An exact similarity solution in radiation-gas-dynamics

We have found an exact similarity solution of the point explosion problem in the case when the total energy of the shock wave that is produced is not constant but decreases with time and when the loss due to radiation escape is significant. We have compared the results of our exact solution with those of exact numerical solutions of Elliot and Wang and have explained the cause why our solution differs from theirs in certain aspects.

Main chain and segmental dynamics of semi interpenetrating based on polyisoprene and poly(methyl methacrylate)

Main chain and segmental dynamics of polyisoprene (PI) and poly(methyl methacrylate)(PMMA) chains in semi IPNs were systematically studied over a wide range of temperatures (above and below T-g of both polymers) as a function of composition, crosslink density, and molecular weight. The immiscible polymers retained most of its characteristic molecular motion; however, the semi IPN synthesis resulted in dramatic changes in the motional behavior of both polymers due to the molecular level interpenetration between two polymer chains. ESR spin probe method was found to be sensitive to the concentration changes of PMMA in semi IPNs. Low temperature spectra showed the characteristics of rigid limit spectra, and in the range of 293-373 K.complex spectra were obtained with the slow component mostly arisingout of the PMMA rich regions and fast component from the PI phase. We found that the rigid PMMA chains closely interpenetrated into thehighly mobile PI network imparts motional restriction in nearby PI chains, and the highly mobile PI chains induce some degree of flexibility in highly rigid PMMA chains. Molecular level interchain mixing was found to be more efficient at a PMMA concentration of 35 wt.%. Moreover, the strong interphase formed in the above mentionedsemi IPN contributed to the large slow component in the ESR spectra at higher temperature. The shape of the spectra along with the data obtained from the simulations of spectra was correlated to the morphology of the semi IPNs. The correlation time measurement detected the motional region associated with the glass transition of PI and PMMA, and these regions were found to follow the same pattern of shifts in a-relaxation of PI and PMMA observed in DMA analysis. Activation energies associated with the T-g regions were also calculated. T-50G was found to correlate with the T-g of PMMA, and the volume of polymer segments undergoing glass transitional motion was calculated to be 1.7 nm(3).C-13 T-1 rho measurements of PMMA carbons indicate that the molecular level interactions were strong in semi IPN irrespective of the immiscible nature of polymers. The motional characteristics of H atoms attached to carbon atoms in both polymers were analyzed using 2D WISE NMR. Main relaxations of both components shifted inward, and both SEM and TEM analysis showed the development of a nanometer sized morphology in the case of highly crosslinked semi IPN. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A class of one-dimensional steady-state flows in radiation-gas-dynamics

The study of steady-state flows in radiation-gas-dynamics, when radiation pressure is negligible in comparison with gas pressure, can be reduced to the study of a single first-order ordinary differential equation in particle velocity and radiation pressure. The class of steady flows, determined by the fact that the velocities in two uniform states are real, i.e. the Rankine-Hugoniot points are real, has been discussed in detail in a previous paper by one of us, when the Mach number M of the flow in one of the uniform states (at x=+∞) is greater than one and the flow direction is in the negative direction of the x-axis. In this paper we have discussed the case when M is less than or equal to one and the flow direction is still in the negative direction of the x-axis. We have drawn the various phase planes and the integral curves in each phase plane give various steady flows. We have also discussed the appearance of discontinuities in these flows.

Solvation dynamics in dipolar liquids

The time dependent response of a polar solvent to a changing charge distribution is studied in solvation dynamics. The change in the energy of the solute is measured by a time domain Stokes shift in the fluorescence spectrum of the solute. Alternatively, one can use sophisticated non-linear optical spectroscopic techniques to measure the energy fluctuation of the solute at equilibrium. In both methods, the measured dynamic response is expressed by the normalized solvation time correlation function, S(t). The latter is found to exhibit uniquefeatures reflecting both the static and dynamic characteristics of each solvent. For water, S(t) consists of a dominant sub-50 fs ultrafast component, followed by a multi-exponential decay. Acetonitrile exhibitsa sub-100 fs ultrafast component, followed by an exponential decay. Alcohols and amides show features unique to each solvent and solvent series. However, understanding and interpretation of these results have proven to be difficult, and often controversial. Theoretical studiesand computer simulations have greatly facilitated the understanding ofS(t) in simple systems. Recently solvation dynamics has been used extensively to explore dynamics of complex systems, like micelles and reverse micelles, protein and DNA hydration layers, sol-gel mixtures and polymers. In each case one observes rich dynamical features, characterized again by multi-exponential decays but the initial and final time constants are now widely separated. In this tutorial review, we discuss the difficulties in interpreting the origin of the observed behaviour in complex systems.

