A Criticality Criterion for Thermal Explosions in Well-stirred Systems with Reactant Consumption

The autonomous differential equations for the temperature andreactant consumption in a first-order well-stirred exothermicreaction are considered. An examination of the phase-plane solutionsallows the qualitative behaviour of the Semenov number as afunction of maximum temperature rise ^* to be established. Inthe limit of infinite adiabatic temperature rise (B) and zeroactivation energy parameter ( = 0), the relationship between and stationary temperature _s is known to be e_¹ = _s. Criticalityarises at the maximum of (_s) and leads to the critical Semenovvalues (_s)_cr = 1, _cr = e^–1. For sufficiently large B,it is shown that the (^*) curve has a bifurcation at ^* = 1, withthe upper branch monotonically increasing and the lower branchmonotonically decreasing for ^* > 1. In the limit B thesebecome respectively the straight line = e^–1, _s 1 andthe unstable branch of = _se^–1, _s 1 and the unstablebranch of = _s e^–. Criticality for finite B is definedas occurring at the bifurcation, namely ^*_cr = 1, with _cr(B)the value of at this point. Values of these Semenoy numbersare obtainable from the numerical calculations of Boddingtonet al. [Proc. R. Soc. Lond. (1983), 390, 13–30]. The newcriterion is applied to an approximate phase-plane solution.The corresponding critical parameter is found to be _cr = e^–1[1+B^–(2–e^–1)+O(B^–1)].     

Elliptic Problems Involving Phase Boundaries Satisfying a Curvature Condition

Two theorems related to equilibrium free-boundary problems arepresented. One arises as a time-independent solution to thephase-field equations. The other is the relevant time-independentproblem for the Stefan model, modified for the surface tensioneffect. It also serves as a preliminary result for the phase-fieldformulation. Under appropriate conditions, we prove that, givenan appropriate positive constant and a smooth function u: R;,where is an annular domain in R², there exists a curve suchthat u(x)=—K(x) for all x , where K is the curvature.Using this result, we prove the existence of solutions to O=²+ ?(—³) + 2u that have a transition layer behaviour (from=—1 to =+1) for small and make the transition on thecurve . This proves there exist solutions to the phase fieldmodel that satisfy a Gibbs-Thompson relation.     

On hearing the shape of a bounded domain with Robin boundary conditions

The asymptotic expansions of the trace of the heat kernel (t)= [sum ]_j=1 exp(-t_j) for small positive t, where {_j} _j=1 arethe eigenvalues of the negative Laplacian -_n = -[sum ]ⁿ_k=1 (/x^k)²in Rⁿ (n = 2 or 3), are studied for a general multiply connectedbounded domain which is surrounded by simply connected boundeddomains _i with smooth boundaries _i (i = 1,...,m), where smoothfunctions Y_i (i = 1,...,m) are assuming the Robin boundary conditions(n_i + Y_i) = 0 on _i. Here /n_i denote differentiations along theinward-pointing normals to _i (i = 1,...,m). Some applicationsof an ideal gas enclosed in the multiply connected bounded containerwith Neumann or Robin boundary conditions are given.     

The Model Plasma Problem: Existence of a Solution Branch

We are interested in the model plasma problem –u = u⁺in ,u = –d on , _au⁺ dx=j where is a bounded domain in with boundary ; here, j isa given positive number, the function u and the positive number are the unknowns of the problem, and d is a real parameter.Using a variant of the implicit function theorem, we can provethe existence of a global solution branch parametrized by d.The method has the advantage that it can be used for analysingthe approximation of the above problem by a finite-element method.     

Numerical Evaluation of Fourier Integrals

A method is developed for evaluating Fourier integrals of theform A() = ¹_–1f(x) e^fax dx, 0. The method consists of expanding the function f in a seriesof Chebyshev polynomials and expressing the integral A() asa series of the Bessel functionsJ_r+(), r= 0, 1, 2,.... A partialsum A_N() of the series provides an approximant to A(). The principalfeature of the method is that one set of N+1 evaluations off(x) suffices for the calculation of A_N() for all , and alsothe truncation error A()–A_N() is essentially independentof . Numerical tests show that the method is accurate, economicaland reliable. An application to the inversion of Fourier andLaplace transforms is briefly described.     

