Quantum phases and phase transitions of frustrated hard-core bosons on a triangular ladder

Kinetically frustrated bosons at half filling in the presence of a competing nearest-neighbor repulsion support a wide supersolid regime on the two-dimensional triangular lattice. We study this model on a two-leg ladder using the finite-size density-matrix renormalization-group method, obtaining a phase diagram which contains three phases: a uniform superfluid (SF), an insulating charge density wave (CDW) crystal, and a bond ordered insulator (BO). We show that the transitions from SF to CDW and SF to BO are continuous in nature, with critical exponents varying continuously along the phase boundaries, while the transition from CDW to BO is found to be first order. The phase diagram is also found to contain an exactly solvable Majumdar Ghosh point, and reentrant SF to CDW phase transitions.

Bearing capacity of piles in soft clay underlaid by cohesive frictional soil

By using the axisymmetric quasi-lower bound finite-element limit analysis, the bearing capacity factors N-c(p) and N-gamma q(p) have been computed for axially loaded piles, with the shaft embedded in a fully cohesive soil medium and the tip placed over cohesive frictional soil strata. The results were obtained for various combinations of L/D, phi(l), and c(l)/c(u); the subscripts l and u refer to lower and upper soil strata, respectively. The factors N-c(p) and N-gamma q(p) increase continuously with increases in L/D and phi(l); the rate of increase of N-c(p) and N-gamma q(p) with L/D, however, decreases with an increase in L/D. For c(l)/c(u) > 100, the factor N-c(p) hardly depends on L/D.

Yanai waves in the western equatorial Indian Ocean

Observations and models have shown the presence of intraseasonal fluctuations in 20-30-day and 10-20-day bands in the equatorial Indian Ocean west of 60 degrees E (WEIO). Their spatial and temporal structures characterize them as Yanai waves, which we label low-frequency (LFYW) and high-frequency (HFYW) Yanai waves, respectively. We explore the dynamics of these intraseasonal signals, using an ocean general circulation model (Modular Ocean Model) and a linear, continuously stratified model. Yanai waves are forced by the meridional wind tau(y) everywhere in the WEIO most strongly during the monsoon seasons. They are forced both directly in the interior ocean and by reflection of the interior response from the western boundary; interference between the interior and boundary responses results in a complex surface pattern that propagates eastward and has nodes. Yanai waves are also forced by instabilities primarily during June/July in a region offshore from the western boundary (52-55 degrees E). At that time, eddies, generated by barotropic instability of the Southern Gyre, are advected southward to the equator. There, they generate a westward-propagating, cross-equatorial flow field, v(eq), with a wave number/frequency spectrum that fits the dispersion relation of a number of Yanai waves, and these waves are efficiently excited. Typically, Yanai waves associated with several baroclinic modes are excited by both wind and eddy forcing; and typically, they superpose to create beams that carry energy vertically and eastward along ray paths. The same processes generate LFYWs and HFYWs, and hence, their responses are similar; differences are traceable to the property that HFYWs have longer wavelengths than LFYWs for each baroclinic mode.

A multifold reduction in the transition Reynolds number, and ultra-fast mixing, in a micro-channel due to a dynamical instability induced by a soft wall

A dynamical instability is observed in experimental studies on micro-channels of rectangular cross-section with smallest dimension 100 and 160 mu m in which one of the walls is made of soft gel. There is a spontaneous transition from an ordered, laminar flow to a chaotic and highly mixed flow state when the Reynolds number increases beyond a critical value. The critical Reynolds number, which decreases as the elasticity modulus of the soft wall is reduced, is as low as 200 for the softest wall used here (in contrast to 1200 for a rigid-walled channel) The instability onset is observed by the breakup of a dye-stream introduced in the centre of the micro-channel, as well as the onset of wall oscillations due to laser scattering from fluorescent beads embedded in the wall of the channel. The mixing time across a channel of width 1.5 mm, measured by dye-stream and outlet conductance experiments, is smaller by a factor of 10(5) than that for a laminar flow. The increased mixing rate comes at very little cost, because the pressure drop (energy requirement to drive the flow) increases continuously and modestly at transition. The deformed shape is reconstructed numerically, and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations are carried out to obtain the pressure gradient and the velocity fields for different flow rates. The pressure difference across the channel predicted by simulations is in agreement with the experiments (within experimental errors) for flow rates where the dye stream is laminar, but the experimental pressure difference is higher than the simulation prediction after dye-stream breakup. A linear stability analysis is carried out using the parallel-flow approximation, in which the wall is modelled as a neo-Hookean elastic solid, and the simulation results for the mean velocity and pressure gradient from the CFD simulations are used as inputs. The stability analysis accurately predicts the Reynolds number (based on flow rate) at which an instability is observed in the dye stream, and it also predicts that the instability first takes place at the downstream converging section of the channel, and not at the upstream diverging section. The stability analysis also indicates that the destabilization is due to the modification of the flow and the local pressure gradient due to the wall deformation; if we assume a parabolic velocity profile with the pressure gradient given by the plane Poiseuille law, the flow is always found to be stable.

