Saffman-Taylor fingers with kinetic undercooling

The mathematical model of a steadily propagating Saffman-Taylor finger in a Hele-Shaw channel has applications to two-dimensional interacting streamer discharges which are aligned in a periodic array. In the streamer context, the relevant regularisation on the interface is not provided by surface tension, but instead has been postulated to involve a mechanism equivalent to kinetic undercooling, which acts to penalise high velocities and prevent blow-up of the unregularised solution. Previous asymptotic results for the Hele-Shaw finger problem with kinetic undercooling suggest that for a given value of the kinetic undercooling parameter, there is a discrete set of possible finger shapes, each analytic at the nose and occupying a different fraction of the channel width. In the limit in which the kinetic undercooling parameter vanishes, the fraction for each family approaches 1/2, suggesting that this selection of 1/2 by kinetic undercooling is qualitatively similar to the well-known analogue with surface tension. We treat the numerical problem of computing these Saffman-Taylor fingers with kinetic undercooling, which turns out to be more subtle than the analogue with surface tension, since kinetic undercooling permits finger shapes which are corner-free but not analytic. We provide numerical evidence for the selection mechanism by setting up a problem with both kinetic undercooling and surface tension, and numerically taking the limit that the surface tension vanishes.

Qualitative Process Theory

Objects move, collide, flow, bend, heat up, cool down, stretch, compress and boil. These and other things that cause changes in objects over time are intuitively characterized as processes. To understand common sense physical reasoning and make programs that interact with the physical world as well as people do we must understand qualitative reasoning about processes, when they will occur, their effects, and when they will stop. Qualitative Process theory defines a simple notion of physical process that appears useful as a language in which to write dynamical theories. Reasoning about processes also motivates a new qualitative representation for quantity in terms of inequalities, called quantity space. This report describes the basic concepts of Qualitative Process theory, several different kinds of reasoning that can be performed with them, and discusses its impact on other issues in common sense reasoning about the physical world, such as causal reasoning and measurement interpretation. Several extended examples illustrate the utility of the theory, including figuring out that a boiler can blow up, that an oscillator with friction will eventually stop, and how to say that you can pull with a string but not push with it. This report also describes GIZMO, an implemented computer program which uses Qualitative Process theory to make predictions and interpret simple measurements. The represnetations and algorithms used in GIZMO are described in detail, and illustrated using several examples.

Universal Quantum Circuits

We define and construct efficient depth universal and almost size universal quantum circuits. Such circuits can be viewed as general purpose simulators for central classes of quantum circuits and can be used to capture the computational power of the circuit class being simulated. For depth we construct universal circuits whose depth is the same order as the circuits being simulated. For size, there is a log factor blow-up in the universal circuits constructed here. We prove that this construction is nearly optimal. Our results apply to a number of well-studied quantum circuit classes.

Innovations in learning and teaching approaches using game technologies - can "The Movies" teach how to make a movie?

The use of games technology in education is not a new phenomenon. Even back in the days of 286 processors, PCs were used in some schools along with (what looks like now) primitive simulation software to teach a range of different skills and techniques – from basic programming using Logo (the turtle style car with a pen at the back that could be used to draw on the floor – always a good way of attracting the attention of school kids!) up to quite sophisticated replications of physical problems, such as working out the trajectory of a missile to blow up an enemies’ tank. So why are games not more widely used in education (especially in FE and HE)? Can they help to support learners even at this advanced stage in their education? We aim to provide in this article an overview of the use of game technologies in education (almost as a small literature review for interested parties) and then go more in depth into one particular example we aim to introduce from this coming academic year (Sept. 2006) to help with teaching and assessment of one area of our Multimedia curriculum. Of course, we will not be able to fully provide the reader with data on how successful this is but we will be running a blog (http://themoviesineducation.blogspot.com/) to keep interested parties up to date with the progress of the project and to hopefully help others to set up similar solutions themselves. We will also only consider a small element of the implementation here and cover how the use of such assessment processes could be used in a broader context. The use of a game to aid learning and improve achievement is suggested because traditional methods of engagement are currently failing on some levels. By this it is meant that various parts of the production process we normally cover in our Multimedia degree are becoming difficult to monitor and continually assess.