An analogue of Berry's conjecture for the phase in fractal obstacle scattering

In this paper, the authors consider the high-frequency asymptoticsof the phase s() of acoustic waves scattered by an obstacleRⁿ with fractal boundary. Under certain conditions, it is provedthat if is –Minkowski measurable with –Minkowskimeasure µ then there exists a positive constant C_n, dependingonlyon n and such that where     

The Critical Conditions in a Reactive Slab with Slowly Varying Surface Temperature

Liouville's non-linear partial differential equation is consideredfor an infinite rectangular strip domain with a slowly varyingboundary condition. The equation describes a layer of chemicallyreactive material under conditions where the resistance to surfaceheat transfer is negligible and the ambient temperature variesslowly along the surface. Symmetrical heating by a zero orderexothermic reaction is assumed. If is a small dimensionlesstemperature difference between regions where the surface temperatureis effectively constant, a perturbation series solution in may be determined provided the Frank-Kamenetskii parameter satisfies _c(). It is shown that a plausible value for thecritical parameter is _c() = _c(0) e^–e,where _c(0) = 0.878.The corresponding critical temperature distribution is shownto have a dependence on different from that for subcriticalcases.     

Injection of Ideal Fluid from a Slot into a Stream: Two Free Boundaries

A fluid is injected from a slot into a stream of another fluid.In a simple model this leads to a two-phase two-free-boundaryproblem with the jump relation |u^–|² – |u⁺|² = on the free boundary {u=0}, and |u| = ¹ on the free boundary{u > – Q}, where u is the stream function and Q isthe flux of the injected fluid. Using the variational theoryof Alt, Caffarelli & Friedman, we prove existence of (,₁, u) such that there is a smooth fit for both free boundaries.     

Asymptotic Solution of Hyperbolic Systems with Constant Coefficients

An integral representation of the exact solution of the initialvalue problem for the hyperbolic equation of the form is derived. Here A^o, A^v, B, and Care constant m x m matrices, u(t, X; ) is an m-component columnvector, and is a positive parameter. Various conditions areimposed on the coefficient matrices that permit the applicationof the method of stationary phase in several variables to theintegral representation of the exact solution. The leading termof the asymptotic expansion as of the exact solution is obtainedfor several types of initial data and source functions whichdepend on the parameter .     

The large deformation of nonlinearly elastic rings in a two-dimensional compressible flow

The nonlinear nonlocal system of the equilibrium equations ofan elastic ring under the action of an external two-dimensionaluniformly subsonic potential barotropic steady-state gas flowis considered. The configurations of the elastic ring are identifiedby a pair of functions (, ). The simple curve represents theshape of the ring and the real-valued function identifies theorientation of the material sections of the ring. The pressurefield on the ring depends nonlocally on , and on two parametersU and P which represent the pressure and the velocity at infinity.The system is shown to be equivalent to a fixed-point problem,which is then treated with continuation methods. It is shownthat the solution branch ensuing from certain equilibrium states((₀, ₀), 0, P₀) in the solution-parameter space of ((₀, ₀),0, P₀) either approaches the boundary of the admissible ((,), U,p)'s in a well-defined sense, or is unbounded, or is homotopicallynontrivial in the sense that there exists a continuous map from the branch to a two-dimensional sphere which is not homotopicin the sphere to a constant, while restricted to the branchminus ((₀, ₀), 0, P₀) is homotopic to a constant in the sphere.Furthermore, by fixing the pressure parameter at P₀ and by consideringthe one-parameter problem in ((, ), U), the following holds.Every hyperplane in the solution-parameter space of the ((,), U)'s which contains the equilibrium state ((₀, ₀), 0) anddoes not include a welldetermined one-dimensional subspace intersectsthe solution branch above at a point different from ((₀, ₀),0).     

