Fitting BICEP2 with defects, primordial gravitational waves and dust

In this work we discuss the possibility of cosmic defects being responsible for the B-mode signal measured by the BICEP2 collaboration. We also allow for the presence of other cosmological sources of B-modes such as inflationary gravitational waves and polarized dust foregrounds, which might contribute to or dominate the signal. On the one hand, we find that defects alone give a poor fit to the data points. On the other, we find that defects help to improve the fit at higher multipoles when they are considered alongside inflationary gravitational waves or polarized dust. Finally, we derive new defect constraints from models combining defects and dust. This proceeding is based on previous works [1, 2].

Simulação numérica da cavitação em turbomáquinas usando uma formulação Euler-Lagrange.

Turbomáquinas são máquinas operacionais que transferem energia mecânica entre um rotor e um fluido. Estas máquinas têm muitas aplicações industriais. Um dos componentes de uma turbomáquina responsável pela transferência da energia, ou receber a rotação do eixo e transformar em energia de fluido em caso de bomba ou transferir a energia do fluido para o eixo em caso de uma turbina, é o impelidor ou rotor. O fenómeno da cavitação envolve escoamento bifásico: o líquido a ser bombeado e as bolhas de vapor que são formadas durante o processo de bombeamento. O processo de formação dessas bolhas é complexo, mas ocorre principalmente devido a presença de regiões de pressões muito baixas. O colapso dessas bolhas pode muitas vezes levar a deterioração do material, dependendo da intensidade ou da velocidade de colapso das bolhas. O principal objetivo deste trabalho foi estudar o comportamento hidrodinâmico do escoamento nos canais do impelidor de uma turbomáquina do tipo radial usando recursos de fluidodinâmica computacional (CFD). Uma abordagem Euler-Lagrange acoplada com o modelo da equação de Langevin foi empregada para estimar a trajetória das bolhas. Resultados das simulações mostram as particularidades de um escoamento líquido-bolha de vapor passando em um canal de geometria curva, fornecendo assim informações que podem nos ajudar na prevenção da cavitação nessas máquinas.

Estudo paramétrico para um muro de gravidade submetido a carregamentos sísmicos.

A presente dissertação apresenta um estudo do comportamento de um muro de gravidade flexível submetido a carregamentos sísmicos. A influência do carregamento sísmico, e mais precisamente da variação da aceleração horizontal de pico é avaliada num estudo paramétrico, através da análise dos resultados obtidos para os deslocamentos e acelerações horizontais que ocorreram no paramento do muro de gravidade. Optou-se pela análise ao longo do tempo, introduzindo o carregamento sísmico ao modelo numérico do qual fazia parte o muro de gravidade através de 5 históricos temporais de acelerogramas horizontais normalizados em 0,05g, 0,10g, 0,15g, 0,20g e 0,25g. O evento sísmico de origem dos acelerogramas normalizados foi o terremoto ocorrido no Chile em 27 de fevereiro de 2010 e medido na estação em San Jose de Maipo, a 332,7km do epicentro do terremoto. Utiliza-se um software computacional aplicado à Geotecnia, o Plaxis, para a calibração de um modelo numérico em situação estática e posterior desenvolvimento das análises paramétricas em condições sísmicas. As análises realizadas para avaliação do comportamento do muro de gravidade em condição sísmica foram a verificação da influência da variação do acelerograma horizontal normalizada introduzido na base do modelo nos valores das acelerações e deslocamentos horizontais atuantes no muro e a verificação da influência do carregamento sísmico em comparação com a situação estática, comparando-se os valores dos deslocamentos horizontais obtidos na análise estática e nas análises dinâmicas. Os fatores que influenciam potencialmente nos resultados numéricos em condições sísmicas foram apresentados, destacando-se os aspectos relacionados à modelagem numérica em condição de sismo. Os modelos constitutivos oferecidos, a possibilidade de incorporação do carregamento sísmico na base do modelo e a possibilidade de consideração do amortecimento visco-elástico de Rayleigh nos materiais são as principais qualidades do Plaxis, utilizado na modelagem numérica. Avaliou-se positivamente a potencialidade do Plaxis, visto que o programa mostrou-se uma ferramenta capaz de simular o comportamento de muros de gravidade sujeitos a carregamentos sísmicos.