Structure, mechanical, and electrical properties of high-density polyethylene/multi-walled carbon nanotube composites processed by compression molding and blown film extrusion

The structure and properties of melt mixed high-density polyethylene/multi-walled carbon nanotube (HDPE/MWCNT) composites processed by compression molding and blown film extrusion were investigated to assess the influence of processing route on properties. The addition of MWCNTs leads to a more elastic response during deformations that result in a more uniform thick-ness distribution in the blown films. Blown film composites exhibit better mechanical properties due to the enhanced orientation and disentanglement of MWCNTs. At a blow up ratio (BUR) of 3 the breaking strength and elongation in the machine direction of the film with 4 wt % MWCNTs are 239% and 1054% higher than those of compression molded (CM) samples. Resistivity of the composite films increases significantly with increasing BURs due to the destruction of conductive pathways. These pathways can be recovered partially using an appropriate annealing process. At 8 wt % MWCNTs, there is a sufficient density of nanotubes to maintain a robust network even at high BURs.

Characterization of the unfolding of a weak focus and modulus of analytic classification

La thèse présente une description géométrique d’un germe de famille générique déployant un champ de vecteurs réel analytique avec un foyer faible à l’origine et son complexifié : le feuilletage holomorphe singulier associé. On montre que deux germes de telles familles sont orbitalement analytiquement équivalents si et seulement si les germes de familles de difféomorphismes déployant la complexification de leurs fonctions de retour de Poincaré sont conjuguées par une conjugaison analytique réelle. Le “caractère réel” de la famille correspond à sa Z2-équivariance dans R^4, et cela s’exprime comme l’invariance du plan réel sous le flot du système laquelle, à son tour, entraîne que l’expansion asymptotique de la fonction de Poincaré est réelle quand le paramètre est réel. Le pullback du plan réel après éclatement par la projection monoidal standard intersecte le feuilletage en une bande de Möbius réelle. La technique d’éclatement des singularités permet aussi de donner une réponse à la question de la “réalisation” d’un germe de famille déployant un germe de difféomorphisme avec un point fixe de multiplicateur égal à −1 et de codimension un comme application de semi-monodromie d’une famille générique déployant un foyer faible d’ordre un. Afin d’étudier l’espace des orbites de l’application de Poincaré, nous utilisons le point de vue de Glutsyuk, puisque la dynamique est linéarisable auprès des points singuliers : pour les valeurs réels du paramètre, notre démarche, classique, utilise une méthode géométrique, soit un changement de coordonée (coordonée “déroulante”) dans lequel la dynamique devient beaucoup plus simple. Mais le prix à payer est que la géométrie locale du plan complexe ambiante devient une surface de Riemann, sur laquelle deux notions de translation sont définies. Après avoir pris le quotient par le relèvement de la dynamique nous obtenons l’espace des orbites, ce qui s’avère être l’union de trois tores complexes plus les points singuliers (l’espace résultant est non-Hausdorff). Les translations, le caractère réel de l’application de Poincaré et le fait que cette application est un carré relient les différentes composantes du “module de Glutsyuk”. Cette propriété implique donc le fait qu’une seule composante de l’invariant Glutsyuk est indépendante.

Éclatement et contraction lagrangiens et applications

Soit (M, ω) une variété symplectique. Nous construisons une version de l’éclatement et de la contraction symplectique, que nous définissons relative à une sous-variété lagrangienne L ⊂ M. En outre, si M admet une involution anti-symplectique ϕ, et que nous éclatons une configuration suffisament symmetrique des plongements de boules, nous démontrons qu’il existe aussi une involution anti-symplectique sur l’éclatement ~M. Nous dérivons ensuite une condition homologique pour les surfaces lagrangiennes réeles L = Fix(ϕ), qui détermine quand la topologie de L change losqu’on contracte une courbe exceptionnelle C dans M. Finalement, on utilise ces constructions afin d’étudier le packing relatif dans (ℂP²,ℝP²).