Frame duality properties for projective unitary representations

Let be a projective unitary representation of a countable groupG on a separable Hilbert space H. If the set B of Bessel vectorsfor is dense in H, then for any vector x H the analysis operator_x makes sense as a densely defined operator from B to ²(G)-space.Two vectors x and y are called -orthogonal if the range spacesof _x and _y are orthogonal, and they are -weakly equivalent ifthe closures of the ranges of _x and _y are the same. These propertiesare characterized in terms of the commutant of the representation.It is proved that a natural geometric invariant (the orthogonalityindex) of the representation agrees with the cyclic multiplicityof the commutant of (G). These results are then applied to Gaborsystems. A sample result is an alternate proof of the knowntheorem that a Gabor sequence is complete in L²( ^d) ifand only if the corresponding adjoint Gabor sequence is ²-linearlyindependent. Some other applications are also discussed.     

Turning Point Problems and Resonance

Consider the boundary value problem: ²yⁿ + (xp(x) + ²f(x, ))y'+ g(x, )y = 0, y(a) = A, y(b) = B, where a < 0 < b, p(x)< p(x) < 0, and p, f, and g are analytic. We investigatethe solution of this problem for small positive values of theparameter . If-g(0, 0)/p(0) c where c N = {0, 1, 2, 3,...},then so-called resonance does not occur, and y = o(ⁿ) on closedsubintervals of (a, b), for any n N, with expected boundarylayer behaviour at the end-points. If -g(0, 0)/p(0) = c, c N, then further transformations of dependent and independentvariables may still expose resonance or non-resonance. The setof necessary conditions that is developed is compared to otherauthors' criteria, most notably, Olver's sufficiency condition,and the necessary conditions of Cook & Eckhaus, Lakin, andMatkowsky. Finally, it is proved that these conditions are necessaryfor resonance.     

The Magnetogasdynamic Boundary Layer on a Thermally Insulated Flat Plate

This paper examines the effect of compressibility on the flowin the boundary layer on a semi-infinite, thermally insulatedflat plate placed at zero incidence to a uniform stream of electricallyconducting gas, with an aligned magnetic field at large distancesfrom the plate. The present discussion is limited to small values of the conductivityparameter = 4µv, and the Prandtl number is taken to beunity. The latter assumption permits a simplification of theanalysis, and the former allows the dependence of the flow onthe parameters ß = µH²/4U² and M = U/cto beadequately illustrated without excessive computation. A seriessolution valid for small values of the conductivity parameterand for Mach numbers not too large is derived. Values of ß = 0.3 and 0.5, = 0.01 and 0.1 are consideredand for those values the skin friction decreases with increasingMach number, similar to the case when ß = 0. The analysissuggests that for larger values of ß the skin frictionmight even increase with the Mach number initially. This iscertainly the case with the tangential component of the magneticfield, which for ß = 0.5 exhibits a maximum at approximatelyunit Mach number. The reason for this behaviour lies in thefact that, in view of the temperature changes taking place inthe flow, the electrical conductivity and thereby the localvalue of can change by more than an order of magnitude. Thishas the effect of giving results which are akin to those forarbitrary large in incompressible flow even though the valueof based on the main stream gas properties remains low.     

The Decay of Eddy-currents in Thin Sheets and Related Water-wave Problems

The decay of the eddy-currents that are induced in a thin, uniform,imperfectly-conducting sheet by switching off the source ofan external magnetic field is investigated. For the two-dimensionalproblem of an infinite strip the (non-dimensional) decay constants_n and eddy-current distributions i_n(x) are the eigenvalues andeigenfunctions of the integral equation with the constraint. For the circular disc the corresponding equation is where and K and E are complete elliptic integrals. For both problemsthe initial eddy-currents have inverse-square-root singularitiesat the edges but during their decay the eddy currents are finiteat the edges and the normal magnetic fields have logarithmicsingularities there. Numerical results are given for variousinitial-value problems. The eddy current problems are closely related to water-waveproblems in which there is a strip-shaped or circular aperturein a horizontal rigid dock. If _n and _n are the decay constantsand magnetic scalar potentials for the strip and _n and _n theangular frequencies and velocity potentials for the normal modesin the strip-shaped aperture, then _n =_n² and _n and _n are thereal and imaginary parts respectively of a holomorphic function.The velocities in the normal modes are deduced from the solutionof the eddy-current problem and are found to agree with resultsgiven in Miles (1972). For circular geometries the eigenvaluesand eigenfunctions of the axisymmetric eddy-current problemare the same as those of the water-wave problem that has angularvariation eⁱ; where (, , z) are cylindrical polar co-ordinateslocated at the centre of the basin.     

