System identification-guided basis selection for reduced-order nonlinear response analysis

Reduced-order nonlinear simulation is often times the only computationally efficient means of calculating the extended time response of large and complex structures under severe dynamic loading. This is because the structure may respond in a geometrically nonlinear manner, making the computational expense of direct numerical integration in physical degrees of freedom prohibitive. As for any type of modal reduction scheme, the quality of the reduced-order solution is dictated by the modal basis selection. The techniques for modal basis selection currently employed for nonlinear simulation are ad hoc and are strongly influenced by the analyst's subjective judgment. This work develops a reliable and rigorous procedure through which an efficient modal basis can be chosen. The method employs proper orthogonal decomposition to identify nonlinear system dynamics, and the modal assurance criterion to relate proper orthogonal modes to the normal modes that are eventually used as the basis functions. The method is successfully applied to the analysis of a planar beam and a shallow arch over a wide range of nonlinear dynamic response regimes. The error associated with the reduced-order simulation is quantified and related to the computational cost.     

Stability and instability of nonlinear defect states in the coupled mode equations—Analytical and numerical study

Coupled backward and forward wave amplitudes of an electromagnetic field propagating in a periodic and nonlinear medium at Bragg resonance are governed by the nonlinear coupled mode equations (NLCME). This system of PDEs, similar in structure to the Dirac equations, has gap soliton solutions that travel at any speed between 0 and the speed of light. A recently considered strategy for spatial trapping or capture of gap optical soliton light pulses is based on the appropriate design of localized defects in the periodic structure. Localized defects in the periodic structure give rise to defect modes, which persist as nonlinear defect modes as the amplitude is increased. Soliton trapping is the transfer of incoming soliton energy to nonlinear defect modes. To serve as targets for such energy transfer, nonlinear defect modes must be stable. We therefore investigate the stability of nonlinear defect modes. Resonance among discrete localized modes and radiation modes plays a role in the mechanism for stability and instability, in a manner analogous to the nonlinear Schrödinger/Gross-Pitaevskii (NLS/GP) equation. However, the nature of instabilities and how energy is exchanged among modes is considerably more complicated than for NLS/GP due, in part, to a continuous spectrum of radiation modes which is unbounded above and below. In this paper we (a) establish the instability of branches of nonlinear defect states which, for vanishing amplitude, have a linearization with eigenvalues embedded within the continuous spectrum, (b) numerically compute, using Evans function, the linearized spectrum of nonlinear defect states of an interesting multiparameter family of defects, and (c) perform direct time-dependent numerical simulations in which we observe the exchange of energy among discrete and continuum modes.     

A new formulation for the existence and calculation of nonlinear normal modes

A new formulation is presented here for the existence and calculation of nonlinear normal modes in undamped nonlinear autonomous mechanical systems. As in the linear case an expression is developed for the mode in terms of the amplitude, mode shape and frequency, with the distinctive feature that the last two quantities are amplitude and total phase dependent. The dynamic of the periodic response is defined by a one-dimensional nonlinear differential equation governing the total phase motion. The period of the oscillations, depending only on the amplitude, is easily deduced. It is established that the frequency and the mode shape provide the solution to a 2π-periodic nonlinear eigenvalue problem, from which a numerical Galerkin procedure is developed for approximating the nonlinear modes. The procedure is applied to various mechanical systems with two degrees of freedom.     

Electromagnetic envelope solitons in magnetized plasma

A multiple scales technique is employed to solve the fluid-Maxwell equations describing a weakly nonlinear circularly polarized electromagnetic pulse in magnetized plasma. A nonlinear Schrödinger-type (NLS) equation is shown to govern the amplitude of the vector potential. The conditions for modulational instability and for the existence of various types of localized envelope modes are investigated in terms of relevant parameters. Right-hand circularly polarized (RCP) waves are shown to be modulationally unstable regardless of the value of the ambient magnetic field and propagate as bright-type solitons. The same is true for left-hand circularly polarized (LCP) waves in a weakly to moderately magnetized plasma. In other parameter regions, LCP waves are stable in strongly magnetized plasmas and may propagate as dark-type solitons (electric field holes). The evolution of envelope solitons is analyzed numerically, and it is shown that solitons propagate in magnetized plasma without any essential change in amplitude and shape.     

