The principle that generates dissimilar patterns inside aggregates of organisms

Pattern formation and self-organization are phenomena that occur across the board, in animate and inanimate systems. In this paper, we rely on the constructal law to explain the generation of patterns (shapes, structures) in aggregates of organisms-pedestrian crowds and stony corals. In pedestrian crowds a variety of patterns are often observed, from ‘chaotic’ appearances to spontaneous organization in lanes of uniform walking direction. Stony corals and other organisms also present intraspecific variability in shape. We show that flow systems develop in time patterns which provide easier access to the nutrients and space, within a set of constraints imposed by each situation. Flow systems have the freedom to morph their shape in search for architectures that allows them to have greater access to the space that they inhabit. We identify the mechanisms allowing pedestrians to evolve in space and time. We also show that stony corals may develop branched or spherical shapes, depending on which shape performs best in response to the environmental conditions. The constructal law allows systems with complex internal flows to be described and understood for a unified view.     

Investigation of nanostructured Fe3O4 polypyrrole core-shell composites by X-ray absorbtion spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction using synchrotron radiation

In this article, we focus on the structural peculiarities of nanosized Fe₃O₄ in the core-shell nanocomposites obtained by polymerization of conducting polypyrrole shell around Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles. The local structure of Fe atoms was determined from the Extended X-ray Absorption Fine Structure analysis using our own package computer programs. An X-ray diffraction method that is capable to determine average particle size, microstrains, as the particle size distribution of Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles is presented. The method is based on the Fourier analysis of a single X-ray diffraction profile using a new fitting method based on the generalized Fermi function facilities. The crystallites size obtained by X-ray diffraction spectra analysis was estimated between 3.2 and 10.3 nm. Significant changes in the first and the second Fe coordination shell in comparison with standard bulk were observed. The global and local structure of the nanosized Fe₃O₄ are correlated with the synthesis conditions of the core-shell polypyrrole nanocomposites.     

The constructal unification of biological and geophysical design

Here we show that the emergence of scaling laws in inanimate (geophysical) flow systems is analogous to the emergence of allometric laws in animate (biological) flow systems, and that features of evolutionary “design” in nature can be predicted based on a principle of physics (the constructal law): “For a finite-size flow system to persist in time (to live) it must evolve in such a way that it provides easier and easier access to its currents”, meaning that the configuration and function of flow systems change over time in a predictable way that improves function, distributes imperfection, and creates geometries that best arrange high and low resistance areas or volumes. This theoretical unification of the phenomena of animate and inanimate flow design generation is illustrated with examples from biology (lung design, animal locomotion) and the physics of fluid flow (river basins, turbulent flow structure, self-lubrication). The place of this design-generation principle as a self-standing law in thermodynamics is discussed. Natural flow systems evolve by acquiring flow configuration in a definite direction in time: existing configurations are replaced by easier flowing configurations.     

Electromagnetically induced transparency in double quantum dot under intense laser and magnetic fields: from Λ to Ξ configuration

We theoretically investigated the effects of non-resonant intense laser and magnetic fields on the optical properties of asymmetric GaAs/AlGaAs double quantum dot related to the occurrence of electromagnetically induced transparency, using compact density-matrix formalism and effective mass approximation. The chosen structure has the advantage to present x-lambda(Λ)-configuration or y-ladder(Ξ)-configuration for EIT occurrence, depending on lasers polarization, at low values of the non-resonant laser, and to change the configuration from Λ to Ξ at the increase of the x-polarized non-resonant laser intensity. We discussed in detail the influences of the control laser field intensity, non-resonant laser strength and polarization, and magnetic field intensity on the absorption coefficient, refraction index and group index. It is found that: (i) the control laser or the non-resonant laser at the same control laser intensity influences more the system being in x-Ξ-configuration than in x-Λ-configuration and have intermediate effects on y-Ξ-configuration; (ii) the magnetic field has the greatest influence on the system being in x-Λ-configuration and the lowest for y-Ξ-configuration; (iii) the increment of the non-resonant intense laser or magnetic fields induces a red-shift of the transparency windows and sub (super) luminal frequency intervals for the Λ-configuration but a blue-shift for both Ξ-configurations.     

Desorption induced by hot electrons: wave packet calculation of CO on Cu surfaces

A quantum mechanical photodesorption model, valid for metallic substrates and sub-picosecond laser pulses, is presented. It takes into consideration the photodesorption coordinate and models the metal hot-electron mediated desorption by a three electronic states: an ionic state of the adsorbate and two effective states representing the continuum of the metal. This multiple-state picture allows the sharing of the flow of energy injected by the laser between the adsorbate and the substrate. For the first time, the present modeling introduces the hot electrons of the metal through an optical potential based on the kinetic model developed earlier by the authors. This potential, and the resulting desorption yield, depend on the laser fluence. For CO on Cu(1 0 0) or Cu(1 1 1), the results are in fair agreement with the experimental findings.     

Thermodynamic optimization of finned crossflow heat exchangers for aircraft environmental control systems

This paper shows that the main geometric features of a flow component can be deduced from the thermodynamic optimization of the global performance of the largest flow system that incorporates the component. This approach represents a departure from the usual approach, where a flow component is optimized in isolation. The example chosen is the counterflow heat exchanger of the environmental control system (ECS) used on modern aircraft. The heat exchanger is fitted with a diffuser and a nozzle for the ram air, and the ECS runs on the boot strap air cycle, employing an additional compressor and turbine. Two heat transfer surface types are considered, finned and smooth parallel plates. Numerical results are reported for the external geometric aspect ratios of the heat exchanger, and for the plate-to-plate spacing of the smooth-plates model. It is shown that the optimized geometry for the core with finned surfaces is nearly the same as the optimized geometry for the core with smooth plates. Several of the optimized geometric features are robust with respect to changes in external parameters that vary from one application to the next. The method illustrated in this paper – the thermodynamic (constructal) optimization of flow geometry – is applicable to any system that runs on the basis of a limited amount of fuel (exergy) installed onboard, e.g., automobiles, ships, portable tools.     

Sur une Classe de Fluides Non-Newtoniens

A constitutive law for a class of non newtonian fluids is considered. The stress-tension is defined as an element in the subgradient of a convex, l.s.c. function: (D);D is the tension of the rate of deformation. We give existence and uniqueness theorems. Some examples (Bingham fluid, pseudo-plastic and dilatant fluids) are also given.     

Generation and reactivity toward oxygen of carbon-centered radicals containing indane,indene, and fluorenyl moieties

Resonance-stabilized radicals containing indane, indene, and fluorenyl moieties exhibit attenuated reactivity toward oxygen. Rate constants of approximately 10(5) M(-1) s(-1) were observed for the most stabilized radicals. The dependence of k(OX) (rate constant for radical trapping by oxygen) on the corresponding bond dissociation energies revealed that stereoelectronic effects are more important than steric effects in determining the low radical reactivity with oxygen. Scavenging by the nitroxide TEMPO was also examined, and revealed that in this case steric effects are more important than in the case of oxygen. The rate constants for the hydrogen abstraction by cumyloxyl and tert-butoxyl radicals generated thermally and photochemically have been determined in benzene, and were in the range of ca. (1-13) x 10(6) M(-1) s(-1), showing that benzylic stabilization has a modest effect on substrate reactivity as a hydrogen donor toward alkoxyl radicals.