On the self-similar solution to the Euler equations for an incompressible fluid in three dimensions

The equations for a self-similar solution to an inviscid incompressible fluid are mapped into an integral equation that hopefully can be solved by iteration. It is argued that the exponents of the similarity are ruled by Kelvin's theorem of conservation of circulation. The end result is an iteration with a nonlinear term entering a kernel given by a 3D integral for a swirling flow, likely within reach of present-day computational power. Because of the slow decay of the similarity solution at large distances, its kinetic energy diverges, and some mathematical results excluding non-trivial solutions of the Euler equations in the self-similar case do not apply.     

A cost‐effective curvature calculation approach for interfacial flows on unstructured meshes

We present a simple and cost‐effective curvature calculation approach for simulations of interfacial flows on structured and unstructured grids. The interface is defined using volume fractions, and the interface curvature is obtained as a function of the gradients of volume fractions. The gradient computation is based on a recently proposed gradient recovery method that mimicks the least squares approach without the need to solve a system of equations and is quite easy to implement on arbitrary polygonal meshes. The resulting interface curvature is used in a continuum surface force formulation within the framework of a well‐balanced finite‐volume algorithm to simulate multiphase flows dominated by surface tension. We show that the proposed curvature calculation is at least as accurate as some of the existing approaches on unstructured meshes while being straightforward to implement on any mesh topology. Numerical investigations also show that spurious currents in stationary problems that are dependent on the curvature calculation methodology are also acceptably low using the proposed approach. Studies on capillary waves and rising bubbles in viscous flows lend credence to the ability of the proposed method as an inexpensive, robust, and reasonably accurate approach for curvature calculation and numerical simulation of multiphase flows.     

Existence of strong minimizers for the Griffith static fracture model in dimension two

We consider the Griffith fracture model in two spatial dimensions, and prove existence of strong minimizers, with closed jump set and continuously differentiable deformation fields. One key ingredient, which is the object of the present paper, is a generalization to the vectorial situation of the decay estimate by De Giorgi, Carriero, and Leaci. This is based on replacing the coarea formula by a method to approximate $SB{D}^p$ functions with small jump set by Sobolev functions, and is restricted to two dimensions. The other two ingredients will appear in companion papers and consist respectively in regularity results for vectorial elliptic problems of the elasticity type and in a method to approximate in energy $GSB{D}^p$ functions by $SB{V}^p$ ones.     

Gibbsian dynamics and ergodicity of magnetohydrodynamics and related systems forced by random noise

The magnetohydrodynamics system consists of the Navier-Stokes equations from fluid mechanics, coupled with the Maxwell’s equations from electromagnetism through multiples of non-linear terms involving derivatives. Following the approach of [1 Weinan, E., Mattingly, J. C., Sinai, Y. (2001). Gibbsian dynamics and ergodicity for the stochastically forced Navier-Stokes equation. Commun. Math. Phys. 224:83–106. DOI:10.1007/s002201224083.[Crossref], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]], we prove the existence of a unique invariant measure in case the forcing terms consist of the cylindrical Wiener processes with only low modes. Its proof requires taking advantage of the structure of the non-linear terms carefully and is extended to various other related models such as the magnetohydrodynamics-Boussinesq system from fluid mechanics in atmosphere and oceans, as well as the magneto-micropolar fluid system from the theory of microfluids.     

THE NEW ASSESSMENT METHOD FOR THE COURSE OF STRENGTH OF MATERIALS 1)

现有考核评价方式侧重期末考试而忽略过程考核，结合材料力学课程，探索一套注重过程考核的评价体系，综合评价学生对本课程的掌握程度，即将期末考试成绩在总评中的占比由70%降低至50%，平时作业、随堂测验、模块测验、实验考核和案例分析成绩各占比10%。新评价方式更加注重对学生学习过程的考核，使学生在整个课程学习过程中保持高度紧张感，提高学习的时效性和目的性，进而提高学生学习材料力学的热情和材料力学课堂教学效果。     

COMPUTER-ASSISTED TEACHING REFORM FOR THEORETICAL MECHANICS 1)

本文依照四川大学某理论力学教学班实际教学改革的经验,通过具体举例说明计算机技术在理论力学教学中尚未开发的巨大潜力,减小数学运算使学生重点关注理论力学基本原理,批量求解使学生提前接触实际应用案例,普适性求解使学生深化对处理多变量问题的认识。同时本文还探讨了理论力学教学改革的方向和目的,即把教学重点放在普适的教学方法上,借助计算机求解多刚体、多变量问题,以期有助于理论力学教材更好地适应时代发展。     

Correspondence between de Saint-Venant and Boussinesq. 1: Birth of the Shallow–Water Equations

The Shallow–Water Equations (SWEs), also referred to as the de Saint-Venant equations, constitute the current governing mathematical tool for free-surface water flows. These include, e.g., flood flows in rivers and in urban zones, flows across hydraulic structures as dams or wastewater facilities, flows in the environmental fields, glaciology, or meteorology. Despite this attractiveness, the system of two partial differential equations has an exact mathematical solution only for a limited number of problems of practical relevance.This historical work on the SWEs is based on a correspondence between two 19th-century scientists, de Saint-Venant and Boussinesq. Their well-known papers are thus commented from the point of development of their theory; the input of both scientists is evidenced by their writings, and comments of both to each other that led to what is commonly known as the SWEs. Given the age difference of the two of 45 years, the experienced engineer de Saint-Venant, and the mathematician Boussinesq, two eminent researchers, met to discuss not only problems in hydraulics, but in physics generally. In addition, their correspondence embraced also questions in ethics, religion, history of sciences, and personal news.The results of the SWEs cease to hold if streamline curvature effects dominate; this includes breaking waves, solitary and cnoidal waves, or non-linear waves in general. In most other cases, however, the SWEs perfectly apply to typical flows in engineering practice; they are considered the fundamental system of equations describing open channel flows. This work thus provides a background to its birth, including lots of comments as to its improvement, physical meanings, methods of solution, and a discussion of the results. This paper also deals with the steady flow equations, gives a short account on the main persons mentioned in the Correspondence, and provides a summary of further developments of the SWEs until 1920.     

Exceptional points of the Lindblad operator of a two-level system

The Lindblad equation for a two-level system under an electric field is analyzed by mapping to a linear equation with a non-Hermitian matrix. Exceptional points of the matrix are found to be extensive; the second-order ones are located on lines in a two-dimensional parameter space, while the third-order one is at a point.     

基于有限体积虚拟区域方法的两相流动直接模拟

为提高计算效率，提出有限体积法离散下的虚拟区域颗粒两相流动直接模拟方法.在控制方程中加入相应的虚拟区域源项，保证了颗粒内部的刚体运动特性.该源项中含有颗粒信息部分及流体信息部分.在每次迭代后，对源项中的流体信息部分进行更新，从而更好地保证颗粒内速度的刚体分布.计算静止颗粒圆柱绕流及单个颗粒的沉降过程，验证了算法的准确性.     

Helicity and other conservation laws in perfect fluid motion

In this review paper, we discuss helicity from a geometrical point of view and see how it applies to the motion of a perfect fluid. We discuss its relation with the Hamiltonian structure, and then its extension to arbitrary space dimensions. We also comment about the existence of additional conservation laws for the Euler equation, and its unlikely integrability in Liouville's sense.