Dynamical problems of continuous media with random boundary data

A spatial correlation method is formulated for linear dynamical problems in continuum mechanics with random boundary data. The essential feature of the method is the formulation of a nonstochastic mixed initial-boundary value problem for the (matrix) spatial correlation function of the (vector) state variable. Whenever the Green's function of the (stochastic) problem can not be obtained in terms of known functions, a numerical solution of the meansquare response and other second order response statistics by the spatial correlation method is several hundred folds more efficient than any other available method. Further improvements in the computational efficiency of the method for a steady state stationary response process are also noted.     

Resonance and composition effects on the Raman scattering from silver-gold alloy clusters

Low-frequency Raman scattering experiments have been performed on thin films consisting of pure gold or gold-silver alloy clusters embedded in alumina matrix. It is clearly shown that the quadrupolar vibrational modes are observed by Raman scattering because of the effect of resonance with the excitation of the electronic surface dipolar plasmon. This is due to the strong coupling between the collective electronic dipolar excitation and the quadrupolar vibrational modes. This effect of resonance does not exist with the core electron excitations. The mixing of the conduction electron dipolar excitation (surface plasmon) with the core electrons leads to the quenching of the resonant Raman scattering. Received 16 November 2000     

Structure of a bathtub vortex: importance of the bottom boundary layer

A bathtub vortex in a cylindrical tank rotating at a constant angular velocity Ω is studied by means of a laboratory experiment, a numerical experiment and a boundary layer theory. The laboratory and numerical experiments show that two regimes of vortices in the steady-state can occur depending on Ω and the volume flux Q through the drain hole: when Q is large and Ω is small, a potential vortex is formed in which angular momentum outside the vortex core is constant in the non-rotating frame. However, when Q is small or Ω is large, a vortex is generated in which the angular momentum decreases with decreasing radius. Boundary layer theory shows that the vortex regimes strongly depend on the theoretical radial volume flux through the bottom boundary layer under a potential vortex : when the ratio of Q to the theoretical boundary-layer radial volume flux Q _b (scaled by ${2\pi R^2 ( \Omega \nu )^\frac{1}{2}}$ ) at the outer rim of the vortex core is larger than a critical value (of order 1), the radial flow in the interior exists at all radii and Regime I is realized, where R is the inner radius of the tank and ν the kinematic viscosity. When the ratio is less than the critical value, the radial flow in the interior nearly vanishes inside a critical radius and almost all of the radial volume flux occurs only in the boundary layer, resulting in Regime II in which the angular momentum is not constant with radius. This criterion is found to explain the results of the laboratory and numerical experiments very well.     

Magnetic design and modelling of a 14 mm‐period prototype superconducting undulator

The magnetic design of a ten‐period (each period 14 mm) prototype superconducting undulator is reported using RADIA. The results of modelling the magnetic flux density are presented in an analytical formula. The dependence of the field integrals and phase error on the current density and undulator gap has been calculated, and temperature curves are determined for the models and are compared with earlier reported Moser–Rossmanith fits.     

Measuring neutron-star radii with gravitational-wave detectors

Coalescing binary neutron stars (NS) are expected to be an important source of gravitational waves (GW) detectable by laser interferometers. We present here a simple method for determining the compactness ratio M/R of NS based on the observed deviation of the GW energy spectrum from point-mass behavior at the end of inspiral. Our method is based on the properties of quasiequilibrium binary NS sequences and does not require the computation of the full GW signal h(t). Combined with the measurement of the NS masses during inspiral, the determination of M/R will allow very strong constraints to be placed on the equation of state of dense nuclear matter.     

Forthcoming articles

Transition Metal Chemistry -     

A Bessel-Schwarz inequality for Gramians and related bounds for determinants

Summary Using the Gram matrix as a ? generalized inner product ?, several inequalities are derived which generalize the Schwarz and Bessel inequalities. The same approach is then used to obtain several well-known inequalities for determinants which have appeared in the literature. The research of the author was supported by the Air Force Office of Scientific Research under Grant AFOSR 400-63, and by the U.S. Naval Ordnance Laboratory, White Oak, Silver Spring, Maryland. Several of the results contained in this paper were presented to the American Mathematical Society at the Annual Meeting, 1963 (see the Notices Amer. Math. Soc., Vol. 10, No. 1, Part 1, p. 83).     

A comparison of mathematical programming modeling systems

We compare three mathematical programming modeling languages, GAMS, OMNI and MathPro. To understand the properties of these languages, we formulate four linear programs in each language. The formulations are representative of the kinds of model structures one encounters in practice. Each of the languages focuses on a different view of linear programs. GAMS approximates algebra, OMNI uses the activity view and MathPro uses a block schematic. We summarize our experiences with the languages and suggest areas for further enhancement.