Continuous beam of laser-cooled Yb atoms

We demonstrate the launching of laser-cooled Yb atoms in a continuous atomic beam. The continuous cold beam has significant advantages over the more-common pulsed fountain, which was also demonstrated by us recently. The cold beam is formed in the following steps: i) atoms from a thermal beam are first Zeeman-slowed to a small final velocity; ii) the slowed atoms are captured in a two-dimensional magneto-optic trap (2D-MOT); and iii) atoms are launched continuously in the vertical direction using two sets of moving-molasses beams, inclined at +/- 15 degrees to the vertical. The cooling transition used is the strongly allowed S-1(0) -> P-1(1) transition at 399 nm. We capture about 7x10(6) atoms in the 2D-MOT, and then launch them with a vertical velocity of 13m/s at a longitudinal temperature of 125(6) mK. Copyright (C) EPLA, 2013

Projecting low and extensive dimensional chaos from spatio-temporal dynamics

We review the spatio-temporal dynamical features of the Ananthakrishna model for the Portevin-Le Chatelier effect, a kind of plastic instability observed under constant strain rate deformation conditions. We then establish a qualitative correspondence between the spatio-temporal structures that evolve continuously in the instability domain and the nature of the irregularity of the scalar stress signal. Rest of the study is on quantifying the dynamical information contained in the stress signals about the spatio-temporal dynamics of the model. We show that at low applied strain rates, there is a one-to-one correspondence with the randomly nucleated isolated bursts of mobile dislocation density and the stress drops. We then show that the model equations are spatio-temporally chaotic by demonstrating the number of positive Lyapunov exponents and Lyapunov dimension scale with the system size at low and high strain rates. Using a modified algorithm for calculating correlation dimension density, we show that the stress-strain signals at low applied strain rates corresponding to spatially uncorrelated dislocation bands exhibit features of low dimensional chaos. This is made quantitative by demonstrating that the model equations can be approximately reduced to space independent model equations for the average dislocation densities, which is known to be low-dimensionally chaotic. However, the scaling regime for the correlation dimension shrinks with increasing applied strain rate due to increasing propensity for propagation of the dislocation bands. The stress signals in the partially propagating to fully propagating bands turn to have features of extensive chaos.

pH Induced switching in hydrogel coated fiber bragg grating sensor

In this paper we report a novel hydrogel functionalized optical Fiber Bragg Grating (FBG) sensor based on chemo-mechanical-optical sensing, and demonstrate its specific application in pH activated process monitoring. The sensing mechanism is based on the stress due to ion diffusion and polymer phase transition which produce strain in the FBG. This results in shift in the Bragg wavelength which is detected by an interrogator system. A simple dip coating method to coat a thin layer of hydrogel on the FBG has been established. The gel consists of sodium alginate and calcium chloride. Gel formation is observed in real-time by continuously monitoring the Bragg wavelength shift. We have demonstrated pH sensing in the range of pH of 2 to 10. Another interesting phenomenon is observed by swelling and deswelling of FBG functionalized with hydrogel by a sequence of alternate dipping between acidic and base solutions. It is observed that the Bragg wavelength undergoes reversible and repeatable pH dependent switching.

On the mechanism of metal nanoparticle synthesis in the brust-schiffrin method

Brust-Schiffrin synthesis (BSS) of metal nanoparticles has emerged as a major breakthrough in the field for its ability to produce highly stable thiol functionalized nanoparticles. In this work, we use a detailed population balance model to conclude that particle formation in BSS is controlled by a new synthesis route: continuous nucleation, growth, and capping of particles throughout the synthesis process. The new mechanism, quite different from the others known in the literature (classical LaMer mechanism, sequential nucleation-growth-capping, and thermodynamic mechanism), successfully explains key features of BSS, including size tuning by varying the amount of capping agent instead of the widely used approach of varying the amount of reducing agent. The new mechanism captures a large body of experimental observations quantitatively, including size tuning and only a marginal effect of the parameters otherwise known to affect particle synthesis sensitively. The new mechanism predicts that, in a constant synthesis environment, continuous nucleation-growth-capping mechanism leads to complete capping of particles (no more growth) at the same size, while the new ones are born continuously, in principle leading to synthesis of more monodisperse particles. This prediction is validated through new experimental measurements.