Nonlinear development of instabilities in supersonic vortex sheets: I. The basic kink modes

Classical linearized stability analysis predicts (neutral) stability of supersonic vortex sheets for compressible flow with normalized Mach numbers, M > √2, while recent detailed numerical simulations by Woodward indicate the nonlinear development of instabilities for M > √2 through the development and interaction of propagating kink modes in the slip-stream. These kink modes are discontinuities in the slip-stream bracked by shock waves and rarefaction waves which grow self-similarly in time. In this paper, the apparent paradox is resolved by developing appropriate small amplitude high frequency nonlinear time-dependent asymptotic perturbed solutions which yield the response to a very small amplitude nonlinear planar sound wave incident on the vortex sheet. The analysis leads to three specific angles of incidence depending on M > √2 where nonlinear resonance occurs. For these three special resonant angles of incidence the perturbation expansions automatically yield simplified equations. These equations involve an appropriate Hamilton-Jacobi equation for the perturbed vortex sheet location; the derivative of the solution of this Hamilton-Jacobi equation provides boundary data for two nonlinear Burgers transport equations for the sound wave emanating from the two sides of the vortex sheet. These equations are readily solved exactly and lead to the quantitative time-dependent nonlinear development of three different types of kink modes with a structure similar to that observed by Woodward.     

Stability, mobility and power currents in a two-dimensional model for waveguide arrays with nonlinear coupling

A two-dimensional nonlinear Schrödinger lattice with nonlinear coupling, modelling a square array of weakly coupled linear optical waveguides embedded in a nonlinear Kerr material, is studied. We find that despite a vanishing energy difference (Peierls-Nabarro barrier) of fundamental stationary modes the mobility of localized excitations is very poor. This is attributed to a large separation in parameter space of the bifurcation points of the involved stationary modes. At these points the stability of the fundamental modes is changed and an asymmetric intermediate solution appears that connects the points. The control of the power flow across the array when excited with plane waves is also addressed and shown to exhibit great flexibility that may lead to applications for power-coupling devices. In certain parameter regimes, the direction of a stable propagating plane-wave current is shown to be continuously tunable by amplitude variation (with fixed phase gradient). More exotic effects of the nonlinear coupling terms like compact discrete breathers and vortices, and stationary complex modes with nontrivial phase relations are also briefly discussed. Regimes of dynamical linear stability are found for all these types of solutions.     

Free and forced vibration analysis of a nonlinear system with cyclic symmetry: Application to a simplified model

This work program is devoted to studying the nonlinear dynamics of a structure with cyclic symmetry under conditions of geometric nonlinearity, through the use of the harmonic balance method (HBM). In order to study the influence of nonlinearity due to the large deflection of blades, a simplified model has been developed. This approach leads to a system of linearly coupled, second-order nonlinear differential equations, in which nonlinearity appears via cubic terms. Periodic solutions, in both the free and forced cases, are sought by applying HBM coupled with an arc-length continuation method. Solution stability has been investigated using Floquet's theorem. In addition to featuring similar and nonsimilar nonlinear modes, the unforced system is known to contain localized nonlinear modes that arise from branching point bifurcation at certain vibration amplitudes. In the forced case, these nonlinear modes give rise to a complex dynamic behavior. Many bifurcations can take place, thus leading to strong or weak localization that may or may not be stable. In this study, special attention has been paid to the influence of excitation on dynamic responses. Several cases of excitation have been analyzed herein: localized excitation, and low-engine-order excitation. In the case of low-engine-order excitation, sensitivity of the response to a perturbation of this excitation type has been investigated, and it has been shown that for a localized, or sufficiently detuned excitation, several solutions can coexist, some of which are represented by closed curves in the Frequency-Amplitude domain. These various solutions overlap when increasing the force amplitude, leading to forced nonlinear localization. Because closed curves are not tied up with the basic nonlinear solution, they can easily be overlooked. In this study, they have been calculated using a sequential continuation with the force amplitude as a parameter.     

A Second-Order Theory for Electron Plasma Solitary Waves in a Cylindrical Waveguide

To describe the long time asymptotic behaviour of weakly nonlinear plasma waves propagating in a strongly magnetized plasmafilled cylindrical waveguide the usual KDV equation which is first order in wave amplitude is extended to second order including the effects of finite temperature, mobile ions and giving a proper treatment to the radial co-ordinate for all possible modes of propagation. The second-order effects on the first-order solitary wave profile, phase speed and first order correction to the wavelength are all determined and discussed.     

