Anomalies of attenuation and phase velocity of surface acoustic waves in YBa2Cu3O7‒δ thin films in the vicinity of Tc

We present measurements of the attenuation and phase velocity of surface acoustic waves in thin YBa₂Cu₃O films as a function of temperature, in magnetic fields up to 3.6 T applied parallel to the c-axis of the films. We have observed anomalies in both, the attenuation and the phase velocity in the vicinity of the superconducting critical temperature which do not depend on the magnetic field. Possible origins of these anomalies, observed, to our knowledge, for the first time in YBa₂Cu₃O thin films, are discussed and compared to bulk acoustic wave experiments. We present a kind of feedback technique for surface acoustic waves which improves the sensitivity of this type of measurement. The actual sensitivity limits are mentioned. Received: 7 August 1997 / Revised: 7 November 1997 / Accepted: 17 November 1997     

Numerical Analysis and Simulation Analysis for Space‐Time Data

Spatio temporal dynamics of the positive column of a dc neon glow discharge is studied and investigated experimentally and theoretically. Spatio temporal analysis by means of biorthogonal decomposition method (BOD) gives insights into the mechanism of irregularity and can be employed for characterization of spatio‐ temporal complexity. In the weak nonlinear region, the wave dynamics is approximated by an amplitude equation of the Ginzburg‐Landau equation (CGLE) with complex coefficients and an additional integral term based on a fluid model. In the present work we deal with irregular spatio‐temporal data. A comparison between the numerical analysis of the experimental data and simulation results are studied. A good agreement between the dynamical behaviour for experimental space‐time data and theoretical simulation space‐time results was obtained. (© 2006 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Experimental investigation of the aquatic propulsion caused by localised flexural wave propagation in immersed wedges and plates

This paper describes the results of the experimental verification of the idea of wave-like aquatic propulsion of autonomous and man-inhabited vessels first published about 10 years ago by one of the present authors (V.V.K.). The idea is based on employing the unique type of localised flexural elastic waves propagating along edges of wedge-like structures immersed in water (wedge elastic waves). Such wedge-like structures supporting localised elastic waves can be attached like fish fins to a body of a small ship or a submarine and used for their propulsion. The proposed principle of employing localised flexural waves as a source of aquatic propulsion has been biologically inspired by the specific swimming mode used in nature by stingrays. To verify the idea experimentally, the first working prototype of a small catamaran using the above-mentioned wave-like propulsion via the attached rubber keel has been build and tested in Loughborough University. The tests have been carried out in two phases, in a water tank and then in open water. The test results have shown that the catamaran was propelled very efficiently and could achieve the speed of 36 cm/s, i.e., about one vehicle length per second, thus demonstrating that the idea of wave-like propulsion of small man-inhabited craft is viable. The reported proof of the viability of this idea may open new opportunities for marine craft propulsion, which can have far reaching implications.     

Order and chaos in soft condensed matter

Soft matter, like colloidal suspensions and surfactant gels, exhibit strong response to modest external perturbations. This paper reviews our recent experiments on the nonlinear flow behaviour of surfactant worm-like micellar gels. A rich dynamic behaviour exhibiting regular, quasi-periodic, intermittency and chaos is observed. In particular, we have shown experimentally that the route to chaos is via Type-II intermittency in shear thinning worm-like micellar solution of cetyltrimethylammonium tosylate where the strength of flow-concentration coupling is tuned by the addition of sodium chloride. A Poincaré first return map of the time series and the probability distribution of laminar length between burst events show that our data are consistent with Type-II intermittency. The existence of a ‘Butterfly’ intensity pattern in small angle light scattering (SALS) measurements performed simultaneously with the rheological measurements confirms the coupling of flow to concentration fluctuations in the system under study. The scattered depolarised intensity in SALS, sensitive to orientational order fluctuations, shows the same time-dependence (like intermittency) as that of shear stress.     

An accurate method to predict the stress concentration in composite laminates with a circular hole under tensile loading

The paper presents a theoretical-numerical hybrid method for determining the stresses distribution in composite laminates containing a circular hole and subjected to uniaxial tensile loading. The method is based upon an appropriate corrective function allowing a simple and rapid evaluation of stress distributions in a generic plate of finite width with a hole based on the theoretical stresses distribution in an infinite plate with the same hole geometry and material. In order to verify the accuracy of the method proposed, various numerical and experimental tests have been performed by considering different laminate lay-ups; in particular, the experimental results have shown that a combined use of the method proposed and the well-know point-stress criterion leads to reliable strength predictions for GFRP or CFRP laminates with a circular hole. Russian translation published in Mekhanika Kompozitnykh Materialov, Vol. 43, No. 4, pp. 531–570, July–August, 2007.     

