Hydrodynamics of dense granular systems

The properties of dense granular systems are analyzed from a hydrodynamical point of view, based on conservation laws for the particle number density and linear momentum. We discuss averaging problems associated with the nature of such systems and the peculiarities of the sources of noise. We perform a quantitative study by combining analytical methods and numerical results obtained by ensemble-averaging of data on creep during compaction and molecular dynamics simulations of convective flow. We show that numerical integration of the hydrodynamic equations gives the expected evolution for the time-dependent fields.Comment: 10 pages, 7 figure

Propagation of an Acoustic Pulse of Finite Amplitude in a Granular Medium

A study of propagation of a wide-band acoustic signal in a granular medium is reported. Experimental data on the propagation of pulses with an amplitude up to 3 MPa and characteristic length about 1 µs through a sample of cobalt-manganese nodules are compared with a computer model of the process. An anomalous sig'rfal absorption in the high-frequency range observed with relatively weak sounding pulses is explained under the assumption of a fractal sample structure on a certain scale. When the signal amplitude increases, the ahsorption assumes a normal power form which is evidence of substance structural changes

Helping Russian Students See the Invisible Hand

Teaching/Communication/Extension/Profession,

Modeling the Role of the Cell Cycle in Regulating Proteus mirabilis Swarm-Colony Development

We present models and computational results which indicate that the spatial and temporal regularity seen in Proteus mirabilis swarm-colony development is largely an expression of a sharp age of dedifferentiation in the cell cycle from motile swarmer cells to immotile dividing cells (also called swimmer or vegetative cells.) This contrasts strongly with reaction-diffusion models of Proteus behavior that ignore or average out the age structure of the cell population and instead use only density-dependent mechanisms. We argue the necessity of retaining the explicit age structure, and suggest experiments that may help determine the underlying mechanisms empirically. Consequently, we advocate Proteus as a model organism for a multiscale understanding of how and to what extent the life cycle of individual cells affects the macroscopic behavior of a biological system

Transient response of photoexcited electrons: negative and oscillating current

Time-dependent current of the electrons excited in the conduction band after ultrafast interband photogeneration is studied theoretically. The transient photocurrent is calculated for the nonlinear regime of response to a stationary electric field. The response demonstrates transient absolute negative conductivity when the electrons are excited slightly below the optical phonon energy, while the periodic oscillations of the electric current appear after formation of the streaming distribution. The quenching of these peculiarities by the elastic scattering of electrons is also considered.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figure