Analytical description of extension, torque, and supercoiling radius of a stretched twisted DNA

We study the mixture of extended and supercoiled DNA that occurs in a twisted DNA molecule under tension. Closed-form asymptotic solutions for the supercoiling radius, extension, and torque of the molecule are obtained in the high-force limit where electrostatic and elastic effects dominate. We demonstrate that experimental data obey the extension and torque scaling laws apparent in our formulas, in the regime where thermal fluctuation effects are quenched by applied force.     

Motor-driven bacterial flagella and buckling instabilities

Many types of bacteria swim by rotating a bundle of helical filaments also called flagella. Each filament is driven by a rotary motor and a very flexible hook transmits the motor torque to the filament. We model it by discretizing Kirchhoff’s elastic-rod theory and develop a coarse-grained approach for driving the helical filament by a motor torque. A rotating flagellum generates a thrust force, which pushes the cell body forward and which increases with the motor torque. We fix the rotating flagellum in space and show that it buckles under the thrust force at a critical motor torque. Buckling becomes visible as a supercritical Hopf bifurcation in the thrust force. A second buckling transition occurs at an even higher motor torque. We attach the flagellum to a spherical cell body and also observe the first buckling transition during locomotion. By changing the size of the cell body, we vary the necessary thrust force and thereby obtain a characteristic relation between the critical thrust force and motor torque. We present a elaborate analytical model for the buckling transition based on a helical rod which quantitatively reproduces the critical force-torque relation. Real values for motor torque, cell body size, and the geometry of the helical filament suggest that buckling should occur in single bacterial flagella. We also find that the orientation of pulling flagella along the driving torque is not stable and comment on the biological relevance for marine bacteria.     

空间弹性细杆在扭矩作用下的屈曲

用有限元方法研究了三维弹性细杆在扭矩作用下的屈曲.利用自然坐标形式的细长空间曲杆的能量方程和2节点12个自由度的自然坐标形式的三维曲梁单元,采用特征值分析方法,研究分析了同时受有轴力和扭矩作用时的空间弹性细杆的屈曲问题.数值结果与存在的理论解极为吻合.具有一定曲率和挠率的空间细长曲杆,其临界扭矩值与扭矩的指向有着极其明显的关系.     

Dynamic buckling of columns by biaxial moments and uniform end torque

A new concept of uniform torque is proposed for the dynamic torsional buckling analysis. A dynamic biaxial moments and torque buckling theory is presented for analysis in structural dynamics. Second-order effects of the axial force, biaxial moments and torque are considered. The consistent natural boundary moments and forces are derived to ensure the symmetry of the dynamic stiffness matrix in fulfilling the requirement of the reciprocal theorem and conservation of energy. The exact dynamic stiffness matrix is obtained using power series expansion. The derivatives of the analytical dynamic stiffness matrix with respect to different loading and geometric parameters are derived explicitly for sensitivity and continuation analyses. Generally distributed axial force can be analyzed without difficulty. It is pointed out that non-uniform sections may not be handled by power series due to the convergent problem. Global pictures for all kinds of linear dynamic buckling are given for the first time. The methodology is based on finite element formulation and therefore it can easily be extended to analyze structural frames.     

Torsional buckling behavior of boron-nitride nanotubes using molecular dynamics simulations

Based on molecular dynamics simulations, the mechanical properties and buckling behavior of boron-nitride nanotubes under the action of torsional load are investigated. According to the results, the torsional properties of a boron-nitride nanotube are higher than those of its carbon counterpart. The effect of geometrical parameters on these parameters is also investigated. It is observed that by increasing the radius of nanotubes of the same length, unlike the critical shear strain, the critical torque considerably increases. The effect of chirality is also found to be negligible in the cases of critical shear strain and buckling mode, unlike the critical torque.     

