710 research outputs found
Analytic expression for Taylor-Couette stability boundary
We analyze the mechanism that determines the boundary of stability in
Taylor-Couette flow. By simple physical argument we derive an analytic
expression to approximate the stability line for all radius ratios and all
speed ratios, for co- and counterrotating cylinders. The expression includes
viscosity and so generalizes Rayleigh's criterion. We achieve agreement with
linear stability theory and with experiments in the whole parameter space.
Explicit formulae are given for limiting cases.Comment: 6 pages (LaTeX with REVTEX) including 4 figures (Postscript) Revised,
discussion of two additional references. See also
http://staff-www.uni-marburg.de/~esse
Competition between Traveling Fluid Waves of Left and Right Spiral Vortices and Their Different Amplitude Combinations
Stability, bifurcation properties, and the spatiotemporal behavior of
different nonlinear combination structures of spiral vortices in the counter
rotating Taylor-Couette system are investigated by full numerical simulations
and by coupled amplitude equation approximations. Stable cross-spiral
structures with continuously varying content of left and right spiral modes are
found. They provide a stability transferring connection between the initially
stable, axially counter propagating wave states of pure spirals and the axially
standing waves of so-called ribbons that become stable slightly further away
from onset of vortex flow.Comment: 4 pages, 5 figure
The CNGS Neutrino Beam
The CERN to Gran Sasso Neutrino beam (CNGS) was commissioned at CERN in early
August 2006 and was first sent at low intensity to Gran Sasso on August 17,
2006. The Borexino, LVD and OPERA experiments continued the commissioning of
their detectors and started taking data with practically no dead time. The CNGS
collected several hundred events with clean time distributions.Comment: 11 pages, 14 EPS figures. Lecture given at the 2nd Latin American
School on Cosmic Rays and Astrophysics, Puebla, Mexico, 30th August - 8th
September 200
Transition from the Couette-Taylor system to the plane Couette system
We discuss the flow between concentric rotating cylinders in the limit of
large radii where the system approaches plane Couette flow. We discuss how in
this limit the linear instability that leads to the formation of Taylor
vortices is lost and how the character of the transition approaches that of
planar shear flows. In particular, a parameter regime is identified where
fractal distributions of life times and spatiotemporal intermittency occur.
Experiments in this regime should allow to study the characteristics of shear
flow turbulence in a closed flow geometry.Comment: 5 pages, 5 figure
End-wall effects on the transition between Taylor vortices and spiral vortices
We present numerical simulations as well as experimental results concerning
transitions between Taylor vortices and spiral vortices in the Taylor-Couette
system with rigid, non-rotating end-walls in axial direction. As in the axial
periodic case, these transitions are performed by wavy structures appearing via
a secondary bifurcation out of Taylor vortices and spirals, respectively. But
in the presence of rigid lids, pure spiral solutions do not occur but are
substituted by primary bifurcating, stable wavy spiral structures (wSPI).
Similarly to the periodic system, we found a transition from Taylor vortices to
wSPI mediated by so called wavy Taylor vortices (wTVF) and, on the other hand,
a transition from wSPI to TVF triggered by a propagating defect. We furthermore
observed and investigated the primary bifurcation of wSPI out of basic Ekman
flow.Comment: 6 figure
Probing long-range leptonic forces with solar and reactor neutrinos
In this work we study the phenomenological consequences of the existence of
long-range forces coupled to lepton flavour numbers in solar neutrino
oscillations. We study electronic forces mediated by scalar, vector or tensor
neutral bosons and analyze their effect on the propagation of solar neutrinos
as a function of the force strength and range. Under the assumption of one mass
scale dominance, we perform a global analysis of solar and KamLAND neutrino
data which depends on the two standard oscillation parameters, \Delta m^2_{21}
and \tan^2\theta_{12}, the force coupling constant, its range and, for the case
of scalar-mediated interactions, on the neutrino mass scale as well. We find
that, generically, the inclusion of the new interaction does not lead to a very
statistically significant improvement on the description of the data in the
most favored MSW LMA (or LMA-I) region. It does, however, substantially improve
the fit in the high-\Delta m^2 LMA (or LMA-II) region which can be allowed for
vector and scalar lepto-forces (in this last case if neutrinos are very
hierarchical) at 2.5\sigma. Conversely, the analysis allows us to place
stringent constraints on the strength versus range of the leptonic interaction.Comment: 20 pages, 8 figure
Pattern selection as a nonlinear eigenvalue problem
A unique pattern selection in the absolutely unstable regime of driven,
nonlinear, open-flow systems is reviewed. It has recently been found in
numerical simulations of propagating vortex structures occuring in
Taylor-Couette and Rayleigh-Benard systems subject to an externally imposed
through-flow. Unlike the stationary patterns in systems without through-flow
the spatiotemporal structures of propagating vortices are independent of
parameter history, initial conditions, and system length. They do, however,
depend on the boundary conditions in addition to the driving rate and the
through-flow rate. Our analysis of the Ginzburg-Landau amplitude equation
elucidates how the pattern selection can be described by a nonlinear eigenvalue
problem with the frequency being the eigenvalue. Approaching the border between
absolute and convective instability the eigenvalue problem becomes effectively
linear and the selection mechanism approaches that of linear front propagation.
