Measurement of Electron Density Profile Behind Strong Shock Waves with a Langmuir Probe

At the shock velocity range of 7~9km/s, the variations of electron density behind strong normal shock waves are measured in a low-density shock tube by using the Langmuir electrostatic probe technique. The electron temperature, calculated based on Park’s three-temperature model, is used in interpreting the probe current data. The peak electron densities determined in the present experiment are shown to be in a good agreement with those predicted by Lin’s calculation. The experimentally obtained ratios of the characteristic ionization distance to the mean free path of freestream ahead of the shock wave are found to be in a good agreement with the existing experiments and Park’s calculation.

Influence of Wind and Grain Size on Migration of Asymmetric Sand Waves

Large parts of shallow seas are covered by regular seabed patterns and sand wave is one kind of these patterns. The instability of the sedimentary structures may hazard pipelines and the foundations of offshore structures. In the last decade or so, it's a focus for engineers to investigate the movement mechanism of sand waves. Previous theoretical studies of the subject have developed a general model to predict the growth and migration of sand waves, which is based on the two-dimensional vertical shallow water equations and the bed-form deformation equations. Although the relation between wave-current flow and sand bed deformation has been established, the topographic influence has not been considered in the model. In this paper some special patterns, which are asymmetric and close to the reality, are represent as the perturbed seabed and the evolution of sand waves is calculated. The combination of a steady flow induced by wind and a sinusoidal tidal flow is considered as the basic flow. Finally the relations of some parameters (grain size, etc.) and sand waves' growth and migration are discussed, and the growth rate and migration speeds of asymmetric sand waves are carried out.

Short-Term Nonlinear Response of Tension Leg Platform in Random Sea Waves

Most of the existing mathematical models for analyzing the dynamic response of TLP are based on explicit or implicit assumptions that motions (translations and rotations) are small magnitude. However, when TLP works in severe adverse conditions, the a priori assumption on small displacements may be inadequate. In such situation, the motions should be regarded as finite magnitude. This paper will study stochastic nonlinear dynamic responses of TLP with finite displacements in random waves. The nonlinearities considered are: large amplitude motions, coupling the six degrees-of-freedom, instantaneous position, instantaneous wet surface, free surface effects and viscous drag force. The nonlinear dynamic responses are calculated by using numerical integration procedure in the time domain. After the time histories of the dynamic responses are obtained, we carry out cycle counting of the stress histories of the tethers with rain-flow counting method to get the stress range distribution.

Measurement and Calculation of Vibrational Temperature behind Strong Shock Waves

In the present paper the measured values of vibrational temperature behind strong shock waves are compared with theoretical ones. The histories of vibrational temperature behind strong shock waves in a shock tube were measured using two monochromators. The test gas was pure nitrogen at 100-300Pa, and the speeds of shock waves were 5.0-6.0km/s. The electronic temperature of N-2(+) was also approximately determined from experiment and compared with the experimental vibrational temperature. The results show that the presented calculational method is effective, and the electronic energy of N2+ is excited much faster than its vibrational energy. One Langmuir probe was used to determine the effective time of region 2. The influence of viscosity in the shock tube is also analyzed.

Diffusive waves in a channel with concentrated lateral inflow

In the current paper an analytical solution for diffusive wave equation with the concentrate-distributed lateral inflow is yielded. Finite-difference numerical method is also employed to validate this model. The backwater effects drawn from lateral inflow on the mainstream are examined finally.

Receptivity to free-stream disturbance waves for blunt cone axial symmetry hypersonic boundary layer

Based on high-order compact upwind scheme, a high-order shock-fitting finite difference scheme is studied to simulate the generation of boundary layer disturbance waves due to free-stream waves. Both steady and unsteady flow solutions of the receptivity problem are obtained by resolving the full Navier-Stokes equations. The interactions of bow-shock and free-stream disturbance are researched. Direct numerical simulation (DNS) of receptivity to free-stream disturbances for blunt cone hypersonic boundary layers is performed.

Wave loading on floating platforms by internal solitary waves

Morison's equation is used for estimating internal solitary wave-induced forces exerted on SPAR and semi-submersible platforms. And the results we got have also been compared to ocean surface wave loading. It is shown that Morison's equation is an appropriate approach to estimate internal wave loading even for SPAR and semi-submersible platforms, and the internal solitary wave load on floating platforms is comparable to surface wave counterpart. Moreover, the effects of the layers with different thickness on internal solitary wave force are investigated.