Underwound DNA under tension: structure, elasticity, and sequence-dependent behaviors

DNA melting under torsion plays an important role in a wide variety of cellular processes. In the present Letter, we have investigated DNA melting at the single-molecule level using an angular optical trap. By directly measuring force, extension, torque, and angle of DNA, we determined the structural and elastic parameters of torsionally melted DNA. Our data reveal that under moderate forces, the melted DNA assumes a left-handed structure as opposed to an open bubble conformation and is highly torsionally compliant. We have also discovered that at low forces melted DNA properties are highly dependent on DNA sequence. These results provide a more comprehensive picture of the global DNA force-torque phase diagram.     

In situ atomic force microscopy observation of hydrogen absorption/desorption by Palladium thin film

Grain structure changes in Pd thin film during hydrogen absorption and desorption were observed by in situ atomic force microscopy. The as-sputtered film had a smooth flat surface with 20-30 nm grains. Film that absorbed hydrogen showed buckling, caused by the compressive stress due to lattice expansion as Pd metal reacted with hydrogen to form the hydride. Grains on the buckles were agglomerated and deformed unlike those on flat areas beside the buckles. Film that absorbed and then desorbed hydrogen still showed some buckling; however, many buckles shrank and flattened when the compressive stress of lattice expansion was released during desorption. On both the remaining and the shrunken buckles, grain agglomeration was retained; whereas, the deformed grains reverted back to their original form. X-ray diffraction indicated compressive residual stress in the as-sputtered film and tensile residual stress in the film after hydrogen absorption/desorption. These results indicate that irreversible grain agglomeration is related to residual tensile stress in the film although agglomeration occurs only on the buckled areas.     

A semiflexible polymer ring acting as a nano-propeller

The dynamics of a rotating elastic nano-ring driven in a viscous fluid by an externally applied torque about a specific axis is studied using elasto-hydrodynamic simulations. We show that a helical deformation of the ring filament is excited, and that this leads to directed propulsion which is independent of the direction of rotation. It is found that the propulsive force and efficiency initially increase as the torque is increased, and then decrease discontinuously at a buckling transition at a critical torque. This unique propulsive behavior at the shape transition arises due to its specific geometry, i.e., circularity of an elastic filament. The implications of the behavior for artificial microscopic devices are discussed.     

Natural vibration of pre-twisted shear deformable beam systems subject to multiple kinds of initial stresses

Free vibration and buckling of pre-twisted beams exhibit interesting coupling phenomena between compression, moments and torque and have been the subject of extensive research due to their importance as models of wind turbines and helicopter rotor blades. The paper investigates the influence of multiple kinds of initial stresses due to compression, shears, moments and torque on the natural vibration of pre-twisted straight beam based on the Timoshenko theory. The derivation begins with the three-dimensional Green strain tensor. The nonlinear part of the strain tensor is expressed as a product of displacement gradient to derive the strain energy due to initial stresses. The Frenet formulae in differential geometry are employed to treat the pre-twist. The strain energy due to elasticity and the linear kinetic energy are obtained in classical sense. From the variational principle, the governing equations and the associated natural boundary conditions are derived. It is noted that the first mode increases together with the pre-twisted angle but the second decreases seeming to close the first two modes together for natural frequencies and compressions. The gaps close monotonically as the angle of twist increases for natural frequencies and buckling compressions. However, unlike natural frequencies and compressions, the closeness is not monotonic for buckling shears, moments and torques.     

Generation of an axial magnetic field from photon spin

In circularly polarized light the spins of the photons are aligned. When a short intense pulse of circularly polarized laser light is absorbed by a plasma, a torque is delivered initially to the electron species, resulting primarily in an opposing torque from an induced azimuthal electric field. This electric field, in general, has a curl and leads to the generation of an axial magnetic field. It also is the main means for transferring angular momentum to the ions. The time-dependent magnetic field has a magnitude proportional to the transverse gradient of the absorbed intensity but inversely proportional to the electron density, in contrast to earlier theories of the inverse Faraday effect.     