L'éclatement en géométrie algébrique, différentielle et symplectique

L'éclatement est une transformation jouant un rôle important en géométrie, car il permet de résoudre des singularités, de relier des variétés birationnellement équivalentes, et de construire des variétés possédant des propriétés inédites. Ce mémoire présente d'abord l'éclatement tel que développé en géométrie algébrique classique. Nous l'étudierons pour le cas des variétés affines et (quasi-)projectives, en un point, et le long d'un idéal et d'une sous-variété. Nous poursuivrons en étudiant l'extension de cette construction à la catégorie différentiable, sur les corps réels et complexes, en un point et le long d'une sous-variété. Nous conclurons cette section en explorant un exemple de résolution de singularité. Ensuite nous passerons à la catégorie symplectique, où nous ferons la même chose que pour le cas différentiable complexe, en portant une attention particulière à la forme symplectique définie sur la variété. Nous terminerons en étudiant un théorème dû à François Lalonde, où l'éclatement joue un rôle clé dans la démonstration. Ce théorème affirme que toute 4-variété fibrée par des 2-sphères sur une surface de Riemann, et différente du produit cartésien de deux 2-sphères, peut être équipée d'une 2-forme qui lui confère une structure symplectique réglée par des courbes holomorphes par rapport à sa structure presque complexe, et telle que l'aire symplectique de la base est inférieure à la capacité de la variété. La preuve repose sur l'utilisation de l'éclatement symplectique. En effet, en éclatant symplectiquement une boule contenue dans la 4-variété, il est possible d'obtenir une fibration contenant deux sphères d'auto-intersection -1 distinctes: la pré-image du point où est fait l'éclatement complexe usuel, et la transformation propre de la fibre. Ces dernières sont dites exceptionnelles, et donc il est possible de procéder à l'inverse de l'éclatement - la contraction - sur chacune d'elles. En l'accomplissant sur la deuxième, nous obtenons une variété minimale, et en combinant les informations sur les aires symplectiques de ses classes d'homologies et de celles de la variété originale nous obtenons le résultat.