Stability of a long unsupported circular tunnel in soils with seismic forces

By using the lower-bound finite element limit analysis, the stability of a long unsupported circular tunnel has been examined with an inclusion of seismic body forces. The numerical results have been presented in terms of a non-dimensional stability number (gamma H/c) which is plotted as a function of horizontal seismic earth pressure coefficient (k (h)) for different combinations of H/D and I center dot; where (1) H is the depth of the crest of the tunnel from ground surface, (2) D is the diameter of the tunnel, (3) k (h) is the earthquake acceleration coefficient and (4) gamma, c and I center dot define unit weight, cohesion and internal friction angle of soil mass, respectively. The stability numbers have been found to decrease continuously with an increase in k (h). With an inclusion of k (h), the plastic zone around the periphery of the tunnel becomes asymmetric. As compared to the results reported in the literature, the present analysis provides a little lower estimate of the stability numbers. The numerical results obtained would be useful for examining the stability of unsupported tunnel under seismic forces.

Dynamics of a flexible splitter plate in the wake of a circular cylinder

Rigid splitter plates in the wake of bluff bodies are known to suppress the primary vortex shedding. In the present work, we experimentally study the problem of a flexible splitter plate in the wake of a circular cylinder. In this case, the splitter plate is free to continuously deform along its length due to the fluid forces acting on it; the flexural rigidity (EI) of the plate being an important parameter. Direct visualizations of the splitter plate motions, for very low values of flexural rigidity (EI), indicate periodic traveling wave type deformations of the splitter plate with maximum tip amplitudes of the order of I cylinder diameter. As the Reynolds number based on cylinder diameter is varied, two regimes of periodic splitter plate motions are found that are referred to as mode I and mode II, with a regime of aperiodic motions between them. The frequency of plate motions in both periodic modes is found to be close to the plane cylinder Strouhal number of about 0.2, while the average frequencies in the non-periodic regime are substantially lower. The measured normalized phase speed of the traveling wave for both periodic modes is also close to the convection speed of vortices in the plane cylinder wake. As the flexural rigidity of the plate (EI) is increased, the response of the plate was found to shift to the right when plotted with flow speed or Re. To better capture the effect of varying EI, we define and use a non-dimensional bending stiffness, K*, similar to the ones used in the flag flutter problem, K*=EI/(0.5 rho(UL3)-L-2), where U is the free-stream velocity and L is the splitter plate length. Amplitude data for different EI cases when plotted against this parameter appear to collapse on to a single curve for a given splitter plate length. Measurements of the splitter plate motions for varying splitter plate lengths indicate that plates that are substantially larger than the formation length of the plane cylinder wake have similar responses, while shorter plates show significant differences.

Scaling of turbulent flame speed for expanding flames with Markstein diffusion considerations

In this paper we clarify the role of Markstein diffusivity, which is the product of the planar laminar flame speed and the Markstein length, on the turbulent flame speed and its scaling, based on experimental measurements on constant-pressure expanding turbulent flames. Turbulent flame propagation data are presented for premixed flames of mixtures of hydrogen, methane, ethylene, n-butane, and dimethyl ether with air, in near-isotropic turbulence in a dual-chamber, fan-stirred vessel. For each individual fuel-air mixture presented in this work and the recently published iso-octane data from Leeds, normalized turbulent flame speed data of individual fuel-air mixtures approximately follow a Re-T,f(0.5) scaling, for which the average radius is the length scale and thermal diffusivity is the transport property of the turbulence Reynolds number. At a given Re-T,Re-f, it is experimentally observed that the normalized turbulent flame speed decreases with increasing Markstein number, which could be explained by considering Markstein diffusivity as the leading dissipation mechanism for the large wave number flame surface fluctuations. Consequently, by replacing thermal diffusivity with the Markstein diffusivity in the turbulence Reynolds number definition above, it is found that normalized turbulent flame speeds could be scaled by Re-T,M(0.5) irrespective of the fuel, equivalence ratio, pressure, and turbulence intensity for positive Markstein number flames.

