In such cases it is essential that efficient
algorithms be used when computing the defect angles and their derivatives with
respect to the leg-lengths. The purpose of this paper is to present details of
such an algorithm.Comment: 38 pages, 10 figure
Jet-Induced Explosions of Core Collapse Supernovae
We numerically studied the explosion of a supernova caused by supersonic jets
present in its center. The jets are assumed to be generated by a
magneto-rotational mechanism when a stellar core collapses into a neutron star.
We simulated the process of the jet propagation through the star, jet
breakthrough, and the ejection of the supernova envelope by the lateral shocks
generated during jet propagation. The end result of the interaction is a highly
nonspherical supernova explosion with two high-velocity jets of material moving
in polar directions, and a slower moving, oblate, highly distorted ejecta
containing most of the supernova material. The jet-induced explosion is
entirely due to the action of the jets on the surrounding star and does not
depend on neutrino transport or re-acceleration of a stalled shock. The jet
mechanism can explain the observed high polarization of Type Ib,c and Type II
supernovae, pulsar kicks, very high velocity material observed in supernova
remnants, indications that radioactive material was carried to the
hydrogen-rich layers in SN1987A, and some others observations that are very
difficult or impossible to explain by the neutrino energy deposition mechanism.
The breakout of the jet from a compact, hydrogen- deficient core may account
for the gamma-ray bursts and radio outburst associated with SN1998bw/GRB980425.Comment: 14 pages, LaTeX, aaspp4.sty, epsf.sty, submitted to ApJ Let
Generating and Revealing a Quantum Superposition of Electromagnetic Field Binomial States in a Cavity
We introduce the -photon quantum superposition of two orthogonal
generalized binomial states of electromagnetic field. We then propose, using
resonant atom-cavity interactions, non-conditional schemes to generate and
reveal such a quantum superposition for the two-photon case in a single-mode
high- cavity. We finally discuss the implementation of the proposed schemes.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures. Title changed (published version
Putting pharmaceuticals into the wider context of challenges to fish populations in rivers
The natural range of fish species in our rivers is related to flow, elevation, temperature, local habitat and connectivity. For over 2000 years, humans have altered to varying degrees the river habitat. In the past 200 years, we added to the environmental disruption by discharging poorly treated sewage, nutrients and industrial waste into our rivers. For many rivers, the low point arrived during the period of 1950s–1970s, when rapid economic development overrode environmental concerns and dissolved oxygen concentrations dropped to zero. In these more enlightened times, gross river pollution is a thing of the past in the Developed World. However, persistent legacy chemical contaminants can be found in fish long after their discharge ceased. Changes in habitat quality and morphology caused and continue to cause the disappearance of fish species. The range of fish stressors has now increased as temperatures rise, and non-native fish introductions bring new diseases. The threat from pharmaceuticals to fish populations remains hypothetical, and no studies have yet linked change in fish populations to exposure
Lorentz transformations of open systems
We consider open dynamical systems, subject to external interventions by
agents that are not completely described by the theory (classical or quantal).
These interventions are localized in regions that are relatively spacelike.
Under these circumstances, no relativistic transformation law exists that
relates the descriptions of the physical system by observers in relative
motion. Still, physical laws are the same in all Lorentz frames.Comment: Final version submitted to J. Mod. Opt. (Proc. of Gdansk conference
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