A general theory on media with randomly distributed inclusions .1. The average field behaviors

In this paper, a theory is developed to calculate the average strain field in the materials with randomly distributed inclusions. Many previous researches investigating the average field behaviors were based upon Mori and Tanaka's idea. Since they were restricted to studying those materials with uniform distributions of inclusions they did not need detailed statistical information of random microstructures, and could use the volume average to replace the ensemble average. To study more general materials with randomly distributed inclusions, the number density function is introduced in formulating the average field equation in this research. Both uniform and nonuniform distributions of inclusions are taken into account in detail.

Torsion fracture behavior of drawn pearlitic steel wires with different heat treatments

In this paper, torsion fracture behavior of drawn pearlitic steel wires with different heat treatments was investigated. Samples with different heat treatments was investigated. Samples with different heat treatment conditions were subjected to torsion and tensile tests. The shear strain along the torsion sample after fracture was measured. Fracture surface of wires was examined by Scanning Electron Microscopy. In addition, the method of Differential Scanning Calorimetry was used to characterize the thermodynamic process in the heat treatment. A numerical simulation via finite element method on temperature field evolution for the wire during heat treatment process was performed. The results show that both strain aging and recovery process occur in the material within the temperature range between room temperature and 435 degrees C. It was shown that the ductility measured by the number of twists drops at short heating times and recovers after further heating in the lead bath of 435 degrees C. On the other hand, the strenght of the wire increases at short heating times and decreases after further heating. The microstructure inhomogeneity due to short period of heat treatment, coupled with the gradient characteristics of shear deformation during torsion results in localized shear deformation of the wire. In this situation, shear cracks nucleate between lamella and the wire breaks with low number of twists.

Guided propagation of surface acoustic waves and piezoelectric field enhancement in ZnO/GaAs systems

The characteristics and dispersion of the distinct surface acoustic waves (SAWs) propagating in ZnO/GaAs heterostructures have been studied experimentally and theoretically. Besides the Rayleigh mode, strong Sezawa modes, which propagate confined in the overlayer, arise due to the smaller sound velocity in ZnO than in the substrate. The design parameters of the structure providing the strongest piezoelectric field at a given depth within the layered system for the different modes have been determined. The piezoelectric field of the Rayleigh mode is shown to be more than 10 times stronger at the interface region of the tailored ZnO/GaAs structure than at the surface region of the bulk GaAs, whereas the same comparison for the first Sezawa mode yields a factor of 2. This enhancement, together with the capacity of selecting waves with different piezoelectric and strain field depth profiles, will facilitate the development of SAW-modulated optoelectronic applications in GaAs-based systems. © 2011 American Institute of Physics.

Mechanical Deformation Behavior of Nonpolar GaN Thick Films by Berkovich Nanoindentation

In this study, the deformation mechanisms of nonpolar GaN thick films grown on m-sapphire by hydride vapor phase epitaxy (HVPE) are investigated using nanoindentation with a Berkovich indenter, cathodoluminescence (CL), and Raman microscopy. Results show that nonpolar GaN is more susceptible to plastic deformation and has lower hardness than c-plane GaN. After indentation, lateral cracks emerge on the nonpolar GaN surface and preferentially propagate parallel to the < 11 (2) over bar0 > orientation due to anisotropic defect-related stresses. Moreover, the quenching of CL luminescence can be observed to extend exclusively out from the center of the indentations along the < 11 (2) over bar0 > orientation, a trend which is consistent with the evolution of cracks. The recrystallization process happens in the indented regions for the load of 500 mN. Raman area mapping indicates that the distribution of strain field coincides well with the profile of defect-expanded dark regions, while the enhanced compressive stress mainly concentrates in the facets of the indentation.

