Numerical simulation of ultrafast expansion as the driving mechanism for confined laser ablation with ultra-short laser pulses

Recently, a so-called “directly induced” laser ablation effect has been reported, where an ultra-short laser pulse (660 fs and 1053 nm) irradiates a thin Mo film through a glass substrate, resulting in a “lift-off” of the irradiated layer in form of a thin, solid, cylindrical fragment. This effect provides a new and very energy-efficient selective structuring process for the Mo back electrode in thin-film solar cell production. To understand the underlying physical mechanisms, a 3D axisymmetric finite element model was created and numerically solved. The model is verified by a direct comparison of experimental and numerical results. It includes volume absorption of the laser pulse, heat diffusion in the electron gas and the lattice, thermal expansion of the solid phase and further volume expansion from phase transition to fluid and gas, and finally the mechanical motion of the layer caused by the resulting stress wave and the interaction with the substrate. The simulation revealed that irradiation of the molybdenum layer with an ultra-short pulse causes a rapid acceleration in the direction of the surface normal within a time frame of a hundred picoseconds to a peak velocity of about 100 m/s. The molybdenum layer continues to move as an oscillating membrane, and finally forms a dome after about 100 ns. The calculated strain at the edges of the dome exceeds the tensile stress limit at fluences that initiate the “lift-off” in experimental investigations. In addition, the simulation reveals that the driving mechanism of the “lift-off” is the ultrafast expansion of the interface layer and not the generated gas pressure.     

The arrow of time and the expansion of the universe

It is pointed out that a model used to test any suggestion regarding the arrow of time in a cosmological contect, must have sufficient complexity. The clain of Zeh that the arrow of time defined by a universal wavefunction does not permit a reversal of cosmic expansion to be observed, is refuted on these grounds.     

The universe as a stochastic process

A stochastic radiation-filled world model is constructed in which the equation of state is perturbed with a “white noise”. The corresponding Fokker-Planck equation is solved. It turns out that the maximum probability path of the world's evolution is that of the Friedman model. However, singularities are no obstacles for the stochastic evolution, and σ² → ∞ as t → ∞.     

Self-organization as the driving force for the evolution of the biosphere

Synergic parallels between the mechanisms of the spatio-temporal evolution of physic-chemical and biological systems are considered. The evolution of the biosphere is treated as self-organization in the hierarchy of the active media, which is its driving force. The superposition of selection, vertical and horizontal gene transfer, as well as the processes of divergence and convergence of species, constitutes the synergetic out-line of biological evolution.     

Self-organization as the driving force for the evolution of the biosphere

In this paper we present a space-time model of urban ecosystems as conjugate active media. This approach is based on the representation of urban ecosystems as self-organizing systems; it aims at identifying the threshold values of control parameters and is considered promising in assessing system stability to internal and external fluctuations.     

The expansion of the universe and the cosmological constant problem

The discovery that the expansion of the universe is accelerating in time is a major discovery which still awaits adequate explanation. It is generally agreed that this implies a cosmic repulsion as a result of the existence of a cosmological constant ∧>0. However, estimates of ∧, based on calculations of the zero-point fluctuations of quantum fields are too large by over a hundred orders of magnitude. This result is obtained by summing the zero-point energies up to a large cutoff energy Ω, based on the Planck scale. Since there is no compelling reason for this choice, we argue that since all known quantum electrodynamic (QED) effects involves interaction with matter, a preferred choice should be based on causality and other considerations, leading to a much lower value for ∧.     

On evolution of the universe

We consider the model of evolution of the Universe where the Big Bang is regarded as an explosion of a photon superstar. The inflationary epoch is not necessary in the model. The model describes the fundamental phenomena observed: the Universe is expanding at an increasing rate, it is homogeneous and isotropic and contains no antimatter, and its metrics is almost flat.     

Exploring the expansion history of the universe

Exploring the recent expansion history of the universe promises insights into the cosmological model, the nature of dark energy, and potentially clues to high energy physics theories and gravitation. We examine the extent to which precision distance-redshift observations can map out the history, including the acceleration-deceleration transition, and the components and equations of state of the energy density. We consider the ability to distinguish between various dynamical scalar field models for the dark energy, as well as higher dimension and alternate gravity theories. Finally, we present a new, advantageous parametrization for the study of dark energy.     

Genetic code evolution as an initial driving force for molecular evolution

There is an intrinsic relationship between the molecular evolution in primordial period and genomic or proteomic properties of contemporary species. The genomic data may help us understand the driving force of evolution of life at a molecular level. In the absence of evidence, numerous problems in molecular evolution had to fall into a twilight zone of speculation and controversy in the past. Here we show that delicate variation patterns of genomic base compositions and amino acid frequencies resulted from the genetic code evolution, which underlies the molecular evolution. The theoretical results agree with the experimental observations very well, not only in the evolutionary trends of amino acid frequencies and genomic base compositions but also in many detailed characters. Inversely, the genomic data of contemporary species can help us unravel the genetic code chronology and amino acid chronology. Our results may shed light on the intrinsic mechanism of molecular evolution and the genetic code evolution.     