Experimental Investigation and Fault Diagnosis for Buckled Wet Clutch Based on Multi-Speed Hilbert Spectrum Entropy

The multi-disc wet clutch is widely used in transmission systems as it transfers the torque and power between the gearbox and the driving engine. During service, the buckling of the friction components in the wet clutch is inevitable, which can shorten the lifetime of the wet clutch and decrease the vehicle performance. Therefore, fault diagnosis and online monitoring are required to identify the buckling state of the friction components. However, unlike in other rotating machinery, the time-domain features of the vibration signal lack efficiency in fault diagnosis for the wet clutch. This paper aims to present a new fault diagnosis method based on multi-speed Hilbert spectrum entropy to classify the buckling state of the wet clutch. Firstly, the wet clutch is classified depending on the buckling degree of the disks, and then a bench test is conducted to obtain vibration signals of each class at varying speeds. By comparing the accuracy of different classifiers with and without entropy, Hilbert spectrum entropy shows higher efficiency than time-domain features for the wet clutch diagnosis. Thus, the classification results based on multi-speed entropy achieve even better accuracy.     

Torque on an ideal plasma

Ripples in the confining field may exert a torque on a rotating plasma. Time reversal symmetry implies that this torque should vanish for an ideal plasma. However, even in an apparently ideal plasma, singularities can give rise to a nonzero torque. This torque is evaluated for a simple configuration. Although the primary force is magnetic, an essential contribution arises from other nonlinear terms in the equations of motion. The net force is confined to the singular layer, in the direction of the ripple wave vector and related to the energy absorbed in the layer.     

Elastic rod model of a supercoiled DNA molecule

We study the elastic behaviour of a supercoiled DNA molecule. The simplest model is that of a rod-like chain, involving two elastic constants, the bending and the twist rigidities. Writing this model in terms of Euler angles, we show that the corresponding Hamiltonian is singular and needs a small distance cut-off, which is a natural length scale giving the limit of validity of the model, of the order of the double-helix pitch. The rod-like chain in the presence of the cut-off is able to reproduce quantitatively the experimentally observed effects of supercoiling on the elongation-force characteristics, in the small supercoiling regime. An exact solution of the model, using both transfer matrix techniques and its mapping to a quantum mechanics problem, allows to extract, from the experimental data, the value of the twist rigidity. We also analyse the variation of the torque and the writhe-to-twist ratio versus supercoiling, showing analytically the existence of a rather sharp crossover regime which can be related to the excitation of plectoneme-like structures. Finally we study the extension fluctuations of a stretched and supercoiled DNA molecule, both at fixed torque and at fixed supercoiling angle, and we compare the theoretical predictions to some preliminary experimental data. Received 1 April 1999 and Received in final form 4 January 2000     

Thermomechanics of DNA: theory of thermal stability under load

A theory for thermomechanical behavior of homogeneous DNA at thermal equilibrium predicts critical temperatures for denaturation under torque and stretch, phase diagrams for stable B-DNA, supercoiling, optimally stable torque, and the overstretching transition as force-induced DNA melting. Agreement with available single molecule manipulation experiments is excellent.     

声学超材料对低频噪声的消声特性

针对低频噪声较难消除的问题,设计了亥姆霍兹共振腔与声学超材料薄膜耦合的消声结构,在利用有限元软件进行屈曲分析薄膜的临界状态得知声学超材料薄膜结构临界失稳力为0.087 N·m,利用COMSOL声固耦合模块研究薄膜形态对传递损失峰值频率的影响。结果表明:薄膜扭转角度由0°增加到30°时,薄膜总体刚度增加,传递损失峰值对应频率向右偏移了30 Hz,变化并不明显。为了扩大频率偏移范围,在扭转30°的基础上,对扭矩棒施加垂直向下的压力,压力由0 kPa增加到2 kPa,薄膜预应力增大,系统刚度增加,使得传递损失峰值向右偏移了170 Hz。最后搭建实验平台,验证了薄膜在扭转时的频率偏移与仿真基本吻合,在不同压力时频率偏移一致,进而可以实现较大范围的低频率噪声控制。为声学超材料的设计和控制提供有效的依据。     

