Black-hole horizon and metric singularity at the brane separating two sliding superfluids

An analogue of a black hole can be realized in the low-temperature laboratory. The horizon can be constructed for “relativistic” ripplons (surface waves) living on the brane. The brane is represented by the interface between two superfluid liquids, ³He-A and ³He-B, sliding along each other without friction. A similar experimental arrangement was recently used for the observation and investigation of the Kelvin-Helmholtz type of instability in superfluids [1]. The shear-flow instability in superfluids is characterized by two critical velocities. The lowest threshold measured in recent experiments [1] corresponds to the appearance of the ergoregion for ripplons. In the modified geometry, this will give rise to the black-hole event horizon in the effective metric experienced by ripplons. In the region behind the horizon, the brane vacuum is unstable due to interaction with the higher-dimensional world of bulk superfluids. The time of the development of instability can be made very long at low temperature. This will allow us to reach and investigate the second critical velocity—the proper Kelvin-Helmholtz instability threshold. The latter corresponds to the singularity inside the black hole, where the determinant of the effective metric becomes infinite.     

EXPRESSIONS FOR PREDICTING FUNDAMENTAL NATURAL FREQUENCIES OF NON-CYLINDRICAL HELICAL SPRINGS

Numerical and analytical studies are performed for the free vibration analysis of non-cylindrical (conical, barrel and hyperboloidal types) helical springs. The stiffness matrix method is used in the numerical analysis. A total of 12 degrees of freedom (six displacements and six rotations) is described for an element. The exact element stiffness matrix and the exact concentrated element inertia matrix are used in the formulation. The rotary inertia, the shear and extensional deformation effects are considered in the analysis. Comparison of the numerical results with the reported results obtained numerically and experimentally gives satisfactory values. After verification of the numerical frequencies, the non-dimensional fundamental frequencies of fixed-fixed non-cylindrical helical springs with circular section are expressed in a simple formula with a maximum absolute relative error of 5% using those numerical values for the constant helix pitch angles (5°, 10°, and 15°). These expressions restricted to the fundamental frequencies are also verified with ANSYS results.     

Semi‐analytical integration of the 8‐node plane element stiffness matrix using symbolic computation

The semi‐analytical integration of an 8‐node plane strain finite element stiffness matrix is presented in this work. The element is assumed to be super‐parametric, having straight sides. Before carrying out the integration, the integral expressions are classified into several groups, thus avoiding duplication of calculations. Symbolic manipulation and integration is used to obtain the basic formulae to evaluate the stiffness matrix. Then, the resulting expressions are postprocessed, optimized, and simplified in order to reduce the computation time. Maple symbolic‐manipulation software was used to generate the closed expressions and to develop the corresponding Fortran code. Comparisons between semi‐analytical integration and numerical integration were made. It was demonstrated that semi‐analytical integration required less CPU time than conventional numerical integration (using Gaussian‐Legendre quadrature) to obtain the stiffness matrix. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Numer Methods Partial Differential Eq, 2006     

Nonlinear Theory of Spectra of Thermally Stimulated Currents in Complex Crystals with Hydrogen Bonds

The nonlinear theory of thermally stimulated depolarization currents is developed. The theory explains the processes of hetero- and homocharge relaxation in complex crystals with hydrogen bonds and allows the relaxation oscillator parameters to be calculated using the quadratic approximation for the external electric field.     

Nonequilibrium Ionization by Vibrationally Excited Molecules in Supersonic Flows

The results of experimental investigations on thermal nonequilibrium ionization in CO₂: N₂: He mixtures are presented. Measurements of electron density, n_e, in vibrationally excited nitrogen were made in a supersonic flow with different CO₂ contents as well as in a CO₂: N₂: He = 1 : 5 : 4 mixture laser gas. The mixtures were heated in a shock tube and expanded through a supersonic nozzle. Furthermore, supersonic mixing of N₂ and CO₂ + He was used in some experiments. The measured values of n_e in the plenum chamber and in the supersonic nozzle are reported, and the processes responsible for nonequilibrium ionization in a laser-active medium are discussed.     

Investigation of multicomponent fluoride optical materials in the UV spectral region: I. Single crystals of Ca1−x R xF2+x (R = Sc, Y, La, Yb, Lu) solid solutions

Crystalline materials that are transparent in the vacuum UV spectral region and currently used have been reviewed. Transmission of crystals of solid solutions with the fluorite structure Ca_1?x R _xF_2+x (R = Sc, Y, La, Yb, Lu) in the UV and vacuum UV spectral regions has been investigated. It is shown that application of different methods of purification of fluorides from some impurities can significantly improve the optical quality of fluoride multicomponent crystals in the short-wavelength spectral region.     

Vascular morphology by three-dimensional magnetic resonance imaging

A three-dimensional examination of blood vessels is provided using MR data from seven cases. The vascular surfaces are constructed with an algorithm that automatically follows the selected artery or vein and generates a projected three-dimensional gradient shaded image. Fast 3DFT pulse sequences were optimized to enhance the time-of-flight contrast of the intravascular region. By increasing the surface threshold value in a three-dimensional head study, the flesh of a patient's face was peeled away to demonstrate the superfacial temporal artery. Gated cardiac images show the great vessels and cardiac chambers. A three-dimensional view of the aorta shows an irregular surface in the vicinity of an adrenal tumor. 3D MR exams provide a non-invasive technique for assessing vascular morphology in a clinical setting.