Correlation of quadrature amplitude fluctuations during the intracavity generation of second harmonic

For the process of intracavity generation of the second harmonic, the dynamics of correlation of quadrature amplitudes fluctuations of the fundamental and the second harmonic modes is studied depending on the nonlinear coupling coefficient between the modes. It was shown that in this system the entangled states of field related to variables of quadrature amplitudes may be obtained depending on the nonlinear coupling coefficient. It was also shown that the entanglement of the states of field modes related to one quadrature amplitude may vanish depending on the value of nonlinear coupling coefficient, whereas the states of field modes related to the other quadrature amplitude stay entangled.     

Giant piezoelectric anisotropy in sodium niobate with a composite-like structure

On the basis of X-ray diffraction and electrophysical data for stoichiometric and nonstoichiometric sodium niobate, it is concluded that a mechanism responsible for the infinite ratio of the electromechanical coupling factors for the thickness and plane modes may be related to the composite-like structure of the material. It is shown that such a structure may result from the presence of ordered extended voids (arising at the joints between perfect structure blocks), which behave as microcracks. Stresses generated at the joints may modify the domain structure and lead to the anisotropic distribution of polarized clusters in the ferroelectric phase. This also may enhance the piezoelectric anisotropy.     

Finite-amplitude standing acoustic waves in a cubically nonlinear medium

The acoustic field in a resonator filled with a cubically nonlinear medium is investigated. The field is represented as a linear superposition of two strongly distorted counterpropagating waves. Unlike the case of a quadratically nonlinear medium, the counterpropagating waves in a cubically nonlinear medium are coupled through their mean (over a period) intensities. Free and forced standing waves are considered. Profiles of discontinuous oscillations containing compression and expansion shock fronts are constructed. Resonance curves, which represent the dependences of the mean field intensity on the difference between the boundary oscillation frequency and the frequency of one of the resonator modes, are calculated. The structure of the profiles of strongly distorted “forced” waves is analyzed. It is shown that discontinuities are formed only when the difference between the mean intensity and the detuning takes certain negative values. The discontinuities correspond to the jumps between different solutions to a nonlinear integro-differential equation, which, in the case of small dissipation, degenerates into a third-degree algebraic equation with an undetermined coefficient. The dependence of the intensity of discontinuous standing waves on the frequency of oscillations of the resonator boundary is determined. A nonlinear saturation is revealed: at a very large amplitude of the resonator wall oscillations, the field intensity in the resonator ceases depending on the amplitude and cannot exceed a certain limiting value, which is determined by the nonlinear attenuation at the shock fronts. This intensity maximum is reached when the frequency smoothly increases above the linear resonance. A hysteresis arises, and a bistability takes place, as in the case of a concentrated system at a nonlinear resonance.     

Spin-wave excitation by direct current in obliquely magnetized nanostructures

The magnetization dynamics of magnetic nanostructures magnetized at an arbitrary out-of-plane angle is investigated with the spin-wave formalism. The magnetic excitations driven by a spin-polarized direct current are considered to be standing spin-wave modes appropriate for nanopillar structures. The spin waves grow exponentially above a certain critical value of the current density and their post-threshold nonlinear dynamics leads to magnetization oscillations in the microwave range. Due to demagnetizing fields, the current-driven excitation strongly depends on the direction of the applied external magnetic field. In order to calculate the microwave oscillation frequency we derive an equation of motion for the spin-wave amplitude as a function of the out-of-plane angle of the applied field. The results are compared with recent experimental data as well as with another theoretical approach.     

Coherence and Anticoherence Induced by Thermal Fields

Interesting coherence and correlations appear between superpositions of two bosonic modes when the modes are parametrically coupled to a third intermediate mode and are also coupled to external modes which are in thermal states of unequal mean photon numbers. Under such conditions, it is found that one of linear superpositions of the modes, which is effectively decoupled from the other modes, can be perfectly coherent with the other orthogonal superposition of the modes and can simultaneously exhibit anticoherence with the intermediate mode, which can give rise to entanglement between the modes. It is shown that the coherence effects have a substantial effect on the population distribution between the modes, which may result in lowering the population of the intermediate mode. This shows that the system can be employed to cool modes to lower temperatures. Furthermore, for appropriate thermal photon numbers and coupling strengths between the modes, it is found that entanglement between the directly coupled superposition and the intermediate modes may occur in a less restricted range of the number of the thermal photons such that the modes could be strongly entangled, even at large numbers of the thermal photons.     

