2,772 research outputs found
Jet vortex generators for turbulent flow separation control
A parametric study was performed with jet vortex generators to determine their effectiveness in controlling flow separation associated with low speed turbulent flow over a two dimensional rearward-facing ramp. Results indicate that flow separation control can be accomplished with the level of control achieved being a function of jet speed, jet orientation (with respect to the free stream direction), and orifice pattern (double row of jets vs. single row). Compared to slot blowing, jet vortex generators can provide an equivalent level of flow control over a larger spanwise region (for constant jet flow area and speed)
Regularity of Horizons and The Area Theorem
We prove that the area of sections of future event horizons in space-times
satisfying the null energy condition is non-decreasing towards the future under
any one of the following circumstances: 1) the horizon is future geodesically
complete; 2) the horizon is a black hole event horizon in a globally hyperbolic
space-time and there exists a conformal completion with a ``H-regular'' Scri
plus; 3) the horizon is a black hole event horizon in a space-time which has a
globally hyperbolic conformal completion. (Some related results under less
restrictive hypotheses are also established.) This extends a theorem of
Hawking, in which piecewise smoothness of the event horizon seems to have been
assumed. No assumptions about the cosmological constant or its sign are made.
We prove smoothness or analyticity of the relevant part of the event horizon
when equality in the area inequality is attained - this has applications to the
theory of stationary black holes, as well as to the structure of compact Cauchy
horizons. In the course of the proof we establish several new results
concerning the differentiability properties of horizons.Comment: final version to appear in Annales Henri Poincare, various changes as
suggested by a referee, in particular a section on Krolak's area theorems
adde
Structural Reorganization of Parallel Actin Bundles by Crosslinking Proteins: Incommensurate States of Twist
We construct a coarse-grained model of parallel actin bundles crosslinked by
compact, globular bundling proteins, such as fascin and espin, necessary
components of filapodial and mechanosensory bundles. Consistent with structural
observations of bundles, we find that the optimal geometry for crosslinking is
overtwisted, requiring a coherent structural change of the helical geometry of
the filaments. We study the linker-dependent thermodynamic transition of
bundled actin filaments from their native state to the overtwisted state and
map out the "twist-state'' phase diagram in terms of the availability as well
as the flexibility of crosslinker proteins. We predict that the transition from
the uncrosslinked to fully-crosslinked state is highly sensitive to linker
flexibility: flexible crosslinking smoothly distorts the twist-state of bundled
filaments, while rigidly crosslinked bundles undergo a phase transition,
rapidly overtwisting filaments over a narrow range of free crosslinker
concentrations. Additionally, we predict a rich spectrum of intermediate
structures, composed of alternating domains of sparsely-bound (untwisted) and
strongly-bound (overtwisted) filaments. This model reveals that subtle
differences in crosslinking agents themselves modify not only the detailed
structure of parallel actin bundles, but also the thermodynamic pathway by
which they form.Comment: Main Text (25 pages, 7 figures) with supporting material (12 pages, 9
figures, 2 tables
How well would modern-day oceanic property distributions be known with paleoceanographic-like observations?
Author Posting. © American Geophysical Union, 2016. This article is posted here by permission of American Geophysical Union for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Paleoceanography 31 (2016): 472â490, doi:10.1002/2015PA002917.Compilations of paleoceanographic observations for the deep sea now contain a few hundred points along the oceanic margins, mid-ocean ridges, and bathymetric highs, where seawater conditions are indirectly recorded in the chemistry of buried benthic foraminiferal shells. Here we design an idealized experiment to test our predictive ability to reconstruct modern-day seawater properties by considering paleoceanographic-like data. We attempt to reconstruct the known, modern-day global distributions by using a state estimation method that combines a kinematic tracer transport model with observations that have paleoceanographic characteristics. When a modern-like suite of observations (Î, practical salinity, seawater ÎŽ18O, inline image, PO4, NO3, and O2) is used from the sparse paleolocations, the state estimate is consistent with the withheld data at all depths below 1500 m, suggesting that the observational sparsity can be overcome. Physical features, such as the interbasin gradients in deep inline image and the vertical structure of Atlantic inline image, are accurately reconstructed. The state estimation method extracts useful information from the pointwise observations to infer distributions at the largest oceanic scales (at least 10,000 km horizontally and 1500 m vertically) and outperforms a standard optimal interpolation technique even though neither dynamical constraints nor constraints from surface boundary fluxes are used. When the sparse observations are more realistically restricted to the paleoceanographic proxy observations of ÎŽ13C, ÎŽ18O, and Cd/Ca, however, the large-scale property distributions are no longer recovered coherently. At least three more water mass tracers are likely needed at the core sites in order to accurately reconstruct the large-scale property distributions of the Last Glacial Maximum.NSF Grant Numbers: 1124880, 11254222016-10-0
Three Super-Earths Orbiting HD 7924
We report the discovery of two super-Earth mass planets orbiting the nearby
K0.5 dwarf HD 7924 which was previously known to host one small planet. The new
companions have masses of 7.9 and 6.4 M, and orbital periods of 15.3