Optimal Parameter Choice in the {theta}-Method for Parabolic Equations

The general first-order method, known as the -method, is appliedto the semi-discrete form of a parabolic equation. It is shownthat to every required local accuracy there corresponds a valueof the parameter that is optimal in the sense of allowing thelargest step for which the error remains bounded below . Anasymptotic formula for in terms of is obtained, showing thatthe maximum step-size for the optimal -method is more than twiceas large as that for the Crank-Nicolson method. A numericalexample is given, showing good agreement between theory andpractice.     

Correction: on the Intersection Matrices of Curves lying on Irregular Algebraic Surfaces

Professor W. F. Hammond has kindly drawn my attention to a blunderin 4 of the above paper. He referred to the ( – 2r) xß submatrix D of the skew-symmetric matrix displayednear the top of page 181, of which it is asserted that it issquare and non-singular, and pointed out that, from the factthat the matrix of which D forms part is regular, it may onlybe deduced that the columns of D are linearly independent; thatis, it only follows that – 2r ß. The validity of the equation – 2r = ß is essentialto the succeeding argument and, fortunately, may be establishedby alternative means. Using the nomenclature of the paper, wehave on F the set ₁^*, ..., _2r^*, ₁^*, ..., _ß^* of independent3-cycles (independent because they cut independent 1-cycleson the curve C), which may be completed, to form a basis forsuch cycles on F, by a further set ₁', ..., _2q–2r–pof independent 3-cycles, each of which meets C in a cycle homologousto zero on C. The cycles ₁^*, ..., ^* are invariant cycles andare independent on F so that, if > 2r + ß, thereis a non-trivial linear combination ^* of these having zero intersectionon C with each of the cycles ₁^*, ..., _2r^*, ₁^*, ..., _ß^*.Thus we have. (^* ._k^*)c = 0 = (^* ._i^*)c i.e. (^* ._k^*) = 0 = (^* ._i^* on F (1 k 2r; 1 i ß). Furthermore, (_j . C) 0 on C and we have (^* ._j .C)_C = 0 i.e. (^* ._j) = 0 on F (1 j 2q – 2r – ß). It now follows that ^* 0 on F (for it has zero intersectionwith every member of a basic set of 3-cycles on F). But thiscondradicts the assumption that ^* is a non-trivial linear combinationof the independent cycles ₁^*, ...,^*; and hence < 2r + ß.     

Supercooling and Superheating Effects in Phase Transitions

In the one-dimensional Stefan problem, the standard equilibriumcondition ; = 0 at the free boundary x = s(t) is here replacedby the kinetic law s'(t) = ß((s(t), t)), where ß:R R is continuous and increasing and ß(0) = 0. Thisrepresents supercooling and superheating effects. The standardStefan problem is then obtained in the limit as ß'(0) + A similar condition is considered for a radially symmetric system,taking also account of the surface tension effect. A kineticcondition is introduced also for phase transitions in binaryalloys, represented by means of the system of the Fourier'sand Fick's laws. In the case of several space dimensions, denoting by [0, 1]the concentration of the more energetic phase, the followinglaw is considered this is also extendedto binary systems. For all of the previous models of phase transitions, existenceresults are proved for the variational problems obtained bycoupling the free boundary condition with the energy conservationequation (and with the mass diffusion equation, for alloys).For heterogeneous systems, also a different model based on "non-equilibriumthermodynamics" is considered. This paper reviews the results of Visintin [IMA J. appl. Math.(1985) 34, 225–245] and announces those of Visintin (1985,to appear in Q appl. Math, and in Ann. Mat. pura appl.).     

