System-reservoir interaction with stochastic coupling parameters

We consider the problem of a system coupled to an ensemble of independent harmonic oscillators acting as a reservoir. We use an extension of the functional derivative technique to analyze some of the effects of adding stochastic terms to the system-reservoir coupling parameters. Two approaches (quantum master equation and Langevin equation) are considered and their ranges of validity and differences are examined.     

Crossed-ratchet effects for magnetic domain wall motion

We study both experimentally and theoretically the driven motion of domain walls in extended amorphous magnetic films patterned with a periodic array of asymmetric holes. We find two crossed-ratchet effects of opposite sign that change the preferred sense for domain wall propagation, depending on whether a flat or a kinked wall is moving. By solving numerically a simple phi(4) model we show that the essential physical ingredients for this effect are quite generic and could be realized in other experimental systems involving elastic interfaces moving in multidimensional ratchet potentials.     

Extracting Work Optimally with Imprecise Measurements

Measurement and feedback allows for an external agent to extract work from a system in contact with a single thermal bath. The maximum amount of work that can be extracted in a single measurement and the corresponding feedback loop is given by the information that is acquired via the measurement, a result that manifests the close relation between information theory and stochastic thermodynamics. In this paper, we show how to reversibly confine a Brownian particle in an optical tweezer potential and then extract the corresponding increase of the free energy as work. By repeatedly tracking the position of the particle and modifying the potential accordingly, we can extract work optimally, even with a high degree of inaccuracy in the measurements.     

A simple acoustic model to characterize the internal low frequency sound field in centrifugal pumps

Conventional centrifugal pumps with volute casing generate fluid-dynamic noise particularly at the so-called blade-passing frequency, which is attributed to the interaction of the flow exiting the pump impeller with the volute tongue. Following previous work by the authors to characterize the effect of that blade–tongue interaction on the tonal sound produced, this paper presents a simple acoustic model for centrifugal pumps that considers ideal sound sources of arbitrary position and properties. The model is to be implemented in a software code that applies it systematically to a pump previously tested at laboratory, until identifying the set of ideal sources that best reproduce the pressure fluctuation measurements. In this model, the ideal sources are assumed to radiate plane sound waves along the impeller channels, volute, and outlet diffuser. The volute was considered to be composed by a succession of slices, each of them equivalent to a linear 3-port acoustic system with individual sound transmission and reflection coefficients. A series of tests was conducted to check the validity of the acoustic model, by applying an external acoustic load onto the pump outlet duct and measuring the noise reflected. The resulting reflection coefficient was in good agreement with the predictions of the acoustic model. Finally, the model was used to investigate the pump internal sound field at the blade-passing frequency when operating at 70% of nominal flow rate. It was concluded that the sound field can be characterized reasonably by a dipole-like source located at the tongue region.     

Integral resource capacity planning for inpatient care services based on bed census predictions by hour

The design and operations of inpatient care facilities are typically largely historically shaped. A better match with the changing environment is often possible, and even inevitable due to the pressure on hospital budgets. Effectively organizing inpatient care requires simultaneous consideration of several interrelated planning issues. Also, coordination with upstream departments like the operating theatre and the emergency department is much-needed. We present a generic analytical approach to predict bed census on nursing wards by hour, as a function of the Master Surgical Schedule and arrival patterns of emergency patients. Along these predictions, insight is gained on the impact of strategic (ie, case mix, care unit size, care unit partitioning), tactical (ie, allocation of operating room time, misplacement rules), and operational decisions (ie, time of admission/discharge). The method is used in the Academic Medical Center Amsterdam as a decision-support tool in a complete redesign of the inpatient care operations.