Efficient modal control strategies for active control of vibrations

Some efficient strategies for the active control of vibrations of a beam structure using piezoelectric materials are described. The control algorithms have been implemented for a cantilever beam model developed using finite element formulation. The vibration response of the beam to an impulse excitation has been calculated numerically for the uncontrolled and the controlled cases. The essence of the method proposed is that a feedback force in different modes be applied according to the vibration amplitude in the respective modes i.e., modes having lesser vibration may receive lesser feedback. This weighting may be done on the basis of either displacement or energy present in different modes. This method is compared with existing methods of modal space control, namely the independent modal space control (IMSC), and modified independent modal space control (MIMSC). The method is in fact an extension of the modified independent space control with the addition that it proposes to use the sum of weighted multiple modal forces for control. The proposed method results in a simpler feedback, which is easy to implement on a controller. The procedure is illustrated for vibration control of a cantilever beam. The analytical results show that the maximum feedback control voltage required in the proposed method is further reduced as compared to existing methods of IMSC and MIMSC for similar vibration control. The limitations of the proposed method are discussed.     

Nonlinear development of acoustical instabilities in supersonic jets

In contrast with the roll-up of fluid interfaces through Kelvin-Helmholtz instability, recent numerical simulations with small amplitude perturbations of supersonic jets reveal another very different coherent mode of nonlinear acoustical instability of jets through the appearance of regular zig-zag shock patterns which traverse the interior of the jet and amplify as time evolves. In this paper, through a combination of appropriate ideas from linear and nonlinear high frequency geometric optics, the authors develop a quantitative theory which predicts the nonlinear development of zig-zag modes with a structure like those observed in the numerical simulations. The perturbation analysis is developed via a systematic application of nonlinear small amplitude high frequency geometric optics to the complex free surface problem defined by the perturbed jet; this procedure automatically yields simplified asymptotic equations which are analyzed explicitly and lead to the development of regular amplifying “zig-zag” shock structures in the jet. For a given streamwise period, Mach number, and jet width, the asymptotic theory gives explicit criteria for the number and structure of different regular zig-zag shock patterns which amplify with time. For Mach numbers M < 1, there are no amplifying acoustic zig-zig modes while for M > 1, there are a finite number of such modes depending on Mach number, jet width, and streamwise period. Explicit criteria to select the most destabilizing of these nonlinear eigenmodes are developed as well as several new quantitative predictions regarding the nonlinear development of acoustical instabilities in supersonic jets including the phenomenon of “super-resonance” for special values of the streamwise period.     

Energy transmission in the forbidden band gap of a nonlinear chain

A nonlinear chain driven by one end may propagate energy in the forbidden band gap by means of nonlinear modes. For harmonic driving at a given frequency, the process occurs at a threshold amplitude by sudden large energy flow that we call nonlinear supratransmission. The bifurcation of energy transmission is demonstrated numerically and experimentally on the chain of coupled pendula (sine-Gordon and nonlinear Klein-Gordon equations) and sustained by an extremely simple theory.     

Wavefront sensorless adaptive optics for large aberrations

In some adaptive optics systems the aberration is determined not by using a wavefront sensor but by sequential optimization of the adaptive correction element. Efficient schemes for the control of such systems are essential if they are to be effective. A scheme is introduced that permits the efficient measurement of large amplitude wavefront aberrations that are represented by an appropriate series of modes. This scheme uses an optimization metric based on the root-mean-square spot radius (or focal spot second moment) and an aberration expansion using polynomials suited to the representation of lateral aberrations. Experimental correction of N aberration modes is demonstrated with a minimum of N+1 photodetector measurements. The geometrical optics basis means that the scheme can be extended to arbitrarily large aberrations.     

Acoustic nonlinearities in adhesive joints

Nondestructive testing of adhesive joints is of great interest. The method of second harmonic generation promises to give early information about failure of adhesive layers. In the case of resonance the amplitude of strain in a soft interface layer is strongly increased and, therefore, the layer considerably contributes to A2, the amplitude of the second harmonic. The nonlinear behavior of such a layer and its influence on A2 was studied by means of the finite element method. In the experimental situation all materials along the sound path contribute to A2. The dependence of the calculated and measured effects on the layer thickness, the velocity of sound, and the nonlinearity coefficient beta are reported.