Circular dichroism spectra of langasite family crystals in the range of electronic transitions of structure defects

The absorption and circular dichroism spectra of langasite family crystals are studied. Wide bands in the range of 285–500 nm that are related to the structure lattice defects are found. For all the crystals, these bands are in approximately the same spectral region, have identical structures, and can be attributed to one type of defects formed by cation vacancies and excess oxygen atoms in the optically active positions.     

Numerical study of the influence of boundary conditions on the dynamic behavior of a cylindrical shell conveying a fluid

We consider a finite element algorithm intended to study the dynamic behavior of an elastic cylindrical shell filled with an immovable or flowing fluid. To describe the fluid, we use the perturbed velocity potential whose equations with the corresponding boundary conditions are solved by the Bubnov-Galerkin method. To describe the shell, we use the variation principle, which includes the linearized Bernoulli equation for calculating the hydrodynamic pressure acting on the shell on the side of the fluid. Solving the problem is reduced to calculating and analyzing the eigenvalues of the coupled system of equations obtained as a result of combining the equations for the perturbed velocity potential and the shell displacements. We consider several test problems in which, along with the comparison of the computational results with the earlier published experimental, analytic, and numerical data, we also study the dynamic behavior of the “shell-fluid” system for various boundary conditions for the perturbed velocity potential.     

Analysis of thermally induced multistable composites

This paper models the non-linear flexural response of laminates that have piecewise variation of lay-up in the planform, using finite element analysis. Attention is focused on the effects that thermal stresses have on the potential multiple shapes of a composite structure. Unsymmetric laminates may possess more than a single equilibrium configuration, and during the cool-down the solution thus bifurcates at a critical temperature. In static analyses, numerical solutions are often coaxed to converge into one or the other branch of the solution. A methodology to overcome this problem is presented. Such modelling is necessary to allow application of multistable composite within morphing aircraft structures as multistable composites could provide a viable solution for the realisation of shape-adaptable structures.     

Feedback stabilization of snap-through buckling in a preloaded two-bar linkage with hysteresis

We study a linearly damped preloaded two-bar linkage that exhibits hysteresis due to the presence of multiple attracting equilibria. The dynamics at the unstable equilibrium, through which a snap-through buckle occurs, are not linearizable due to a solution-dependent singularity. We stabilize the unstable equilibrium using two distinct non-linear controllers. The feedback-linearization controller requires knowledge of the linkage parameters, whereas the robust version of the intrinsic non-linear proportional-derivative controller requires only an upper bound on the stiffness.     

Ductile–brittle transitions in the fracture of plastically deforming,adhesively bonded structures. Part II: Numerical studies

To enable the effective and reliable use of structural adhesive bonding in automotive applications, the cohesive properties of a joint need to be determined over a wide range of loading rates. In this paper, a strategy for determining these properties has been described and used to analyze a set of experimental results presented in a companion paper. In the particular system studied, a crack growing in a toughened quasi-static mode could make a catastrophic transition to a brittle mode of fracture. The cohesive parameters for both the toughened and brittle modes of crack growth were determined by comparing numerical predictions from cohesive-zone simulations to the results of experimental tests performed using double-cantilever beam specimens and tensile tests. The cohesive parameters were found to be essentially rate-independent for the toughened mode, but the toughness dropped by a factor of four upon a transition to the brittle mode. The results of wedge tests were used as an independent verification of the cohesive parameters, and to verify that the quasi-static properties remained rate-independent to very high crack velocities corresponding to conditions of low-velocity impact. The effects of friction, and the use of the wedge test to determine cohesive parameters, were also explored.     

Motion Control by ZV Shaper Synthesis Extended for Fractional Systems and Its Application to CRONE Control

Shaping command input or preshaping is used for reducing system oscillation in motion control. Desired systems inputs are altered so that the system finishes the requested move without residual oscillation. This technique, developed by N.C. Singer and W.P. Seering, is used for example in the aerospace field, in particular in flexible structure control. This paper presents the study of ZV shaper for explicit fractional derivative systems (generalized derivative systems). A robustness study of ZV shaper is then presented and applied to improve second generation CRONE control response time. Results from simulation and from a DC motor bench are also given.     

Oblique-basis shell-model calculations

A one-dimensional harmonic oscillator in a box is used to introduce the oblique-basis concept. The method is extended to the nuclear shell model by combining traditional spherical shell model states, which yield a diagonal representation of the usual single-particle interaction, with SU(3) shell model collective configurations that track deformation. An application to ²⁴Mg, using the realistic two-body interaction of Wildenthal, is used to explore the validity of this mixed-mode shell-model scheme. The theory is also applied to lower pf-shell nuclei, ^44–48Ti and ⁴⁸Cr, using the Kuo-Brown-3 interaction. These nuclei show strong SU(3) symmetry breaking due mainly to the single-particle spin-orbit splitting. Nevertheless, the results also show that yrast band B(E2) values are insensitive to fragmentation of SU(3) symmetry. Specifically, the quadrupole collectivity as measured by B(E2) strengths remains high even though the SU(3) symmetry is rather badly broken. The results suggest that an oblique-basis mixed-mode shell-model theory may be useful in situations where competing degrees of freedom dominate the dynamics.     

Special points for calculating integrals over the primitive cell of a periodic system

A method is proposed for constructing appropriate sets of special points in the Brillouin zone in which the extended unit cell method is used with a subsequent shift from the center of the reduced Brillouin zone. The proposed method offers several advantages over the commonly used Monkhorst-Pack method. The difference in the construction of sets of special points for the direct and reciprocal lattices is discussed for crystals belonging to a nonsymmorphic space group. The cases of a planar square lattice and an fcc lattice are considered to illustrate general results.