An apparatus for studying periodic plasma

Summary The apparatus described permits Langmuir probe theory to be applied to the plasma of any periodic gas discharge. Examples of applications to the study of mercury arc rectifiers are given.     

The evaluation of the surface impedance in the theory of the anomalous skin effect in metals

Summary A simple method is described for obtaining series expansions for the integrals which represent the surface impedance in the theory of the anomalous skin effect in metals. The results agree with those recently obtained by Dingle¹) by means of an intuitive procedure.     

Explicit integration of one problem of motion of the generalized Kowalevski top

In the problem of motion of the Kowalevski top in a double force field the four-dimensional invariant submanifold of the phase space was pointed out by [Kharlamov, M.P., 2002. Mekh. Tverd. Tela 32, 33–38]. We show that the equations of motion on this manifold can be separated by the appropriate change of variables, the new variables s₁, s₂ being elliptic functions of time. The natural phase variables (components of the angular velocity and the direction vectors of the forces with respect to the movable basis) are expressed via s₁, s₂ explicitly in elementary algebraic functions.     

Quantitative planar Raman imaging through a spectrograph: visualisation of a supersonic wedge flow

Planar Raman imaging through a spectrograph is demonstrated as a diagnostic tool for quantitative flow visualisation of internal supersonic wedge flow. A dedicated Bayesian deconvolution filter is used to remove the spectral structure that is introduced by the spectrograph. The 2D density field is determined with ca. 10% precision using average images over 6,000 laser pulses, down to 0.5 mm from the surface of the wedge. Direct interpretations of Raman intensities provide more precise density data than indirect interpretations based on shock geometry in 2D inviscid flow.

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Validation of averaged equations for thermal vibrational convection in near-critical fluidsValidation d'équations moyennées pour l'étude de la convection vibrationnelle dans les fluides supercritiques.

Within an averaging approach, the governing equations and effective boundary conditions describing both the average and pulsation motion of a near-critical fluid subjected to high-frequency vibrations are obtained. Vibrations induce the non-homogeneities in average temperature. Owing to these non-homogeneities, the average flows can be generated even in isothermal cavity under weightlessness. These flows are examined for 1D and 2D configurations. The direct numerical simulations fulfilled earlier confirm the averaged model, we obtain the same flow structures by essentially smaller requirements for computational time. To cite this article: A.Vorobev et al., C. R. Mecanique 332 (2004).     

Unsteady-state flow of a gas in a channel,resulting from the motion of a piston,with magnetohydrodynamic offtake of energy and luminescence of the gas

The present paper discusses the one-dimensional unsteady-state flow of a gas resulting from the motion of a piston in the presence of weak perturbing factors, with which the investigation of the perturbed (with respect to the usual self-similar conditions) motion reduces to the solution of ordinary differential equations, is indicated. The distributions of the parameters of the gas between the piston and the shock wave are found. The conditions under which there is acceleration or slowing down of the shock front are clarified. As an example, this paper considers the unsteady-state motion of a conducting gas in a channel with solid electrodes under conditions where electrical energy is generated, and the flow of a gas taking radiation into account, under the assumption of optical transparency of the medium. The theory developed is used to solve the problem of the motion of a thin wedge with a high supersonic velocity in an external axial magnetic field, taking account of the luminescence of the layer of heated gas between the wedge and the shock wave.Translated from Izvestiya Akademii Nauk SSSR, Mekhanika Zhidkosti i Gaza, No. 5, pp. 17–25, September–October, 1970.     

Numerical Simulation of Plasma Dynamics in a Nonuniform Magnetic Field

An efficient algorithm is proposed enabling numerical simulations of plasma dynamics in a nonuniform magnetic field. The present numerical data are in good agreement with experimental data obtained in a GOL-3 setup and with previous simulations. The experimentally observed effect of fast transfer of energy to ions is confirmed. __________ Translated from Prikladnaya Mekhanika i Tekhnicheskaya Fizika, Vol. 47, No. 1, pp. 35–45, January–February, 2006.     

A note on line forces in gradient elasticity

The theory of gradient elasticity is applied to line forces. Line forces acting on a point within the body and a concentrated normal force (Flamant problem) which acts on a half plane are studied. Closed analytical solutions which have a simple form are obtained for displacement fields of these forces. The gradient elasticity solutions are free from undesirable displacement singularities predicted by classical elasticity.     

Forced and mixed convection boundary layer flow along a flat plate with variable viscosity and variable Prandtl number: new results

The steady laminar boundary layer flow along a flat plate is studied taking into account the variation of fluid viscosity and fluid Prandtl number with temperature. In the forced convection case the plate moves with constant velocity and its temperature varies in power law with x. In the mixed convection case the plate temperature is constant and the fluid moves upwards due to an external free stream and due to buoyancy forces. The results are obtained with the direct numerical solution of the boundary layer equations. The study concerns the wall heat transfer, the wall shear stress and velocity and temperature profiles across the boundary layer. The results of the present work are different from those existing in the literature, which have been obtained with the assumption of constant Pr number.     

Global stability analysis of parametrically excited cylindrical shells through the evolution of basin boundaries

In the present study, the large-amplitude vibrations and stability of a perfect circular cylindrical shell subjected to axial harmonic excitation in the neighborhood of the lowest natural frequencies are investigated. Donnell's shallow shell theory is used and the shell spatial discretization is obtained by the Ritz method. An efficient low-dimensional model presented in previous publications is used to discretize the continuous system. The main purpose of this work is to discuss the use of basins of attraction as a measure of the reliability and safety of the structure. First, the nonlinear behavior of the conservative system is discussed and the basin structure and volume is understood from the topologic structure of the total energy and its evolution as a function of the system parameters. Then, the behavior of the forced oscillations of the harmonically excited shell is analyzed. First the stability boundaries in force control space are obtained and the bifurcation events connected with these boundaries are identified. Based on the bifurcation diagrams, the probability of parametric instability and escape are analyzed through the evolution and erosion of basin boundaries within a prescribed control volume defined by the manifolds. Usually, basin boundaries become fractal. This together with the presence of catastrophic subcritical bifurcations makes the shell very sensitive to initial conditions, uncertainties in system parameters, and initial imperfections. Results show that the analysis of the evolution of safe basins and the derivation of appropriate measures of their robustness is an essential step in the derivation of safe design procedures for multiwell systems.