and 24.5 days. We perform a joint analysis of high-precision radial velocity
data from Keck/HIRES and the new Automated Planet Finder Telescope (APF) to
robustly detect three total planets in the system. We refine the ephemeris of
the previously known planet using five years of new Keck data and high-cadence
observations over the last 1.3 years with the APF. With this new ephemeris, we
show that a previous transit search for the inner-most planet would have
covered 70% of the predicted ingress or egress times. Photometric data
collected over the last eight years using the Automated Photometric Telescope
shows no evidence for transits of any of the planets, which would be detectable
if the planets transit and their compositions are hydrogen-dominated. We detect
a long-period signal that we interpret as the stellar magnetic activity cycle
since it is strongly correlated with the Ca II H and K activity index. We also
detect two additional short-period signals that we attribute to
rotationally-modulated starspots and a one month alias. The high-cadence APF
data help to distinguish between the true orbital periods and aliases caused by
the window function of the Keck data. The planets orbiting HD 7924 are a local
example of the compact, multi-planet systems that the Kepler Mission found in
great abundance.Comment: Accepted to ApJ on 4/7/201
Transforming City Governments Through IT
City governments have implemented the use of technology in an attempt to enhance their service and operational capabilities. The efforts of the past were well intended, however, the disjuncture of these combined efforts have created âislands of informationâ within their administrative infrastructure. Many corporations today face similar issues that city governments do; decentralized IT infrastructure, dwindling cash flows, and overall operational inefficiency. For medium sized urban centers to have a chance for a brighter future it is absolutely imperative to effectuate change at all levels of city government. The kind of change necessary is not only in an operational capacity, but that of a culture shift as well. Information technology, when used appropriately, has the ability to be the catalyst for the kind of change required to resurrect communities
Time-stepping approach for solving upper-bound problems: Application to two-dimensional Rayleigh-Benard convection
An alternative computational procedure for numerically solving a class of variational problems arising from rigorous upper-bound analysis of forced-dissipative infinite-dimensional nonlinear dynamical systems, including the Navier-Stokes and Oberbeck-Boussinesq equations, is analyzed and applied to Rayleigh-Benard convection. A proof that the only steady state to which this numerical algorithm can converge is the required global optimal of the relevant variational problem is given for three canonical flow configurations. In contrast with most other numerical schemes for computing the optimal bounds on transported quantities (e.g., heat or momentum) within the "background field" variational framework, which employ variants of Newton's method and hence require very accurate initial iterates, the new computational method is easy to implement and, crucially, does not require numerical continuation. The algorithm is used to determine the optimal background-method bound on the heat transport enhancement factor, i.e., the Nusselt number (Nu), as a function of the Rayleigh number (Ra), Prandtl number (Pr), and domain aspect ratio L in two-dimensional Rayleigh-Benard convection between stress-free isothermal boundaries (Rayleigh's original 1916 model of convection). The result of the computation is significant because analyses, laboratory experiments, and numerical simulations have suggested a range of exponents alpha and beta in the presumed Nu similar to (PrRa beta)-Ra-alpha scaling relation. The computations clearly show that for Ra <= 10(10) at fixed L = 2 root 2, Nu <= 0.106Pr(0)Ra(5/12), which indicates that molecular transport cannot generally be neglected in the "ultimate" high-Ra regime.NSF DMS-0928098 DMS-1515161 DMS-0927587 PHY-1205219Simons FoundationNSFONRInstitute for Computational Engineering and Sciences (ICES
Research And Development Investment
The United States has long enjoyed a leadership role in research and development investment and they invest more in both basic and applied scientific research than any other country. The U.S. preeminence in R&D investment, however, is at a critical point. U.S. R&D investment has been declining as a percentage of the nationâs GDP since 2009, and in 2013, U.S. R&D investment is expected to decline in real dollars as well.  Declining investment in R&D is the result of budgetary constraints and the lack of political consensus as to the economic value of the governmentâs continued commitment to R&D programs. This decline in U.S. investment comes at a time when global R&D investment is increasing significantly. Economic rivals, led by China in particular, have made investment in R&D a core component of their plans for economic growth and have committed themselves to increasing and substantial R&D investment.  U.S. policymakers need to take action now to reverse what could become a policy trend of decreased government investment in R&D, which has both a short-term and long-term impact. R&D spending is an âeconomic and employment driverâ and ultimately employs 8.27 million U.S. workers, generating $1.238 trillion dollars to the U.S. economy. In addition, government investment funds the majority of basic scientific research which, in the past, has led to such innovations as digital recording technology, communication satellites, global positioning systems (GPS), and the Internet. It is unclear if the private sector alone can make up the difference in government R&D investment.  If the U.S. fails to protect its leadership position in R&D investment, it consequently risks its leadership in science, technology, productivity, and innovation which is the basis of the nationâs employment and economic activity
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