Mathematical and numerical analysis of a simplified time-dependent viscoelastic flow

A time-dependent model corresponding to an Oldroyd-B viscoelastic fluid is considered, the convective terms being disregarded. Global existence in time is proved in Banach spaces provided the data are small enough, using the implicit function theorem and a maximum regularity property for a three fields Stokes problem. A finite element discretization in space is then proposed. Existence of the numerical solution is proved for small data, so as a priori error estimates, using again an implicit function theorem. Supported by the Swiss National Science Foundation. Fellowship PBEL2–114311.     

Diffraction in a cylindrically orthotropic elastic solid containing a stress free crack

A cylindrically orthotropic elastic solid is excited by a point impulsive body force. The solid contains a semi-infinite stress free crack. The resulting anti-plane wave motion problem has been solved in the form of a finite series representing the incident and reflected pulses plus an integral representing the diffraction pulse. The series part of the solution has been previously treated. In the present investigation the diffraction integral is integrated when λ (which measures the anisotropy of the solid) is an odd integer number. The diffraction integral is also integrated when λ is half an odd integer, for the special case in which the source lies in the plane of the crack and parallel to the crack edge. The displacement jump across the circular diffraction wave front is given for unrestricted (positive) values of λ.     

A second order numerical scheme for the solution of the one-dimensional Boussinesq equation

A predictor–corrector (P-C) scheme is applied successfully to a nonlinear method arising from the use of rational approximants to the matrix-exponential term in a three-time level recurrence relation. The resulting nonlinear finite-difference scheme, which is analyzed for local truncation error and stability, is solved using a P-C scheme, in which the predictor and the corrector are explicit schemes of order 2. This scheme is accelerated by using a modification (MPC) in which the already evaluated values are used for the corrector. The behaviour of the P-C/MPC schemes is tested numerically on the Boussinesq equation already known from the bibliography free of boundary conditions. The numerical results are derived for both the bad and the good Boussinesq equation and conclusions from the relevant known results are derived.      

Smooth Frame-Path Termination for Higher Order Sigma-Delta Quantization

We study the performance of finite frames for the encoding of vectors by applying standard higher-order sigma-delta quantization to the frame coefficients. Our results are valid for any quantizer with accuracy ε > 0 operating in the no-overload regime. The frames under consideration are obtained from regular sampling of a path in a Hilbert space. In order to achieve error bounds that are comparable to results on higher-order sigma-delta for the quantization of oversampled bandlimited functions, we construct frame paths that terminate smoothly in the zero vector, that is, with an appropriate number of vanishing derivatives at the endpoint.     

Oscillation of certain partial difference equations

In this paper we consider a class of nonlinear delay partial difference equations and a class of linear delay partial difference equations with variable coefficients, which may change sign. We obtain oscillation criteria for these equations. There are no results for the oscillation of these equations up to now.     

Identification of dislocations and their influence on the recombination of charge carriers in gallium nitride

The relation between the density of etch pits revealed in GaN by etching in a KOH/NaOH eutectic and the density of dislocations determined by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) is studied along with the relation between the density of dislocations and the density of dark spot defects observed in GaN by microcathodoluminescence (MCL) and electron-beam-induced current (EBIC). It is demonstrated that selective etching is a reliable rapid method for the determination of the type and density of dislocations in GaN in the range 10⁶–10⁸ cm^?2, while MCL and EBIC can be used for the rapid nondestructive determination of the density of dislocations in the range 10⁶–10⁸ cm^?2. It is also found that some deep electron and hole traps are related to dislocations.     

Study of Fe/Si magnetic layered nanostructures by reflected electron energy loss spectroscopy

The results of studying Fe/Si and Si/Fe layered structures with different thicknesses of the top layer by reflected electron energy loss spectroscopy are presented. A new method is proposed for the estimation of volume fractions of components in binary systems within the framework of the effective dielectric medium model.     

Electron-beam-induced conductivity and color cathodoluminescence of natural diamond plates in scanning electron microscope

Surfaces of natural type-IIa diamond plates used in ionizing-radiation detectors are studied in a scanning electron microscope using techniques of electron-beam-induced conductivity at different bias voltages and real-color cathodoluminescence.     

An alternative approach for non-linear optimal control problems based on the method of moments

We propose an alternative method for computing effectively the solution of non-linear, fixed-terminal-time, optimal control problems when they are given in Lagrange, Bolza or Mayer forms. This method works well when the nonlinearities in the control variable can be expressed as polynomials. The essential of this proposal is the transformation of a non-linear, non-convex optimal control problem into an equivalent optimal control problem with linear and convex structure. The method is based on global optimization of polynomials by the method of moments. With this method we can determine either the existence or lacking of minimizers. In addition, we can calculate generalized solutions when the original problem lacks of minimizers. We also present the numerical schemes to solve several examples arising in science and technology.