A study on the performance of flexible pavements on mature soil subgrades

The country has witnessed tremendous increase in the vehicle population and increased axle loading pattern during the last decade, leaving its road network overstressed and leading to premature failure. The type of deterioration present in the pavement should be considered for determining whether it has a functional or structural deficiency, so that appropriate overlay type and design can be developed. Structural failure arises from the conditions that adversely affect the load carrying capability of the pavement structure. Inadequate thickness, cracking, distortion and disintegration cause structural deficiency. Functional deficiency arises when the pavement does not provide a smooth riding surface and comfort to the user. This can be due to poor surface friction and texture, hydro planning and splash from wheel path, rutting and excess surface distortion such as potholes, corrugation, faulting, blow up, settlement, heaves etc. Functional condition determines the level of service provided by the facility to its users at a particular time and also the Vehicle Operating Costs (VOC), thus influencing the national economy. Prediction of the pavement deterioration is helpful to assess the remaining effective service life (RSL) of the pavement structure on the basis of reduction in performance levels, and apply various alternative designs and rehabilitation strategies with a long range funding requirement for pavement preservation. In addition, they can predict the impact of treatment on the condition of the sections. The infrastructure prediction models can thus be classified into four groups, namely primary response models, structural performance models, functional performance models and damage models. The factors affecting the deterioration of the roads are very complex in nature and vary from place to place. Hence there is need to have a thorough study of the deterioration mechanism under varied climatic zones and soil conditions before arriving at a definite strategy of road improvement. Realizing the need for a detailed study involving all types of roads in the state with varying traffic and soil conditions, the present study has been attempted. This study attempts to identify the parameters that affect the performance of roads and to develop performance models suitable to Kerala conditions. A critical review of the various factors that contribute to the pavement performance has been presented based on the data collected from selected road stretches and also from five corporations of Kerala. These roads represent the urban conditions as well as National Highways, State Highways and Major District Roads in the sub urban and rural conditions. This research work is a pursuit towards a study of the road condition of Kerala with respect to varying soil, traffic and climatic conditions, periodic performance evaluation of selected roads of representative types and development of distress prediction models for roads of Kerala. In order to achieve this aim, the study is focused into 2 parts. The first part deals with the study of the pavement condition and subgrade soil properties of urban roads distributed in 5 Corporations of Kerala; namely Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Kochi, Thrissur and Kozhikode. From selected 44 roads, 68 homogeneous sections were studied. The data collected on the functional and structural condition of the surface include pavement distress in terms of cracks, potholes, rutting, raveling and pothole patching. The structural strength of the pavement was measured as rebound deflection using Benkelman Beam deflection studies. In order to collect the details of the pavement layers and find out the subgrade soil properties, trial pits were dug and the in-situ field density was found using the Sand Replacement Method. Laboratory investigations were carried out to find out the subgrade soil properties, soil classification, Atterberg limits, Optimum Moisture Content, Field Moisture Content and 4 days soaked CBR. The relative compaction in the field was also determined. The traffic details were also collected by conducting traffic volume count survey and axle load survey. From the data thus collected, the strength of the pavement was calculated which is a function of the layer coefficient and thickness and is represented as Structural Number (SN). This was further related to the CBR value of the soil and the Modified Structural Number (MSN) was found out. The condition of the pavement was represented in terms of the Pavement Condition Index (PCI) which is a function of the distress of the surface at the time of the investigation and calculated in the present study using deduct value method developed by U S Army Corps of Engineers. The influence of subgrade soil type and pavement condition on the relationship between MSN and rebound deflection was studied using appropriate plots for predominant types of soil and for classified value of Pavement Condition Index. The relationship will be helpful for practicing engineers to design the overlay thickness required for the pavement, without conducting the BBD test. Regression analysis using SPSS was done with various trials to find out the best fit relationship between the rebound deflection and CBR, and other soil properties for Gravel, Sand, Silt & Clay fractions. The second part of the study deals with periodic performance evaluation of selected road stretches representing National Highway (NH), State Highway (SH) and Major District Road (MDR), located in different geographical conditions and with varying traffic. 8 road sections divided into 15 homogeneous sections were selected for the study and 6 sets of continuous periodic data were collected. The periodic data collected include the functional and structural condition in terms of distress (pothole, pothole patch, cracks, rutting and raveling), skid resistance using a portable skid resistance pendulum, surface unevenness using Bump Integrator, texture depth using sand patch method and rebound deflection using Benkelman Beam. Baseline data of the study stretches were collected as one time data. Pavement history was obtained as secondary data. Pavement drainage characteristics were collected in terms of camber or cross slope using camber board (slope meter) for the carriage way and shoulders, availability of longitudinal side drain, presence of valley, terrain condition, soil moisture content, water table data, High Flood Level, rainfall data, land use and cross slope of the adjoining land. These data were used for finding out the drainage condition of the study stretches. Traffic studies were conducted, including classified volume count and axle load studies. From the field data thus collected, the progression of each parameter was plotted for all the study roads; and validated for their accuracy. Structural Number (SN) and Modified Structural Number (MSN) were calculated for the study stretches. Progression of the deflection, distress, unevenness, skid resistance and macro texture of the study roads were evaluated. Since the deterioration of the pavement is a complex phenomena contributed by all the above factors, pavement deterioration models were developed as non linear regression models, using SPSS with the periodic data collected for all the above road stretches. General models were developed for cracking progression, raveling progression, pothole progression and roughness progression using SPSS. A model for construction quality was also developed. Calibration of HDM–4 pavement deterioration models for local conditions was done using the data for Cracking, Raveling, Pothole and Roughness. Validation was done using the data collected in 2013. The application of HDM-4 to compare different maintenance and rehabilitation options were studied considering the deterioration parameters like cracking, pothole and raveling. The alternatives considered for analysis were base alternative with crack sealing and patching, overlay with 40 mm BC using ordinary bitumen, overlay with 40 mm BC using Natural Rubber Modified Bitumen and an overlay of Ultra Thin White Topping. Economic analysis of these options was done considering the Life Cycle Cost (LCC). The average speed that can be obtained by applying these options were also compared. The results were in favour of Ultra Thin White Topping over flexible pavements. Hence, Design Charts were also plotted for estimation of maximum wheel load stresses for different slab thickness under different soil conditions. The design charts showed the maximum stress for a particular slab thickness and different soil conditions incorporating different k values. These charts can be handy for a design engineer. Fuzzy rule based models developed for site specific conditions were compared with regression models developed using SPSS. The Riding Comfort Index (RCI) was calculated and correlated with unevenness to develop a relationship. Relationships were developed between Skid Number and Macro Texture of the pavement. The effort made through this research work will be helpful to highway engineers in understanding the behaviour of flexible pavements in Kerala conditions and for arriving at suitable maintenance and rehabilitation strategies. Key Words: Flexible Pavements – Performance Evaluation – Urban Roads – NH – SH and other roads – Performance Models – Deflection – Riding Comfort Index – Skid Resistance – Texture Depth – Unevenness – Ultra Thin White Topping

