Topological Classification and Structural Stability of Strongly Continuous Groups

The present paper is devoted to the study of some qualitative properties of C ₀-groups via topological equivalence, also called conjugacy. The special case of the evolution groups is analysed. We show that hyperbolicity implies structural stability. Our constructions improve existing similar results for groups with bounded generators, and apply to linear differential equations with unbounded coefficient operator.     

Very high Reynolds number boundary layers over 3D sparse roughness and obstacles: the mean flow

Hot-wire and oil-film interferometry measurements are taken for 3D rough wall boundary layers at very high Reynolds numbers (61,000 < Re θ < 120,000) with low blockage ratios, 10 < δ/H < 135, and high roughness, 100 < H ⁺ < 4,900. The results cover flows over both rough walls and over obstacles and are compared with and provide extension to recent lower Reynolds number results. The validity of the Townsend ‘wall similarity hypothesis’ in relation to consistently increasing 3D roughness is interrogated. In agreement with recent work, Schultz and Flack (J Fluid Mech 580:381–405, 2007) and Castro (J Fluid Mech 585:469–485, 2007) found that, for relatively low roughness, Townsend’s hypothesis holds for the mean velocity field. With increasing roughness, the equilibrium layer diminishes and gradually vanishes. The viscous component of the wall shear stress decreases, while the turbulent component increases as the roughness effects extend across the boundary layer.     

On the transfer matrix of a MIMO system

We develop a deterministic ab initio model for the input–output relationship of a multiple‐input multiple‐output (MIMO) wireless channel, starting from the Maxwell equations combined with Ohm's law. The main technical tools are scattering and geometric perturbation theories. The derived relationship can lead us to a deep understanding of how the propagation conditions and the coupling effects between the elements of multiple‐element arrays affect the properties of an MIMO channel, e.g. its capacity and its number of degrees of freedom. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Synthesis and characterization of magnetite particles covered with α-trietoxysilil-polydimethylsiloxane

New silicon magnetite ferrofluids were prepared by dispersing siloxane-coated magnetite particles in polydimethylsiloxane with low or high molecular weights. Ferrofluids are stable colloidal dispersions of ultra fine covered magnetite particles, which may be selected for a specific application. We demonstrated new methods of stabilizing the magnetic particles by reacting the hydroxyl groups on the surface of magnetite particles with terminal ethoxy groups of polydimethylsiloxane, followed by their dispersion in silicon fluids. The new silicon ferrofluids were tested from the morphology, magnetic properties/losses, and rheological properties point of view.     

On the Lipschitz Continuity of Spectral Bands of Harper-Like and Magnetic Schrödinger Operators

We show for a large class of discrete Harper-like and continuous magnetic Schrödinger operators that their band edges are Lipschitz continuous with respect to the intensity of the external constant magnetic field. We generalize a result obtained by Bellissard (Commun Math Phys 160:599–613, 1994), and give examples in favor of a recent conjecture of G. Nenciu.     

Active flow control for reduction of fluctuating aerodynamic forces of a blunt trailing edge profiled body

Vortex shedding in the wake of two-dimensional bluff bodies is usually accompanied by three dimensional instabilities. These instabilities result in streamwise and vertical vorticity components which occur at a certain spanwise wavelength. The spanwise wavelength of the instabilities (λ_Z) depends on several parameters, including profile geometry and Reynolds number. The objective of the present work is to study the three dimensional wake instabilities for a blunt trailing edge profiled body, comprised of an elliptical leading edge and a rectangular trailing edge, and to manipulate these instabilities to control the aerodynamic forces. Results of numerical simulations of flow around the body at Re(d) = 400, 600, and 1000, as well as planar Laser Induced Fluorescence (LIF) flow visualizations at Re(d) = 600 and 1000 are analyzed to determine the wake vorticity structure and λ_Z. Based on the findings of these analyses, an active flow control mechanism for attenuation of the fluctuating aerodynamic forces on the body is proposed. The flow control mechanism is comprised of a series of trailing edge injection ports distributed across the span, with a spacing equal to λ_Z. Injection of a secondary flow leads to amplification of the three dimensional instabilities and disorganization of the von Kármán vortex street. Numerical simulations indicate that the flow control mechanism can attenuate the fluctuating aerodynamic forces at lower Reynolds numbers (Re(d) = 400 and 600) where λ_Z is constant in time. However, the control mechanism loses its effectiveness at Re(d) = 1000, due to the temporal variations of λ_Z.     

