Experimental investigation of wake evolution behind a couple of flat discs in a hydrochannel

The decay of a far wake and its turbulent fluctuations behind two thin discs of the same diameter D, oriented normal to the incident flow, have been studied using the Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV). The experimental study was carried out in a water flume (Re ≈ 2·10⁵) with varying distances between the discs (L _х = 4–8D) and their axes shift relative to each other (0, 0.5D and 1D). It is found that the velocity deficit behind two discs depends weakly on L _x , and at L _х > 40D, it becomes indistinguishable from the level of turbulent fluctuations of the incident flow. It is found that the decay of the average velocity deficit and its turbulent fluctuations in a wake of a tandem of discs can be described by the same analytical dependence with exponent–2/3 as for the wake decay of a single disc. However, at the same distance downstream, the value of deficit behind two discs is substantially higher than the corresponding value behind a single disc. Velocity fluctuations in a far wake behind a pair of discs depend weakly on longitudinal dimension L _x , but at the same time, in contrast to the velocity deficit, their level does not differ significantly from the level of fluctuations behind a single disc.     

Surface Microparticles in Liquid Helium. Quantum Archimedes’ Principle

Deviations from Archimedes’ principle for spherical molecular hydrogen particles with the radius R₀ at the surface of ⁴He liquid helium have been investigated. The classical Archimedes’ principle holds if R₀ is larger than the helium capillary length L_cap ? 500 μm. In this case, the elevation of a particle above the liquid is h₊ ~ R₀. At 30 μm < R₀ < 500 μm, the buoyancy is suppressed by the surface tension and h₊ ~ R³₀/L²_cap. At R₀ < 30 μm, the particle is situated beneath the surface of the liquid. In this case, the buoyancy competes with the Casimir force, which repels the particle from the surface deep into the liquid. The distance of the particle to the surface is h_- ~ R^5/3_c/R^2/3₀ if R₀ > R_c. Here, \({R_c} \cong {\left( {\frac{{\hbar c}}{{\rho g}}} \right)^{1/5}} \approx 1\), where ? is Planck’s constant, c is the speed of light, g is the acceleration due to gravity, and ρ is the mass density of helium. For very small particles (R₀ < R_c), the distance h_ to the surface of the liquid is independent of their size, h_ = R_c.     

Relaxation of a 2D MHD flow across a magnetic field (2D hydrodynamic flow) in a bounded region

The problem on magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) flow of a solitary vortex across a magnetic field in a volume confined by rigid walls is solved numerically for large Reynolds numbers (including magnetic Reynolds numbers) and small Alfven-Mach numbers M _A . In this case, the MHD problem is reduced to that of two-dimensional hydrodynamic turbulence. It is shown that sound is not generated by a turbulent medium for small values of M _A ; consequently, this kinetic energy dissipation channel is closed in this case. Calculations show that, in contrast to 3D turbulence, kinetic energy dissipation for 2D turbulence occurs, as expected, over time periods on the order of L²/v(L is the characteristic size of the system and v is the kinematic viscosity). In our calculations with numerical viscosity v～vΔx (Δx is the unit cell size), this corresponds to time values on the order of ～(L/Δx)(L/v). In the kinetic energy spectra for a turbulent flow in a bounded region in the inertial interval (lying between the energy-carrying and viscosity regions), the values of E(k) decrease with increasing wave numbers k at a higher rate than in proportion to k^?3. The volume distribution of vorticity becomes narrower with time (the characteristic values of curlv decrease) and is blurred; for large time periods, the distribution approximately retains its shape as well as asymmetry with respect to positive and negative values, which is associated with the asymmetry of the initial conditions.     

Effect of relative camber on the aerodynamic performance improvement of asymmetrical blunt trailing-edge modification

In this paper, the aerodynamic performance of the S series of wind turbine airfoils with different relative cambers and their modifications is numerically studied to facilitate a greater understanding of the effects of relative camber on the aerodynamic performance improvement of asymmetrical blunt trailing-edge modification. The mathematical expression of the blunt trailing-edge modification profile is established using the cubic spline function, and S812, S816 and S830 airfoils are modified to be asymmetrical blunt trailing-edge airfoils with different thicknesses. The prediction capabilities of two turbulence models, the k-ω SST model and the S-A model, are assessed. It is observed that the k-ω SST model predicts the lift and drag coefficients of S812 airfoil more accurately through comparison with experimental data. The best trailing-edge thickness and thickness distribution ratio are obtained by comparing the aerodynamic performance of the modifications with different trailing-edge thicknesses and distribution ratios. It is, furthermore, investigated that the aerodynamic performance of original airfoils and their modifications with the best thickness of 2% c and distribution ratio being 0:4 so as to analyze the increments of lift and drag coefficients and lift–drag ratio. Results indicate that with the increase of relative camber, there are relatively small differences in the lift coefficient increments of airfoils whose relative cambers are less than 1.81%, and the lift coefficient increment of airfoil with the relative camber more than 1.81% obviously decreases for the angle of attack less than 6.3°. The drag coefficient increment of S830 airfoil is higher than that of S816 airfoil, and those of these two airfoils mainly decrease with the angle of attack. The average lift–drag ratio increment of S816 airfoil with the relative camber of 1.81% at different angles of attack ranging from 0.1° to 20.2° is the largest, closely followed by S812 airfoil. The lift–drag ratio increment of S830 airfoil is negative as the angle of attack exceeds 0.1°. Thus, the airfoil with medium camber is more suited to the asymmetrical blunt trailing-edge modification.     

