Extensional dynamics of viscoplastic filaments: II. Drips and bridges

A model for the dynamics of slender filaments of Herschel–Bulkley fluid is used to explore viscoplastic dripping under gravity and thinning under controlled extension (liquid bridges). The conditions required for fluid to yield are delineated, and the subsequent thinning and progression to pinch-off are tracked numerically. Calculations varying the dimensionless parameters of the problem are presented to illustrate the effect of surface tension, rheology, inertia (for dripping) and gravity. The theoretical solutions are compared with laboratory experiments using aqueous solutions of Carbopol and Kaolin suspensions. For drips and bridges, experiments with Carbopol are well matched by the theory, using a surface tension equal to that of water, even in situations when the fluid is not slender. Experiments with Kaolin do not compare well with theory for physically plausible values of the surface tension. Implications for rheometry and surface-tension inference are discussed.     

Synchronized family dynamics in globally coupled maps

The dynamics of a globally coupled, logistic map lattice is explored over a parameter plane consisting of the coupling strength, varepsilon, and the map parameter, a. By considering simple periodic orbits of relatively small lattices, and then an extensive set of initial-value calculations, the phenomenology of solutions over the parameter plane is broadly classified. The lattice possesses many stable solutions, except for sufficiently large coupling strengths, where the lattice elements always synchronize, and for small map parameter, where only simple fixed points are found. For smaller varepsilon and larger a, there is a portion of the parameter plane in which chaotic, asynchronous lattices are found. Over much of the parameter plane, lattices converge to states in which the maps are partitioned into a number of synchronized families. The dynamics and stability of two-family states (solutions partitioned into two families) are explored in detail. (c) 1999 American Institute of Physics.     

Rapid catalytic oxidation of CO to CO(2) - On the development of a new approach to on-line oxygen isotope analysis of organic matter

A new approach to on-line oxygen isotope analysis has been developed which utilises existing elemental analyser and mass spectrometry technology to produce a sample of carbon dioxide gas for oxygen isotople analysis. The method relies on on-line high temperature pyrolysis of the sample over a carbon source followed by a rapid, non-contributive partial catalytic oxidation over nickel powder at between 550 and 600 degrees C. Initial results demonstrate both good precision (better than 0.2 per thousand) and accuracy for both cellulose and silver nitrate samples. Copyright 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Editorial for Focus Issue on Enabling Science and Technology for High-Speed Optical Communications

<正>Fiber optics underpins the communications infrastructure for the information society today. Cables consisting of hair-like fibers speed data around the globe in the form of rapid pulses of light. Modern telecom     

On the buckling of elastic plates

The Föppl-von Kármán equations are used toexplore the onset of linear instability and the subsequent nonlineardevelopment of buckling patterns in a flat elastic plate dueto an imposed shear or body force such as gravity. Experimentalresults are also presented for a clamped and sheared sheet ofNeoprene rubber and these compare favourably with theory.     

Extensional dynamics of viscoplastic filaments: I. Long-wave approximation and the Rayleigh instability

We derive an asymptotic reduced model for the extensional dynamics of long, slender, axisymmetric threads of incompressible Herschel–Bulkley fluids. The model describes the competition between viscoplasticity, gravity, surface tension and inertia, and is used to explore the viscoplastic Rayleigh instability. A finite-amplitude initial perturbation is required to yield the fluid and initiate capillary-induced thinning. The critical amplitude necessary for thinning depends on both the wavelength of the perturbation and on the yield stress. We also numerically examine the inertialess growth of the instability and the progression towards pinch-off. The final self-similar form of inertialess pinch-off is similar to that for a power-law fluid.     

Nonlinear polarization effects and mitigation in polarization-division-multiplexed coherent transmission systems

Using numerical simulations, the nonlinear transmission performance of polarization-division-multiplexed quadrature-phase-shift-keying （PDM-QPSK） coherent systems is studied. It is found that inter-channel cross-polarization modulation （XPolM） induced nonlinear polarization scattering can significantly degrade the transmission performance of PDM-QPSK coherent systems and change the perspective of dispersion management in optical coherent transmission systems. Some techniques to mitigate nonlinear polarization scattering in dispersion-managed PDM coherent transmission systems are discussed, including the use of time-interleaved return-to-zero （RZ） PDM formats, the use of periodic-group-delay PGD dispersion compensators, and the judicious addition of some polarization-mode-dispersion （PMD） in the transmission link. It is shown that if nonlinear polarization scattering can be well mitigated, a polarization multiplexed optical coherent transmission system with dispersion management could perform better than that without it.     

Heat convection and transport barriers in low-magnetic-shear rijnhuizen tokamak project plasmas

Layers of reduced electron heat transport ("transport barriers") have been observed in the Rijnhuizen Tokamak Project when the plasma is dominantly heated by electron cyclotron heating (ECH). Experiments into the properties of the transport barriers are reported. Modulation of the ECH power was used to probe electron heat transport in the barriers by means of propagating electron temperature perturbations. The observed propagation shows that transport inside the barriers is dominated by heat convection. This convection is inward, i.e., up the temperature gradient.