A method for calculating rheological and morphological properties of constant-volume polymer blend models in inhomogeneous shear fields

We show how to formulate two-point boundary-value problems in order to compute fully-developed laminar channel and tube flow profiles for viscoelastic fluid models. The formulation is applied to Couette and pressure-driven flows separately, or a combination of both. The application of this methodology is illustrated analytically for the Upper-Convected Maxwell Model, and it is applied computationally for the Phan-Thien/Tanner and Giesekus Models. Numerical solutions exist for the last two models [J.Y. Yoo, H.C. Choi, On the steady simple shear flows of the one-mode Giesekus fluid, Rheol. Acta 28 (1989) 13–24; P.J. Oliveira, F.T. Pinho, Analytical solution for fully developed channel and pipe flow of Phan-Thien–Tanner fluids, J. Fluid Mech. 387 (1999) 271–280; M.A. Alves, F.T. Pinho, P.J. Oliveira, Study of steady pipe and channel flows of a single-mode Phan-Thien–Tanner fluid, J. Non-Newtonian Fluid Mech. 101 (2001) 55–76], allowing verification of the computational technique. Subsequently, the computational algorithm is applied to the constant-volume polymer blend models of Maffettone and Minale [P.L. Maffettone, M. Minale, Equation of change for ellipsoidal drops in viscous flow, J. Non-Newtonian Fluid Mech. 84 (1999) 105–106 (Erratum), J. Non-Newtonian Fluid Mech. 78 (1998) 227–241] and Dressler and Edwards [M. Dressler, B.J. Edwards, The influence of matrix viscoelasticity on the rheology of polymer blends, Rheol. Acta 43 (2004) 257–282; M. Dressler, B.J. Edwards, Rheology of polymer blends with matrix-phase viscoelasticity and a narrow droplet size distribution, J. Non-Newtonian Fluid Mech. 120 (2004) 189–205]. Rheological and morphological properties of the model blends are thus obtained as functions of the spatial position within the channel, applied pressure drop, and shear rate at the wall.     

Blast wave measurements close to explosive charges

The paper reports the results of experimental measurements of the reflection pressures close to spherical charges of TNT. These measurements were made using a pressure bar technique. Charge weights of up to 3.6 kg were used, with the reflecting plane in the range 25 to 300 mm from the charge surface.A possible wave interaction model is discussed, to account for the observed pressure profiles, and its qualitative correctness checked by means of numerical simulation.This article was processed using Springer-Verlag T_EX Shock Waves macro package 1.0 and the AMS fonts, developed by the American Mathematical Society.     

β‐Diketiminate‐Stabilized Magnesium(I) Dimers and Magnesium(II) Hydride Complexes: Synthesis,Characterization, Adduct Formation,and Reactivity Studies

The preparation and characterization of a series of magnesium(II) iodide complexes incorporating β‐diketiminate ligands of varying steric bulk and denticity, namely, [(ArNCMe)₂CH]^? (Ar=phenyl, (^PhNacnac), mesityl (^MesNacnac), or 2,6‐diisopropylphenyl (Dipp, ^DippNacnac)), [(DippNCtBu)₂CH]^? (^tBuNacnac), and [(DippNCMe)(Me₂NCH₂CH₂NCMe)CH]^? (^DmedaNacnac) are reported. The complexes [(^PhNacnac)MgI(OEt₂)], [(^MesNacnac)MgI(OEt₂)], [(^DmedaNacnac)MgI(OEt₂)], [(^MesNacnac)MgI(thf)], [(^DippNacnac)MgI(thf)], [(^tBuNacnac)MgI], and [(^tBuNacnac)MgI(DMAP)] (DMAP=4‐dimethylaminopyridine) were shown to be monomeric by X‐ray crystallography. In addition, the related β‐diketiminato beryllium and calcium iodide complexes, [(^MesNacnac)BeI] and [{(^DippNacnac)CaI(OEt₂)}₂] were prepared and crystallographically characterized. The reductions of all metal(II) iodide complexes by using various reagents were attempted. In two cases these reactions led to the magnesium(I) dimers, [(^MesNacnac)MgMg(^MesNacnac)] and [(^tBuNacnac)MgMg(^tBuNacnac)]. The reduction of a 1:1 mixture of [(^DippNacnac)MgI(OEt₂)] and [(^MesNacnac)MgI(OEt₂)] with potassium gave a low yield of the crystallographically characterized complex [(^DippNacnac)Mg(μ‐H)(μ‐I)Mg(^MesNacnac)]. All attempts to form beryllium(I) or calcium(I) dimers by reductions of [(^MesNacnac)BeI], [{(^DippNacnac)CaI(OEt₂)}₂], or [{(^tBuNacnac)CaI(thf)}₂] have so far been unsuccessful. The further reactivity of the magnesium(I) complexes [(^MesNacnac)MgMg(^MesNacnac)] and [(^tBuNacnac)MgMg(^tBuNacnac)] towards a variety of Lewis bases and unsaturated organic substrates was explored. These studies led to the complexes [(^MesNacnac)Mg(L)Mg(L)(^MesNacnac)] (L=THF or DMAP), [(^MesNacnac)Mg(μ‐AdN₆Ad)Mg(^MesNacnac)] (Ad=1‐adamantyl), [(^tBuNacnac)Mg(μ‐AdN₆Ad)Mg(^tBuNacnac)], and [(^MesNacnac)Mg(μ‐tBu₂N₂C₂O₂)Mg(^MesNacnac)] and revealed that, in general, the reactivity of the magnesium(I) dimers is inversely proportional to their steric bulk. The preparation and characterization of [(^tBuNacnac)Mg(μ‐H)₂Mg(^tBuNacnac)] has shown the compound to have different structural and physical properties to [(^tBuNacnac)MgMg(^tBuNacnac)]. Treatment of the former with DMAP has given [(^tBuNacnac)Mg(H)(DMAP)], the X‐ray crystal structure of which disclosed it to be the first structurally authenticated terminal magnesium hydride complex. Although attempts to prepare [(^MesNacnac)Mg(μ‐H)₂Mg(^MesNacnac)] were not successful, a neutron diffraction study of the corresponding magnesium(I) complex, [(^MesNacnac)MgMg(^MesNacnac)] confirmed that the compound is devoid of hydride ligands.     