Prediction of sound emission from open turbulent premixed flames

The sound emission from open turbulent flames is dictated by the two-point spatial correlation of rate of change of fluctuating heat release rate and this correlation has not been investigated directly in the past studies. Turbulent premixed flame data from DNS and laser diagnostics are analyzed to study this correlation function and the two-point spatial correlation of the fluctuating heat release rate. This shows that the correlation functions have simple Gaussian forms whose integral length scale is related to the laminar flame thickness and amplitude depends on the spatial distribution of the time-mean rate of heat release. These results and RANS-CFD solution of open turbulent premixed flames are post-processed to obtain the far field SPL, which agrees well with measured values. © 2010 by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Inc.

Analysis and simulation of combustion oscillations in a laboratory spray combustor

The unstable combustion that can occur in combustion chambers is a major problem for aeroengines and ground-based industrial gas turbines. Nowadays, CFD provides a flexible, low cost tool to supplement direct measurement. This paper presents simulations of combustion oscillations in a liquid-fuelled experimental rig at the University of Cambridge. Linear acoustic theory was used to describe the acoustic waves propagating upstream and downstream of the combustion zone and to develop inlet and outlet boundary conditions just upstream and downstream of the combustion region enabling the CFD calculation to be efficiently concentrated on the combustion zone. A combustion oscillation was found to occur with its predicted frequency in good agreement with experimental measurements. More details about the unstable combustion can be obtained from the simulation results. The approach developed here is expected to provide a powerful tool for the design and operation of stable combustion systems. Copyright © 2009 by ASME.

Calculations and predications of combustion oscillations

The combustion oscillations are the phenomena which we may meet in developing the clean, safe and efficient power and propulsion systems. This paper summarizes authors' systematic work on fuel spray combustion oscillations in the recent years. Combining CFD calculations and stability analysis, a new approach of predicting combustion stabilities was developed. With this approach, detailed flow information and unstable modes can be obtained by CFD and solving perturbation equations, respectively. The results provide the guidance on understanding combustion instability mechanisms and developing the control strategies.

Turbomachinery computational fluid dynamics: asymptotes and paradigm shifts.

This paper reviews the development of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) specifically for turbomachinery simulations and with a particular focus on application to problems with complex geometry. The review is structured by considering this development as a series of paradigm shifts, followed by asymptotes. The original S1-S2 blade-blade-throughflow model is briefly described, followed by the development of two-dimensional then three-dimensional blade-blade analysis. This in turn evolved from inviscid to viscous analysis and then from steady to unsteady flow simulations. This development trajectory led over a surprisingly small number of years to an accepted approach-a 'CFD orthodoxy'. A very important current area of intense interest and activity in turbomachinery simulation is in accounting for real geometry effects, not just in the secondary air and turbine cooling systems but also associated with the primary path. The requirements here are threefold: capturing and representing these geometries in a computer model; making rapid design changes to these complex geometries; and managing the very large associated computational models on PC clusters. Accordingly, the challenges in the application of the current CFD orthodoxy to complex geometries are described in some detail. The main aim of this paper is to argue that the current CFD orthodoxy is on a new asymptote and is not in fact suited for application to complex geometries and that a paradigm shift must be sought. In particular, the new paradigm must be geometry centric and inherently parallel without serial bottlenecks. The main contribution of this paper is to describe such a potential paradigm shift, inspired by the animation industry, based on a fundamental shift in perspective from explicit to implicit geometry and then illustrate this with a number of applications to turbomachinery.

