Bulk synchronous parallelization of industrial electromagentic software

The parallelization of existing/industrial electromagnetic software using the bulk synchronous parallel (BSP) computation model is presented. The software employs the finite element method with a preconditioned conjugate gradient-type solution for the resulting linear systems of equations. A geometric mesh-partitioning approach is applied within the BSP framework for the assembly and solution phases of the finite element computation. This is combined with a nongeometric, data-driven parallel quadrature procedure for the evaluation of right-hand-side terms in applications involving coil fields. A similar parallel decomposition is applied to the parallel calculation of electron beam trajectories required for the design of tube devices. The BSP parallelization approach adopted is fully portable, conceptually simple, and cost-effective, and it can be applied to a wide range of finite element applications not necessarily related to electromagnetics.

An investigation of assessment policy and practices in terms of broad social and educational purposes

Based upon relevant literature, this study investigated the assessment policy and practices for the BSc (Hons) Computing Science programme at the University of Greenwich (UOG), contextualising these in terms of broad social and educational purposes. It discusses Assessment, and then proceeds to give a critical evaluation of the assessment policy and practices at the UOG. Although this is one case study, because any of the features of the programme are generic to other programmes and institutions, it is of wider value and has further implications. The study was concluded in the summer of 2002. It concludes that overall, the programme's assessment policy and practices are well considered in terms of broad social and educational purposes, although it identifies and outlines several possible improvements, as well as raising some major issues still to be addressed which go beyond assessment practices.

Droplet oscillations in high gradient magnetic field

In high intensity and high gradient magnetic fields the volumetric force on diamagnetic material, such as water, leads to conditions very similar to microgravity in a terrestrial laboratory. In principle, this opens the possibility to determine material properties of liquid samples without wall contact, even for electrically non-conducting materials. In contrast, AC field levitation is used for conductors, but then terrestrial conditions lead to turbulent flow driven by Lorentz forces. DC field damping of the flow is feasible and indeed practiced to allow property measurements. However, the AC/DC field combination acts preferentially on certain oscillation modes and leads to a shift in the droplet oscillation spectrum.What is the cause? A nonlinear spectral numerical model is presented, to address these problems

Droplet oscillations in high gradient static magnetic field

In high intensity and high gradient magnetic fields the volumetric force on diamagnetic material, such as water, leads to conditions very similar to microgravity in a terrestrial laboratory. In principle, this opens the possibility to determine material properties of liquid samples without wall contact, even for electrically non-conducting materials. In contrast, AC field levitation is used for conductors, but then terrestrial conditions lead to turbulent flow driven by Lorentz forces. DC field damping of the flow is feasible and indeed practiced to allow property measurements. However, the AC/DC field combination acts preferentially on certain oscillation modes and leads to a shift in the droplet oscillation spectrum.What is the cause? A nonlinear spectral numerical model is presented, to address these problems.

Key terms in second language acquisition

Key Terms in Second Language Acquisition includes definitions of key terms within second language acquisition, and also provides accessible summaries of the key issues within this complex area of study. The final section presents a list of key readings in second language acquisition that signposts the reader towards classic articles and also provides a springboard to further study.

Determining surface tension using DC magnetic levitation

The values of material physical properties are vital for the successful use of numerical simulations for electromagnetic processing of materials. The surface tension of materials can be determined from the experimental measurement of the surface oscillation frequency of liquid droplets. In order for this technique to be used, a positioning field is required that results in a modification to the oscillation frequency. A number of previous analytical models have been developed that mainly focus on electrically conducting droplets positioned using an A.C. electromagnetic field, but due to the turbulent flow resulting from the high electromagnetic fields required to balance gravity, reliable measurements have largely been limited to microgravity. In this work axisymmetric analytical and numerical models are developed, which allow the surface tension of a diamagnetic droplet positioned in a high DC magnetic field to be determined from the surface oscillations. In the case of D.C. levitation there is no internal electric currents with resulting Joule heating, Marangoni flow and other effects that introduce additional physics that complicates the measurement process. The analytical solution uses the linearised Navier-Stokes equations in the inviscid case. The body force from a DC field is potential, in contrast to the AC case, and it can be derived from Maxwell equations giving a solution for the magnetic field in the form of a series expansion of Legendre polynomials. The first few terms in this expansion represent a constant and gradient magnetic field valid close to the origin, which can be used to position the droplet. Initially the mathematical model is verified in microgravity conditions using a numerical model developed to solve the transient electromagnetics, fluid flow and thermodynamic equations. In the numerical model (as in experiment) the magnetic field is obtained using electrical current carrying coils, which provides the confinement force for a liquid droplet. The model incorporates free surface deformation to accurately model the oscillations that result from the interaction between the droplet and the non-uniform external magnetic field. A comparison is made between the analytical perturbation theory and the numerical pseudo spectral approximation solutions for small amplitude oscillations.