The Boulware–Deser class of spacetimes radiates

We establish the result that the standard Boulware–Deser spacetime can radiate. This allows us to model the dynamics of a spherically symmetric radiating dynamical star in five-dimensional Einstein–Gauss–Bonnet gravity with three spacetime regions. The local internal region is a two-component system consisting of standard pressure-free, null radiation and an additional string fluid with energy density and nonzero pressure obeying all physically realistic energy conditions. The middle region is purely radiative which matches to a third region which is the vacuum Boulware–Deser exterior. Our approach allows for all three spacetime regions to be modeled by the same class of metric functions. A large family of solutions to the field equations are presented for various realistic equations of state. A comparison of our solutions with earlier well known results is undertaken and we show that Einstein–Gauss–Bonnet analogues of these solutions, including those of Husain, are contained in our family. We also generalise our results to higher dimensions.     

Collapse of a charged radiating star with shear

The junction conditions for a magnetohydrodynamic fluid sphere undergoing dissipative gravitational collapse in the form of a radial heat flux with shear are obtained. These conditions extend particular results of earlier treatments. We demonstrate that the pressure is proportional to the magnitude of the heat flux as is the case in shear-free models. However in our case the gravitational potentials must be solutions of the Einstein-Maxwell system of equations. The mass function m(v) is increased by a factor related to the charge Q of the radiating star. Physical quantities relating to the local conservation of momentum and surface redshift are obtained.     

Geodesic models generated by Lie symmetries

New theorems about the existence of solution for a system of infinite linear equations with a Vandermonde type matrix of coefficients are proved. Some examples and applications of these results are shown. In particular, a kind of these systems is solved and applied in the field of the General Relativity Theory of Gravitation. The solution of the system is used to construct a relevant physical representation of certain static and axisymmetric solution of the Einstein vacuum equations. In addition, a newtonian representation of these relativistic solutions is recovered. It is shown as well that there exists a relation between this application and the classical Haussdorff moment problem.     

Inheriting geodesic flows

We investigate the propagation equations for the expansion, vorticity and shear for perfect fluid space-times which are geodesic. It is assumed that space-time admits a conformal Killing vector which is inheriting so that fluid flow lines are mapped conformally. Simple constraints on the electric and magnetic parts of the Weyl tensor are found for conformal symmetry. For homothetic vectors the vorticity and shear are free; they vanish for nonhomothetic vectors. We prove a conjecture for conformal symmetries in the special case of inheriting geodesic flows: there exist no proper conformal Killing vectors (ψ _;ab ≠ 0) for perfect fluids except for Robertson-Walker space-times. For a nonhomothetic vector field the propagation of the quantity ln (R _ab u ^a u ^b ) along the integral curves of the symmetry vector is homogeneous.     

Some charged polytropic models

The Einstein–Maxwell equations with anisotropic pressures and electromagnetic field are studied with a polytropic equation of state. New exact solutions to the field equations are generated in terms of elementary functions. Special cases of the uncharged solutions of Feroze and Siddiqui (Gen Relativ Gravit 43:1025, 2011) and Maharaj and Mafa Takisa (Gen Relativ Gravit 44:1419, 2012) are recovered. We also obtain exact solutions for a neutral anisotropic gravitating body for a polytrope from our general treatment. Graphical plots indicate that the energy density, tangential pressure and anisotropy profiles are consistent with earlier treatments which suggest relevance in describing relativistic compact stars.     

General solution of Liouville's equation in Robertson-Walker space-times

We obtain the general solution of Liouville's equation in Robertson-Walker space-times, based on Killing vector constants of the motion and a new time-dependent first integral. For photons the solution is generated by conformai Killing vectors.     

A Comparative Study on the Failure Criteria for Predicting the Damage Initiation in Fiber-Reinforced Composites

Mechanics of Composite Materials - In this research, the maximum stress, Hashin, Puck, LaRC03, and Northwestern University (NU) criteria are analyzed based literature data, analytical results...     

Anisotropic static solutions in modelling highly compact bodies

Einstein field equations for static anisotropic spheres are solved and exact interior solutions obtained. This paper extends earlier treatments to include anisotropic models which accommodate a wider variety of physically viable energy densities. Two classes of solutions are possible. The first class contains the limiting caseμ,∝ r^-2 for the energy density which arises in many astrophysical applications. In the second class the singularity at the centre of the star is not present in the energy density.     

Quantification of appetite suppressing steroid glycosides from Hoodia gordonii in dried plant material, purified extracts and food products using HPLC-UV and HPLC-MS methods

High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)-UV and HPLC-Mass Spectrometry (MS) methods were developed for the quantitative analysis of the family of Hoodia gordonii steroid glycosides with appetite suppressing properties in dried plant material, in purified and enriched extracts and in various prototype food-products fortified with H. gordonii extracts. For solid materials, e.g. dried plants or for non-fatty foods, extraction of the steroid glycosides is performed using methanol. For products where the steroid glycosides are present in an oil matrix, direct injection of the oil after dilution in tetrahydrofuran is applied. The HPLC separation is performed on an octyl-modified reversed-phase column in the gradient mode with UV detection at lambda = 220 nm. Quantification is performed against an external calibration line prepared using either one of the pure steroid glycosides or geranyl-tiglate. Short- and long-term repeatabilities of the methods are better than 3 and 6%, respectively. Recoveries are better than 85%, even in the analysis of the least abundant steroid glycosides in a complex yoghurt drink. Linearity is better than 3-4 orders of magnitude and the detection limits are below approximately 2 microg g(-1) for the individual steroid glycosides in dried plant material and food products. HPLC-MS is used to confirm that the steroid glycosides contain the characteristic steroid core, the carbohydrate chain and the tigloyl group.