Microwave photoresistance of a two-dimensional electron gas in a ballistic microbar

The effect of millimeter microwave radiation on the electron transport of two-dimensional (2D) ballistic microbars formed on the basis of individual GaAs quantum wells at a temperature of T = 4.2 K in magnetic fields B < 0.6 T has been investigated. Differences have been revealed in the magnetic field dependences of the microwave photoresistance of a 2D electron gas in Hall bars with a length L and a width W for the cases L, W > l _p and L, W < l _p , where l _p is the electron mean free path for momentum. The microwave photoresistance in macroscopic bars (L, W > l _p ) is a periodic alternating function of the inverse magnetic field; in microbars (L, W < l _p ), it is a periodic positive function of 1/B. The experimental results indicate that the mechanisms of the microwave photoresistance of a 2D electron gas are different for macroscopic and microscopic bars.     

The influence of the thermal wake due to pulsating optical discharge on the aerodynamic-drag force

The influence of a thermal wake due to gas injection and due to a pulsating optical discharge (POD) on the aero-dynamic-drag force of a body in a supersonic air flow with Mach number M = 1.45 are experimentally examined. With the help of a single-component aerodynamic balance, the influence of the injected subsonic jet and the thermal wake produced by POD on the aerodynamic drag of a hemisphere-on-cylinder model was studied. It is shown that the observed aerodynamic-force reduction phenomenon can be made more pronounced by increasing the laser power and pulse repetition frequency, or by decreasing the distance between the model and the pulsating optical discharge. The maximum aerodynamic-force reduction (up to 15%) due to the thermal-wake action was observed at a maximum laser-radiation power of W = 2.3 kW and at a pulse rate of f = 90 kHz. The joint effect due to the argon jet and due to the POD caused an aerodynamic-drag force reduction reaching 30%.     

Surface and volume phase states of Fe<Subscript>1−<Emphasis Type="Italic">x</Emphasis></Subscript>Ga<Subscript>x</Subscript>BO<Subscript>3</Subscript> crystals in the vicinity of the Néel point

The behavior of the magnetic system of a surface layer of macroscopic Fe_1?xGa_xBO₃ crystal (x=0, 0.3) in the vicinity of the Néel temperature T_N was studied. The studies were made by a method involving simultaneous gamma, x-ray, and electron Mössbauer spectroscopy that made it possible to obtain information simultaneously from surface layers and from the bulk of a macroscopic crystal. It was found that the temperature T_N(L) at which a thin layer at a depth L from the surface switches to a disordered state is lower than T_N for the bulk and is lower the closer this layer is to the surface. In the vicinity of T_N, a nonuniform state is observed in which the bulk of the crystal is magnetically ordered and the surface layer is disordered. The transition temperature T_N(L) decreases from T_N to its surface value within a surface layer of a “critical” thickness.     

Scaling of the conductance and resistance of square lattices with an exponentially wide spectrum of the resistances of links

The conductance G? and \(\overline {{G^{ - 1}}} \) resistance average over realizations of disorder have been calculated for various sizes of square lattices L. In contrast with different direction of change in the two quantities at percolation in lattices with the binary spread of conductances of links (g _i = 0 or 1), it has been found that the mean conductance and resistance of lattices decrease simultaneously with an increase in L in the case of an exponential distribution of local conductances g _i = exp(?kx_i), where x _i ∈ [0,1] are random numbers. When L is smaller than the disorder length L₀ = bk^v, G?(L) and \(\overline {{G^{ - 1}}} \)(L) are proportional to L^?n with n = k/5 and k/6, respectively. A similar behavior is characteristic of the distributions of conductances of links, which simulate a transition between the open and tunneling regimes in semiconducting lattices of antidots created in a two-dimensional electron gas.     