Growth of Ge quantum dot mediated by boron on Ge wetting layer

We, report on the influence of boron on the formation of Ge quantum dots. The investigated structure consists of a Ge wetting layer, on which a sub-monolayer boron is deposited and subsequently a Ge top layer. For sufficiently thin Ge top layers, the strain field induced by boron on Ge wetting layer destabilizes the Ge top layer and causes the formation of small Ge quantum dots. However, for thicker Ge top layers, boron on the Ge wetting layer diffuses into Ge layers, compensates partly the strain and delays the evolution of Ge quantum dots. By this method, small Ge quantum dots with high density as well as size uniformity can be formed by optimizing the growth condition. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The strain distributions and carrier's confining potentials of self-organized InAs/GaAs quantum dot

On the basis of the finite element approach, we systematically investigated the strain field distribution of conical-shaped InAs/GaAs self-organized quantum dot using the two-dimensional axis-symmetric model. The normal strain, the hydrostatic strain and the biaxial strain components along the center axis path of the quantum dots are analyzed. The dependence of these strain components on volume, height-over-base ratio and cap layer (covered by cap layer or uncovered quantum dot) is investigated for the quantum grown on the (001) substrate. The dependence of the carriers' confining potentials on the three circumstances discussed above is also calculated in the framework of eight-band k (.) p theory. The numerical results are in good agreement with the experimental data of published literature.

Corrugated surfaces formed on GaAs(331)A substrates: the template for laterally ordered InGaAs nanowires

Morphology evolution of high-index GaAs(331)A surfaces during molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) growth has been investigated in order to achieve regularly distributed step-array templates and fabricate spatially ordered low-dimensional nano-structures. Atomic force microscope (AFM) measurements have shown that the step height and terrace width of GaAs layers increase monotonically with increasing substrate temperature. By using the step arrays formed on GaAs(331)A surfaces as the templates, we have fabricated highly ordered InGaAs nanowires. The improved homogeneity and the increased density of the InGaAs nanowires are attributed to the modulated strain field caused by vertical multi-stacking, as well as the effect of corrugated surface of the template. Photoluminescence (PL) tests confirmed remarkable polarization anisotropy.

渤海湾盆地济阳坳陷东部走滑构造特征及其对油气成藏的影响研究

研究区位于郯庐断裂中段与济阳坳陷的构造结合部，区内走滑构造广泛发育，主要的走滑断裂有7条，分别是郯庐断裂带的东西两支、垦东断层、孤东断层、长堤断层、埕东断层和发育于垦东凸起中部的浅层走滑构造带。走滑构造带与油气富集带有着明显的对应关系。 通过对研究区内二维、三维地震测线和平面构造图的精细解释和分析，分别揭示了各走滑断裂在平面、剖面和三维空间上的构造形态。根据走滑断裂及其伴生构造的平面和剖面上的几何学特征，将研究区内的走滑断裂划分为三种类型：成熟型走滑断裂、隐伏型走滑断裂、不连续型的走滑断裂。 从理论模式研究入手，推导了拉分盆地中盆地的走滑速率与沉降速率之间的关系，证实了走滑速率同盆地的几何形状参数、最大沉降深度和盆地的沉降速率存在着稳定的数值关系。通过对莱州湾地区潍北凹陷基底沉降历史的分析，建立了潍北凹陷沉降速率与郯庐断裂中段走滑速率之间的经验关系式，进而求出郯庐断裂中段新生代右行走滑位移量的大小为40km。 运用2DMove软件，对研究区内四条典型剖面进行构造复原，计算出了各条剖面每个时期的伸展参数，对研究区构造活动强度进行了定量分析，揭示了研究区的构造演化规律。通过运用Ansys软件进行有限元模拟，恢复了晚白垩世晚期-古近纪早期研究区内的构造应力场和应变场，揭示了扭张作用是研究区内走滑断层开始走滑的主要原因。 通过上述分析，结合对究区内近几年勘探开发成功和失败的实例分析，全面探讨了走滑活动对于油气成藏“生”、“储”、“盖”、“圈”、“运”、“保”各因素的影响。