The Antikythera mechanism and the mechanical universe

Astronomers have two approaches to trying to determine the age of the Universe. They can estimate the ages of individual objects in the Universe and specifically in our Galaxy. These estimates use either the observed properties of stars and theoretical ideas concerning stellar evolution or the abundances of long-lived radioactive isotopes and their decay products. Alternatively they can use cosmological theories and observations to try to determine the age of the entire Universe. Obviously the Universe must be older than its component parts but neither of the above methods is sufficiently reliable that this is true of the deduced ages. As a result, it is from time to time reported that some object in the Universe is older than the Universe itself. In this article we discuss the methods that are currently being used to determine the age and we emphasize the problems in obtaining reliable results. It is not at present possible to provide a definite value for the age of the Universe.     

The creation of the universe as a quantum phenomenon

Quantum creation of massy particles can occur in the cosmological context without cost of energy. This fact is seized upon to construct a causal open homogeneous isotropic cosmology. The universe is conceived as the response of matter and the gravitational field to a spontaneous pointlike disturbance. Its history unfolds in two stages, creation and free expansion. The first stage gives rise to a “fireball.” The free expansion is extrapolated back to the “fireball.” The latter thus replaces the “big-bang,” thereby avoiding an initial singularity. Though not intrinsic to the theory it does suggest the interpretation of the cosmological part of the gravitational field as the scalar dilaton that is encountered in the dynamical generation of mass in conformally invariant theory.     

The evolution of the universe from non-compact Kaluza-Klein theory

We develop a 5D mechanism, inspired by Campbells theorem, to explain the (neutral scalar field governed) evolution of the universe from an initially inflationary expansion that has a change of phase towards a decelerated expansion and thereafter evolves towards the present day observed accelerated (quintessential) expansion.Received: 4 October 2004, Published online: 23 November 2004PACS: 04.20.Jb, 11.10.Kk, 98.80.Cq     

The universe as a five-dimensional black hole

We show the geometrical equivalence of two five-dimensional metrics, one describing a cosmology which smoothly embeds the standard Friedmann-Robertson-Walker-Lemaître models, and another describing an object which topologically is a black hole. The solutions can be interpreted using either membrane or induced-matter theory. We outline the main physics, wherein the horizon of the black hole is connected to a big bounce in the cosmology, which may in turn be connected to a phase change in the vacuum.     

Two types of scenarios for the evolution of the universe

Scenarios for the evolution of the universe can be grouped into two classes: those in which the universe originates from a singularity at t = 0 and those in which the universe continues through a singularity. It is shown that the scenarios of this second type correspond well to the observed data. The entropy difficulties can be eliminated in a scenario which involves the condensation of extremely low-density matter, with a conversion into an open model due to the energy evolved during condensation of the matter into galaxies.Translated from Izvestiya Vysshikh Uchebnykh Zavedenii, Fizika, No. 6, pp. 103–106, June, 1984.     

宇宙演化与热寂说

在已成熟的宇宙演化理论的基础上,文章作者重新讨论了Clausius提出的热寂问题.宇宙演化指其组分和宏观面貌的变化.主要是微观结团和宏观结团.从物理原理上讲,这些结团过程是力学的,而不是热力学的.力学过程一定程度上破坏了原有的热平衡,热力学则倾向于恢复热平衡.所有已知的物理规律,包括热力学在内,都在宇宙演化中起着它应起的作用.作为后果,宇宙的熵在演化中一直是增加的.克劳修斯把热力学第二定律用于宇宙是正确的.可是他认为宇宙的熵会极大化并不正确.这是因为在演化过程中会出现组分粒子的退耦.     

宇宙演化与热寂说

在已成熟的宇宙演化理论的基础上,文章作者重新讨论了Clausius提出的热寂问题.宇宙演化指其组分和宏观面貌的变化.主要是微观结团和宏观结团.从物理原理上讲,这些结团过程是力学的,而不是热力学的.力学过程一定程度上破坏了原有的热平衡,热力学则倾向于恢复热平衡.所有已知的物理规律,包括热力学在内,都在宇宙演化中起着它应起的作用.作为后果,宇宙的熵在演化中一直是增加的.克劳修斯把热力学第二定律用于宇宙是正确的.可是他认为宇宙的熵会极大化并不正确.这是因为在演化过程中会出现组分粒子的退耦.     

Holographic dark energy and the universe expansion acceleration

By incorporating the holographic principle in a time-depending Λ-term cosmology, new physical bounds on the arbitrary parameters of the model can be obtained. Considering then the dark energy as a purely geometric entity, for which no equation of state has to be introduced, it is shown that the resulting range of allowed values for the parameters may explain both the coincidence problem and the universe accelerated expansion, without resorting to any kind of additional structures.