Comparative study of solute trapping and Gibbs free energy changes at the phase interface during alloy solidification under local nonequilibrium conditions

An analytical model has been developed to describe the influence of solute trapping during rapid alloy solidification on the components of the Gibbs free energy change at the phase interface with emphasis on the solute drag energy. For relatively low interface velocity V < V _D , where V _D is the characteristic diffusion velocity, all the components, namely mixing part, local nonequilibrium part, and solute drag, significantly depend on solute diffusion and partitioning. When V ≥ V _D , the local nonequilibrium effects lead to a sharp transition to diffusionless solidification. The transition is accompanied by complete solute trapping and vanishing solute drag energy, i.e. partitionless and “dragless” solidification.     

Numerical analysis of electronic conductivity in graphene with resonant adsorbates: comparison of monolayer and Bernal bilayer

We describe the electronic conductivity, as a function of the Fermi energy, in the Bernal bilayer graphene (BLG) in presence of a random distribution of vacancies that simulate resonant adsorbates. We compare it to monolayer (MLG) with the same defect concentrations. These transport properties are related to the values of fundamental length scales such as the elastic mean free path L _e , the localization length ξ and the inelastic mean free path L _i . Usually the later, which reflect the effect of inelastic scattering by phonons, strongly depends on temperature T. In BLG an additional characteristic distance l ₁ exists which is the typical traveling distance between two interlayer hopping events. We find that when the concentration of defects is smaller than 1%–2%, one has l ₁ ≤ L _e ? ξ and the BLG has transport properties that differ from those of the MLG independently of L _i (T). Whereas for larger concentration of defects L _e <l ₁ ? ξ, and depending on L _i (T), the transport in the BLG can be equivalent (or not) to that of two decoupled MLG. We compare two tight-binding model Hamiltonians with and without hopping beyond the nearest neighbors.     

Atomic level energies in hafnium

The photo electron method for obtaining electron binding energies is described. The method has been applied to theL _I,L _II, andL _III levels in hafnium. The HfK α₁ and HfK α₂ x-ray emission lines have been measured with a crystal spectrometer. The electron binding energies of theK toO _III shells in hafnium are obtained from photo electron and x-ray emission data. A new type of Moseley diagram is described and is demonstrated for theK andL levels in theZ region 57 to 75. From these diagrams accurate binding energies for the element Pm (Z=61) have been obtained by interpolation.     

Frequency reference for atomic transitions of Rb D<Subscript>2</Subscript>-line based on the effect of selective reflection

On an example of the D₂-line of the Rb atoms the work of the frequency reference of atomic transitions is demonstrated, based on the application of the spectrum of a selective reflectance (SR) from the boundary of atom vapors with the use of nano-cell (NC) with the thickness L ~ λ/2, where λ is the laser wavelength equal to 780 nm. When changing the thickness of the nano-cell near the thickness L ~ λ/2, we observe the inversion of sign of the SR slope profile which is positive when L < λ/2 and negative when L > λ/2. In the case when the incidence angle of the laser beam on the surface of the nano-cell is close to the normal, in real-time it is possible to form the derivative of the SR which represents a resonance peak with ~35 MHz spectral linewidth and located at the atomic transition. The phenomenon of oscillation of the sign of slope while changing the nano-cell thickness from L ~ λ/2 up to L ~ 3/2λ is demonstrated. The practical application of the SR is noted.     

Influence of the probe sizes on the parameters of the surface morphology of hemispherical-grain polysilicon films: Estimation via atomic-force microscopy

The influence of probe sizes on the basic surface-morphology parameters of hemispherical-grain polysilicon films which possess substantial surface roughness and non-Gaussian height distribution functions with appreciable negative skewness is studied. The dependences between the basic surface morphology parameters S _dr , S _q , S _al , S _z , S _v , S _p , and S _sk defined by the ISO 25178-2:2012 standard and the probe width-to-tip height (W/L) ratio are determined. It is ascertained that the relative increase S _dr in the surface area is most sensitive to the “degree of sharpness” (W/L ratio) and, on the contrary, the autocorrelation length S _al is least sensitive. Hemispherical-grain silicon films with considerable parameter S _dr can be employed as test samples in estimating the degree of sharpness of a probe.     

Konversion der 238,6 keV-γ-Linie des ThB und Vergleich mit den Tabellen von Sliv und von Rose

The conversion ratiosK/L _I andK/L _II of the 238.6 keVγ transition of ThB have been measured with the new Heidelbergπ/2 √13Β-ray spectrometer. For this transition there are great discrepancies between the values as given bySliv andBand, and byRose. The experimental resultsK/L _I=5.96±0.26 andK/L _II=60.3±7.1 are in excellent agreement with the values ofSliv andBand.     