喜马拉雅西构造结区岩石圈演化三维有限元动力学数值模拟

The past three decades have seen numerous attempts to numerically model stress and strain patterns in the lithosphere of the Earth on both global and regional scales. This efforts have been indispensable in identifying the features we need to include in our endeavour to develop better models of our planet’s lithosphere and they have also raised our awareness for the many unresolved issue in the deep geodynamical issues that need to be addressed in the future. Nonetheless, in most models, the lithosphere is treated as a single layer with depth-averaged properties, and as the same distribution in the stress and strain fields, and as deforming under plane strain. All these above make a great hander for its reality and degree of recognition. As the beginning in this paper, some principal numerical models and results on the evolution of Tibetan plateau are reviewed and analyzed. Then, the geological and geophysical expedition on the Western Himalayan Syntaxis is briefly reviewed. Furthermore, we analysis the feature in deep geophysical field studies in this area and adjacent regions. Because, for most continents, stress models driven by plate boundary forces have successfully reproduced the main characteristics of the stress and strain field, we present a set of three-dimensional models of lithosphere system for a simplified geometry of the Western Himalayan Syntaxis area and its adjacent regions, where we try to match the first-order characteristics of the stress and strain fields of lithosphere since 10 Ma, and deformation and geodynamical evolution process in former 2Ma. Of course, the kinematic boundary conditions of the stress models driven by plate boundary forces were applied. The rheology plays a significant role in the lithospheric tectonics, which lead to different rheological parameters were used in different works although the have the same constitutive equations in models. So, in this paper we do not aim to produce all characteristics of the Western Himalayan Syntaxis areas’ stress and strain fields by the choices of various parameters, but rather the dynamic response between various rheological parameters and stress and strain fields. We have chosen to concentrate on the importance of rheology and lateral strength variations for lithospheric stress and strain patterns and use our findings to build a model of the Western Himalayan Syntaxis areas. In doing so, we want to go beyond purely elastic models or purely viscoelastic models. Compared the results of the crust viscosity in the Western Himalayan Syntaxis areas, we believed that, when various viscoelastic models are adopted, the selection of the coefficient of viscosity in the Western Syntaxis area has important influence on the its uplifts and evolutions. A wider uplift ranges and gently elevation was observed at the same time when a lower viscosity was used in our models, and vice versa. Data of stress magnitudes are not available, but it is clear that the stress levels must be at or below the failure threshold of rock under compression. Under these criteria, the calculation results show that the viscosity in the Western Syntaxis area should be smaller than 1023Pa.s When elastic model is adopted in relatively rigid Tarim basin, obvious changes are induced to the stress and strain fields of the whole Western Syntaxis area. We found that rigid block of lithosphere reduced stress levels within its interior and that, at the edges of such regions, stress orientation can change. Furthermore there is no evidence that such rigid regions act as stress barriers in that they shield areas in opposite sides of the structure from the influence of one another. In our models, the upper crustal material of the Western Syntaxis area does not turns to move westward. Whereas, because of the stress and strain fields have been decoupling at the interior of the lithosphere, we can get the results that the deep material must not move westward.

The impact of deformation strain on the formation of banded clouds in idealized modeling experiments

Experiments are performed using an idealized version of an operational forecast model to determine the impact on banded frontal clouds of the strength of deformational forcing, low-level baroclinicity, and model representation of convection. Line convection is initiated along the front, and slantwise bands extend from the top of the line-convection elements into the cold air. This banding is attributed primarily to M adjustment. The cross-frontal spreading of the cold pool generated by the line convection leads to further triggering of upright convection in the cold air that feeds into these slantwise bands. Secondary low-level bands form later in the simulations; these are attributed to the release of conditional symmetric instability. Enhanced deformation strain leads to earlier onset of convection and more coherent line convection. A stronger cold pool is generated, but its speed is reduced relative to that seen in experiments with weaker deformational strain, because of inhibition by the strain field. Enhanced low-level baroclinicity leads to the generation of more inertial instability by line convection (for a given capping height of convection), and consequently greater strength of the slantwise circulations formed by M adjustment. These conclusions are based on experiments without a convective-parametrization scheme. Experiments using the standard or a modified scheme for this model demonstrate known problems with the use of this scheme at the awkward 4 km grid length used in these simulations. Copyright © 2008 Royal Meteorological Society

Cambrian mafic to felsic magmatism and its connections with transcurrent shear zones of the Borborema Province (NE Brazil): Implications for the late assembly of the West Gondwana

New U-Pb (SHRIMP) and (40)Ar/(39)Ar isotopic data of igneous rocks and mylonites of the Borborema Province (NE Brazil) show that a wide range of tectonothermal events affected the province during the transition from the Precambrian to the Cambrian. Concordant zircon U-Pb data constrained the crystallization age of mafic stocks, mafic to felsic dikes and granite batholiths between 548 and 533 Ma. These bodies were emplaced in a regional strain field combining extension and dextral shearing. The ductile shear deformation overprinted an older basement fabric to develop a low- to medium metamorphic grade vertical mylonite belt that cut the province in the E-W direction. Magnetic fabrics of the Cambrian batholiths determined by anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility are consistent with syntectonic emplacement. The magmatic pulses and shear deformation would have supplied enough heat to reset the synkinematic micas of mylonites to yield (40)Ar/(39)Ar plateau cooling ages between ca. 550 and 510 Ma. These results provide evidence that emplacement of Early Cambrian mafic and felsic magmas were accompanied by regional-scale shear deformations, probably in the consequence of late collisions along the West Gondwana margin. (C) 2010 Published by Elsevier B.V.