Dislocation dynamics in alpha titanium Dynamique des dislocations dans le titane alphaVersetzungsdynamik in alpha-Titan

The activation area and activation enthalpy are determined as a function of stress and temperature for alpha titanium. The results indicated that plastic flow below about 700°K occurs by a single thermally activated mechanism. Activation area determined by differential-stress creep tests falls in the range 80−8b2 and does not systematically depend on the impurity content. The total activation enthalpy derived from the temperature and strain-rate dependence of flow stress is 1.15 eV. The experimental data support a lattice hardening mechanism as controlling the low-temperature deformation in alpha titanium.

Energy landscape view of phase transitions and slow dynamics in thermotropic liquid crystals

Thermotropic liquid crystals are known to display rich phase behavior on temperature variation. Although the nematic phase is orientationally ordered but translationally disordered, a smectic phase is characterized by the appearance of a partial translational order in addition to a further increase in orientational order. In an attempt to understand the interplay between orientational and translational order in the mesophases that thermotropic liquid crystals typically exhibit upon cooling from the high-temperature isotropic phase, we investigate the potential energy landscapes of a family of model liquid crystalline systems. The configurations of the system corresponding to the local potential energy minima, known as the inherent structures, are determined from computer simulations across the mesophases. We find that the depth of the potential energy minima explored by the system along an isochor grows through the nematic phase as temperature drops in contrast to its insensitivity to temperature in the isotropic and smectic phases. The onset of the growth of the orientational order in the parent phase is found to induce a translational order, resulting in a smectic-like layer in the underlying inherent structures; the inherent structures, surprisingly, never seem to sustain orientational order alone if the parent nematic phase is sandwiched between the high-temperature isotropic phase and the low-temperature smectic phase. The Arrhenius temperature dependence of the orientational relaxation time breaks down near the isotropic-nematic transition. We find that this breakdown occurs at a temperature below which the system explores increasingly deeper potential energy minima.

Dynamics of Stick-Slip: Some Universal and Not So Universal Features

Stick-slip is usually observed in driven dissipative threshold systems. In these set of lectures, we discuss, some generic and system specific features of stickslip systems by considering a few examples wherein there has been some progress in understanding the associated dynamics. In most stick slip systems, both at low and high drive rates, the system slides smoothly, but within a window of drive rates, the motion becomes intermittent; the system alternately “sticks” till the stress builds up to a threshold value, and then “slips” when the stress is rapidly released. This intermittent motion can be traced to the existence of an unstable branch separating the two resistive branches in the force-drive-rate relation. While the two resistive branches are experimentally measurable, the unstable branch is usually not measurable and is only inferred.

Dynamics of capacitively coupled double quantum dots

We consider a double dot system of equivalent, capacitively coupled semiconducting quantum dots, each coupled to its own lead, in a regime where there are two electrons on the double dot. Employing the numerical renormalization group, we focus here on single-particle dynamics and the zero-bias conductance, considering in particular the rich range of behaviour arising as the interdot coupling is progressively increased through the strong-coupling (SC) phase, from the spin-Kondo regime, across the SU(4) point to the charge-Kondo regime, and then towards and through the quantum phase transition to a charge-ordered ( CO) phase. We first consider the two-self-energy description required to describe the broken symmetry CO phase, and implications thereof for the non-Fermi liquid nature of this phase. Numerical results for single-particle dynamics on all frequency scales are then considered, with particular emphasis on universality and scaling of low-energy dynamics throughout the SC phase. The role of symmetry breaking perturbations is also briefly discussed.