Spin transfer torque in the semiconductor/ferromagnetic structure in the presence of Rashba effect

Spin transfer torque in magnetic structure occurs when the transverse component of the spin current that flows from the nonmagnetic medium to ferromagnetic medium is absorbed by the interface. In this paper, considering the Rashba effect on the semiconductor region, we discuss the spin transfer torque in semiconductor/ferromagnetic structure and obtain the components of spin-current density for two models:(i) single electron and(ii) the distribution of electrons. We show that no matter whether the difference in Fermi surface between semiconductor and Fermi spheres for the up and down spins in ferromagnetic increases, the transmission probability decreases. The obtained results for the values used in this article illustrate that Rashba effect increases the difference in Fermi sphere between semiconductor and Fermi sphere for the up and down spins in ferromagnetic. The results also show that the Rashba effect, brings an additional contribution to the components of spin transfer torque, which does not exist in the absence of the Rashba interaction. Moreover, the Rashba term has also different effects on the transverse components of the spin torque transfer.     

Rotational drag on DNA: a single molecule experiment

Within a single-molecule configuration, we have studied rotational drag on double stranded linear DNA by measuring the force during mechanical opening and closing of the double helix at different rates. The molecule is cranked at one end by the effect of unzipping and is free to rotate at the other end. In this configuration the rotational friction torque tau on double-stranded DNA leads to an additional contribution to the opening force. It is shown that the effect of rotational drag increases with the length of the molecule, is approximately proportional to the angular velocity of cranking, and we estimate that the torque tau is of the order of 1k(B)T for 10 000 base pairs of DNA cranked at 2000 turns per second.     

利用远紫外光产生多重谐波截止能量延伸

数值研究了氦离子在红外激光场与远紫外激光场驱动下辐射高次谐波的过程.计算结果表明,当远紫外激光场加入后,电子在与母核回碰的过程中会再吸收远紫外光子,进而导致谐波截止能量以远紫外光子能量为间隔的延伸.随着远紫外激光场场强的增强,电子在回碰过程中会吸收更多的远紫外光子,因此多重谐波截止能量会进一步延伸.最后,随着红外激光场与远紫外激光场延迟时间的改变,多重谐波截止能量的延伸可以得到调控.     

强激光辐照下预载柱壳热屈曲失效的数值分析

 采用有限元方法（ANSYS7.0）和简易的热力耦合本构关系,较系统地数值研究了预载柱壳受激光辐照时的热力响应和热屈曲失效行为,分析了几种壳体在不同预载条件下（轴压或内压）的屈曲模态和屈曲特征值,给出了屈曲模态和热屈曲失效与激光强度、辐照时间、预载条件和壳体几何尺度及形状间的定量或定性关系。计算结果表明：（1）屈曲失效行为主要集中在激光辐照区内且以径向屈曲为主。（2）在一定范围内,屈曲特征值与光斑中心点温度近似有线性关系。（3）激光辐照区内高温引起的材料软化和预载径向变形的耦合作用是柱壳发生热屈曲失效的根本原因,有效提高结构刚度,可使屈曲特征值提高。（4）壳体形状的改变对内压柱壳有更为明显的影响,其中圆柱形壳体屈曲特征值最大,因此具有较高的安全性。     

单链DNA在受限环境中伸展的Monte Carlo模拟

将MonteCarlo方法和键长涨落算法相结合,模拟了受限于两平行平面间的单链DNA分子在外力作用下的伸展以及撤除外力以后弛豫的动力学过程,研究了受限程度对DNA分子的伸展长度及弛豫过程的影响.结果表明,随着受限程度的增加,DNA分子链的构象更加伸展,这主要是由于随着平面间距的减少,DNA分子不同链段之间流体力学相互作用将会被平面屏蔽所致,受限程度不同时DNA分子的弛豫过程进一步证实了这一点.DNA分子的伸展长度(即末端距)随着流速的变化关系与文献给出的实验结果及其对此所做的理论分析是基本一致的.