Vacancy formation and CO adsorption on gold-doped ceria surfaces

We study the effect of gold doping on oxygen vacancy formation and CO adsorption on the (1 1 0) and (1 0 0) surfaces of ceria by using density functional theory, corrected for on-site Coulomb interactions (DFT + U). The Au dopant substitutes a Ce atom in the surface layer, leading to strong structural distortions. The formation of one oxygen vacancy near a dopant atom is energetically “downhill” while the formation of a second vacancy around the same dopant requires energy. When the surface is in equilibrium with gaseous oxygen at 1 atm and room temperature there is a 0.4 probability that no oxygen atom left the neighborhood of a dopant. This means that the sites where the dopant has not lost oxygen are very active in oxidation reactions. Above 400 K almost all dopants have an oxygen vacancy next to them and an oxidation reaction in such a system takes place by creating a second vacancy. The energy required to form a second vacancy is smaller on (1 1 0) than on (1 0 0). On the (1 1 0) surface, it is much easier to form a second vacancy on the doped surface than the first vacancy on the undoped surface. The energy required to form a second oxygen vacancy on (1 0 0) is comparable to that of forming the first vacancy on the undoped surface. Thus doping makes the (1 1 0) surface a better oxidant but it has a small effect on the oxidative power of the (1 0 0) surface. On the (1 1 0) surface CO adsorption results in formation of a carbonate-like structure, similar to the undoped surface, while on the (1 0 0) surface direct formation of CO₂ is observed, in contrast to the undoped surface. The Au dopant weakens the bond of the surrounding oxygen atoms to the oxide making it a better oxidant, facilitating CO oxidation.     

Secondary wake instabilities of a blunt trailing edge profiled body as a basis for flow control

Flow in the wake of a blunt trailing edge profiled body, comprised of an elliptical leading edge and a rectangular trailing edge, has been investigated experimentally, to identify and characterize the secondary instabilities accompanying the von Kármán vortices. The experiments, which involve laser-induced fluorescence for visualization and particle image velocimetry for quantitative measurement of the wake instabilities, cover Reynolds numbers ranging from 250 to 2,150 based on thickness of the body, to include the wake transition regime. The dominant secondary instability appears as spanwise undulations in von Kármán vortices, which evolve into pairs of counter-rotating vortices, with features resembling the instability mechanism predicted by Ryan et al. (J Fluid Mech 538:1–29, 2005). Feasibility of a flow control approach based on interaction with the secondary instability using a series of discrete trailing edge injectors has also been investigated. The control approach mitigates the adverse effects of vortex shedding in certain conditions, where it is able to amplify the secondary instability effectively.     

Pump−probe experiments at the TEMPO beamline using the low‐α operation mode of Synchrotron SOLEIL

The SOLEIL synchrotron radiation source is regularly operated in special filling modes dedicated to pump–probe experiments. Among others, the low‐α mode operation is characterized by shorter pulse duration and represents the natural bridge between 50 ps synchrotron pulses and femtosecond experiments. Here, the capabilities in low‐α mode of the experimental set‐ups developed at the TEMPO beamline to perform pump–probe experiments with soft X‐rays based on photoelectron or photon detection are presented. A 282 kHz repetition‐rate femtosecond laser is synchronized with the synchrotron radiation time structure to induce fast electronic and/or magnetic excitations. Detection is performed using a two‐dimensional space resolution plus time resolution detector based on microchannel plates equipped with a delay line. Results of time‐resolved photoelectron spectroscopy, circular dichroism and magnetic scattering experiments are reported, and their respective advantages and limitations in the framework of high‐time‐resolution pump–probe experiments compared and discussed.