Finite element prediction of wave motion in structural waveguides

A method is presented by which the wavenumbers for a one-dimensional waveguide can be predicted from a finite element (FE) model. The method involves postprocessing a conventional, but low order, FE model, the mass and stiffness matrices of which are typically found using a conventional FE package. This is in contrast to the most popular previous waveguide/FE approach, sometimes termed the spectral finite element approach, which requires new spectral element matrices to be developed. In the approach described here, a section of the waveguide is modeled using conventional FE software and the dynamic stiffness matrix formed. A periodicity condition is applied, the wavenumbers following from the eigensolution of the resulting transfer matrix. The method is described, estimation of wavenumbers, energy, and group velocity discussed, and numerical examples presented. These concern wave propagation in a beam and a simply supported plate strip, for which analytical solutions exist, and the more complex case of a viscoelastic laminate, which involves postprocessing an ANSYS FE model. The method is seen to yield accurate results for the wavenumbers and group velocities of both propagating and evanescent waves.     

Bound on anisotropy in itinerant ferromagnets from random impurities

We calculate the anisotropy energy of a single-domain ferromagnetic particle in which the only source of anisotropy is the presence of nonmagnetic impurities. Such anisotropy has easy-axis and easy-plane contributions, with random orientations of the axes. Typically the anisotropy energy is of order N1/2plankv/tau(so), where N is the number of electrons in the ferromagnetic particle and tau(so) is the spin-orbit time.     

Laser machined macro and micro structures on glass for enhanced light trapping in solar cells

In order to increase the efficiency of solar cell modules it is necessary to make the optimum use of light incident upon them. Much research has been done on improving light absorption through front surface texturisation and light trapping schemes. Laser light is commonly used in industry for various applications including marking and texturisation. By controlling laser parameters, it is possible to tailor macro and micro structures in most materials. The CO₂ laser used in this investigation emits radiation at 10.6 μm with the ability to pulse in the micro-second range. The laser was used to ablate grooved textures in the fused quartz material, used in this study as the light trapping medium, following which an analysis of the effects of the laser parameters on the texture geometry and surface morphology was performed through a combination of cross sectioning and scanning electron microscopy. Transmission through the textured glass was improved for most samples after acid etching. The light trapping effects of the best performing textures were analysed by investigating the effects on a silicon solar cell’s performance at varying angles of incidence. Results indicated a significant increase in light trapping when light was incident at acute angles. For an angle of incidence of 10^° a relative increase in efficiency of up to 51 % was observed.     

Sensitivity of whole human teeth to fast neutrons and gamma-rays estimated by L-band EPR spectroscopy

This paper reports the first attempt to use L-band spectroscopy for estimating the sensitivity of whole teeth to fast neutrons and gamma-rays. Three teeth were successively irradiated first with fast neutrons with a wide energy spectrum (mean energy around 30 MeV) up to 160 Gy and then with gamma-rays up to 14 Gy. After each irradiation, L-band (1 GHz) EPR spectra of each whole tooth surrounded by the surface–coil resonator were recorded, yielding a single composite line principally due to CO₂⁻ and native radicals. The sensitivities are estimated by the slopes of the linear dose response curves of the dosimetric CO₂⁻ radicals. The ratios of the gamma/neutron sensitivities were found to be in the range 8–9 (±2) for the three teeth.     

Experimental evidence for violation of the fluctuation-dissipation theorem in a superspin glass

We present the experimental observation of the fluctuation-dissipation theorem violation in an assembly of interacting magnetic nanoparticles in the low temperature superspin-glass phase. The magnetic noise is measured with a two-dimension electron gas Hall probe and compared to the out of phase ac susceptibility of the same ferrofluid. For "intermediate" aging times of the order of 1 h, the ratio of the effective temperature T(eff) to the bath temperature T grows from 1 to 6.5 when T is lowered from T(g) to 0.3 T(g), regardless of the noise frequency. These values are comparable to those measured in an atomic spin glass as well as those calculated for a Heisenberg spin glass.     

On analytic perturbations of a family of Feigenbaum-like equations

We prove existence of solutions (?,λ) of a family of Feigenbaum-like equations

(0.1)     

Function Spaces and Capacity Related to a Sublinear Expectation: Application to <Emphasis Type=Italic>G</Emphasis>-Brownian Motion Paths

In this paper we give some basic and important properties of several typical Banach spaces of functions of G-Brownian motion paths induced by a sublinear expectation—G-expectation. Many results can be also applied to more general situations. A generalized version of Kolmogorov’s criterion for continuous modification of a stochastic process is also obtained. The results can be applied in continuous time dynamic and coherent risk measures in finance, in particular for path-dependence risky positions under situations of volatility model uncertainty.     

Schrödinger Operators with Sparse Potentials: Asymptotics of the Fourier Transform¶of the Spectral Measure

We study the pointwise behavior of the Fourier transform of the spectral measure for discrete one-dimensional Schr?dinger operators with sparse potentials. We find a resonance structure which admits a physical interpretation in terms of a simple quasiclassical model. We also present an improved version of known results on the spectrum of such operators. Received: 17 May 2001 / Accepted: 28 June 2001     

On the measurements of particles by imaging methods: Theoretical and Experimental Aspects

Imaging techniques in particle sizing have always been important. Nevertheless, owing to the progress in CCD cameras, these techniques have found new potential which strongly depends on the capability to describe the image formation. Based on a combination of the generalized Lorenz-Mie theory and the diffraction theory, the image characteristics are described, taking into account the beam size, particle location, direction of observation and collecting optics characteristics. In the case of forward detection, a finite coherence is introduced and the results are compared with those obtained by a convolution approach, with the point spread function assumed to be Gaussian. Then some experimental results are displayed which underline the improvement achieved in particle size measurement.