Characteristics of flow fields induced by interfacial waves in two-layer fluid

When designing deep ocean structures, it is necessary to estimate the effects of internal waves on the platform and auxiliary parts such as tension leg, riser and mooring lines. Up to now, only a few studies are concerned with the internal wave velocity fields. By using the most representative two-layer model, we have analyzed the behavior of velocity field induced by interfacial wave in the present paper. We find that there may exist velocity shear of fluid particles in the upper and lower layers so that any structures in the ocean are subjected to shear force nearby the interface. In the meantime, the magnitude of velocity for long internal wave appears spatially uniform in the respective layer although they still decay exponentially. Finally, the temporal variation for Stokes and solitary waves are shown to be of periodical and pulse type.

Self-organized generation of transverse waves in diverging cylindrical detonations

Self-organized generation of transverse waves associated with the transverse wave instabilities at a diverging cylindrical detonation front was numerically studied by solving two-dimensional Euler equations implemented with an improved two-step chemical kinetic model. After solution validation, four mechanisms of the transverse wave generation were identified from numerical simulations, and referred to as the concave front focusing, the kinked front evolution, the wrinkled front evolution and the transverse wave merging, respectively. The propagation of the cylindrical detonation is maintained by the growth of the transverse waves that match the rate of increase in surface area of the detonation front to asymptotically approach a constant average number of transverse waves per unit length along the circumference of the detonation front. This cell bifurcation phenomenon of cellular detonations is discussed in detail to gain better understanding on detonation physics.

MODELING EVOLUTION OF INTERNAL WAVES IN SOUTH CHINA SEA

Internal waves are an important factor in the design of drill operations and production in deep water, because the waves have very large amplitude and may induce large horizontal velocity. How the internal waves occur and propagate over benthal terrain is of great concern for ocean engineers. In the present paper, we have formulated a mathematical model of internal wave propagation in a two-layer deep water, which involves the effects of friction, dissipation and shoaling, and is capable of manifesting the variation of the amplitude and the velocity pattern. After calibration by field data measured at the Continental Slope in the Northern South China Sea, we have applied the model to the South China Sea, investigating the westward propagation of internal waves from the Luzon Strait, where internal waves originate due to the interaction of benthal ridge and tides. We find that the internal wave induced velocity profile is obviously characterized by the opposite flow below and above the pycnocline, which results in a strong shear, threatening safety of ocean structures, such as mooring system of oil platform, risers, etc. When internal waves propagate westwards, the amplitude attenuates due to the effects of friction and dissipation. The preliminary results show that the amplitude is likely to become half of its initial value at Luzon Strait when the internal waves propagate about 400 kilometers westwards.

Space-frequency coupling, conical waves, and small-scale filamentation in water

Numerical simulations of fs laser propagation in water have been made to explain the small-scale filaments in water we have observed by a nonlinear fluorescence technique. Some analytical descriptions combined with numerical simulations show that a space-frequency coupling mainly from the interplay among self-phase modulation, dispersion and phase mismatching will reshape the laser beam into a conical wave which plays a major role of energy redistribution and can prevent laser beam from self-guiding over a long distance. An effective group velocity dispersion is introduced to explain the pulse broadening and compression in the filamentation. (c) 2005 American Institute of Physics.

Formation of X-waves at fundamental and harmonics by infrared femtosecond pulse filamentation in air

We experimentally observe the formation of X-waves at fundamental, third harmonic, and fifth harmonic wavelengths by infrared (central wavelength at similar to 1500 nm) femtosecond laser pulse filamentation in air. By fitting the angularly resolved spectra of the fundamental and harmonic waves using X-wave relations, we confirm that all the X-waves have nearly the same group velocity, indicating that they are locked in space and time during their propagation in filament.

Quantum superchemistry in an output coupler of coherent matter waves

We investigate the quantum superchemistry or Bose-enhanced atom-molecule conversions in a coherent output coupler of matter waves, as a simple generalization of the two-color photoassociation. The stimulated effects of molecular output step and atomic revivals are exhibited by steering the rf output couplings. The quantum noise-induced molecular damping occurs near a total conversion in a levitation trap. This suggests a feasible two-trap scheme to make a stable coherent molecular beam.