Calculation and Measurement of Terahertz Active Normal Modes in Crystalline PETN

The terahertz frequency spectrum of pentaerythritol tetranitrate (PETN) is calculated using Discover 1 with the COMPASS 2 force field, CASTEP^[3] and PWscf. 4 The calculations are compared to each other and to terahertz spectra (0.3–3 THz) of crystalline PETN recorded at 4 K. A number of analysis methods are used to characterise the calculated normal modes.     

Language specificity in the perception of voiceless sibilant fricatives in Japanese and English: implications for cross-language differences in speech-sound development

Both English and Japanese have two voiceless sibilant fricatives, an anterior fricative /s/ contrasting with a more posterior fricative /∫/. When children acquire sibilant fricatives, English children typically substitute [s] for /∫/, whereas Japanese children typically substitute [∫] for /s/. This study examined English- and Japanese-speaking adults' perception of children's productions of voiceless sibilant fricatives to investigate whether the apparent asymmetry in the acquisition of voiceless sibilant fricatives reported previously in the two languages was due in part to how adults perceive children's speech. The results of this study show that adult speakers of English and Japanese weighed acoustic parameters differently when identifying fricatives produced by children and that these differences explain, in part, the apparent cross-language asymmetry in fricative acquisition. This study shows that generalizations about universal and language-specific patterns in speech-sound development cannot be determined without considering all sources of variation including speech perception.     

Force localization in contracting cell layers

Epithelial cell layers on soft elastic substrates or pillar arrays are commonly used as model systems for investigating the role of force in tissue growth, maintenance, and repair. Here we show analytically that the experimentally observed localization of traction forces to the periphery of the cell layers does not necessarily imply increased local cell activity, but follows naturally from the elastic problem of a finite-sized contractile layer coupled to an elastic foundation. For homogeneous contractility, the force localization is determined by one dimensionless parameter interpolating between linear and exponential force profiles for the extreme cases of very soft and very stiff substrates, respectively. If contractility is sufficiently increased at the periphery, outward directed displacements can occur at intermediate positions. We also show that anisotropic extracellular stiffness can lead to force localization in the stiffer direction, as observed experimentally.     

The oxidation of Fe(111)

The oxidation of Fe(111) was studied using Auger electron spectroscopy (AES), low energy electron diffraction (LEED), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), ion scattering spectroscopy (ISS) and scanning tunnelling microscopy (STM). Oxidation of the crystal was found to be a very fast process, even at 200 K, and the Auger O signal saturation level is reached within ~ 50 × 10^? 6 mbar s. Annealing the oxidised surface at 773 K causes a significant decline in apparent surface oxygen concentration and produces a clear (6 × 6) LEED pattern, whereas after oxidation at ambient temperature no pattern was observed. STM results indicate that the oxygen signal was reduced due to the nucleation of large, but sparsely distributed oxide islands, leaving mainly the smooth (6 × 6) structure between the islands. The reactivity of the (6 × 6) layer towards methanol was investigated using temperature programmed desorption (TPD), which showed mainly decomposition to CO and CO₂, due to the production of formate intermediates on the surface. Interestingly, this removes the (6 × 6) structure by reduction, but it can be reformed from the sink of oxygen present in the large oxide islands simply by annealing at 773 K for a few minutes. The (6 × 6) appears to be a relatively stable, pseudo-oxide phase, that may be useful as a model oxide surface.     

Proposal and demonstration of a spectrometer using a diffractive optical element with dual dispersion and focusing functionality

We propose an optical spectrometer using a hybrid grating-Fresnel (G-Fresnel) diffractive optical element. Theoretical simulation shows that a spectral resolution of approximately 1 nm can be potentially achieved with a millimeter-sized G-Fresnel. A proof-of-concept G-Fresnel-based spectrometer with subnanometer spectral resolution is experimentally demonstrated. The proposed method provides a promising new way for realizing compact optical spectrometers.     

Preface

Hyperfine Interactions -