Flying between Sky Islands: The Effect of Naturally Fragmented Habitat on Butterfly Population Structure

High elevation montane areas are called ``sky islands'' when they occur as a series of high mountains separated by lowland valleys. Different climatic conditions at high elevations makes sky islands a specialized type of habitat, rendering them naturally fragmented compared to more continuous habitat at lower elevations. Species in sky islands face unsuitable climate in the intervening valleys when moving from one montane area to another. The high elevation shola-grassland mosaic in the Western Ghats of southern India form one such sky island complex. The fragmented patches make this area ideal to study the effect of the spatial orientation of suitable habitat patches on population genetic structure of species found in these areas. Past studies have suggested that sky islands tend to have genetically structured populations, possibly due to reduced gene flow between montane areas. To test this hypothesis, we adopted the comparative approach. Using Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphisms, we compared population genetic structures of two closely related, similar sized butterfly species: Heteropsis oculus, a high elevation shola-grassland specialist restricted to the southern Western Ghats, and Mycalesis patnia, found more continuously distributed in lower elevations. In all analyses, as per expectation the sky island specialist H. oculus exhibited a greater degree of population genetic structure than M. patnia, implying a difference in geneflow. This difference in geneflow in turn appears to be due to the natural fragmentation of the sky island complexes. Detailed analysis of a subset of H. oculus samples from one sky island complex (the Anamalais) showed a surprising genetic break. A possible reason for this break could be unsuitable conditions of higher temperature and lower rainfall in the intervening valley region. Thus, sky island species are not only restricted by lack of habitat continuity between montane areas, but also by the nature of the intervening habitat.

Comparison of OpAmp based and comparator based switched capacitor filter

Comparator based switched capacitor circuits provide an excellent opportunity to design sampled data systems where the virtual ground condition is detected rather than being continuously forced with negative feedback in Opamp based circuits. This work is an application of this concept to design a 1 st order 330 KHz cutoff frequency Lowpass filter operating at 10 MHz sampling frequency in 0.13μm technology and 1.2 V supply voltage. The Comparator Based Switched Capacitor (CBSC) filter is compared with conventional Two stage Miller compensated Operational amplifier based switched capacitor filter. It is shown that CBSC filter relaxes the constraints like speed ,linearity, gain, stability which would otherwise be hard to satisfy in scaled technologies in Opamp based circuits. The designed CBSC based lowpass filter provides significant power savings compared to traditional Opamp based switched capacitor filter.

Stability of long unsupported twin circular tunnels in soils

The stability of two long unsupported circular parallel tunnels aligned horizontally in fully cohesive and cohesive-frictional soils has been determined. An upper bound limit analysis in combination with finite elements and linear programming is employed to perform the analysis. For different clear spacing (S) between the tunnels, the stability of tunnels is expressed in terms of a non-dimensional stability number (gamma H-max/c); where H is tunnel cover, c refers to soil cohesion, and gamma(max) is maximum unit weight of soil mass which the tunnels can bear without any collapse. The variation of the stability number with tunnels' spacing has been established for different combinations of H/D, m and phi; where D refers to diameter of each tunnel, phi is the internal friction angle of soil and m accounts for the rate at which the cohesion increases linearly with depth. The stability number reduces continuously with a decrease in the spacing between the tunnels. The optimum spacing (S-opt) between the two tunnels required to eliminate the interference effect increases with (i) an increase in H/D and (ii) a decrease in the values of both m and phi. The value of S-opt lies approximately in a range of 1.5D-3.5D with H/D = 1 and 7D-12D with H/D = 7. The results from the analysis compare reasonably well with the different solutions reported in literature. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A method of developing an agent based ubiquitous node monitoring protocol

A ubiquitous network plays a critical role to provide rendered services to ubiquitous application running nodes. To provide appropriate resources the nodes are needed to be monitored continuously. Monitoring a node in ubiquitous network is challenging because of dynamicity and heterogeneity of the ubiquitous network. The network monitor has to monitor resource parameters, like data rate, delay and throughput, as well as events such as node failure, network failure and fault in the system to curb the system failure. In this paper, we propose a method to develop a ubiquitous system monitoring protocol using agents. Earlier works on network monitoring using agents consider that the agents are designed for particular network. While in our work the heterogeneity property of the network has been considered. We have shown that the nodes' behaviour can be easily monitored by using agents (both static and mobile agent). The past behavior of the application and network, and past history of the Unode and the predecessor are taken into consideration to help SA to take appropriate decision during the time of emergency situation like unavailability of resources at the local administration, and to predict the migration of the Unode based on the previous node history. The results obtained in the simulation reflects the effectiveness of the technique.