Determination of the parameters of a Skyrme type effective interaction using the simulated annealing approach

We implement for the first time the simulated annealing method (SAM) to the problem of searching for the global minimum in the hyper-surface of the chi-square function which depends on the values of the parameters of a Skyrme type effective nucleon-nucleon interaction. We undertake a realistic case of fitting the values of the Skyrme parameters to an extensive set of experimental data on the ground state properties of many nuclei ranging from normal to exotic ones. The set of experimental data used in our fitting procedure includes the radii for the valence $1d_{5/2}$ and $1f_{7/2}$ neutron orbits in the $^{17}$O and $^{41}$Ca nuclei, respectively, and the breathing mode energies for several nuclei, in addition to the typically used data on binding energy, charge radii and spin-orbit splitting. We also include in the fit the critical density $\rho_{cr}$ and further constrain the values of the Skyrme parameters by requiring that (i) the quantity $P = 3\rho \frac{dS}{d\rho}$, directly related to the slope of the symmetry energy $S$, must be positive for densities up to $3\rho_0$ (ii) the enhancement factor $\kappa$, associated with the isovector giant dipole resonance, should lie in the range of $0.1 - 0.5$ and (iii) the Landau parameter $G_0^\prime$ is positive at $\rho = \rho_0$. We provide simple but consistent schemes to account for the center of mass corrections to the binding energy and charge radii.Comment: 33 pages, 4 figures, Phys. Rev. C (in press

Avalanches in Breakdown and Fracture Processes

We investigate the breakdown of disordered networks under the action of an increasing external---mechanical or electrical---force. We perform a mean-field analysis and estimate scaling exponents for the approach to the instability. By simulating two-dimensional models of electric breakdown and fracture we observe that the breakdown is preceded by avalanche events. The avalanches can be described by scaling laws, and the estimated values of the exponents are consistent with those found in mean-field theory. The breakdown point is characterized by a discontinuity in the macroscopic properties of the material, such as conductivity or elasticity, indicative of a first order transition. The scaling laws suggest an analogy with the behavior expected in spinodal nucleation.Comment: 15 pages, 12 figures, submitted to Phys. Rev. E, corrected typo in authors name, no changes to the pape

Large-eddy simulation of spectral coherence in a wind turbine wake

This work is mainly dedicated to the study of the characteristics of spectral coherence of turbulence fluctuations in wind turbine wakes. A computational fluid dynamics (CFD) code has been implemented using a large-eddy simulation (LES) approach, which is thought to be conceptually more suitable for studying the turbulence evolution in a wind turbine wake. Comparisons with experimental data from the Nørrekær Enge II Windfarm, in Denmark, and with an analytical model proposed by Panofsky and Dutton have been performed, and the results are found to be in reasonable agreement with both

Percolation and cluster distribution. III. Algorithms for the site-bond problem

Algorithms for estimating the percolation probabilities and cluster size distribution are given in the framework of a Monte Carlo simulation for disordered lattices for the generalized site-bond problem. The site-bond approach is useful when a percolation process cannot be exclusively described in the context of pure site or pure bond percolation. An extended multiple labeling technique (ECMLT) is introduced for the generalized problem. The ECMLT is applied to the site-bond percolation problem for square and triangular lattices. Numerical data are given for lattices containing up to 16 million sites. An application to polymer gelation is suggested.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/45140/1/10955_2005_Article_BF01011170.pd