Unification of the probe and singular sources methods for the inverse boundary value problem by the no-response test

In this article, we use the no-response test idea, introduced in Luke and Potthast (2003) and Potthast (Preprint) and the inverse obstacle problem, to identify the interface of the discontinuity of the coefficient gamma of the equation del (.) gamma(x)del + c(x) with piecewise regular gamma and bounded function c(x). We use infinitely many Cauchy data as measurement and give a reconstructive method to localize the interface. We will base this multiwave version of the no-response test on two different proofs. The first one contains a pointwise estimate as used by the singular sources method. The second one is built on an energy (or an integral) estimate which is the basis of the probe method. As a conclusion of this, the probe and the singular sources methods are equivalent regarding their convergence and the no-response test can be seen as a unified framework for these methods. As a further contribution, we provide a formula to reconstruct the values of the jump of gamma(x), x is an element of partial derivative D at the boundary. A second consequence of this formula is that the blow-up rate of the indicator functions of the probe and singular sources methods at the interface is given by the order of the singularity of the fundamental solution.

Sparse partition universal graphs for graphs of bounded degree

In 1983, Chvatal, Trotter and the two senior authors proved that for any Delta there exists a constant B such that, for any n, any 2-colouring of the edges of the complete graph K(N) with N >= Bn vertices yields a monochromatic copy of any graph H that has n vertices and maximum degree Delta. We prove that the complete graph may be replaced by a sparser graph G that has N vertices and O(N(2-1/Delta)log(1/Delta)N) edges, with N = [B`n] for some constant B` that depends only on Delta. Consequently, the so-called size-Ramsey number of any H with n vertices and maximum degree Delta is O(n(2-1/Delta)log(1/Delta)n) Our approach is based on random graphs; in fact, we show that the classical Erdos-Renyi random graph with the numerical parameters above satisfies a stronger partition property with high probability, namely, that any 2-colouring of its edges contains a monochromatic universal graph for the class of graphs on n vertices and maximum degree Delta. The main tool in our proof is the regularity method, adapted to a suitable sparse setting. The novel ingredient developed here is an embedding strategy that allows one to embed bounded degree graphs of linear order in certain pseudorandom graphs. Crucial to our proof is the fact that regularity is typically inherited at a scale that is much finer than the scale at which it is assumed. (C) 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Desingularization of singular Riemannian foliation

Let F be a singular Riemannian foliation on a compact Riemannian manifold M. By successive blow-ups along the strata of F we construct a regular Riemannian foliation (F) over cap on a compact Riemannian manifold (M) over cap and a desingularization map (rho) over cap : (M) over cap -> M that projects leaves of (F) over cap into leaves of F. This result generalizes a previous result due to Molino for the particular case of a singular Riemannian foliation whose leaves were the closure of leaves of a regular Riemannian foliation. We also prove that, if the leaves of F are compact, then, for each small epsilon > 0, we can find (M) over cap and (F) over cap so that the desingularization map induces an epsilon-isometry between M/F and (M) over cap/(F) over cap. This implies in particular that the space of leaves M/F is a Gromov-Hausdorff limit of a sequence of Riemannian orbifolds {((M) over cap (n)/(F) over cap (n))}.

Stability of periodic travelling shallow-water waves determined by Newton`s equation

We study the existence and stability of periodic travelling-wave solutions for generalized Benjamin-Bona-Mahony and Camassa-Holm equations. To prove orbital stability, we use the abstract results of Grillakis-Shatah-Strauss and the Floquet theory for periodic eigenvalue problems.

Generic Bifurcations of Planar Filippov Systems via Geometric Singular Perturbations

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Sliding Vector Fields via Slow-Fast Systems

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)