PACS: 47.54.+r,47.20.Ky,47.32.-y,47.20.FtComment: 18 pages in Postsript format including 5 figures, to appear in:
Lecture Notes in Physics, "Nonlinear Physics of Complex Sytems -- Current
Status and Future Trends", Eds. J. Parisi, S. C. Mueller, and W. Zimmermann
(Springer, Berlin, 1996
Inhibition of Vaginal Lactobacilli by a Bacteriocin-Like Inhibitor Produced by Enterococcus faecium 62-6: Potential Significance for Bacterial Vaginosis
Objective: Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is characterized by a shift in vaginal tract ecology, which includes a decrease in the concentration and/or prevalence of facultative lactobacilli. Currently, mechanisms which could account for the disappearance of lactobacilli are not well understood. The objective of this study was to determine whether vaginal streptococci/enterococci can produce bacteriocin-like inhibitors antagonistic to vaginal lactobacilli. Methods: Seventy strains of vaginal streptococci or enterococci were tested for antagonistic activities against vaginal lactobacilli using the deferred antagonism technique. Results: One strain, Enterococcus faecium 62-6, which strongly inhibited growth of lactobacilli was selected for further characterization. The spectrum of inhibitory activity of strain 62-6 included Gram-positive organisms from the vaginal environment, although native lactobacilli from the same host were resistant to inhibitor action. Following growth inMRSbroth the strain 62-6 inhibitor was shown to be heat- (100℃, 30 minutes), cold- (4℃, less than 114 days) and pH- (4–7) stable. The sensitivity of inhibitor-containing supernatants to pepsin and α-chymotrypsin suggested an essential proteinaceous component. The inhibitor was sensitive to lipase but resistant to lysozyme. Dialysis of inhibitor-containing culture supernatants suggested a molecular mass greater than 12 000 Da. All physicochemical properties were consistent with its classification as a bacteriocin-like inhibitor. Kinetic assays demonstrated a sharp onset of inhibitor production coinciding with a concentration of 62-6 of 10(7) cfu/ml, suggesting that production may be regulated by quorum sensing. Conclusions: These results may have clinical significance as a novel mechanism to account for the decline of vaginal Lactobacillus populations and contribute to both the establishment and recurrence of BV
Parametric Forcing of Waves with Non-Monotonic Dispersion Relation: Domain Structures in Ferrofluids?
Surface waves on ferrofluids exposed to a dc-magnetic field exhibit a
non-monotonic dispersion relation. The effect of a parametric driving on such
waves is studied within suitable coupled Ginzburg-Landau equations. Due to the
non-monotonicity the neutral curve for the excitation of standing waves can
have up to three minima. The stability of the waves with respect to long-wave
perturbations is determined a phase-diffusion equation. It shows that the
band of stable wave numbers can split up into two or three sub-bands. The
resulting competition between the wave numbers corresponding to the respective
sub-bands leads quite naturally to patterns consisting of multiple domains of
standing waves which differ in their wave number. The coarsening dynamics of
such domain structures is addressed.Comment: 23 pages, 6 postscript figures, composed using RevTeX. Submitted to
PR
Fenton's reagent for the rapid and efficient isolation of microplastics from wastewater
Fenton’s reagent was used to isolate microplastics from organic-rich wastewater. The catalytic reaction did not affect microplastic chemistry or size, enabling its use as a pre-treatment method for focal plane array-based micro-FT-IR imaging. Compared with previously described microplastic treatment methods, Fenton’s reagent offers a considerable reduction in sample preparation times
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