Fractal behavior throughout stretch zone of 15-5PH steel under elastic-plastic loading conditions

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

The saturated magnetic field of the neutron stars

Considering the ferromagnetic screening for the decay of the X-ray neutron star magnetic field in the binary accretion phase, the phase transition of ferromagnetic materials in the crust of neutron star induces the ferromagnetic screening saturation of the accreted crust, which results in the minimum surface magnetic field of the accreting neutron star, about 108 G, if the accreted matter has completely replaced the crust mass of the neutron star. The magnetic field evolution versus accreted mass is given as Bs ∝ ΔM-0.9, and the obtained magnetic field versus spin period relation is consistent with the distribution of the binary X-ray sources and recycled pulsars. The further thermal effect on the magnetic evolution is also studied.

A new code for the Hall-driven magnetic evolution of neutron stars

Over the past decade, the numerical modeling of the magnetic field evolution in astrophysical scenarios has become an increasingly important field. In the crystallized crust of neutron stars the evolution of the magnetic field is governed by the Hall induction equation. In this equation the relative contribution of the two terms (Hall term and Ohmic dissipation) varies depending on the local conditions of temperature and magnetic field strength. This results in the transition from the purely parabolic character of the equations to the hyperbolic regime as the magnetic Reynolds number increases, which presents severe numerical problems. Up to now, most attempts to study this problem were based on spectral methods, but they failed in representing the transition to large magnetic Reynolds numbers. We present a new code based on upwind finite differences techniques that can handle situations with arbitrary low magnetic diffusivity and it is suitable for studying the formation of sharp current sheets during the evolution. The code is thoroughly tested in different limits and used to illustrate the evolution of the crustal magnetic field in a neutron star in some representative cases. Our code, coupled to cooling codes, can be used to perform long-term simulations of the magneto-thermal evolution of neutron stars.

Institutional work at field-configuring events:shaping industry change within sustainable transitions

Adopting an institutional approach from organization studies, this paper explores the role of key actors on “purposeful governance for sustainability” (Smith, Voss et al. 2010: 444) through the case of smart metering in the UK. Institutions are enduring patterns in social life, reflected in identities, routines, rules, shared meanings and social relations, which enable, and constrain, the beliefs and behaviours of individual and collective actors within a field (Thornton and Ocasio 2008). Large-scale external initiatives designed to drive regime-level change prompt ‘institutional entrepreneurs’ to perform ‘institutional work’ – “purposive action aimed at creating, maintaining and disrupting institutions” (Lawrence and Suddaby, 2006). Organization scholars are giving increasing attention to ‘field-configuring events’ (FCEs) which provide social spaces for diverse organizational actors to come together to collectively shape socio-technical pathways (Lampel and Meyer 2008). Our starting point for this exploratory study is that FCEs can offer important insights to the dynamics, politics and governance of sustainability transitions. Methodologically, FCEs allow us to observe and “link field evolution at the macro-level with individual action at the micro-level” (Lampel and Meyer, 2008: 1025). We examine the work of actors during a series of smart metering industry forums over a three-year period (industry presentations [n= 77] and panel discussions [n= 16]). The findings reveal new insights about how institutional change unfolds, alongside technological transitions, in ways that are partial and aligned with the interests of powerful incumbents whose voices are frequently heard at FCEs. The paper offers three contributions. First, the study responds to calls for more research examining FCEs and the role they play in transforming institutional fields. Second, the emergent findings extend research on institutional work by advancing our understanding of a specific site of institutional work, namely a face-to-face inter-organizational arena. Finally, in line with the research agenda for innovation studies and sustainability transitions elaborated by Smith et al (2010), the paper illustrates how actors in a social system respond to, translate, and enact interventions designed to promote industrial transformation, ultimately shaping the sustainability transition pathway.