Computer extended series solution for unsteady flow in a contracting or expanding pipe

Unsteady flow in a semi-infinite contracting or expanding pipeis reinvestigated using long series analysis. The proposed seriesmethod is useful in analysing the problem for a moderately largeconstant ( = aa/, where a = a(t), the radius of the pipe isa function of time, a(t) is the velocity of the wall, and iskinematic viscosity). For positive values of (expansion ofthe pipe) accuracy of the series representing shear stress andpressure gradient is increased from = 2.89 to = 6.0 by extractingthe singularity followed by completion of the series. For negativevalues of (contraction of the pipe), we revert the series whichresults into the increase of the region of validity of the transposedseries from = -25.0 to = -2.89. Later we use Padé approximantsfor summing them. Also, the asymptotic solution for large valuesof is obtained and it agrees closely with pure numerical valuesof shear stress at the wall and pressure gradient.     

Thermodynamic Inequalities in Continuum Mechanics

The constitutive relations for the transport of heat, stress,electric charge, etc., in a continuum must be chosen so thatthe second law of thermodynamics is not violated; the constraintstake the form of inequalities, typically requiring the entropygenerated within a material element to be non-negative. Thepaper is concerned with this concept—its history, thephysical principles on which it depends, how to apply it whensecond-order or non-linear effects are important and how itis widely misused in modern continuum mechanics. The history is reduced to the contributions of five leadingthermodynamicists—Clausius, Maxwell, Gibbs, Boltzmannand Duhem. The object here was to try to discover which formof the inequality one should regard as being fundamental. Oneimportant conclusion is that entropy S must be defined simultaneouslywith the identification of the inequality, and that in generalthis cannot be done until the constitutive equations are known.The empirical element enters with the notion of irreversibility,which is given a precise meaning with the aid of the motionreversed parity (x), a variable x having = +1 or = –1if, when time and motions are reversed, x x or x –x.The macroscopic parity of x, _*(x), is obtained by first replacingx by the constitutive equation for x. The entropy production rate has both irreversible (f) and reversible(r) parts. It is shown that the reciprocal relations followfrom the requirement that the macroscopic parity of (i) mustbe +1. Continuum thermodynamics is based on various principles extractedfrom theory developed for uniform systems, the example chosento illustrate the ideas being the simple monatomic gas. Second-orderconstitutive relations are introduced, and the expressions forentropy and its production rate per unit volume, , obtained.It is shown that the stability condition 0 cannot, in general,be satisfied merely by imposing constraints on the constitutiverelations. To second-order = ₁ + ₂, where ₁ is the usual bilinearform, and the terms in ₂ have an additional derivative. Thesecond-order term ₂ can have both signs, and is not dissipative.The relation between this fact and the frame-dependence of constitutiverelations is explained. The final section illustrates the errors frequently found inthe thermodynamic arguments appearing in books and papers onrational continuum mechanics. The principle of these is that 0 is interpreted as being a constraint on the constitutiverelations alone. Another is the idea that the balance equationscan be set aside as constraints by regarding them as mere definitionsof a heat source and a body force, an error based partly onthe misconception that constitutive relations should be frame-indifferent.Finally, an inequality due to Glansdorff & Prigogine isexamined and found to be in error.     

On the behaviour of blow-up interfaces for an inhomogeneous filtration equation

We study the asymptotic behaviour of blow-up interfaces of thesolutions to the one-dimensional nonlinear filtration equationin inhomogeneous media where m>1 isa constant and (x) = |x|^– (for |x| 1, with > 2) isa bounded, positive, smooth, and symmetric function. The initialdata are assumed to be smooth, bounded, compactly supported,symmetric, and monotone. It is known that due to the fast decayof the density (x) as |x| the support of the solution increasesunboundedly in a finite time T. We prove that as tT^– theinterface behaves like O((T – t)^–b), where the exponentb > 0 (which depends on m and only) is given by a uniqueself-similar solution of the second kind satisfying the equation|x|^– u_t = (u^m)_xx. The corresponding rescaled profilesalso converge. We establish the stability of the self-similarsolution of the second kind for the exponential density (x)=e^–|x|for |x| 1. We give a formal asymptotic analysis of the blow-upbehaviour for the non-self-similar density (x) = e^–|x|2.Several exact self-similar solutions and their correspondingasymptotics are constructed.