10,325 research outputs found
What we don't know about time
String theory has transformed our understanding of geometry, topology and
spacetime. Thus, for this special issue of Foundations of Physics commemorating
"Forty Years of String Theory", it seems appropriate to step back and ask what
we do not understand. As I will discuss, time remains the least understood
concept in physical theory. While we have made significant progress in
understanding space, our understanding of time has not progressed much beyond
the level of a century ago when Einstein introduced the idea of space-time as a
combined entity. Thus, I will raise a series of open questions about time, and
will review some of the progress that has been made as a roadmap for the
future.Comment: 15 pages; Essay for a special issue of Foundations of Physics
commemorating "Forty years of string theory
Drag reduction effects in turbulent boundary layers over wavy walls
Two dimensional incompressible flow over wavy surfaces are analyzed numerically by spectral methods. Algorithms for periodic flows (Fourier modes in the periodic flow direction and Chebycheff modes in the normal direction), and inflow-outflow boundary conditions (Chebycheff modes used in both directions) are described. Results obtained using both codes are reported for laminar flows. Comparisons with known theoretical and experimental results are made
Numerical studies of laminar and turbulent drag reduction
Two-dimensional incompressible flow over wavy surfaces is studied numerically by spectral methods. Turbulence effects are modeled. Results for symmetric and asymmetric wave forms are presented. Effect of propagating surface waves on drag reduction is studied. Comparisons between computer simulations and experimental results are made
Numerical studies of laminar and turbulent drag reduction, part 2
The flow over wave shaped surfaces is studied using a Navier Stokes solver. Detailed comparisons with theoretical results are presented, including the stability of a laminar flow over wavy surfaces. Drag characteristics of nonplanar surfaces are predicted using the Navier-Stokes solver. The secondary instabilities of wall bounded and free shear flows are also discussed
Spacetime and the Holographic Renormalization Group
Anti-de Sitter (AdS) space can be foliated by a family of nested surfaces
homeomorphic to the boundary of the space. We propose a holographic
correspondence between theories living on each surface in the foliation and
quantum gravity in the enclosed volume. The flow of observables between our
``interior'' theories is described by a renormalization group equation. The
dependence of these flows on the foliation of space encodes bulk geometry.Comment: 12 page
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