葛仙米对丁草胺胁迫的响应

研究了丁草胺对可食用蓝藻葛仙米(Nostoc sphaeroides)生理和代谢活性的影响．用不同浓度的丁草胺处理葛仙米,结果显示低浓度(5 mg·L-1)丁草胺使其光合作用、呼吸作用和光合系统Ⅱ活性增强,高浓度丁草胺(>5 mg·L-1)限制其光合作用、呼吸作用和光合系统Ⅱ活性．同时丁草胺对葛仙米膜结构和功能具有破坏作用,随着丁草胺处理浓度增大,质膜透性不断增大,丙二醛和超氧自由基阴离子含量升高；在低浓度丁草胺处理时,类胡萝卜素含量增加,超氧化物歧化酶(SOD)活性增强,高浓度丁草胺处理时,类胡萝卜素含量降低,SOD活性下降；表明葛仙米对低浓度的丁草胺胁迫具有一定的耐受能力,但高浓度的丁草胺对其生理和代谢构成威胁；针对目前葛仙米野生生境中丁草胺的用量,建议限制丁草胺在葛仙米产地的使用,以保护日益稀缺的葛仙米资源．     

Multi‐dimensional combustion waves for Lewis number close to one

This paper is devoted to the study of multi‐dimensional travelling wave solution for a thermo‐diffusive model, describing the propagation of curved flames in an infinite cylinder. The linear dependence of the components of the reaction rate together with the existence of an ignition temperature ensure that the corresponding linearized operator does not satisfy the Fredholm property. A direct consequence is that solvability conditions for the linearized operator are not known and classical methods of nonlinear analysis cannot be directly applied. We prove in this paper existence results of such travelling waves, by first introducing a suitable re‐formulation of the equations and then by choosing suitable weighted spaces that allows us to move the essential spectrum away from zero. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Body waves in fractured porous media saturated by two immiscible newtonian fluids

A study of body waves in fractured porous media saturated by two fluids is presented. We show the existence of four compressional and one rotational waves. The first and third compressional waves are analogous to the fast and slow compressional waves in Biot's theory. The second compressional wave arises because of fractures, whereas the fourth compressional wave is associated with the pressure difference between the fluid phases in the porous blocks. The effects of fractures on the phase velocity and attenuation coefficient of body waves are numerically investigated for a fractured sandstone saturated by air and water phases. All compressional waves except the first compressional wave are diffusive-type waves, i.e., highly attenuated and do not exist at low frequencies.Now at Izmir Institute of Technology, Faculty of Engineering, Gaziosmanpasa Bulvari, No.16, Cankaya, Izmir, Turkey.     

The stress driven instability in elastic crystals: Mathematical models and physical manifestations

Summary Equilibrium equations and stability conditions for the simple deformable elastic body are derived by means of considering a minimum of the static energy principle. The energy is supposed to be sum of the volume (elastic) and the surface terms. The ability to change relative positions of different material particles is taken into account, and appropriate natural definitions of the first and second variations of the energy are introduced and calculated explicitly. Considering the case of negligible magnitude of the surface tension, we establish that an equilibrium state of a nonhydrostatically stressed simple elastic body (of any physically reasonable elastic energy potential and of any symmetry) possessing any small smooth part of free surface is always unstable with respect to relative transfer of the material particles along the surface. Surface tension suppresses the mentioned instability with respect to sufficiently short disturbances of the boundary surface and thus can probably provide local smoothness of the equilibrium shape of the crystal. We derive explicit formulas for critical wavelength for the simplest models of the internal and surface energies and for the simplest equilibrium configurations. We also formulate the simplest problem of mathematical physics, revealing peculiarities and difficulties of the problem of equilibrium shape of elastic crystals, and discuss possible manifestations of the above-mentioned instability in the problems of crystal growth, materials science, fracture, physical chemistry, and low-temperature physics.     

Acoustic wavefront imaging

We introduce a new class of experiments which provide graphic insights into the propagation of acoustic waves in anisotropic media. Simply stated, we have devised a means of observing the expanding acoustic wavefront from a point disturbance in a solid. The data may be viewed as a movie or a series of snapshots. The observed wavefronts represent the group-velocity surfaces of acoustic waves, which reflect the basic elastic anisotropy of the solid. The technique has been applied to coherent acoustic waves with frequencies in the megahertz range (at ambient temperatures) and to incoherent heat pulses in the hundred-gigahertz range (at liquid-helium temperatures). In this article, we first provide a pedagogical introduction to wave propagation in elastically anisotropic media, reviewing some early methods for visualizing acoustic waves. Next, we describe the “acoustic wavefront imaging” method and give representative results in crystals and composite materials. Finally, we show how this method relates to recent advances in phonon imaging and internal diffraction of ultrasound.