A purely elastic transition in Taylor-Couette flow

Experimental evidence of a non-inertial, cellular instability in the Taylor-Couette flow of a viscoelastic fluid is presented. A linear stability analysis for an Oldroyd-B fluid, which is successful in describing many features of the experimental fluid, predicts the critical Deborah number,De _c , at which the instability is observed. The dependence ofDe _c on the value of the dimensionless gap between the cylinders is also determined.This paper is dedicated to Professor Hanswalter Giesekus on the occasion of his retirement as Editor of Rheologica Acta.     

3D ultrasound reconstruction algorithms from analog and digital data

Freehand 3D ultrasound is increasingly being introduced in the clinic for diagnostics and image-assisted interventions. Various algorithms exist for combining 2D images of regular ultrasound probes to 3D volumes, being either voxel-, pixel- or function-based. Previously, the most commonly used input to 3D ultrasound reconstruction has been digitized analog video. However, recent scanners that offer access to digital image frames exist, either as processed or unprocessed data. To our knowledge, no comparison has been performed to determine which data source gives the best reconstruction quality. In the present study we compared both reconstruction algorithms and data sources using novel comparison methods for detecting potential differences in image quality of the reconstructed volumes. The ultrasound scanner used in this study was the Sonix RP from Ultrasonix Medical Corp (Richmond, Canada), a scanner that allow third party access to unprocessed and processed digital data. The ultrasound probe used was the L14-5/38 linear probe. The assessment is based on a number of image criteria: detectability of wire targets, spatial resolution, detectability of small barely visible structures, subjective tissue image quality, and volume geometry. In addition we have also performed the more “traditional” comparison of reconstructed volumes by removing a percentage of the input data. By using these evaluation methods and data from the specific scanner, the results showed that the processed video performed better than the digital scan-line data, digital video being better than analog video. Furthermore, the results showed that the choice of video source was more important than the choice of tested reconstruction algorithms.     

An improved error bound for a finite element approximation of a model for phase separation of a multi-component alloy

Using the approach of Rulla (1996 SIAM J. Numer. Anal. 33, 68-87)for analysing the time discretization error and assuming moreregularity on the initial data, we improve on the error boundderived by Barrett and Blowey (1996 IMA J. Numer. Anal. 16,257-287) for a fully practical piecewise linear finite elementapproximation with a backward Euler time discretization of amodel for phase separation of a multi-component alloy.     

Nachweis und Bestimmung des Chroms

Ohne Zusammenfassung     

Magneto-transport properties of La0.7Ca0.3MnO3/SrTiO3/La0.7Ce0.3MnO3 tunnel junction

Hole-doped rare-earth manganite La_0.7Ca_0.3MnO₃ and the electron-doped manganite La_0.7Ce_0.3MnO₃ both show a metal-insulator transition around 250 K associated with a ferromagnetic transition and colossal magnetoresistance. In an earlier publication we have reported the rectifying characteristic of La_0.7Ca_0.3MnO₃/SrTiO₃/La_0.7Ce_0.3MnO₃ tunnel junction at room temperature, showing that it is possible to fabricate a diode out of the polaronic insulator regime of doped manganites. Here we report the magneto-transport properties of such a tunnel junction above and below the metal-insulator transition. We show, from the large positive magnetoresistance of the tunnel junction at low temperature, that La_0.7Ce_0.3MnO₃ could be a minority spin carrier ferromagnet. The implication of this observation is discussed.     

Scaling of wave-packet dynamics in an intense midinfrared field

A theoretical investigation is presented that examines the wavelength scaling from near-visible (0.8 micro m) to midinfrared (2 micro m) of the photoelectron distribution and high harmonics generated by a "single" atom in an intense electromagnetic field. The calculations use a numerical solution of the time-dependent Schr?dinger equation (TDSE) in argon and the strong-field approximation in helium. The scaling of electron energies (lambda2), harmonic cutoff (lambda2), and attochirp (lambda -1) agree with classical mechanics, but it is found that, surprisingly, the harmonic yield follows a lambda -(5-6) scaling at constant intensity. In addition, the TDSE results reveal an unexpected contribution from higher-order returns of the rescattering electron wave packet.     

Rheology/morphology/flow conditions relationships for polymethylmethacrylate/rubber blend

Viscoelastic behavior, phase morphology and flow conditions relationships in polymer/rubber blends have been investigated. The importance of such correlations is illustrated on polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA)/rubber blends subjected to different flow conditions both under small and large deformations. In small-amplitude oscillatory shear (the morphology does not change during the flow) the elastic modulus G of the concentrated blends shows a secondary plateau, G _p , in the low frequency region. This solid-like behavior appears for rubber particle contents beyond the percolation threshold concentration (15%). Morphological observations revealed that for concentrations higher than 15%, the particles are dispersed in a three-dimensional network-type structure.In capillary flow it was found that the network-type structure was destroyed and replaced by an alignment of particles in the flow direction. This morphological modification resulted in a decrease in both viscosity and post-extrusion swell of the blends. Morphological observations revealed that the ordered structure in the flow direction was concentrated only in the skin region of the extrudate, where the shear stress is higher than the secondary plateau, G _p . A simple kinetic mechanism is proposed to explain the observed morphology.Similarly, steady shear measurements performed in the cone-and-plate geometry revealed alignment of particles in the flow direction for shear stress values higher than G_p.Presented in part at the Symposium Recent Developments in Structured Continua Montréal (Canada) 26–28 May 1993 and at the 45th Canadian Chemical Engineering Conference, Quebec, October 15–18 (1995)