High-resolution computation of isotopic processes in northern California using a local climate model

EXTRACT (SEE PDF FOR FULL ABSTRACT): We describe a coupled local climate/isotope model that can calculate Rayleigh-type processes of distillation and fractionation of hydrogen isotopes along individual air mass flowlines in the western United States.This climate model is an extension of that detailed earlier by Craig and Stamm (1990). ... Volumetric effects of evapotranspiration (ET) are included. The model allows sensitivity studies of the influence of ET recycling.

内蒙古草原中生物土壤结皮生态学研究

1. 生物土壤结皮是干旱半干旱生态系统中的重要组成部分，它可通过增加土壤肥力和稳定性、影响水分再分配和植物萌发、成活、生长和繁殖而对生态系统结构和功能产生重要影响。为阐明生物结皮在内蒙古草地中的作用，本报告对两个草地生态系统进行了为期三年的调查，对生物结皮的氮素输入、对放牧的响应及其与植物的关系进行了综合研究。 2. 利用乙炔还原法，本研究对内蒙古退化草地中的生物土壤结皮中的蓝藻、地衣和地耳的氮素输入进行了为期30个月的连续测定。研究发现：1) 生物结皮固氮活性主要集中于5-10月，呈单峰型曲线，表明生物土壤结皮的固氮作用主要受温度和降雨影响;2) 生物结皮年固氮量为12.99-129.9 kg N•ha-1，98%的氮素固定于6-9月份;3) 按固氮量排序，蓝藻 (61%) > 地衣 (33%) > 地耳 (6%)，表明物种组成和丰度对生物结皮的氮素输入具重要影响。生物结皮的固氮量和季节变化表明生物结皮可以是影响退化草地中植物生长和促进退化草地恢复的重要影响因子。 3. 本研究选择三个放牧处理（长期放牧、短期围封和近期放牧）对生物结皮固氮活性进行了为期3年的研究。结果表明，与短期围封相比，长期放牧造成生物土壤结皮固氮活性下降了99.5%。固氮活性在放牧时间不足11个月时即可下降至最低水平，因此，放牧持续时间短于4个月的轮牧可能有利于生物土壤结皮的固氮。 4. 本研究选择6个放牧梯度（对照：0.00 羊/公顷, 极轻度放牧：1.33羊/公顷，轻度放牧：2.67羊/公顷，中度放牧：4.00羊/公顷，重度放牧：5.33羊/公顷，极重度放牧：6.67羊/公顷)，研究放牧强度对于生物结皮丰度、物种组成和固氮输入的影响。不同放牧强度对生物结皮丰度、物种组成和固氮输入具有重要影响，表明长期放牧可抑制生物土壤结皮在氮素输入和土壤固定方面的作用。极轻度放牧对生物土壤结皮影响不大;轻度放牧造成氮素输入降低了50%;重度和极重度放牧造成氮素输入降低了90%，并可使移动性较强的物种成为生物土壤结皮的优势组分，从而可抑制其土壤固定作用。因此，极轻度和轻度放牧是有利于生物土壤结皮固氮和固定土壤的草地利用方式。 5. 在处于恢复早期的一个退化草地中，我们对生物结皮和植物之间的关系进行了为期2年的研究。结果表明，生物结皮的丰度和物种组成与植物地上生物量和盖度高度相关。生物结皮丰度和氮素输入随植物生物量和盖度下降。结果还表明生物结皮是退化草地的主要氮素输入来源，尤其是在草地恢复初期。植物组织δ15N 低于土壤，这种差异随植物生产力增高而减小，表明生物结皮所固定氮素首先被植物利用，而后返回土壤。生物结皮的固氮输入变化可能是这种变化模式的主要原因，在分解作用和氮素损失中的同位素分馏，以及菌根真菌对于氮素的转运可能也是这种变化模式的原因。结果还显示生物土壤结皮与植物之间可能存在负反馈关系。这种自我调节的反馈过程可能是影响退化草地生态系统生产力和氮素循环的重要调节机制。