Growth, self-assembly and dynamics of nano-scale films at fluid interfaces

Ultrathin films at fluid interfaces are important not only from a fundamental point of view as 2D complex fluids but have also become increasingly relevant in the development of novel functional materials. There has been an explosion in the synthesis work in this area over the last decade, giving rise to many exotic nanostructures at fluid interfaces. However, the factors controlling particle nucleation, growth and self-assembly at interfaces are poorly understood on a quantitative level. We will outline some of the recent attempts in this direction. Some of the selected investigations examining the macroscopic mechanical properties of molecular and particulate films at fluid interfaces will be reviewed. We conclude with a discussion of the electronic properties of these films that have potential technological and biological applications.

Two-Phase Thermodynamic Model for Efficient and Accurate Absolute Entropy of Water from Molecular Dynamics Simulations

Presented here is the two-phase thermodynamic (2PT) model for the calculation of energy and entropy of molecular fluids from the trajectory of molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. In this method, the density of state (DoS) functions (including the normal modes of translation, rotation, and intramolecular vibration motions) are determined from the Fourier transform of the corresponding velocity autocorrelation functions. A fluidicity parameter (f), extracted from the thermodynamic state of the system derived from the same MD, is used to partition the translation and rotation modes into a diffusive, gas-like component (with 3Nf degrees of freedom) and a nondiffusive, solid-like component. The thermodynamic properties, including the absolute value of entropy, are then obtained by applying quantum statistics to the solid component and applying hard sphere/rigid rotor thermodynamics to the gas component. The 2PT method produces exact thermodynamic properties of the system in two limiting states: the nondiffusive solid state (where the fluidicity is zero) and the ideal gas state (where the fluidicity becomes unity). We examine the 2PT entropy for various water models (F3C, SPC, SPC/E, TIP3P, and TIP4P-Ew) at ambient conditions and find good agreement with literature results obtained based on other simulation techniques. We also validate the entropy of water in the liquid and vapor phases along the vapor-liquid equilibrium curve from the triple point to the critical point. We show that this method produces converged liquid phase entropy in tens of picoseconds, making it an efficient means for extracting thermodynamic properties from MD simulations.

Group fission in Nilgiri langurs (Presbytis johnii)

During a field study on habituated groups of wild Nilgiri langurs (Presbytis johnii), four cases of group fission were observed which differed markedly from group changes reported in other species of the same genus. All fissions occurred in groups with more than one mature male and roughly coincided with the onset of loud call vocalization by the second mature male group member. As a result of the fission the founder group factions acquired the structure of a onemale group. The filial factions consisted of both mature males and females and occupied, at least temporarily, a part of, or an area adjacent to, the founder group. During fission, the amount of aggressive interactions between the two mature males increased. However, the majority of agonistic interactions involved ritualized threat and intimidation behavior without physical aggression. In at least three cases the two mature males involved in the fission had not joined recently but had lived in these groups for three years or more. Although the presence of all male bands and single males in the two study populations indicate that male replacement by invasive takeovers may occur, it is suggested that in Nilgiri langurs, noninvasive fissions are probably another common mechanism for the foundation and maintenance of bisexual one-male groups.

Photodissociation of isomeric dichloroethylenes in the ultraviolet: Effect of the second chlorine atom substitution on the dynamics

We report the Cl-*(P-2(1/2)) production dynamics in the near-UV dissociation of three isomers (cis-, gem-, and trans-) of dichloroethylene using the conventional resonance enhanced multiphoton ionization technique. Substantial amounts of Cl-* are produced in the wavelength range 222-304 nm. The Cl-* quantum yield (phi(*)) i maximum at 304 nm for all the isomers and phi(*)(cis) is markedly higher than phi(*)(gem) and phi(*)(trans) except at 222 nm. Existence of both direct and indirect dissociation pathways at these wavelengths complicates the Cl* production dynamics. The higher value of phi(*)(cis) originates from a large contribution from direct dissociation via the (n, sigma(*)) state.