Simulation of the Burridge-Knopoff model of earthquakes with variable range stress transfer

Simple models of earthquake faults are important for understanding the mechanisms for their observed behavior, such as Gutenberg-Richter scaling and the relation between large and small events, which is the basis for various forecasting methods. Although cellular automaton models have been studied extensively in the long-range stress transfer limit, this limit has not been studied for the Burridge-Knopoff model, which includes more realistic friction forces and inertia. We find that the latter model with long-range stress transfer exhibits qualitatively different behavior than both the long-range cellular automaton models and the usual Burridge-Knopoff model with nearest-neighbor springs, depending on the nature of the velocity-weakening friction force. These results have important implications for our understanding of earthquakes and other driven dissipative systems.     

Azimuthal symmetry, flow dynamics, and heat transport in turbulent thermal convection in a cylinder with an aspect ratio of 0.5

We report an experimental study of flow dynamics and structure in turbulent thermal convection. Flow visualization, together with particle image velocimetry (PIV) measurement, reveal that the instantaneous flow structure consists of an elliptical circulatory roll and two smaller counterrotating rolls, and that the azimuthal motion of the quasi-2D instantaneous flow structure produces a time-averaged 3D flow pattern featuring two toroidal rings near the top and bottom plates, respectively. The apparently stochastic azimuthal motion of the flow structure, which generates a net rotation on average, is found to possess the characters of a Brownian ratchet. Using an artificially generated flow mode, we are able to produce a bimodal-Nu behavior and thus demonstrate that different flow states can indeed produce different global heat transport in a turbulent convection system.     

On the bound of the Lyapunov exponents for continuous systems

In this paper, both upper bounds and lower bounds for all the Lyapunov exponents of continuous differential systems are determined. Several examples are given to show the application of the estimates derived here.     

Sensitive Determination of Carbohydrates by Fluorimetric Method with Ce(IV) and Sodium Triphosphate

A new simple and sensitive fluorimetric method for the determination of carbohydrates is described. The method is based on the reaction between carbohydrates and Ce(IV) in the presence of sulfuric acid. All the reductive carbohydrates can be detected indirectly by the fluorescence of Ce(III) produced. The addition of sodium triphate enhances the sensitivity of the method by more than 10-folds. Under optimum conditions, an excellent linear relationship was obtained between the fluorescence intensity and the concentration of carbohydrates. The limits of detection lie in the range of 9.3 x 10(-10) - 1.3 x 10(-9) mol/L. As compared to the normal fluorimetric method, the proposed method is faster and more sensitive.     

Study of the Reaction Between the Nucleic Acid and Y-BPMPHD-CTMAB Complex and Its Analytical Application

The fluorescence quenching of the Y-BPMPHD-CTMAB by nucleic acids is reported. It is considered that the Y-BPMPHD-CTMAB can form a large complex with nucleic acid through the electrostatic attraction in the pH range of 4.2-6.8. Under optimal conditions, the difference of fluorescence intensity between the system without and with nucleic acids is proportional to the concentration of nucleic acids over the range of 4.5 x 10(-8)-1.2 x 10(-5) g/mL for fsDNA and 3.2 x 10(-8)-3.0 x 10(-5) g/mL for yRNA, respectively. The detection limits are 14.0 ng/mL for fsDNA and 21.0 ng/mL for yRNA. The method is applied for the determination of nucleic acids in actual sample, and the result obtained is satisfactory.     

Measured local heat transport in turbulent Rayleigh-Bénard convection

Local convective heat flux in turbulent thermal convection is obtained from simultaneous velocity and temperature measurements in an aspect-ratio-one convection cell filled with water. It is found that fluctuations of the vertical heat flux are highly intermittent and are determined primarily by the thermal plumes in the system. The experiment reveals a unique mechanism for the heat transport in turbulent convection.     

Inverse energy cascade correlated with turbulent-structure generation in toroidal plasma

We report the first experimental observation of the inverse energy cascade correlated with the generation of large turbulent structures. Spectral energy is nonlinearly transferred from the unstable region of the spectrum into large coherent structures and into broadband turbulence in agreement with theoretical expectations. These results are obtained by producing plasma in the H-1 heliac whose parameters allow a single-field, Hasegawa-Mima-type model to be used for the spectral energy transfer analysis.