Random Classical Fidelity

We introduce a random perturbed version of the classical fidelity and we show that it converges with the same rate of decay of correlations, but not uniformly in the noise. This makes the classical fidelity unstable in the zero-noise limit.     

Anomalies of the external and internal gravitational fields of the Earth’s isostatically balanced crust in the quadratic approximation

Formulas that include the contribution from dipole-distributed anomalous masses represented as layers distributed in height relative to the reference ellipsoid to the gravitational field in the quadratic approximation have been derived. The relationships between the expansion coefficients of some function and its square in terms of spherical functions have been established. The contribution from the relief masses and the density jump at the Mohorovicic discontinuity is used to illustrate the results.     

A novel specimen for investigating the mechanical behavior of elastomers under multiaxial loading conditions

In this paper we describe the design and manufacture of an axial-torsion test specimen, and provide relationships needed when conducting stress-strain characterization experiments with the specimen. The specimen is a short hollow cylinder of rubber bonded between two steel mounting rings, in which simultaneous axial and shear strains are produced via independently controlled axial and twist displacements. We present calculations for the strain-displacement and stress-load relationships, and strain energy density. These relationships have been established and validated via a combination of analytical and experimental techniques, and finite element analysis. We have investigated the extent and effects of strain and stress field non-uniformity in the test specimen. The specimen design is sufficiently simple that a closed-form expression for the strain-displacement relationship has been successfully developed.     

Long-wavelength GaInAsSb/AlGaAsSb DFB lasers emitting near 2.6 μm

We have successfully fabricated and characterized room temperature continuous wave (cw) GaInAsSb/AlGaAsSb distributed feedback lasers emitting in the wavelength region between 2.499 and 2.573 μm. To the best of our knowledge, this is the longest emission wavelength realized with a GaSb-based DFB laser diode. The laser structure used for DFB processing was grown by solid source molecular beam epitaxy. A DFB concept requiring no subsequent overgrowth step was used by defining first-order Cr-Bragg gratings laterally patterned to a ridge waveguide. Threshold currents smaller than 60 mA and room temperature cw output powers up to 6.5 mW were obtained. The laser diodes show single mode emission with side mode suppression ratios (SMSR) of up to 32 dB.     

Some observations on uncertainty propagation through a simple nonlinear system

This paper discusses a number of issues relating to the analysis of uncertain systems or data in the context of (low-frequency) structural dynamics. In order to illustrate potential problems in applying ‘classical’ uncertainty analysis methods to nonlinear systems, a simple nonlinear system is simulated and the breakdown of two standard approaches is demonstrated on data from the system. By relaxing the requirements of the analysis, it is shown that an alternative uncertainty theory gives useful qualitative information about the system. This motivates a discussion of how uncertainty frameworks should be chosen to suit the problem in hand and leads to a clustering of uncertainty problems in structural dynamics into three types: quantification, fusion and propagation.     

100-TW femtosecond laser based on parametric amplification

In experiments on the parametrical amplification of femtosecond pulses in wide-aperture DKDP crystals, a power of more than 100 TW has been reached, which is much higher than the record level achieved in such lasers. The energy efficiency obtained for the parametric amplifier is equal to 27%. The energy of a 72-fs pulse is equal to 10 J.     

Change in the intensity of light scattering in a magnetite colloid under the simultaneous action of electric and magnetic fields

The change in the intensity of light scattering in a colloidal solution of magnetite particles in kerosene under the simultaneous action of coaxial and mutually perpendicular electric and magnetic fields has been studied. It has been found that, at certain strengths of mutually perpendicular fields, the change in the scattering intensity is maximal. The effect observed has been interpreted on the basis of the Rayleigh-Debye-Gans anisotropic approximation within the model of orientation of aggregates of magnetite particles under the joint action of the fields.     

How many black holes fit on the head of a pin?

The Bekenstein–Hawking entropy of certain black holes can be computed microscopically in string theory by mapping the elusive problem of counting microstates of a strongly gravitating black hole to the tractable problem of counting microstates of a weakly coupled D-brane system, which has no event horizon, and indeed comfortably fits on the head of a pin. We show here that, contrary to widely held beliefs, the entropy of spherically symmetric black holes can easily be dwarfed by that of stationary multi-black-hole “molecules” of the same total charge and energy. Thus, the corresponding pin-sized D-brane systems do not even approximately count the microstates of a single black hole, but rather those of a zoo of entropically dominant multicentered configurations. Fourth Award in the 2007 Essay Competition of the Gravity Research Foundation.     

Study of the vibrational states of nanocrystalline carbon by diffuse reflection spectroscopy

The possibility of performing a quantitative analysis of vibrational states of nanocrystalline carbon has been explored by using the spectroscopic method of diffuse IR reflection. An expression derived from the Kubelka-Munk relation has been proposed and employed to investigate the effect of the original parameters of a sample (absorber concentration, sample dispersion, radiation frequency, scattering factors) on the characteristic features of IR spectra. The IR absorption bands observed in the diffuse reflection spectrum of pyrographite were assigned.     

DSC analysis of strengthening precipitates in ultrafine Al–Mg–Si alloys

Equal channel angular pressing (ECAP) was carried out on solution annealed samples of Al–Mg–Si–Zr and Al–Mg–Si–Zr–Sc alloys to achieve a substantial grain refinement of the materials. Post ECAP aging was then investigated on the ultrafine grained alloys by DSC and TEM analyses. DSC scans were carried out with heating rates ranging from 5 to 30°C min^–1. Peak identification was performed by the support of literature information and TEM analyses. Precipitation kinetics revealed to be similar for both alloys but the Sc-free alloy showed a recrystallization peak at temperatures ranging from 310 to 340°C, depending on the strain accumulated during ECAP. On the contrary, the Sc-containing alloy showed a greater grain stability. Analyses of peak positions and of activation energies as a function of ECAP passes experienced by the samples revealed large modifications of precipitation kinetics in the ultrafine-grained alloys with respect to the coarse-grained materials.