Influence of frustrations on the thermodynamic properties of the low-dimensional Potts model studied by computer simulation

Influence of disorder in the form of frustration on the thermodynamic behavior of a two-dimensional three-vertex Potts model has been studied by the Monte Carlo method, taking into account the nearest and next-nearest neighbors. Systems with linear sizes of L × L = N (L = 9–48) on a triangular lattice have been considered. It has been shown that in the case of J₁ > 0 and J₂ < 0 frustrations appear in the spin system within the interval of 0.5 ≤ |r| ≤ 1.0. The model undergoes a phase transition outside this region.     

On screening constants in X-ray spectra

Fresh calculations of the X-ray screening constantsσ ₂ forL _II L _III,M _II M _III andM _IV M _V have been made. It has been found thatσ ₂ is not absolutely constant for differentZ. Some regular variations inσ ₂ with electronic shell structure have been noted.     

Das Auger-Spektrum derL III- Schale von Wismut

A thin Bi layer is irradiated by X-rays so thatL-Auger electrons are emitted. A magnetic lens spectrometer is used to measure the electron spectrum. Energy, transition, and relativ intensity are given for 14 lines. Under the most favourable conditions the number ofL _III ionisations is about ten times that ofL _II ionisations. In this case only a small intensity ofL _II-Auger electrons is superposed on theL _III-Auger spectrum. The ratiod of intensities of line groupL _III M N to line groupL _III M M is found by extrapolation to bed=0·46±0·02. This combined with earlier results gives anL _III-Auger yielda ₃= 0·64±0·04. TheL _III fluorescenc yield isω ₃=0·36±0·04, correspondingly. A further application of the experimental method is described.     

Features of faraday rotation in cs atomic vapor in a cell thinner than the wavelength of light

Features of the effect of Faraday rotation (the rotation of the radiation polarization plane) in a magnetic field of the D ₁ line in Cs atomic vapor in a nanocell with the thickness L varying in the range of 80–900 nm have been analyzed. The key parameter is the ratio L/λ, where λ = 895 nm is the wavelength of laser radiation resonant with the D ₁ line. The comparison of the parameters for two selected thicknesses L = λ and λ/2 has revealed an unusual behavior of the Faraday rotation signal: the spectrum of the Faraday rotation signal at L = λ/2 = 448 nm is several times narrower than the spectrum of the signal at L = λ, whereas its amplitude is larger by a factor of about 3. These differences become more dramatic with an increase in the power of the laser: the amplitude of the Faraday rotation signal at L = λ/2 increases, whereas the amplitude of the signal at L = λ almost vanishes. Such dependences on L are absent in centimeter-length cells. They are inherent only in nanocells. In spite of a small thickness, L = 448 nm, the Faraday rotation signal is certainly detected at magnetic fields ≥0.4 G, which ensures its application. At thicknesses L < 150 nm, the Faraday rotation signal exhibits “redshift,” which is manifestation of the van der Waals effect. The developed theoretical model describes the experiment well.     

Drag of ballistic electrons by an ion beam

Drag of electrons of a one-dimensional ballistic nanowire by a nearby one-dimensional beam of ions is considered. We assume that the ion beam is represented by an ensemble of heavy ions of the same velocity V. The ratio of the drag current to the primary current carried by the ion beam is calculated. The drag current turns out to be a nonmonotonic function of velocity V. It has a sharp maximum for V near v _nF/2, where n is the number of the uppermost electron miniband (channel) taking part in conduction and v _nF is the corresponding Fermi velocity. This means that the phenomenon of ion beam drag can be used for investigation of the electron spectra of ballistic nanostructures. We note that whereas observation of the Coulomb drag between two parallel quantum wires may in general be complicated by phenomena such as tunneling and phonon drag, the Coulomb drag of electrons of a one-dimensional ballistic nanowire by an ion beam is free of such spurious effects.     

Coulomb Rydberg electron <Emphasis Type="Italic">L</Emphasis>-mixing in collisions with atomic ions

The cross sections of the Rydberg electron L-mixing in a hydrogen atom and a hydrogen-like ion are calculated for slow collisions with atomic ions H*(n, L) + A⁺ = H*(n, L′) + A⁺ without variation of the principal quantum number n. The probability of the L-mixing L → L′ is associated with the quantum interference of the wave functions of adiabatic states, i.e., with the mixing of the time phases of these functions exp(?i∫E _k (t)dt). The effective cross section of such L-mixing for the states with n = 28 are 4–5 orders of magnitude greater than the cross sections determined in previous investigations. The expansion coefficients of spherical Coulomb wave functions in terms of parabolic ones and vice versa, which are necessary for determining cross sections, are calculated on the basis of a comprehensive analysis of the spatial properties of these functions.